#divergent drabble

[localcanadiancreature62]

My Thoughts on Fiddlestan

Okay you people are literally all or nothing with these mfs,like it's either all gut wretching angst or all tooth rotting fluff. So i raise you,"what if it was both?" aka i made them have a good time but they also have Issues ✨. @misteria247 you might wanna see this one cuz i know you love Fiddlestan lol.

So first things first,their first meeting. They would meet soon after the portal incident when Fidds' sanity is slowly starting to slip from the first several usages of the memory gun and he ends up going to Ford's house after having a vague familiarity with the place as well as a desire to make amends with his friend while he still remembers him,only for him to see Stan at the door. A man wearing his best friend's face. Stan lets the guy in while still keeping the ruse of pretending to be his brother after he just faked his death,trying his hardest to pretend that he knows what Fidds is talking about regarding the portal and Ford's time in college.

A few weeks pass,and Fidds get the slight suspicion that he's not actually talking to Ford as "Ford" brushes off his science-y ramblings with "I don't understand" or "I'm too tired to hear about it maybe later",when he knew that the real Ford would know exactly what he's talking about regarding his ideas for modern computers or Schrodinger's cat as well as gladly ramble along with him even if it's 2am at the time instead of ignoring it. He also realizes that "Ford" surprisingly knows nothing about anomalies and either tries to shoo creatures away or just beats the hell out of them rather than studying them whenever they have an encounter with gnomes or something,plus the fact that he gets jumpy whenever an eye-bat appears. Fidds is still sane enough to notice these "tells" and so he confronts the man about it despite Stan already being nervous about not being able to keep up the act. Stan decides to come clean after the southern man literally backed him into a corner while interrogating him about who he is and where the real Stanford is,he explains the truth about Ford's disappearance and that he's trying to fix the portal while having no idea about how his brother's science mumbo jumbo works. Fidds' expression of anger and fear changes into guilt sympathy and even intrigue as he regrets trying to aggressively gouge the man for answers,when the grifter turned out to care about Ford all along instead of selfishly stealing his life for success. He wondered about Stan's relation to Ford and the man explains that he's Ford's twin brother and that they had a rough patch in their brotherly relationship which lead to this whole mess. Fidds then offers to help fix the portal since he's the one who co built it and Stan couldn't be more than happy,although with the condition of no more lies as that impersonation fiasco genuinely scared him which Stan agrees to. They didn't get along at first with Stan's stubborn personality and tendency to tease others at random while Fidds was just really tired and he wanted to get Ford back so that he can get out of this whole mess,but they managed.

Throughout the building of the portal,the two begin to bond regarding their history with Ford and how the man inadvertently screwed them over with his ego. Then talking about how they always felt inferior in comparison to everyone else (Stan with Ford,Fidds with his rough and tumble ranch family who roughhoused constantly while he was a scrawny nerd),discovering that they weren't so different as they thought. Stan ends up taking his partnership with Fiddleford more seriously as he soon realizes that they only have each other,while Fidds starts to humor Stan's teasing and occasional goofing off since he doesn't have anyone else to turn to with Emma may and Tate still refusing contact from him ever since the divorce (just so that Fidds wouldn't yknow. cheat on his wife). They soon become friends who often look out for each other with Stan trying to stop Fidds from overworking himself while Fidds teaches Stan about quantum physics as he tries really hard to understand despite being the "dumb" twin.

Fidds' use of the memory gun becomes less frequent as he didn't have a reason to blast himself with it anymore due to finally having someone that understands his troubles with Ford and the darn triangle feller,no longer feeling as though he had to forget everything as he had someone to talk to about all of this (i mean in canon he wouldn't never went insane if Ford fucking talked to him and explained why he's still going through with the portal with his desperate desire for approval). Stan sees his steadfast love and support be appreciated by someone besides his ungrateful brother,while Fidds sees his unwavering loyalty and handmade gifts be cherished by someone who cares rather than ignored by his egotistical friend.

The fact that the two found someone who cared even when they have their own troubles means a lot to them,this steadfast love and concern was what made Fidds and Stan slowly fall for each other. Stan finally found someone who appreciates him and sees him as worthy even with his many mistakes or occasional stupidity while Fidds finally found someone who won't waste his loyalty and kindness in favor of their own selfish wishes (*cough* Ford *cough*). They're finally happy,after dealing with so much pain. They had their happy ending,or did they? 😏.

While they WERE in a healthy and loving relationship,things weren't all sunshine and rainbows. Stan outright refuses to talk about his problems in fear of being a burden to his nerd plus the emotional walls he put up were too strong even when he tries to be open toward the southern man which always ends in him not wanting to talk about it,meanwhile Fidds opts to metaphorically run away from his issues by using the memory gun to forget every argument and misunderstanding he had with the drifter (which were mostly caused by the memory gun in the first place). Whenever they have a problem with something that the other does that isn't related to the portal,they don't set boundaries they don't talk about it they don't confront the other about it,they do NOTHING.

Fidds slowly starts to go insane again as he starts forgetting about Stan at times with his use of the memory gun whenever they have an argument which is a LOT of arguments as every couple doesn't always agree with each other,he lashes out and has a paranoia episode over either imagining Stan being a stranger that wants to hurt him or him being Ford that wants to take revenge on him for quitting the project which obviously upsets the drifter but he doesn't do anything about it as he cannot afford to lose the one thing he has left because of his dumb problems (little does he know,is that he's already doing it. he's already losing Fidds cuz of his issues). Stan on the other hand,starts treating Fiddleford with the same codependency that he gave Ford with him expecting the hillbilly to always be there for him and always put HIS interests at heart despite the man having his own wants and needs with his Mcgucket Labs project. Thus Fidds is being taken for granted again while Stan is confused and angry over why this hick is ignoring him and trying to abandon him like Ford did (Stanley your brother issues are showing).

It only gets worse in the moments culminating to Fidds' insanity,where Stan doesn't even know who his hillbilly partner anymore while Fidds is completely unaware of the torment he's putting Stan through with his erratic behavior and amnesiac ramblings. Stan was there for the tapes,he was behind the camera with every transition as the southern man told him it was a little experiment regarding the memory gun and he believed that at first only to soon realize that Fidds was literally frying his own brain with that gun after reading his notes about the electricity that erases the memories plus the side effects of prolonged use. By the time Fidds had that car crash,he quit the project again and stopped seeing Stan as he left the drifter alone to fix the portal by himself albeit with more knowledge of how it works due to the various quantum mechanics lessons the man drilled into him. He just needed to figure out the elaborate codes to actually activate it. Stan missed Fidds as he was guilty about their last interaction being an argument about the memory gun and even encountered him but with a new red robe while the man went on and on about some memory cult,but he knew that the man is too far gone for him to make amends with.

Stan then ended up using Fidds' Mcgucket Labs money to support himself but then he realized that it won't be enough as that business was just a start up gig that didn't had the chance to become successful due to the portal and the memory gun,so he had to come up with another way to survive all alone. Then he went to the Dusk 2 Dawn convenience store and saw that everyone was interested in Ford's weird mad scientist house,taking everyone there as he saw that people's interest in the freaky things in that house would make great revenue for him. The Mystery Shack (originally the Murder Hut) was born,and Stan had finally left his life of being a miserable grifter behind. However.. he still saw his Fiddleford rummage in the trash or make killer robots in the news sometimes. He yearns for what could've been yet he shakes his head as he knew what he had with the nerd was currently unsalvageable in his current insane state.

[lihhelsing]

Waiting on You

written for @steddiemicrofic, Promtp: ‘Pin’ | wc: 388 | rated: M | no warnings

Eddie was on his stomach, head resting on the pillow and his hair pinned up on top of his head while Steve's fingers slowly traced his spine up and down.

Steve liked to do that. His fingers moved on Eddie's skin feeling the different textures of it. The softness of most parts and then the roughness of his scars. 

Eddie didn't like them, but Steve loved them. They told Eddie's story. They proved Eddie survived.

They made it possible for Steve to know what Eddie meant to say to him at that last second before the biggest battle of their lives. Even if Eddie still hadn't said it, Steve could wait.

So he did. Waited as he and Eddie danced around each other. As each touch seemed to hold so much meaning even if neither of them said it out loud. 

Steve wasn’t pining over Eddie. He wasn't. He was just... waiting. For him to be ready for Steve to love him. And Eddie was getting there, Steve knew it.

So he waited, and he traced the lines of Eddie's body when it was just the two of them and he ignored Robin's constant teasing about how badly he was pining over his best friend. 

"At what time is Robin getting here?" Eddie asked, pulling Steve out of his thoughts. 

It was their weekly scheduled movie night and Robin would probably complain a lot about third-wheeling but Steve knew she secretly loved seeing them like that, all cozy and domestic.

"Not for another three hours," Steve said, hand sliding to the side of Eddie's torso. 

"Good. We've got plenty of time, then," Eddie said, and before Steve could ask what he meant, Eddie was wiggling his hips in the way he did whenever he wanted Steve to do something about it.

It made his body hot and his fingers slip down until he could press it between Eddie's asscheeks. He was still loose from the night before and Steve was taken by all this need to feel Eddie's body under him. 

Steve draped himself over him, pressing his dick on the swell of his ass and kissing his neck. Eddie shuddered under him. They hadn't kissed yet, but Steve didn't mind. 

He didn't mind waiting because he knew Eddie was it for him, and they were almost there.

[teencopandthesourwolf]

SAME

for the @sterekdrabbles 12.04.24 challenge. the prompt words were: lush, wakeful, and lethal.

.

Stiles was in for a long, wakeful night. 

He was devastated when Derek left after Mexico, but had been doing okay for a while now.

Then the werewolf came back—a lethal blow for Stiles moving on.

It'll always be him.

A huff from his open window had Stiles looking from his bed to see unnaturally blue eyes. The wolf padded silently over, resting front paws on Stiles's comforter, waiting. 

Stiles sighed, then sunk his fingers into Derek's lush fur.

Fuck it. 

He said, “I love you,” and when Derek whined and licked his face, Stiles realised maybe that was okay. 

.

[ilcantodelsoleil]

i like to imagine gojo realising that geto is the only one in the world who has ever understood him earlier. they are two parts of a whole, the right and left atriums of a heart that cannot function without its adjacent side. so in this timeline, gojo sees geto getting haggard and pries just that tiny bit more, holds onto him just that tiny bit harder, in between his endless stream of solo missions post riko's death. sleepovers become regular again; there are whispered conversations veiled by the whirring of geto's obnoxiously loud ceiling fan about grief and purposelessness and isolation and regret, but the cicadas chirping through his open window are a constant reminder that the world continues to turn with them, around them, in spite of them. this was still the happiest summer of both their lives.

"are you the strongest because you're gojo satoru, or are you gojo satoru because you're the strongest?" geto asks at some point, and this time the conversation isn't laced with the cyanide of a bitter almond, and there is no shinjuku crowd to keep them split apart like a river from the sea. instead, they are connected by a blanket and barely brushing fingers, hanging in the delicate balance gojo is battling to maintain. he forbids the iron of the world from sharpening geto's golden heart into a knife's edge; gojo himself may be a perfectly polished weapon, but he'll be damned before he allows geto to become void of his gentility and morality, his unwavering humanity.

"i'm okay with righteous bullshit as long as it's coming from you," gojo murmurs, just a minute before they fall asleep. the vulnerability in his voice seeps into the inch of space between them like blood on his hands, which he will soil time and time again if it means he can preserve the pearl of their youth for which he will die before it loses its lustre.

"and one day we'll change the world– because we're the strongest, and i can't do it without you. so we're stuck together from now on, 'kay? let's go kfc tomorrow, fuck yaga."

and just like that, it is not hard. it has never had to be hard. how sad that it ended up so.

[mollywog]

Complicated

They've finally made it to a place where they’re stable enough that he doesn’t need to spend every Sunday out in the woods. The girls have stopped outgrowing their clothes and with the spring, Katniss’s morning hauls bring what they need for the week. He still loves it beyond the fence, but after years in the mines, six days a week, even a favorite pastime can make a man weary. So lately he’s forgone his hunts for time on the porch rocker.

But this morning he’s back in the woods at his wife’s insistence. She’d said she was worried about Katniss in an unusually cryptic way that suggested she wanted him to judge for himself. Katniss and Ruth are both headstrong, two peas in a pod, though he knows better than to speak it to either aloud. As a result, the tough conversations come better from him.

He’s paid particular attention all morning, but can’t seem to pinpoint the source of his wife’s anxiety. Though she has only just turned eighteen, Katniss seems to have grown into a woman overnight. Or maybe this has been a long time coming and he’s missed it in the dim light of evening. If anything, she seems to be alight from within.

It isn’t until it’s time to dress their kills that he understands his wife’s concern. Katniss’s glow vanishes, replaced by a palid green hue before she loses her breakfast behind a bush.

Shit.

He crouches beside her, his water flask in hand, “let’s sit down and talk Catkin.”

“Do we have to?”

“I don’t need the particulars, just a few questions,” Where her mother would lecture and fret, he knows there’s no use in the would’ve/should've - what’s done is done. “How far along?”

“Not long, but I’m keeping it, if that’s what you’re after,” she says, clutching her midsection protectively.

He nods, “and you know who the father is?”

“Of course,” she snaps and he’s glad to see she’s still got fire despite her exhaustion.

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t realize you had a boy. Does he know?”

“Not yet.” He lets his silence speak for itself. “It’s complicated,” she adds defensively.

“Is he free?”

“One final reaping. Same as me.”

“That’s not what I meant. Is he free?”

She scowls, “No papa, he’s not married nor bound.”

He tisks, “Then I can’t figure what could be so complicated about it. Unless you don’t think he’ll do what’s right? Or maybe you don’t want him?”

She sighs, “it’s not that either,” she rubs her eyes, “I’m gonna tell him, but if I do it now he won’t want to wait to get married and that would ruin things for him.”

“Hmm, Is he a fool?”

“What? No!”

“If you trust him, you should tell him. If he respects you, he’ll heed your concerns. You’re a smart girl, I’m sure you can figure it all out. If not, you'll always have a home with your mother and I.” He means it, but he feels ten years older than he had just this morning, with the thought of their present security gone.

“Thanks papa,” she says, and he smiles despite his concerns. “I’ll think on it.”

Their trip to town is made in silence as he tries to imagine the man and the circumstance but comes up blank; not even a guess.

Their first stop is the Mayor’s, then Cray’s, then the butcher’s. He stands back and watches Katniss handle the trades. It fills him with pride.

When they arrive at the bakery, she falls in step behind him, and he takes the hint to lead. He’d bet she’s looking for a buffer if the baker’s witch of a wife is around, but fortunately for them one of the sons answers today; the youngest if he recalls. “Is your father in?” he asks.

The boy straightens, “Yes sir, but I’ll be handling trades from now on. Come summer, I’ll be the new baker.” The kid’s eyes flit to his daughter then back to him, “I just got word that my loan was approved. I close on the bakery July 5.”

“Really?!” Katniss’s voice catches him off guard and he turns to find her open delight at this seemingly trivial piece of town news, before she drops her eyes to her bag. He looks back at the boy who’s still beaming at his daughter and the pieces fall into place.

‘It’s complicated’ - hadn’t that been what Ruthie’d told him all those years ago when he’d asked her to marry him? He supposes it might have been even more so if her parents had been considering selling her the business and she’s been expecting his child.

The pair regain their composure enough to complete the trade, though neither quite successful at hiding their giddiness.

“Complicated huh?” He says as they walk back towards the Seam, “let me guess, a little less complicated come July 5?”

“Maybe so.”

He hums, “just don’t wait till then to tell him.”

What If?

[wangxianficrecs]

as it should be by Sienne

as it should be

by Sienne (@sienne-k)

T, <1k, Wangxian

Part of Exploring Tropes: Time Travel

Summary: Post-canon Lan Qiren time travels to before the Cloud Recesses lectures. The Cloud Recesses are quiet and peaceful, something his home hasn't been in years. ...In fact, it is too quiet and peaceful. Kay's comments: This story made me cackle. Just. The thought of Lan Qiren taking off to Lotus Pier randomly and just straight-up kidnapping Wei Wuxian so that he can get his nephew-in-law as soon as possible. The added fanart was also really well-done! Super funny! Excerpt: He decides to do his lonely younger nephew a favor (and himself, but that part he won't admit to) and gift him his future husband early. It does not matter that they have not met yet - he knows how their story goes, and if he can save Wangji over a decade of suffering, then by gods he will do it. If Lan Qiren himself gets a very inventive, engaging and intelligent research partner cum nephew-in-law earlier, all the better. If he gets a grandchild early, or - heavens, what joy it would be! - a few grandchildren, then he will not complain, certainly. So he informs those who need to know that he will be unavailable for a day or two - he does not foresee any complications that would warrant a longer absence - and leaves for Lotus Pier.

pov lan qiren, canon divergence, time travel, time travel fix-it, crack, humor, kidnapping, lotus pier, drabble, fanart

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[deadkraker]

ok had a reblog that awoke the cTommy demons in me so let me just rant for a second about my very specific flavour of cTommy I've made up ok? ok.

you know how like there's stories of kids surviving in the woods by themselves and living among animals? well my ctom is that but with a twist basically.

he spent about his all his early childhood (1 to a 8 year old) in the woods, alone, and like, he was living his best life honestly, I think that he'd sometimes spy on some village kids on the edges of the village but otherwise he was totally content to just frolic in the woods and eat bugs n shit.

but then cwil found him and was like 'oh no whats this child doing running around covered in mud living in a forest' and just kinda picked him by his scruff and carried him home, not really understanding that the kid he just picked up might not be a human child that needed that sort of assistance, all children bite right? like it's totally normal for them to claw at the walls of the home, begging to be released back to the wild for the first week they're inside a home? yeah. and the shiny eyes and claws are just quirks he's sure. this child is perfectly normal and meant to live among humans.

after a while tommy kinda warmed up to wil even when he didn't really understand why he had to do a lot of things, why on earth were shoes necessary anyways? the shirts and trousers he got, they were soft and made him warm in chilly night but god, shoes were his worst enemy. and wil would also develop a fondness for him, and after that they kinda began traveling together.

wil mostly saw tommy's habits as just little odd quirks, and unless it intervened with thing he deemed important he let the boy be.

but then the wars happened and wil became very strict on how tommy should act, how he made the state look bad by climbing trees and walking around barefoot getting his uniform all dirty and untidy, and tommy you have to wear the tie, don't you care what they will think of us if my right hand man won't even dress properly?

and despite all the efforts he made to understand why the things that his brother- no, his general said were important and should matter, the uniforms made his skin itch and the long depatings and peace negotiations made him miss the vague memories of the days where all he had to be was himself in the forest. at least he had tubbo, he'd never leave him.

woops, wil dies, other shit happens, tubbo becomes the president and then exiles him, leaving him, cdream's abuse makes him both regress and progress with his masking, he's never been so much of a starved animal and a obedient follower as he was now, a wild thing kicked and tortured until any form of affection got his complete trust. only for it to be blown up like everything else.

he escapes, finds a safe place, get betrayed, flees again, holes up away from everyone else, because apparently this people thing that everyone seemed to be so in on just wasn't his thing.

some people offer to try and help him, and he accepts. once again.

they say he needs closure, which sure, he'll get closure, dream's in prison now right? it'll be safe right?

one cracked skull and revival and he's proven wrong.

but is it just me or is he kinda..odd now? a boy that once couldn't stand still to save his life, now just watched in the background, with those creepy dead eyes that were nowadays covered by those bangs of his. he seemed more like a ghost than ghostbur ever was.

he just wanders around in the woods, and the claws that had been clipped short by wil now were untrimmed, I swear I saw him hunt a bunny and kill it with his hands alone one time!

he doesn't really talk to people like he used to, mostly he sticks to chatting with tubbo and cranboo, cphil's tried to talk to him, tried to apologize for how things turned out..but he doesn't really get anything back from tommy. he seems more busy with collecting bugs and skinning small rodents for their skulls to try and unpack years worth of complicated feelings towards everyone in his life, maybe things would've been better if he'd stayed in that forest of his, at least he sometimes wishes so.

[oatmealdaydreams]

Okay, I know I have a bunch of random AUs already, but hear me out...a better world, better timeline au? Yeah.

Fiddleford never using (or scarcely using) the Memory Gun. Fiddleford going back to his wife and son, taking a break from Stanford and his work, just leaving it behind for a bit. Fiddleford meeting Stanley on his way back, leaving him with the news that his brother is in some sort of danger with what he's doing. Stanley visiting his brother a lot earlier, thanks to Fiddleford telling him the address. Stanford getting help a lot sooner. Fiddleford figuring things out with Emma-May and Tate.

And it all first stems from a midnight phone call.

[waywardsou2]

Post Movie Head Canons: Wade x Logan and the girls - Part 2

I've made a part 1 that you can find here. I love found family and there is no force on earth that will stop me from creating content for it.

All of this is written with established Logan x Wade btw

I said before that I think that Wade and Logan would try and get an appartment of their own down the hall from Al (Wade's too attached at this point to leave her) For a while I think Laura would live with them. It would be two bedroom with them giving Laura full control over everything in her room. Wade earned a decent amount of money from his job in car sale, and though it's not much it's enough to slowly work their way up to filling the appartment

I know Wade said at the end of the movie that he was done from his job but I still think that him and Logan go find a job so that they can support each other and now their daughter Laura. So they probably go find some other jobs.

I think Wade goes into working at some local store. Somewhere where he can chill but ultimately still be useful and get paid. Maybe he's a custodian at a gym or even a shelf stocker at Wallmart. Something that adds to their finances but doesn't run him down like the car sales job did. Logan probably an Engineer or something, working down at the local garage. He's had a decent number of cars in his years so he's had to learn

Both of those jobs pay well enough that they can slowly buy appliances that they didn't have. Their appartment originally had a couch a dining table, microwave, oven and a dishwasher. Wade was affronted by the lack of TV and Logan was affronted by the lack of kettle for his morning coffee. So they were first on the list. Their respective rooms had a bed and a bedside table.

When they told Laura that she was getting her own room she kinda just went slient. Her "own room" had been four white walls and a metal stretcher with a raggedy old blanket. But when she saw that she had a full bed. Wooden frame, soft matress and a quilt. As well as some small beside draws she didn't know what to say. She just sat on the bed with her hands lightly tracing the small embroydered battern on the quilt.

Laura had never really met any mutants her age since the labs and after she got pruned she never saw anyone else like her afterwards. So the night she met Yukio and Ellie she became very attached very quickly and so did they they often came to visit. I'm unsure of which timeline Wade's universe is in, in accordance with the X Men timeline so I don't really know what that situation is but they more or less move in with Wade and Logan. Neither of them have families that accept them (hence why they are at Xavier's school) and they are still learning to X-Men and control their mutations but they also just want to feel normal. Wade and Logan give them a place to do that.

Ellie and Yukio share the bed with Laura and the three of them vibe throughout the day whilst Logan and Wade work

I think that Wade and Logan decided that if Laura want's to live a normal life she can, so they offer to send her to school. Give her the modern, boring life of any other human. And she decides to give it a try. Gabriella told her about things like that after they escaped. And so did her Logan. But she never got the chance.

I like to think that Logan and Laura would trade stories from their worlds with Wade. Logan would talk about Kayla and what happened to the X-Men and all the little moments and missions they had. Laura talked about the life she had with Logan before he died and she got pruned. Eventually sharing their backstories and Wade would share his. His upbrining (or lack of) and how he got to know Al.

I also think that at least once a week the Wilson-Howlett family go and have dinner with Al, they cook together and joke and eat and at the end of every night as the Howlett's walk back Wade stops to talk to Al and says "Don't die before me. You gotta outlive me you crazy bitch" and Al replies with something like "Not if I kill you first mother fucker" Which is just their way of saying 'I care about you deeply'

[phantomstatistician]

Fandom: Goncharov

Sample Size: 755 stories

Source: AO3

[localcanadiancreature62]

Fiddlestan au memory tapes quick drabble

@maya-custodios-dionach this one's for you.

"So Mcgucket,are you ready to see your memories?" "I don' know. What if ah don't like what i see?" "You have to,it's your only chance of knowing who you are" Mabel remarks as Mcgucket then nods and watches as the braces girl puts in the memory tapes. A young Mcgucket appears on the TV screen as the twins hear a familiar raspy forced cough. "Fiddlesticks,are ya sure that you wanna do this?." Young Stan asks in the background of the video as he holds onto the camera while Fiddleford glares at him. "Of course i'm sure,darlin'. Now get the darn camera rolling. Anyway. My name is Fiddleford Hadron Mcgucket,and i made this new invention so that i can unsee what i just saw. Something terrible. Test 1. Subject name,Fiddleford Mcgucket." Fiddleford remarks as he closes his eyes and blasts the memory gun on himself. The scene then switches to an amazed Fiddleford as the second test comes around. "It worked!. I don't remember a thing!." Fiddleford exclaims as Stan rolls his eyes behind the camera as he does NOT want to do this although he compromised for the sake of his southern nerd. "But ya still remember me,right?." Stan asks as Fiddleford looks at him once more. "Course',Stan sweetheart. Now onto the next test." Fiddleford replied as he left the frame but then before the next tape plays,Mabel gasps in shock from discovering that Stan was actually dating Mcgucket. "GRUNKLE STAN WAS BOYFRIENDS WITH MCGUCKET?!. WHY DIDN'T HE SAY ANYTHING?!." Mabel yells as Fiddleford looks at her confused,as he too doesn't remember being with the con man. "Now i've seen everything. I can't believe it. Grunkle Stan,and the town kook?." Dipper says as he shudders in slight disgust. Fiddleford then expectantly looks at them both. "Look children,ah don' know about me datin' yer uncle either. But before ya start jumping to conclusions,let me see the rest of my memories first " Fiddleford remarks as the twins nod and play the tapes again. A more deranged Young Fiddleford appears onscreen with various crossed out eye symbols in the background. "I made a community where people can use my invention to unsee the things they saw!. The experiment is a success!." Fiddleford exclaims happily as Stan sighs in disbelief in the background. "Fidds,isn't this getting a little out of hand?. This sounds kinda nuts with the whole 'community' thing." Stan asks as he refers to his southerner's cult while worrying for his sanity. "You're nuts!. I'm finally picking up mah life again after that insufferable bastard ruined it and now you're going to get in the way too?!." Fiddleford shouts as the grifter starts to grip the camera harder,if the audible static-y sounds of him playing with the camera are anything to go by. "Jeez. Relax. I'm just worried for ya,y'know?." Stan replied as the southern man ignores his comment and the scene switches to an even more unstable Fiddleford. "I did somethin' bad. This was a mistake,i'm forgettin' my name my job and everything!." Fiddleford says as the scene quickly switches to Day 189.

"I accidentally hit someone with mah car. I feel tegible,t-terrible. Terrible. I've been forgettin' words lately. And Stanley.." Fiddleford remarks as even in his slowly slipping sanity,he holds onto the memory of the grifter whom he has already abandoned at this point. "I seen something!. Something big!." "I realized that i've been losin' mah hair,so i got this hat from a scarecrow!. Get outta here ya darned critters!." Fiddleford says as he tries to shoo various animals away from his place at the dump. Fiddleford then utters incoherent gibberish as he makes a triangle symbol with his fingers over one of his eyes as the tape ends. "Oh, McGucket, I'm so sorry." "Aw, hush. You kids helped me get my memories back, just like you said." "But did you want those memories back?" "After all these years,I finally know who I am. Maybe I messed up in the past, but now that I seen what happened, I can begin to put myself together again." "I won't be able to put MYSELF together again after hearing that you and Grunkle Stan were apparently lovers." Dipper remarks in disgust as Mcgucket and Mabel laugh. The rest of the episode goes exactly as canon,with Mcgucket saving the gang from getting their minds erased by using his own empty mind as a shield as Dipper then erased the Blind Eye Society's memories of their own cult as he and Mabel go home after happily helping the town kook.

[powerful-niya]

The Tell-Tale Heart

❀Fest No Jutsu 2023❀

Naruhina Oneshot Available on: AO3 | Wattpad | Fanfiction.net |

Prompt claimed fulfilled for @wickermayne 🥰

❀Naruhina RomCom❀

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Summary: The Fourth Great Ninja War ends and Konoha is at peace; Hinata Hyuga contemplates Naruto Uzumaki's unexpected desire to spend more time with her.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Tags: Blank Period • Canon • Canon Divergence • Declarations Of Love • Drama & Romance • Fake Relationship Trope • Fluff • Happy • Happy Ending • Humor • Light Angst • Love Confessions • Mutual Pining • Naruto Universe - Freeform • No Smut • Post War • POV Third Person • Romance • Teen Rated  •Tooth Rotting Fluff •

Word Count - For Entire One-Shot: 8.4k.

Word Count - Tumblr Post: 3.3k.

❀Preview:

Today in Konohagakure, the temperature was moderately warm.

The shining sun rose high in the cloudless, blue heavens, beaming with happiness where it took center stage above.

The residents of Konohagakure, enjoyed every moment of the new day, a day of peace and fun, as the sun smiled down on them with warm but pleasant beams.

The summer breeze flowed through the busy streets of the village, sweeping green leaves within its gentle wake where they carried on powerfully, just as the ninjas, Konoha's defenders, have done each and every day.

A year had passed since the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, allowing Konoha as a whole to at last settle down.

The streets were alive with laughter and chatter, with kids flying kites and pretending to be the ninjas they idolize, racing full speed through the crowds with their arms thrust behind them as if soaring.

Smiling villagers of all sizes and ages filled the streets, setting up their businesses and outlets to cheerfully trade their produce and wares with one another.

All around, structures and residences stood tall, having all been rebuilt from the devastation that numerous battles, particularly the Pain onslaught, had wreaked upon them.

Konoha was now endowed with brand-new structures, fresh possibilities, and new beginnings.

Ninjas, villagers, and children alike were all beaming and renewed—all appreciative of the timeless peace they had gained by never giving up, by consistently standing up for what is right, and by moving onward no matter what.

Konohagakure was now at peace.

Aside from Hinata Hyūga.

In the midst of the happiness that beamed all around her, the young kunoichi found herself having quite an episode: fingers twiddling together, her breathing escalated, cheeks red, and her mind in scrambles.

Hinata traversed the streets of Konoha dressed in her typical ninja garb, accompanied by her longtime team members and companions, Kiba and Shino.

Kiba, her loud, ferocious friend, shot her a glance with his slitted eyes, lifting an eyebrow as he sensed his shy friend's worried state.

After all, it was Hinata's idea to get together so the three of them could go for a walk through the village, get some fresh air, and just spend some time in each other's company.

However, Kiba and Shino have observed Hinata to be extremely fidgety and quiet the entire time, appearing to be preoccupied with a problem that both ninjas were overly conscious about.

Hinata was unable to stop talking about it after all.

Kiba groaned and shook his head, causing his brown curly hair to tussle about, brushing against the nape of his neck due to its increasing length.

To lighten the mood, the cheerful canine ninja gave Hinata a gentle shove with his elbow—just with the side of his folded arms.

He laughed as he caught the surprised squeak that flooded out of her lips, her body jolting as a result of being shoved out of her troublesome thoughts.

"Come on, Hinata-chan, stop overreacting already. It's not that bad." Kiba remarked with a gruff tone and an amused grin, his lips stretched wide to show off his razor-sharp canines.

Due to his delighted smile, the red triangles on his cheeks raised just a touch, his features quite robust and well-defined given his maturing age.

His voice, which had become deeper over the years, was emitted in a halfhearted manner, with little worry detected within, which did absolutely nothing to calm Hinata's anxiety.

Hinata's predicament was only made worse because of it.

Her pale cheeks grew even redder, and she found herself hiding behind the curtains of her long, midnight-blue hair, unable to meet Kiba's gaze.

"No, th-this is..."

"It's just Naruto, Hinata-chan. What does it matter whether the knucklehead wants to spend time with you? Big deal."

Kiba muttered impassively once again, simply shrugging his shoulders as if everything was normal—and especially normal for Hinata.

She shook her head. There was nothing normal about her situation.

Hinata took a glimpse at her brown-haired pal through the strands of her dark hair, only to be struck by the nonchalant expression found on his tanned face.

Kiba didn't seem bothered by her predicament or even able to understand why she was feeling the way she was, for the matter. It was certainly a sight she just couldn't comprehend.

It was quite obvious why she was so worked up.

Hinata bit her lip briefly, to deal with her nerves.

"B-But every day?" Hinata exclaimed, apprehensive.

"A-Am I the only one who finds it strange that Naruto-kun is suddenly spending so much time with me? It's s-so odd."

Hinata's meek voice broke through the gaps of her delicate lips, bursting into the village's midday hum. Such comments of hers would have been drowned out by the din of the crowd, but Kiba's keen hearing picked up on her words flawlessly.

He heard her loud and clear.

Kiba shrugged.

He genuinely did not perceive anything wrong with her current "situation."

Kiba thought Hinata was acting rather ridiculously, in fact. Every time Naruto was brought up in their many conversations, she would just revert to her usual flustered self.

The mere mention of the goofy blonde ninja always causes her to flush red all over and sends her into a stuttering frenzy. Even in her primary years, she would faint just by being in the blonde's presence.

Hinata has always been a flustered mess around Naruto, but even now, after having Hinata as a teammate for so long, Kiba has never been able to understand the immense anxiousness she would feel because of the blonde.

Apart from the fact that Naruto was now regarded as a war hero as a result of his heroic deeds during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kiba still saw him merely as a hyperactive, dense, brainless knucklehead.

He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that anyone would feel immense anxiety around someone like him.

It was all quite ridiculous.

Kiba found nothing odd or different about Hinata's frenzied behavior nor about Naruto's desire to spend more time with Hinata. After all, they were all growing closer to one another—every single one of their friends—now more than ever.

Nothing's strange there.

Shino, on the other hand, saw a different picture.

He let out a hum of curiosity, bringing to light his presence as he walked alongside Hinata.

His eyes were shielded from the sun by black shades, so others couldn't see his facial expressions as well.

One hand of his was buried in the pocket of his long jacket, while the other lifted to stroke his chin.

"Now that you mention it. That is strange."

Shino's voice emerged from his mouth, somber and monotone, phasing with the pleasant breeze around them. He too joined the conversation between Kiba and Hinata, voicing his concerns about the current situation at hand.

Hinata's dilemma.

All in all, it shouldn't really be a dilemma.

Hinata was aware of this.

Her predicament shouldn't be one that keeps her up at night, sends her in a tizzy, and leads her to become a hot, stuttering mess whenever she thinks about it.

Naruto.

Naruto was her dilemma.

Since the war has ended and all of Konoha has spent its time relishing the peace, Naruto has been exhibiting a variety of behavioral shifts—shifts that were pretty different and quite apparent—particularly because they diverged from the customary behavior tactics he has always demonstrated.

Such changes were all very unusual to Hinata, changes that she was unable to interpret or understand.

To put it simply, Naruto's been acting quite strangely toward her.

How strange you might ask?

For starters, Hinata thought it was somewhat odd of Naruto to unexpectedly develop the longing to devote every waking moment with her.

It seemed weird to her that he wanted to see her every day at the same time at Ichiraku Ramen in order to spend time with her.

Hinata bit her lip a bit harder.

She could hear him now.

"Let's eat out again, tomorrow, Hinata-chan. At Ichiraku, same time, same place. I had such a great time with you, dattebayo!"

Hinata could still clearly remember what he said to her almost a day ago when they shared a meal together at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

Even then, he showed signs of immense eagerness for her that she had never seen him show before.

Hinata recalled how he constantly barraged her with many subjects of discussion, even as he spoke to her while stuffing ramen noodles into his mouth.

He told her several of his own tales, including mission experiences that actually made her laugh quite a lot. More than she's ever done in her entire life.

It was all so... strange.

Don't misunderstand Hinata; Naruto's excitement was refreshing, albeit a little overwhelming.

Indeed, Hinata has always wished to spend time with Naruto, and she can't stop herself from enjoying those moments when she gets to sit beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and share a meal and a conversation with him, especially after the war is all said and done.

Sharing such moments with him has always been her dream.

Hinata relished the moments when Naruto lavished her with lots of attention, gazing into her eyes with a true sense of joy and care, and wanting nothing more than to spend as much time with her as he could.

And maybe, she's just overthinking.

Maybe, she's just blowing the entire situation out of proportion.

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but she was unable to ignore Naruto's peculiar behavior toward her, including the very difference in the way he spoke to her. It consumed her mind and bugged her so much.

Hinata has made a constant effort to understand why Naruto's behavior has drastically changed in the way it did toward her and why he suddenly developed the urge to hang out with her so excessively.

This was a really big deal to her.

Hinata couldn't help but mull it all over.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, Naruto changed from scarcely recognizing her to having just fleeting conversations with her to obnoxiously craving her company all the time.

It's such a drastic change.

This cannot be a coincidence, she thought.

Hinata occasionally found herself questioning whether Naruto's motives were sincere; she wondered if perhaps he was merely allowing himself to be close to her out of pity.

Pity for her losing Neji.

Yes, the war was officially over, but even so, there were still a lot of wounds that needed to be healed, and Neji's death surely left a lot of them. A lot of wounds.

Hinata occasionally finds herself becoming very sad at the mere recollection of Neji being dead, no longer living in Konoha, but instead buried with the other valiant ninjas who fought in the war.

She would frequently experience severe depression as she recalled the events leading up to his death and once more realized that he had indeed left this world and never to return again.

Hinata often thought of such depressing memories and felt their suppressive effect on her throughout her day-to-day life, and thus, she often thought that is why Naruto wished to spend so much time with her.

Because of pity. Because of guilt.

However, she always dismissed the idea, labeling herself as ridiculous for having such negative thoughts about her dear Naruto-kun.

As a result, Hinata discovers herself becoming quite enthusiastic about the alternative reason she came up with for Naruto's behavioral changes toward her.

And that was a result of authenticity.

Maybe, just maybe, Naruto has come to want to be close to her from a genuine standpoint.

Maybe he secretly yearns to be close to her, yearns to learn more about her, or, better yet, just genuinely enjoys her company.

Maybe, Naruto has come to yearn for something more.

But just as Hinata thought of such a thing, just as she allowed her fantasies to intertwine with her thoughts, she was quick to shake them off.

Hinata squealed, covering her eyes with her hands due to her lewd thoughts.

'No, no, that can't possibly be it!" Shaking off the idea, Hinata exclaimed in a frenzy fit in her mind. It was absurd for her to think that the frequent outings she would have with Naruto were anything romantic.

Yes, Naruto yearns to see her virtually every single day.

Yes, he genuinely offers to pay for her meal at each and every get-together.

Yes, he regularly gives her his jacket whenever she grows cold, without her having to utter a single word.

But...

Those were merely the acts of a friend, Hinata thought, a friend that truly cares.

'There's nothing romantic about that.' Hinata dismissed once more, hysterically shaking her tomato-red face as she hurried on carelessly, her open-toed shoes kicking up dirt every step of the way.

However, she was interrupted from her thoughts when she once more heard the voice of her enigmatic friend, Shino, speak after a little period of silence between the three of them.

"Hm, it almost seems like the two of you are dating. Maybe that's what Naruto wants."

It was only hearing those words from Shino that led Hinata to completely lose it.

She began to feel lightheaded. Terribly lightheaded.

'Me? D-Date Naruto-kun?!?' Hinata practically screeched in her head. She was going to faint, she just knew it.

It was only a matter of time now.

She whipped around to face Shino, in an effort to quickly dismiss such a ridiculous notion from his head. She couldn't bear it.

Hinata sweat dropped, her cheeks flushed red, "No, no, Naruto-kun and I aren't d-dating. Dating o-or romance, for that matter, isn't possibly the reason for all of this. There has to be a-another explanation..."

"Hm." Shino rubbed his chin once more, "It's quite obvious what's going on here, Hinata-chan. Naruto's sudden and enthusiastic yearning to spend more time with you when the war is over. All of it seems to be pointing towards the possibility that his eyes may have opened after all this time." Shino hummed.

"The evidence is right in front of you." Shino expressed with a nod, as he tried to piece together the situation and come up with a solution.

Kiba, in contrast, just shrugged. He merely found the two humorous, trying to solve an issue that was so clear.

He shook his head, "Hinata-chan, come on. You gotta stop overthinking."

He brushed his shoulder against hers yet again, doing so with a groan, "Good kami, all of this Naruto stuff is getting you ridiculous, Hinata-chan. Come on, think about it. Isn't this what you always wanted?" He asked, blurting out what he knew had to be said.

With wrinkled brows, he gazed down at the midnight blue-haired woman beside him, watching as her lavender eyes widened at his remark.

He tilted his head, his expression somewhat solemn, "Isn't this time spent with Naruto, or rather, him wanting to spend time with you, something you always wished for?"

Hinata's eyes widened even more. Even her heart skipped a beat.

It was. It's all Hinata has ever wanted.

She's spent her entire life walking behind Naruto, always staring at his back, longing for him to turn and notice her.

She had yearned for him to realize her presence, to recognize all the times she had followed him, supported him, been influenced to become stronger by him, and even risked her life for him.

She yearned to be by his side, showering him with her affection and reverence.

She wished so badly he would one day look at her the very same way she looked at him.

That is all she has ever wished for—Naruto to notice her.

And now...

Hinata's breath caught in her throat as Kiba's words flashed through her mind, finally waking her up and causing her to realize what a blessing this entire situation was for her.

The sudden acts of Naruto wanting to spend time with her; and the genuine smiles he showers her with.

The big, warm hugs he gives her the moment she arrives at Ichiraku Ramen.

The jokes, the laughter, the smiles.

Everything.

Hinata finally considered every bit of her situation, and she used the opportunity to take a step outside of herself, away from the troubling emotions that were stifling her, and instead take in the situation as a whole.

Her breath hitched.

Indeed, she has always wanted this.

Always.

And now, with her eyes opened, she has realized how silly she has been.

She has done nothing but speculate about Naruto's motives, questioning herself as a whole for liking his behavioral shifts.

She was so worried and anxious about the whole thing, as well as flustered and embarrassed by being so close to Naruto so suddenly, that she entirely failed to notice the positive elements of her predicament.

But now...

A smile arose on Hinata's face and in that moment, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She suddenly felt the worries she's been dealing with for a couple of weeks now set sail and fly away.

She finally sensed herself becoming free from her worries; free from it all. All thanks to her friends; Kiba and Shino.

She really needed this chat.

Because now, Hinata could finally see the situation from a different perspective, a more positive approach to her situation, and now she finds herself a little bit more...

appreciative.

She bawled her fists tight by her chest, biting her lip briefly, "Y-Yes, this is what I have wanted." She whispered, finally voicing out her own wants for a change, voicing that she indeed has always wanted Naruto to notice her, just in the way he has recently.

Kiba and Shino exchanged a joyful grin, both ninjas flawlessly catching their bashful friend's answer even in the midst of the raucous outside noises around them.

It was undoubtedly like music to their ears, and they were both comforted by the fact that their friend's sentiments of embarrassment and worry were no longer clouding her judgment—no longer keeping her troubled.

The two men were pleased to find that their efforts had been successful and that their words of caution and contemplation had not been merely ignored or overlooked.

Kiba and Shino were certainly pleased to see Hinata finally diverted from her mental woes and the clamor of her irrational thoughts, which had previously blinded and hampered her. And ultimately, keeping her from finding happiness with the one man that almost everyone in the village knows can greatly comfort and increase Hinata's level of contentment.

Peace was now assured.

Kiba exclaimed joyfully, "See, there you go! So I say, quit your overreacting and relax! Enjoy the peace already!"

He shoved her shoulder again which actually caused Hinata to giggle, her body swaying a bit.

"Kami, if you're so worried about Naruto spending time with you, why don't you just ask him? Who knows, Shino might be right, your precious Naruto-kun might have finally woken up." Kiba teased with a laugh.

Hinata instantly gasped, her head space once again flooded by overwhelming thoughts, her body riddled with feelings of flusteredness.

Throughout Kiba's entire speech, one particular detail caught her attention the most.

My precious Naruto-kun.

Hinata's blush rushed back to engulf her whole tenfold, "H-Hey don't call him that!" The flustered kunoichi exclaimed in embarrassment before reaching over to slap Kiba's folded arm.

But her gesture of getting him back due to his teasing only pushed the brown-haired male to laugh and tease her even more.

"Oh, Naruto-kun! My precious Naruto-kun!"

"St-Stop it, Kiba-kun!"

"No! You make it so easy, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata grumbled, her heart racing in her chest as she was teased by Kiba but soon comforted by Shino.

After all was said and done, however, and after a much-needed conversation with her good friends, she found herself looking forward to the dinner get-together with Naruto.

Now, more than ever.

[skygemspeaks]

"Why not escape the Heavenly Capital alive first, then find a chance to look for them later? Why did you insist on recognizing your son when the situation was so dire? I simply made the best possible decision for all parties in the moment."

Feng Xin wasn't nearly as calm as Mu Qing. "Best possible decision, my ass! You can only say that because it's not your family!"

"That's right!" Mu Qing yells back, cutting off Feng Xin before he can continue berating him. "YOU are my family!"

Xie Lian, who had been about to step in between them to mediate as he usually did, froze in his tracks. He turned towards Mu Qing, mouth open and eyes wide as he tried to figure out if he'd heard correctly.

Mu Qing's face was beet red and he had taken a step backwards, body trembling as if he was fighting the urge to flee, or maybe take back what he'd said.

Xie Lian's eyes darted to Feng Xin, who was staring at Mu Qing blankly, all the fight having drained out of him.

"Y-you and his highness are my family," Mu Qing reiterated, stumbling over his words and only getting more flustered as he spoke. "And I know that I haven't always treated you the way you deserved in the past, and I know that you probably don't feel the same way about me, but that doesn't matter to me. As long as you both are okay, I don't care about what happens to anyone else."

Xie Lian swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, feeling tears pricking at his eyes.

Unfortunately, just at that moment he felt a sudden wave of killing intent, and dove forward to knock Mu Qing out of the way, shouting, "Watch out!"

[hannahhook7744]

Hay Que Volar, Hay Que Encontrar Su Propio Futuro!

Summary: The night Pedro dies isn’t the first time he and Alma have seen that river.  Title in English: You Have To Fly, You Have To Find Your Own Future.

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“¡Ay dios mío! ¡Pedro!” Alma shrieked, splashing her boyfriend as he hunched over with laughter after she slipped into the river that was slowly becoming their spot. 

All while both of their brothers (Raimi and Benito) and their friend, Alejandra, cackled in amusement. 

“¡Lo siento, lo siento!” Pedro gasped out between his laughter, not looking sorry at all. “Lo siento, mi amor.”

Raimi snickered. “ I don’t think he’s all that sorry, mi hermana. Though I can’t say I blame him, how do you trip and fall into a river that’s six feet away?”

The dark haired girl scowled at her younger brother. “It was not that far away!”

“Was too.”

“Was not, tu pequeña mierda!”

“Ooo name calling are we now? What would Mamá and Papá say, Señorita Perfecta?”

Alma glowered and splashed the teen in the face, which only made the others—Pedro included—laugh more.

“Pedro!”

“¡Lo siento, lo siento!”

[mollywog]

@wistfulweaverwoman and I were talking about secretly sentimental Katniss and I added low-key superstitious to my HC…

So, here is a moment from a Canon Divergent AU whe Prim and Peeta weren’t reaped.

“Oh! I almost forgot.”

They were nearing the fork in the road where their paths would diverge. After school ended Peeta had stayed on at the bakery working full time, a job that would last as long as his oldest brother remained unmarried. His delivery run coincided with Katniss’s trading route; as a result they had begun bumping into each other on Tuesdays. She had initially been reluctant to interact with him, but had slowly accepted his presence on their shared journey, had begun answering questions in more than one word utterances, and eventually started asking her own. The Tuesday he caught her loitering on the path, waiting for him on a day he was running behind, he knew they were something like friends: though he would never be so forward as to suggest the label in front of her, lest he scare her off.

“Yeah?” He stopped turning to face her as she rifled through her bag, exclaiming as she found what she was looking for, tossing the item in his direction. He instinctively caught it, just as impulsively dropping it. It was furry: possibly living, definitely at one point living. He wasn’t sure whether to hope it was dead or alive. He prodded it with his shoe, it didn’t move - thankfully? He still wasn’t sure.

It looked like a mouse but he couldn’t see legs or a tail. He didn’t mind mice, he’d seen his fair share dead and alive at the bakery, he just didn’t particularly like being surprised by them.

“Umm, What did I do to deserve this? This doesn’t seem ominous at all” He looked up at her bemused grin. She was obviously enjoying his confusion and he enjoyed her amusement so he proceeded in mock terror, “Is this some kind of a threat? Should I be worried? Whatever it is, I'm sorry.” He said, raising his hands in surrender.

“It’s a rabbit’s foot” mirth evident in her voice, as if that cleared the whole thing up.

He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow.

“For luck!”

He shook his head.

She pointed a finger at him indignantly. “No, no, no. Don’t you look at me like that Peeta Mellark! This is not some silly Katniss thing. Everyone knows that a rabbit's foot is good luck! Me, Prim, my mother: my dad made sure we all had the left hind foot from a hare felled on a full moon.” She ticked off the criteria on her fingers as she spoke, “I’ve been waiting all week for the right moon! Or does your side of town not believe in luck?” She finished with an air of superiority.

He rolled his eyes “Sure we do, it just usually comes in the form of four-leafed clovers, or wishbones, or kisses” he winked as he tapped his cheek expectantly.

He was hoping she would blush; for someone so deadly, she was adorably pure. Instead she affected a too-innocent air as she opened her bag “I’ve for the rest of the hare in here if you want to give that a try.” She was a terrible actress but he loved it when she teased him back.

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. I bet he won’t look too kindly on me; being the reason he’s dead and all” He bent down, picking the charm off the ground, holding it up for closer inspection.

“You’re not: Sae’s stew is the reason she’s dead. Just a happy coincidence for you.”

“Well in that case: What else you got in there I can kiss?” He reached for her bag playfully.

She turned away from him, hugging the bag to her body as she laughed: He loved when she did that too. That he could elicit the sound made him feel 10ft tall. Biting back a smile, he averted his attention back to the paw. “Thank you, Katniss”

They resumed their trek in companionable silence. She had been the only person he had told about the position at the school. If he got the job, he could leave the bakery and free his brother from any guilt in proposing to Flora.

“Peeta” he paused at the sound of her voice and the feel of her hand on his forearm. He looked down at her hand, before meeting her gaze “Just to be safe” he was momentarily confused, but then she tightened her grip, pulling him down just enough to plant a feather light kiss on his cheek before rolling off her toes and darting away towards the Hob.

He daftly watched her retreat, laughing as he secured the gift in his pocket. Apparently the rabbit’s foot was working already.

[tikapaprika]

Finally.

He finally caught her.

Shikamaru didn't want to be here. If it were up to him, they wouldn't be participating at all. But he couldn't break it for Ino and Chouji, not when they looked so excited and filled with hope.

The entire situation was troublesome, he had more important business than avoiding death without break.

Throwing people into an arena to watch them kill each other, all in a desperate attempt to salvage the pitiful political skills and lack of rationality among shinobi. Yes, it was fun, how entertaining.

"Chunnin exams my ass." He whispered, not understanding the hype, the urge to win and bother with more responsibility.

But the raging stare before him definitely did.

His opponent wasn't having it.

Shikamaru glanced at his shadow, following its path, it connected to fishnet socks and a form-fitting purple dress. Her cheeks were red, hot with pure anger.

She clearly wanted to win. Shikamaru didn't understand. He didn't understand the mad eyes watching him as if he had shattered their whole reality, obliterating every possibility in life she ever had.

She wanted that win. He could see it clearly.

Everyone watching them still in their seats, they shut their previously offending mouths, now fascinated with good performance. They watched her raised hand, eagerly anticipating her next move. Shikamaru didn't care, their amusement wasn't all that interesting. He shifted his focus to her hands, his gaze gliding from the raised one to the other.

The other hand was supposed to be relaxed, non-threatening, and stuck into his grasp.

It wasn't.

It took a different form than his own.

Shocked, that's what he was as the side of her leg oozed red. Her nails dug, making it worse, scratching, digging inside what appeared to be a shallow scar.

The green, filled with anger, changed. He noticed its little secret.

Fear.

Behind it hid hardly visible fear. It yearned to win, to crush him so badly, almost childishly.

He must've had so little chakra left to allow her hand to move. Or did she have so much willpower? Was her fear purely so powerful?

"I give up." He said, yawning afterwards. But he secretly wondered why anyone would do such a thing because of a simple loss.