#can you tell I'm not fond of mosquitoes?

[emometalhead]

I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes.

[liesmyth]

Okay this is weirdly specific and obvs if the answer requires doxing yourself don't answer but hjdkfg fave places to go running at? I started going on more walks and it's so fun to explore the local space!!

no worries! I'm very alright with telling people I live in Rome, a city of 3 million people. you can all have that for free etc. (actually, I'm very braggy about it. borderline obnoxious, ngl. Think the Italy equivalent of a New Yorker)

Also!!! I LOVE THIS QUESTION SO MUCH. It made me go through Strava history and dig some running pic I took.

the appia antica route!

if you (generic you) are ever in Rome, there's a lovely green area along the old Appia way that's great for running but also for picnics. My favourite local road race (coming up next month!!) is partly along that route and it's SO beautiful. It's one of those places that make you feel you're genuinely grateful you have a body to move around in and experience the wind and the sun and the mosquitoes in your teeth and the achy calves from doing a few km on cobblestones. It's a very large green area (Appia Antica / Parco degli Acquedotti / Parco di Tor Fiscale / Parco della Caffarella) and there are so many fun trails and paths.

Lungotevere / centro storico swag

Sometimes u (me) gotta flex and be like "oh, look, I live in Rome" and just plot your long run so that you end up by the Vatican or whatever. There's a route along the Tiber river that's technically a bike lane but it's large enough to run safely, and it's really fun for Sunday runs / whenever you have a bit of time to actually get there.

There are other really great running spots in central Rome like any of the parks (Villa Borghese, Villa Ada etc. and EYE don't really do it often but it's very nice)

Here's a pic! Not mine

Country roads take me home etc — Castelli Romani

Hilly towns just outside the city that have veeery fun trails and countryside views! You have to actually get there so it's a bit involved, and then once you're there you're like "why the fuck did I think running up a hill was a good idea?" but if you DO like running up hills, it's fun. I like going in the summer for longer runs and I don't bring any snacks just absolutely gorge myself on blackberries from the bushes.

My beloved neighbourhood run.

I love walking out of the door and just going for it! It's very entertaining as far as "neighbourhood routes" go. It's a decently safe area, I can stay well clear of cars, there's a car park I can do sprints in (and, occasionally, will see people fucking in cars, as one does) and some green. I wish it had a bit more elevation, but there's a stretch of road that's decently hilly so I can't complain + there are some VERY interesting characters and sights. Alas, it's within sniffing distance of a bakery AND a steakhouse, so there isn't a time of the day I can run at without getting hungry along the way, but I don't mind — I have been known to plot a route so that I finish right in front of a bakery for breakfast.

no landmark photos for obvious reasons but here are some cute birdies I saw running a few weeks ago

Holiday run!

One thing I really love to do on holiday is go run around a new city / any place I've never been in, and exploring new places while I'm at it. Some of my most beloved holiday memories are of running early in the morning in new places. Sometimes it backfires horribly and you end up on a muddy path at six thirty AM with water in your shoes and frantically trying to match your phone GPS with that of the route you downloaded yesterday, but it's usually worth it. These are a few photos I had on my phone — the beach is somewhere along lake Garda, and it's been years and I still remember that run with a lot of fondness. Also, another time I got lost in the middle of nowhere in Tuscany and ended up chatting with an incredibly MILFy American tourist who was also out running and that too is a fond memory... anyway. Holiday runs my beloved

[bluelockednyx]

" or for Isagi to stop looking at Rin's thighs whichever is easier" I- 🤣. ( this was so noticeable in that leg extension machine scene he had no reason to go and check up on him, stop him from overworking and prompt him to take rest but he DID)

I thought I was crazy for thinking that abt that one Rin panel but I'm glad I'm not the only one, since Kaisagi is rising in popularity esp w/ Hiori's comments abt the in-universe social media. Idk whether to lament over the lack of rinsagi or absolutely LOSE it over Isagi's reaction. Like it wasn't the kind of cute denial that Raichi was saying it was, bro was so OFFENDED. I can't.

Then again, it makes sense since public has seen more of Kaiser-Isagi than with Rin. I wonder what Isagi's reaxn would be if it had been Rin's name that had come like that 👀. Definitely not visceral disgust to this level.

Besides, recent chapters had carved a place for kainess in my heart and I feel like those 2 should cuddle and go to therapy. ( Any thoughts on recent chapters, that choking scene was disturbing...).

Do u think the light novels and profiles are not written by Kaneshiro? Bcz while they weren’t bad at all( they were quite great) there was this missing spark in them. Like with Isagi, they made him out to be able to see mosquitos across a room and note the temp change in the air as a BABY?? I-??????. I am very confused.

And in a profile, he has 200 level or smth eyesight?? Normal is 150 so.., idk maybe I am just being extremely dumb.

But to me, manga Isagi was so loveable and inspiring bcz he was a normal person who was willing to break and challenge himself to reach his goal, forging a will that was strong enough to withstand all the pressure. Not superpowers.

And in his profile, his type is someone who smiles a lot and it fits bachira but to me it sounds like another way to fit in to what people expect of him. There was a meta on Isagi and anger expression floating around in tumblr. And it says how Isagi loved Noa's style bcz of how brutal it was and through football he was able to exert anger in a socially acceptable way instead of being the peace maker and going along with Ichinan style football and just agreeing with Tada's decisions and blue lock is a release frm that. And like you said, isagi isn't as driven abt bachira as he is about him. Narratively too, that is a good thing, allowing bachira to make new connections and new bonds in Spain instead of being fixated with Isagi. And frankly, I don’t think it's healthy for Bachira to get with the first person to be his friend. Let him experience life first.

Well then, I am so excited for Pxg VS BM. The potential match ups, Kaiser most def knows Sae so some interesting conflict w/ Rin if he mentions that like Luna did. The Isagirin matchup, I'm just so excited. Also ,"# Stop looking at Rin's thighs challenge."

P.S. - I wrote a Rinsagi fic, so plz check it out.

How can I read your fic if you didn't send a link lol

Kaneshiro-sensei literally addressed the Kai//sagi shippers in the chapter: nope, not happening, no way, via Isagi himself. He may subvert this later on, but as far as I can tell, given the story's trajectory + Isagi's own character arc, it won't happen. Kaiser will most likely be coming back as a rival/enemy in the U20 World Cup arc too. There simply is no motivation for Isagi to ally with him at all.

Rin's spotlight and turn is coming up, so again, I'm not worried about the current lack of Isagi and Rin moments. It is supposed to be THE highlight of the NEL arc for good reason. And yeah, I doubt Isagi would be as offended if fans had been saying that about him and Rin. On the down low he really is fond of and respects Rin, whereas he despises Kaiser for just about everything besides his skill in soccer.

Truthfully, I've grown a little bored of the recent chapters. Not so much that they aren't good chapters, but more that there's a lack of variety to the characters. IMO Kaneshiro-sensei has hit a bit of a wall on character cast and variety - Ness' backstory is a touch too commonly seen for me to really get into, and feels lacking in effort, though tbf Ness is at best a tertiary character in-series who's there to prop up Kaiser's story.

No real thoughts yet on the choking scene. Currently it's only a sign of Kaiser's desperation to me. The throne he thought he had secured might well be about to collapse from underneath him due to Isagi's growing skill. Seeing how he'll match up against Rin is also interesting, seeing how Rin is actually very much self-sufficient as a striker, while Kaiser thus far seems quite dependent on Ness. I also believe that the PXG match will bring Kaiser into direct confrontation with Loki, who is posited as thus far the best U20 striker we've seen, given how he's a master for the PXG team, rather than simply a fellow player. Fingers crossed that Loki smokes all of them, including Noa, if he comes out to play too.

No, the light novel most likely isn't written by Kaneshiro-sensei, given what I know of the industry. The bulk of it is likely by Moegi Momo-sensei; with credit given to Kaneshiro-sensei because he's the OG creator of the Blue Lock series. That said, there's a good chance that Kaneshiro-sensei provided Moegi-sensei with story ideas and rough character backgrounds who then developed it into proper stories for novelization.

The character profiles are more likely to be done by Kaneshiro-sensei himself, though I am going to point out that it's published as 'supervised by', rather than 'written by'.

Emphasizing this: I generally don't care about light novels, character profiles etc. in terms of my interpretation of the story. To me, what appears in the manga is the only canon there is. Everything else that's official are canon-adjacent and supplementary; fun to read and get an idea of how the characters' personalities and relationships are off-page, but otherwise unimportant unless explicitly referenced in-story. Whatever is not depicted in the manga proper is free real estate.

As for Isagi in the light novel. Well.

He reads as autistic, from that apparent hypersensitivity + his hyperfocused interest in football, and as I've mentioned before: Isagi is also written very much as a tabula rasa, a blank slate of sorts, for target readers to be able to slip themselves into. I think that the emphasis is on Isagi having very clear vision, his personal advantage, amongst the rest of the cast, but again, to me, the light novel is not as important as what we see depicted in the manga proper.

No comments on Isagi's type in the profile, and how it could be Bachira. They're decently written together, and I understand why people would ship them, but they are also just kind of 'meh' for me. Kaneshiro-sensei may intend to write them as a pair, but they are a pretty run-of-the-mill standard MC + best friend ship, with the highlight being Bachira's personal growth via his relationship with Isagi. There are more satisfying ships for me in Blue Lock, and better romances in other animanga series, and while I am fond of shipping, I'm not reading Blue Lock for the shipping. It's just a nice bonus that I find Isagirin's relationship so damn interesting that I've stayed invested.

I haven't read that meta, but that's an interesting interpretation of Isagi's character. Blue Lock is somewhat of a meta commentary on the failures of the general Japanese culture's need to conform to societal pressures and not 'rock the boat', and how it has led to an under performance in football. Isagi as a whole has also been growing more assertive and more confrontational with others, though Kaiser's the only one whom he views with solid enmity.

In the light novel, Isagi's idolization of Noa stemmed from how Noa bypassed the opposing team one after the other, and then from how Noa would rather 'lose a game by a hat trick than win one with an assist'. And doesn't that sound quite like a certain someone, lmao.

Cheers to having PXG match to look forward to next year after the hols!!

[kiatheinsomniac]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐍𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇-𝐔𝐏!*˚ .♡⋆ˊˎ -

𓆩♡𓆪 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄!

❝For Valentine's match ups <3 (Hi! I think one can not fully appreciate all your works. I find myself returning to them from time to time and I still keep enjoying them. Hope you never run out of inspiration.) So, let's do this: appearance: 175 cm / 75 kg, egg shaped face, deep brown hair reaching to the shoulders, light brown (grey-brown)eyes, pale skin with cheeks being rosy most of the time. A little chubby along sides. gender: female age: 27 sexuality: demi-sexual, bi, leaning more, but not only towards males personality traits: kind, empathetic, observant, creative, playful, sometimes a bit nosy without meaning to, touch-starved, a bit of a overthinker, tidy hobbies: reading, writing, singing (though mostly alone), dancing (again, mostly alone and just my own way), listening to music, walks in any weather, drawing, roleplaying games, mushroom foraging, cooking, learning new recipes likes: sunrises, sunsets, thunderstorms, chinese cuisine, making my own mandalas, foxes, crows and ravens, mythology, fairytales, spring, snowy winter, silence, sounds of nature, movie soundtracks dislikes: noise, arrogant people, bullies, hyppocrites, drunkards, muddy-grey rainy winter, temperatures above 27°C, mosquitos, fandoms: Tolkien, Kamisama kiss❞ anon

ੈ♡˳ 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄!

♡ he might not show it initially but Tomoe is really drawn to your kind and empathetic nature. He's much more jaded and so you bring to light a worldview that he's almost long forgotten.

♡ he's fond of your interests in cooking, immersing yourself in nature and learning of mythology. He won't explicitly tell you but he's very fond of watching all your reactions to things he tells you of the world he's apart of and some of the things he's seen.

♡ you appear to be more of an introvert and he's fond of that as he doesn't want a partner who's going to drag him away from the shrine and his duties there too often.

ੈ♡˳ 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄?

♡ he might be reluctant to leave the shrine most of the time but he knows that a change of scene can be important and exciting and so he reserves a private booth in a chinese restaurant (one of those with the sliding doors so your meal feels more private than the typical open setting of a restaurant).

♡ he chose this particular restaurant as he did a little research around the area and found that this particular place serves both the most authentic and best tasting food. He orders an array of small dishes to make sure you get to try everything you want. He might act annoyed if you want some of his food too but he'll really happily share.

♡ after eating so much, he's sure you just want a relaxing evening and so you stargaze together back at the shrine, wrapped up in coats and blankets to keep you warm as he points out stars in the sky to you and can't help but think about how much more beautiful they look when reflecting in your eyes

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: thank you so much for the compliments! I'm so happy you enjoy my works so much <3

missed the match-up event? try ships instead! ☾ ⋆ ﾟlike my work? why not: ∘ buy me a coffee? ∘ comms. ∘ taglist ∘ follow/reblog

[rain-lavender-rain]

Rose Colored Love -- Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Louisiana

Warnings: descriptions of violence, wounds, cussing, female main character.

Word Count- ~1.4

Chapter Summary: Rose agrees to help Sam. But, who is Frank, and what does Sam think he's doing bringing Rose to Louisiana, where mosquitos are as abundant as birds?!

Sam couldn't say for sure what he was expecting from the conversation, but he wasn't expecting it to be that easy. He recognized the lick of fire in Rose's eyes though. She was determined, that much the man could tell. He just hoped she wouldn't spiral, wouldn't regret it later, wouldn't get hurt.

It was relatively easy for Rose to pack up her stuff and leave, locking the cabin door behind her and jumping into Sam's truck. Once he got to the end of the drive, she asked him to stop.

"Stop the truck. I'll be right back." She said, jumping out and jogging over to the other home that sat on the edge of the property.

Rose knew her neighbor would be awake by now. He was an early riser too, already sitting on the porch drinking a cup of coffee.

"Hey Charles!"

Charles smiled back at the young woman.

"Thought that was Wilson's truck coming down the drive earlier. You leaving darlin'?" He asked with the southern drawl coming out to greet her.

"Yeah, you know how it is. Duty calls." She answered with a soft smile. "You can still call if you need anything."

Charles shook his head and set down his cup of coffee, getting up slowly. He was older, kind, didn't ask too many questions, but was understanding just the same. Plus, Rose adored him.

She walked towards the older man, and gently hugged him. He returned the hug, but not without scolding her.

"Don't be getting too soft and sentimental on me, Viano!" Charles said. He was one of the few people who could get away with calling Rose by her last name nowadays.

"Never!" Rose replied back with a smile. "Promise you won't get into too much trouble while I'm gone." she joked.

"Well, can't make a promise I know I won't keep." he said with a fond smile.

Rose chuckled and gave him one more hug before stepping off the porch.

"I'll be back soon."

"You better be! And if Wilson gives you too hard of a time, you have my full support and permission to kick his ass!"

Rose faked a salute, and laughed as she got back into Sam's truck, both of them waving at Charles as they left.

Soon after Sam pulled out from the drive, Rose fell asleep, using her jacket as a pillow against the door. The only noise was the ambience of the truck rolling down the road as muffled country music played at a low volume.

___________________________

"We're here." he said softly, grabbing her bags before she could say anything about it.

The girls feet hit the ground and she shot him a glare. Sam knew it bothered her whenever he tried to do something nice, as Rose liked to be independent, so he just put on a smirk.

"Where-" Rose stopped in her tracks and looked around, letting out a groan, the humidity already hitting her lungs as soon as she inhaled.

"Please don't tell me you've set up shop in Louisiana for this, Sam." She said, following him inside.

Sam laughed, amused at her rather negative reaction before throwing a bottle of bug spray at Rose. She had half the mind to chuck it right back at him, but settled for a glare instead.

"Of course I did. It's away from Sarah and the kids, but close enough that I can help them out if need be. Plus, this house is off the books." He responded simply.

"And, please, use the bug spray this time. Don't need you scratching away like last time, like a dog with fleas."

Rose didn't feel like responding to his antics, instead following him inside the front door of the small house. It was more like a cottage mixed with a cabin. Not huge, but not small either. It was one floor with a decent sized kitchen and living room connected to each other, with bedrooms and bathrooms down the hall.

"Your room is this one." Sam said, walking into Rose's new room to set her bags down. He came back into the kitchen and spotted the girl opening up the file that was sitting on the barstool countertop. Her eyes flickering over the words.

Silently, or as silently as Sam could, he tried to let her read everything that was in the file, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge while he waited.

Her eyes closed for moment before she spoke, the shock and disbelief clouding the features of Rose's face.

"I'm sorry Sam, but this is ridiculous... Impossible. I don't even understand why in the world someone would sign his name on these documents."

She started to get upset, getting up from the chair she had sat in moments before. Sam, the empath as always, knew she was probably about to explode.

"He's dead, Sam. Dead." The anger started to rise and her voice got louder, showing the ugly feelings that were bursting from inside.

"He's dead." She said again, walking towards him.

"And the fact that anyone would ever think for a second that somehow I would be connected to- to that name on those papers- after what he did? That sick traitor? It's absolutely disgusting, and you of all people should know that."

Rose stood in front of Sam now, fists clenched, anger rolling off in brutal waves.

Sam's eyes softened, heart breaking all over again. He could still see it in his mind- Rose laying in the warehouse broken and bleeding after her partner betrayed her; after Sam and Riley had gone against direct orders to get Rose back.

"I know it wasn't you who signed those papers, Rose. But, we have to figure out who it was."

She stepped back, and slammed her hands against the counter. Her voice softening before speaking again.

"It wasn't me, Sam. I was beaten within an inch of my life by Frank." Rose grimaced. Saying his name still made her want to throw up.

Sam nodded, knowing she was right, but didn't want to interrupt her. It was something he was good at- listening, and sometimes, he knew that's what his friend needed the most.

"Beaten because of what I did- because what I was doing was the right thing do to. I betrayed him, because what he was doing was wrong. And before you tell me that it wasn't my fault, listen."

The girl's voice filled with shame, heartbreak, and guilt.

"I blame myself. If I had just trusted you. Decided not to be so stubborn; listened to you instead of getting upset, I never would have been paired with Frank. None of it would have ever happened." she said.

"If he's somehow still out there- I want to be there to take him out, make sure he's actually dead. I want to be the one to do it so I can make sure that low life piece of shit is gone." Her voice was steady, almost eerily calm by the end.

Sam had nothing else he could say in the moment. He knew it would never be enough. The man blamed himself too from time to time, angry that he ever let a fight between the two of them get so bad that she wasn't his partner for the short amount of time. But, he also knew the importance of forgiveness, towards himself, and towards others, and how important it was to try to move on from the past.

Before Sam could speak, another presence entered the room, making close to zero noise. He sat the piece of paper in his hands down on the counter between the two friends.

The sheet contained a circle underneath the bulk of all the letters and numbers that covered it. The words stared up at the people reading it.

"Shipment Notice -- Location: VENICE, LOUISIANA, CYPRESS COVE -- Time: 21:00."

Rose and Sam looked at the paper, and then back at the man who's face held a look that was rather unreadable.

"Hey Rose." he said, seemingly unbothered by the conversation that took place in the kitchen.

She met his blue eyes, as the tiniest smile came to reveal itself.

"Hey Buck."

[neonpaperlanterns]

Cooling off

Heat clung heavy in the air, it shimmered and blazed along the blacktop. The sun blistered across the sky, nary a cloud in sight as the wind blew warmly.

Anywhere and everywhere the gentle thrumming of over-worked ac units and abused fans could be heard. Flowers were wilting and the trees looked ready to uproot and move indoors. There were no birds singing even mosquitos weren’t leaving the safety of their damp habitat.

“It’s hoooot.” Sari wailed as the child lay on the concrete floor of the Autobot base.

“I am aware.” Dori acknowledged from a similar position on the ground. Industrial fans circled them, blowing nothing. The power was currently not working due to something that Sari and Bumblebee had done. Neither were willing to say what though.

This left them in their current predicament of boiling alive. 

“Tell me again why I can’t use my key to fix the power?” Sari’s arms shot into the air as she grasped at nothing. Her frustration was palpable as her tiny legs smacked against the floor.

The older woman put up one finger. “For one, you using your key caused this.” A second finger joined the first. “And for two, you’re grounded so no getting to use your key.” She said it with finality and the young girl’s face contorted into a pout. Dori frowned, she didn’t enjoy punishing Sari. She liked when she could be like the fun mom, aunt, or older sister type. Without her dad though someone needed to step up and be the parent. The Autobots could only do so much. Especially with how manipulative Sari could be with the bots naivety. Still she wasn’t fond of being like this. She wanted to do something though for her self imposed charge. It was scorching and with no fans or any way to get cool they would surely perish.

An idea popped into her head. One she was sure would make the kid smile.

Rolling over to face Sari, Dori smiled. “I know I'm being a total jerk who won't let you have your key but we can still cool off without it.” her feet waved back and forth as she caught Sari’s attention. 

“I’m listening.” she eyed Dori.

Scooting closer to the child she hid her mouth with her hand and whispered into Sari’s ear.  A grin that was infectious grew on the girl's face. Mischief twinkled in her eyes as she sprang to her feet. With zero hesitation they bolted towards where Bumblebee was sitting. 

“We need to go to the store.” Sari bounced around the yellow bot. Dori nodded along, a small bitter twang went through her at having to ask Bee for a ride. There had been an incident last week that had left her car totaled and the energetic speedster was still making up for it. Bumblebee sighed, his gaze flicked from the tv to the outside. Heat shimmered in the afternoon sun. It made it look like everything was melting.

“But…” he trailed off, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he transformed into vehicle mode. His form squished and tensed in what she has come to understand is a pout. The two humans rolled their eyes as they hopped in.

Patting the dashboard, Dori gave a reassuring hum. “Don’t worry, all will be worth it.” she said it as cryptically as possible. Yes her plans were fun and she was sure the speedster would enjoy them but that didn’t mean she was above making him squirm.

It was funny.

Bee grumbled but took off, his windows down as he zoomed down the streets of Detroit. 

Dori fiddled with his radio until music filtered about the tiny Autobot.

“Oh, when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof”

“And your shoes get so hot you wish your tired feet were fireproof.”

“Under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah.”

“On a blanket with my baby is where I'll be.”

Swaying along with the song she turned up the volume. Sari was leaning against the passenger door, her hand stuck out the window as it caught the wind. Her head also gently bobbing along with Under the Boardwalk.

“Can we stop for ice cream before going back home?” she peeked over at Dori. Humid air blew in from the open windows as Bumblebee complained about how hot his tires were getting.

“Yeah, under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah.”

“Ice cream sounds amazing. Bee, you want to go through a nice cooling car wash before we go back? My treat.” she raised an eyebrow and the glowing radio. 

“(Under the boardwalk) We'll be havin' some fun.”

The yellow speedster perked up. “Full treatment?” She couldn’t see his eyes but she knew exactly the face he was making. She was honestly too weak for these kids sometimes.

"Yeah sure. Why not." she couldn't stop a smile breaking out over her face as the car was filled with a victorious cheer.

[nongnaos]

Episode 4 liveblogging atots!

(I have lost all chill)

1/4

Wow, straight in with the "yes I changed your clothes, yes I saw your scars, wanna see mine 😏"

HE FOUND THE NOTEBOOK

Oop nevermind, that was very dramatic and the music was tense and the emotions were all over the place but that is how nightmares feel. Good to know he's feeling guilty at keeping it from them and also that his dream Chief is also very flirty 👀

Longtae is cute and reminds me of someone but I'm not sure who... maybe Sunghak from Bigstar, if any of you remember him.. it was a niche of kpop. (And I don't mean looks wise just something about him idk)

Seriously, Chief, you should know by now that Dr. Nam knows all your secrets...

"Don't tell me you've seen him naked" THE IMMEDIATE GAY PANIC. "Those are for menstrual cramps" I'm crying, it's ok chief we've all been there!! Love makes us all look stupid!

Teaching the kids so their families don't get scammed!! Making them paper airplanes 🥰

Oh nooo Chief being cute with the kids!! Tian really becoming the kids' big brother by swatting their hands away when they try to get him in trouble 😂

This looks like a very long motorcycle ride, I hope they brought snacks. (No, not you Chief, you're a whole meal)

Tian immediately jealous of Dr. Nam being there 👀

2/4

Oh god no, they're acting couple-y in front of Tian, pls no, he's too fragile for this. (Sidenote, that market lady selling the spinach, absolute milf, would buy more spinach than I reasonably need)

Dr. Nam has no time for your jealousy, Tian, he is here to be your wingman!

Honestly, Dr. Nam being like "oh you want to know something about someone? Ask them directly!! I will make you communicate if its the last thing I do.." A+

I can no longer type, this trio is killing me, Dr. Nam has 0 chill when it comes to their romantic entanglements, Chief is constant gay panic and fondness and Tian is just bewildered and burning the eggs. I am a husk of a human.

He bought him a new mosquito net!! He cares about your health and wellbeing!!! He wants to kiss youuuuu!!!!! I'm so fine about this.

Chief's getting jealous of Tian/Longtae and I live for the mildest of drama.

"Dog howling night" thats every night in the countryside tbh.

3/4

Dog howling night is NOT every night in the countryside, I take that back, whyyyyy are they doing this 😭😭😭 its weird when you're on your own but as a group activity??? Go have an ice bath.

Tian actually saying thank you without being prompted, thats growth. Chief looked back!! They're gonna kiss so hard one day.

Drake has never played a straight character in his life.

Playing the spinning top game... the flirting rituals... are intricate.

4/4

Besties taking the piss out of him for looking nice for a date. Standard.

He bought a new outfit AND shower gel, boy is thirsty 😌 glad you wore your slut jeans for your hike 😵‍💫

We have unlocked the "tragic backstory atop a mountain" sidequest.

God this is filled with so many of these sussing-each-other-out flirty comments. OH. It's a full on "do you want to ask me out" Chief is no longer playing around (was he ever?) wow... I honestly feel like I rarely see characters flirt this hard or this well? Especially not gay characters who can say "no, I'm not interested in a lot of people, there's no one else and I'm not playing around". It's very refreshing.

He likes her as a sister and Billie Eilish's "I just kinda wish you were gay" plays gently in the background.

Fuckin' monogamous hornbills 🥺🥺

[quadballz]

𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓; one

࿔*:･ﾟi.

next: ࿔*:･ﾟii. | table of contents

BOTH GIRLS sat in the lobby of the hospital, (y/n) still flipping through the pages of the book. "So, are there any clues as to who he is?" asked Yasuho as she rested her chin on the other girl's shoulder. (y/n) shook her head, scanning over the pages like she had been doing ever since they had found the man a day prior. "I want to say that he's a Joestar but I can't confirm anything unless we find a family tree or something," sighed (y/n), closing the book with a huff, "plus, once great-great-grandma passed away, my Kishibe-side put that motto in place so I doubt we have any recent information on the Joestars."

Yasuho pouted solemnly as her grip tightened around the two packages of Sesame Honey Dumplings. (y/n) looked at the other girl from her peripherals, with a soft smile. "I'm sure we'll figure out who he is," (y/n) paused to place a hand on Yasuho's shoulders, only for her to whip her head to look at her with a furrowed brow. "What even are the mottos you're talking about?" Yasuho asked while scouring the other girl's face for answers and only receiving a strained smile.

"Well, as a Kishibe, I was told to never trust a 'Jojo' but as a Speedwagon, it looks like I always have to help a 'Joestar'; and as you can tell, there's a 'Jo' in 'Joestar'," she explained to Yasuho who still wasn't too satisfied. (y/n) smiled and stood up, holding out a hand to the pink-haired girl. "Don't worry," she assured as Yasuho took her hand, "I'm definitely going to fulfill my role as a Speedwagon. Even if he isn't actually a Joestar." Yasuho gave her a smile that made her heart skip a beat and her ears burn.

After pulling Yasuho up, (y/n) turned away, looking at the passersby without a clue as to why she was doing so. "P-plus, it might take a while, but I'm sure he'll figure out who he is eventually! In the meantime, why don't you take those dumplings to him?" Yasuho looked down at her gift and (y/n)'s lack of one. "Hey, didn't you say you'd get him a get-well gift?" Yasuho questioned, while (y/n) gave a playful scoff. "Yeah, of course! I have it right-" (y/n) froze at the sight of her great-great-grandma's old notebook— she forgot.

(y/n)'s gaze robotically fell onto Yasuho's second box of dumplings. "Yasuho, darling," (y/n) began with a few 'seductive' blinks of her eyelashes and with an arm on the wall by Yasuho's head, "think I could have that second box of dumplings?" Yasuho's brow furrowed as she gave (y/n) a knowing look. "That won't work on me, honey. The other box is for Joshu." (y/n) groaned and put her face in her hands, hoping to cover her flushed expression. And also because, ugh, Joshu existed and she just had to be reminded.

"Ugh. Right. That asshole is here too," (y/n) groaned while Yasuho began pushing her in the direction of the gift shop. Yasuho seemingly didn't have a comment on (y/n)'s hatred for him but the girl was far too nice to ever really have such a strong opinion on someone. "Do I have to get him something?" (y/n) whined while Yasuho gave her a tight-lipped smile, "aww, but Yasuhoo, I don't wannaaaa." "If I had to, so do you."

After a reluctant trudge over to the shop, the two girls found themselves standing in front of a shirt with an out-of-date slogan on it. While Yasuho looked through other clothes, (y/n) looked at it with proud tears in her eyes. "I...I think Mr. Joestar would love this," she said with a smoldering look, "I think it would be good to see him in it as a reference for that character I was telling you about." Yasuho looked at the shirt and back to (y/n) with a raised brow, "oh, c'mon (y/n), don't use the poor guy as reference material."

(y/n) hummed and took one final look at the shirt before tilting her head to the side, a pout on her face. She was really hoping to use him as a reference but if Yasuho was telling her not to, she'd have to listen. Well, at least while Yasuho was around. As she put the shirt back, (y/n) saw a bright pink scarf with sequins on it. In an instant, it was in her arms— a tacky gift for a tacky guy by the name of Joshu.

"Is that for who I think it is?" Yasuho asked while stifling a laugh, "please tell me it is." (y/n) gave her a wide grin before showing it off. "If you must know, it is for our dearest friend Joshu who requires some sparkle to bring back his eyesight." Yasuho doubled over before taking hold of the fabric, "I can't wait to see his reaction." "What's he going to react to? The feeling of the scarf?" Yasuho was reduced to a giggly mess while (y/n) smiled and turned to look through the stuffed animal section.

"I think I'll get Mr. Joestar one of these cuties," (y/n) said aloud once Yasuho's laughter had died down. She had placed her chin on (y/n)'s shoulder while the girl picked up a fluffy blue bear. "Think he'd like it?" asked Yasuho while fiddling with the ends of the pink scarf. (y/n) hummed for a moment before scanning the shelves, spotting a yellow dog with a sailor hat. "Hey...doesn't it kinda look like Josuke?"

Yasuho stared at the puppy with a fond smile, making (y/n)'s face burn— up close, Yasuho was awfully pretty. "You know, that guy kinda reminds me of him too." (y/n) brushed off her thoughts and held out the stuffed animal to look at from afar. While squinting, she somehow saw the guy's face. "Heh, you're right-" Yasuho stepped back, leaving (y/n)'s shoulder uncomfortably cold, "-I think I'll just get him this." Once purchased, and despite (y/n)'s complaints, they were off to Joshu's hospital room.

"(y/n)~ Yasuho~ You've come to visit little ol' me~?"

(y/n) grimaced as Joshu puckered his lips and batted his eyelashes while Yasuho gave him a hesitant smile. "Y-yeah! Just making sure you were okay, haha," Yasuho had mustered out before handing him a box of dumplings, "oh, and I got these for you." "Thank you, my little straw~ber~ry~," breathed out Joshu while (y/n) was on the verge of throwing up, preferably aimed into Joshu's gross mouth.

"As for you my favorite otaku~ Did you get me a get-well-present?" Joshu asked with a pout while she gagged. Yasuho nudged her and (y/n) was left to reluctantly pull out the scarf she had been previously excited to give to him. Sadly, the fool still had his vision so the joke was way less hilarious than she had hoped the exchange would be. "A scarf." Before he could say another word, she had chucked it at him and dragged Yasuho out of the room.

His faint shouts were like music to her ears and the sound of nurses rushing to his room to stop him was like a symphony. "So, what room is Mr. Joestar in?" (y/n) chirped as if she hadn't left her childhood enemy screaming at her in a different room. Yasuho hummed and then pulled a slip of paper with a scraggly set of numbers on it. "326," she replied simply, taking the lead instead of (y/n) who had really only visited the hospital to sit in the lobby and draw people when Yasuho was off hanging with her (now) ex-boyfriend.

When they reached the room, however, it was empty. (y/n)'s brow furrowed as Yasuho scanned the room— she had finally met a descendant of one of the people mentioned in her great-great-grandma's diary and now she lost him. Sure, it wasn't like it was of utmost importance but it had been a great inspiration for her new manga. And now it was all gone. "Dammit!" "Ow." Yasuho and (y/n) shot a glance at the mattress where the mystery guy just so happened to be.

"Holy shit!"

The two girls grabbed at each other, screaming in unison as the guy stared at them from the least expected place. "What in the world are you doing?!" screeched Yasuho as (y/n) remained glued to her side. The guy gave them both a sleepy grin that made (y/n) look away while biting her lip— she'd be lying if she didn't say that the Jo-guy wasn't hot and at that very moment she had been thanking her ancestor for passing down such a motto. Helping him meant staying around a pretty face after all.

"Hey, what's with you?" questioned Yasuho as (y/n) was pulled from her fantasies, "what're you doing down there?" Yasuho was definitely the better of the two for asking these questions. "What? Just what it looks like. I'm sleeping. The people wearing white clothes said I couldn't leave for a while," he replied while (y/n) crouched down and placed her chin in her hands, "what Yasuho meant to ask is why you're under there in the first place." The guy raised a brow from under his mattress, looking between the two girls.

"You mean people sleep on top? How would they put pressure on their bodies then?" Yasuho turned to (y/n) who could only muster half a shrug. "Sounds like a fetish or something," (y/n) said halfheartedly, "I mean, my great-great-grandma's friend said her friend had a thing for mosquito bites." Yasuho cringed just slightly before turning to the guy and holding out a box of dumplings that was smaller than what she had given to Joshu.

"Here, I got you a present. I thought I'd bring you something since you were in the hospital. (y/n) did too." As if on command, (y/n) held out the stuffed animal with a lopsided grin, "it kinda looked like you. Yasuho thought so too." Yasuho smiled in agreement and then started rambling about Joshu, his injuries, and why the two had come to visit while (y/n) nodded intermittently and the guy started to slide out from under the mattress. As he did so, the hem of his pants slowly slid lower and lower-

Four balls.

(y/n) broke out into laughter and turned away while Yasuho grimaced and shut her eyes tightly, crying out for him to stop before any more of his pants could fall off. While her friend had spiraled into mumbling against the wall, (y/n) had turned back around to find him examining the stuffed animal. "Like it?" (y/n) asked as he held it out in front of him, letting its limbs flop around. "Yes," he answered, turning to look at her from over his shoulder, "what is his name?" (y/n) hummed aloud in thought while plopping down onto the mattress.

"Mmm...Rohan is a cool name," she said with a smile, "but it's yours to name." The guy looked at her and then at the stuffed animal, setting it down next to her thigh and letting it flop on its side against her. "I like that name too." (y/n) felt the tip of her earns burn— it wasn't as if he had just flirted with her but she found his actions somehow attractive. The guy had now turned to Yasuho's gift, turning over the box and opening it carefully. "What are these?"

Yasuho had turned back around then with a raised brow, walking up beside him, "never had one? Morioh is famous for them." (y/n) watched fondly as Yasuho began to break into detail about the origins of the Sesame Honey Dumplings; ever since they were little, Yasuho had always had an addiction to them which eventually spread over to (y/n) when they became best friends during middle school. "...there's a special way to eat them. You gotta make sure not to bite with your front teeth."

"Oh, don't forget about chewing with your back teeth on the first bite," (y/n) added while the guy tentatively placed a dumpling in his mouth, doing the complete opposite of what he was supposed to. The black cream shot out from the gap between his teeth she hadn't realized he even had. It was...cute. As Yasuho reiterated what she had been saying, (y/n) couldn't take her eyes off him, especially when his odd-colored eyes glimmered with surprise.

MAN, OH, MAN DID SHE HOPE HE WAS A JOESTAR.

this cuts off at a weird spot but i felt this was pretty long already so yeah...lol

[boop-le-snoot]

masterpost ☀️ main masterlist ☀️ taglist

previously on...

Star is getting better, Sam is getting a friend, Stephen is a Sad White Boy™. A layover chapter. I'm not very happy with how this turned out but hey, it's an update and its still pandemi-lovato outside, we gotta be gentle on ourselves. PA turned out to be way more serious than I planned it to be anyways and I think that's very yeehaw of me to expand my writing from the usual almost-crackfics that I write. Love you all 3000.

Days stretched like a piece of chewed up gum, bleeding into one another at a snail's pace, one dull grey NYC afternoon after the other. The hospital wing I was forced to camp out in Tony's tower was top notch but everything, starting from the constant beeping to the sharp, chemical smells, irritated me, and what little strength I had to communicate was mostly spent on listening to Sam's tall tales.

Odette had stopped by shortly after the first wave of weakness had set in; no, I didn't dramatically faint or suddenly develop third stage cancer, I simply turned into a near-catatonic vegetable, devoid of any emotion or will to exist. My bones were like Jell-o, my thoughts - sluggish, sparse clouds that rarely swam in the grey plains of my overtired mind.

My boss was fussing over me for hours, I heard faint echoes of her and Stephen's argumentative conversations before she flipped out and shut the door to my hospital room, strong aromas of incense and smoke briefly overshadowing the bleach and plastic stench every hospital seemed to have. I

I became mostly coherent after her ministrations; enough to see the dark circles under her eyes and the ghastly tone of her skin. More often than not, I couldn't even properly focus my vision, things like using the bathroom and eating three times a day were the worst chores I'd ever had to do.

My body was trying to convince me to wither away, to simply allow the vessel for my spirit to become one with the Earth once more. I had no energy to process what had happened on the foreign planet; when I slept, I didn't dream, I didn't have nightmares, time just flowed like a fast, untamed river, my weary body drifting along the calmer streams of the shoreline and occasionally bumping into a stone of daily routine.

My stubbornness, however, was an inherent part of me. I had considered, many times, simply giving up; the voices in my head whispered at me their poisonous ideas. It would be so easy, to fall asleep and never wake up. They baited me with the promises of afterlife, of golden halls and spaces full of light and warmth.

Sam had started spending a lot of time at my bedside absolutely unprompted; sometimes, he'd hold my hand, gentle, tender fingers drawing senseless squiggles on the inside of my palm. Faint echoes of his aura told me he was worried for me, but also grateful for what I did for Stephen and angry at someone. I tried not to think about the last part: I could sense their pity and their unease every time one of his teammates stopped by my hospital room.

A healthy-looking young woman spending most of her days blankly staring at the wall wasn't a picture-postcard view. Sam wasn't bothered by it in the slightest, and when I finally clawed my way out of the dredges to be able to answer questions with a simple 'yes' or 'no', he promptly lit up, speaking to me in a happy tone that almost wasn't forced.

Tony stopped by, too, usually late in the evening, when he thought I and everyone else was asleep. He sat next to me, his intelligent brown eyes fixed on my face for twenty, thirty minutes at a time before he'd stroke my hair or run a hot, calloused palm over my arm, and then took his leave, slow, shuffling footsteps quietly receding into the hallways. I really didn't know what to think about Tony, he had always been quite quirky, but his gestures were... Nice.

Stephen... Him, his actions, I understood the least. He had argued with Tony, argued with Odette and I was sure I heard him and the Black Widow scream at each other during lunch time. Sometimes I thought I heard his voice, at night, the darkness behind my eyelids suddenly bursting with golden sparks and green bokeh but when I finally mustered up the strength to open my eyes, the empty, white walls were all that greeted me.

Stephen never stopped by, I rarely heard his voice outside of my room and almost always it was one bickering or another, mostly with Sam muttering a few choice words as he noisily sat down on the chair next to me. As much as I hated to admit it, it bothered me. Near-death experiences tended to leave a strong imprint on the human mind and whether Stephen liked it or not, we were connected for life.

"Then Steve, the dumbass, just jumps out of the plane. No chute, no warning," Sam's voice, drifting between fond and annoyed, snapped me out of my stupor. "Robot-brain curses, yells at his boyfriend like he can hear him and just... Does the same fucking thing," the exasperation made a tiny spark of mirth settle in me. I flexed my fingers despite the dull ache, gripping Sam's fingers in my palm. I didn't need to see him to know he immediately perked up. "Meanwhile I'm standing there with my wings, trying to figure out where in life did I take the wrong turn to end up with these two idiots."

"You should get them," I swallowed, my throat dry, my vocal cords tense from the lack of use. "One of those... Backpack leashes," the words were a battle to get out, it was a fight with a brick wall to force my brain to string sounds into a sentence, but I persisted.

"Should I say 'welcome back'?" Sam's optimism is cautious.

"Gettin' there," I forced my eyes to meet his, to see the life bustling in him. To feel alive, even by proxy.

"I should get Strange here, he's been running himself ragged these days, tryin' to figure out how to bring you back," Sam's free hand scrambled for his cell as I struggled to raise my eyebrows. "Yeah, yeah, I was as surprised as you were, Tony barely gets the wizard to sleep and eat."

Faint pangs of shame wormed into my headspace, for assuming the worst when I knew that his façade of vitriol and sarcasm was just that - a wall to protect himself. My rediscovery of the ability to feel, even if it was gooey shame, grounded me in this plane of existence, forcing me to face reality and return to it.

"I feel like shit," for once in my life, I allowed myself to openly, publicly complain about my state of being.

"Yeah, I couldn't tell," Sam's tone was refreshingly teasing. "Odette and Strange explained what you did. Well, sort of," the man scratched his chin. "I understood about half of it, really, but what matters is that you were badass as fuck!"

I struggled to hold onto that sense of being present. "Well, it wasn't my choice," I felt the need to state the fact. "I'm a conductor, of sorts."

Sam's eyebrows rose, both of his hands encompassing my lax palm. "Wizard-man said you consciously directed the energies, or whatever."

I felt the tiniest laugh bubble up from the bottom of my throat, my dry, chapped lips stretched on their own accord. "Because it tickled and itched. It was annoying," I belatedly suspected that there was something... Off, about my explanation.

Sam's gaping expression, exasperated disbelief, put me on edge. "You thought that radioactive ash tickles and severe nerve damage itches?" His head shook from side to side, as if he was trying to get rid of a persistent mosquito.

"Um," I had the decency to look away. "I didn't know it was radioactive," I meekly supplied as the door to my hospital room all but flew open.

Stephen looked - not much better than me, if I had to guess, with the exception of a highly anxious face instead of the (probably) dead inside high school drama club goth that I looked like. The Cape billowed behind him despite a lack of any wind, wiggling as my eyes widened in response to the fabric moving on its own.

"You're okay," Stephen's baritone had me snapping up to meet his stormy eyes with a speed I wasn't aware I possessed at this stage of my recovery. The sorcerer stood silently, eyeing me in turn.

"I'll go get some coffee," Sam delicately interjected, giving my hand a brief squeeze and all but running out the door.

"Radioactive?" I repeated the question that bothered me the most. Shock seized my chest as I fully faced the implications of our impromptu adventure, but I welcomed the acrid sensations, desperate to feel anything at all.

"Yes," the sorcerer took a few long, hurried strides before crashing into the chair. "I didn't notice at first, but then you grabbed my hand and," a jerky inhale followed the confession. "I felt the healing burn, I felt how your body rejected the particles," his speech stuttered. Slender, gloved fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'd be dead in an hour, maybe, if not for..."

I was equally at a loss for words, it seemed. "Weren't we... Harmful to others when we..?" I struggled to form my thoughts.

"You burnt it all off," Stephen replied curtly, puzzled. "Your whole being rejected everything that came from that wretched place. Tony insisted we run tests, do scans. Neither of us have even residual radiation from past x-rays," Stephen's fingers twitched. "But that's not all."

"Your hands?" I offered, remembering some of Sam's words.

A sharp inhale coming from the sorcerer answered my question, if not in detail, and the man himself hesitated to reply for a reason I did not know. I didn't undo the damage, this much I knew was true. He swallowed loudly, eyes firmly planted on the wall opposite me. "They do not hurt anymore," the words were barely louder than a whisper.

I chewed on my lip, slowly, idly, letting Stephen process whatever bothered him that much. He should have been happy, or so I thought, that there was one less thing in this world that had the potential of giving him a headache. "Good," I simply replied, attempting to shrug.

"No, you don't understand," he suddenly lifted his eyes, staring at me hotly. "You did so at the expense of your own life, your lifespan, you energy, your ability to have child-"

I stopped his rant, lifting up one shaky, and my feeble gesture instantly made the tired, broken man deflate into someone that reeked of shame and regret. His shoulders dropped, head briefly touching the side of my bed. For all purposes, I nearly acquired a lapful of kicked puppy Stephen.

Mustering up my very last dregs of energy, I scoffed in his direction: "Don't fucking tell me what to do, wizard," before the familiar weight of apathy began taking over me again. One sluggish thought after the other, I came to a conclusion that he was experiencing a sort of survivor's guilt, except I didn't die.

Or maybe I did? Maybe I'd left some unknown, invisible part of me on the irradiated plains of a foreign world, coming home as a shell of my former self. To their eyes, at least, it could have looked the part; not too long after Stephen's departure, I mustered up the strength and the courage to look into a mirror, to properly see the damage I'd done to myself.

An ashen undertone to my skin, my eyes had sunken deeply into my surprisingly angular face. I had the look of a person who'd survived famine and torture, at least. I appeared to be as dull and disgusting as I felt. For what felt the first time in ages, I carefully, slowly ran myself a hot bath with some of the fancy toiletries placed in the bathroom, because of course Tony would have a full size bath in a hospital room, the steaming, herbal-smelling liquid almost instantaneously giving a boost to my blood flow and speeding up the living energies within my exhausted form.

Sam was waiting for me when I stepped out heated and pruney, a lopsided tilt to his lips and the mouthwatering smell of coffee gathering saliva in my mouth for the first time in days.

"Stephen needs to see a fucking therapist," I grouched, sitting down on the bed, bundled up in a fluffy bathrobe.

Wilson's responding eyeroll was pure reflex. "They all do," he reached out for his thermos, having noticed me eyeing it. A paper cup was promptly filled and given to me. "I can recommend a few, by the way. That specialise in unusual circumstances," he eyed me with kindness, gesturing towards the hospital room with a wide wave of his hand.

I chewed on my lip. "I don't think it will help much, at least right now, since all my hurts are- eh, magical," I shrugged. "I gotta figure out how to stop my limbs from feeling like cooked spaghetti noodles first." The coffee tasted like the usual hospital sludge but somehow, after being devoid of all feeling, it was the single best thing I've had in the past week.

"Seems like a solid plan," Sam agreed. "Your boss is a scary lady, by the way. And I mean it respectfully."

The corners of my mouth tilted up. "Yeah, but she's also very experienced and very kind. She knows her stuff."

Sam quickly looked to the side and as I followed the direction of his stare, i spied a pile of empty Tupperware boxes, causing me to lift an eyebrow at the suddenly bashful man.

"What?" He tried for indignant but it came out as a squeak. "I'm a man, god dammit! I am given free food, I take the free food!"

The realization set in. "She's feeding you now? Did you hit on my boss to get food, Sam?" I wagged my fingers, enjoying the face expressions the man was making, probably, a little more than I should. He looked like a right bird when disgruntled, all puffed up and glaring.

"No!" He almost shrieked. "She cornered me, said I was doing God's work by sitting and talking to you! She just started bringing those... Casseroles, every time she stopped by," the agitation in his voice was quite funny to me. "Not like it's a chore, I actually like the peace and quiet. You've been the best listener I've had in the past year," Sam's grin grew more genuine. "And I don't have to see RoboCop's mug all day or listen to someone argue over the best pasta shape."

"Your house sounds like a nightmare," I supplied conversationally, remembering my own peculiar place and the set of rules and- SHIT, I belatedly realized, someone might went to my apartment to get my stuff and gotten in trouble. "Sam, who went to my place to get my stuff?" I asked, trying to force down the bubbling unease.

"Some lady stopped by, I think her name was also Sam?" He quietly questioned. "Had two kids with her, the boy kept staring at me like I'd stolen his lunch money," the man finished off his coffee, gathering the trash and noisily throwing it in the bin.

"Yeah, that's my neighbor. And Armin is a cool little dude, he's just very shy," I offered absent-mindedly, inwardly breathing a massive sigh of relief.

"He looks like the boy from 'I see dead people' movie," Sam deadpanned, opening a large drawer and extracting my gym bag from it. "I'll leave you to get dressed," we nodded to each other before Sam left the room, phone to his ear and a relaxed atmosphere around his whole being radiating warmth and contentment. That was a nice change from the tense, grim atmosphere of the days past. I could get used to it, could re-learn how to let myself feel like a living being again.

I was eager to return home; stepping in through the portal, my living room greeted me exactly the way I left it the day I went to work, a few books scattered on the couch, my fleece blanket hanging halfway off the couch. Stephen hovered behind me as I set my bag down on the table, immediately surveying the state of my plants and my altar.

"Do you need, um, help with anything?" He was fidgeting, all but vibrating behind me.

Apparently, Sam had talked some sense into the wizard because he stopped by a few times since that day, for a short small-talk or a cup of coffee, the kicked puppy look back on full display.

I told Sam off, of course, saying that I was an adult and so was Strange, but something in his knee-jerk reaction told me that he was so used to playing referee, it didn't even register with him that I might be able to handle my own business. I told Sam that much, taking his hand in me: I wanted a friend, not a parent, not a therapist. It went pretty smoothly.

"No, not really," I figured I could water my own plants and vacuum my own floors. My phone buzzed at that moment, a number saved in my phone as "Tony 😎" coming through with an absolutely outrageous message.

"I'm bringing pizza in 20. You better have Netflix. Tell Dumbledore to pick up his phone."

I promptly thrust the phone in Stephen's face, who instantly developed an equally annoyed and fond expression, as he searched the numerous pockets of his robe for the sleek, light StarkPhone. "Resistance is futile," he sighed, sitting down on the couch as I went to change into something fresh and water my plants while Stephen flicked through my Netflix. I heard him mutter to himself: "Grey's anatomy? Sixth season? Oh my God," with the tone of a man tortured.

"I had a roomie in college who majored in Medical History," I snorted. "When she had a bad day, she'd absolutely pick apart every single thing in the show. From the doctor's misconduct to the way a surgeon was holding the scalpel," I explained, seeing Stephen's eyes sparkle with amusement. "She was absolutely vicious and it was the most hilarious thing."

The sorcerer stroked his chin, leaning back into the couch. "That's acceptable. All medical shows are rubbish," he stated firmly. His phone beeped, causing him to sigh and conjure up a portal within seconds, in the corner of my apartment I had aptly designated to be the landing pad to myself. Tony stepped in, a bottle of wine and three steaming pizza boxes in hand. Smiling at his boyfriend, Stephen turned to me with a curious look: "What did you major in?"

Taglist: @couldntbedamned @mikariell95 @letsby @sleep-i-ness @toomanyrobins @mostly-marvel-musings @persephonehemingway @schemefrenzy @lillsxd @bluecrazedandbeautiful @slothspaghettiwrites @xoxabs88xox @secretly-a-weeb @stuckybarton

[hk-plus-you]

Oh! Okay then, thank you! I just wanted have a match-up because...why not I suppose? Anyways- I'm a cisgender girl and ace/aro! I'm a shy person (as I'm usually on anon for these types of things because of that but it seems there is no anon function here, so uh- welp-), and I'm very quiet till I get out of my shell, which requires a lot of trust for me due to past issues and all. I'm introverted, and prefer to read or draw then try and interact with others unless they start the convo. (pt. 1)

the middle ask got eaten so this is from a dm I don't remember the full text, but here's what I think it was about: I think it was talking about how I dislike loud noises and sudden motions due to past events and my hypersensitive senses due my autism. I believe it also talked about how I forget things easily (as you can see right now lol)

and I can get overwhelmed by negativity easily. (yes, I know it's kinda strange, but it does happen.) I take sarcasm from others seriously, despite the fact I am also sarcastic. I often have no idea what is going on, and I just hop in and out of social interactions a lot, so I'm a bit chaotic. For any hobbies, like drawing, writing, listening to music, collecting and playing video games! I really love cats and any of my interests and will talk forever about them! I'm sorry for this being long

I match you with… Quirrel!

Hallownest is a dangerous and curious place. When you found the Black Egg Temple you see Quirrel staring at the thing. You were about to leave when he turned, immediately curious about what and who you were. He asks who you were and where you were from. He’s polite about it, and doesn’t press if you start feeling uncomfortable. He asks why you’re here, explaining that he has a bit of an ‘obsession with uncharted places’. When he turns back to the egg to talk about it his tone is excited, and spoken in almost breathless excitement. You awkwardly thank him for telling you what he knew of the egg before leaving. He seems nice at least but you wanted to continue exploring.

Most of how you explored Hallownest was just by being large enough to outpace anything that tried to attack you, and smacking what you couldn’t hard enough with a large stick to kill it. The strategy wasn’t elegant by any means, but it worked well enough.

Somehow, you found your way to Lake of Unn. You weren’t planning on approaching the moss knight, instead turning to the building.

To find Quirrel polishing his nail inside.

You stood at the door frame for a moment,  unsure what to do. Noticing your pause, Quirrel invited you in, patting the place beside him on the bench. He talked about the way here and how he enjoyed the lush Greenpath. You agreed on how the place was beautiful, but you weren’t exactly fond of the strong vinegar smell you couldn’t escape. The large mosquitos and chargers weren’t exactly endearing you to the place much more.

It’s then he noticed you didn’t have a proper weapon of some sort, just a particularly thick stick on the verge of breaking.

Immediately he was worried for you. You were out here on your own with that?! What happened if it broke? What if you encountered something with a shell that a simple stick couldn’t break?

He immediately offered to take you to the nailsmith, there were plenty of nails just scattered around that you could use that would be a hundred times more reliable. As nice as it was that he offered you also never even touched a sword -er- nail in your life. You wouldn’t be able to properly wield one if you tried. 

He’s growing more concerned by the second. You’ve gotten this far on your own but… Things are only going to get more dangerous.

You assure him you’ll be okay before leaving again. You wanted to find a place that smelled at least a little better than greenpath.

Thankfully the City of Tears fits that bill. You’re tired and just looking for a bench to sleep on. They’re typically pretty safe and the sound of rain was rather calming. 

For the third time in a few days Quirrel cheerily greets you, happy to see you again. You sit beside him, noting how you couldn’t seem to stop running into him. You two chat about the way here, the city itself, and eventually about personal interests. Before you realize it you’re rambling to him about the stories in your favorite games. 

When you meet him again it a similar story, Though Quirrel’s failing memory becomes more transparent, and you do what you can to reassure him. If he’s getting his memories back maybe as he explores he’ll keep remembering? For now you’d stay near the city of tears, most other places too dangerous or too overwhelming for your senses (much to your dismay). At least the guard gave a clear signal of when they were going to attack and could easily be tricked into dashing into various dangers. You just had to pack an extra pair of clothes and wear a waterproof jacket and shoes so you weren’t walking around sopping wet and cold.

You’re sitting at the blue lake drawing, a headphone in one ear to listen to music, when Quirrel startles you out of your focus. He greets you, and something seems off. You ask if he’s okay and he talks about a person named Monomon, his old teacher, and the duty that had stripped him of his memories from before. His teacher who he helped by giving the key, his mask, to end her life...

You hadn’t even noticed the missing mask till he mentioned it. Though that isn’t important, and you ask if there is anything you could do to help him feel better. It feels a bit awkward, but he gives the closest he gives to what he can to a smile. 

Quirrel thanks you for talking with him. He’s just feeling his old age catch up and misses his old teacher. With his former duty done he isn’t sure what to do.

You offer the idea of resting in Dirtmouth for a time. The town was peaceful and the bugs kind, having some time to rest and think may do him good.

He leaves his nail as you two make your way back to the sleepy town. Quirrel takes his own house, glad to finally have a place to rest his weary joint, a permanent place this time.

Your friendship with Quirrel is simple, but strong. You now visit him often, bringing and sharing things from your own home. He tells stories about his travels, about what he can remember from Hallownest before the infection, and what he hopes for in the future.

[alastair-made-me-undo-it]

if you had to pick some of your favourite wren fics which ones would you pick? Dinner Date (post/162085432252) was brain melting and the recent Hela one had me on my KNEES basically i'm saying i am so happy they are still writing and not left in the tumblr purge

WELL THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION, ANON.

I am extra fond of all the ones that we collab’d on, but those are all at least three years old, so lemme have a wander through their more recent stuff and I’ll tell you my favorites:

Mischief

Wren’s tags: Voyeurism, threesome, oodles of sex, size difference.

I like it because: HOBBITS, MAN. It’d never occurred to me that they’d be as hungry for sex as they are for food, but Wren has opened my eyes.

Peter Parker Bangs Everyone

Wren’s tags: Male/male sex scenes.  Dom!top!Peter in all scenes.  Contains a staggering amount of porn logic.  This is a silly silly smut story and not a model for healthy sexual practices.  As a legitimate warning: Peter is seventeen in this story, and although he’s very eager and willing, he is initially sexually approached by a much older man.  This story also involves sex tapes, sizekink, fetishization of age difference, dom/sub dynamics, very mild humiliation, a goddamn orgy, and slightly more plot than you’re expecting.

I like it because: Well, he bangs EVERYONE.

Bad Luck Alley

Wren’s tags: Nonconsensual sex (mostly romanticized), transphobic language, fetishization and abuse of a trans person, body shaming and dysphoria triggering, vampirism and the associated biting/feeding, implications of pregnancy, sex in a gross alley, some gaslighting.  Please be careful, do not read this story if you’re not sure that you’re okay with it.

I like it because: FUCK ME, MATEO

Applause

Wren’s tags: Kidnapping, mindgames, humiliation, knife violence, bondage.  Not a reader insert story.  At the end of this story is an illustration involving blood.

I like it because: JUST FUCK MY SHIT UP. (This story has two sequels which are linked to at the bottom.)

Chained

Wren’s tags: Bondage, knifeplay (no cutting), shifting dom/sub dynamics, mild mean talk.

I like it because: I, too, would like to fuck Loki.

Mosquito

Wren’s tags: Name-calling, rough sex, hair pulling, face-stepping, humiliation, biting, choking (but not really because vampires don’t need air), some vampiric blood-drinking action.  This is consensual, but the communication is terrible.  Rough play like this should always be discussed ahead of time.

I like it because: OTHER PEOPLE FUCKING MATEO IS ALSO GOOD

Dinner Date (I know this one was specified in the ask, but  F U C K )

Wren’s tags: Discussions of a trans male character on his period, having sex with a character who’s really really into that.  Although this story is generally healthy, Mateo is a little pushy.  A Mateo/Reader story.

I like it because: And again, for the people in the back; FUCK ME, MATEO

Timebomb

Wren’s tags: Mentions of electricity play.  Power imbalance.  This is a kink situation that has been meshed with a mentor/student situation in a way that I wouldn’t advise.  The scenario was not adequately discussed ahead of time.  Having said that, everyone enjoys themselves and this is not a darkfic.

I like it because: TALK DIRTY TO ME

Just give me a minute

Wren’s tags: Underage sex.

I like it because: Good, quality, sex-is-new-and-exciting nostalgia feels.

Encryption

Wren’s tags: This is a crackfic and I, Wren, am sorry.  Collab with Threatie, so you can blame them too.

I like it because: Okay, yes, this one is partially me. And yet it remains the greatest thing I have ever, and possibly will ever write.