#but she sounded... nice; still kinda like... a bird but at least it's a nice bird

[leaawrites]

Midnight hour with you

Percy Jackson x daughter of Nyx!reader

Request: Idk if ur request are open if not ignore! But could u possibly do tv! Percy x nyx! Reader? Like reader is really troubled and has a like a really REALLY bad day and percy sorta sits with her and ig you can make the rest! By @privbooks922

Warnings: crying, reader having a bad day, use of Y/n, female reader,

Wordcount: 0,7k

I hope this is kinda what you imagined!

Masterlist

Ever since she saw Percy Jackson walk into camp, she wanted to protect him. She didn’t know where the desire came from, neither what she must do to make it go away. Being a daughter of Nyx, most kids feared her. They were scared of what she might be able to do, without a sense of knowing what she was actually capable of. Nobody ever asked, so nobody ever understood.

Especially with new people around, she ignored them, hoping they would get bored of the rumors that made the Nyx children so intriguing. But he didn’t stop. He never stopped watching her. In his mind, there was nothing more charming than the kindness that laid behind her silver eyes. A small touch from the midnight sky soothed her skin in the sunlight, making her visible and yet desirable to him. Her iris looked like the moon, so haunting and beautiful, but impossible to catch.

The night air caught up with the lack of warm clothing on her body. It was a cold night, goosebumps appeared on her arms, making her hairs stand up. As it proves, a simple camp half blood shirt wasn’t the best choice now. The forest around her was alive, leaves were singing together with the wind, a certain amount of animal noises was heard, some birds she supposed. Y/n made her way through the night, walking like a shadow through the dark, watching little shadows dance beside her.

Beneath her feet the moon was reflecting on the shallow, quiet surface of water in a lake. All around her there was nothing but quietness. It was soothing to her soul.

The day had been crazy. All she wanted to do was sit and stare at the water, letting her tears flow down to where it belongs to, letting the molecules be connected. There were too many people for her to handle, and not enough that were willing to listen to her. Who would listen to a silly little Nyx child?

A branch snapped behind her. Y/n sat straighter, her ears flying over her surrounding, trying to make sense of the noise. Suddenly, a lean figure stood between the trees, their body was facing her, not moving.

“Sorry about that,” Percy Jackson said, leaving his hiding place with a grimace covering his face. He was embarrassed that he got caught. The grimace vanished, being replaced by worry for his favorite Nyx daughter. Tears were flowing down her soft face, washing away her sweet smile and joyous eyes. Still, she looked beautiful to him. “What happened?” Percy walked farther to her side, unsure if he should sit or not.

“It’s nothing,” she tried to make him go away with her words, but he didn’t budge, instead he sat down next do her, feet dangling from the wood, his posture was awkward. Thoughts were filling up his nerves.

“It’s never nothing,” he replied, shrugging when she looked at him surprised. “That’s what my mom tells me at least.”

“She sounds like a good woman,” Y/n said, not thinking before talking. She hadn’t heard a lot about his mom, but he fought for her, which made her important to him.

“She is.” Percy smiled at the thought of his mom. Her own face was decorated by a small smile, filling up the sadness with joy. She envied him mostly, hearing how he at least had one parent that seemed to properly care about him. “I like your smile,” he commented, watching it disappear again. “Now it’s gone.”

“You like it?” She asked unsure. It was always something she felt insecure about, having someone compliment it, without being forced to do it by one of her Aphrodite friends, was nice. It was a change for once.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, smiling at her, his golden locks shimmering in the moonlight. “You’re beautiful.”

Y/n’s face filled itself with a warm redness, covering her cheeks and letting her eyes look filled with even less color. They seemed boring to her, in comparison to his blue ones, but he couldn’t stop looking at them. They were different. She was different to him than anyone else. A riddle he would like to solve.

PS.: if you have any request, I really appreciate them, but I can’t promise how long it will take me to finish the story. Since I work on quite a few requests at the moment and also have school work and ballet that I need to have time for.

[angel-of-the-moons]

Hi, this is my first ever request, so please forgive me if I sound all over the place.

I was thinking of going trick-or-treating with Miguel O’Hara and Gabriella as wife-reade. Or the moon boys going trick-or-treating with single mother-reader and Victoria from small surprises. Either one would be great, and thank you if you consider my request 🙏🏼

I LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR ASKING I MIGHT SPLIT THIS UP INTO TWO PARTS BECAUSE MY GOD I MISSED VICTORIA BUT I ALSO MISS MIGUEL

Trick r Treat

Moon Boys (Marc, Steven, Jake) x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: The candy ain't the only thing you gotta worry about rotting your teeth with this!

Dividers by @/saradika-graphics

"I just don't get why she'd wanna be him." Marc seethed.

You cant help but chuckle, watching as Victoria skipped up to the first house she saw, after bravely declaring she was big enough to go and ask for candy by herself.

Her Halloween costume consisted of a painstakingly-detailed outfit that looked like Layla's Avatar outfit, complete with a gold cape in place of her wings. And, on her head... was a paper-mache bird skull, an uncanny resemblance to Khonshu.

Steven (even though he had some snarky comments about her choice in costume), had helped her craft it by looking at detailed patterns of raven skulls. Jake helped with the costume, stitching each little symbol and piece of fabric into probably the most detailed costume that any child her age ever could have.

"Hey, hey..." You giggled. "She's not just him... shes a weird... Khonshu-Layla hybrid thing."

His nose scrunched in the cutest way, "That is so much worse."

Marc was wearing his Moon Knight suit, sans the mask. As much as Khonshu bristled at him using it for such paltry purposes, his gruf demeanor changed when you pointed out that if, on the off chance, that something bad happens, at least Marc would be prepared and protected. He seemed to quiet down, after that.

But you knew he didn't leave you unsupervised. Every now and then, you'd spare a glance up and spot his lumbering form, hunched over the edge of a rooftop, watching over Victoria.

You don't know why he got so attached to Victoria, or why he revealed his hidden softness only to her; but you were grateful that so many eyes were on your precious baby girl.

You sighed, digging the heel of your palm into your lower back.

Marc looked at you, frowning, "Baby, you okay?"

You smiled at him, tired but still happy. Your own costume consisted of green tights, and an orange shirt. The pattern of a happy jack-o-lantern stretched taut over your rounded belly. It was difficult to find a costume that suited you, given how far you were into on your third trimester you were; and it was a little saddening that you couldn't match with Victoria or Marc.

So... You were a round little pumpkin!

"Yeah, just a certain little someone is tapdancing on my kidney."

"Shoes are comfy?" Marc asked, smiling sweetly as he rubbed one of his hands over your tummy.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Marc. I swear, you worry more than Steven." You grinned playfully.

Marc snorted, but didn't object, continuing to rub your belly. "Hey, I'm just worried about my ladies."

"Pfsh! You and Jake! You seriously think this one is a girl, too?" You laughed, shaking your head.

"Hey! We can hope! We kinda like the idea of an other little you running around!" Marc replied, kissing your cheek.

"You just wanna be a girl-dad."

"Heyyy... Nothing wrong with that." He replied, his thick eyebrows waggling, his salt-and-pepper beard quirking upwards around his lips.

Victoria cut your conversation short as she came bounding back up to yeah, paying no mind to the children her bird mask terrified as it bobbed with her peppy footsteps.

"Mommy!" She giggled, wrapping her arms around your legs, rubbing her face on your round belly, greeting her unborn sibling.

"Heya, munchkin!" You chuckled, patting her mask affectionately. "Get a nice haul?"

"Yeah!" She nods her head, handing her bag to Marc for him to inspect her goodies. When he looked in, his eyebrow raised and he whistled, "Whew! She's got two full-size bars in here."

You rocked your head back, "Wow. That is a nice haul. Let's go to another house, huh, baby?"

Victoria giggled, walking between you and Marc, swinging your arms with her hands interlocked with hers.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

House after house, you and Marc let Victoria be a "big girl" and walk up to front doors and people toting candy buckets by herself, staying a reasonable distance as you both watched her with protective eyes.

However... there was a house that was... shall we say, intense with their decorations. A seemingly headless man sat in the rocking chair, candy bucket in his lap; looped recordings of a woman scream played as fog rolled across the yard from a cheap machine.

Robotic spiders and critters moved along the walls with their janky joints, projections of ghosts fluttering across the surface of the house.

Victoria didn't seem to be keen on walking up to that one. Not alone.

One hand held the beak of her mask while the other gripped Marc's hand nice and tight, hiding behind one of his legs.

"Want me to go ahead?" Marc asked her gently, kneeling down next to her. He bumped his shoulder against her, smiling sweetly, "I can scout it out for you. Make sure no bad monsters will getcha. Sound good?"

Victoria mumbled, her feet fidgeting as she eyed the house. Her entire posture was unsure; frightened, even.

"Yeah." She finally peeped.

Marc smiled up at you before sauntering up the footpath. And as he neared, it was obvious the headless "mannequin" was a man in a rigged costume--likely waiting to jump out at the first kid to come grabbing for a piece of candy.

The bucket was cheap plastic, painted to look both rusted and bloody with a sticky note that read: "Two per person! :)"

"Hey, buddy," Marc leaned in and rested his hand on the padded "shoulder". "My little girl is gonna walk up here and get some candy. You will not, under any circumstances, jump out at her and scare her, or make her cry. Or I will put my fist through your teeth. Get it?"

"...Got it." A shaky voice replied, earning a pat from Marc.

"Good."

Marc turned around and grinned, giving a thumbs-up to assure Victoria the "headless man" wasn't a threat.

As he walked back to stand next to you, he laced his fingers with yours.

You couldn't help but sigh as Victoria, now fearless, braved the path up to get her loot.

"You threatened that poor guy, didn't you?"

"Hey, I don't like it when she's scared. And if that guy made her cry, you can't say you wouldn't hit him." He said, bringing your hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles, the rough hair of his beard lightly scratching your skin.

You sigh, "If I wasn't currently sporting a bowling ball for a belly, I'd put my foot up his ass."

You grinned and looked at him, tipping your chin to a nearby building. "And besides... you know the old man would make his life hell if he made her so much as sniffle."

He had to admit, as much as it pained him to do so, that you were right.

He'd hate to be that guy if he had scared your precious girl...

If he thought horror movie critters were scary... He wasn't prepared for a pissed-off, protective god.

You chuckled, extended your hand to envelop Victoria's as she came happily skipping back to you. "Come on... let's go."

Yeah, it wasn't a "normal" Halloween... But it was the first one Marc ever really participated in, let alone enjoyed. And with his baby on the way?

He, Steven and Jake were on cloud nine.

A happy family just enjoying some old-fashioned trick-or-treating.

[clemblog]

Caine’s Lesson - Part 2

•••

Pomni screwed her eyes shut as she found herself plummeting into the sticky chocolate lake. Luckily for her, the creature who resided in such was too busy munching on Candy Kingdom citizens to have noticed her appearance.

She groaned, tired and annoyed, as she dragged herself to the shoreline. Of course her punishment had to be making her way back to the circus. Alone. At least, that’s what it looked to be! A long lonely work back to the circus

So, she got to walking. Reluctantly. If she could, she’d have just laid down and waited for the monster of the lake to eat her. Unfortunately, he wasn’t interested in her flesh. She probably wouldn’t die either. Just end up alive in some kind of stomach or digestive system like Zooble did with the gloink Queen. Caine would have to come save her and pull her back to the circus.

Which was the last thing she wanted right now.

So, she walked.

She walked until the distant sun began to set. She was surprised there was a sun at all in this kinda place, surely every thing would get a lot more sticky with the thing constantly blazing down. She’d have to ask Caine the logistics of that, once she got back to the circus.

…If, she got back to the circus.

Maybe Caine would get busy with everyone else and forget she was even here in the first place?!

That would be awful… but not unexpected. She had kinda snapped at him, a lot. Even if he had deserved it, it wasn’t exactly nice. Or nice.

He controlled her current plain of existence for [——] sake. It had happened again. Pomni had let her emotions get the better of her.

First with Ragatha…

Then… Gummigoo….

And now herself..

Her hands started to flap a little as she realised how much she’d [——-] up.

She wouldn’t blame Caine if he left her here.

She wasn’t cut out for his world anyway…

She let herself sit back against a boulder she’d stopped by. She wanted to sleep. To forget again for just a moment. But she had to be smart. Only Caine knew what kind of creatures must have been waiting for her now that night had fallen.

So, Pomni curled up in a little ball and crammed herself under the nearby boulder. It had a perfect Pomni sized space for her to do so.

The feel of the boulder was grounding, like the feeling of a big strong hug from someone as she slept.

It was exactly what she wanted right now.

So sleep was easy.

Pomni woke up to the sound of gummy birds pecking away at gummy worms. She groaned, rubbing at her face tiredly. Her sleep was fine, but the ground was still rough to sleep on. Honestly, it was lucky her jester outfit was so comfy and accustomed to fit her. Obviously, it made sense living in an AI simulation based world. But she’d never miss the grating feeling of clothing in the real world.

She got up with a stretch and started walking again. She didn’t need to eat or drink, so it was all she could do. Maybe she’d run into some of the citizen NPC’s or some other kind of gummy bandits!

…She missed her gummy bandit.

He’d made her feel less alone. Less crazy. More human. More okay.

Knowing Caine’s current mood, he probably didn’t exist in this world anymore.

He’d listened to her more than anyone else did. Instead of just yelling explanation after explanation or infantilising her. He’d listened and given his own thoughts, treated her like… a person instead of an inconvenience or a punching bag.

He was her… best friend, even if just only for a few moments.

Maybe she could find his buddies?

She hadn’t gotten their names, but they seemed nice enough!

She wouldn’t have to be alone that way either-

“Alright Pomni, you’ve got this. This is your plan now: find Gummigoo’s friends and hopefully… they’ll let you stay with them until Caine decides to bring you back.”

And so, she got back to walking again. It was the only thing she could do now, so it was peaceful and grounding. She had a plan. She could do this.

•

“You know, you shouldn’t let him treat you like that.” Hummed Zooble.

Gangle looked up from her notebook.

“I-I know… He’s just intimidating… a-and cruel, so I get scared.” She eeked out.

Zooble nodded at this, limping over to sit beside her. She’d crammed herself into a little hidey hole to escape Jax’s torment.

“You’re so brave Zooble.. I-I don’t know how you can talk to Jax normally..”

“He respects me.”

“…how?”

“Because I don’t give him what he wants. Acknowledgement.”

“O-Oh.”

“Besides, I think your drawings are pretty cool.”

“R-Really?”

“Mhm. You’re doing better than Rags over there. I don’t think she’s shut up since Pomni disappeared.”

“Mm… I- think she’s worried.”

“Obviously, anyways, enough about Ragatha. Back to your drawings.”

Zooble watched as Gangle gave a shy smile at this, happily starting to ramble about her art.

Being with Zooble felt safe.

Being with Gangle felt nice.

Sometimes nice things came about from bad situations.

Part 3

[moomoorare]

Okay guesses for what the next season will be called are always hilarious. I gotta take a shot at it too.

Here's my guesses:

- Spare life

Each session you can give your best buddy an extra life, but you'll lose all saturation so you better have food. It's a very secretive series where it's revealed all the hearts were either given to Pearl, who asks them so nicely. To Jimmy the most pathetic guy in the series who BEGS for them. Or Scar, who scams them out of their pockets with a new mechanic called "Trick Track Truck", at least that's what he calls it.

The mechanic is actually useful because the one who gains the most will be brought back to life to fight with the last remaining player.

Jimmy still loses but comes second to last. Gem wins because I want her to.

- One life

Hate this title, great because it confuses people even more with the numbering scheme. Anyways it's actually a murder mystery dinner they all have to solve. They can't really solve anything because they keep killing each other. That doesn't matter because actually they have like 15 lives, also there's a bomb. No one wins. Kidding!!! Skizz wins cus he was the one faking being shot at the murder mystery party he sat up.

-False Life.

Because I want False to be added. That's it. 🥰

-Cub Life

Or Cub. Who's a literal bear that stalks them and makes increasingly crazy ass machines to fuck with them. Also they're all A/B/O coded.

- Zombie Life

Everyone has to run from Cleo who gets massive w's and can kill them all with a stick. They actually start a cult or church for her, ran by Scar, Bdubs and Etho. Grian too bc he's always into that shit. And Gem and Pearl, because I'd like that. Cleo wins again because the others all kill themselves. Also she accidentally kills Bdubs at the start of the season after he says Yuri time for the fifth time she hangs out with the Girrlss.

-One Life for Life

the one who survives the longest has gotta then live through the season like an hardcore world, alone. It sounds sad, but actually all the dead are haunting them. Weait, oh yeah that's sad. Anyways, they win a jackpot of one million netherite scarps and nothing else. So they can say they're rich.

- Grian Life

they all look like Grian, there's two squads of either fish and bird, but they all look like him. Absolutely useless information that changes nothing.

Tagnames are not shown, theyre all numbered Grian1 through Grian17. Grian isn't even number Grian1.

They have one life. The point isn't even surviving because actually you can respawn. It's kinda like Among Us. There's an impostor and that'll be mumbo. He still loses.

- Dumb ways to die-Life

completely breaks the way it's been titled for years and they all gotta find the stupidest fucking ways to die. If you die to a creeper or fall damage you gain a life. You start with three. Goofiest ass wins this season. Fuck lore-heads.

-Run for your Life

they give /op to one player. They all don't know who. It changes each session, three times. The goal is for the all powerful god to die at least one time, but it has to be at someone else's hand, since they can't naturally die, it's a new mechanic. They can absolutely fuck with people but cannot directly kill them.

- Fuck Life

they all um. no. Well they say "fuuuck life!!!" And immediately try to die faster than anyone else to have the saddest ending. First to die is Jimmy. Poor Jimmy. Somehow he's brought back to life. He still dies right after.

That's just my thoughts after having woken up at 4 pm and going to bed at 5 am. Yeuh

...

So what do you think it'll be? What are your ideas for the next season?

[aslitheryprinx]

Hermits in Space au! :D thought I'd share a short drabble from the gladiator group. Let's see what Gem and friends are up to, shall we?

~~~

Morning Routine in the Ring

~~~

Gem blinked awake to the sound of the breakfast bell. For a disoriented moment, she thought it was her alarm clock. Then, as she woke up, she remembered that she was currently on an alien planet and thus did not have access to her alarm clock. 

She groaned and pulled her pillow-like cushion over her head. Like every morning, she was tempted to go back to sleep. Also like every morning, before she could, a loud twittering noise similar to a bird kept her from drifting off. 

“Good morning, Pearl,” she replied to the greeting resentfully. When she removed the pillow from her face, her roommate, who was an alien species called an Avian, was standing there with a distinctly amused expression. 

Gem would throw the not-quite-pillow if she wasn’t absolutely certain Pearl would catch it. Instead, she launched it across the room in the vague direction of Joel, the only one of her dormmates who hated mornings more than her. She heard a yelp that meant her aim was true, and tried not to smirk too obviously. 

“Good morning, Gem,” said Xisuma, the only other human in the dorm. Really, she and X were probably the only two humans on the planet. 

“Morning, ‘suma,” Gem said with a sigh. She heard the morning greetings of Joel, with a high pitched bark and Ren with his deeper growl. She called back tired replies, then forced herself out of her nest-like bed. 

It had become a tradition for the five roommates to say good morning in their native tongues. Really, they said most things in their native tongues. Neither Gem or Xisuma had gotten a great grasp on Common yet- annoyingly ‘Suma was a bit further along than Gem had managed- so there was no point in speaking Common unless around other gladiators. 

“Your day with the translator, Gem,” X said, and that was all the warning she got before he tossed it her way. Still half-asleep or not, her reflexes were battle tested now. Her hand shot up to grab the tiny device before she was conscious of the motion. 

Adrenaline now pumping, she glared at her friend. 

“I told you to stop doing that!” she complained. 

“But it wakes you up so quickly!” 

“If you break our only translator, I’m gonna kill you.” As she threatened X, she slipped on the small device. 

Putting on a translator was always a little disorienting. There was a moment where it felt like she forgot all knowledge of language at all and another moment where it felt she knew every language all at once as the translator connected to her brain. Then, as the connection settled, it bridged the gap between the two. 

“Hi, Gem,” Pearl chirped with a grin. Gem grinned back. 

“Hi, Pearl,” she said. It was always nice when they could actually understand each other. 

“Gem, your pillow hit my eye!” Joel complained. “You and me, to the death in training today.” 

Normally, she’d accept Joel’s overdramatic challenge- she and Joel were probably the most evenly matched in fighting styles- but today was different. Letting her smugness be heard, she said, “No training for me. I have a match today.” 

Immediately, every one of her friends perked up. 

“Oh I forgot about that,” said Pearl. 

“You’re going to do great,” Ren told her, his tail wagging gently with excitement. 

In the competitive world of the Ring, real matches were important. The more matches your group won, the more privileges and amenities you had. Gladiators weren’t paid, so victories were the only way to earn things like better rooms or the best training times. 

It was kinda messed up, in Gem’s opinion, but it wasn’t like any of them had a better option. The Ring was a thousand times better than the poachers she and X had originally been picked up by. And even if they did pay in real money, it's not like they’d know where to go. Content really wasn’t the right word for how she felt about her situation, but at least she had friends and all her basic needs met. 

Gem actually enjoyed fighting. There was something satisfying about using all of her skills and strategy to take down an equally skilled opponent. Even the losses didn’t feel too bad, because she got better every time. She knew the whole system was designed to make it hard for gladiators to actually leave, but the accomplishments still felt good. 

Right now, their group was working towards another translator so she and X didn’t have to share one. Usually, everyone in a group got one on arrival, but the Ring had been short of funds when she and X were taken here. They’d never got their second translator because she and Xisuma could translate for each other with relative ease. If she won this match, though, they might not need to for much longer. 

Still excited from the reminder of Gem’s match, the group chattered all the way to breakfast.

[linilou-von-hevring]

Lakefront

Read it here on ao3!

“Whatcha doing there?”

It takes a moment for Byleth to look up from the lake. Ripples break her reflection as she pulls her soaked cloak onto her lap. Red stains the fabric, stains that bleed onto the girl’s hands and knees. And she almost seems frazzled as her eyes find Claude’s; or at least, she seems as frazzled as an emotionless Ashen Demon can be.

“I’m trying to get these stains out before it’s too late.”

“Why not just use another one instead? If you want, we can get you a new one as soon as we’re back in the capital.”

Claude must have been blessed by the goddess, or perhaps it’s just a stroke of luck. Regardless, it’s nice not being chased away as he takes a seat next to Byleth on the grass. The summer air is almost choking, dry heat pounding down onto the heads that have the misfortune of being exposed, but by the water, it’s a little more bearable. It’s a little fresher, the cool breeze brushing Claude’s cheeks. Or maybe it’s the sparkle in those green eyes that makes it worth being outside under the blazing sun.

“Jeralt said the same thing.”

He waits for more to come, but the wait is in vain. Byleth simply goes back to scrubbing her cloak, her green eyes glistening like the still lake under the sun. She seems determined to get her cloak back into its original state, but the blood is stubborn, clinging to the fabric. It clings like the memories of the last battle, one that had been far more brutal than the rest. It clings like the pit that forms at the bottom of Claude’s stomach; he couldn’t ignore the casualties that had come with his lack of preparation. He can’t ignore the wave of nausea that hits him, the smell of bloodshed leaving him sick all over again.

“You were good in the last battle.” Claude’s eyes leave the bloody garment only to fall back onto Byleth. She doesn’t look away from her work, but he knows she’s addressing him. He knows the words are for him, an attempt at comfort; he knows she had seen him detach himself from his celebrating troops to be sick on his own. “You did what you had to do to win, even if it wasn’t the victory you had wanted.” Green eyes find each other; they’re dusted with sunlight, a flicker of warmth he’s never seen in Byleth. “You’re a good leader. You’re a smart one.”

The blush that heats his face catches him by surprise. Claude’s heard it a million times before, heard the whispers and the praises for how smart he is, how cunning he is, how he plans for everything, but none of those compliments had left him swelling with pride. Every pat on the back he had gotten had felt like a stepping stone leading him to his next scheme, approval for him to keep going, but coming from Byleth, it feels different. From Byleth, he believes it; Claude doesn’t feel the need to be humble or deny his intelligence. With Byleth, he doesn’t need to put up this perfect political leader persona he has perfected for everyone else; Claude can just be himself, this kid that’s just trying his best to survive a worthless war.

“You’re pretty smart yourself, you know. And you’re crazy strong, taking those guys out like it was nothing to you.” Maybe the wink and bumping of shoulders was unnecessary, but Byleth doesn’t seem to mind. She doesn’t back away or leave; she simply shakes her head as she continues scrubbing her cloak. “I mean it, though. You’re an incredible mercenary. And I kinda wish we had met sooner, been on the same team from the start. Kinda wish I had gotten to know you sooner.”

Byleth hums, a sound Claude has grown accustomed to hearing. He still hasn’t figured out the meaning of the sound, but he knows it’s better than silence. He knows that if she’s humming, it means she’s not chasing him away. If she’s humming, it means he gets to stay by her side, even if just for a moment longer.

It’s peaceful by the lake. Everything is still besides the weak ripples of water Byleth produces from plunging her cloak into the water. Everything is calm; birds chirp from the treetops and Claude even spots a pair of ducks diving for fish. Everything is so serene; if it weren’t for the camps set up a little further away, if it weren’t for the bloodshed that stains the soles of their shoes, if it weren’t for the dark circles that stain Claude’s face, it would have been impossible to know they were plunged in the midst of a war. If it weren’t for the weight on his heart, everything would have almost felt normal.

“Here.” Byleth furrows her brows as Claude pulls her cloak out of her hands. “Let help.”

“I’ve never seen a king be so adamant about doing laundry before.”

Laughter bubbles out of Claude as he plunges the fabric into the water. He’s never had to wash anything on his own before, he’s always had someone do it for him, but it’s never too late to learn. And maybe he’s not as methodical as Byleth had been, maybe his fingers are not yet familiar with the weight of wet cottons or the proper way of scrubbing stains out, but it’s not so terrible. It’s almost pleasant, the little mundane tasks Claude never got to do, having been raised in silks and perfumes. He almost feels normal, just a little more like everyone else. Maybe once this wretched war settles down, he’ll take up doing more chores instead of delegating them. Or maybe he’ll content himself with this one time, enjoying the freshness of the water against his skin.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” He doesn’t wait for an answer; Claude knows waiting is useless. “Friends help each other out.”

It’s so easy to smile around Byleth. Around Byleth, there’s an ease to every one of Claude’s grins, an ease he hadn’t known possible for him. Every smile he’s sported before, be it for his friends or for his troops, they’ve always weighed him down. They’ve always been an obligation to Claude, a duty he owes his people, especially during wartimes. Smiling has always been a tool for Claude, a way to instill confidence in the people he faces, but here, with Byleth, it almost feels like none of that matters. He doesn’t need to convince her of his abilities as a leader. He doesn’t need to convince her of anything, really. With Byleth, it almost feels like everything will simply be alright.

“You’re kind.” Byleth purses her lips as she tilts her head at Claude, her eyes running over his body before settling on his face. “You’re a lot kinder than most nobles I’ve come across.”

The statement begs for questions. It’s right there, an invitation for Claude to pry, but he doesn’t dare. Every question that forms at the tip of his tongue is swallowed back; he knows better than to try to break Byleth open. If she wants to tell him about her days before being hired by Leicester, if she wants to tell him about all her wandering, all the people she has met before him, then she will. She will tell him on her own terms. She’ll open up, little by little, whenever she feels like it. And as much as Claude hates waiting, his impatience and curiosity getting the better of him most of the time, he knows when to back down. He knows he has to content himself with the bits of information that are slowly handed to him.

A smile pulls at the corners of his mouth as he pushes himself up from the grass. Byleth’s eyes flicker between the boy standing before her and the cloak he’s left laying at his feet, left to soak in more stains than what Claude had gotten out. Her eyes flicker, but she doesn’t move. She makes no move to take back what is rightfully hers, nor does she follow Claude’s lead. She simply sits there, her expression unreadable as always.

Maybe Claude should have let her be. Maybe he should have sat back down and gone back to the little task he had imposed upon himself. Maybe he should have been thinking more rationally, but whatever brains he’s known for has since been left at the conference table. Here, under the blazing sun, under that green gaze, he’s letting his heart lead. Here, now, he’s following where fate leads him.

“I don’t know if kind is the best way to describe me, but,” he holds his hand out to Byleth, a hand she contemplates for a moment, “I promise you I’ll never be like any of the nobles of this place. Not Lorenz, not Hilda, not any of them. I’m just not one of them, no matter how hard I try. So please,” finally, fingers curl around the hand that touches his, “think of me as your friend instead of your leader, your king. Please?”

Pretty eyes roll back as Claude pulls Byleth to her feet. It’s the first time he’s ever seen her this relaxed; it’s the first time he doesn’t panic at their proximity, afraid she might take his life. It’s the first time he feels they’re equals; it’s the first time they feel like just people rather than soldiers striving to survive a war.

Byleth’s hand quickly falls away from Claude’s, but not as quickly as her eyes. They fall onto the horizon, onto the sun that’s still high, still plummeting down onto their heads. They shimmer like the lake reflecting the leaves in the trees, they’re captivating as always, always filled with a mystery that draws Claude in, but they’re not alone in holding his gaze. He can’t help but trace the lines of reddening skin, skin he knows is normally so pale. He can’t help but want to touch the splotches of burns that have started to sprinkle Byleth’s skin. And maybe that’s why she always has something to cover herself; maybe she, unlike Claude, burns under the scorching summer sun. Maybe Byleth, unlike Claude, didn’t spend her entire childhood playing under blazing rays.

“Not to pry or anything, but,” green finds green once more, “when’s the last time you just had fun?”

“Fun?”

Claude almost laughs at the way Byleth tilts her head, her eyebrows furrowed. It’s almost as if she’d never heard the word; it’s almost as if it had no meaning to her.

“Let loose, had fun. Didn’t think about the shitty state of the world. Just thought of yourself for a moment, been a little impulsive maybe. Not been all serious all the time.” Claude shrugs, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Y’know, just had fun.”

Byleth furrows her brows once more, concentration staining her delicate features. She’s searching for a time she had done something other than work; by the looks of it, maybe the answer to Claude’s question is “never.” Had the Ashen Demon ever had a moment where she just got to have fun? Or had she been born a fighter, born with a sword weighing down her little hands? Did a mercenary, no matter how young, ever have the opportunity to just kick back and have fun in their life?

Claude doesn’t wait for an answer. If Byleth has never had the chance to let loose before, then it’s become Claude’s personal mission to change that here and now. Now matter how dire their circumstances, they’re allowed a moment of indulgence. No matter how deadly the outside world is, they’re entitled to a moment of peace, a moment of their own. No matter what, they’re allowed to take back a moment of their idle childhood and make the world their own. They’re allowed to reclaim the childhood they lost to war.

Green eyes fall back onto Claude, eyes that follow the lines of his body as he spins on his heel, his arms thrown back behind his head. He knows Byleth can’t look away; ever since she’s been hired to be a part of the Leicester army, her eyes have rarely left him. She’s followed his every movement as if it had become her personal mission to ensure his safety. She’s never been far; she’s always known his exact whereabouts. And it makes sense: the death of her employer would mean the end of her income. It makes sense that she has to ensure her own survival; money is just as vital to life as not being cut down by a sword, not that Byleth would ever be careless enough to be ambushed. It makes sense that her eyes are drawn towards Claude, but this time, she’s not looking at him as if he were this fragile little thing that needed protecting. This time, she’s looking at him, all of him, all of Claude. This time, she doesn’t seem as guarded as she watches him. Perfect.

The sound that breaks from Claude’s lips is far pitchier than he had expected from himself. It’s far from that deep battle cry, that powerful voice he uses as he sends his troops forwards. This scream is one far more natural, a yelp one would expect from a child rather than from a man leading an army. This shriek as he trips back towards the water is one that pulls Byleth’s complete attention to him, her eyes suddenly huge as she reaches out to grab him. And she’s right where Claude wants her; his fingers curl around the hand extended towards him and yank the girl forward, both bodies plunging into the lake.

Cool water surrounds them as Claude pulls Byleth into his chest. It’s almost as if time slows as they sink into the lake, glistening freshness enveloping them like a blanket. Down here, the blazing hot sun can’t reach them. Down here, the world seems to disappear. At least, until Byleth is pushing Claude away and rising to the surface. Or maybe the world vanishes even more as he watches her glide against the water. Everything goes away, everything but Byleth’s elegance as she pierces through the surface, her fanned out hair now clinging to her cheeks. Nothing matters when Byleth’s looking that pretty as she catches her breath, coughing out the water she’s accidentally swallowed. Everything is Byleth, Byleth who has never seemed more human than in this moment.

Laughter bubbles out of Claude as he joins her at the surface. It’s uncontrolled, rolling out in snorts and choked breaths, but it’s by far the most genuine laugh he’s let out in a long time. It’s a laugh he’s forgotten himself capable of, but as Byleth glares at him, her soaked hair a mess, how is he supposed to not laugh? How can he help the fits of laughter as he sees her face twist upon realizing she fell for another of his dirty little tricks? How can he not laugh or sport a grin so wide it hurts his cheeks? It’s not every day he gets to trick the Ashen Demon, the girl who’s always so on guard, so ready to read through every one of his schemes. Claude’s not as predictable as she had made it seem; Byleth hadn’t planned for this outcome.

More laughter spills as a wave slaps Claude across the face. He can’t see the face Byleth is pulling, too busy rubbing the water out of his eyes, but he can imagine it. He can perfectly picture her half-hearted frown, that near pout that perfectly encapsulates her disappointment in herself for falling for something so obvious. She should have known better than to be fooled by Claude’s scream. She should have known that he isn’t one to trip over his own two feet. She should have known that he was as steady as any archer needs to be in order to survive. She should have known so much, expected so much, and yet she had been fooled by his cunning. She had expected the best of him, which had been her biggest mistake.

“You tricked me.”

“Told you I wasn’t kind.”

Another grin breaks across Claude’s face as water washes over him, a wave he gladly returns. He won’t be the only one engulfed by the cool water sent his way; Byleth disappears into the lake, though only for a split second. It’s only a second before she’s bobbing back up, having pushed herself back to the surface. It’s only a second before she’s back on the offensive, blinding Claude through the means of splashes and sunlight.

He shouldn’t have expected any less from the Ashen Demon. Why wouldn’t she be just as competitive as she is fearless? It’s anything but a surprise that she wants nothing more than to win the battles she’s engaged in, even if those battles are silly little games played out in the middle of a lake. She’ll force Claude to surrender if she must, just as she had once tried on the battlefield. She’ll do anything to hear his gasping breaths declaring her the victor. She’ll force him into a corner, trap him just as he had once trapped her, but such a feat doesn’t come as easily as she might have hoped. If she’s stubborn enough to fight until the very end, then Claude is three times stubborner than her. He has to lead her to her demise. He has to lead her to surrender rather than to victory.

“Is that really the best you can do?” War-hardened eyes narrow onto him as he grins, trying his best to not sound winded despite the exhaustion starting to weigh him down. “Guess the rumors about how strong the unbeatable, the unshakable Ashen Demon is are all wrong. Because I swear I’ve fought stronger practice dummies.” Claude shakes his head as he let out another laugh. “And here I was expecting a bit of a challenge. Guess you’re just too predictable.”

Something flashes in Byleth’s eyes. It’s a glint Claude’s only seen a handful of times, a twinkle he had once feared when he opposed the Ashen Demon on the battlefield. It’s a shine that had once shaken him to his core, leaving him sleepless from the paralyzing fear of her power. But here, under the blazing summer sun, fear is left to the shadows; now, as heat flushes Byleth’s cheeks, he knows the shimmer can only mean he’s in for a good time. Who would have guessed that all it took was a little taunt for Byleth to take the bait? Who would have thought that a little taunt would be enough for her to rise to the challenge, ready to display her true strength to Claude, though this time without the worry of his life being taken? He’d finally get an up-close glimpse of the tactics of the fabled Ashen Demon but without the anxiety that had accompanied him the last time he had challenged her on a battlefield.

Byleth’s a lot faster now, disappearing underwater before reappearing behind him. She’s a lot more silent, a lot more unpredictable. The splashes she had once directed at Claude, the waves that had washed over him, they’ve become more precise, as if magic is controlling the bursts that catch him off guard. And every ambush has Claude’s mind racing, trying desperately to predict and counter Byleth’s next move. Every attack pushes him further from his goal; maybe this is the time he finally loses to her.

Another yelp breaks from his lips as he’s dragged down into the lake. Arms wrap around his neck as water engulfs him. The sun seems to be growing farther away as Claude reaches out to the surface. The light seems to disappear as he tries his best to wiggle out of his opponent’s iron grip. Everything seems to fade away when he finally breaks free, finally able to push himself to the surface, which seems so far away.

Everything seems to vanish. Maybe the water had gotten to his head, hazing his mind. Maybe he had sunk too deep. Maybe he had been deprived of oxygen for too long, even if he knows he’s stayed underwater far longer in the past. But what other explanation can there be for his gasps as he reaches the surface, gasps that sound like he hasn’t had a chance to breathe for hours? Why else would his eyes feel so wide, the sunlight blinding him completely? Why else would he think he met his siren at the bottom of the lake?

Everything had happened so fast, from the plunge to the resurfacing. Everything had happened in the blink of an eye, fragments Claude is only now starting to put together as he catches his breath. Everything had felt unreal; maybe none of it happened, or maybe everything really did happen.

Byleth’s arms had been iron-tight around Claude’s neck as she pulled him down into the water with her. She had been a lot stronger than he had anticipated, immobilizing him in a way he hadn’t known possible. She had been a lot swifter as well, her arms falling away from him before she circled him. And she had been stunning in that moment, despite the blur of water. Byleth had appeared before him like one of the paintings that had adorned the walls of the Riegan estate, those paintings of worship he had once spent hours observing, those gorgeous painting which depicted beauty incarnate. Right there, she had seemed almost divine under the filtered sunlight.

Byleth had been the only thing Claude could see despite his burning and blurring eyesight. Byleth, she had been so breathtaking with her hair suspended around her as if forming a halo around her face. Byleth, how could something so deadly be so pretty?

Maybe it’s the loss of oxygen playing tricks on Claude’s hazy mind. Maybe the burning lake water had been the reason he had squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe everything that supposedly happened is nothing more than the replay of a fantasy Claude has dreamt up. Maybe he’s making everything up, convincing himself that his desires are reciprocated. Maybe he’s nothing more than a dreamer; but then again, everything had felt too real to be a figment of his imagination.

He couldn’t have conjured up the feeling of hands on his cheeks. He couldn’t have made up the way he had been pulled closer. He couldn’t have imagined the light touch of lips to his. It couldn’t be a fantasy playing over in his mind; he knows the feeling of Byleth haunting his dreams, always three steps too far for him to catch her. Claude knows the difference between dreams and reality; he knows he didn’t imagine grabbing Byleth’s arm as he tried his best to press a kiss back to her lips. He knows he’s not that delusional; he can’t be that delusional. If this had all been delusion, why had Byleth broken away from him, leaving him with nothing but his gasps, air bubbles rushing from his mouth to the surface?

Everything had happened so fast; everything had felt so real, yet so uncertain as Claude raises a finger to his lips. Who would believe him if he told them the story of what had just happened? No one would; no one had witnessed the scene, not even the sun. And as Claude remains alone at the center of the lake, drenched and heaving, he knows he’d have been called a liar. Byleth is nowhere near him; she didn’t resurface alongside him, coughing out water as she had earlier. No, she’s far from him, already sitting on the shore and ringing out water from her hair. If it weren’t for the fact that she, too, was soaked down to her core, Claude might have even believed he had made up the plunge they had taken together.

But he didn’t make anything up. His sleepless nights had not caught up to him, leaving him with fabricated memories. The sun had not been too much for him. He’s not going crazy from some cold that washed over him from the bit of time he spent in the lake. It’s impossible, even if he knows nature is more unpredictable than he’ll ever be. It’s impossible for the sun to have pounded such delusions into his head, even if he’s been warned that it has the power to daze and confuse those who stayed under it for too long. Claude knows he hasn’t gone crazy. Not yet, at least. He hasn’t yet lost all his senses to the one sitting there, all pretty under the harsh sunlight.

Byleth’s eyes rise towards Claude, but they quickly dart away as she kicks the water her feet are soaking in. And something pulls on Claude’s heartstrings as he watches her fidget with her hair. He’s never seen her like this; he’s only known her to be the fearless Ashen Demon, the girl who had glared daggers at him, the girl who had narrowed her twinkling eyes onto him. He’s never seen Byleth look shy, glancing away as he draws closers to her. He’s never seen a blush stain her cheeks. And she looks so beautiful like that, the color creeping into her face, leaving her looking bashful. She looks beautiful and human; maybe she’s not as untouchable and mysterious as Claude had thought.

“I shouldn’t have…”

Byleth purses her lips. Her eyes flicker all around before falling back to her hands now resting against her lap. The thoughts are racing through her mind; Claude can see them bounce all around. He can easily imagine her trying to grab onto a few of them, trying her best to find the right words, but nothing comes of it. She remains silent, biting the insides of her cheeks.

Claude can’t fault her for her silence. He knows what it’s like trying to explain a decision that has no explanation. He knows what it’s like to act impulsively, act rashly. He knows what it’s like to do something only to realize too later there were other ways. He knows the feeling all too well.

“But you did.”

Green eyes flicker towards Claude as he pushes himself out of the water. He’s heavy from the lake-soaked cottons clinging to his skin, and he feels gross, sinking into the now flooded muddy grass, but neither say anything about it. Neither seem ready to acknowledge what has happened. They don’t mention the plunge they took, nor do they mention the moment they shared. At least, they don’t mention it outright; putting it into words, addressing it, that would make it too real. They know it happened, but talking about it, it’s scarier than the battles they lead. The only thing more terrifying that talking is the prospect of losing the moment to foggy memories.

“I don’t know what I was thinking.” A pause. The longest pause Claude has ever had to endure. “I wasn’t thinking. It was impulsive.”

“Do you often go around disarming your opponents with kisses?”

Something swells inside of Claude as Byleth shakes her head. The smallest sliver of a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she lets her head hang forward. The tiniest hint of a laugh drips from her lips as she straightens out, leaving Claude to fall for her smile. It’s the first time he’s ever seen one on her, and it lights up her face. It leaves her glowing, leaves her with a radiance he has never witnessed before.

“No. Only you.”

Claude’s heart flips as slender fingers find his against the grass. They curl over each other, locking together as a perfect fit. It’s almost as if they had been fated for this moment, this exchange of shy smiles and glances. It’s as if Claude had been destined to fall for that smile, that smile that is all for him, caused by him. That smile he had only dreamt of witnessing, what ever had he done to be deserving of such beauty?

“I think—” Byleth purses her lips once more before shaking her head and turning to Claude. She sucks in a breath, her exhale a little shakier than usual. “I’d like to do it again. Without catching you off guard. Not impulsively, but on purpose this time.”

It’s so easy to smile around Byleth. Nothing’s ever been easier than the grin that tugs at the corners of Claude’s mouth. Nothing’s ever felt better than the butterflies that erupt in his stomach as he brushes a strand of hair out of Byleth’s eyes before closing the distance between them. Nothing has ever felt as good as the smile pressed to his, a smile he never even dared dream of tasting. Nothing can compare to this. Absolutely nothing.

Claude knows no one will believe him if he spills the secret behind his pounding heart. He knows no one would believe that the Ashen Demon had smiled at him or that Byleth had let him thread his fingers through her damp hair. He knows he’d be called a liar or a dreamer if he dared insinuate that he has gotten a taste of those soft lips. He knows it all sounds too good to be true, but even so, he knows he didn’t make it up.

No one will believe Claude’s tales, no one but the sun that has borne witness to the tender hearts learning to beat for one another. No one would know if this moment, no one but the ducks that cheer as laughter fills the little space separating the two. No one has witnessed Claude’s compliance as he’s pulled closer once more, no one but the birds that sing of love. No one could imagine the beauty that has bloom under the summer sun, no one but the trees that had swayed as another kiss seals the promise of care and devotion.

[theboywithburninghands]

Greetings. I got Funnybunny and Buttonblossom. So this is a direct sequel to my last story. If you know anything about shipping, you can probably see the direction these tidbits are taking. But hopefully it’s a welcome direction! Anyway, enjoy, it was a while in the works I know… sorry!

Friends Who Kiss: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Doll

Pomni never thought she’d get stir-crazy in her bedroom. Her one safe haven in this rainbow-colored madness was starting to bore her. She supposed it was inevitable, people tended to get bored of doing nothing, even if doing nothing was what they wanted with all their heart. Jax, Kinger and Zooble got carted off to enjoy their “reward” of a day at the amusement park after that day’s adventure, so she couldn’t go talk to her boyf-

…

Her friend that she kissed. So, instead of letting time slow to a crawl as she laid in bed, probably getting her depressed in the process, she decided to get up and go for a walk.

The circus grounds were pretty, but in the same way that N64 or PS1 games were pretty. Vibrant, phony green grass, hills that were smooth enough up close but jagged and blurred at a distance, a lake of royal blue water that flickered on the surface if you stood too far away. It at least felt real enough, the sunlight was warm and she could hear birds… although she didn’t see any birds. Probably just a looping .wav file.

Sun: HIYA POMNI!

Pomni: GH- Oh. Uh. Hey… *waves awkwardly at the Sun*

Sun: Don’t look at me too long! I cause irreparable solar retinopathy!

Pomni: …Uh huh. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.

Sun: Okaaay~!

Pomni went down to the Digital Lake. Caine had dunked her in the water on her first day here, and her sensory overload from that experience basically blocked out what the water felt like. She sat at the edge of the deep blue simulated water, listening to the sound (or was it sound file?) of the waves lapping against the shore. Pomni stopped to remove her shoes, found that she couldn’t, and simply waded into the water. The water felt… nice. Cool, a little too chilly to jump right into. She would have cringed at the thought of her socks getting wet, but she couldn’t tell if the yellow things on the ankles of her shoes were socks or not. So whatever.

She thought about going out into the water. Her outfit was anything but swimwear, but it didn’t stop her from sleeping in it, so what did she care if it got wet? This world was like a cartoon, she’d probably dry off in like five seconds… still, it would have been nicer to go swimming with a friend. She sat on the beach.

Pomni: Hm… I wonder if he likes swimming?

Pomni heard footfalls behind her and flicked her head around. Ragatha was making her way towards the beach, but she paused mid-step upon seeing Pomni turn to look at her.

Ragatha: Sorry, can I join you? Or did you want to be alone?

Pomni: Uh… n-no, I don’t mind. I- just… I’ve never seen this part of the circus up close.

Ragatha smiled and moved to sit down beside Pomni, smoothing out her dress as she sat cross-legged on the sand beside her.

Ragatha: It’s kinda peaceful when things aren’t insane, right? I like coming down here too. It’s like a safe area in a video game… Did you ever play Legend of Zelda?

Pomni: Uh… I might’ve. It’s hard to remember a lot about the outside.

Ragatha: Yeah. Some things I forget, but there are some memories I can’t even if I tried. I remember when I was a little girl and I saw Ocarina of Time for the first time… it was like magic. The lake here reminds me of Lake Hylia.

Pomni: Uh huh… I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for saving me from that snake.

Ragatha: Oh, Pomni, I was just looking out for you! No worries!

Pomni: N-No. I abandoned you when you needed help on my first day here. I can’t believe I was so selfish…

Ragatha: Pomni. It was your first day. I know you were desperate and scared, because all of us were on our first days. I forgive you. *smiles warmly*

Pomni: …..Okay. *her cheeks redden* I uh… had another question. And it’s a little more, uh… personal?

Ragatha: Alright?

Pomni: …Do you… Do you like girls?

Ragatha: …Romantically?

Pomni: Uh… yes?

Ragatha: Honestly? I’m not sure. It’s been forever since I’ve thought about stuff like that. Why, do you?

Pomni: *blushes again* I like… both. Men and women.

Ragatha: I’m glad you have so many options! Well I guess… had so many options. Again though, why? *gives a curious smile*

Pomni: Uh nothing… I mean, no reason. Just curiosity I guess.

Ragatha: Can I ask you a personal question?

Pomni: *gulp* Sure?

Ragatha: What’s going on with you and Jax?

Pomni: What? Nothing! Uh… n-nothing? Nothing.

Ragatha: *Ragatha rests her chin on her closed fist, smiling* Jax never apologized for anything before you came along. I won’t tell anybody if you guys are fooling around, I promise.

Pomni: We’re not in a relationship or anything…

Ragatha: So a situationship?

Pomni: No-? What- What is that?

Ragatha: I dunno. I heard Zooble say it once and I thought it sounded neat. Plus it seems like the only thing Jax would get into…

Pomni: Well we’re not…

Ragatha: Alright. …So, maybe sometime, you want to go to the amusement park together?

Pomni: WHAT-

Ragatha giggled with a hand over her mouth, then gently shushed Pomni.

Ragatha: Hey, hey, no need to shout! Just a question.

Pomni: Wh-Wh- uh… why…?

Ragatha: Because you’re my friend and I like you?

Pomni: I mean… I-You… I-We-The…

Ragatha: Heyyy, easy, New Stuff. You need to breathe with me again?

Pomni: N-No-I just… I really wasn’t expecting that… I mean… *sighs* Yeah, I’d like to, but Jax would ge-

Pomni gasped sharply and clapped her hands over her mouth. Ragatha raised her eyebrows a bit before her usual pleasant smile turned into a smirk.

Ragatha: I thought sooo.~ You really shouldn’t lie, Pomni. I know you’re shy about things like that, but I mean it when I say I’ll keep your secrets. We have to trust each other.

Pomni: WE’RE- IT’S- NO, You-You-You- got it all wrong! We’re not in a relationship, honest! We’re just friends that kiss sometimes..? *she palms herself in the face for admitting too much yet again*

Ragatha: Ooo la la! You guys have kissed, huh?

Pomni: S#!%!

Ragatha: It’s ok-ay Pomni, I promise I won’t tell. I’m happy for you, really.

Pomni: Y-You’re… happy?

Ragatha: Yeah! I’m always worried when someone new shows up. What if they… you know, abstract? Especially if I really like them. But you’ve got a reason to keep on going now, you know? And oh my god, it must be amazing for Jax. I know he’s unhappy like the rest of us, it’s why he pulls all those… “jokes.” At least I imagine that’s why he does. Having a little joy in his life must be so rejuvenating. It’s hard to come by these days… Joy. You know?

Pomni: …You promise you won’t tell anyone..?

Ragatha: Needle in my eye. *she taps her button and smiles*

Pomni: Okay. …Well. Thanks. Uh, wait… were you serious about the whole going to the amusement park thing?

Ragatha: If you want to, sure! I’ve been on all the rides like a dozen times.

Pomni: Wait, as… friends? Right?

Ragatha: As friends. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of what you and Jax have.

Pomni: We’re just friends! That kiss!

Ragatha: Right, well, I don’t want to get in the way of your “friends-that-kiss-ship.” But I hope you’ll be my friend. That doesn’t kiss.

Pomni: It’s not like I would mind kissing you, but-

Ragatha: What?

The silence that followed dropped like a lead weight. Pomni felt her core freeze solid from adrenaline. She got to her feet robotically and turned back to the tent.

Pomni: Gottagosorry.

Pomni dashed across the field to the tent and ducked into the tent, panting with her hands on her knees.

Pomni: “I wouldn’t mind kissing you-“ UGH I’m such a dum@$$! Stupid, stupid, stupid! *she thumps her fist on her forehead*

The jester sat down on one of the many oversized cubes scattered around the tent and groaned. What was she thinking? Why couldn’t she just be attracted to one person?! It wasn’t that hard! Anyone that showed her a little bit of kindness earned her affection now? Well… no. Jax had been nothing but a troll to her, and she still ended up finding him attractive… Despite his irritating tendencies, the rabbit was one of her only sources of real joy in this place, she couldn’t mess things up with him… That was selfish. Jax’s feelings mattered just as much as hers. It would be beyond selfish to leave him because someone else caught her eye. Selfish and dangerous. What if he was heartbroken, and that heartbreak led to hopelessness, and the hopelessness inevitably led to…

Pomni: F#$%... F#$%!

Pomni covered her mouth with both hands and screamed as loud as she could. She had no fingernails to bite or loose hairs to pick out, so she had to relieve her anxiety somehow. She panted, covered up and screamed again. It wasn’t enough, not even close, but it was something. Like scratching a bug bite, it felt good in the moment but it would only itch again. She knew there was only one real way to cool down the white hot ball of anxiety in her belly, and it was going to suck. She wanted to projectile vomit.

The only real thing to do was rehearse. She got up and began to pace around the tent. Pacing helped her think. Helped with a lot of things, really… It didn’t cure anxiety but it helped temper it somewhat. What was she going to say..?

—-----

Jax, Zooble and Kinger arrived back at the tent around the late afternoon.

Jax: Well that was a waste of time.

Zooble: No s#!%. I think I rode the ferris wheel seven times in a row. ‘Least that way I won’t be nauseous for dinner.

Jax: Time flies when you’re having fun. *gives a huge, fake smile before immediately scowling again*

Zooble: Ugh. Whatever.

Kinger: Hey! W-Who’s that?!

Kinger pointed into the tent. Pomni was in the main room, pacing in a tight square.

Zooble: Oh for… That’s Pomni, Kinger. Are you gonna forget every time she leaves your line of sight like a toddler? Seriously-

Kinger: She’s coming right for us!

Zooble: What?

Pomni was indeed making a mad dash for them. Kinger braced for impact and Zooble took a few steps backwards before Pomni collided with Jax, throwing her arms around him in a hug.

Jax: OOF! Hey what-?!

Pomni only squeezed him tighter, burying her face in his overalls. Jax felt his cheeks warm up despite himself.

Zooble: …Ew.

Jax: Uh… *in a nervous, sing-song whisper* What are you doiiing~...?

Pomni didn’t reply with words, instead grabbing Jax by the wrist and tugging him off to their bedrooms. Zooble and Kinger watched the two of them leave, then swapped confused looks.

Zooble: That was… interesting.

Kinger: Something is amiss. No one has ever hugged Jax before.

Zooble: I’m amazed you remember that and not who Pomni is…

—---

Pomni dragged Jax into her room before slamming the door shut hard enough to rattle a few smaller toys scattered about.

Jax: …Oh, hi Pomni. Yeah, I’m really tired and hungry, thank you for asking. Why, that’s right, I do have a few questions-

Pomni: I can’t calm down. I need to get this all out. Listen for a second…

Jax: …Okay.

Pomni: I don’t want to lose you. I know you said we’re just friends that kiss but you’re really f@#$ing important to me. So just know that you didn’t do anything wrong. But- I have a crush on Ragatha. We didn’t do anything together, but I can’t stop thinking about her and I don’t know why! You-You-You make me really happy and you make me feel like I can survive here and that hasn’t changed but I just feel the… the same thing when I look at her the same way I do when I look at you, and… and… I just feel horrible! I don’t want to replace you because you… you… I… Without you I would have gone crazy by now, and you’re an insufferable clod but you’re so charming and funny and-and-and handsome even if you’re just a cartoon like me, and… oh God I wish I knew how to stop what I’m feeling but I can’t, and I felt like exploding all afternoon because I thought of you hearing all this and then abstracting, and it would have been my fault because I just couldn’t keep my stupid hormones in check and then I wouldn’t have you anymore and I would basically be a murderer and I’d cry myself to sleep every night and-and it… and… and-and-and-and…

Pomni stammered for a while longer before panting heavily, staring down at the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Jax.

Pomni: I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I-I-I-I… I’m sorry…

Jax: …You think I’m handsome, huh?

Pomni: WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! *claps her hands to the sides of her head and falls to her knees*

Jax: Jeez, okay! Not the answer you were looking for, got it! Just trying to lighten the mood..!

Pomni: And I so appreciate it! I mean that! But I feel like the world’s gonna end right now! And I’d appreciate a real reaction pleeeease! *yanks on the bells of her coxcomb hat*

Jax: If this is about yesterday, I told you I forgive you. I thought you were cheating, but you weren’t.

Pomni: B-But isn’t this cheating? Liking someone else?

Jax: No? I told you, you can be “friends that kiss” with Ragatha too, if you tell me first. If that’s what you want, go ahead and go. Honestly, I’m not surprised. You said she was pretty.

Pomni: She is pretty.

Jax: If you like kissing Raggedy Ann. *short chuckle* Look, Pompom. We’re already in technohell. Whatever keeps you from abstracting is okay with me. As long as I get my time with you.

Pomni: Don’t call me Pompom. But… of course… I’m not replacing you. I just… I like Ragatha too.

Jax: Gay.

Pomni: Shut up. I… I guess I was worried you’d be really upset.

Jax: Nah. I think you were more upset than me, honestly. I get it, it’s kinda weird to just have a bunch of people you kiss. But honestly? Who cares? …I gotta wonder though, what made you want to ask? Was it the snake?

Pomni: Sort of the snake. But… she asked me to go to the amusement park with her today.

Jax: And you said you would? Spoilers, it sucks.

Pomni: *small laugh* It’s not like we have other options.

Jax: There’s the lake.

Pomni: …I think I want to take you to the lake.

Jax: You- Oh. ….Eheh. *he blushes* Yeah. I think that’d be fun.

Pomni: Fun? In this place? That’ll be the day!

The two of them laughed together, before Pomni gave him a hug. He hugged her back.

Pomni: …We’re just going to the amusement park. It’s not like we’re going to make out or anything yet.

Jax: Pompom. I’m not jealous.

Pomni: I know, but you said this was your first relationship, and… and I didn’t want to ruin it. And I don’t want you to abstract…

Jax: I’m not gonna. I’ve got you.

Pomni: Yeah. You do have me… until this whole place comes crashing down. I lov-

Jax’s ears shot up, and Pomni froze, looking up at him with wide, roulette eyes.

Jax: …Yeah. Same. *he winks* But we both know that already, so don’t say it, okay?

Pomni: Okay… do… you want to stay here tonight?

Jax: I’d really like that, yeah.

The two “friends that kissed” hugged each other for a long while longer, until Jax broke the silence.

Jax: Uh… why are your shoes so wet..?

[krizzler]

How I see

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

-as someone with synesthesia.

#1 - SKINNY

I kinda think of skinny as light, pale and soft. I think the lyrics really reflect those elements, especially since the song is mostly about body dysmorphia. And when I think about body dysmorphia I think of pale and colourless things. So everything about this song just lacks colour, but in a good way. I think it symbolises Billie's growth and development through the album. She starts paler but then she slowly develops colour through the songs, also symbolising that she's found herself and she's comfortable in who she is.

#2 - LUNCH

Lunch is definitely a hard one. Whenever I listen to a song, I can always see all the colours in different parts of the song. Especially this one. But it only looks good in my head and to physically make it visual to other people is hard because I had to include all the colours without it looking terrible. So what I did was I kinda channelled the main colours and what came out was blue and orange. Blue being the base of the song, and then orange being the guitar in the background. These two colours and this song make perfect sense to me and I'm super happy about this one.

#3 - CHIHIRO

This song is mostly blue but BITTERSUITE and BLUE are blue already so I wanted to make it more diverse. So I gave the song a listen and decided that the base of the song is blue 100%, and in the chorus of the song you kinda feel melancholic, euphoric, ethereal etc. So I drilled deeper into my brain and decided that in the chorus of this song, I could feel a bit of yellow. I think it adds to that floating, euphoric feel of the song.

#4 - BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Unfortunately my least favourite on this album. I obviously don't hate anything Billie's put out at all, but it screams clean girl. I can't stand clean girl so I have a bit of a dislike towards this song. It's a good song obviously, but not for my ears. It's very soft and dream like, and I think the white and baby pink really reflect it. Love how this is like a polar opposite to LUNCH.

#5 - WILDFLOWER

This was nice to do. Finding and looking through photos really helped me understand this song better. It's the perfect balance between hard and soft. I think this is like the middle man in this album. Especially when you know what it's about. Or who. This reminded me a lot of Guitar Songs (TV and The 30th). It's like a morning walk through a field on an overcast day at your grandma's house. It's a bit of a laid back green. Symbolising the mood of the song.

#6 - THE GREATEST

This was the hardest song I've had to visualise. This song is more of a feeling than a visual. But I'd probably say it's a mix between blue and green. Blue being the base, green being the accents. This whole album definitely has blue in most of its songs. I'm still not sure how to view this song but I think this is the closest I can get.

#7 - L'AMOUR DE MA VIE

I don't think this song needs much of an explanation. It's neon, it's bold, it's different. It's a vibe. The colour perfectly matches the sound of the song. I mostly see red and orange in this song and I think that's to do with fire for some reason. It's hot and it burns your eardrums like a hot branding iron in the best possible way.

#8 - THE DINER

I think the diner has the same look for everyone. It's dark, spooky and possessive. I can't believe it's second least streamed song on the album because it's my no.1. Black is the base of the song because I feel like it's set at night, then we have red because it's hot and bold. I added in some photos of circuses because the little instrumental sounds like a spooky circus. This is THE Halloween song of 2024. Fight me.

#9 - BITTERSUITE

This is such an amazing song. To me it's blue. But a very darkkk blue. It also feels like you're drowning so I incorporated lots of water into it. This feels like swimming at the sea in a storm. It's terrifying and exhilarating in the best way. I think this song would also smell like Eilish no.2 and I'm so sad that this is the least streamed of the album.

#10 - BLUE

this song is the bluest of blue. It's neon. It's again more of an feeling that a visual. Very similar to BITTERSUITE but just more vibrant. I find it hard to explain this one but I think for a song that's also hard to visualise, it's probably the most accurate on the list.

[marcusdoodlesalot]

Good Enough gay gang hanging out and getting baked when someone decides to bring weed: who's bringing the weed and how is everyone acting?

Oh boy, actually legit thoughts I’ve had many times.

CW: Drug (weed, obviously) Usage.

Let’s see, the people bringing the weed would probably be Sky, Midna, and Linkle. Shad has his own but you think he’s gonna share his nice shit with these hooligans? You might think Ashei would be a supplier but you’re wrong, she just bums off of everyone else when it’s there.

Twilight would refuse to have any joints or pipes at his and Shad's apartment because he hates the smell so so much and he's worried about it lingering. Twi is also just not a huge fan of smoking in general (even though he would look incredible with a cigarette (don't smoke its not cool, family member has COPD from smoking)) but he'll take a gummy or hit a pen but that's about it.

As for how they're acting...

Sky is passed out after arguing for an hour with everyone he wouldn't be falling asleep early. His hand is still halfway in a bag of chips.

Midna and Sun are ordering food. Midna is being super unhelpful and Sun is not totally gone but baked enough where it's harder to cancel out her unhelpfulness. At least the entire pack of water they're doordashing is gonna be helpful.

Linkle and Groose are actually in a super deep conversation about planes and birds and bioengineering and it sounds like they might actually start a company together.

Wars and Shad are playing a game of chess and are both somehow lossing and they can NOT figure it out, because they were pretty sure they still had most of their pawns but theres nothing. The pieces keep disappearing. Ashei is watching and telling them "Don't you remember? You put them over there." In reality, she's stealing them when they're not paying attention and putting them across the room.

Twi and Ilia are playing Minecraft and Ilia is cry laughing because Twi just tried to make a meat shovel for the fifth time.

Eventually the entire crew ends up playing Minecraft together and it kinda becomes a thing for each hang out for a while. They would probably end the hangout by watching youtube together. Something like "How it's Actually Made" and have a total giggle fit about it.

Thank you for the ask it's really fun!

[dark-twist-fairytales]

Mm... Mm. How about some fresh uh.. *skims notes* who has been the least traumatized by me so far? Kai's off the list.. Cole's a close second. Zane? Nah, won't work- Jay angst! You guys ready?!

Warning: Bullying (technically). Destruction (minor)

~~~

"Birds of a feather-!"

"-Always stick together!"

Giggling left the children as they fist bumped together, making fake explosions from their mouths as they pulled their hands apart and spread their fingers. "So, I wanna have the party at my house, but I want to make sure you'll be there. Only you, though."

Jay tilted his head at that, the curly-haired boy looking over to his friend. "Why only me? I thought you invited Cindy and Brent and-"

"No, I mean like.." The boy dropped his voice to a whisper as he leaned close to Jay's ear. "My parents font trust your parents because you live in a junk yard." He pulled away, with Jay frowning visibly with a small 'oh'. "But, it's okay! You can still come!"

"I-I don't know.. I kinda.. I mean.." Jay's stammering stopped as his name was called for the car line. "I'll ask my parents, okay?"

"Okay! Bye Jay-Jay!" Jay then rushed quickly to the iconic decrepit car him and his parents lovingly called the 'Jalopy'. Without opening the door, he jumped as high as he could into the back seat, landing face first into the cushioning as he just barely made it over, hitting his shins on the top of it and toppling in. Everyday. Never got old, despite the bruising on his shins. He stumbled his way to sit up, buckling up after he was safely up and secured, before Ed began driving away.

"So, how was school today, hon?" Edna asked, a smile on her face as she glanced in the rear view mirror to see Jay. "It was okay. I got invited to a birthday party!"

"Oh, you did? Let me see the invite." Edna said, looking at the invite once it was in her hands. "This is wonderful, a sleep over too. Do you want to go?"

"Uh-huh! But, uhm.. Chris said that you and dad weren't allowed for the birthday part.." Jay spoke, looking down at the large bench he sat out and messing with the small strings that came out of the fabric. "It's okay, dear. We have to be near town that day anyways. We can stay around until dawn in case you need us. How does that sound?"

That got the spark back in Jay, as he rapidly nodded in excitement. Swiftly rambling on about the current project he was working on.

~~~

Three days later, it was Saturday, time for the party. Jay had a nicely wrapped box in his lap, thanks to his mom, along with a duffle bag of overnight clothes. Once again, Jay was anxiously messing with the fabric of the seat again, this time out of nervousness for the gift and party. Despite how many times he got assured, his head was still swimming with worries.

The drive was only an hour, before they pulled up. Jay looked around briefly, before standing up and shifting over to the end of the car with his duffle on his back and present in hand. Edna got out of the passenger side, lifting Jay from the back seat and settling the boy on the ground.

Even if the attire he wore was his best, he still had stains on his jeans, hair nice yet still a bit frazzled and static-y, and his long sleeve had a good amount of stains on the sleeves. It was his favorite, blue jacket, which wasn't surprising.

Walking up to the door with Edna, the mother gave a knock to the door, offering a smile down to the nervous Jay before the door opened up, her head turning back when it did. Her smile didn't fade in the slightest. "Oh, hello there! I came to drop off little Jay for Chris' birthday party?"

"Yes, this si the right place. Don't worry, he'll be in safe hands." Chris' mom said, as she motioned Jay inside. "I'll call you if anything happens, okay?"

"Thank you so much, dear. Have fun, Jay." Edna spoke, crouching down as Jay set down his bags for a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, mom!" They pulled away, Jay excitedly waving to his dad in the Jalopy, before he grabbed his bag and present again and moved inside, the door closing as he saw his parents off.

"Alright, is that present for Chris?" Chris' mom spoke, with the small Jay excitedly nodding and handing it over. "Perfect- Chris! Jay's here!"

~~~

Hours passed, and Jay was having a blast! Of course, minor teasing from Brent, but that wasn't an issue. He was having fun! He was surrounded by friends! And Chris was wanting to open his presents. He saved Jay's specifically for last, the boy practically bouncing in his seat as Chris opened the card up. Just a small 'you're my best friend and you're amazing' card, but Jay's smile feel anxious as Chris tore open the wrapping paper and stared at the object in confusion.

"It's.. It's a flying drone..! I built it up from something my dad made!" Jay explained, but seeing Brent's face out if the corner of his eye made him even more confusion.

"A drone..? What's a drone?"

"Whatever it is, it's stupid." Brent said, earning a soft scoff of his name by his own mother, which he ignored. "I mean, seriously! We waited alllll that time for that?? A clump of metal?"

"It's not a clump of metal- It's a flying drone!" Jay argued, Brent standing up and promptly grabbing the drone from Chris' still confused hands.

"It's useless!" Brent then threw it onto the ground, causing Jay's entire body to pause, a gasp leaving him. "You can buy something and it'll be waaay cooler than that!" The boy continued, but Jay's blue eyes had already begun filling with tears as he stared down to the broken drone he lovingly created.

Now broken.

Sobs left the smaller as Brent got escorted from the room to get an earful from his mom. He climbed off of his chair and collected the pieces through teary eyes, getting help from Chris and Cindy and placing the pieces back in the box.

Jay then sat on the floor, wiping his eyes with his sleeve and desperately craving the softness of his stuffed animal Mr. Cuddlywomp. Distantly, he heard the mention of his name and 'Mr. Walker', silently hoping that his dad would come pick him up. He didn't want to stay here anymore, he wanted to go home. He wanted to.. Tears feel more and harder as he wiped them away as quickly as he could.

No use.

About ten minutes later, of just sitting there over the remains of the broken toys, he heard the familiar clunk of boots. The hand on his shoulder cause Jay to turn around quickly, clinging onto his father as he sobbed about the drone he had created, wordlessly obviously. Still, the rumble of Ed's voice was assuring to Jay, causing the younger to simply rest in Ed's arms while quiet sniffles left him.

A conversation that Jay didn't recall or remember happened, Jay being carried out to the car with the gift and his duffle bag. Once settled in the backseat, Ed in the drivers seat and both the present and duffle in the truck, Ed gave over Mr. Cuddlywomp for the smaller boy to nuzzle in and calm down with.

Some memories were bettert and others. This was the last time Jay went to a public school in the sea of sand.

[littlereyofsunlight]

The Fire is So Delightful, Chapter 2

So for 2019 Steggy Secret Santa, I wrote @geekynerddemon a contemporary AU with a meet-cute between firefighter Steve Rogers and self-rescuing Peggy Carter. It was always meant to have a second chapter with their fluffy, fun date but it's taken me this long to deliver chapter 2 and guess what? They still haven't gone on that date. I think the chapter's still fluffy and fun (though some feelings have arrived on the scene), and hopefully it won't be 3.5 years between updates going forward.

Posted for day 2 of @steggyfanevents Steggy Week 2023: WIPs and updates

Read on AO3

Start from the beginning

“What were all the lights about last night?” Clint asked Peggy over coffee the next day. He’d showed up on the doorstep with an actual pot of coffee in hand, still barefoot. Nat confirmed that was his typical MO in a text to Peggy. She sounded almost proud of it. Peggy was beginning to think, after six years of knowing her, that Natasha actually liked a lot more people than she let on. And more than that, Peggy realized that she’d been thinking of Natasha as solitary and career-focused as she was. 

“Liho got out and went right up the tree in the front yard.”

Clint squinted out the front window, the light glinting off one of his hearing aids. “So you called the fire department? I would have climbed up and gotten her for you. I’ve done it before.”

“Helpful to know now.” Peggy said, a little frustrated. “But I didn’t call them. I went and got her myself and had her back on the ground when they showed up.”

“Hmmm.” Clint drummed his fingers against his mouth, still staring out the window. “I bet it was Lang.”

“Beg your pardon?” Peggy reached for the cream, putting more than her usual amount into her second cup. Clint liked his coffee even stronger than she did.

“The neighbor who called it in. Scott Lang.” Clint nodded at the house across the street, the one with a single string of multicolored lights stretched as far across the porch roof as they would go, which was not quite the whole length of the thing. “He’s got a thing for one of the paramedics. I bet he was hoping she’d show up.”

Peggy blinked. Nat’s neighbors all seemed to know quite a bit about one another. 

“How do you feel about turkey?” 

“The country or the bird?”

“Bird, duh.” Clint cocked his head in a gesture that was both boyishly charming and oriented his better ear (“Neither one is really all that good by anyone’s measure,” he’d explained the night before) in her direction.

Taking care to enunciate, Peggy replied, “I like it just fine.”

He nodded. “Good, I’m going to deep-fry one for dinner on Wednesday. You can help me eat it.”

“Deep fry … a whole turkey?”

Clint’s grin stretched wide over his face. “We’ll have a real American holiday celebration, you limey.” 

Peggy sniffed in mock distaste. “There’s a reason we let you lot leave the empire.”

“But here you are.”

Peggy looked out the window at the gray sky and the bare branches of the tree in Nat’s front yard, the houses on the other side crowding close to the street. “Here I am.” Something Clint said earlier snagged on her thoughts. “Did you say you knew the EMTs that work with the fire department?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, the whole crew’s really active in the community. Everyone kinda knows everyone around here.”

“Is that … nice?”

She asked, genuinely baffled. She’d grown up in London and only ever lived in cities. In her experience, neighbors would help in an emergency, but by necessity everyone generally kept their distance. 

“Sure.” Clint shrugged. “It’s definitely better than isolation.”

The word ‘isolation’ hit Peggy right in the solar plexus. She nodded, pushing down the rush of feeling. 

Clint looked at her in that way he seemed to have, that made her feel like he could hear her thoughts. “So, turkey on Wednesday?” 

Peggy nodded again. Between her plans for the evening and Clint’s invitation, her calendar was getting rather full—at least, full compared to the absolute dearth of socializing she’d expected to do while looking after Natasha’s cat. She thought about Captain Steve Rogers, working ten days straight, through both Christmas and New Year’s. Did he not have family in the area to celebrate with, like her? Not that she knew for certain he observed Christmas … Peggy became aware that Clint was waving at her from across the table.

“Yes?”

“Are you really that weirded out by deep fried turkey?” He asked, crooked grin on his face.

Peggy smiled back. “No, sorry. Just thinking about the date I made for tonight.”

Clint sat forward. “Tell me everything,” he said urgently. 

“Steve, one of the firefighters, asked me to dinner.” Clint nodded and Peggy continued. “I’m honestly not sure what possessed me, but I asked him for coffee first. He suggested dinner instead.

Peggy watched Clint’s eyes widen and his brows raise nearly to his hairline. “I’m sorry, are you telling me you have a date with Captain Hotpants?”

“I — what?”

Clint held up a finger. “I know she’s got it somewhere around here.” He rose from his seat and went to the broom closet, opening the door to rummage around in the back. “Ha!” Calendar in hand, he came back to Peggy’s side. “The station does a fundraiser every year for the local kids charities. Nat always buys a copy,” he explained as he paged back in the wall calendar to July and pointed at the model, standing in an engine bay of a fire station, clad in turnouts held up by suspenders over his broad, bare chest. 

“Oh,” was all Peggy could manage in response. It was indeed Steve. The photographer had caught him looking at the camera with an open expression on his face, those full lips Peggy remembered admiring the night before framing a wide smile. The rest of him, well, Peggy would let herself study the rest once Clint had gone back to his side of the duplex. Her first impression was that the Captain kept himself quite fit.

“Yeah,” Clint agreed, not bothering to hide his own appreciation. “So you have a date with Steve Rogers.” He grabbed for his coffee pot. “I am extra excited for our meal tomorrow. You can tell me all about those boxer briefs of his. I’ve got to make a supply run. See you tomorrow!” He gave a cheery  wave on his way out of the kitchen, leaving Peggy with Steve staring up at her from the calendar.

“Boxer briefs?” she asked the cat, who’d appeared at the top of the stairs and was looking down at her from between the balusters. Liho only blinked in response. Peggy flipped the calendar shut and went about her morning.

Read the rest on AO3

[clairethecutepup]

Chaotic Quintet: Turkey Troubles (Ch. 4)

Seve and Alexis have a hard time leaving the store, but it's even harder when Sarah and Jimmy are right outside. Unfortunately, things don't get any easier when Claire (and Rolf) find them... Will this Thanksgiving have an ending worth being thankful for?

Reading elsewhere if preferred:

But if you prefer here...

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

[Chapter 4: Dead or Alive, Turkeys Mean Strife]

Seve and Alexis continue to run, as the pursuing mob attempts to rob them of their last-minute bird. Alexis' horn still adorned the marshmallow bag she previously "rescued" Seve from, bouncing and rustling with each running step her hooves took.

"Dangit, Lex; next time, just let the stupid marshmallows 'kill' me!!"

"But Seve, good friends don't let others get attacked by sweets!"

"Oh, but it's fine to cause a friggin' mob to chase them?!"

"Well, at least we're being chased together!"

"Yeah, I guess it's nice to have someone go down with me..."

"Well, it's better than Sarah!"

"... Eh, true..."

"Although, we'll probably have to deal with her, too, when she and Jimmy get back and see everything..."

"Thanks for helping the silver lining there get killed off just as much..."

Of course, there couldn't be a chase without the classic cliche: a dead end!

"Huh, I never thought 'sweetened condensed corn' would be the last thing I ever saw..." Alexis examines the surprisingly intact shelf, before turning to Seve, "Do you think it'd taste like 'nacho soup' if we mixed cheese with it? Chips also come from corn!"

"Who'd even want this crud?" Seve sticks his tongue out, "No wonder it's the only spotless part of the store..."

"Uh, I think they're about to make it messier..."

They turn around and face the giant, glaring mob.

"Okay kids," a human man stepped forward, "hand over that turkey... My dog ate my own turkey; and I need this meal to go smoothly, or my wife's gonna do worse than just banish me to the couch..."

"Uh, I dunno..." Seve raises an eyebrow, "Sounds more like ya need some kinda therapy than a turkey..."

"Back off, buster!" a cheetah pushes the man aside, "I need that turkey to finally get my mother-in-law off my back... 'I don't know how to properly cook for my family,' I'll show her!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" a coyote-human-hybrid asked, "Sure, we can all gang up on the kids, but who actually gets the turkey in the end?"

There's an awkward pause, before the mob proceeds to turn on each other. Seve and Alexis watch the quarrel unfold.

"Well, I guess that works..." Seve shrugs, then walks, "Come on, Lex, let's get outta here..."

"Yay! We only have to worry about Sarah killing us now!"

"Nah, we just gotta find some way to--"

"Hey, those brats are walking away!"

All eyes follow the finger of the pointing human man, as the cheetah pauses her attempts to choke him out.

"Yeah, we gotta take them down first," a ram added, one horn broken and one eye blackened, "then we can fight over who gets the bird!"

The kids scream and run again, but this time with someplace to actually run. They run outside, but Alexis trips over a dropped can and accidentally tackles Seve to the ground. The two are surrounded by the time they open their eyes.

"Aw crap..." Seve grimaces, "I was just hungry..."

Then, the cry of a bird gets everyone's attention-- the cry of a seagull! Alexis gasps through her open grin, while Seve stares in equal bewilderment with everyone else.

"Seagull friends!"

The birds assume a proper offensive formation that would make the warring Valkyries proud-- their flight's theme a fitting background symphony for such an event! The birds then dive to the side, one after the other, as they descend upon the mob that threatened their beloved: each bird picks its respective target, signifying that Peach Creek apparently has many seagulls. With the mob subdued, Seve and Alexis stand once again, Seve still holding the less alive bird.

"Thanks, seagull friends!" Alexis cheers, then holds her hooves out when seeing them approach, "Aww, victory hug!"

Some birds pull the marshmallow bag off her horn and fly away with it. They pick a spot to feast, with other seagulls grabbing the plastic and vying over it until the contents spill out. Then, they go from seagulls to feasting chickens. Alexis just watches, before she smiles and rests her fists onto her hips.

"Aw, that's okay! I know you still love me."

"Yeah, yeah, you're ‘Miss Popular’..." Seve grabs her wrist, moving the turkey under an arm, "Now hurry up! We gotta get back and cook this thing..."

The two skid to a stop when they spot Sarah and Jimmy, whom they definitely didn't need to worry about getting home too soon... Sarah literally digs her heels in, gripping the sedan's bumper, as the tow truck driver tries doing his job. Once again, Jimmy tries to settle matters involving his "wife"...

"Lady, let go already!" the driver sticks his head out the window, unable to press the gas pedal down further, "You have to put your car in a proper parking spot, otherwise it's illegal parking!"

"I've already had a lot to deal with today, fathead!" Sarah roars, "Don't add worrying about Jimmy's stupid car to the list!!"

"To be fair, Sarah..." Jimmy grits his teeth and shifts his eyes embarrassedly, "We did have the option of finding a proper parking--"

"You, zip it!" Sarah snaps her head toward him, "You practically ate up all my patience at that point! Believe me, anyone else would've been wearing that cranberry bag on their head...!"

"Come on, give me a break here!" the driver snarls, "I have to work on the holidays, and I already had to deal with an illegally parked car in a freakin' tree-- and not where it'd be easy to pull out! That was some knothole..."

"Sarah, we can just walk--"

Finally, Sarah manages to whip the car behind her, detaching the truck and sending it crashing elsewhere. Then, she slams the car down-- right on top of Jimmy. Debatable whether accidentally or because she's dealing with all of this stress from his stupid need for cranberries.

"--home..." the man finishes in a groan, "Sarah, do you mind--?"

She pulls him out, sets him onto his feet and dusts him off.

"DRIVE."

Before the man can respond, he spots an unconscious alpaca-man "floating" past them... The straight and cone-like nature of the horns behind him, combined with the familiar hooves walking underneath, tipped Jimmy off immediately.

"Seve, Alexis?!"

Immediate freeze.

"...Uh, no!" Alexis deepens her voice, "I'm... 'Steve Lex'! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to head home to my family because it's Thanksgiving!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Sarah storms over, then snatches away their hiding body, "It is you two!" Sarah tosses the man aside (not like he can feel it anyway), then crosses her arms and narrows her eyes, "What're you doing here...?"

Alexis looks away, "Nnnnnooooothiiiing..."

"You mean, 'soooommmeethiiiinnng'..." Sarah growls, "Now, spill it! If you two are here instead and especially trying to hide from us, it can't be anything good!"

"Um, Claire ran away," Alexis rocks on her heels, hooves behind her as she still looks away, "so Seve and I are trying to find her..."

"So, that turkey's to try and lure her out then...?"

Seve's and Alexis' eyes widen, before their giant spheres look down at the packaged bird in Seve's hooves. He quickly moves it behind himself.

"Uh, we dunno what you're talkin' about..." he gulps, "Lex and I don't got a bird..."

Sarah grips his shirt's backside, lifting him up and shaking the turkey onto the ground. Now, Jimmy can also tell there’s trouble afoot-- especially at the sight of the packaged poultry...

"Alright, you two..." he approaches, his brow furrowing, "Tell Sarah and I why exactly you're here with that-- and please tell me you haven't done anything to poor Claire..."

Her absence further cemented trouble’s presence.

"NEVER!" Alexis gasps and recoils, "I could never do anything bad to my poor puppy!"

"Will ya quit talkin' about her like she's a pet?" Seve asks, "It's always creepy..."

Jimmy folds his arms, "Well...?"

"Okay, so, uh..." Seve gulps, "... Alexis knocked me into the table, then, uh..."

"No I didn't!" she rebuttals, "I was trying to help Claire stop you--" she presses a finger into his snout, "--from eating the food!"

"Did you eat the turkey?!" Sarah roars, leaning into their faces, "Is that why you've got a new one?!"

"We only ate it because it got dirty and you'd kill us anyway!!"

"Lex, don't tell 'em!!"

"But they caught us anyway, Seve!!"

Sarah towers over them, far enough to make the goats basically lay on their backs.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT--!!"

"-- 7 HOURS!!!"

Jimmy, face now red and practically foaming at the mouth, knocks Sarah to the side and takes over as the towering figure.

"7 HOURS: BASTING, STUFFING, COOKING...!!!"

Jimmy could often be the prime example of: "Never mess with the quiet and nice guys..." True, he was a more compassionate soul, if not of a mischievous slyness or scoffing sassiness at times; but Heaven help the poor soul who tries his patience, whether ruining his culinary efforts or other means of flaring tempers enough... Sometimes, the goats and little wolf-hybrid thought he could be scarier than even Sarah. Case in point, for Seve and Alexis' own opinions...

They don't even try showing off the new bird they obtained, instead they run for their miserable lives! When Sarah regains her barings, she glares at the scene and joins the chase. The recovered truck driver, though with a more devastated vehicle, finally manages to tow away the unattended sedan. Believe it or not, he's recovered from far crazier attempts to stop him...

"When I get my hands on you traitorous ne'er-do-wells...!!" Jimmy roars, "Oh just you wait, I'll render you too traumatized to even utter the word 'turkey'!"

"Save some for me, Jimmy!" Sarah adds, "I've had it up to here with Seve not listening to me!!"

"Alexis, you're usually the one who comes up with suggestions...!" Seve gulps, "Can't ya think of something?!"

"Yeah, we run away to Alaska!"

"A friggin' rocketship to Mars ain't gonna save us...!"

"Well, I guess it's a good time to get ready then..." Alexis clasps her hands together, "Um, hi, Heaven-Dad... So, Seve and I might've done some bad things here and there, but--"

They all come to a skidding halt, after Rolf's entire family and Claire turn the corner-- that turkey-hijacked tractor still chasing them down! Now, everyone is being chased by the homicidal fowls...

"Claire!" Alexis grins at the girl quadrupedally running alongside her, "There you are..." she then wags a finger, putting on her most serious face, "Bad girl, don't just run off like that! I was worried..."

Claire flinches at being called "bad," her ears hanging and her face giving its most apologetic look.

"Claire…!" Sarah growls, "you were supposed to keep them from ruining everything!! What the hell were you doing?!"

Claire jumps into Alexis' arms, making them the perfect replication of Scooby Doo and Shaggy Rogers, while Claire's eyes enlarge and her face pales.

"Aw, it's okay, Claire," Alexis cradles the slightly taller girl, "I'm right here to die with you..."

"Rolf…!" Jimmy pants, "What is the reason for this horrible madness?! Aren't I troubled enough by turkeys with the ruining of mine, must I also apparently meet a gruesome end at the feathery fingertips that commandeer your vehicle?!"

"Silence and flee, you fool!" Rolf snarls, "Reserve your energy for escape, instead of whining like a wee baby of a broken rattle!!"

"AHHHHH!!" Seve points, "ROAD WORK!!"

They approached the giant, trenchlike nature of the currently modified road: that yellow tape, traffic cones and obvious drop came in fast...

"No, we must use it to our advantage!" Rolf decrees, "Keep running, encourage them to chase...!"

"Screw that!" Seve yelps, "Do it yourself, ya nut!!"

The rest of the Chaotic Quintet agreed with Seve: Seve and Alexis (with Claire in hoof) sway to the tractor's left, Sarah and Jimmy run away to the tractor's right. Rolf's family bravely continue their path forward, but then run to either side and jump off the edge-- each one clinging to their respective portion. The turkeys yelped as they ran over the sudden edge, having been too focused on their once-owners. The birds jump and flutter away, as the vehicle falls in and explodes upon landing. When Rolf's family climbs out, it's time to duel with the birds that betrayed them...

"Scoundrels..." the man growls, "It is time you fully understood the consequences when the livestock turns upon the shepherd... Prepare yourselves, for the almighty shoe-beating!"

Some may find simple footwear rather lenient for what the birds did, but those "some" are unaware of the shoe's full potential. Those of the old country knew it all too well... As the farmers tussle with birds, shoes clashing with beak and talons, the Chaotic quintet peer out from their respective hiding spots. Sarah and Jimmy then spot the goats and wolf-girl, who respond to the formers’ furious glares with their timid eyes. Alexis utters a simple, "Eep..." as the only one able to make a sound. Well, not exactly the "only" one, as Sarah and Jimmy both roared in their resumed chase... A chase that happened in the background, as war happened in the forefront.

"Oh, come on...!" Seve cried, "We even got you a replacement bird...!"

"It shouldn't have needed replacing in the first place!!" Sarah snarls, "Now quit running, you're only making it worse!!"

A turkey then flies into the fleeing trio, making them all roll to the side. When the bird sits up, it notices the prepared turkey in Seve's hooves. Oh no, one of its brethren had already been slaughtered and plucked! The farmers could wait, as those who actually committed the (perceived) deed of slaughter were far worse... The turkey lets out a loud crow that gets the others' attention, then it points its wing toward the goats.

"W-What, what?!" Seve gulps, "W-Why're they lookin' at us like that...?"

Seve and Alexis can only scream, as the gobbling birds rush past everyone else and swarm them. Claire, having been knocked further away, was spared the piling wrath; however, she, Sarah and Jimmy became instantly mortified at the sight of potential death-by-turkey...

"AH, WE DIDN'T DO IT...!!" Seve yelps, "IT REALLY WAS LIKE THAT WHEN WE GOT IT...!!"

"NO, BAD TURKEYS, BAD...!!" Alexis cries, "I KNOW WHERE TO GET YOU GUYS SOME SWEETENED CONDENSED CORN IF YOU LET US GO...!! IT'S PROBABLY TASTIER THAN ACTUAL CORN...!"

Sarah roars, "YOU GET OFF OF THEM!!"

Sarah and Jimmy vent out that frustration on the birds instead, while Claire truly proves she's part wolf...

"Face Rolf and his family, you fiends!" Rolf leads his own group over, "They are where the war had begun!"

-------

Soon, everyone in the quintet's different families arrived at Sarah and Jimmy's home. The gathering had long since started, so they all naturally: stood and talked with one another, watched TV together, or played and generally had fun with each other. Even Rolf's family found themselves a part of the festivities, since they needed a happier turn for their otherwise tragic holiday. The only family member not present was Sarah and Ed's mother... for obvious reasons of both hers and theirs.

As for the Chaotic Quintet themselves: they all stood gathered around the long table, although "sat" in the case of the casted and wheelchair-seated goats. Turkeys are ruthless... At the very least, they could be assisted with enjoying the actually available food and drink; while Jimmy, Sarah and Claire helped themselves to their own meals and red wine (they are the ones old enough).

"Well, I hope you two learned a lesson in respecting our wishes..." Jimmy began, then sighed, "... Oh, how I wish that turkey could've been enjoyed..."

"I hope you learned a lesson in not being a perfectionist," Sarah scoffs, "If you just decided those stupid cranberries wouldn't be worth it in the first--"

"--Yes, yes, Sarah, I'm as much to blame... I suppose I had a lesson to learn, myself, in stopping while ahead."

"Just remember that we need to head over to the car lot, the first thing tomorrow..."

"Yes, Sarah..."

"We're sorry, Jimmy..." Alexis frowns, "If it makes you feel better, that turkey was awesome!"

"Don't say 'turkey'..." Seve growls, "In fact, don't try out doin' yourself next year, 'cause I ain't having any... Not after what just happened."

Sarah would normally say, "Well, it serves you right!" but it's both a little too soon and insensitive. Those birds were lucky she, Claire and Jimmy were as merciful as they were... in terms of "instantaneousness," of course. Although, it's not exactly like Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of longevity for the birds.

In fact, Thanksgiving wasn't exactly intended, nor any other holiday, as a time of stress-free relaxation... Those hectic times of the year are indeed somehow crazier, when you're part of a Chaotic Quintet.

[End Episode]

[dirtyvulture]

😎 Happy Father’s Day !!!!!! I had bought all the ingredients for a cook out ( my dad loves to grill and cook) for his gift , plus whiskey ( Bird dog blueberry whiskey, and a huge 7up bottle to make mix drinks ) for mom and I . For Dad I bought the makings for Bloody Mary’s.

Let’s see if I can come up with thoughts on each of Vultures lovely universes .

In the DK universe, I think that this day is kinda of a somber occasion for R because MOST of the men she loved and looked up to as fatherly figures are LONG GONE . John Howlett when she was only 13 years old ( she SAW the aftermath of everything) , Quincy SR lived and died while R was on the run and couldn’t go back ( R WANTED with EVERYTHING in her to go to the Morris’s but she just couldn’t) . So I think she lights two candles , smokes a cigar ( John and Quincy Sr’s favorite brand…… or at least the CLOSEST modern day equivalent to that brand) and drinks whiskey ( again John and Quincy SR’s favorite) but leaving two shot glasses of whiskey out for the two men . Then later on there is William Hudson ( Esther’s husband…. And the father of Esther’s children. The grandfather - and so on and so forth- of the Hudson clan ) …… the husband and father of the woman who R was IN LOVE with. She actually liked Will as he was a good husband, father ( and grandfather) and just a good man . So she would celebrated Will until he died. R goes up to the professor and probably takes him out to dinner or something nice like that….. all while REFUSING to admit that she sees the professor as a fatherly figure. The kids go all out celebrating the professor ( mostly) , Beast and other male teachers/ staff just like they did for Mother’s Day . They don’t include Scoot .

In the SB , I have mentioned that SB didn’t have the greatest “ father” or the ideal home life. But I was talking with a friend and we both decided that while school (but mainly high school) was a ROUGH time for SB , they did sports and the were close to the coach. So they celebrated their coach instead, when they enlisted they unfortunately lost touch but SB still holds their coach near and dear to their heart. The kids Kit and Jane as well has Nat do a great job celebrating SB , and SB gets soo choked up by it all as they are so happy with the family that they built and thought they could NEVER have .

Father’s Day in the EV universe is…….. complicated as that R and her dad seems to have a …….. strained or complex relationship to say the least . But I would think that R still takes her dad out for dinner or something like that to celebrate him . They seem to have a decent enough relationship for that and they are civil enough for it.

Happy Father's Day! That all sounds like a great time. :)

LOL Poor Scott 😂 (but I'm sure he has some students who adore him). But yes, sadly DK!R has lost all of her childhood father figures, but she views the professor as one so off they go to dinner 🥰

SB would be so shocked to be honored on Father's Day, they simply wouldn't know what to do.

I don't even know how EV!R would celebrate Father's Day (unless it was with Nat 👀) We will get to learn more about R and her dad's relationship in future installments though, so stay tuned...

[sunny6677]

Spooky Month: The Dating Sim

Part 23

(I'm mainly just doing this because it's fun to watch, but this is basically a spooky month interactive thing/poll which is kinda like a dating sim. Of course, only the adult characters can be your love interests. So do take that in mind.)

————

You decided to answer Lila first.

Clicking on the notification of her message, it went to the screen that was usually shown whenever you texted someone. Seeing her message pop up, you began to type away at your virtual keyboard. You answered that you had just woken up.

You began to slowly sit up in your bed, unplugging your phone from its charger. You were about to slowly slip yourself off of your bed so you could get ready to go and see her so you could babysit her son, but in the corner of your eye, you saw another message from her presumably pop up on screen. You turned your gaze back to the screen.

Her message had read, "Oh—alright! Don't worry. I think I'll just be giving my prints to the boss today, so it shouldn't take too long. I'll wait for you as long as I can, alright?"

You smiled, and typed back a thanks in response. You promised that you'd be there soon.

With a sigh, you clicked on Kevin's notification before you got ready. You then typed an apology for not having responded last night, and that you fell asleep around the time he texted you. You typed that you had a kid to babysit today, but that you'd try and talk to him when you could.

Setting down your phone, you then finally slipped out of your bed, and walked toward your closet. It was time to get ready.

————

You were on the road by now, driving in the front seat of your car. You hadn't dressed up too much, merely picking something casual. You took your phone with you just incase anyone you had the number of wouldn't be stuck waiting for you to answer. You couldn't exactly text right now though, considering you were on the road after all. Birds chirped from outside of your car, and occasionally, vehicles would drive by you.

Lila's address wasn't far. So you were at least thankful for that. Even if it had been far though, you still would have tried the best you could to get to her place. She seemed to be under a lot of stress right now.

You drove by the movie theater, and a part of you wondered if you could see Radford again. He seemed like a nice guy after all. In the distance, you could see the candy store, and Kevin came to mind. The lights seemed to be on, so he was probably working by now. You drove by the sidewalk. You saw a group of three mischevious looking teenagers.. well, at least the one in the middle looked mischevious.

As you kept driving along the road with only the sounds of the ambience of the street accompanying your hearing, you finally saw Lila's house in the distance. You at least recognized it as her house because you could see the address. With an eager but soft smile, you began to turn once you managed to get close enough, and slowly inched your way into the sidewalk. You drove slowly, trying to be careful so you wouldn't hit her vehicle which was clearly there.

Finally, you stopped. You then let out a slight sigh, before opening the door, and tucking your phone into your pocket. You wouldn't be using your phone much since most of your attention would be presumably focused on her son for the entirety of the time you were watching over him, but you also thought to bring it just incase of any sort of emergency.

You slammed the car door shut, and locked it with your car key. You then began to walk toward the door. Her house looked.. nice. It was like any other ordinary modern looking house, but it looked nice even so. Inviting, even. Or maybe that was just because you knew it was her house.

You finally stopped once you got closer to the door, and you rang the doorbell. There was a few moments of anticipation, the ambience being that of birds chirping all around you, and the sounds of vehicles driving from behind you. Finally, the door slowly opened.

You smiled once you saw the familiar look of Lila's face peeking through the crack of the door. She opened it more, and her whole body finally became more visible. She looked to be wearing a dark purple coat, even despite the temperatures. Perhaps it was just to look more formal for whoever her boss might have been?

She then grinned, and spoke, her voice raising an octave. "Oh! You're here!"

You greeted her, and then apologized for not having answered her a little earlier since you were asleep and all. In response, sne only shook her head. "No, that's okay. Just come in. I'll show you around so you'll know what to do, okay? I'll let my son know you're here too."

You nodded meekly in reply. She stepped out of your way, and you entered the home. The cold air caused by the air conditioning then hit your skin, and caused a breath of relief to seep out of your mouth like pouring automatic lava. You had to admit, living in a suburban town in Arizona might not have been the best life. But maybe that was different if the people here were friendly enough.

You took a look around. You could hear the muffled giggling of what must have been her son in the other room. Most likely the living room from what it seemed, since the kitchen was nearby and you could very clearly see it.

You thought of what to do. You weren't necessarily shy about this, but you didn't want to make the whole situation awkward b doing nothing, and you didn't want to make a fool of yourself either. Even if you had only met Lila a few days ago.

[theevilthatismokke]

thoughts on chap 98 (major spoilers)

There isn’t much to say about this chapter. The aquarium “date” was cute and it’s nice to see Mitsuba having fun with a friend for a change.

Since, y’know, that’s how he chose to spend his last day/final moments. With Kou.

Surprisingly, Kou and Mitsuba got along pretty well this chapter. Often, their meetings start with or involve Kou trying to zap Mitsuba with his weapon, so it was nice not to have that for a change. Kou even got flustered after Mitsuba got cute and thanked him for the penguin keychain.

Guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder, huh?

On a side note, the others’ reactions to Kou going on a night out (on the town) were pretty fun.

Of course Nene immediately jumps to the conclusion that it’s a date. And she sounds so happy too!! She really does not see Kou in a romantic light at all, huh?

Meanwhile, Teru is so, well, shocked, almost miserable to hear Kou being out like this… Aidairo’s really leaning on the brocon aspect of his personality and I love it. It’s way too funny.

“Your big bro misses you uwu 🥺”

I also love how Aoi and Akane are supportive. Specially Akane. “Send pics and don’t get arrested lol”.

Of course, Teru has his own reasons besides being clingy. He knows kaii tend to pop out at night, it’s been repeatedly shown that he often works at this hour.

And speaking of them, I love how the “aquarium” itself is almost like a anglerfish.

How it’s bright and that’s how it attracted Mistuba’s attention. The little thing resembling an esca at the top of the entrance. The fact that it’s free (lol).

Also, I really love Aida’s artstyle and I don’t often comment on it, but the scenes at the aquarium were so pretty and so fun to look at; the fishes, and the seal, and the little penguins.

And, of course, anglerfish-like kaii. Great designs!!

Kinda interesting that they seem to feed on ghosts, tho, and not humans, which is what we’re used to. At least, that’s the impression I got.

Considering Mistuba’s comment from earlier that he wasn’t okay, but brushed it off, plus the fact that he quite literally started falling apart at the end of the chapter and never turned into his “No. 3 form” (something he always did immediately whenever he felt threatened), I can only assume he no longer has his seat among the Seven Mysteries.

So… how did it happen? Did someone destroy his yorishiro? Did Mitsuba destroy it himself (either for personal reasons or because he was forced/coerced to)? Did he get motion sickness from the Severance and vomited the Tengu/Yatagarasu/Whatever bird-like yokai the original No. 3 is supposed to be?

...This makes how many times Mitsuba has 'died'/almost 'died' now? Three? Four?

Who knows. Boy's a phoenix.

Gotta admit, this chapter was way less disturbing than I was expecting. And, you know… I was kinda mad at Kou at the beginning of chapter when he was all, “You’re okay!! I was so worried!!”

Bitch, you were all smiles at the thought of exorcising kaii not 2 seconds ago, don’t you pull that card now!!

Still, this was the nicest he’s been so far to Mitsuba, he actually took him out to have fun, and he didn’t zap him once, so… that’s cool, I guess. Hopefully, we'll get some interesting development for Kou, Mitsuba and their relationship next chapter.

Goodness knows that Kou desperately needs it.

On speculations… do these anglerfish kaii have anything to do with that mermaid kaii? But then again, maybe not. After all, there were a lot of fish-like kaii in chapter 70, and they didn't seem to have anything to do with the mermaid.

Also...

Kou is dead. Long live "Cringe-Ass Chuunibyou Scaredy-Cat Goody Two Shoes Earring Boy". Jr.

[miqo-tales]

Dawntrail characters, fields, role quests

More thoughts on DT.

Again, spoilers!

Fields

Overall, very pretty!

I think Yak T'el might be my favorite, particularly the lower area. But, I don't like the music for Yak'tel. I don't know why though.

Shaaloani is a really close second.

Solution 9 is cool. Though I saw someone mention they wish the music there was more techno, or rave? I forget exactly, but I kinda agree? I like the music there, but I do wish it was faster, had more energy to it. I suspect Arcadion might have something like that though.

Living Memory was also pretty interesting, and I imagine for FF9 fans it's even more so. But man, I'm bummed we had to shut some of that stuff off. Like the rainbow pools, for one.

Characters

Krile

Krile's background is fascinating, but simultaneously kinda silly. I like it though.

Her getting to talk to her parents was great though. And I liked how they made it a genuinely awkward thing.

Koana

I'm glad he got over the "Sharlayan is SO COOL and we should industrialize like RIGHT NOW" thing. Though I was expecting some more discussion/arguing about it between him and Wuk Lamat. Or at least with Thancred and Urianger.

Bakool Ja Ja

I don't mind his character arc, but I wish they'd hinted at his motivation/trauma some a bit earlier.

But also, I don't get why he wasn't booted from the competition after he released the ancient super snake-bird of calamity?

Like ok, the contest is clearly a bit fair game, but I'd like to think even FIFA would disqualify a team if they released an ancient evil on the world in order to prevent their opponents from showing up to a match. (I mean, maybe they wouldn't. It is FIFA.)

Zarool Ja

Honestly, kind of a weird antagonist for me. His goal of "fuck the world so that it appreciates peace" was looking like an interesting angle, but then it pretty much went straight into "I'm better than my father". Which is fine, but like with Bakool, I'd have liked some more development of that earlier on.

Sphene

So I have to admit, they had me guessing with her a bit. When she first showed up (to talk, not her brief appearance before that), I figured she was evil. Or at the least, being really dishonest.

Later on, I started to think that maybe it's just a "hostage in her own kingdom" sort of thing. But then, y'know, "sorry, I'm gonna commit genocide to save my people" kinda put a pin in all that.

Also, little funny thing, it keeps throwing me off that her VA sounds like Krile. Or Meteion. I keep going back and forth on that. I know it's a different VA from either of them, but I just kept hearing hints of their voices in hers while playing through the MSQ.

Role Quests

By this point I've done all of the role quests storylines. They're ok! Mostly silly, but still some cute bits, and a nice way to include (slash remind you they exist) the Eorzean nations. And I'm looking forward to the eventual sixth one that finishes them up.

The only things I'd note:

Tank - I feel like they don't really do anything with the power of the artifact. I was expecting some mechanic in the final fight regarding it, buuuut, not really? It's also weird that they're requesting a tank to help when the guy trying to find the thing is also a tank?

Healer - Probably the only one where the job role is genuinely relevant. Also maybe my favorite one?

Melee - Might be tied for my favorite with healer, dunno. Final fight was fun.

Ranged Physical - I feel like this should have been the tank one? Again, I don't know why they specifically needed a ranged specialist. I was really expecting there would be some ranged need because of the "the barrier can explode at close range" thing, but nope.

Ranged Magical - This one is fine? I think it might be the weakest one of the five though. The artifact's power is not that interesting.