#but maybe if i cook it from scratch i might change my stance??
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is meatloaf worth learning how to cook??
#trying to figure out a new meal to learn#i was also thinking about chicken alfredo because as of this moment i despise it#but maybe if i cook it from scratch i might change my stance??#ahh#personal
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because 4x01 happened and i had feelings about it. the therapy stuff is taken directly from my own counselling sessions. i might not have gone through a tsunami and a truck bombing, but iâve seen some shit lol. ANYWAY. i hope yâall like this.Â
for @capseycartwright who always deserves the best buck content and quality sassy eddie <3
need help (but can you help me? [ao3 link] buck, buck/eddie, hurt/comfort, therapy
Eddie leaned against the doorjamb to his bathroom, arms folded across his chest. âI hear youâre cheating on me with a Covid crush?â
Buck snorted. âYouâve been talking to Chim.â
âMore like had to listen to him,â Eddie corrected. He met Buckâs eyes through the mirror.
âYou know I would neverââ
âI know, Buck,â Eddie said quickly. He straightened up, came to stand next to Buck at the basin. Buck looked to the left, lips quirking up. Before he could say anything, Eddie leaned in, resting his head on Buckâs shoulder, their eyes meeting in the mirror again. âI trust you.â
Fingers curling around the edge of the basin, Buck sighed. âI should just tell them.â
Eddie kissed Buckâs neck. âYou donât owe anybody anything.â
Silence lapsed between them.
âWhen youâre ready to tell people, you will,â Eddie said, sliding a hand up Buckâs back, scratching through his hair and then pulled back. âBreakfast in half an hour. Chris is already up.â
âFuck you,â Buck said with a laugh.
Eddie blew him a kiss and tapped the doorframe on his way out.
_________
Buck wasnât keeping it a secret deliberately.
Quarantine was difficult. It wasnât as bad for him as it was for a lot of people given that he was still able to work, but he hadnât been alone since the quarantine had started. It had started to get too much for him to handle around the second month.
âI used to think I was lonely,â he said, leaning on his desk.
Lisa nodded, sitting back in her chair. âAnd now?â
âI havent been for a while,â he said. âBut not because of quarantine. Thatâs just made me realize I love my workmates but living with them has been difficult.â
âYouâre ready for them to go home.â
Buck huffed a short laugh. âYeah, I am. Well. Iâm sad Eddieâs gone, but I know why he had to.â
Lisaâs face remained impassive. It was one of the reasons Buck liked her. âDo you miss him?â
Missed was an understatement. Though Hen and Eddie had gone home and Buck had been glad to have his apartment mostly to himself, that didnât stop him missing Eddie like a phantom limb. It had been difficult without Chris around, moreso for Eddie, but Buck had missed him too. That would change now, as long as they were careful and took precautions, and Buck wanted to go back to having Eddie and Chris to himselfâwithout Chm around. âI just wish Chim would leave.â
âHmm,â Lisa said.
âNot because Iâm sick of him,â Buck said. âItâs just hard when heâs here. I feel like I canât be myself.â
Lisa stared at him. âYou can with Eddie?â
âYeah,â Buck said. âI can.â
âThen start with that,â Lisa said. âKeeping it a secret is taxing on you, and I can imagine on Eddie, but if the two of you have decided it works for you, then only you get to decide when you tell your friends and family.â
âI know.â Buck blew out a slow breath. âThanks, Lisa.â
âItâs what Iâm here for, Buck,â she said with a smile. âHowever, thatâs the end of the session and I have to go. If you need anything, text me, alright?â
Buck nodded, thumb hovering over the mousepad. âI will. Thanks again.â
The sign off was always awkward over Zoom, but Buck hadnât dealt well with face to face sessions. When he closed his laptop, he sat back in his chair, hearing Maddieâs laugh through the speakers of Chimâs laptop. Great. Rolling his eyes, Buck cast a quick eye at the clock. Not long and they had to be at work.
_________
âWell,â Eddie said. âAt least itâs not a tsunami.â
Buck gave him a look. âAre you kidding me?â
Eddie was smiling, the dick, and Buck elbowed him. âOw,â he said through a laugh. Sobering quickly, he reached out, squeezed Buckâs arm as best he was able in their gear. âItâll be alright.â
âI canât do it again, Eddie.â
Eddie turned. âBuck, look at me.â
Buck winced but did as asked. They didnât have long before theyâd be on the roof.
âIâve got you, hear me? No matter what, youâre not on your own this time.â
I wasnât before, Buck didnât say. âOkay.â
âYou hearing me?â
âYes, Eddie, I got you.â
Eddie smirked. âDonât sass me, Buckley.â
âIâll do whatever Ilike,â Buck said mulishly, but he couldnât stop the smile from forming. âThanks, Eddie.â
âAnytime,â Eddie said, dropping his voice. âNow letâs get this done, alright?â
_____________________
Buck massaged his temples. âIt was a disaster. Literally.â
âIt was,â Lisa agreed.
âWith everything that went on, it reminded me of the tsunami.â
Lisa nodded sympathetically. âThat must have been difficult.â
It took Buck a minute to find his voice. âI had a job to do this time as well and I didnât have Chris to look out for.â When he realised Lisa looked ready to speak, Buck powered on. âNot that I resented looking out for Chris. I knowâyou know how I feel about that and that Iâll probably always regret it, but I had Eddie this time. I hadâa job and someone to help me.â
âOkay,â Lisa said. It wasnât a dismissal, and Buck nodded. âI know how much trust you have in Eddie, Buck. I just wonder how much you have in yourself.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âWeâve talked about the truck bombing, the tsunami. Weâve talked about the blood clots and the lawsuit,â and Buck winces at the reminder, âand throughout all of that you mention everything youâve done wrong.â
Buck frowned. âYeah?â
âWhat about the things you did right?â
There was a long silence.
âI donât know what you mean.â
âI want you to do something for me, okay?â
Buck waited for her to finish, not knowing how to answer.
âBefore you next call me, I want you to write down five things youâve done right in the time youâve been working. I would prefer it to be related to those incidents we discussed, but I will take other things as well.â
âIââ Buck started.
âIf you canât, itâs okay. I just want you to try.â
âOkay,â Buck said eventually. âIâll try.â
_____________________
Maddie narrowed her eyes. âSo when do I get hear about it?â
âNever,â Buck said, not having to ask what she meant. âItâs private, Mads.â
âEven from me?â Maddie sounded hurt. Buck hated himself just a little but he was taking to heart the things Lisa told him; he and Eddie were the only ones with the right to tell people that they were in a relationship, nobody else could decide for them.
Reaching out, he touched the screen, wishing he could hold her hand. âItâs not what you think, I promise you that. When Iâm ready to tell you, I will.â
There was a long pause, but Maddie shut off the call and she didnât look annoyed. âOkay. I am here if you need me.â
âI know,â Buck said. He missed his sister terribly, but was determined to make Chim leave before he met her himself. . âI wish I could convince Chim to come home.â
Maddieâs face shifted. She looked sad and Buck wished he could change that too. âIâm just as scared as he is. I shouldnât be doing this alone.â
âWant me to kick his ass?â
Shaking her head, Maddie at least let out a little laugh, so Buck counted it as a win. âNo.â
âMaybe this,â Buck said, waving a hand behind him to encompass everything that had happened. âWill shake him up. He hasnât come home yet.â
âHe hasnât?â Maddie frowned. âDidnât he finish work with you?â
âI think Hen took him out,â Buck said. âMaybe sheâs doing the yelling for you.â
There was the trace of a smile on her face. âI just want him want this as much as I do.â
âHey,âBuck said, leaning forward. âIf thereâs one thing I do know about Chim right now, itâs that heâs desperate to be a dad with you, Mads. Heâs been going through all my parenting books while weâve been in lockdown.â
Maddie paused. âWhy do you have parenting books?â
âFor Chris,â Buck said, rolling his eyes. âStop it. They were so i could help Eddie.â
âOh,â Maddie said, and there was the sister he knew and loved so much. âIf itâs for Eddie.â
âIâm going now,â Buck said, waving a hand. âGo do whatever it is you and Albert do.â
Maddie laughed and cut off the call.
___________________
âItâs my therapist,â Buck said.
Eddie looked up from cooking dinner. âWhat?â
âThe person Iâm calling.â
Eddie didnât say anything for a long time. Buck worried it was because he was mad, but realised he was just turning off the burner. âCome here.â
Buck went, standing awkwardly next to Eddie, until Eddie reached up, wrapping his arms around Buckâs shoulders. Like a string had been cut, Buck fell against him, sorry when Eddie had to adjust his stance or send them toppling. âIâm sorry I didnât tell you.â
âYou didnât have to,â Eddie assured him, ghosting a kiss across his head. âIâm proud of you.â
âFor seeing a therapist?â Buck scoffed.
Eddie pulled back, touching a hand to Buckâs face. âFor telling me. I know itâs not an easy thing to do.â
Buckâs breathing was shaky, he could hear it, and he wanted to look anywhere but at Eddieâs face, but he couldnât tear his eyes away. âI wanted to make everything less messed up.â
âYouâre not messed up,â Eddie snapped, then sighed. âIâm sorry. You might feel that way, but I donât see messed up.â
âWhat do you see?â
âI see the man I love hurting and struggling.â
The words came out so easily that Buck was almost physically struck by them. âEddie.â
âI love you,â Eddie said quietly. Buck knew what a gift it was to be loved by someone like Eddie. âIâm behind you no matter what.â
âI know,â Buck said, just as quiet. âI love you too. I just neededâquarantine got to me and I know it did to youââ
âYouâre allowed to feel things too. Itâs not a competition.â
Buck shrugged. âI know you had Chris.â
âAnd you had Maddie and me.â
âYou were there.â
Eddie nodded, but made a face. âNot in the way we both wanted. It killed me not to be able to touch you or hold you in the way Iâm used to.â
âSame.â Buck leaned in, pressed a soft kiss to Eddieâs mouth. âWeâre together now.â
âYeah, we are,â Eddie said, the smile on his face as brilliant as Buck felt. âCome on. Dinnerâll be ready soon and then you can challenge Chris to a lego battle.â
Buck snorted. âIâll lose. I always do.â
âThe joy of being a father,â Eddie said.
Again, Buck was struck by the words, and thought of Maddie. âI am, huh?â
Turning back to the stove, Eddie looked over his shoulder. âYou will be.â
It sounded like a hell of a promise.
The next time Buck spoke to Lisa, he was sure he would have those five things she wanted. But if he didnât, he could talk about Eddie. About Chris, his family, the future. He had something to look forward to and that made everything look brighter.
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A3 Actors! Knight in shining armour
Type: Oneshot
Pairing: Omi Fushimi x Reader
Themes: Love-longing / Subtle / Bitter / Hope
âNah, it can't beâ
âI swear on my lifeâ
âNo way!â
âI'm telling you Kazunari, it's like that every timeâÂ
The summer member laughed at the seriousness of your voice, leaning back on the couch of the dorm. Frowning at the lack of support you werenât expecting, you opened your mouth when the bell from the entrance rang, the strong voice of the main cook of Mankai annunciating his arrival.Â
Seeing this as an oportunity, you raised an eyebrow at the blond âWatchâÂ
Turning both of your heads towards the kitchen, you saw Omi entering with hands full of shopping bags.Â
âWelcome back, Omimi!âÂ
âHey, OmiâÂ
âIâm back. Oh, Y/Nâ he smiled as he left the food on the table âDidnât know you were coming today. I decided to go buy some things on sale and time flew byâÂ
You paid no mind to his apology. You had been the one to come unannounced after all âItâs fine. Hey Omi, I like you, want to go out with me?âÂ
âMhm?â Omi turned to you, blinking for a few seconds before he nodded, a warm smile on his face âWell, I donât see why not, itâs early. That new camera shop you told me last week, right? Iâll leave my things and we can goâÂ
As the university student left, you didnât even bother to look at Kazunari, moving your hands tiredly as if to say âwhat did I tell youâÂ
Startled, he looked at you both confused and fascinated "What theâŚ? That was high-key so-âÂ
Whatever he was about to say didnât get to leave his mouth, the loud voices of other autumn members arriving from the hall. Banri was commenting something about stances as he pointed Taichiâs script when he noticed you, glass of soda on the table next to a bag of chips. His expression changed from a focused one to entertained.Â
âAh, If it isnât the person who doesn't live here but itâs startinâ to look like itâÂ
You greeted them as if you took off an imaginary hat, not bothering to bite back âHey there Mr. Joker, TaichiâÂ
Banri scoffed, heading to the table to steal the food as the red-head cried indignantly âMan, why does Ban-chan always gets to be called that? Y/N, I also want a cool nickname!âÂ
You laughed.
âWhy would you want to be even called something by them?â Banri asked, taking a few chips. Frowning, you took the bag of chips from him and pinched him in the ribs âHey!â
"Jerk"
âYou say that because you got a badass nickname!â
âWhatever. Did you finally do something about Omi-san or whatâ
âCome on, not you too. I was talking about the same thing with Kazunari here two seconds ago!â
You had been Omiâs classmates in the photography club since your first year of university and falling in love with him was not something you had really planned. You were supposed to be friends. Nothing in between.
Easier to say than do, considering the boyâs personality and looks. Ever since his eyes kept locking warmly with yours, taking time to visit new places for panoramic shots or having lunch together to discuss your favorite ways to take photos at dawn⌠You knew you had pretty much fallen for that lovable and gentle giant.
He was kind, generous and was always a huge help whenever anyone had any kind of trouble. By the time you really started trying to show your feelings, you also discovered the reason why someone like him was still single.
"Why does everyone think I'm not doing anything?â you raised your arms, groaning tired âIâve tried everything, heâs just the thickest person I've ever seen in my entire life! It's like God put all the good things to show him off and went âHah, let's see who can crack this one!â Can you believe yesterday heâŚâ
You kept ranting. You were the first one who didnât know how he had gotten so much into your heart. His obliviousness drove was driving you crazy.Â
By the time you finished talking, everyone in that room was speechless. Banri, Kazunari and Taichi looked at each other.Â
âIâm backâ Omi appeared carrying a jacket and his camera âAh, did you guys finish practicing? We were about to go out, if you guys want to join- everything okay, Y/N?âÂ
Even though you were mentally facepalming, you lifted your head and nodded. Taking you bag, you waved as you headed towards the main door. Omi watched your back and started to follow you when Banri called him out.Â
âOmi-san, might wanna tell your significant other about tea, they seem more on edge than usualâÂ
He laughed, as if Banri had said some kind of joke âThey do look tired, right? Anyway, Iâll try to be back before dinner. If I'm late thereâs some stew on the pot so everyone can heat some rice to go with itâÂ
After closing the main door. The autumn members and Kazunari stood in silence processing what had just happened again.Â
                âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ
âYou were right, they had so many new adaptable lenses, I think I'll come here to buy the new stuff they told us they'll receive next weekâÂ
After visiting the camera shop- which was true you had wanted to go- you and Omi wandered around Veludo Way.Â
âDo you mind if we go to the park before we leave? I like the light it has around this timeâ he turned to you and watched you shrug, indicating you didn't mind.Â
âSure, youâre the boss nowâÂ
He chuckled, and your heart skipped a beat at the sound. He was so not fair.
Arriving at the park during dinner time meant the playground was mostly empty. Just a few kids playing here and there and birds chirping along in the background. The sky was turning a warm toasted orange tinted with red, with the wind howling between the branches of the trees, as if it knew that in the world there was no sweeter music than that of the sounds surrounding a sunset.
You loved sunsets.
âThatâs a great smile right thereâÂ
You rolled your eyes as you saw Omiâs camera focusing on you. You tried to look mad, but knew the smile that was on your face said otherwise âYou really need to stop doing those things. I already fell for youâÂ
Omi laughed turning and taking some other photos around you two. You lowered your gaze to the ground.
âOmiâ
âMmm?â
âI like youâ
âUh, me too?âÂ
âI know. I also have an important questionâÂ
âSureâ he put the camera in front of him, focusing on the sun hiding behind the buildings. Your eyes followed his movement longingly.
Omi was kind, compassionate, diligent. He was something brought out of a fairy tell. The knight in shining armour everyone wanted. You pursed your lips together. You loved him.Â
âY/N? Everything okay?âÂ
But maybe he didnât need someone like that at the moment.Â
From the corner of his eye, Omi peeked at you, putting the camera down and staring at the view in front of him. None of you spoke for a while, the only sound heard being of the birds and cars in the distance.
âYou⌠are an amazing person, Y/Nâ
You tried not to let the lump on your throat be noticeable and laughed, sitting on one of the empty swings around the place âI should be the one saying thatâ
He shook his head âUnlike me, you are not afraid of saying whatâs on your mind, and you act on it. Itâs... admirableâ
As you gripped the chains of the swing, you thought about the concept of knights in shining armour again.Â
They looked perfect, but perhaps they were like that because little things could truly find a way through their armour, hiding a self that was vulnerable and damaged.
âWill I be a bother⌠if I ask you to let me stay with you?â
The smile he had a few moments ago was replaced with a sigh when he looked at you âYou know, my siblings used to say I always looked like a big tree, big and dependableâ he chuckled âDonât know were they got it from but I-â
âWhat do you feel like?âÂ
Omi scratched the back of his head, thinking about it for a few seconds âSometimes I imagine myself as a leaf leaving a tree, you know. It⌠falls upward first, then slowly towards the groundâÂ
It was as if every ounce of breath was taken from your lungs and now floated in the air âWill... that leaf ever fully fall?â
âI want toâ he looked up at the horizon once again âOne dayâ
You smiled. You didnât mind waiting.
âOne dayâ
__________________________________________________________
I love Omi so much, he deserves everything good. I truly hope at some point he understands that too.
Hope you liked it! Have a wonderful day đ
#A3! Actor Training Game#a3! act! addict! actors!#a3 act#a3!#a3#omi fushimi#a3 omi fushimi#omi fushimi x reader#omi x reader#a3 omi#one shot#a3 banri#a3 taichi#a3 kazunari#reader insert#a3! mankai#sad ending?#hopefull ending
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A/N: For the @bnha-fantasy-zine ! Is it a surprise I wrote about big three and Eri again? I think not
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âHAAAAHHHHH!â Mirio yelled as he charged forward. Shield raised, he blocked an incoming attack before deftly slashing with his own sword. His opponent, a rough-looking thief, grunted as she jumped back, narrowly missing a killing blow. Not that Mirioâs sword missed by muchâthe cut on her arm was sure to sting.
 âI canât find their leader!â Tamaki shapeshifted into a wolf, pouncing on the thief before she could recover. His jaws tore through her flesh, leaving a bloody wound on her shoulder. It was too much for herâthe wound, the blood, the wolf, and she fainted.
 âThanks.â Wiping the sweat from his eyes, Mirio glanced around the cave, the hideout for a gang that terrorized a local town. A huge system of tunnels and caverns, it had taken them over an hour to find this main chamber. Another twenty minutes to clear it of the thieves and rogues that called it home. Whatever ones were still alive would be taken into questioning, but considering how hard they fought, there might not be many. âI donât see him eitherâthey said he had a crowâs mask, right?â
âIt might just be a beaked mouth, maybe heâs a shapeshifter too,â Tamaki suggested, his voice oddly gravelly. Maybe it was the wolf vocal chords. No matter how many times it happened, Mirio still couldnât get used to hearing a human voice from an animal. âIâll check.â Tamaki sniffed the air. âThere it is!â
 Before Mirio could stop him, he bounded off down a corridor. Damn it, they werenât supposed to separate. Mirio scanned the room: the bandits were all down, either dead or groaning with pain. None of them seemed capable of getting up, let alone fight. Satisfied, he ran after his friend. âIâm coming!â
 âHurry up!â Tamaki howled, more wolf than man. His cry echoed through the shaft.
 That didnât sound good. Gripping his sword tighter, Mirio sprinted down the dark tunnel. On the right wall, Tamakâs tail disappeared through a door. âHere!â
 Barely slowing down to turn, Mirio bounded into the gloomy room and slipped into a fighting stance. Just like the rest of the cavern, the lighting here was a single, flickering bar on the top. No one popped out at his entrance. âHow many?â
 âOne.â Tamaki ran toward a corner, where a bundle of blankets was piled up. He started nosing it. âHiding. They smellââ
 âSmell what?â Mirio heard a hard crunch as he stepped forward. Looking down, he spotted a dirty doll. In a banditâs hideout. Did it accidentally get mixed in with the loot? Tamaki still hadnât responded and Mirioâs brow raised. âTamaki? What is it?â
 âMirio,â Tamaki replied balefully, wolf ears drooped down. He was sitting on his haunches now, his gaze fixed on the blankets. âWhat do we do?â
 âWhat do you mean?â Leaving the doll behind, he quickly trotted to his friend. Theyâd fought a whole gang together. Just what was left that could stump his friend? âWeââ
 Catching sight of the bundle, Mirio cut himself off. Nestled in a cocoon of blankets was a little girl, fast asleep.
 -x-
 There were few things on this planet as magical as Nejireâs grove. Mirio would knowâas a knight, he had travelled to lands near and far and almost nothing took his breath away as that first view as he entered her lands. Graceful willow trees and towering oaks ringed her field, a wide, open field littered with wildflowers. A dirt path led to a secret grotto, which was perhaps his second favourite place.
 It was a pity he couldnât appreciate any of these things. Instead, most of his attention was focused on the little girl in his hands, sound asleep. In the few days he had known her, she had barely said a word, only looking at him and Tamaki with big, worried eyes. A kidnapped child? Possibly, but no villages had reported missing people or even a ransom. Most likely scenario, an orphan taken in or a child of the gang. Either way, she had to have seen terrible things, especially considering how she had trembled when heâd first held her hand.
 âWeâre almost there,â Tamaki muttered, trotting nervously next to him. Heâd taken on the form a giant elk, fierce horns jutting out of his skull. Only animals could find the way to Nejireâs home. âYou have them, right?â
 âWhat?â Shaken from his thoughts, Mirio raised a brow.
��âMy clothes!â Tamaki whispered nervously, his big eyes darting to and fro as though Nejire would pop out at his words. âI need to change before she spots us.â
 âAfraid to be caught buck-naked?â Grinning, he couldnât resist the obvious pun. It was just there. And obvious. Itâd take a greater man than him to ignore it. Patting the bag looped over his shoulder, he added reassuringly, âDonât worry, I made sure to grab them.â
 Tamaki sighed in relief. âThanksââ
 A breeze ruffled through his hair before he could add anything and Mirio could almost hear Tamakiâs groan. Within seconds Nejire appeared before them, forming out of the wind itself. She hovered over the ground, her simple white dress fluttering around her knees. At the tips of her blue hair, mini-tornadoes formed, harmless to touch. Her bright eyes were open and staring at them as she floated in the air. âHey, youâre here!â
 Surprised, Tamaki transformed back into a human out of reflex. A burst of smoke rolled off him, hiding him from sight, but not before they both caught a glimpse of his bright red skin. With a yelp, Tamaki dived into the bushes. Nejire blinked, surprised. âTamaki?â
 The bushes rustled and Mirio could just barely make out Tamakiâs eyes peeking out of the leaves. âMy clothes.â
 âHey, hey!â Nejire landed on the ground and crouched in front of the bushes. With a frown, she started to reach into the bushes. âIâve seen you naked before.â
 âAccidentally!â Tamaki hissed, clarifying immediately. He swatted her hands away.
 âIt was multiple times!â Nejire grumbled, rubbing her sore hand.
 âEvery time was an accident!â Tamakiâs hand poked out of the bush, as red as a lobsterâs. âClothes!â
 Mirio chuckled. Well, that was to be expected as a shapeshifter. Animals didnât really wear clothes, after all. Shrugging off his sack, he dropped it into Tamakiâs waiting hand. âHere you go.â
 âI donât get it.â Nejire puffed her cheeks, sulking as she stepped back. âWhatâs the big deal?â
 âUhâŚâ Mirio scratched his cheek, not sure how to explain any of this. Especially to a sprite that only started wearing clothes because Tamaki was going to die of a heart attack every time they met otherwise. âWell, heâs shy?â It was partially correct, at least.
 âSure.â Nejire clearly didnât believe a word but she let it go. Rocking on the heels of her feet, she glanced at him. âWhatâs with the blankets?â
 âRight.â Mirio glanced at the bundle in his arm. Heâd almost forgotten why they were here in the first place. Fortunately, Eri hadnât woken up yet. âI need your help.â
 âMy help?â Nejire clapped her hands excitedly, her powers spiking and making her float. âWe havenât gone on an adventure together in ages!â
 âLast month,â Tamaki corrected, emerging from the bushes fully dressed. âWe went together last month.â
 âThat was long ago!â Nejire argued, before grimacing. âWhy are your clothes so bad?â
 Tamaki looked away, rubbing his arm uncomfortably. âItâs easier to slip out of them.â
 Mirio couldnât argue about thatâwhile everything Tamaki wore now was oversized and ill-fitted, he didnât have to worry too much while he was shapeshifting. His pants, so loose they actually needed a belt to stay on? Itâd just drop off as he transformed. An irregular tunic? Cheap material that wasnât a loss if Tamaki tore right through them. Theyâd learned the hard way what happened to nice clothes the last time they attended a banquet.
 âYeah, I get that.â Nejire rolled her eyes, leaning forward to poke at his chest. âBut thereâs fashionable baggy clothes.â
 An old argument. Mirio stepped between them before they got trapped in it again. âAnyways, I need your help.â He uncovered Eriâs face, showing her to Nejire. âThis little girlââ
 âYouâre pregnant?â Nejire shrieked, her hands pumping excitedly as her eyes darted from Eri to Mirio. âShe doesnât look like you. Is that normal?â
 âWHAT?â Mirio felt his ears burn and he was sure his skin colour was only a shade away from turning into Tamakiâs at this point. âIâm notâŚt-this isnâtâŚâ
 âPeople donât work like that.â Tamakiâs lips twitched, clearly suppressing his own laughter.
 âYeah!â Mirio shook his head furiously. âAlso, sheâs three. Thatâs not what a human baby looks like.â
 âOh.â Nejireâs shoulders slumped, disappointed. âI see.â After a second, she perked up again. âYou got someone else pregnant!â
 âNo, we were catching a gang of thieves and found her at the hideout!â Mirio clarified quickly, before the misunderstanding could get any worse. He knew nymphs and other magical creatures had different norms, but even this? Seriously? If his skin got any redder, any hotter, he could cook an egg on it.
 âYou got a gang member pregnant?â Nejire looked at him pityingly. âMirioâŚthatâs a tragic romance.â
 Mirio hit his head against a tree.
 -x-
âWeâre almost there,â Nejire chirped cheerfully, skipping ahead of them on the forest path. âBut do we really need to talk here? Whatâs left to even discuss?â
 âSomething important.â Mirio glanced down at the little girl clutching him tightly, as though she would get snatched away the second he let go. Her tiny hand wrapped around his finger. Heâd never realized just how small she was until now. Even during the ride to Nejireâs place, heâd been more wrapped in on what he had to do. âI think the gang might try to take her back and we need to talk somewhere safe.â
 âSafe, huh.â Nejire grinned, turning around walking backwards. She rubbed her nose, proudly puffing her chest. âHey, hey, nowhere is safer than my field.â
 âYep.â Tamaki pulled his hood tighter over his head. Ahead of them, the forest path ended, opening up to a field of wildflowers. âI can wait here.â
 Eri glanced at him nervously, her lips curving down. As her wide, worried eyes bored into him, Tamaki looked away. ââŚIâll stay.â
 âHey, hey.â Nejire pointed at herself, feeling a little left out. âIâm a good person too.â
 Eri shuffled to her left until she was partially hidden behind Mirioâs legs. Her head peeked out as she studied Nejire. Sheâd been like this ever since she woke up in the middle of their reproductive argument. Which, in hindsight, was hopefully something she didnât hear any part of. Not recognizing any of their surroundings or Nejire, sheâd hid behind Mirio until he managed to coax her into walking beside him.
 To be perfectly honest, Nejire wasnât really what youâd call a normal person, so Mirio could understand her fear. Crouching down, Mirio patted Eriâs head gently. âSheâs a good friend.â
 âYour friend?â Eri whispered, her voice cracking from disuse. Her body pressed against his as she took in Nejire.
 âReally,â Mirio confirmed, straightening up. He held out his hand for Eri to grab. âI know youâll like her.â
 Doubtful, Eri grabbed his finger again. Well, it wasnât much, but it was a start. Though, clearly Nejire didnât see it that way, with the way she dejectedly continued to lead the way. As they entered the clearing, she half-hearted gestured at the expanse. âWelcome.â
 âWow!â Eri gaped as they entered the field of wildflowers and Mirio felt his own jaw drop. It was even prettier than last year. While the forest surrounded it, the field was filled with only flowers, more colourful than a rainbow. Her head turned this way and that. âPretty.â
 âVery pretty,â Mirio agreed, crouching next to her. He broke off a pink flower and tucked behind her ear. âAnd now youâre pretty.â
 Eriâs chubby fingers touched flower tentatively before she broke into a shy smile. Glancing at Nejire, she leaned forward and whispered into Mirioâs ear, âShe looks like a princess.â
 âOh.â Mirio felt a wave of relief at thatâso she wasnât really scared of Nejire. Just nervous. Just shy. Nodding, he whispered back, âYou should give her a flower, sheâd like that.â
 Eriâs eyes widened. Her fingers nervously twisted her shirt as she glanced at him, and then at Nejire, before finally shaking her head and hiding behind him. Mirio laughed, maybe it was a little too fast for that then.
 âMirio.â Tamaki tapped his forehead, worry colouring his voice. âWe have to ask.â
 Mirio glanced at him, then at Eri. The reason they were here. A part of him was scared to ask, because he knew that once he asked, he couldnât unask. Couldnât unhear. Still, if he was scared, how much more scared was Eri? Putting on a brave smile, he asked, âHey, Eri, could you show Nejire your forehead?â
 Eri pulled back and blinked. Her head cocked to the side, not comprehending.
 Nejire had an identical expression, confused. âWhat are you talking about?â
 âEri has this little bump on her forehead.â Mirio gently coaxed Eri to stand in beside him, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Slowly, he pulled the hair away from her forehead, exposing the growth to the sunlight. Her little body trembled but she didnât pull away.
 âThereâs something magical about it.â Tamaki rubbed his shoulder, averting his gaze when Nejire turned to him. âI can smell itâŚitâs strong.â
 âStrong, huh?â Nejire crouched in front of Eri. Her hand on her knees, she peered up at the girl. âIs it okay if I touch it?â
 âY-yes.â Eri swallowed, nodding her head slowly. Her big eyes followed Nejireâs hand as she reached up to touch it. At contact, she winced and squeezed her eyes shut. When nothing happened, she timidly opened her eyes once more.
 âHuh.â Nejireâs smile stayed on, but her tone dropped a notch, more serious than silly for once. Her eyes narrowed. âI can feel it.â She pulled her hand away suddenly, staring at it. âInteresting.â
 âInteresting?â Mirio wasnât sure if that was good or not.
 âItâsâŚan erasing magic? Something like that.â Nejire tapped the horn again before sitting back on her haunches. Pulling a lock of hair, she drew it forward for him to inspect. âSee?â
 âSee whatââ Mirioâs jaw dropped as he realized that Nejireâs hair actually looked like hair for once. No tornado curls, no bits and pieces disappearing and reappearing. Just human-like hair, to match a very human-like girl. All of Nejire looked human-like for once, even her usually sparkling eyes seemed dimmed. âAre you okay?â
 âIâm fine, Iâm fine.â Nejire waved away his concern. âItâll come back.â When Eriâs face fell, Nejire added, âDonât worry, your magic isnât that powerful yet.â
 âMagic?â Tamaki winced, pursing his lips together. âThenâŚa witchâs covenâŚâ
 âThatâd probably be the best place to take her. They can help her control it.â Nejire stood up straight now, stretching her arms above her. âBut enough of that gloomy talk!â Tapping the side of her head, she grinned. âHey, that flower looks really pretty on you.â
 Flustered, Eri brushed her fingers against the flower. A shy smile bloomed on her face. âT-thank you.â
 âAnd youâre all staying here tonight.â Nejire rested her hand on her hips, gazing determinedly at the forest. There was an almost predatory gleam in her eyes. âIâll get food. Berries and meat, right? Thatâs what people eat?â
 âHow do you not know that?â Tamaki muttered, staring at her in disbelief. âYouâve seen us eat.â
 âYeah, but I havenât seen little yous eat.â Nejire replied matter-of-factly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. After all that theyâd discussed today, Mirio wasnât sure what was common sense anymore.
 âThatâs not what aâŚâ Tamaki rubbed his forehead, a headache forming. Giving up, his shoulders slumped. âFine, whatever.â
 Mirio chuckled. Nejire was a force of nature, it was almost impossible to argue with her. Even harder to win an argument against her. Feeling a tug on his shirt, he glanced down to find a bright blue flower. Eri held it out to him. At his stare, she mumbled, âSo y-youâre pretty too.â
 His eyes widened, for once not sure what to say, how to look. When she shifted nervously, Mirio caught himself and curled his hand delicately around the bloom. âThanks.â There was a burning sensation in his throat, his eyes watery, but he pushed it away. âItâs beautiful.â
 Eriâs expression brightened and she turned to the other two. Feeling a little more courageous, she took a step toward them. âForâŚyou two.â She held out a hand, two flowers resting in her sweaty palm. âSo youâre pretty,â she added, anxiously.
 Her other hand clutched the hem of Mirioâs shirt and he wiped his eyes before they got anymore watery at the sight of a tiny, brave girl.
 Nejire had no such complications. The second she spotted the flowers, her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. âAwww,â she cooed, taking a pink flower. She tucked it behind her ear immediately. âWhat do you think?â
 Tamaki picked the other one, an orange blossom. âIt smells nice.â
 ââŚyou look like a princess,â Eri mumbled, shyly looking down at her toes.
 Speechless, Nejireâs jaw dropped. Her arms flung around Eriâs, giving her a tight hug. âWeâre keeping her.â
 âWhat?â Tamaki stopped sniffing his flower. âWe canât do that.â
 âWhy not?â Nejire pulled back, gazing at Eri. âYou want to stay with me too, right?â
 âHuh?â Eriâs eyes widened, the thought never crossing her mind before this. âI can?â
 âI see. I have to win you over.â Letting go, Nejire pulled back. She squinted, scrutinizing Eri. âYouâre hungry, right?â Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and sprinted to the forest. âHey, hey, youâll have the best meal ever.â
 âWhat in theââ Tamaki sighed, his shoulders slumping. He glanced at Mirio. âWe have to stop her.â
 âYeah.â Mirio twirled the blue flower in his finger before tucking it behind his ear. âYeah, of course.â
 Yet Eriâs hand was still holding his shirt and he wasnât sure if he could tell her to let go. He wasnât sure if he could let go himself. He was a knight. Nejire was a nymph. Tamaki, a shapeshifter. If the three of them couldnât protect a little girl, who could? Maybe, just maybe, itâd be better if they all stayed together.
 âSheâs so fast!â Eri chirped, looking up at him with a wide, bright smile. For once, she looked like an ordinary kid, open and eager to explore. Entirely unlike the child heâd found in the bandit hideout, shaking and terrified.Â
 Maybe Tamaki was right, maybe they couldnât keep her here. None of them had any skills with raising a child. Yet, for that smile, he wanted to try. Nejire could teach her magic and he could teach her everything else and maybe, just maybe, Eri could know a little about what an ordinary life was like.
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Two brains are better than one | Morgan & Alain
Morgan insisted on going to the butcher herself sometimes. The stores of brains at home were plentiful enough, Morgan couldnât remember a time when there hadnât been a few specimens in the shed out back. But since accidentally having a taste of what, as Deirdre gently reminded her, she was meant to feast on, she found herself speeding up the time between meals, hoping that if she stuffed herself with enough squirrels and deer and racoons she might forget that people taste like a three course dinner meal at midnight. That angst didnât even take into account that she was trying to space out her feedings a little more so she wouldnât be caught with puny, mortal strength with a hunter again. The whole situation was a mess. But, as a reasonable, grown-ass zombie girl who was definitely not resenting the blandness of squirrel brain, she could go to the butcher and top herself off easy. She rocked on her feet in line, her number pinched between her fingers as she waited.
Sometimes she liked to wonder how many of the customers were like her. A woman had just left with a hefty tub of pigâs blood. And the man at the counter now was asking for brains too. Morgan watched him take his number and mosey to where she waited, comfortable as anything, if not a little tired in his bones. Had he been dead for long? Was it a new death weight, or something much older? Morgan smiled at him. âDonât see a lot of people asking for brains around these parts,â she said. âYou cook like that a lot?â
Alain did not use to have a thing for cooking offals, but as years passed and he became more sensitized to the consequences of the meat industry, but could not bring himself to give up on eating meat, he had decided that he would start using parts who were usually doomed to end up to the trash, and to turn them into savoury dishes. Veal liver was one of his favorites, but sheep brain was a close second, and exactly why he had pushed the butcherâs door today. Fidgeting idly with his fingers, he waited for his turn, not paying too much attention to his surroundings but rather thinking of who had died instead of him. He had managed to convince himself that it was just an elder who was passing by the shop as Regan screamed, but not knowing for sure was far from pleasant.
He picked up the number given to him and moved to the side to wait. He eyed at the woman smiling at him and refrained a frown. Instead he raised an eyebrow, and scoffed in surprise as she started to talk about his order. Well, it was nice to see that he was not the only one who had taken in interest for pieces that most people would have deemed disgusting. âOh. Ahem,â he cleared his throat. Well if this did not make it obvious that he was not good at small talk, what would ? âI do, actually, what about you? Iâm planning to make Pad thai with it,â he explained, uncrossing his arms and relaxing a bit in his stance. Talking about cooking was a nice way to start a conversation with him for sure.
Morgan was warmed by the manâs awkwardness more than anything else. Maybe if they had a secret sense, like the fae did, it might all be easier. Here there was no instant safety and, heck, for all she knew, there were hunters trolling the parking lot or working in the shop. It was only paranoia if she was wrong, right? She let out a breath, remembering that this was not the time to let her body return to its natural resting state of death, and smiled again. âPad Thai?â She asked. âThat sounds way more appetizing than the casserole I have planned. Iâm uh, still kinda new to cooking this way. But youââ she couldnât get a sense of him beyond that he mostly wanted to go home, and who could blame him? âYou sound almost like a pro at this, yeah?â
âSouthern Asian cooking is really interesting,â Alain replied as she mentioned that she had planned to make a casserole with her purchase. It was not a bad idea, but she would get tired of it, eventually. âIâve done quite a few casserole with those,â you could tell from his tone that he was not exactly thrilled about these anymore. âI would not say Iâm a pro, although I did place second in the pie contest,â he scratched at his cheek and shrugged. He had not expected a win, considering his pie was possibly the most simple in the contest but heâd been glad to see that taste mattered more than aspect to the judges. âAnyway, I feel like cooking is about being able to turn something no one likes, into something great that people will want to eat no matter the ingredients.â Calf sweetbread was another one of his favourites, and it made him wonder if brains could be nice in a vol-au-vent. âI think you should try making Vol-au-vent with those. That might work well,â he assured her, a bit too enthusiastic perhaps, than one should be about brains.
So brain casserole wasnât a thrilling time for other zombies too, not just her. Morgan smirked at his knowing tone. It was kind of a shame. Nothing was more of a staple from her childhood suburbias like a baked casserole. She should have made more when she was alive. Now that brains were the only worthwhile food, all she could see them as were wasted tubs of mush. âWait, you won the pie contest?â She asked, a little heartened that at least it was someone who had a hard time tasting. âWith what? Donât tell me a brain pie. Did you at least get a fun prize?â She wasnât sure how she felt about his philosophy. She liked working with things she knew people would like, especially when she could taste so little of it herself. If she managed to taste anything that wasnât brains or âwhy yes, my tastebuds can still catch fire,â it was the kind of ghostly whiff of flavor she was used to getting at the bottom of a seltzer can, which was, more or less, nothing. âOkay, prize winner guy,â she said. âTell me what a--â she hesitated, certain she was going to butcher the syllables, they were already turning fuzzy in her head. âVole-a-vent? Is? And Iâll give it a try. Soon, even, with this order.â
âIâm pretty sure a brain pie would have earned me a place in the flop 3,â his shoulders jolted up as he held back his laughter. If Alain could avoid having the whole butcher shop look at him, he would avoid it. âI made a tatin pie. Apples, sugar and butter. I used to have that all the time when I was a kid,â he scratched at the stubble on his cheek and shook his head at her next question. Nope, a karkinoid was not really the kind of prize he wanted to win in a contest, but the certificate was nice. âA goddamn lobster. Not a big fan of seafood, unfortunately,â he gave her a shrug and let his eyes wander toward someone who was picking up bones for his dogs. Heh, now he remembered what he had forgotten to ask the butcher for. âMmh?â He held up his finger and repeated slowly âVole o vent. It means flies in the wind, in French. It sounds fancier than it is. Itâs puffed pastry and a creamy sauce with sweetbread. I think you can replace this with brains and perhaps, to really enhance the taste of brains, you could mix some directly into the sauce,â his brows furrowed. This should work. It probably would make one hell of a recipe for people like them who enjoyed those parts the rest of people sulked at.
Morgan took out her phone and started taking notes on her phone. It sounded decadent. The texture of the pastry would at least shake things up, and a sauce--she couldnât remember the last time sheâd had anything for herself that came with a sauce. As she took it all down, she felt an odd twist of guilt, it was a lot of trouble for something she had to eat by herself. Maybe she could share it with Remmy if they would ever talk to her again, but that was a fat chance. She smiled kindly at the French zombie all the same. âIt sounds like youâve really got your stuff together,â she said. âUm, can I---â She hesitated and searched the shop. No one around screamed hunter, at least. âI just kinda wonder, donât you ever find it hard? Getting up every day with your real life behind you, trying to figure out how to put all the days in front of you into some kind of sense. Even if itâs longer than what you had before itâs not the same. And you canât really explain it to most people, because theyâll never understand what itâs like to be like you in the first place. Uuh...itâs okay, if this is too forward. We donât actually know each other and---â She checked the order counter. One second, three seconds, five-- âYep! Thatâs my number, so, we can be good, really.â
âWow, this got quite existencial really fast,â scoffing to himself, he brushed his laughter hand with a motion of the hand, making it clear that he was not making fun of her at all, but rather surprised by this turn of event. âBut to answer to your question, I make do. Besides, you never know what tomorrow might be made of,â he shrugged. Part of what she said made him raise his eyebrows. Could it be possible⌠that she heard about the banshee scream? It was true that he had more time left than a week ago⌠technically. âHow did youâŚâ he shook his head. Nevermind how she knew. âYouâll send me pictures of your vol-au-vent ? If you need tips, I can send you a copy of my recipe notebook,â he offered. She went to pick up her order and he nodded politely at her. Alain, who had never been one for small talk, had started chatting more easily with others recently. Maybe being happier had helped him open up to people. Either way, it was nice and he couldnât recall the last time he felt as if things were nice. âIt was lovely talking to you.â
âSorry, just been thinking too much to myself probably,â Morgan said lightly. She hadnât realized that he didnât put together the connection between them and it was far too awkward, too public to say, oh, Iâm a month and change on the other side of death, how about you? But she gave him a warm look and hefted her brain supply for good measure before tucking it into her woven grocery bag. âOh, you know, lucky guess,â she said. âI can be too forward sometimes, I know. But we can chit chat on main, like normal people, if you want. Even without the existential angst! Iâm Morgan. And you areâ?â
âWho doesnât,â Alain brushed it off, and glanced away from her, looking up at the order counter. It would not be long for him either, now. The piece of paper with the number on was now all crumpled from him fidgeting with it. He took his eyes back to her and watched her pack her purchases. âNo harm done. I tend to be the exact opposite of that, so thatâs a nice balance,â he almost smiled. Still there was kindness in his eyes as he nodded in agreement. âLetâs. Be normal people with the right amount of existential angst only,â his lips pursed before he replied. âIâm Alain.â
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Lost in another world part 3
thanks in advance for reading this. English is not my native language, so sorry for any mistakes you read.
part 3/3
part 1Â part 2
The signal had been sent and the only thing you could do now was, wait. You did have to hand it to Stark he had good tech, not as good as the enhanced tech you and your mother had been able to develop with the knowledge you gathered from the fortress of solitude.
âSo thatâs it?â Tony had stayed by your side to see that you didnât mess up his computers and was barely able to follow how you worked to access his satellite.
âyes, itâs that simple. I have a tracker in my suit that automatically sends a signal to my family every 10 minutes, the only thing I had to do was amplify the signal, coming from my suit so it would breach this space and time barrier.â You explained to him without looking at him. It really started to work on your nerves how much he doubted everything you did or said.
âTony leave the girl alone.â Natasha said the moment she stepped into the lab. You quite liked her, she kind of reminded you of your aunt and it was a grounding feeling admits this chaos. This time you turned around in your chair and smiled at the woman.
â(Y/N), the others and I were going to start a little training session and were wondering if you liked to train with us for a bit?â at hearing this you jumped out of your chair. You had a lot of cooked up energy and were ready to blow off some steam.
 In the training room you saw that the rest of the Avengers had already suited up. âwell if everybody is going to be in their suit, I might as well change too.â With that, you turned the watch you have on. Your suit manifested over your normal clothes and sealed itself around your faces. Like your mother, it bore the family symbol, but instead of a skirt, your suit was in one peace. Tapping the side of your head your mask disappeared and retraced itself into your suit. After that, you look at the team and smile.
 âso, who is first?â you say with a cocky smile.
âI will go first. Letâs see if you really can back up your talk.â Tony says while calling on his iron suit. you circled one another for a couple of seconds. You donât know his fighting style, so you wait for him to make the first move. After a while, it seems like he was losing patience and charge at you with his suit hand raced ready to strike you in the chest. as he came close you saw the palm of his hand light up and it seemed like a powerful blast would come from it.
You just stood there and waited for him to strike. Just like you expected a blast did come out of his hand and you met it with your heat vision. It seemed like it was going back and forth with the blast for a while but as you grew tired of it you just intensified the blast. In no time your heat vision overpowered his blast and broke his metal arm.
ânext.â Tony looked at you dumbfounded but didnât say anything and stepped back. It were Steve and Bucky who stepped forward now.
 âlet's see what you can do against the two of us.â Bucky said as he smashed his hands together. Steve in the meantime readied his shield. You could see that they were used to working together and moved like a well-oiled machine.
The stance they took looked like they were trained soldiers, and very used to fighting with one another. This could be fun, the only ones you were able to fight at the DEO were your mother and aunt. And both insisted it has to be under the effects of a red sunlamp. So, seeing how you would do at full force was kind of exciting.
You stood your ground when they advanced on you, ready to react when it was necessary. Unlike with Tony, this two immediately advanced on you so you, you took on a battle stance.
 A blue portal opened in the room you and the Avengers were training, you immediately recognized it for what it was and reassured them it wouldnât harm them. ârelax itâs not going to hurt you.â You say calmly.
â(Y/N) Astra Kieran Luthor Danvers Zor-EL!â at hearing your full name being yelled like that your calm demeanour was fast replaced as you turned to the team.
âabout that not getting hurt, whatever you do donât look her in the eyes and donât interrupt her for anything, that only will make it worse.â You say in a hushed voice, afraid she might hear you. The Avengers looked confused at your reaction.
â(Y/N), who is that person?â Natasha asked. You took a big gulp before answering.
âmy mother.â With that, a familiar blond stepped out of the portal. For a moment you forgot your fear and rushed to her to hug her.
âJeju! Iâm so glad to see you. I thought my signal hadnât gotten true.â You confess burying your face in her shoulder. Kara immediately embraced you.
âIâm so glad to see you unharmed little one.â Your mother said holding you tighter. You stood there for a while holding each other tight.
âwhat are my chances, life in prison, death sentence.â You asked looking up at Kara while resting your head on her shoulder. You felled her body shake, for her trying to contain her laughter.
âthat flair for the dramatic you so have from your mother.â She stated. Before you could respond Tony stepped forward.
âthis the woman we shouldnât make eye contact with?â he asked looking Kara up and down. âShe doesnât look all that intimidating.â He said with a raised eyebrow. this time Kara couldnât hold in her laughter.
âSorry sir, but I donât think she is talking about me.â Kara said in all honesty. This made all of them confused.
âarenât youâre her mother?â Wanda asked.
âyes, but not the one she is trying to avoid.â You had tried to sneak behind a couple of the Avengers, but she caught you red-handed. You stood up straight and gave her an innocent smile.
 âKara! Where is she? She better be alright, because otherwise a whole lot of people are going to be sorry.â The voice of your other mother cutting the air like a knife made you try to hide behind Kara this time. You actually saw a couple of the Avengers take a few steps back, smart men.
âshe is alright love, she is the one who sent us the signal,â Kara said while grabbing your shoulder and dragging you in front of her, so you were in full view of your mothers lasering eyes. You didnât dare to meet her gaze as she stepped closer.
âHey, mum.â You say shyly. Like with Kara you were pulled into another bone-crushing hug. This was the moment it hit you how much you had missed your parents.
âare you sure youâre alright? No scratches, no bruises?â she asked looking you over.
âno mum, Iâm alright.â You say a little embraced. Your family reunion was disturbed by a very confused billionaire.
âhold on for a moment, so you are both her parents?â Lena stood in front of you and Kara, feeling this was a discussion that would require her CEO skills instead of Supergirl skills.
âyes (Y/N) is ore biological daughter, problems.â Lena glares at Tony with, which makes him gulp. Maybe you were right to tell to not make eye contact with her.
âSweetheart, take it easy,â Kara whispered into her wifeâs ear while pulling her against her.
âWe donât know who these people are and (Y/N) seems pretty comfortable around them,â Kara said, trying to reassure her wife.
âStop saying me to calm down!â Your mother almost yelled stepping away from Kara. âI have been unaware of my daughter's whereabouts for 72 hours and Iâm in no mood to calm down.â Lena raged. Kara raised her hands figuring she wasnât going to win this fight.
Sensing it might be best for you to step in you hugged her again. âIâm okay mom.â You tell her again. like you hoped she hugged you back and held for a couple of seconds.
âfeeling better?â you ask when you pull back. Lena can smile again, so you knew it would be alright again.
ânow that I know you are safe, yes.â She says. âI like you to meet my new friends.â You say turning to the Avengers.
âmom, Jeju I like you to meet the Avengers. They are like the Justice League,â you beam as introduce them. âthe one in the iron suit is Tony Stark, he is like ore batman. The one with the shield is Steve, he reminds me of uncle Clark. The man next to Steve is Bucky, his best friend. The woman with the red hair is Natasha, she is an actual assassin. Next to her is Clint her partner. The girl in the red outfit is Wanda, she has these crazy cool powers and finally next to her is Vision. Vision is an android.â You were rambling of these facts in your excitement, this made your mother smile. This was definitely a trade you had from Kara.
 Kara stepped forward stretching out her hand toward Steve. âI like to thank you for taking care of our daughter. It really means a lot to us someone was there to take care of her while we couldnât.â ânot a problem Kara. She is a sweet kid.â Steve answered while they looked at you, saying goodbye to everybody. âshe can be a hand full, but she has a big heart.â Kara couldnât help but smile.
 âbye, everybody.â You jell behind you before stepping to the portal that would take you back home. Seems your moms had opened one up in the Livingroom of your house. When the portal closed behind you three, Lena turned to you with a stoic face.
 âalright hand it over!â without protest, you dug the portal device out of your pockets and handed it to her. Hoping that would be it, you started to turn away.
âand the watch.â She did raise her voice when she said this, but you knew not to argue you had seen this coming. âyou are grounded and released from superhero duties for three months.â Lena simply stated. You could help the pout ore the whine. âmoooom.â âWe could always make it four.â She answered raising an eyebrow. You quickly shut up, with Lena Luthor those were no empty threats. Instead, you turned to Kara. âsorry ukiem, Iâm with your mother on this one.â
âIâm sorry, I know I scared you guyâs.â both your mother's eyes softened as they kissed you.
âWe know you are.â Lena said into your hair. âthe grounding still stands.â
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#supergirl#supercorp#kara danvers x reader#kara danvers x daughter reader#kara danvers#lena luthor#lena luthor x reader#lena luthor x daughter reader#Avengers#tony stark#tony stark x reader#Steve Rogers#steve rodgers x reader#Iron Man#captain america#natasha romanoff#natasha romanoff x reader#Black Widow#wanda maximoff#wanda maximoff x reader#Scarlet Witch#clint barton#hawkeye#bucky barnes#winter soldier#vision
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Abernathy Farm
The next installment in Soleâs post-frozen-dinner adventures!
You may notice Iâve changed tense and also some other dialectical details to better match the voice in Soleâs head. I'm also attempting to write Sole with PTSD, but I don't have actual experience with it so CC welcome!
CW: some violence, some PTSD
ââââââââââââââââ
The next day, all sign of the barely-sentient body that she had spoonfed for days is gone. Mr.. Garvey is once again the confident, in-charge Minuteman she met in Concord. âSturges, great job on the construction! This place is practically draft-proof. And youâve even got gardens and a water supply? Always knew I could count on you.â
Mr. Sturges hides a slight blush under a wide grin. âThis place is really coming together, huh? I canât take all the credit, though. Sole and Codsworth have really put the interior and garden together, not to mention taking over all the cooking duties!â
Mr. Garvey turns to her. âThank you, Sole. I canât say how lucky we are to have you with us.â
She smiles and bows her head delicately at the acknowledgment. âJust doing my part, Mr. Garvey. But, if I may, why did you call me Sole?â
He laughs, a belly-deep sound of delight. She recognizes this, logically, though her brain doesnât connect with an echoing joy. âNo need for âMister Garveyâ here. Hell, you just saved us from a deathclaw and fed me for days. I think that puts us on first-name basis.â His tone suddenly switches to somber and hesitant. âHe called you âSoleâ because thatâs all you gave us instead of a nameâŚYou just said âIâm the sole survivor.â What is your name? âŚDo you know it?â
Iâm the sole survivor. She distantly feels a pressure in her chest, like the unease of far-off thunder. Name. She has a name, right? She fights to bring her mind back to the present question, racking her memories, but all she can reliably bring up is the past few days of work. And flashes of scenes, more feeling than picture. The desolation of her first view of the waste, from the top of the vault. The clinical unfamiliarity of the vault suit she still wears.
The vault of death.
Invisible chains suddenly bind her chest and she finds herself collapsing to the ground. Both men rush to her side, but her arm flails to swat them away as she buries her face in her knees and curls around herself as tightly as she can. She freezes there, unaware of the men watching or the passage of time, until the panic finally begins to ease its grip.
She raises her head, muscles still tense, and finds herself looking into the two menâs concerned faces.
âSole? You okay?â
Her eyes drop. She breathes. Out, in. Out, in. Until she knows her panic is locked away again.
Then she plasters a carefree smile on her face and begins struggling to push herself upright. Mr. Garvey offers a hand, which she accepts.
âIâm so sorry about that, Iâm perfectly alright. Just a little lightheaded. Yes, please, just call me Sole. Iâm afraid Iâll need to rest for some time, but Iâll see you gentlemen for dinner, yes?â
The concern stiffens on Mr. Sturgesâ face and deepens on Mr. Garveyâs. The two men look at each other.
âVery well,â says Mr. Garvey. âSleep well, Sole.
âââ
After breakfast the next morning, Mr. Garvey begins filling a pair of packs. Mr. Sturges raises an eyebrow.
âWhere we headed?â
Mr. Garvey frowns at the small pile of goods in front of him. âI think I heard of a settlement just west of us. Weâve made a really good start here, but weâre running out of supplies. I figure we go see if they have anything they can spare.â
Mr. Sturges nods. âI could use some materials for crafting too.â
Sole listens to their conversation from the kitchen, where she washes breakfast dishes in a bucket of water. More survivors nearby?
âHey Sole, you met the neighbors yet?â
She starts. âNossir, I havenât.â
âWanna join the welcome party?â
âIâll come along if youâd like.â
âItâs a party then!â
Sole helps pack some food for the trip. Pretty soon theyâre ready to go. As they pull on their packs, a round silver robot floats into the room.
âMum? May I have a moment?â
âOf course, Codsworth. What is it?â
The robot lifts two of his long, jointed arms towards her. In the end clamps is held a silver softball bat. Itâs clean and shiny, but scratched, and the Red Rockettes logo is still faintly visible. The handle is wrapped in athletic tape that has greyed and lost its stickiness, beginning to unravel.
âOh, Codsworth! My bat, you kept it ready for me!â
âOf course, mum, I know how important your softball is to you. Iâd hoped youâd have a chance to use it again.â
She takes the bat and automatically shifts into a casual batting stance. The weight of the aluminum is familiar in her hands, and a smile appears on her face as she takes a careful practice swing.
âNice swatter youâve got!â says Mr. Garvey. âThatâll be a good weapon for you, since you didnât seem too comfortable with guns.â
Her joy turns to disgust and she clutches the bat to her chest, forgetting her manners. âWhat?! No, this is for softball! This isnât a weapon!â
âHaha, what? I donât know what vault you came from, but no oneâs played softball or baseball in two hundred years. Surprised they didnât mention it. Weaponâs all itâs good for now. I bet Sturges could mod it for you to make it more effective.â
Thereâs a lot to unpack in his statement, but Sole chooses to focus on the simplest part. The rest gets locked away. The rest, for now, doesnât exist. âNo, Mr. Sturges is not touching my bat. Codsworth, thank you, now please take this back and keep it safe for me for now.â
âYes, mum.â
Mr. Garvey frowns. The bat safely out of harmâs reach again, Sole has lost her bravery and feels a familiar fear and shame begin to knot in her stomach at the sight. Dammit, sheâs spoken out too bluntly. Sheâs hesitant and worried now. âWhat is it, Mr. Garvey?â
ââŚItâs just Preston, and I just want you to have a weapon. You need to be able to defend yourself. You know that, right?â
She does not, and she doesnât know how to respond either. She folds her hands together in front of her and looks at the floor.
âOkayâŚdo you know how to fight with a knife?â A head shake no. âA 10 mil?â No. ââŚknuckles? Can you punch?â No.
He sighs. âEven Diamond City residents are better prepared than this. Okay. Do you think you could swing a crowbar?â
She has nothing else to do, so she nods.
âGood. Sturges should have one lying around, and Iâve got some spare armor we can at least put you in. Iâm not letting you go around unprotected.â
She allows herself to be dressed in the bulky leather armor. Soon sheâs following Mr. Garvey out of Sanctuary, the heavy crowbar hanging awkwardly from her hand.
âââââ
Sole is harvesting melons, young miss Lucy Abernathyâs request in exchange for a few stims and some other supplies Mr. Garvey had requested, when she overhears him and the family patriarch talking in low tones.
âMost of them died. They gave their lives to protect the Commonwealth. Itâs just me now.â
âThatâs a damn shame. Those were brave men and women. If yâall had been here when those raiders hit, my daughter Mary might still be alive. Then againâŚfeels like weâve been on our own for a long time anyway.â
âDamnâŚIâm sorry to hear that. I wish we couldâve helped. You have my condolences. Is there anything we could do to help now?â
Mr. Abernathy had been despondent, hanging in the air as if the only thing keeping him upright was an invisible string at the nape of his neck. At first he just shrugs, head drooping and swaying gently. Then he pauses, then straightens slightly.
âI donât have much to offer, butâŚThose raiders that killed Mary, they took her locket, too. Itâs been in Connieâs family for generations. If you could get it backâŚitâd mean a lot to us.â
Mr. Garvey straightens his hat proudly. âIâd be honored to. You have my word as a Minuteman, I will do everything in my power to return that locket to you and Connie.â
Mr. Abernathy nods, a specter of a smile finally appearing on his face. You might be the one to make me believe the word of a Minuteman again. Thank you, Garvey.â
They shake hands and part. Sole gathers up the melons and heads towards the ramshackle house.
âââââ
They crouch behind a barbed-wire fence, watching the forested, still remains of USAF Satellite Station Olivia. Mr. Garvey watches the station from her left, while Codsworth hovers at her right, his thruster humming in the quiet. Sheâs not sure why sheâs here or still armored or why Mr. Garvey is suddenly so cautious. He had just assumed she would join, so she did. They had stopped briefly at Sanctuary to reorganize their new supplies, talked briefly with Mr. Sturges, who had chosen to stay behind, and also talked with Codsworth, who had insisted on coming with Sole. Mr. Garveyâs laser musket is in his hands, while Codsworthâs three eyestalks scan the surroundings fretfully. Sole grips her crowbar tighter as their tension fills her.
Mr. Garvey turns to her. âThe place looks empty, maybe theyâre out somewhere else, but we canât be sure,â he whispers. âWeâre gonna try to just get in, find the locket, and get out. No heroics, no unnecessary risk. Stay well behind Codsworth and me and try to stay out of trouble. Got it?â
Sheâs not sure she gets much of anything. She nods anyway.
âAlright. Stay here for the moment until Codsworth and I give the all-clear.â He looks at the robot, who bobs an agreement. The two cross the fence and stalk towards the structures.
Theyâve made it halfway when the ground erupts beneath them. A pack of malformed, dog-sized animals surrounds them, attacking. Sole screams, forgetting their attempts at subtlety. Mr. Garvey roars too, and the area lights up with his laser bolts and Codsworthâs flamethrower. The creaturesâ screams are added to the din.
Then Mr. Garvey pauses and gestures wildly past the robot. âItâs mined!â
A massive explosion erupts. Sole is knocked backwards, and she scrambles to get her head under her hands. She huddles there where sheâs landed, hiding under her hands, waiting for the next attack.
Thereâs only silence.
After several moments of frantic heartbeats, she summons the courage to turn and crawl back to the fence. The area in front of the station is now a dark blast zone, animal carcasses scattered around. She doesnât look too closely at them. She releases a breath as she finds Mr. Garvey and Codsworth, singed but alive, picking themselves off the ground. Mr. Garvey rubs his ears, shakes his head vigorously, retrieves his musket, then looks towards her and gestures Come here. She crosses the fence and hesitantly picks her way forward, scanning for more of the creatures.
âDonât worry, I think we got them all. You okay?â
âWhat on earth just happened? Are you okay? Codsworth?â
âThese idiots apparently decided that strapping mines to a molerat was a good defense mechanism. Itâs amazing they didnât blow themselves up. Weâll have to keep an eye out for more traps inside.â
âMolerats? No. They donât get that big. No. They must beâŚuhâŚâ
Mr. Garvey frowns as she flounders, but Codsworth floats up and pats her shoulder with a claw, awkward and a little overly aggressive. âNo worries, mum, theyâre gone now. You donât have to bother with them anymore.â
She stares at him, searching for confidence in the large glass eyes and finding enough to ease her panic slightly. âAlright. Um. I left the crowbarâŚâ She runs back to grab it from where it dropped and returns. Mr. Garvey looks to the station door, breathes deeply, and opens it.
âââââââ
The station is quiet. They make it to the bottom with no problems. They separate and begin searching the scattered toolboxes and desks for the locket.
âHey, I found a key!â Mr. Garvey calls. âThink it opens that security door?â
It does, and he murmurs a small âYes!â at the sight of the room and the supplies it contains. He quickly loops it, throwing the assorted weaponry into his pack. One itemâis that a mini nuke?!âhe cradles gently and wraps in a cloth before carefully stowing.
Then Codsworthâs aggressive shout from where heâd been stationed on guard in the hallway. âHello! Fancy a bit of fist-a-cuffs, do we?â
Mr. Garvey whips around to SoleââStay here!ââgrabs his musket and charges into the hallway. Sole freezes in a corner of the room. Yells come from the hallway.
A man charges into the room where Sole cowers. She notices the remarkably straight mohawk on his otherwise-bald head. She notices the cloth strips wrapping his arms and the armor pads on his legs and chest. She notices the knife in his hand. She notices the gaps in his teeth as he grins rabidly at her and shouts, âCome on, little girl! Letâs do this!â
Sole is frozen. The man dodges towards her, almost like a herding dog expecting a sheep to flee, but then realizes sheâs not moving. His wild grin widens. âToo fuckin easy.â He moves closer.
The sound from the hallway fades as Soleâs world spirals down to the filthy face approaching her. Her breathing is rapid; his is heavy and gasping. He approaches until his face is right in hers. He raises the knife to her face. She can smell his rank breath and, separately, his rank body. He looms over her, and she manages to move just enough to stumble back, away from him, into a corner. He follows, never letting the distance increase. The sharp tip of the knife gently scrapes down her face. His eyes follow, and descend lower down her body, the grin never fading. âAinât you a pretty little thing.â
She can feel the crowbar in her hand, but she canât manage to use it, even in the face of certain danger. His eyes return to her face. As he meets her eyes, she realizes that his are a startling light blue. They would be handsome, if he werenât currently pressing a knife against her face. She realizes that heâs very young. Certainly much younger than she is. Just a boy, really. What is he doing here? What is he doing with a knife?
âSorry, girly. It was fun while it lasted.â The boyâs grin turns to a snarl as he retracts the knife and then shoves it into her side.
ââââââââ
âSole! Sole!â
âMum!â
Her consciousness slowly returns to her body. Her arms are still flailing, and she stills them. Mr. Garvey rushes towards her and grabs her shoulders, pulling the crowbar from her limp hands.
âIâm so sorry we let him get through! There was a minigunâŚah hell, youâre bleeding! Where are you hurt? Here, sit downâŚmaybe not hereâŚcome over hereâŚâ He leads her to a chair, catching her when she takes a step and nearly falls. The stumble pulls her side, and she realizes it hurts. Mr. Garvey pulls off her armor and Codsworth digs through a pack. A blinding pain in her side; then, slowly, the pain is replaced by the itch of flesh stitching back together, beginning from deep under her ribcage.
Her eyes begin to clear. She watches Mr. Garvey replace the top on a bottle of alcohol. She glances over his shoulder.
The manâthe boyâis there. Heâs on the floor. His head has been replaced by a bloody pulp.
She leans over and vomits.
#fallout#fallout 4#fo4#fallout oc#dire's sole#fallout sole survivor#sole survivor#fallout preston#preston garvey#fallout sturges#sturges#fallout codsworth#codsworth#abernathy farm#fanfic#fallout fanfic
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Rottmnt guys teaching their friend or s/o how to fight?
A/N: you got it anon~ had a lot of fun with this one since it gave me an excuse to look up stuff on ninjutsu. there is an alternate version of this in a headcannon style, but i ditched it in my drafts and went with these scenarios instead
Leo:
âCome on, youâre moving about as fast as my grandma.â
You huff, bringing your leg back down under from the high kick you just attempted and finding the bokken - a wooden training sword - in your hands hard to hold onto.
âYou donât have one Leo.â
Leonardo chuckled, weaving past another swing of the bokken you sent his way.
You barely manage to snake by one he threw at you in response. The bokken tip breezing by your nose and forcing you to widen the berth between the two of you.
âI mean, I had to have had a grandma turtle- I think.â Â
You roll your eyes and take a defensive stance, trying again to look for an opening-Â
Leo taunts you again, âYou gonna stand there all day or-â
You sweep a leg at the back of one of his, nudging his knee out. He makes a startled squeak and you crash your bokken against his, smirking past the swords.
âKeep it up and I might best you.â
Leonardo smirks too and pushes back, âWeâll see about that.â
He breaks out of your cage and youâre harried to block his swings. The clatter of wood irritable with each meeting of the bokkens. You can see it now; the set concentration in his sharpened eyes as he let his focus be absorbed completely by the motions he knew on a very intimate level. You keep blocking but you know thereâs gonna be some give to you if this continues the way it is, so, you do what you think he might expect least.Â
You duck down on one of his swings and shoot your bokken up, catching his chin at edge point.
A smile breaks across your face and you guffaw.
âGot ya!â
Leonardo smiles back, slinging the bokken over his shoulder.
âAnd like that, the student becomes the teacher~ I think some celebratory skating is in order.â
You prop the bokken back with the rest of its set - Leo unceremoniously tosses his somewhere near the rack - and grab your skateboard and bookbag where youâd piled them on the floor a couple hours ago.
âDefinitely.â
Donatello:
In lieu of bo staff training, you were doing taijutsu katas today and they werenât very easy.
âShit.â you grumble, your stamina was picked away at with how stretched out this session was proving to be.
Donatello still looked like stone in that regard, but he was beginning to chip. Breathing not nearly as heavy as you were, but enough to show he needed a break as well. All the more reason for you to try to get this over with already- preferably by winning. Most days you werenât able to get an inch on him, but recently, the tides have changed and you were improving in skill.Â
It showed with how long you were able to avoid getting felled during this spar, and that was a real accomplishment because Donnie was something of a master at empty hand combat.
You hold your hands close toward you, making them voluntary fists. Donnie kept his in this half grappling pose, shoulder blades knitted together, and there was an unwavering glint to his eye. Both of you were poised to strike, but you were trying to make sure you knew exactly what plan of action you had next.
Problem was, could Donnie catch onto your thought process?
Could he detect the little twitch under your skin and predict your next move, or assume maybe it was just from exhaustion?
You cantât worry so much in a real fight- and itâs not like you have in the past, but with how serious you are about fighting and how the turtles are with training you, you canât help it.
You softly puff through your nose.
Stop thinking and bring yourself back to what youâre doing.
You want to win for once.
You dart forward and thereâs this flurry of movement as you and Donnie seek to counter each other before a blow can be landed. You can feel your heartbeat thumping in your fingertips and the back of your throat, and every bit muscle youâre moving. As Donnie launches a hard strike toward your midsection, you skirt around "Heck yeah- I have a few new high scores I wanna set." you grab your shirt and throw it on over your sports bra as you follow Raph to the other side of the lair, doing your best to creep by his brothers.on light feet and land right behind the back of his shell. You shoot an arm forward and
you tag him.
âH-ha.â you pant, shocked as your face lights up.
You did it.
Donatello cranes his head to look back at you, quirking a thick brow. He cracks a smile and nods.
âNice one.â
âHeh, thanks teach.â you remove your offending hand and loosen up your tense body now that you could move around freely.
You crack the crick in your back that youâve been waiting to get to for the past hour.
âCan we break for those pancakes you promised me now? I havenât even had breakfast cause you wanted to train so fuckinâ early.â youâre also really sweaty and want a hot bath, but food could definitely come first and since you found out that Donatello had this secret recipe for pancakes, you were dying to try them.
It wasnât like he was the family cook after all, and Mikey said they were awesome.
Donatello stretches his lanky limbs and nods.
âSure, sure.â he flaps his hand around with his eyes closed, then cracks one open and smiles slow at you, âYouâve earned it.â
You hook arms with him and point a finger toward the door. He snorts on a giggle as you march the pair of you out.
âTo the kitchen!â
Mikey:
Today was a spiritual training day.
But youâll be honest, focus wasnât on your side and you werenât able to settle into meditation. It wasnât typically anyway, and while Mikey went easy on you with everything during training no matter what, you didnât want to trouble him. Itâs borderline painful as you shift for the fifteenth time to scratch a phantom itch on your nose bridge and you inwardly huff at yourself. You wonder if he was annoyed as you were.
âYou okay?â
You jump and look at Mikey whoâs broken meditation form, hands clasping onto his padded knees and eyes on you.
âUh, well,â you verbally stagger and loosen up too. You werenât even sure how much longer you could have sat here, eyes closed and body still. There was just too much going on inside.
âCanât concentrate?â
You blow out air, âNope. I donât get it- some days I can and others I just,â you grip the skirt of your baggy shirt, âitâs like thereâs turmoil inside or something.â you say a little quieter.
Mikey hums and takes your hand, rubbing the center of your palm with his thumb.
âThatâs why you gotta let yourself meditate- so you can sort through your feelings. Thereâs probably something bothering you that you havenât let yourself address. Itâs okay to feel jittery sometimes- all of us do.â
Mikey lets go of your hand to clasp his together, thumbs aiming straight ahead, and you mimic the pose. He breathes in and so do you.
âYou just need to slow down and go with the flow.â
You try to, letting the mess of thought streaming through the highway of your backed up mind come into focus. You give each inkling a chance to come into definition and youâre able to see what bothers you. And it hurts, recalling some of the memories that putter by and the worries, and doubts and sometimes self deprecating feelings but-
you feel yourself detach.
You find peace among the internal chaos, a blip of light, hopeful and warm.
You breathe and feel free of all species of tension and hyper strung wires life used to hold you down.
This is why you loved finding your zen with Mikey.
Raph:
You raise your fists, keeping them close to your chest.
Raph is standing, ready for any tackle or run you might launch at him.
Aside from building more on the integrity of your body, youâve learned a lot about chokes, throws and defensive katas from Raph. They were the techniques of his focus and, while you were still knew at the things youâve learned from the turtles, in no way did you see yourself as still the beginner you started out as however many months ago. Youâve grown and with each spar, and morning kata, you felt yourself growing even more. But, that wouldnât allow you to be cocky. You still needed to remember timing, concentration and what you had over your enemy.
While you couldnât block many blows from Raph and werenât as strong as him, youâre much more fleet.
You take a run at Raph, dodging the heavy arm that gets slung at you, and pivot on a foot as you get to his side.
You grab the beefy arm that was aiming for you and strike his elbow, bending the limb back as it goes limp for a moment. Then you kick out one of his legs, holding his arm as it buckles and he lands on his knee with a loud thud that rack through the floorboards and reverberated through your gums.
Raph chuckles and bears a snaggletooth grin. You release him feeling flush but pleasantly successful.
âYouâre gettin'Â good lil buddy. Told ya you would.â
You offer Raph a hand and shrug off his compliment.
âIâm learning from the best of the best.â
A husky chuckle rings through Raphâs barrel chest as he stands and gently claps a mammoth hand on your back.
âI donât think weâre that good yet.â
You softly hit the inside of his thick wrist with the back of your hand.
âCertainly better than an amateur like me- otherwise you wouldnât be my teachers, now would you?â
âEh, maybe. But youâre probably past the Kyu grade by now if weâre measurinâ your skill.â he winks and then hunches down some with this mischievous look.
âWanna hit the arcade before my bros hog all the good games?â
"Heck yeah- I have a few new high scores I wanna set." you grab your shirt and throw it on over your sports bra as you follow Raph to the other side of the lair, doing your best to creep by his brothers unseen.
#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles#rottmnt#reader insert#x reader#tmnt leonardo#tmnt donatello#tmnt mikey#tmnt raphael#i'm growing more of a soft spot for leo and raph now#my writing
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Learning to Track [ Pt.3 Final ]
 A collaboration piece between myself and @amorthonblackwood . You can find the other parts of the story here(pt.1) and here(pt.2).
âAs for the bit about ârelyingâ on others...I think itâs nice to have people you can rely on, people who know how things have gone, and the like - so you donât have to do it all on your own. At the very least, I think having the choice must be nice.â He glanced down at the bandage and then back to her. â...And thank you, Lady Shiverflame. I - as I mentioned before - certainly didnât think this morning was going to end up this way, but I do appreciate you bandaging me up. I promise I wonât take advantage of your hospitality.â
âIt might not mean much but to trust knowing you can count on me should to feel you need to. That is a choice of yours.â
She smiled lightly and her hand lifted to motion towards his core and indicate his wound, âWell at least youâll have another scar for the books and it will be a day to remember. That day when Cibor didnât listen and the silly Mage-woman got ordered around by a little cub. All in all, we all came out fine -- for the most part. If there is anything else there can be done, you are more than welcome to it. You are also welcome to rest if you wish, I do know your time is important especially with your work tasks at hand.â she smiled still and gazed down to Cibor and Savage with her hands cupped into one another, âOf course all company is welcome.â
ââSilly mage-womanâ, huh? I can assure you thatâs not how I think of you in my head.â He reached over for his shirt, tattered and blood-stained as it was, and pulled it back over his head. âMy time isnât -that- important. As I believe I mentioned earlier, I travel light, so there isnât much preparation to be done. Generally have to be ready to leave at a momentâs notice.â He reached over for the chest piece heâd discarded earlier.
âI also owe you an archery lesson at some point, I leave that to your discretion.â He offered a small smile, before narrowing his gaze at Cibor, who appeared set to pounce on Savage. âNone of that here. I donât need either of you breaking anything.â The cub wandered over and sat down by the rangerâs feet with a huff. â...and when would you like to start your...um, âcat-sittingâ duties?â
Nyllaeâs brow craned, piquing at his previous comment though she did not follow in suit with a question, most thought of her as grumpy or intimidating but she wasnât sure she wanted to know what might have been in the place of silliness. A regal stance found her posture and both hands clasped to her front, âPerhaps when you return? I suspect you will be well mended by then and have completed your tasks.â Nyllaeâs eyes ticked to Cibor for a moment and she watched the little cub, âIf you are not opposed to leaving him at your departure I welcome the idea. He...might serve as some company for me and might be less of an issue for you regarding your other obligations such as the poachers and recovery.â âI uhâŚâ she looked around, âHave already prepared various rooms for him. Some beds and food bowls and I had our cook see to a protein based diet for him assuming that it is what you prefer for he and Savage?â
He caught the eyebrow quirk and the change in her stance, which let to him tilting his head, but he didnât push - choosing to follow her gaze down to Cibor. âThat would probably be best, honestly. It shouldnât take him long to adjust. I just wouldnât be surprised if you wake up to a cold nose once or twice.â He sat back down, reaching down to scratch behind the cubâs ear.
âHe doesnât take up much space, and generally just likes being around someone he knows. Usually myself or Savage, but in this case it would be you.â He moved his hand to scratch under Ciborâs chin. âHeâs good at staying out of the way though...I hope he wonât give you any trouble.â
A smile came and Nyllae shook her head, âNot at all, if anything Iâve been enjoying my time around him, Savage as well. It has been able to teach me many things though most of those lessons have also come from you. Iâm not about to hang up my Arcane and Stave any times soon for a bow but to understand something is to carry a new and profound respect for it. I believe Cibor might be a little gentleman. If anything he did keep us from getting our legs clipped off by traps in the woods so I suppose I do owe himâŚ.a teenie bit.â she joked lightly and looked from the Tiger to Amorthon, âHow long do you figure your work is bound to last?â
âSince I havenât actually seen you shoot yet, I do believe itâs best that you stick with the arcane and staves.â He glances up at her, âNot that Iâm doubting your abilities to utilize or learn to utilize a bow.â He tilted his head from side to side in an attempt to stretch his neck. âAs far as how long Iâll be gone...Iâm not sure. Itâs been months before, but I donât imagine more than a couple of weeks. Iâve heard there are plenty of portals available.â
He rolled his eyes as Cibor turned to pounce on his foot. âI promise I wonât leave you to deal with the little furry terror for too long.â He tilted his head with a grin. âOr deprive you of my company.â He paused...taking a moment to process what heâd just said before clearing his throat and turning his attention back to Cibor.
âWho is depriving who exactly? I was going to suggest an offering of letters to keep in touch but I suppose with portalsâŚâ and tilted her head and her hand lifted to move about in circles as she spoke, âand depravity and all -- Ciborâs company should be enough but I can also take a hint should be feeling yourself a little suffocated by my presence.â
He gave a tentative look up. âYou wound me, lady Shiverflame. You wouldnât be suggesting that I be easily replaced by a tiger cub, would you?â Heâd gone and opened his mouth, might as well follow through. âAnd I canât imagine being âsuffocatedâ by your presence. I think you might kick me out well before that ever has the opportunity to occur.â
Nyllae blinked several times then looked between Amorthon and the cub, âThat is debatable considering much remains to be seen but at this rate, the animal doesnât talk back either.â she licked her lips trying to hide the budding smirk but she seemed quite terrible and out of practice. It seemed a certain cheeky Monk was rubbing off on her, âSo youâre saying that you enjoy my presence and arenât too tired or overtly disgusted by my nagging-type nature and quirky humor? Either that or you are quite patient.â She took a few careful steps forward and challenged his height the best she could, looking up to him with her hands still folded to her front. If anything she carried an air of 6â6â without being the wiser that she actually stood a good 5â7â, âDo you still feel wounded?â
âDebatable that youâd kick me out, or debatable that Iâd be...suffocated by you?â He tilted his head noting the smirk, but focusing on her gaze. Eyes were safe...right? âOne, he absolutely talking back, just in a different way. And two,what if I were to say that I do enjoy your presence and your quirky humor?â
He straightened up, still a good six inches taller than the mage. âAnd...what happens if I say no? That Iâm not feeling wounded?â
âNeither I was talking more in the sense of his company over yours. He has cute and cuddly working for him even if he does talk back in some sense.â her brow rose yet again which seemed to be a small habit of hers which either indicated a piqued interest or that she was thinking and mulling over the venom for words she often had at the ready, âWell I suppose if you enjoyed my presence and quirky humor then maybe suffocation isnât all that bad. Iâll take your word for it then. In addition to that well, Iâm glad you donât feel anymore wounded than you already are.â her finger flicked out towards his core where she pointed to his bandaged half.
âAnd are you suggesting that Iâm not cute and or cuddly? Now you have wounded me. It is far greater than that wound left by that arrow from earlier...Nyllae.â He quirked an eyebrow, ignoring Savage (who was covering his face with his paws) and Ciborâs curious glances. âAnd I get the sense that you appreciate a challenge...someone who does talk back, at times.â
âI wouldnât know, Iâve never seen you cuddle someone before.â She furrowed her brow a little and shoved her hands to her hips. âReally now? You should tell me how you really feel then since you seem to have it all figured out.â for a second she considered jabbing his wound just to show him how wounded he could be and how she could inflict real pain but of course, it was a fleeting idea that was best not acted upon.
He licked his lips quickly as he considered the abrupt shift, trying to get a read on her...and failing miserably. âIâve been told that Iâm decent enough at it. Apparently I provide lots of heat for chillier nights.â He clasped his hands behind his back. âAnd as Iâm sure youâve noticed, Iâm not the greatest with words. Telling people things tends to get me in more trouble, rather than getting me out of it.â
âWell I hate to break it to you but you kind of already unscrewed that lid to that specific jar.â Nyllae pursed her lips tightly, almost scowling and while he looked vulnerable with his hands clasped behind his back trying to be the epitome of a gentlemen she took that one step forward and tucked her arms between his and his body, âWellâŚâ her shoulders shrugged and her eyes indicated them, the space in between and whatever else their person consumed, âAssume the cuddling position then and Iâll be sure to let you know if youâre telling the truth or if you failed. Of course, cuddles from Cibor will have to be your competitor and Iâm sure heâll get more time to make a lasting impression, I mean you have to test the couch before you buy, right?â
âAre you planning on âbuyingâ me?â Ah, deflecting with humor. Whatever response he thought he was going to get, this had not been it. He gulped, hoping it was noticeable, before slipping his arms around her smaller frame. âI would like to point out that cuddling while standing is one thing. Cuddling while sitting or laying down is another.â Mindful of her size versus his own, he pulled her to him, but not flush. âI feel like this may be more of a trial for a hug, rather than cuddlingâŚâ
âThen youâre already failing.â she muttered and then eventually looked up, âOkay, Youâve convinced me. Iâm not buying.â she taunted and she pulled away already realizing how silly they looked even though they were the only people present -- aside from the two tigers, âYouâd make a terrible salesman.â she pointed out and turned to crouch and give Cibor some pats along his head, âIâll be well looked after I think. The two of us are set in our ways I suspect but there is a first for everything and there is always room for improvement.â
He frowned, jaw clenching for a moment. âThat maybe because Iâve never been one to âsell myselfâ. I find that people are either interested or theyâre not.â He glanced down a Cibor for a moment before leaning offering his hand to her. âAnd sometimes people can be too quick when making decisions about...furniture. Perhaps a second chance? Set in your ways or not, you might be surprised.â Nyllae chuckled gently, âThere is grey areas in between, I promise you that selling yourself isnât always a bad thing either.â She took the hand offered after one more pat to Ciborâs head and stood to adjust the sides of her slacks, âYou arenât wrong though and I can certainly appreciate that you are someone who sticks true to who you are and a very âtake it or leave itâ sort of guy.â she looked him over a minute, âI mean, itâs not a bad couch.â
He quirked an eyebrow as his thumb brushed over the back of her hand before releasing it. ââNot a bad couchâ? Iâm wondering what one might have to do to be considered a âgoodâ couch or what one might be interested in âpurchasingâ.â He took a small, cautious step forward, leaning down just enough to make easier eye contact.
Of course proper mannerisms taught Nyllae to look directly at people when they spoke to her and as of yet she hadnât noticed the brush atop her hand. âWell, I meanâŚâ she began and she shrugged a shoulder towards her jaw, â-- I suppose it has to be great quality and sturdy. Among other things but I suspect those qualities are just an added bonus. Is it cozy? Does it have a smell? Well I mean the most important question might be how big is it and does it match the rest of the room?â
âHow b-,â he stopped himself, fighting off a small grin as he tilted his head. âSo, tell me Nyllae...how would one REALLY know if the couch is cozy and how well it...fits unless they were to really give it a shot. Not just a quick test run.â He straightened up to his full height. âOr, and this is just an outlandish possibility...what if the couch one looks at and they initially arenât all that fond of is the one that might fit the room perfectly? How would that person know without giving it a try?â âI suppose that would be on the buyer. I mean, in hindsight it doesnât sound like it would be buyers remorse but the only person at fault would be the buyer if they hadnât tried.â the Mage paused a moment and furrowed a brow, looking down to notice her hand, âWhy are we talking about couches again?â she then managed to look back up, âMy, this is some odd and mild way to flirt, I cannot say Iâve ever compared people to a couch before or the action of buying one -- not that I would buy a person of course.â
âWe were talking about couches because I believe you compared me to one, and because projecting and talking about couches is easier than talking about myself?â He reached up to rub the back of his neck as he exhaled slowly. âAnd talking about couches also keeps me from doing or saying something excessively foolish...well, more foolish than talking about myself as though I was a couch.â He let his hand drop away from his neck, clasping his hands behind him once again.
âRight.â she opted to agree in such a short phrase. Perhaps she was the one to blame but in the end, the two had something to chuckle over at the very least. Almost in tandem, her hands weaved behind her and held firmly there, âIâll be sure to send you progress up dates on Cibor then, Iâm sure familiar letters couldnât go astray? I use to get them from my mother quite regularly when I was away but I never had much time to reply to them. In hindsight, I should have done more but we learn from such mistakes that better prepare us for the future, hm?â
Inhaling deeply, Nyllae finally looked over her shoulders to the two tigers. Deep down she was sort of going to miss the lot of them even though a third of their trio was going to be her house guest for some time.
âSo they say. The past can be an excellent teacher if we allow it to be.â He turned and glanced at Savage and Cibor before leaning down to gather up his things. âWell...Lady Shiverflame, you have survived your first tracking lesson and have learned the basic commands for attempting to manage a small rambunctious tiger cub. I look forward to see what nonsense he gets up to. Savage, letâs go.â
He walked over and kneeled down in front of Cibor, stroking the top of the cubâs head lightly. âYou be good. Weâll be back before you know it. And no tearing up furniture...or dressesâŚ.or clothing of any kind, alright.â He waited for an acknowledgement from the tiger before turning to face Nyllae once more. He paused for a moment, clearing giving some thought lots of consideration before shaking his head and moving forward. He stilled again in front of her, started to speak and then cut himself off, leaning down and pressing a light kiss to her cheek...and then promptly putting a bit more distance between them. â...Iâll write once weâre settled. Have a good rest of your day...Savage, come.â
For a time, Nyllae simply watched Amorthon and his tigers and the pure devotion and love he seemed to give each of them. It wasnât hard to sense some tinge of worry that might have lingered, then again he was trusting one of his companions with someone they didnât know. At first she considered a hug or a simple hand shake but it was the kiss to her cheek that left her a little taken back and by the time she had noticed his reverted distance, she already wore a pleasant smile and her hand lifted in parting, âDo try to be careful? Cibor will be in good hands here.â she then looked to Savage and offered a nod knowing full well that Savage wasnât bound to let any hard come to the pair. If anything they were a force all their own, a working pair of what seemed like a hivemind. Perhaps all in all, that is what it meant to work in tandem with another spirit. A rare connection she had never seen between mortal and beast.
Her cheeks grew warm and in that motion of a wave and departing, her eyes finally settled to Cibor who, for some reason, was staring right back at her.
The cub tilted his head as he looked up at the mage, curious. He wandered over and plopped down by her feet before pawing at one of her boots. This was going to be interesting.
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RFA Greek Demigod AU Part 1
Iâm back after quite a hiatus! jeez, school + writerâs block is horrible. Anyways this is part 1 of this series, i need votes on who the other rfa memberâs godly parents should be and i might get some ideas ooooo
Set in Rick Riordanâs Percy Jackson Series but not quite a crossover
ZEN:
He was the son of Apollo and the shining sun cabin counselor
Was often mistaken for Aphroditeâs son because of his incredible handsomeness and is swarmed by girls constantly
He is an expert archer, one of the best among his siblings but he specializes in singing and healing
His position and contribution to the camp is being one of the best healers and girls use this as an excuse to meet him, often faking an injury
New campers arrived and and one of them was MC, a daughter of Ares
Despite being a child of a war god, she had a lithe body and a face worth being claimed by Aphrodite
Zenâs heart sped up a bit when he saw her, admiring her looks and her shy demeanor, totally unlike her brute siblings
Everyday he would watch her train from a distance, it was no mistake who her godly parent was now, she possessed the skills yet had an elegant aura to her
âYouâre totally gawking at her manâ One of Zenâs brothers waved a hand over his slightly pink face
âIâm not, I was only judging her archery. I mean that posture was kind of slackâ He spouted an excuse and continued to read, now completely distractedÂ
âIs your eyesight alright? She had perfect stance!â
âShe did notâÂ
âYeah she didâ
âDid notâ
âWell if youâre so superior with your bow and arrow why donât you teach her right nowâÂ
âWell then I would!â Zen stormed out of where he came from and was slightly stomping towards her
Now realizing the situation he was in, with his brother smirking in the distance, his steps slowed and his breathing became ragged at the sight of her training, her hair being tossed in the wind and her demeanor changing into that of a war goddess
He gulped and stopped just beside her
âYour arm is a little offâ He squeaked, the confident aura completely disintegrating
âOh thank the gods a son of apollo! I was getting frustrated with this thing, can you help me out Zen?âÂ
âYou know me?â He asked
âWell I mean yeah, who doesnât?â She slightly giggled and Zenâs heart warmed at the sight
Finding his confidence again he started showing her the proper way of holding the bow, telling her about projectile and the wind factorsÂ
Engrossed in his passion for explaining the sport he didnât realize that he had his hand over her waist and his other around her shoulders guiding her
His face completely burned but he tried to stay calm and speak without stuttering
Once they were over and MC was getting bullseye by bullseye they had to part
And Zen was quick to come back to his cabin to greet his brother with a punch
âYouâre horribleâ His face burning a fiery red
âIâve never seen you so embarassed before it was quite entertainingâ
âShut upâ
The following weeks they were as close as ever, often training archery and him showing her around the campus whilst telling stories
One time she asked him so sing for her and he was shocked
âI mean, you have to be great at singing right? You probably areâ She scratched the back of her neck in embarassement and Zen was completely smitten
He was so inlove
One day, a group of people holding an unconcious girl came up to the infirmary
But he was more alarmed to see that it was MC they were holding and prompted them to lay her down
They said she hit her head in a game of capture the flag and Zen started working immediately
His hands trembling as he sang his sweet tune of healing
Making her drink nectar, he clasped her hand in his, kissing it over and over again and whispering words like âYouâre going to be okayâ âPlease be okayâ
When she finally opened her eyes, she found him sleeping with his hand on hers
She stroked his white hair and his head immediately shot up
Overwhelmed with relief he tackled her in a hugÂ
âHow are you feeling? Do you need more nectar?â
âIâm fine thanks to youâ She placed her hand on his cheek and he leaned against it, feeling on the moon being with the woman he loves
âTell me if you want me to stop, I just- I want to do somethingâ
Leaning in to her face he placed a chaste kiss on her lips
She smiled and grabbed the front of his shirt meeting his lips again as her hands toyed with his hair
YOOSUNG:
Yoosung is like the baby in the Demeterâs cabin
Though he is the cabin counselor, his siblings are wary of his mood because of the blessing his mom has given to him
Demeter being the goddess of seasons bestowed upon him a gift of altering it though in a miniscule scale
Depending on what heâs feeling would determine the temperature of the area he was in
When he was feeling happy, his cabin radiated a sunny flowery aura rivaling that of springÂ
And when heâs feeling gloomy, the temperature drops and they all suffer what it would feel like to have winter
So his siblings feel the need to always satiate him and keep him happy for the sake of everyone
He is an expert gardener like the rest of Demeterâs children and possesses the natural ability to cook well so he is often seen at the cafeteria giving people food with a smile
âDelicious as always Yoosung!â A girl smiled at him and his face reddened
He really really likes MC
Sheâs a really bubbly girl who seemed to always brighten Yoosungâs day
His siblings take note of this thus play a little matchmaking to keep him happy which worked all the time
They were best friends and would often train together and cook together
He loves her so but was failing to find the courage to confess to herÂ
âWhat on olympus am I going to do?â He sighed and continued watering some plantsÂ
Then an idea hit him whilst looking at the lilies, her favorite flower
He had picked and gathered the loveliest ones heâd grown and was currently coming over to MC to profess his love
okay calm down deep breaths you can do this yoosung
When he got there, his face dropped at the sight
MC was smiling, holding another boquet of flowers that certainly did not come from himÂ
âYoosung! Look at this, someone got me these beautiful flowersâ
âReally and whoâs it from?â He spat bitterly
MC didnât quite get the tone of his voice as she continued
âI really donât know, it came with a little card saying that it came from my secret admirer, how sweet!â
âYeah how sweetâ He looked down and the flowers he got and was hiding behind his back wilted, turning dry and darkened
âLook MC, I gotta goâ
âAre you okay?â She looked up at him with concerned eyes but that just made his heart ache even more
âYeahâ
âYou donât look fine to meâ
âJust mind your own businessâ
âAnd when did you ever tell me to mind my own business! Yoosung this isnât like you what happenedâ She stood up and they were meeting eye to eye with hard gazes at each other
âWell maybe you never knew me at all!Â
âMaybe I havenât! All I ever done was care for you and now youâre treating me like this?â
Yoosungâs eyes pricked with tears knowing what he said but he didnât stand down
âYou know what forget itâ
He left feeling crestfallen as he threw the flowers away near the forest and stomped on it
When he arrived at the cabin, all the members were in a panic, the weather turning awful with constant blizzards and the accumulations of ice
They had to stay out that night but Yoosung sulked, indulging in the cool temperature
âYoosung what has gotten into you?â They all asked once morning came, he didnât really get much sleep so he had dark beneath his eyes
âI donât really want to talk about it so you can all go enjoy your dayâ
âNot when the cabin freezes in the evening, gods!â
They dragged him out and attempted to have him enjoy his daily activities such as cooking and gardening but all were in vain when they still felt the temperature drop when they were around him
âCanât you guys see? Heâs obviously been dumped by the love of his lifeâ An Aphrodite kid tells them when she too sensed what was going on
Both MC and Yoosung didnât speak with each other for a week and for a week Demeterâs children either had to wear coats to bed or sleep in other cabins
They finally snapped when they noticed the plants surrounding the cabin beginning to wilt and practically banished Yoosung to stay in the forest to think
MC noticed how everything was wilting and was hurt at the sight
She frantically looked around for Yoosung to apologize and found himÂ
âYoosung!â She called out as she crashed into his body, hugging him tight despite the cold around them
It took him a couple of minutes before he raised a hand to stroke her hair
âIâm so sorry Yoosung, I shouldnât have snapped at you this is all my faultâ she sobbed on his chest
âIâm sorryâ He took a breath as if he was only beginning to fully take in air as he wrapped is arms around MC and hugged her as tight
âIâm such an idiot Iâm so so sorryâ
âI donât like seeing you this way, I care about you trulyâ She lifted her head up to wipe the tears from his eyesÂ
âGods MC I love you so muchâ
Feeling her tense under him, he was about to take back his words when her lips slammed against his in a passionate kiss
Yoosung returned it with the same fervor, a fire igniting in the pit of his stomach and his former glow returning, the warmth finally being felt
âI love you too Yoosungâ She smiled at him
(a/n btw before yâall roast me for his personality, itâs easy for him to get carried away by his emotions because his gift is too great and his body sometimes cant handle it)
My other work in here: MASTERLIST
#mystic messenger#mystic messenger scenario#mystic messenger scenarios#mystic messenger headcanon#mystic messenger headcanons#mystic messenger imagine#mystic messenger imagines#Yoosung Kim#kim yoosung#yoosung mystic messenger#mystic messenger yoosung#mm yoosung#yoosung mm#mystic messenger au#hyun ryu#ryu hyun#zen mystic messenger#mystic messenger zen#mystic messenger hyun ryu#hyun ryu mystic messenger#jumin han#han jumin#jaehee kang#kang jaehee#saeyoung choi#choi saeyoung#saeran choi#choi saeran#v mystic messenger#jihyun kim
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Shelter
For @pillarspromptsweeklyâ prompt #6
It was, at least, a summer rain. That was the only charitable comment Emiri could give on the abrupt downpour as she and her companions ducked into a cave.
âWell, that came about real sudden-like, didnât it?â If they hadnât just been caught in the opening salvo of a deluge, sheâd have sworn EdĂŠr sounded cheerful.
âYou could say that,â Emiri said wryly, running her fingers through her dripping hair. Another flash of lightning brightened the sky and she shirked toward the back of the cave, joining Aloth further away from the storm.
âHere.â He handed her a blanket. âItâs the best we have for drying off. You look like you need it.â
âThank you.â She shuffled to the side as Kana and EdĂŠr settled in nearby and reached up to tap the faintly glowing growth that encircled her head. âThis does make hoods a challenge.â Emiri sighed as she squeezed water from her hair and looked toward the cave opening, the curtain of rain visible past Hiravias and Saganiâs silhouettes. âAnd today was shaping up to be a pretty decent birthday âtil now...â
Aloth looked at her in surprise. âTodayâs your...?â
âWell, not officially,â Emiri conceded, drying her hair as best she could with the blanket. âBut since I donât remember when my birthday really is, just that it was summer, this is the day I usually count.â Thunder cracked and she flinched. Ondraâs Teeth, that was close by... âMight move it this year...â
Aloth chuckled. âBeing able to move your birthday, thereâs a silver lining for you.â
She laughed as she set aside the blanket, skin and hair as dry as they were going to get. âTrue.â After a momentâs silence, she gave in to her curiosity.  âWhenâs yours?â
Surprise flickered briefly across his face, visible even in the faint light of her halo, and it took him a moment to answer. âNext week.â
âNext week? And you werenât going to say anything?!â Emiri shrugged off her soaking cloak so she could better adopt  a reproachful stance.
Aloth raised an eyebrow. âSays the woman who didnât mention until moments ago that today is hers.â
âYeah, well, I did most of my growing up as a slave on a pirate ship. Iâm used to people not car- Oh.â She stared at him in the flare of another lightning strike. Â âAloth.â
He shifted uneasily, picking at a hangnail and looking out at the downpour as if wishing it would stop so he could bolt. âItâs not that important, Emiri.â
âTo me it is,â she contradicted. âI know what that feels like, Aloth.â She hesitated, tugging at a loose thread on her shirt. âWould you mind, since today is proving unsuitable-â she glared at the pouring rain- âif I said my birthday was next week this year? Not the same day as yours,â she added hastily, âjust closer to it, since we both do have someone who cares this year. We can celebrate together.â
âI-â Aloth hesitated, then nodded, tucking his hair behind his ears. âI would like that, I think. Depending on what you mean by celebrate.â
âNothing fancy,â Emiri promised. âNeither of us like big fancy social situations. Maybe I convince the cook to make us each our own batch of those dark chocolate Rauatai cookies.â She heard Kana muffle a laugh and whipped around to mock-glare at him--âThereâs nothing wrong with a little bit of a sweet tooth!â--before turning back to Aloth. âAnyway. Cookies. And weâll take the day off from adventuring. To do things we enjoy. One day wonât hurt that much.â
âThat sounds like a good plan,â Aloth agreed, small smile tugging at his lips. Â âNext week, then.â
âNext week,â Emiri nodded, and they settled in to wait for the storm to pass, safe in the shelter of the cave.
>O<
Emiriâs plan was easy enough to enact, except for one thing. The Dyrwood sky stayed a threatening shade of grey even after the initial storm had passed. And, sure enough, the day she and Aloth had decided to celebrate was pouring down rain. Again.
At least this time they were safely ensconced in the shelter Caed Nua offered. The rain wasnât so bad when you were watching it through a window with a roof over your head.
âSomeone is determined for you to have a dreary birthday,â Aloth commented wryly as they sat in the library, several books spread open across the table. The black cat from Raedricâs dungeon strolled between the tomes, occasionally making a show of stretching over whichever one Aloth was trying to read.
âWell, then Iâm sorry for dragging you down with me,â Emiri said, reaching over to pick up the cat. âFluffy, stop it.â
âI still can hardly believe you named it that.â
âI didnât name her,â Emiri protested good-naturedly. âThatâs EdĂŠr âs doing. I think he meant it as a joke, but itâs stuck.â She scratched the cat behind the ears, earning a loud, happy purr. âShe seems to like it.â
âMm. Emiri... may I ask you something?â Aloth fiddled with one of his rings, looking unsure of himself as he spun the silver band.
âSure,â she nodded, perching sideways in her chair, legs hanging over the arm, so Fluffy could curl up in her lap.
âWhy the diligence marking your birthday? Iâd think the reminder youâd spent another year someoneâs slave would be... disheartening.â
Emiri was quiet for a long moment forming her answer, long enough Alothâs ears started to shade pink and she could almost see him regretting the question. âFor some--most even--it probably would. I never knew of anyone else who kept track. For me...â She sighed. It was difficult to explain. âIt was a way of proving to myself Iâd survived another year. And there was something about it, made me feel safe. Protected isnât quite the right word--stronger, maybe--but the whips and yelling and the names they called us never seemed as bad that one day out of the year. Like I was sheltered from the worst of it, I guess. It was a small victory to look forward to. I know that probably sounds weird, but it kept me going.â
Aloth shook his head âOh, no, it makes perfect sense to me.â
Emiri thought back to Brackenburyâs basement and grimaced. âI sâppose it would... but thatâs a dark line of conversation for a day that supposed to be us celebrating, so Iâm changing the subject.â
He shot her a bemused smile. âTo what?â
She shifted in her chair, almost dislodging Fluffy, so she could dig in her pocket. âI made you something.â
Aloth blinked at her in surprise. âYou didnât have to do that.â
Emiri shrugged. âI know. I wanted to. Itâs part birthday present, part thank you for everything; having my back, teaching me to read, all that.â
âOh. That was no trouble.â He smiled. âYouâre a quick learner.â
Her cheeks warmed and she felt more than saw her halo flicker brightly with embarrassment. âThank you.â Her fingers curled around the item she sought and she pulled it out to hand to the wizard. âAnd happy birthday,â
Aloth rose halfway from his chair to reach her outstretched hand. âThank you.â He gently worked open the small pouch and pulled out an intricately woven blue band, half an inch wide and decorated in the middle with several flat black beads. âYou made this? Thatâs rather impressive.â
Emiri shrugged. âItâs just tying a whole bunch of really small knots, Aloth. I grew up on a ship; Iâm good with knots.â
He ran his thumb over the woven pattern. âI feel like that may be oversimplifying things a bit. Itâs beautiful, thank you.â
âYouâre welcome,â she smiled. âI made it long enough you can use it to mark your place in a book or grimoire or tie it around your wrist.â Her smile turned sheepish. âYouâll probably have to wrap it twice if you wanted to do that. I may have forgotten until halfway through about the size difference between aumaua and elves. Probably didnât help that I made a test one for me first to work out the pattern.â She pushed up her sleeve so he could see the one she wore; adra-green with silver beads, the pattern a good bit rougher but basically the same. âJust to make sure I had it down.â
âI appreciate that,â Aloth said, smiling. âAnd the gift in general. Iâll put it to good use. Now...â he dug under a stack of books heâd had piled on the table when she entered the library. âI actually have something for you as well.â
Emiri sat up properly in her chair, causing Fluffy to hop down and stroll away. âAloth, you didnât-â
âI know.â He smirked slightly as he echoed her earlier words. âI wanted to.â
âWell, in that case, thank you,â she laughed as she accepted his gift.
âYouâre welcome.â Aloth fiddled anxiously with his sleeve as she untied the ribbon and pulled back the wrapping. âYou are... the first true friend Iâve had in a very long time. I donât think I can ever adequately express what that means to me, but I did want to show my gratitude.â
âYouâre gonna make me cry,â Emiri said frankly, then promptly gaped when she saw the present. âAloth, itâs beautiful.â The bookâs cover was a rich, dark brown leather, embossed with a flowing pattern around the edges. It took her a minute to work her way through the title and determine this was a collection of equal parts legend and history for the Dyrwood. âThank you!â
Blushing slightly, Aloth shrugged. âI figured if youâre going to be ruling over and protecting a section of this region, best you know the peopleâs history and beliefs, yes?â
She hesitated, biting her lip as she stroked the cover. âDâyou really think I can handle this? On my own, I mean...â It was an intimidatingly thick book, reflecting the rich and diverse culture present in the Dyrwood.
âOh, yes, certainly,â Aloth nodded, smiling and tucking his hair back behind one ear. âAs I said, youâre a quick learner. I have faith in you. But, if you get stuck, you know Iâm always here to help.â
âAnd I appreciate that.â Emiri rose and hugged him. âThank you, truly. Both for the present and your friendship. Both mean a lot to me.â She glanced out the window as she let go. âOh, hey, itâs not raining so hard. I vote we dash over to Brighthollow anâ see if those cookies are ready.â
âSeconded,â Aloth said with a small laugh, deftly looping her gift twice around his wrist and tying it off faster than sheâd ever seen kith or folk do anything one-handed.
She raised an eyebrow but didnât comment on it as she clutched his present close and the two of them hurried out of the library, hoping this gap in the weather would last at least long enough for them to reach Brighthollowâs shelter.
>O<
As sheâd hoped, the cookies were done. They had, in fact, been cooling just long enough to still be warm was Emiri and Aloth divvied up their shares. Grinning like a little girl, Emiri took her leave of Aloth and retreated to her bedroom with the bundle of cookies. Having sweets in any quantity to herself was still something of a novelty to the Watcher, and she couldnât help but giggle as the door closed behind her. She was going to spend the rest of the day curled up in bed, nibbling her way through the still-warn cookies as she read her new book. Best. Birthday. Ever.
That was the plan, anyway. But she was distracted by the neatly wrapped bundle sitting on her bed, tied up with a wide red ribbon and currently being used as a pillow by a very content hound dog.
âLottie, are you keepinâ that safe for me, girl?â Emiri cooed as she dropped the book on her desk and sat on the bed to unwrap the large bundle. Lottie whined at the loss of her pillow and rolled over to sprawl across the actual pillows. Emiri smiled and shook her head at the dog before returning her attention to the gift. The wrapping fell away easily to reveal a beautiful blue cloak. It had obviously been worn before, but was well-cared for and clean. Best of all, when she unfurled it, it was the proper size. Aumaua were uncommon enough in the Dyrwood, she and Kana both had trouble finding clothes and  gear that fit comfortably. And when they did, it usually cost an arm and leg.
And then, upon closer examination, she noticed the hood. Someone--she was pretty sure she knew who--had deftly sliced it open down the middle and added an extra panel of matching fabric. Grinning ear to ear Emiri tested it out, and sure enough, the extra fabric gave plenty of room for her to pull the hood up over her halo, sheltering her as was normal for a cloak. A small piece of parchment fluttered from the cloakâs folds as she pulled it on, and Emiri paused to read the short message.
I hope this serves you even better than it did me. Happy birthday, Emiri.
Even if she hadnât recognize the handwriting, it was written on the back of a discarded page from a chanterâs hymnbook, making her list of suspected givers exactly one name long.
Emiri pushed herself to her feet, barely remembering to grab the sack of cookies so Lottie wouldnât eat them, and practically flew from the room. âKana!â
The distance from her room to his wasnât great, and she barely paused long enough to knock and receive a bemused Come in before all but tumbling into the room. She regained her balance and hugged Kana with enough force he almost lost his.
He laughed as he returned the hug, gently pulling back the hood so he could see her face. âI take it you approve, then?â
âEffigyâs eyes, yes!â Emiri squeezed tighter for a moment, then let go to shoot him a concerned look. âDoes this mean you donât have a cloak now?â
âOh, no, Iâve a couple more,â Kana assured her. âThis one was simply in the best condition, and thus best suited to be given as a gift, thatâs all.â
She stood grinning for another few heartbeats before remembering the sack she clutched in one hand. She shook it open and held it out to him. âCookie?â
âI thought those were just for you and Aloth.â
Emiri pursed her lips, then grinned again. âI wonât tell if you wonât.â
Kana chuckled. âWell, in that case, I suppose one wouldnât hurt...â
By the time she returned to her room, the sack of cookies was lighter by three, but Emiri didnât care in the slightest. She did a little twirl after closing her door, watching the cloak flare out. Best birthday ever.
---------------------------------------------
Yes, Emiri totally gave Aloth a friendship bracelet as a birthday present. I have zero regrets.
(they look like this btw)
#queens fic#pillars prompts weekly#pillars of eternity#emiri#aloth corfiser#kana rua#brotp: woven together
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WIP Wolves of Yellowstone Ch. 2 Preview
As per usual, this is the fault of @melissaknowsthings @solivar and @hhgggx, credit where credit is due.Â
In which Jesse is snuck up on, and finds himself accordingly pounced on, if you will.Â
Jesse was still unconvinced he wasnât going insane.
The werewolf-slash-okami-slash-intruder that was actually real and inside his house AGAIN stared at him from the couch with the same vaguely-amused expression from that morning as Jesse sputtered. The stranger- Hanzoâs- expression didnât change as Jesse felt behind himself for the chair near the door heâd just burst through twice in the span of a handful of minutes, and sat heavily, staring back at Hanzo, who was now calmly sipping grape soda and watching him in return. His legs were folded neatly underneath himself, both hands, one of his forearms bearing swirling intricate marks as gold as those under his eyes, sweeping across his cheekbones, holding the can with a kind of effortless dexterity Jesse knew only came from a life of using oneâs hands.
âOkay-â Jesse started, pressing his hands together in front of his face. Best to take this slowly and carefully. The okami/werewolf/crazy-person-with-a-wolfy-home-invasion-fetish was armored, and could easily be armed. No surprises, slow and calm. Be ready to de-escalate the situation if it happens. ButâŚ
Too many odd things had happened in the past day or two for Jesse to let this go too quickly. If the intruder somehow had answersâŚ
âOkay, okami. How do I know you arenât some stalker wolf-enthusiast with a wig collection?â Jesse began again, quietly. âProve I shouldnât call the cops right now and get you back to the cosplayer convention you prolly strayed from.â
The intruder blinked, considered Jesse. âWhat is a cosplayer convention?â
Jesse sputtered again. âWhat do you- you mean you- Look, Iâm not-â
âIs it like a party? A convention is like a party, is it not?â
âNo, well, I guess, Iâve never been to one, but-â
âThen how do you think I am from a cosplayer convention, if you have never been to one?â
âI know people, okay, and-â
âOh, I see, you think I am a furry of some variety.â
Jesse choked. âHow thâ hell do you know what furries are, but not-â
Silver brows lifted, eyes flashing conspiratorial. âAll kinds are drawn to the seclusion of the woods, it seems.â
Jesse couldnât find anything to say to that. Couldnât bring himself to consider how that concept could possibly affect his job and the amount of paperwork he could be facing if there really were furries gallivanting in the woods. Jesse ground the heels of his hands into his eye sockets.
âWhat the hell was that last night?â
The stran-Hanzo tipped his head to one side, taking another considering sip, wise eyes still amused. âYou had seemed not un-receptive to my presence beforehand, I am surprised you grow so wary of me now.â A small smile pulled at the okamiâs- Hanzoâs- lips and his eyes glittered with mischief. âMy apologies for the theatrics. I have been told one of my great flaws is a penchant for dramatics. My extended apologies for disturbing you.â A short, neat bow from the waist. âNonetheless, it is flattering you thought of the encounter as a dream.â The smile grew, might have edged on becoming a smirk. Definitely a smirk. Jesse felt his neck and cheeks reddening with embarrassment the okami-Hanzo knew what kind of effect he had on Jesse. Fantastic.
âI still donât know that youâre really a- what did you say you are?â
âOkami. A deity; in my case, of wolves.â
Jesse met his gaze, refusing to drop that yellow stare. âI stand by what I said before. Prove it.â
The stranger tipped his head slightly to one side, the motion slow and deliberate and inhuman, eyes endlessly dark and rich, as that same strange energy deepened and tingled along Jesseâs skin and said lightly, âMy apologies for disrupting your device in the woods as you walked to your vehicle yesterday evening, my presence can have an adverse effect on technology. Also, now that I have you here, what was that song you were humming last night? It is from a film, is it not?â
Jesse sucked in a breath, the hair on the back of his neck going entirely on end again, feeling once again the strangeness of the woods as he walked yesterday, the feeling of being watched or followed, and how heâd felt watched all during the storm and the encounter last night, the same electricity that had run down his spine and fogged his mind that morning in the Visitorâs CenterâŚ
âMy god. Youâre telling the truth, arenât you,â Jesse breathed. He faithfully ignored how his hand shook as he ran it backward through his hair.
The oka- Hanzo blinked at him again, suddenly serious. âI am.â
The sudden sound of a car door slamming made them both jump, and Jesse bolted upright out of his chair. He crossed the floor to the window in three long strides, and saw Fareeha Amari kicking the door to her jeep closed behind her, bags of what could only have been groceries sent from her mother on her arm.
Jesse groaned. âI thought she said she was going to be gone until Monday,â he growled, aware of how few seconds he had before Fareeha came in the door and saw his that tale from the night before was not as much of a dream as she had thought it was. He chewed on his lower lip and glanced back at Hanzo, the wolf god still watching him with that same innocuous expression and sipping his grape soda. Shit, shit, shit. Â Fareeha was going to lose all of her shit and her goddamn mind too and call the cops and the last thing Jesse needed was cops-
He opened the door enough to stand in it, one hand on the knob and one on the doorframe. He prayed to whatever deity might be listening, Hanzo or otherwise, that he could talk his way out of this one. He knew with absolute certainty he couldnât physically stop her from coming in, despite having five inches and a good forty pounds on the woman. Fareeha had far too many blackbelts in far too many types of hand-to-hand combat to not be admitted in an immediate manner to wherever it was she wished to go, her five-foot-eight frame and clunky uniform generally doing an excellent job of belying her incredible athleticism.
Jesse dared another glance at Hanzo. âI guess if I ask you to disappear again, you wonât, will you.â
Another sip of soda, a sly smile. âI wish to meet your friend.â
Jesse glared as Fareeha climbed the steps and began chattering.
âSurprise! Turns out Ma is taking Rein to that spa in Denver he really loves so Iâm off the hook for festivities and she instructed me to get everything on this list for you and to make you actually cook and eat it so apparently weâre going to actually using your kitchen so I really hope itâs clean for once and- what are you glaring at, Jesse McCree?â Fareeha asked with a smile as she mounted the stairs.
Jesse did his best to smile normally. âNothin,â the TV. Cableâs going in and out again.â
Fareeha paused on the last step, took in Jesseâs stance in the mostly-closed door with an unperturbed eye. âJesse McCree, I have known you since you were a gross seventeen-year-old. Donât think youâre keeping me and my gift of green organic plant matter out because you havenât picked up your dirty boxers.â Jesse sweated a little.
âNo, âReeha, itâs not-â Just like that, a hand -had she grown another one, where the hell did it come from? - and a leg had insinuated themselves between Jesse and the door and he found himself suddenly and irresistibly simply moved aside.
âLook, Jesse, if thereâs someone clutching the sheets in your room right now Iâll just drop these and come back later, maybe after shaking their hand, honestly, because-â Jesse reached out, grabbed her shoulder, tried to stop her, but sheâd already stopped, was already staring. Jesse braced himself, cringed a glance at the couch-
And found a big white dog lying there, muzzle resting on his elegantly crossed forelegs. Probably sensing them looking, Hanzo opened his eyes and lifted his head, his tail picking up a slow benign wag. Jesseâs mouth fell open. That son of a-
âOh,â Fareeha, a notorious lover of all things canine, breathed. Hanzo pushed himself up onto all four legs and shook himself, getting white hairs all over Jesseâs couch, then hopped down off the couch and paced across the room to sit at Jesseâs feet with an expansive and obviously completely-at-ease yawn.
Fareeha, her voice still soft and breathy with the kind of all-consuming love only dogs could inspire in her, said, âSo, is this guy that same⌠animal?â She crouched and offered a hand, which Hanzo offered a polite perfunctory sniff and small lick. His eyes went half-closed as Fareeha began to rub and scratch behind his ears, obviously drinking in the attention.
Jesse coughed. âUh, yeah, that is- He showed up this morninâ outside, just hanginâ out with me and was acting very, uh, docile. I think those Fish and Wildlife people, um, put the collar on wrong because he was⌠showing signs of⌠mild distress about it. So, I took it off him and brought it home and⌠he followed me and, uh, he saw the open door and trotted in like he owned the place.â As he finished the thought, Jesse shot a short glare at Hanzo, who entirely missed it due to closed-eye reveling in the best chin scritches Fareeha could provide. Â
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tagged~
From @thedarkestcrow , thank you for tagging me!
1. How has your opinion of yourself changed over the years?
Iâm definitely more confident and easygoing than I was as a teenager/young adult. Â I was an only child and had a period of severe self-esteem issues brought on by bullying that took me a long time to overcome. Â But I got help, worked through my issues and am now relatively healthy! Â Or as healthy as a huge geek can be I guess. Â xD
2. If you had to pick one book to read for the rest of your life, which book would you pick?
JUST ONE??? What kind of sadistic question is this? Â
If it isnât cheating, Iâd opt for The Lord of the Rings trilogy because Iâll probably never get tired of reading them. Â If not... whatever. Â NEXT QUESTION?
3. Whatâs your favorite season? Do you have a particular reason for liking it?
I love Fall/Autumn because of the warm colors and the relief that comes from summer turning to cooler weather. Â Thereâs just something about the season thatâs magical and makes me want to drink cocoa and cider and go for long walks. Â Plus it has Halloween, which is the best holiday. :)
4. Whatâs your favorite thing to do when you want to relax?
Put on a calm playlist and play a game. Â Iâm a big fan of collection or repetition games where I donât have to engage my brain too much but I still feel like Iâm doing something. Â Iâve never been the type of person who can just like... draw a bath and soak for a while. Â I get bored too easily and then Iâm not relaxed anymore. Â ^^;
5. Do you consider yourself lazy?
Eeeeh, it depends on the day? Â Iâm pretty self-motivated but sometimes I just say screw it and let things slide until I decide to pick them up again. Â Thereâve definitely been days where Iâve skipped doing laundry or cooked for myself when I really should have. Â And Iâve procrastinated on projects and papers before. Â But itâs not something I chronically do.
6. Whatâs your view on morality?
Everyoneâs morality is different but there are some universal truths to it.  My personal view is that everything is fine as long as it isnât actively causing trauma to yourself or someone else, whether itâs physical, mental or emotional.  This might seem like a very relaxed stance on morality but eh, I think people jumping down one anotherâs throats and arguing over minor details that really donât matter in the long run is more harmful than not.  You might disagree with someone and judge them for it, but you probably do things they judge you for too so ¯\_(ă)_/ÂŻ
7. When are you most productive?â¨
Afternoons, evenings and nights. Â Iâm not a morning person and it takes me about two hours and a couple cups of coffee or tea to wake me up every day lol.
8. Do you have any strong opinions about things most people donât think much about?
Just fandom things, probably?  Everyoneâs entitled to their own opinions though, so idk if Iâd call mine âstrongâ.Â
9. How do you handle stress?
Usually by throwing myself into something that will distract me from the stress, whether itâs music or a good book or a good meditation session or whatever Iâm feeling like. Â If none of thatâs available I do my best to remove myself from whateverâs causing the stress and allow myself to come down from it. Â I donât get extremely stressed very often though, luckily enough.
10. What would your ideal world be like?
Iâm gonna have to go with the typical response of a kinder, gentler world than we live in now. Â If everyone had more compassion for one another and squabbled less over petty differences it would be so much better. Â Also just less greed and power lust in general. Â People could still have their differences and their unique identities, but I dunno... I just feel like if more people realized that they could be happier by not being quite so selfish, it would do a lot of good.
Extra Questions:
1.) Whatâs one story that you want to write/create but wonât (or havenât yet)?
Iâve started writing like 10 different books before but never got that far with them. Â Iâm better at coming up with ideas and bouncing them off of other people than sitting down and writing out an entire work from scratch.
2.) Whatâs an interesting moment of self-discovery in your life?
When I realized that happiness is attainable when youâre doing something positive with your life, even if itâs something small. Â Greatness and renown aren't as important as touching the lives of the people around you; friends, family and strangers alike. Â
3.) Dream job? â¨
Forensic Anthropologist, hands down. Â I majored in physical anthropology and took a heavy load of science courses and IÂ loved it. Â One of my professors was really into criminology as well and gave us really interesting lab work related to forensics. Â Plus, itâs usually benefitting the families of missing persons. Â If I ever go back to Uni for a Masters degree I think thatâs what Iâm going to aim for.
4.) Whatâs a book/movie/show that has had a large influence on you?
Oh man, I dunno if I can just pick one. Â This probably wonât come as a surprise after that last question but I was an avid reader of Sherlock Holmes and other detective novels as a kid. Â My parents and grandparents let me read anything as long as it was classic literature, so I read all of the Sherlock stories when I was 8 - 10. Â As far as movies go, I also loved the Indiana Jones series and it got me really into studying history and different cultures. Â And I guess anime and manga, in general, has influenced me a lot and helped cement that desire to travel and learn another language. Â
5.) Has music ever changed your life, or at least your outlook on life?
Yes, definitely! Â Some songs have always stuck with me and I still find songs with lyrics that impact me in some way. Â Music is a powerful way to convey messages (haha, Blue Sect Arc got it 100% right) and invoke emotion in people.Â
6.) Imagine youâve become an established author/artist/creator. What would you want the fandom for your works to be like?
I would want them to be chill and nonargumentative with one another, but I know thatâs only like a .0001% probability. Â Maybe if I had a fandom of like 5 people itâd be okay.
7.) Same scenario as #6. What would the fandom actually be like?
Probably like every other fandom out there. Â Mostly casual consumers but a good chunk thatâs very invested. Â A smaller chunk of those would be the ones that rock the boat and make everyone unhappy. Â
8.) Whatâs a subject that you think should be taught in schools but typically isnât taught at all?
It might sound odd, but responsible money management and how to save for retirement.  Responsibly managing my money was one of the biggest issues I had to overcome when I went to University and was living on my own, and it was the same for quite a few of my friends.  I think the spending lifestyle in America is mostly to blame for this, and businesses want to make as much money as they can off of the public so I doubt a class like that will ever be implemented.  But it would be nice if we taught kids and teens how to live comfortably without being so materialistic.  I think things are slowly changing on their own though, and the youngest generations are realizing this (see: all the whining about Millenials âkillingâ everything lol).
9.) Whatâs a subject that you think should be taught differently in schools from how it usually is?
Difficult to say! Â I donât know how schools in other states handle all of their subjects, but the ones I went to had a few issues. Â I think math and algebra are in the one area thatâs most often complained about. Â In my experience, I either had an excellent teacher or an amazingly awful one with no exceptions. Â Which is a shame because algebra can be interesting and fun if the teacher enjoys the subject and has good lesson plans.
10.) Are there any patterns in your interests/works that wouldnât be immediately obvious to an outside observer?
I really donât look like the type of person whoâd be into the things Iâm into, I suppose? Â Iâm just your average, small person who dresses in T-shirts, jeans, and trainers with earbuds in. ^^;;
And thatâs it!  Tagging @lapyn @beautifulbloomingblossoms @trollintrancy @justanotherfandomjunkie along with anyone else whoâd like to answer it.
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My Love for You
Word Count: 1447
Summary: When Elena Gilbert walks in on you and your husband, Elijah Mikaelson having an intimate moment, Elijah relays a bit of your past and expresses to her his feelings for you.
Requested By: @badhippiehabits
Can you do an Elijah Mikaelson imagine? Where the reader and Elijah were together and married before he was turned and when he was turned she was turned too. And when Elijah and the reader go to help Elena with Klaus, Elena walks in on Elijah and the reader having a cute moment and when the reader is leaving she over hears Elena asking Elijah about their love and he gets all glossy eyes and tell her about their story and how their love will never die. Please and thank youâ¤ď¸
Pairings: Reader x Elijah Mikaelson
Authorâs Note: Sorry this took so long itâs my first request and I wanted it to be as perfect as I could possibly make it!
 It was Elijahâs night to make dinner and as always the delectable scent of his cooking lured you downstairs and into the kitchen.
âMm.â You said upon entering the kitchen. âI donât know what youâre cooking but as usual it smells delicious!â You walked up behind him and wrapped your arms around his waist.
He chuckled. âThank you, my sweet.â
You kissed his shoulder blade, spreading your hands along the strong, muscular planes of his chest. âI love you Elijah Mikaelson.â
He turned off the stove and spun around to face you. Taking either side of your face in his hands, he leaned down until your faces were mere inches apart. âI love you more, y/nâ
âImpossible,â you smirked.
He wrapped his arms around you. You placed your hands on his chest. He leaned in further and kissed you. Slowly, your eyes closed and you wrapped your arms around his neck, bringing him closer.
That kiss was perfect. It could have gone on forever and neither one of you would have noticed. And then you heard it. A soft knock at the doorway.
You broke apart, startled. Elijah shoved you behind him. He tensed, barring his fangs ready to protect you from the world itself if necessary.
Elena, stood wide-eyed in the doorway of the kitchen.
Elijah relaxed his stance and began straightening his shirt collar. âUm, hello Elena.â
You dipped your head in greeting. âElena.â
âHi.â Elena said in a meek voice followed by a tiny wave.
You laughed breathily.
âHow did you get in here?â Elijah asked, folding his arms across his chest.
Elenaâs lips moved but no words came out.
A smile tugged at your lips. You wondered if it was Elijah making her nervous or if her own embarrassment had left her tongue-tied. Maybe both, you decided.
âElena!â you exclaimed. Â
âI knocked but no one answered!â she finally said. âAnd both of your cars were in the driveway so I figured that either you two were avoiding me or something terrible happened to you! Iâm sorry! I donât usually go barging into other peopleâs homes but I really, really need to talk to Elijah! So I tested the doorâŚand it was unlockedâŚand then I found you guysâŚin hereâŚ.kissingâŚâ
When Elena finished she was nervously wringing her hands and looking down at her shoes like a child whoâd gotten caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. It was so adorable that you were nearly in tears trying to keep yourself from laughing.
Elijah cleared his throat awkwardly. âAnd what is that you need to speak to me about, Elena?â
The doppelganger sighed, throwing her hands in the air. âKlaus is up to his old tricks again.â
You and Elijah groaned in unison. Youâd had enough of Klaus and âhis old tricksâ to last you a lifetime.
âWell, in that case Iâm going back upstairs toââ
âKeep the bed warm?â Elijah finished.
You gaped at him in shock. He was rarely so playful in front of anyone outside of his immediate family.
From the corner of your eye you saw Elenaâs cheeks turn bright red.
âElijah! We have a guest,â you scolded, gesturing to Elena.
âWhat?â he laughed.
You playfully swatted him on the arm. He returned the favor by swatting you on the behind. You yelped in surprise. Â
âNo, no! Itâs fine. I did break into your house after allâŚâ Elenaâs cheeks reddened further.
âWhat is wrong with you?â
Elijah shrugged. âI love you. Thatâs all.â
You smiled and pecked a kiss on his cheek.
Striding past Elena and out of the kitchen, you spoke, âJust yell if he steps out of line, Elena.â
The two snickered as you made your way upstairs and into the master bedroom.
âPlease excuse my crude behavior, Elena.â You heard your husband say from below.
âNo, itâs fine. You and y/n are adorable together.â
âThank you. Iâm glad you think so.â
âHow long have you been together?â
âSince I was human,â you could almost hear the grin in his voice.
âWow⌠Whatâs it like?â
âWhatâs what like?â
âBeing with the same person for over a thousand years⌠I canât imagine being with just the same person for one thousand years.â
âI suppose that itâs all about the person. I canât imagine a day without my y/n at my side.â
Climbing into your bed you beamed with pride and pleasure.
âThatâs beautiful, Elijah.â
âItâs true too.â
She laughed. âSo how did you meet y/n?â
âWe sort of grew up together. Our fathers were in business together, my father was a wealthy landowner and y/nâs father was a contractor. My father owned the land and y/nâs father built the houses on the land.â
âSo your family was supportive?â
Elijah snorted. âOur mothers were supportive and so were my siblings. Rebekah especially. Y/N is like the sister she never had. Our fathers on the other hand were furious.â
You shuddered at the memory.
âWhy?â
âWho knows? I remember Mikael went out of his way to make y/n uncomfortable every time she visited our home. Y/Nâs father, thankfully at least tried to be civil when I was over.â Â
âThat was nice.â
âYes, but when I left he would yell at y/n so loudly that the whole village could hear.â
A chill crept up your spine, you could still hear the roar of your fatherâs voice in your ears.
âOh.â She said flatly.
Elijah snickered lightly. âItâs okay though. We got through it. And weâll get through anything else that life throws at us so long as we are together.â
Your lips twitched, fighting a smile.
âThatâs really beautiful.â Elena said softly. âYou really, truly love her, donât you?â
âThat woman up there is my world,â you heard him say.
âThatâs amazing. When I was little my mom used to read to me stories about princes and princesses finding their soulmates and true loves. When I grew older I tossed the whole idea of true loves and soulmates aside. It all sounded soâŚchildish and unrealistic. And yet here I am looking right at in you and y/n.â
Elijah released a breathy laugh. âWell if true loves and soulmates are indeed real then there is no doubt in my mind that y/n is mine. I love her like I have loved no other. Her very existence completes me. Her eyes, her scent, her personality bewitches me⌠I remember that on the night of our hundredth wedding anniversary party I looked upon the face of my wife with such overwhelming love that I was afraid I might burst before the first toast could be made. Just days before the celebration I was wondering if it would always be like this, if my love for her would ever fade. Nine hundred years later I think itâs safe to say that the answer to that question is no.â He laughed.
But you werenât laughing at all. You were crying. Your husbandâs words had brought you to tears. His voiced feelings hit you where you needed it most. You too had shared your husbandâs worries and for centuries you dreaded the day when your husband would lose interest in you or when someone new would manage to catch his eye. Now you knew that that day would never come.
You heard Elijah sniff a couple of times.
You swallowed your laughter. He felt it too, you realized, the relief, the overwhelming euphoria of being and feeling completely content and satisfied in your relationship and in the one you love.
âSo what was it you needed, Elena?â
X
 When Elena departed, Elijah resumed cooking dinner and made a quick and sharply-worded phone call to his brother, Klaus.
When he was done, he entered your bedroom with a gleaming silver tray in his hands. He grinned at you, sitting the steaming tray with your dinner on it at the foot of the bed. âI thought we might eat in bed for a change.â
He leaned down and kissed your lips. His lips were soft and warm against your own but kiss remained strong.
You stroked his cheek, his stubble scratched at your palm. âI love you with all of my heart, Elijah Mikaelson.â
His cheeks colored a tad. âI knew you were listening.â
âYou meant it? All of it?â
âEvery last word.â He confirmed.
âI feel the same,â you told him. âIâve never felt as strong, or as confident, or as beautiful or asâŚwhole as I have in these last one thousand plus years I have spent at your side. When Iâm with you no matter where I am the world is brighter, kinder. Thank you for being my husband, Elijah and thank you for making me your wife.â
Authorâs Note: Thank you so much for reading. And thanks to @badhippiehabits for requesting.
#the originals#the originals imagine#the vampire diaries imagine#the vampire diaries#elena imagine#elena gilbert#elena#elena gilbert imagine#reader x elijah#reader x elena#reader x elena gilbert#elijah mikaelson#elijah mikealson imagine#elijah#reader x elijah mikaelson#true love#imagine fanfic#imagine#imagines
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Title: A true warrior
Word count:1285
Pairing: Gintsu
For: Ykchahine, who suggested the headcanon that Tsukuyoâs opinion of Gintoki changes after she sees his scars. I  hope you like it~~~
âYou moron⌠Why did you go out in the rain?â Â
âI had to get jump.â
Tsukuyo sighed. She knew what she was getting into when she married him but sometimes Gintoki surprised her. At thirty, He still acted like a child, read jump and drank strawberry milk religiously before going to bed. Yes, he really was a kid trapped inside an adultâs body. Tsukuyo guessed she should have paid heed to Kagura and Shinpachiâs warnings before marrying him.
Well, not like she could change anything now.
She collected the dirty tissues around him into a pile and adjusted his pillow. Gintoki let out a small sneeze and covered his face with the blanket up to his nose.
âTsukkiâŚ.everything hurts.â he whined in a muffled voice. His nose was stuffy; his throat was sore and his head hurt. He wouldnât have gone out in the rain if he had known this was going to happen. Well, maybe he wouldâve since it was for jump but he wouldâve taken an umbrella. Â
Tsukuyo frowned at his remark. His face was slightly flushed and his eyebrows were furrowed. He winced every time he changed his position. She had warned Gintoki the day before about catching a cold when he returned home drenched from head to toe but he waved her off by saying that he had somehow grown immune to them.
She helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water and medicine she had placed beside his bed earlier. After making sure Gintoki had swallowed the pill, she got up and went towards the door.
âWhere are you going?â he asked in a hoarse voice.
âTo make you porridge.â She answered simply. Although she did not know how to cook much, she had learnt the basics from Hinowa because the older woman had pestered her about it.
After she had left the room, Tsukuyo went towards the kitchen to get all the ingredients and utensils out on the shelves. When she had set everything out, she began to wash the rice. Being involved in quite a tedious task, Tsukuyo could not help but wander off in thought. She began to think back on the time when Gintoki visited Yoshiwara the second time around. To be honest, it still sometimes baffled her how wildly different her life turned out than what she expected it to look like.
                               ****
Hinowa had invited Gintoki for tea in order to properly thank him for yorozuyaâs help. Well, that and to ask him to help Tsukuyo with maintaining the order of the city. The opening of the ceiling had been a great joy for the courtesans but now that it was gone, many of them wanted to leave and return to the surface. While the Hyakka was busy in terminating their contracts and accommodating the changes, A certain drug syndicate had decided to avail the opportunity and expand its business. Â
Hinowa was in the middle of her explanation when Tsukuyo returned from her patrol.
âAh, good thing youâre backâ Hinowa smiled politely at the ninja. She knew that Tsukuyo was tired with work and was keeping quiet about it. However, she couldnât hide anything from the Sun of Yoshiwara.
Tsukuyo greeted Hinowa, and then turned to look at Gintoki. She nodded her head a little as an acknowledgement since she did have a certain amount of respect for him considering what he had done for Yoshiwara but the lone wolf façade she put up, stopped her from showing any other signs of friendliness. Â
âCold! I felt a shiver run down my back. Canât you be a little nicer?â Gintoki commented while picking his nose. Although he knew how the Shinigami Tayuu usually was, it would still feel good to be greeted by someone as pretty as her. And since all the other girls he knew acted like gorillas, Gintoki prayed that she was somewhat more refined than them.
âRight, thank you.â Tsukuyo replied simply and went towards her room. She was tired and didnât feel like talking much.
âI called him to help you out with work.â
The death god courtesan stopped in her tracks turned around to look at the older woman. Tsukuyo took a deep breath, so you already knew HinowaâŚ.
She had taken out most of the people involved with the group but she was having trouble locating their hideout. It had already been a month and she had no leads as to where they hiding. Â As much as she hated to admit it, she really did need help.
Hinowa told her that Gintoki might be of assistance in her task as he knew a thing or two about drug dealers and after getting the required information from The Shiroyasha, Tsukuyo was ready to drag them out of their hiding spot but Hinowa stopped her and forced to rest for the day.
****
She met Gintoki the next day and they both set out for their destination. After asking around here and there for a while, they finally reached the hideout. Everything was going up to plan, until the enemy ambushed them out of nowhere. Someone had seen them hiding around and had reported it to the gang boss.
Gintoki sighed loudly. He had been planning on settling the matter quietly by handing them over to the police but with the way things were he didnât really have much of a choice than to fight.
âI want more money, just so you know.â Gintoki took his bokuto out of his belt and got into his fighting stance.
âMoney huh? Good for you a job just opened up in a gay bar down the street.â Tsukuyo also squared up and turned her back towards Gintoki. Â Ignoring the protest coming from him, she glared at her enemies and even if they had a numerical advantage, Tsukuyo knew that the fight was going to be over easy.
****
They were nearly finished when someone managed to slash Gintoki on his shoulder after finding a small opening. He took care of him immediately and leaned against the wall. Tsukuyo ran over to him and tore the sleeve of her arm to tie up the wound. It was deep enough to leave a scar but the Gintoki insisted that he was fine. The ninja quickly finished off the rest of the  insurgents and Hyakka arrived.
When the drug dealers had been handed over to the Hyakka, they both returned to tea shop and Hinowa immediately called someone to treat Gintokiâs wound. He took off his shirt so that his cut could properly be taken care of.
It was then that Tsukuyo first saw his scars. His body was painted with them. They were all over his back, his arms and chest. She guessed he had earned them from his war days, probably while protecting his companions. She felt like she had gotten glimpse of his past. A sad and broken one faced with a lot of difficult choices and losses. Tsukuyo realized for the first time after meeting him that hero-like person that saved Yoshiwara was carrying so much weight on his back and what he was fighting for right now became so much clearer to her than before.
The door opened and Kagura and Shinpachi ran inside while calling out his name. Gintoki looked up to see them walk over to him and bombard him with questions. After assuring them it was nothing but a scratch Gintoki patted them on their heads with a smile. He looked up to see her leaving the room.
âWhere?â
âOn patrol.â
Tsukuyo walked out of the room and started smoking her kiseru. And unbeknownst to her, her feelings of admiration for Gintoki had started changing into something else.
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Catherine Lowe from âThe Bachelorâ used to be a vegan food blogger
When Catherine Giudici saw Sean Lowe on Emily Maynardâs season of âThe Bacheloretteâ via her TV, she was smitten. A year later, the Seattle native landed a spot on âThe Bachelorâ as a contestant competing for Seanâs heart. For her introduction, producers wanted her to ride in on a unicycle. Instead, she exited the limo, walked up to the man of her dreams and said, âMeet me inside for a danceâ â something she now finds embarrassing considering nobodyâs dancing in the California mansion.
10 Reasons Married People Live Longer
âMy first impression of her was, sheâs super cute and kind of giggly,â Sean told The Daily Meal during a recent press opportunity as part of an upcoming Subway promotion. âShe had this energy about her where I knew I wanted to spend more time with her. I want to hang out with this girl. I donât know much about her, but I want to hang out with her.â
The Lowes have been happily married for five years now, living in Dallas with their two sons, 2-year-old Samuel and 8-month-old Isaiah. While the babyâs primarily eating pasta (because it fills him up, which makes him sleep longer), Samuel has an appetite for whateverâs on the menu for Mom and Dad. Catherine commandeers the kitchen though, while Sean promises a trade-off of doing the dishes.
âI love to experiment with anything we have in our pantry or in our fridge,â Catherine said. âIâm always trying to think of, like, how to make it into something. So I always have to find a protein, a carb that goes with it and then a vegetable.â
Filipino, Italian and Thai foods made from scratch are just a few of her culinary specialties. Prior to her career as a graphic designer, the now 32-year-old worked in a Thai restaurant and blogged about vegan fare for the The Seattlite.
âReally any food is so exciting to me because the seasoning is so different for every cuisine and it just gets me so excited,â she said. âI love talking about food, I love making food and he [Sean] loves eating food.â
What he doesnât love is picking up all the sticky rice Samuel spills on the floor, he says with a laugh. Every Saturday morning, the father-son duo have a sweet tradition of walking down the street to Top Pot for apple fritters and chocolate and blueberry cake doughnuts. Coincidentally, the bakery launched in Catherineâs hometown of Seattle before expanding to Dallas.
As far as date night goes, the couple enjoys going out for casual Tex-Mex or a nice dinner at a steakhouse. They both like their meat cooked medium-rare. Anything above that âis a sin,â Sean jokes. Ideally, the meal would end with a warm chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet with ice cream on top.
When theyâre just relaxing at home â watching murder documentaries or the Smithsonian Channel, depending on who has the remote â takeout options typically include pad thai or pizza.
âWeâre so embarrassing with pizza,â Catherine says, to which Sean reveals, âWe order Dominos a lot. I think Dominos is great. Their pan pizza is awesome.â
So whatâs on top? For Catherine, itâs mushrooms and olives. Sean is aware his order is slightly controversial. The 35-year-old says, âA lot of people have a hard stance on pineapples, but Iâll do Hawaiian.â
Apart from risky pizza toppings and the fact that they met and fell in love on TV, the Lowes are refreshingly normal. He calls her Gaya (a nickname given by her family) and Mama, and she calls him Daddy â âin a sweet way, not a creepy way,â she insists, because of their kids. The only complaint Sean has about his wife is that if she tries on 10 shirts, instead of hanging them up, theyâll all go on the floor. Girl problems, right? And Seanâs bad habit is that he⌠uses too many Q-Tips?
âPeople tell me itâs bad, but I donât care. I have to use a Q-Tip on my ears every time I get out of the shower. Every time,â he said. âBecause I can kind of feel the water in there if I donât. People always tell me how terrible Q-Tips are, but I love them.â
âHow many people are you getting out of the shower with to tell you that Q-Tips are terrible?â Catherine asked, to which Sean replied, âIâve had a few tweets about my love for Q-Tips and inevitably, people tell me theyâre awful.â
Another bad habit, he adds, is that he just wonât let up with the super-cheesy dad jokes, âespecially if I can tell itâs just starting to aggravate her. Itâs a lot of puns. I think dads enjoy puns, but sometimes I think it just starts to get under her skin.â
Funny enough, Catherineâs familiar with pun usage, too. On Seanâs season of âThe Bachelor,â she famously slipped him a note that said, âIâm vegan but I like the beef.â Now, she uses similar sayings on cards made by her stationary brand, Lowe Co.
Anyone who has ever been in a relationship knows that those arenât real problems. But that doesnât go without saying there werenât challenges to overcome after stepping out from in front of the camera.
âShe had to give up her life in Seattle, move away from friends, family, work,â Sean said. âAny time you meet in an unorthodox way and youâre kind of melding two lives together, itâs going to bring its own set of challenges, so in the beginning there was a learning curve.â
Piggybacking off of that, Catherine said that after moving from Seattle to Dallas, âyou donât know the people youâre hanging out with, you donât have a lot of friends in your new city, so there are definitely a lot of factors that can bring about conflict in relationships. Thatâs why itâs so hard to keep a relationship from the show because you really donât have anything going for you except your own love, and maybe thatâs enhanced because of the circumstances. Youâre thrust into this real-life situation and are like, âOK, figure it out,â and you donât have the assistance that hopefully you wouldâve thought you might have. Itâs really just about committing, and thatâs why weâre together still â because we decided we would be together and that was just the end of it.â
In addition to being committed and overcoming the obstacles that come with great change, both Catherine and Sean are aware of and grateful for how loving and compassionate they are. Seanâs favorite quality about his wife is not her shiny hair, her pretty face or perfect lashes. Itâs how big her heart is.
âWhen she cares about someone or something, she really cares about it on such a deep, intense level,â he said. âI donât have that, personally. I would say most people, 99.99 percent, do not have the ability to love as deeply as she loves. So thatâs a testament to her love, not a knock against me. Itâs really, really impressive.â
Similarly, Catherine points to her husband as a genuinely caring person. When they were filming âThe Bachelorâ together, she took note of how Sean knew the entire production crew by name.
âHe knew everybodyâs names and was very respectful of them,â she said. âKnowing thatâs how a person treats other people â itâs so sweet and itâs like, I look up to that in him. You see that in a partner and youâre like, âWow, youâre a good person.ââ
For anyone whoâs thinking about sending in an application for an upcoming season of âThe Bachelorâ or âThe Bachelorette,â Catherine says itâs important that it be a supplement to your life instead of banking everything you have on the opportunity.
âYou can tell when people want to be famous and when they want all these perks from the show. They might get voted off the first night, then youâre going to be really humble after that,â she said. âSo the way I thought of it is, I have a great life. This is just a really fun experience that Iâm getting to have and to kind of think of it as a supplement and not as your only way of living.â
Seanâs advice? Just have fun.
âBack when we were on it [the show], Instagram wasnât nearly as big of a thing as it is now. So people werenât doing it to make money on Instagram ads after the show, so itâs probably a different beast now,â he said. âBut itâs a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You might be able to travel the world and do a lot of cool things you wouldnât experience otherwise, so just have fun.â
If you are single, but the limelight (and potential drama) isnât quite for you, donât sweat it. Sean says to âbe patient and try to enjoy the chapter of life that youâre in. Marriage is awesome and itâs fantastic and so rewarding and things like that, but being single has its advantages. I can look back on my 20s when I was single, and I spent a lot of time with friends and itâs just a different chapter and that chapterâs also fun. Donât be in a hurry to rush to the next chapter. Enjoy the chapter youâre in.â
âEnjoy your family while you can and doing things on your own time, because now, you have to think about the other person, you have to think about your children, and of course thatâs amazing, but go be selfish and go travel and experience life,â Catherine added. âItâs so much fun when you get to do things by yourself and have something a little more to bring into a relationship like more worldly experiences and a different outlook.â
To experience one of âThe Bachelorâ franchiseâs most beloved couples in real life, fans can feel the love on February 14 when the pair will appear at Subwayâs Ultimate Valentineâs Day Experience from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Tickets are currently sold out, but thereâs an option to sign up for the wait list for free. The event serves to promote the chainâs Meatball Marinara and Ultimate Spicy Italian sandwiches on cheesy garlic bread.
After the event, the couple literally has no other plans to celebrate the commercial holiday. They just really love food, so the timing and nature of the partnership works. If you want to treat your sweetie to a nice dinner at a chain restaurant, give it all youâve got with these 20 places offering dope V-Day Deals.
Source: https://www.thedailymeal.com/entertain/sean-catherine-lowe-subway/021219
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