#even if it's confusing to the offer-ee at first

[yvtro]

You said something about Eastern European Armand hcs? Expand on that please, I'm so curious!

this took me so long because i have *so* many and it was hard to be selective and not make it into an essay. here are some that i think still work good within canon (there's lots of stuff that is more contemporary and better for non-vampiric aus, but that's a whole another topic)

i am positive that armand's native language is early ruthenian. he would also definitely know old church slavonic. as for modern times, i'm sure he would be interested in learning ukrainian, and be very obsessed about his duolingo streak.

andrei might not be even armand’s first name. (not a well known fact but) slavic people used to give their newborns temporary names for the time of their childhood, and only give them “proper” names when they were old enough to make sure they will survive. plus, well, andrei is a western name, while the child name he had would probably be a traditional slavic name (which were not looked kindly upon by the churches because they were “pagan”) 

armand would be a great host, which is something that also relates to his habit of creating safe spaces for the ones he loves. hospitality is perhaps the best preserved tradition in the region, and people are *very* serious about it. eastern europeans will clean their houses for hours just because someone told them they will drop in for a cup of tea, and then proceed to apologise to the guest for its "terrible" state ("it's like an actual brothel here, i'm so sorry" is the phrase my mother uses lmao). and no matter you came for a tea, you will get a 3 courses meal. the food part is of course something doesn't work for vampires, but i think all the seriousness and formality of being a host can remain. (also, you might be best friends/family with your host and they might logically know their house won't offend your sensitivites and that you don't care for being served like nobility – doesn't matter. it's an imperative)

complaining without realising that it has cultural significance. complaining in ee is a matter of small talk, you complain for sport, or for no reason at all, and if there's nothing to complain about, you invent something for this purpose. and usually no hard feelings are attached to it; it's a way of bonding with people (and talking about nice stuff in your life or around you feels a bit like bragging tbh.) i like to think armand will find something to complain about at all times without realising people around him believe he *actually* finds it disagreeable. he would tell daniel 5-star hotels they are staying at are *terrible*, the weather is dreadful whatever it is, people around are too loud or too quiet, this movie is *so* bad (no, don't turn it off, he's enjoying it), the instructor at a night class they went to was incompetent and annoying (yes, they are going to the next one, what kind of question) etc.

there exists a popular assumption that people who smile for no reason are either stupid, insane, or on drugs. the amount of times my family/friends directed my attention to a person who walked down the street smiling just to say "what is wrong with them"– i think armand would absolutely do that. daniel, what is wrong with this human. what are they so happy about? answer me.

offering things. i don't think most people think about it (i do as an immigrant, because the cultural difference still confuses me at times) but if someone offers you something it is polite to refuse at first and kinda go back at forth, but ultimately you *need* to accept whatever they want to do for you. i think because of that armand would come off as forceful when giving people stuff, which goes well with "devil's minion." like, daniel might say he doesn't want something, but that's just a thing people say, so he will nag about it and daniel *will* receive whatever it is. this point is literally canon tho, i just like to think it has a bit more cultural significance to it.

[fastenwick]

Wick's IZ characters meet the OCs that inspired them: Part One

D1b Membrane meets Kaster Bluewing

(@ambassador-d1b created in 2022, Kaster created in 2013

Ft mentions of @ukagaka-zim , @honeysicklesprouts , @game-slavers , and @aik-membrane)

Two characters are put in a nearly empty room. No doors, windows, or decor. Just two chairs, a table with food, and a note. The note reads "Enjoy your time together." The food products are Mac N Cheese, roasted pieces of meat with a type of savory jam dipping, gum drops, chunks of dried sugar, and coffee.

D1b blinked and looked around. He couldn't quite remember how he got here, some person put him here? But he couldn't remember their face… Oh well, Zim would come get him soon. He wasn't hurt or anything. He spots the table and reads the note to himself.

"Huh… Enjoy my time with the food? Is it poisoned?" D1b popped a gum drop into his mouth to check. Tasted fine.

Suddenly, a blue creature had joined D1b. He was a bit shorter than D1b. He wore a black vest that seemed two sizes too big for him and well worn with matching shorts. He had dark blue skin, overgrown black hair with an uneven cut, and vibrant green eyes and a cat-like slit for a pupil. Instead of five blunt toed feet, he had three sharp toes, almost like claws or talons. And he seemed to be covered with scales, and there was a scar shaped like claws down his cheek.

"Woaaaah." D1b's jaw dropped and the gum drop fell out, forgotten.

The boy blinked and stepped backward. "Uhhhhh. Hi? Who are you?"

"What are you??" D1b rushed forward to study the newcomer.

The kid meeped quietly in surprise, tense, but not protesting as D1b poked his shoulder, touched his hair, and checked his mouth.

"You have fangs!" D1b squealed. "And so many sharp teeth… Scales and claws! Ooooh, a snake tongue!"

"Uh huh?" The kid just nodded stiffly.

D1b realized he just swarmed a stranger and scrambled back. "I am so sorry!"

"It's. Fine?"

"It's just, I've never seen anything like you before! And that's saying something, I work with aliens and have seen all kinds of crazy shit," D1b rambled.

The kid nodded, making a popping sound by pressing his lips together and separating them quickly.

"Anyway, I'm D1b Membrane." D1b held out his hand to the kid.

The kid tilted his head and looked at D1b's hand, trying to see if something was inside.

"Oh, you shake it," D1b explained.

"Shake. It?"

"Like this." D1b took the kid's hand and gently shook it.

"Huh. What for?" The kid took his hand back quickly.

"It's a human way of greeting."

"What's a human?"

"I'm a human." D1b gestured to himself. "What's your name?"

"Kaster Bluewing."

"Nice to meet you, Kaster!"

"Nice to meet you too? Where are we?"

"I have no clue." D1b looked around. "This note says to just enjoy our time tog-... Ohhhhh, someone wanted us to meet!"

"Who?"

"No clue."

"Oh. I have no clue either. Probably even less of a clue than you. Actually wait no, no clue is zero clue and I can't have less than zero clue, that doesn't make any sense. Unless you have slightly more than me? Since you were here first? I'll shut up." All the words practically fell out of Kaster's mouth a million miles an hour, with no pauses for breathing or replies. Kaster sat in the chair, looking embarrassed.

D1b blinked, trying to catch up. "Uh. I mean no? I don't. I don't know anything. What?"

"What?"The two sat in silence for a second.

Kaster sighed. "Sorry, I'm not the most… social person."

D1b chuckled. "It's okay, I'm not either."

Kaster seemed confused. "You said you work with… al-ee-ens?"

"I do, that's about all I socialize outside of my family," D1b explained, taking another gum drop and sitting down on the other chair.

"What are… aliens?"

"Oh, basically just creatures not from Earth." D1b waved his hand in dismissal.

"What's… E-urth?" Kaster asked hesitantly.

"Aaaand you're an alien. Earth is my planet," D1b said, offering Kaster a gum drop.

Kaster took it, studying it between his claws."What's your planet like?"

"Timore? Oh, not anything special. I haven't seen much of it anyway, maybe the other Shards are more special." Kaster set the gum drop down on the table and picked up one of the pieces of sugar.

"I've never heard of it," D1b mused.

Kaster shrugged.

"What do you mean Shards?" D1b took a sip of coffee.

"Oh, the planet is split into six pieces called Shards and slowly collapsing in on itself," Kaster said casually, biting into his sugar.

D1b choked on his coffee.

"You would think more people would notice that before it became a problem, but nope! Took two something thousand years, I think. We're working on it, though!" Kaster didn't even notice D1b choke.

"Elves??" D1b squealed.

"Yes?"

"What else is on your planet??"

Kaster rubbed the back of his neck, thinking very hard. "Uhhh. Imps, werewolves, sprites… griffins, uhm. Tesels of course. And those are just the nice ones I've met so far. The mean ones are gargoyles, trolls, and wraiths."

D1b sat there stunned for a moment.

"I know there are others too, my dad told me about fish people called sirens," Kaster continued. "Well they're not really fish people, they have fishy tails and then they look more like a tesel on the top. They have scales like me, though!"

"I know fish people!"

"You do??" Kaster practically bounced out of his seat.

"Yeah, one of my best friends! Sprouts is a fish person, kind of. Also they're dating a werewolf," D1b explained.

It was Kaster's turn to choke on his piece of sugar. "They're DATING?? Oh my gosh, how did you get them to get along???"

"I. Didn't? They've always been friends." D1b seemed confused.

"How?? I have issues just getting a tesel, imp, and werewolf not to kill each other, much less be friends," Kaster huffed.

D1b shrugged. "You'd have to ask them?"

"Maybe I will. If I can. Wait, they're on your planet, aren't they? I can't then, that sucks," Kaster sighed.

"Well, I could give them your contact information?" D1b offered.

Kaster blinked. "My what? Like where I live? I don't have a village."

"No, like your phone number."

Kaster just looked at D1b blankly.

"Do you not have a phone?"

"... no," Kaster admitted sheepishly.

"Do you know what a phone is?"

"Uhhhhh nooo…" Kaster rubbed the back of his neck.

D1b sighed. "Well, what does your planet use to keep in contact?"

"Uhm. Talking?"

"No no, what device?"

"None? Well, letters. I mean there's some magic spells for long distance messages, but Lurya knows more about that than me, I don't know magic." Kaster munched on a piece of the meat.

D1b blinked. He'd never run into a planet that had no tech at all. "You guys have no technology?"

"Oh no, we do. Well, the gargoyles do. But we don't know what exactly. Some sort of teleporter," Kaster explained.

D1b was silent, momentarily baffled at the idea of a planet having teleporters but not phones or something similar.

Kaster got nervous in the silence. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No?"

"Oh, good. I say the wrong thing a lot. Well not a lot a lot, but often enough to know that there is a chance I said the wrong thing. A pretty high one. Not like as high as the chance of Erxi saying the wrong thing, but higher than Baraq. Wait no, maybe we're equal? No no, I think my chance of saying the wrong thing is definitely higher than Baraq," Kaster said, once again the words tumbling out of him at high speeds.

D1b blinked and shook his head. "What?"

"Uhm. Sorry, my internal monologue wasn't internal again… That kind of happens when you're not used to anyone listening. That isn't sad, by the way!"

D1b still hadn't quite caught up with what Kaster was saying. "Huh?"

"No no, I just mean it sounds sad! But people don't ignore me, I swear! I just haven't really talked to people in. Six years? Four? Somewhere around there." Kaster continued to munch.

D1b's brain failed him for a moment while Kaster chewed. "That. Was a lot of information."

"Sorry…" Kaster sighed.

"It's alright, I ramble too sometimes. It drives Gaz crazy," D1b chuckled.

"Who's Gaz?" Kaster asked.

"My sister."

"You have a sister??" Kaster gasped.

"Yep, and a brother." D1b chuckled more.

"Hey, I have a brother too!"

"Oh yeah? What's he like?"

"Oh he's Baraq Trapsin. We're twins that got split up years ago, and we didn't know we had a sibling for a long time. He was a surprise!" Kaster grinned.

"My brother was a surprise too! I thought he was dead, my dad never told me about him. Zim helped me learn about him," D1b explained.

"Who's Zim?" Kaster asked.

"My husband. He's the best, so adorable," D1b said with a wistful sigh. "I hope he doesn't get too worried about me being here…"

Kaster tilted his head.

"Do you have anyone like that?"

"No, not really. I think Erxi has a crush on Baraq though. Closest thing I can think of," Kaster explained.

"Eh, don't rush it. You look young, you don't need to worry about it. How old are you?" D1b asked, eating another gum drop.

"Seventeen."

D1b blinked. "You look younger."

"Yeah, most dragons do, I'm told."

"Sorry, what?"

Kaster looked around, then back at D1b, confused. "Most dragons look young?"

"You're a DRAGON??" D1b gasped.

"Well, dragon slash tesel half breed, why?"

"Can you breathe fire???"

"Yes?"

D1b stammered with excitement.

Kaster got flashbacks to Baraq's reaction to meeting him. "Are you okay?"

"Yep! I'm great! Hell, you're so cool. Do you want to be friends?"

"Well, sure!" Kaster nodded.

"What else can you do? You don't look anything like how I've seen dragons depicted," D1b mused.

"Oh, you probably just saw my other form," Kaster said casually.

"Other form?"

"Yeah, I have two forms. This one, and a much larger one that looks like a giant lizard with wings. If I turn into it here, I'd squish you. And I don't want to do that, so I'll stay small," Kaster explained.

"Oh my gosh, you SHAPESHIFT TOO??"

"Uh huh!" Kaster was starting to get excited. "And I can block out magic spells with my mind! It's really cool, and I can control fire and not just breathe it!"

"That's awesome! Can you show me?" D1b asked.

Kaster thought for a moment, then took a piece of odd looking paper out of his pocket and crumpled it in his hands. He blew gently on it, and it lit up in flames in seconds.

"Woaaaah…" D1b gasped.

"Not done yet." Kaster waved his hand and the fire turned into a tiny dancer. It floated around his hand, very dainty and graceful.

D1b watched, excited and barely able to stay in his seat.

After a moment, Kaster touched the figure with a claw and the flame extinguished. He looked at D1b with a wide grin, showing off his sharp teeth.

"That was amazing!" D1b clapped.

Kaster chuckled shyly. "Thanks…"

"You're so cool, I wish I could keep in touch with you somehow…" D1b thought for a minute.

Kaster let D1b think.

"I could give you a phone?"

"Sure?" Kaster shrugged.

D1b opened a panel on his watch. "I just have to get a spare one from Gaz or Aik…"

Kaster blinked, the slits of his eyes widening like a cat entranced by a shiny object. "What's that…" He pointed at D1b's watch.

"Oh, this? This is my watch. It does lots of cool stuff. Check this out." D1b extended his lazer shield.

Kaster squealed quietly with glee. "It's so pretty!"

"And deadly too, don't touch it, it'll burn you," D1b warned.

"Okay, I won't."

"I've also got these." D1b retracted the shield to extend his PAK legs, letting them raise him into the air.

"Woah sitch, that is so cool! You're like taller now!"

D1b chuckled. "I know, right??"

"What else can you do??" Kaster stood up, bouncing up and down on his feet.

"Translate languages, create holograms, give electric shocks," D1b counted off, retracting his PAK legs to stand normally.

"I only know what the first one is, but the others sound so cool!"

A dart whizzed through the room, a note on it, and it struck the wall.

Kaster and D1b both yelped and jumped slightly. They glanced at each other in sync and then started to giggle.

They quickly both burst out laughing, their giggles infecting the other and growing stronger in seconds.

After a few moments of laughing, D1b finally sighed and checked the note. His smile dropped. "Oh no…"

"What?" Kaster asked, looking at the note.

The note read "Say your goodbyes, you'll be going home soon."

"I haven't gotten a phone for you yet…" D1b said sadly.

"It's okay, maybe we'll come back here and see each other again?" Kaster suggested.

"Maybe…" D1b sighed and set the note down. "I have so many questions for you…"

"I have questions for you too…" Kaster looked sad too. "Hey, can I give you a…" He took a moment to remember the word. "Hug?"

"Sure, why not." D1b opened his arms.

Kaster made a small happy squeal and then hugged D1b, who chuckled and hugged back.

A second passed before D1b heard a familiar rumbling coming from Kaster.

"Oh my gosh, you purr??" D1b gasped.

"Oh no, I-I-I didn't mean to…" Kaster stammered, letting go and stepping back.

"I purr too!" D1b began to purr.

Kaster gasped loudly. "You purr!"

D1b nodded. "You purr!"

"We purr??"

"We purr!!"

"This is amazing!" Kaster cheered.

D1b nodded excitedly. "It is! Oh my gosh, there's still so much we could do and it's just going to end…"

"Yeah…" Kaster looked at the ground.

D1b stepped forward to hug Kaster again. Kaster hugged back.

"Bye, new friend," Kaster said softly.

"Bye, take care. I hope your planet stays safe," D1b said.

"Me too."

And with that, they were suddenly both returned to their own worlds and lives.

[gloriousmonsters]

Do you have any SuXue thoughts? Would they work even without murder trio?

Good question! I'd only dipped into SuXue a little bit in the past (attempted to write a sex pollen fic that ultimately didn't go anywhere, but someday i might revisit the concept) but recently I started working on and off on a couple fics--one of which is set during murder team jinlintai days, but one of which is a canon divergent Sunshot era au, where the two of them meet as teenagers and jgy isn't involved.

And imo this is one of the few places you could start from (when they're young enough that both of them are a little more flexible and less cemented in their roles, sms having just left the Lan and xy having not killed the Chang sect yet) that I could see it working without some mitigating force in there to keep them from killing each other long enough to bond, but the reason I'm still writing the fic at all is that I think it can work.

Imo the key to it is that past their initial impressions rubbing each other the wrong way, they have remarkably similar values (i've said suxue is wangxian to the extreme left 😂) they both think the cultivation gentry are hypocrites and there's something wrong with the world! they're both fans of intense, some would say disproportionate, personal revenge! they're both later involved with different ends of nonconventional cultivation, sms reviving the ancient and xy on the cutting edge of the new, so we know they both have that instinct to push past the norm.

While Xue Yang comes off as arrogant and rude, past that initial impression he's definitely not the kind of arrogance that sms specifies he hates--xy is the opposite of a man born into advantage throwing his weight around and looking down on people. (The rude thing he just has to get used to.) And while sms, especially in his youth, comes off as a whiny coward timid, thin-skinned, and hypocritical (oooh you don't like people who were born into privilege? mr had a roof over his head as a child? mr trained at one of the great sects?) I think xy realizing that he's really down with murder, inventive murder, and also hey maybe isn't as much of a coward as you initially assumed, would make him warm up.

so like, once they've gotten past really pissing each other off, you mainly just have personalities that conflict, and that's more like the spice that romance is made of than an actual obstacle, y'know? I don't have a lot of specific ideas past this except for ones that directly pertain to the fic I'm writing, which I don't wanna spoil 😂 but yeah, ultimately it'd require luck and the right timing but SuXue can, should and will work as a ship :P

[kasey-writes-stuff]

Last levels

You had been trying to defeat the original Spyro for at least two hours now! You had finally made it to the very final level somewhere you had gotten semi close to but never able to quite reach… You were so close to winning but just couldn’t seem to get there and grew increasingly frustrated! Suddenly your front door opens and in walks your best friend Karl, you offer him a quick smile before turning back to your game you’re not trying to be rude but your brain was just hyperfixated on trying to beat this level…

“Hi Karl!” He smiles back at you as he plops beside you on the couch his head landing on your lap “Hi y/n what you playing?” You excitedly say “The original Spyro! I’m on the last level and I’ve never even gotten here before!” He smiles excitedly up at you “No way! I love that game! How long have you been on the final level?” You shrug “uuhhh I don’t know maybe like two hours?” He blinks at you “What?! Dude that’s insane you should definitely take a break before you get too mad you know how you get when you can’t complete a game…” you snicker “yea yea you’re too late you should’ve came over like an hour ago”

He giggles softly “awe is y/n already grumpy?” You roll your eyes softly “shut up I am not already grumpy” he rolls his eyes back “well if you’re not grumpy try and complete the level without yelling then” you smirk softly always up for a challenge “You’re on” he nods and off you go you’re doing so well and then half way through just before you can get to a save point you die! Getting reset to the beginning of the level “What the heck?! That was so frickin unfair! I was this close to-“ suddenly beside you Karl began giggling “oh y/nnnnn” you look at him confused at first and then remember “oh frick I forgot about that, so do I have a punishment or something?” He shrugs “Well I wouldn’t call this a punishment but more of a cool down tatic” he wiggled his fingers at you and you felt butterflies explode in your stomach any anger of the video game already leaving “K-Karl n-no no no we we we can talk about this right?” He shakes his head slowly “The time for talking is over…. it’s…. TICKLE TIME!”

Before you can even try to escape Karl is on you pinning you down, he’s sat on your waist and you expect a barage of side squeezes or raspberries or quick tickly scratches but your surprised when you begin giggling high pitched as he gently scribbles on your tummy “EE kahhaaheherrlll ehehe nohohoh!” He smiles giggling giddily “What do you not want the tickles cause I can stop if you really don’t…” You blush brightly shaking your head “ihihittsss fihihinehehe juhuhusstt nohohothihinngg tohoho roouhuhugghhh pllehehahasshehe” he nods “got it! I’ll keep it soft”

He continues the soft tummy tickles a few minutes before he switches to gentle pinching at your sides making you jump and squeak at each one “eek! Nahah! eek!” He snickers and giggles softly pinching from your sides up to your ribs you squealing when he pinches the area above your sides and right below your bottom most ribs.. “EEP NAHA!” That continues for about fifteen seconds and you’re fine but then he starts peppering kisses on your cheeks and neck as his hands prod at your hips… your hips being a death spot is too much “EEE NOHOTT THEHEH HIIHIHIPPPSS THEHEIIRRR TOHOHO MUHUHUCHH!” Karl immediately slows to a stop, getting off you and getting comfy on the couch pulling you against him “I’m sorry are you okay?” You nod softly smiling up at him appreciatingly “ihihmm gohohoddd juhuhussst whahasss tohohoho muhuhucchh fohohorr right now… but thank you it did cheer me up and calm me down”

He nods smiling brightly “I’m glad I could help I’m here anytime you need me for anything you know that right?” You smile brightly back at him “Yes I know that you tell me it and show me it all the time and I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know” you leave a gentle kiss on his cheek before yawning softly, he giggles softly his cheeks a light red “So sleepy head wanna nap together” you nod slowly burrowing your head into his chest your arms wrapped around his back, he gently rubs and tickles your back and soon your both asleep

The end

[shelbystories]

Tommy Shelby - Ephialtes

Ephialtes: noun; [Ef-ee-al-tez] a nightmare. 

War seemed to follow Tommy wherever he went. Violence was not uncommon to the Shelby's, and every other day it seemed someone wanted to pick a fight with the Blinders. When they would learn to back down, Tommy knew not. The Jews, the Italians, not even the Russians had managed to overthrow them. Still, despite how used to this life he was, Tommy never got accustomed to the nights.

Nights for Tommy were long, rarely filled with any actual sleep. Instead, the war haunted him, flashbacks and memories trawling through his mind any time he thought he was relaxed. And being one who was far from able to vocalise his emotions well, he found it hard to talk about, so he didn't. Rather, Tommy chose to suffer through his nightmares alone. Emotions only made for enemy opportunity, and Tommy would not allow himself such a weakness.

That was until you came along.

Tommy, as reserved and reluctant as he had been, couldn't deny that he had grown to love you. Love never on the agenda where he was concerned, and Tommy had denied it fervently at first; it had taken Arthur's pushing for him to finally cave in and admit that, for the first time in his life, someone had properly worked their way into his heart.

You'd found work behind the bar in the Garrison whilst the boys were at war, your mother knowing their Aunt Polly quite well. She was happy to let you help, and soon you became a staple figure amongst the frequenters of the pub, able to pour a drink and entertain all the same. Business ran smoothly, and customers were happy, so they kept you around.

You'd first seen Tommy the day after they had come back, and to say you found him handsome was an understatement. You had seen his blue eyes, soft yet hardened all at once. There was a man in there, under the façade he chose to present, and part of you wanted to get to know that man.

"Careful with that one, love," Polly had leant over and whispered to you. "He's not your normal kind of man."

Sending her an incredulous look, your reply gave you away, spoken in a tone that said every word was a lie. Not your intention, in your head it had sounded very defiant and strong.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

A lie it surely was, and Polly knew it a mile off. She had simply laughed, shaken her head, and turned her attention back to her cigarette. Despite your claims, your eyes had drifted back to the man in question, who's own eyes were on you, a soft glance your way. He made no move to smile at you, but you swore his eyes lit up that little bit more. Polly was right, he wasn't your normal type of man, Tommy Shelby. But, the heart wants what it wants.

That was just over a year ago, now. A year later and you were by Tommy's side. The family had welcomed you with warmth, happy that he had finally found someone to put his trust in and to love. Arthur joked that you'd made Tommy too soft, and John would bully you for one thing or another. All in good faith, of course, you knew that should any harm come to you, they would back you up without question. Finn adored you, too, you'd sit with him for hours and talk about anything and everything; usually it was when the boys had kicked him out of the back room of the pub whilst they had a meeting. On the times you'd met Ada, she had also seemed to take to you, loving how you would play with Karl when she had business with Tommy. A couple of times since, she had offered you to walk with her and Karl through the park.

They were family, and you couldn't have been happier or luckier to have the lot of them in your life.

Tommy currently lay awake again, eyes staring wide at the ceiling once more. Beside him, your sleeping form had lay, breathing evenly. It brought some comfort to him. In the small light from outside, your face was lit with a soft glow, and Tommy stared for a while. You looked like an angel, and to him you were. Tommy never did know why you stuck around, or why you had chosen him, but he was thankful nonetheless that he had you. You had stuck by him through the good, the bad, and the very rock bottom, something he would neither expect nor wish from anyone. He didn't know how you did it, how you managed to cope with him at his best, let alone his worst.

He had leant over and ran his hand over your face, twirling a small piece of your hair in his hand, not wanting to wake you. Sighing, Tommy stood, only now realising he was sweating. Walking to the mirror, he stared at his reflection. Eyes reddened and skin glistening, he took a deep breath.

"Fuck," he spoke low to himself, voice hushed. Head in his hands, he tried to shake off his mood.

You'd rolled over ever so slightly and realised there was no one there. Your subconscious woke you with slight panic; such a life meant you never knew whether Tommy was simply taking a piss or he'd been kidnapped. You noticed him stood near the wall and a part of you relaxed. His form was hunched over ever so slightly, and in that moment, you knew. Standing, your feet padded over to him, his body remaining facing the wall. Your arms wrapped themselves around his waist and you buried your head into his back, feeling the tense muscles he was holding relax slightly.

"Hello," you said softly, leaving a small kiss between his shoulder blades. "Nightmares?"

Tommy didn't have to say anything, and you nodded to yourself. Taking his hands, you moved yourself in front of him to look up at the man you loved. One hand cupped his face, and Tommy placed his forehead against yours.

"Would you like to talk about it, love?" you enquired, the hand that rested on his cheek now holding the back of his head. Again, Tommy didn't speak, instead choosing to bury his face into the crook of your neck. Such vulnerability was something Tommy couldn't stand showing, but he needed you in that moment.

"Let's get back in bed."

Taking his hand once more, you led him back to the bed and climbed in, Tommy hesitant for a second or two. You opened your arms, and he crawled in beside you as you wrapped the cover over your forms. Tommy lay into your side, head facing the ceiling as you ran one hand through his hair. Glancing up at you, his eyes shone as he spoke, barely above a whisper.

"Thank you, Y/N, I apologise if I woke you."

You giggled slightly, and his face turned a little confused.

"You and your priorities, Tommy," you said, placing a kiss on his forehead and smiling down at him. "You know I hate it when you thank me for things like this, I don't need a thanks. We'll get through this together, won't we?"

"Yeah," his voice lower, suggesting he was finally tiring. "Yeah we will."

A shift in the bed, and Tommy was curled against you, arms draped over your waist and legs entwined messily with your own. A few moments later, and you felt his body relax. Looking down, you saw his eyes, those beautiful eyes that had drawn you in at the start, had closed and his breathing had evened itself out. Rest had overtaken him.

"I love you, Thomas Shelby."

[spencersstrawberryjello]

Obsessed (Spencer Reid x fem!MC)

Summary: Aria is a senior in college who attends an informational seminar that Spencer and Rossi put on, and chases them down afterwards to talk to them about the BAU

Content: Spencer and Aria’s first meeting (idk it’s not fluff or angst or anything like that so I’m not sure how to classify it)

Warnings: Swearing

MC’s name and pronouns: Aria (are-ee-ah) Glenn, she/her

Word Count: 1863

A/N: Ok, listen, I know the timeline doesn’t add up for Reid and the MC’s ages, but we’re just going to have to pretend it does because I want to avoid math at all costs. Plus, I think that if we’re working with in-universe ages, there wouldn’t be a situation aside from Seasons One and Two where Spencer wouldn’t be (conventionally) too old for a college senior. So we’re just gonna have to ~imagine~ a little bit. 

Therefore, let’s just say that the MC is 22 and Spencer is 25 in this scene.

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

“You know, I still don’t understand why they always ask me to speak at these things. It’s not as if I relate well to college students, I graduated when I was seventeen.”

“You’re young. I don’t know what more you want me to say, Reid. Got an issue with it, take it up with Strauss.”

“Honestly, they’d be better off sending Garcia; she at least knows all the internet lingo. I swear to god if I have to ask her what another -”

“Dr. Reid!”

I’d barely managed to find them, finally fighting my way through the crowd of students to make it into their line of sight. I ran up to them, still breathing heavily but trying to maintain a smile that looked like a normal, not crazy person.

“I’m Aria Glenn. It’s nice to meet you both!”

I shook hands with Rossi, holding out my hand to Spencer before he butt in. 

“He doesn’t really do handshakes.”

“Ahh. Right. Sorry, I knew that,” I slipped my hand back into my pocket, trying to fight off the embarrassment enough to continue talking. “Also, sorry for kind of chasing you down out here. I got swept up in the hallway crowd - you know how it is - and totally lost you guys after the seminar.”

I was almost worried I offended him for some reason when he didn’t respond, just looking at me for a minute when I thought I heard him mumble something to himself about an IQ of 60. Before I could ask what the hell that meant, he spoke again. 

“Oh! Right, the seminar. What did you think?”

“Holy shit it was so interesting - wait, I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t swear in front of FBI agents -”

The embarrassment was back in full force, and I unconsciously spun one of my rings around my finger, my eyes dropping to the floor before I heard Rossi laugh.

“You’re fine. You should meet Agent Prentiss after a couple of drinks, she’s worse than that, trust me.”

I knew he’d just been joking, but my curiosity got the better of me. “Emily Prentiss?”

“You know Prentiss?” He looked confused, and suddenly I regretted ever opening my mouth. 

Because revealing I knew of Prentiss meant revealing that I knew way more than the average person about all of them.

“I mean, I don’t know her personally…  but I know you guys,” I tried to talk around it before sighing. “I follow your team pretty closely - I mean, I know she’s not technically on your team anymore because of Interpol, but I still feel like - nevermind. The work you guys do is so interesting! I mean, I know that we’ve seen profiling within the FBI since 1972, but the way that you guys are able to apply it to fieldwork… it’s incredible, honestly. And I know, it’s kind of strange to be obsessed with one team within the BAU, but I’ve really been interested in behavioral analysis since I realized it was a thing, your team just kind of caught my attention and -”

And they were both staring at me.

“Sorry. I tend to ramble -”

“Seems like you two have something in common then,” Rossi joked, and Spencer just rolled his eyes before offering me a small smile.

“He’s got a point though, I also tend to ramble. It’s so easy to get lost in a thought and not even realize you’re doing it.”

“Right? Like, half the time people just cut me off because I’m just gone.”

“Exactly!” He laughed a bit, and I grinned. 

He has a very nice smile.

I shut down that train of thought before it could even leave the station, realizing I hadn’t even mentioned the reason that I chased them down through my school hallway.

“Anyway, what I really wanted to talk to you guys about was the seminar. Like I mentioned, I’m really interested in behavioral science, and I just wanted to talk to you guys about how I could possibly get into a field like that?”

The next ten minutes consisted of me playing a game with myself that I liked to call “Why can’t you fucking focus on the explanation and not on Dr. Spencer Reid’s face?” 

“We also have some information on our website related to the BAU - you’d have to graduate the academy first, of course, so it would be a few years at least, but you can apply as soon as you get out of college. What grade are you in right now?” He opened up the bag he had slung across his body as he spoke, clearly digging through it for something as I shook myself out of my thoughts long enough to realize he’d asked me a question.

“Oh, I’m a senior. I’m a communications major, but I minored in sociology, and I’ve also been taking some psychology classes. What’s really cool to me is just the way that the human brain works; that’s why I’ve always found profiling and all that shi - stuff, sorry - all that stuff so interesting.”

“Well you could probably apply for the academy right away. Honestly, we always tell people at these seminars that it doesn’t really matter what you majored in. Having a team with a diverse set of specified knowledge is a major bonus within the field. We have a woman who studied linguistics -”

“Yeah, Alex Blake, right? I’ve read some of her papers online, they’re really interesting.”

Spencer smiled, clearly a lot more relaxed since the beginning of our conversation. Rossi had taken a backseat to Spencer’s explanation, flicking through a file he’d brought for the seminar. I wasn’t sure if he was actually reading it or if he was just trying to look like he was doing something important, but I was too focused on my current topic of discussion to dwell on it too much. 

“That’s her! She’s awesome; even with people sometimes leaving and new people coming in, the team is kind of like one big family. It’s a really great place to work.”

“Plus, you get to use all of your practically unlimited wealth of knowledge. Eidetic memory, right?”

“You really did your research, didn’t you?” He laughed before continuing, “But yes, I do have an eidetic memory. Though I would say calling my knowledge ‘unlimited’ is definitely being generous.”

“I don’t know, I’ve read some of your papers too, Dr. Reid. Graduated at 17, two PHDs by the time you were 21? ‘Unlimited’ is pretty damn close.”

“You don’t have to have an eidetic memory to get two doctorates.”

“No, but you do have to have something special to finish them both within four years.”

“I’ll be honest, it did help,” He joked. It caught me off guard, how easy it was to talk to him. It was like we’d known each other for months, not minutes. 

“I can only imagine. Unfortunately, I do not have an eidetic memory: as a matter of fact, I have a terrible one. So you said you had some written information for me or something?”

“My explanation went in one ear and out the other, did it?”

“Not intentionally, but I’ve never been great with remembering anything. It’s only one of my skills: forgetting everything immediately after someone tells it to me.”

“Truly a woman of many talents.”

“But of course.”

I probably would’ve retained more of your explanation if I wasn’t so distracted by you the whole time.

I stopped myself from saying it, but it wasn’t a lie. He was probably the most attractive man I’d seen in a while. Not that that was saying much, given the wonderful selection of frat-boy assholes I went to school with. 

He rummaged through his bag for another moment before pulling out a pamphlet.

“Um, this is about the academy - I’m not sure off the top of my head when the application period starts next year, but I’m sure they have something on the website if you’re interested.”

“I really am. Thank you, Dr. Reid.”

“Of course. Oh, and let me give you this…” He reached into one of the pockets on his blazer, pulling out his business card and handing it to me. “If you ever need anything, please feel free to let me know.”

I took it from him, trying to fight the giddy smile on my face. “Ooo, very fancy. Maybe I’ll laminate it.”

He laughed, “I’d be honored.”

“Well I would hope so, I don’t laminate just anybody’s business cards.”

“Just reserved for the FBI agents you’re obsessed with?”

“Hey, that’s not fair - I’m not obsessed with you guys! I’m merely... an admirer. And hopefully a possible coworker, one day.”

“Oh I expect it.” The honesty in that statement surprised me, and I couldn’t help the warm feeling in my chest when he said it. Just the fact that I got the chance to speak with them was exciting enough, but I never imagined it going this well. 

“I really appreciate that. You have no idea.” I smiled, tucking his business card in my back pocket. 

“It’s the truth - you seem like the right kind of person for the job.”

“And you figured that out within the twenty minutes we’ve been standing here talking?” 

“I’m a profiler. I kind of get paid to figure people out very quickly. Among other things.”

“You know, I would ask you to profile me, but I don’t think I’m emotionally prepared to hear you pick me apart based on my behavior.”

“If it helps, your profile is composed of very good things.”

“Ahh, well, you’ve only known me for twenty minutes. I’ll really throw you for a loop when you hit the thirty minute mark.”

“We might just have to talk more then. You know, so I can finish my profile.”

“Of course - I wouldn’t want to cut the genius short.”

He laughed outright at that before glancing at his watch. “Unfortunately I think that might have to be another time, we’ve gotta run. But it was wonderful to meet you, and I hope to see you around! Again, give me a call if you need anything - I’m always down to be your inside man in the FBI,” He joked, before his brow furrowed and he amended his previous statement. “Unless it’s for something illegal. Then I don’t think I’m allowed to do that.”

“I promise I won’t ask you to help me hide any bodies, Dr. Reid,” I laughed, “And it was wonderful to meet you as well! Maybe the next time you see me, I’ll have ‘SSA’ before my name.”

“I believe it.” He gave me an encouraging smile before tapping Rossi on the shoulder, both of them descending the staircase down to the first floor. I watched them walk out of the building before I pulled out the pamphlet and the business card Spencer had given me, staring dumbfounded at the glossy FBI logo on the front. 

That night, I went home and printed the FBI Academy application. 

I’d always been an indecisive person, but I was never more sure of anything in my life. This was what I wanted to do. 

And I wasn’t going to let anything stop me. 

[yisanged]

okay this is a guide for reading romanized korean names I made specifically for the indoctrination of one of my tumblr mutuals as an orv enjoyer but it applies to all korean media. I tried my best to make this actually helpful but the way korean gets romanized is really inconsistent throughout different translations and it's honestly kind of. hell. and I'm also not great with ipa so I might be using it Not Right. I used this wikipedia article to help me though so it should be mostly solid. the format will be [most common romanizations] -> [ipa (example pronunciation)]. examples are american english cause that's what I know... sorry guys. I did my best to cover my bases so I hope this helps a little 😔 also all of this is under the assumption that you aren't striving for native-level pronunciation mastery so I'm gonna give shortcuts and not go into specific details

the source for all of this besides the wikipedia article is korean is technically my first language and I'm told my pronunciation is pretty good. that being said I've grown up in the us of a and have come to be more comfortable speaking english, having never received a formal education in korean, so if anyone wants to correct me. feel free

vowels:

a -> ɐ (spa)

o -> o (sword)

eo/u* -> ʌ (up) -- in the context of this vowel being sandwiched between y (j) and ng (ŋ) it might be spelled young instead of yung or yeong as usual

oo/u* -> u (rude)

ee/i -> i (free but keep it short)

eu -> ɯ (foot)

+ diphthongs

e -> e (rate)

ae -> ɛ (bet)

the above two sound really similar and aren't really distinguished much in terms of pronunciation in modern korean so. nbd

there are others like ui and w/e but I'm gonna skip ipa for those for now because a) these are sounds that just don't come up in english like at all so knowing the ipa probably won't help you and b) the ipa listed in the article really only applies when the diphthongs are being pronounced by themselves and they sound different in different contexts anyways which is usually how they show up so. there's not much point.**

I won't go over all the consonants, since they're mostly self-explanatory, so here's just the ones to note:

g -> g (gust, as opposed to just)

l -> l (pronounced like left)

the korean hangul character used is the same, but if it's at the beginning of the syllable it's usually romanized r -> ɾ (better; alveolar tap)

so roksoo is pronounced ɾok'su with an alveolar tap like the spanish r, not l like in left or r like in run. a note for names with "il" like gilyoung or pildu is that it's probably kind of awkward to pronounce the proper i sound and then the l so it's acceptable to shorten the i to rhyme with "pill" in english. I honestly think it's better that way than trying to make it fit by lengthening the i so that it sounds like "eel" like the animal.

doubled up consonants like in -ssi are just tensed, so like s͈. but the difference between tensed and untensed is subtle and really hard to get so don't worry about it too much. also a note that if s precedes i then it's usually pronounced (and often romanized) sh -> ɕ (sheep). that applies to "-ssi" as well so it's pronounced like sheen anyways without the tensed ss really coming through much

*yeah, "u" gets used to romanize two entirely different sounds. yeah, it gets really confusing. I'm sorry to say that I don't have much practical advice to offer you in knowing which one it is other than figuring out how a particular translation is doing it by looking for the absence/presence of one or the other. unfortunately, like i mentioned at the beginning, inconsistency is rampant in these things and so even that doesn't always work out. the orv tl that I read used sooyoung but also pildu, with "oo" and "u" respectively being the same sound. some people will even use them together within a single name like yoo (juː) joonghyuk (tɕuŋ'hjʌk) becoming yu junghyuk or even yu joonghyuk or whatever in which case. I'm so sorry ***

** I'm not just gonna throw you into the deep end though dw. when preceded by a consonant, how you'll most likely see it in names, ui -> i (free). for example, jung huiwon is spelled like that bc those are the hangul characters used but everyone pronounces it hiː. this'll often just be romanized as hee as well. the "won" in heewon is also a diphthong- it manifests as won but does not involve the o sound at all and is pronounced like wʌn. "oi" is another common one, as in the last name choi. likewise, when preceded by a consonant oi -> something like ɛ (bet). so, choi would be tʃɛ as opposed to tʃɔɪ.

while we're on the topic of weird last names. lee is the most common romanization for a very common korean last name (my last name, actually :o) that's actually just pronounced iː (feel). It's sometimes romanized as yi to reflect this, but I don't think I've ever seen it as i or ee. From experience, if that's how it's spelled, you won't ever get corrected for saying lee with the l, but just for the record that it's technically not the proper pronunciation.

***really the only way to work this out is getting familiar enough with korean names (most of which are pretty formulaic) to register what sounds are likely to appear in a name (du is possible, but dʌ isn't really; jʌ isn't a real korean last name i don't think). either that or leaning to read hangul and looking at the names in the original korean to figure it out. but neither of those are very practical solutions for casual enjoyers. sorry. another issue is figuring out how the syllables are partitioned. most korean names are two syllables. hangul has a really particular way of organizing syllables that doesn't really come through in english; some translators will opt to hyphenate names like kim rok-soo but not all do. the syllables are pretty obvious with some names, but others like sookyung (it's soo-kyung, as opposed to sook-young) are a bit harder. the only good reliable solutions for this are the two I mentioned earlier which again. are more complicated than you'd probably like. if you are willing though it isn't that hard to learn hangul at all it's considered a very logical and easy writing system

like I've said inconsistency is gonna be your biggest enemy in this kinda stuff. I am being a bit dramatic and it won't affect you that much if you stick to reading a single translation for one particular media but. I want to complain about this. it's so bad. btw localization is also a thing that happens sometimes, mostly for fantasy-type stories where the author had "foreign" sounding names in mind when they were writing them. for example cale henituse from trash of the count's family would be more like kaeil henituseu if the name was romanized instead of localized. this is also a source of contention ngl like cale obviously being the preferred tl, but alberu (the romanization(?) for a character in tcf) being generally used more often over the official localization alver

but anyways I know this is all really complicated but I'm glad you're getting into this kind of stuff I hope you like it and I hope this helped somewhat :] happy reading

[writingtoforgetreality]

The Same - The Devil’s Daughter Chapter Seven (Lucifer Morningstar x Daughter!Reader)

[Lucifer-Masterlist], [The Devil’s Daughter-Masterlist]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter 

Summary: You had your first interaction with Lucifer & it left you freaked out. Something was not right but you were not sure how to prove that. And why was Dan acting so weird all of a sudden?

Words: 1,424

Warnings: language, overwhelming feelings, Dan’s acting weird, (Y/E/C) = your eye color

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

He turned around when he heard a voice right behind him. The moment he saw you, confusion set over his face.

“I’m sorry, have we met?” the words left his mouth & you could not believe that he was playing this role right now. Back in heaven, he liked messing with you but right now, you were mad that he was not pulling you into a hug. He was here, after all.

“Very funny, really.” okay, two could play that game. If he wanted to act unfazed by him visiting you, you could pretend you were not excited by him being here.

“I’m sure I’d remember if we had sex. You’re too young, by the way.” casually engaging in a conversation with you, he was still somewhat confused as to why you called him Mike.

“Oh, so this is a joke to you then?” your arms were crossed over your chest & the more he said, the madder you got.

“I’m not joking, I’m afraid.” the volume of his voice quieted down a little & by the way he was eyeing you, a bad feeling started to wash over you.

You were this close to slapping the shit out of him. He knew you were one for jokes but even this was going too far. There was no fun in the way he was acting anymore. Unfortunately, you did not get the chance to let out your frustration because something caught his eye & his attention was shifted from you.

“Detective? Took you long enough. Ready to solve this case?” his eyebrows wiggled at the person who was approaching. Looking over your shoulder briefly, you saw Chloe walking over to where you were standing. She eyed you curiously, then fixed her gaze back on the man in the suit in front of you.

“Isn’t she a little too young for you?” her question caught him off guard & he did not even have time to think of a witty remark when Chloe began walking past you. Why was everyone thinking that you were interested in him or that you slept with him?

“Detective? DETECTIVE! Wait for me.” his voice faded out at the end of his sentence because he jogged after Chloe. Great, you were just as clueless as at the beginning of the conversation.

Why would Mike mess with you like that? You would believe that he would be excited to see you again, to pull you in for a hug. Okay, but what if whoever you talked to was not Mike? Did Earth have people looking exactly like angels? Too many questions were flowing in your mind & it overwhelmed you. Dizziness overcame you & you searched out the nearest chair to sit down for a minute. Dan approached you, an action that went unnoticed by you because your eyes were still closed to somewhat ground yourself.

“Looks like you met Lucifer.” his voice startled you & you let out a small gasp. Dan apologized for scaring you & only then did you realize what he had just said. Lucifer?

“What?” whatever was happening, it did not help you feel better or less dizzy.

“I saw you & Lucifer talking. Guess I should’ve warned you. He can be quite…intimidating.” well, that was one way of putting it. You could not form words, everything was becoming too much. A soft touch on your shoulder calmed you down a bit. It was Dan.

“Hey…You okay?” concerned eyes were searching your (Y/E/C) ones. He could tell that you were spooked but he was not sure what caused it. Another couple of seconds went by & when you finally spoke up, you hated how your voice sounded.

“Why would anyone name their child Lucifer? I mean, do they even know what his past is like?” it was a legitimate question, just maybe not the one Dan was expecting.

“Well, it might as well be a stage name…I don’t care much for him, to be honest & it’s probably for the better if you keep your distance, too.” Dan wanted to keep you safe & he was afraid that if you & Lucifer spent more time together, you might end up just like him. If he was honest, though, you already had a lot of personality traits that were similar to Lucifer’s. But the big difference was that someone could tell when you were not serious & you did not hate Dan.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Dan was kneeling in front of you now to get a better look at your face. Your reaction confused him. Usually, when people had their first interaction with Lucifer, they were immediately charmed by him. You were different. Though, he was not sure what exactly made you different. As if you switched on the light, the smile was back on your face & you looked straight at Dan. There was no need to kill yourself with your thoughts right now. Maybe it was a common thing that some people, or in that case angels, looked exactly like other people. What was the word you were looking for? A doppelganger! That was it. If you kept walking around on Earth, maybe you would find your doppelganger, too.

“Yeah, I’m fine! Just got dizzy for a second.” you chuckled, hoping you would cover how truly creeped out you were. A person who looked exactly like Michael, called Lucifer. Dude, Earth was one weird ass place.

“My shift’s over. Is there anything you need or can we go back to my place?” he held out his hand & you gladly accepted his offer, letting him help you stand up.

“Let’s head back.” the both of you started walking outside & before Dan opened his car, he stopped once again to take a closer look at you. Oh no…What was he thinking now?

“Didn’t I tell you to wait at my car?” Dan asked. As if being here, outside, made him think of his words again.

“You did…Why?” now it was your turn to be confused. If he was about to teach you a lesson for disobeying him then so help you…then you would give him a hard time for acting so childish.

“You were inside when I finished for today.” he concluded. “And then you had the talk with Lucifer. Wait…why were you so eager to talk to him? I didn’t hear your conversation but I saw you approaching him first.” it was like Dan was not even talking to you, he was just voicing his thoughts. Not really sure what he was trying to say, you simply went for the easiest way. Telling him the truth. Even though you were not sure why he was making such a big deal out of you talking to Lucifer.

“I thought I knew him.” your confession let Dan’s eyebrows raise. Shit, now he wanted to know what you guys were talking about. If you thought you knew him, then a similar looking person had to be a part of your past. And if you were the one approaching him, it was not a person you were trying to avoid. A plan was starting to form in his head. That was a good start, actually. More than you gave them throughout your interrogation.

“So…are you planning to unlock the car or should I walk back to your house by myself?” your words brought him back to reality. It was not a lot of times that he zoned out but he cared for you & he saw a chance. Maybe he could help you now. Even if it meant that he had to ask Lucifer for assistance. At least a little bit of assistance. Finally, Dan unlocked the car & the both of you got in.

The ride was filled with silence. Though, mostly from Dan’s side. You had tried to start a conversation but your attempts failed miserably. It was like he was not even paying attention to anything you were saying. Hopefully, he paid attention to the traffic. When you got tired of him ignoring you, you turned on the radio & focused on the tunes. Did you say anything wrong? Did you do anything wrong? Was he really pissed because you did not wait for him outside? Whatever it was, it left you uneasy & for the first time, you did not want to be close to Dan. Free space & alone time was what you needed. Dan should hurry up, he did not want to experience you when you were like this.

~to be continued~

Next Chapter  

Published (03/29/2021) by Cathy

Tags: @fandomqueen2003, @natashaashleymarvelromanoff, @severewobblerlightdragon, @tenderlyunlikelyexpert, @zoseph, @suffering-canucks-fan, @dad-ee-drea, @xbarrjallenx, @marvelofwitch, @aceofspace95, @julessbrown, @thevelvetseries, @kotkaniemi-caufield-mom, @crumpets-are-better-with-jam, @strangewhovian-blog, @officialfictionalwreck, @peachescream06 (let me know if you wanna be tagged <3)

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 139

Day Two of the Food Festival!  This one has a specific request from @baelpenrose, which was fun to play with in the Low-Stim session (always on day 2).

To everyone who has reached out to tell me how much they are enjoying getting to see Sophia actually relax and just have fun for once.... Y’all are the best! It’s been fun writing it, too. 

New reader shout outs go to @corvallis, @penguin--person, @amphibiousuprising, @chip5-0, and I think @lostsoul8822. I think that’s everyone... If I missed you, please DM me, and I’ll add you to the next chapter.

On with the show!

The first day of the Festival, Conor and I ended up staying through not only Maverick’s shift but the one after, just so we could drag him to our favorite spots. Day two, however, Conor was on deck as Support Personnel as well as Maverick, and neither were assigned to me - for the first half of day two, we were in the Low Stim Mode, so I was pretty sure I could brave it on my own with everyone else’s proximity alerts and my own personal hyper-alertness preventing accidental bumps.

For me, the most exciting part was the different foods offered, and the fact that I could focus on just the food. Not having to ignore the other stimuli was a completely relaxing experience. The visual of the mural, with everything present, was still completely different in the even, indirect lighting. The dual nature of it was toned down significantly, leading to the overall feel being softer and overall more pleasant without being distracting.

Halfway through a very good pad thai, I spotted Derek and Sam sitting with Ivan and poking at something that Sam was clearly excited about and Derek was equally doubtful of. I circled around so they could see me approaching, and made a point to wave. “What do you think?” I asked, trying to sign as I spoke but hampered by the food in my hands.

“It was a good try,” Derek confessed, cheeks stuffed with something that had previously been on a plate to his left as a backup plan.

Setting my food down, I grinned mischievously. “Doing my best,” I signed, leading to laughter on all sides.

“You just told him you do him the best,” Ivan murmured, my face immediately flooding red.

“That is NOT what I meant,” I tried to explain out loud, over-enunciating while I clenched my hands in embarrassment.

To his credit, Derek signed what he seemed to understand I meant, emphasizing each sign. It was clear that I had gotten several out of order and added one that changed everything overall.

After repeating the signs and getting confirmation, I shook my head and sighed dramatically. “I tried.”

Ivan was trembling with laughter. “You. You did,” he admitted. “But that was… wow.” His head dropped on his hands as he shook silently.

“Souffle pancakes?” I offered, finger spelling the word souffle since I had no freaking clue how to actually sign it.

“Egg pancake,” Derek explained, poking the one I offered and contemplating the jiggle.

“It’s cinnamon sugar, and not gooey,” I explained.

Apparently I got that one right, because Derek immediately stabbed a piece and shoved it in his mouth.  The only judgement I needed was the fact that he dragged the entire remaining pancake onto his plate.

Sam watched his roommate before contemplating his own sample. Before he could even ask, I held up a cup full of macerated berries. “And fruit topping for you, sir.”

“Are those my berries?” he asked, skeptical.

I shook my head. “Bog standard, from the consoles. Your vegetables and fruits are being used in the other shifts. We didn’t want to give anyone here unexpected tastes.”

He nodded and dumped the entire cup of fruit over his pancake, digging in happily.

Ivan batted his eyes at me until I explained. “Sam’s produce has… unexpected pairings. Tomatoes that pair with cheesecake and wines, strawberries that really go well with steak…”

“The mango that goes with beer but not fish?”

“Yeah, that one. Von soil does strange things to produce, turns out.”

“Those matcha-edamame are amazing though.”

“For ice cream, yes. For tea, less so. They’re like… cooking matcha, almost.” I laughed. They actually worked better for ice cream than matcha did, oddly - reducing the sugar content but still giving the same flavor.

“One vendor on the last day is using nothing but my produce,” Sam announced happily. “They asked my permission.”

“That’s good!” I encouraged him. “They should always ask your permission to do things like that.”

“People ask with requisition forms,” he agreed. “Mona asked in person.”

Note to self: much more patronage at Mona’s normal spot, I swore in my head.  She specialized in vegetarian dishes, and honestly made some of the best fried cabbage I’d had in my life.  Knowing that she was so considerate of Sam cemented her as my new favorite takeaway place.

After a little more chat, I finally waved my goodbyes to everyone and strolled slowly to the next tempting stall. I wasn’t really in any hurry, and did more people-watching than I did eating. Latkes were infinitely more interesting when I could overhear people arguing over family recipes.  A small bowl of udon was delicious, but not nearly as flavorful as the discussion around hot versus cold, what to top them with, egg or no egg… the only thing anyone seemed to agree on was that the smiling vendor ‘obviously’ ground their own flour, because the flour provided by the consoles was the wrong texture.

Another mental note: don’t learn to make udon.  Despite what I had previously believed, it takes a lifetime to make it right, turns out.

Wandering further down, I was delighted by the discovery of something that was very clearly Hannah’s doing: demonstrations of older food prep techniques.  Simon winked at me as he carried on a demonstration of - insanely - how to hand pull toffee. I didn’t know he could do that. Muna was demonstrating the correct way to make chapatis and handing them out as fast as she was making them. Clearly, she had been making them her whole life, because at no point did I actually see her look at them, but every single one was perfect.

Laughter erupted over my shoulder, and I whipped my head around to see the source. After wading through a crowd of smiling faces, I couldn’t help but join in.  There, right in front of the entire Ark, was Maverick trying to flip takoyaki as fast as the person demonstrating, and ending up with just a mess of octopus and batter on his side.  Both Maverick and the person guiding him were smiling, though, and in the end, the vendor handed Maverick four perfectly-round balls and quickly devoured all of the - less shapely, so to speak - ones on my partner’s side.  With an exuberant cheer and extending his arms wide to the crowd, the man exclaimed “The first takoyaki of a new student are always my favorite! Nothing tastes better!”

After bowing to his sensei, Maverick turned and spotted me, face still flushed with laughter.  He offered his food to a smaller man I did not recognize, who must have been the person Maverick was Supporting, before waving to me and continuing on.  Despite the urge to crush him in a hug, I forced my feet to stay in place and reminded myself that he was working.

By the time I trusted myself not to race after him, I realized someone had been trying to get my attention and had resorted to messaging me rather than shouting. “Phee, I don’t know what la-la land you are lost in, but look 100 yards to your four.”

The hell was Arthur doing here? He wasn’t scheduled to work this shift, as far as I was aware.  Craning my neck over my shoulder, I turned to see… Apparently a hallucination. It had to be.  There was no chance in any of the nine hells that Arthur Farro was dishing out spaghetti, much less smiling while doing it.

Almost dreamlike, I found myself drifting over to confirm that I was wrong, only to be startled when he shoved a plate with not only spaghetti but two gorgeous pieces of garlic bread under my nose. “Special plates, you can’t smell anything unless it’s on purpose.”

“You… Spaghetti?” I asked, eloquent as ever.

“Family recipe.”

“Leaning into the stereotype a bit, aren’t you?” I asked carefully before shoving as much of one thick, crusty piece of toast in my mouth as I could.

He shook his head. “Anyone who tells you their family is Italian and denies having a family recipe for anything is a damned liar.”

Skeptically, I took a bite. It was amazing. “Ah ee deh rehahee,” I tried to get out around the heap of pasta I was steadily shoving in my mouth.

“Maverick is a very bad influence on your table manners,” he observed drily, plating more portions and handing them out. “And no. Not happening.”

“You know I can cook.”

“Not the point. I also know that you will fiddle with it until it is unrecognizable, so there’s really no point in giving it to you.”

Defiantly, I took a smaller bite and chewed carefully. “Garlic, onions, obviously. Sausage and minced… Lamb? But that’s probably just for this session, knowing you it’s spicy sausage regularly.  I’m not getting carrot, though, so no soffritto? Unexpected…. Is that thyme, I’m tasting?”

“Rosemary, you heathen. And you’re still wrong.”

I mumbled to myself. “What did I get wrong? It’s gotta be the lamb… maybe he does usually use the lamb? I’m certain it is lamb…”

“It is lamb, and no, I don’t usually use it. But you left several things out.”

I stared at the plate again, confused. “I didn’t think I needed to mention the tomatoes….”

“Basil… oregano….” he drawled.

“Duhhh?” I poked through the last bite on my plate, sniffing it, trying to figure out what I was missing. “Fine, you win, I’m lost.”

“Mushrooms, Sophia. There’s mushrooms. Jeezus. It was an easy one, too.”  He showed me a bowl full of what looked like cooked and crumbled sausage, only for me to realize it was the tiniest diced mushrooms I had ever seen in my life.

“I am dying to know how you got them that small.”

“With a knife?” He arched an eyebrow at me as he turned to start another batch of sauce.

“Yeah, no shit, Arthur.”

“Correct, there is no shit in the spaghetti,” he confirmed cheekily as the vegetables started sizzling.

“Asshole,” I laughed, scraping the remaining sauce from my plate with the piece of bread I saved just for that purpose. Just as I was frowning at the sauce-less plate and remaining half-piece of bread, a scalding hot dollop of fresh sauce invaded my vision.

“You love me, because I won’t let you frown at your bread like that.”

Fiiiinnnne I sighed in my head as I shoved a piece of saucy, saucy bread into my cheeks and waggled my fingers to let him get back to work.

<< Prev  Masterlist  Next >>

[shxtpxstlxvxngfxck]

here's an only specific request- can you do a Sylvie (ee) x reader? where like the readers epithet is something like insomnia or something like that? also if you can, can you make it that the reader is oblivious/innocent? (haha sorry im a thembo-) sorry if this is to much it doesn't have to be this specific-

Thanks for requesting :o) (idk if you want a oneshot or hcs/imagines so imma just do hcs/imagines because that’s what I listed)

- When you and Sylvester first met, you both were actually both working in the same therapy building

- You were actually working as an intern since you were interested in psychology. Which threw Sylvie for kind of a loop since at first you seemed unaware of almost everything to be honest. 

      - Seriously though, for someone wanting to major in psychology he thought you were too naïve. And he let you know he thought this, so you decided to let him know you weren’t that dumb.

- It sort of backfired and it ended in everyone in the building not being able to sleep for weeks due to your epithet.

- Because no one wanted that to happen again, you decided to take therapy to help manage your epithet a bit better from the polar opposite of you.

             - Sylvie of course wanted to help. After all he didn’t want his co workers asking him to use his epithet to make them take a nap again.

- But during this time, you and him started to get to know each other more and more, causing both of you to develop crushes on each other somehow.

- Which he was even more concerned about since you’re the most oblivious person in the world good god.

- When you two start hanging out outside of work and sessions, you just casually confess to him.

        - By the way he finds this really precious. He could barely talk from the shock.

- You two can usually be seen together during lunch breaks and to be honest, the whole office loves the fact that you two are dating.

- When you were done interning you didn’t stop visiting though. You would walk into his office on his lunch break just to sit and talk with him when you two weren’t having sessions.

- The sessions by the way were now filled with giggles from you trying to be serious and you two just ending up cuddling.

         - Also might I add: this man is amazing at cuddles. He may have no clue what he’s doing but his fluffiness definitely makes up for it.

- If your epithet effects your sleep too he constantly offers for you to sleep over at his apartment. Your parents are fine with it surprisingly so you just call him when the insomnia hits.

- The most common way that you end up sleeping is he’s sleeping face up and you’re face down with a leg on his stomach and your arms stretched out

      - He honestly finds it really really adorable.

- He usually walks you to school if it’s not too far from either of your houses. It probably confuses the hell out of your peers when he doesn’t enter the building with you, but no one really cares.

- Since he probably doesn’t sleep much anyway (even though his epithet is literally drowsy) you two constantly get coffee together at four in the morning and talk about how little sleep you two got.

- He also finds your obliviousness really cute and loves when you ask him questions. It makes him feel really cool and smart.

     - Except for when it’s like, “Why do you wear so much axe body spray?” because that shit lowkey hurts his ego.

- You two are just certified cuddle buddies tbh.

[zuffer-weird-girl]

The Asylum

Synopsis: The U.A was a known Asylum. Known of being the current house for the most dangerous persons with the most tragocs backstorys and trauma. An universe where quirls dont exist, but heroes take the places of doctors, students are trainers and of course; villains are the pacients.

I am planning to do for all the boys I write and Shigaraki version of it (surprise shiggy stans!) Let me know if you would be interested.

Kai Chisaki:

You are currently a new doctor that the Asylum recide to take under their wing. Obviously not to good intentions. Since there is a pacient no one seems to even dare to croos his dorm room... so will you be able to tame the beast?

The limo you were in along with Nezu and the famous doctor Toshinori Yagi along with his aprendice Izuku Midoriya was sorta of glamorous... too much to your own point of view. But how could you point that out? Espevially to the ones whose kindly offered a job as soon as you got your graduation.

You were viewed as the "too kind and sensitive" to be a doctor or a psychologist, yet you still remained your ground and got your degree! And was now facing the kind hearted doctor Toshinoru himself! He was the most respected and talented doctora of all Japan, who just couldn't admire him?

The car came to an stop and Nezu gaze a hearted chickle after finsihing his cup of tea, which didn't even dropped a drop of the drink, before smilling at you as Toshinori and Midoriya helped you out.

"You two are too kind!" You spoke as the boy blushed crinsom red and laughed nervously as Nezu caught your attention.

"(L/n)-san, uou must know that despite us having the best of security measures, evil persons live on here and they can and some even will hurt you. Poor Midoriya-kun had to deal with a teenage girl around his age last week and almost got stabbed."

You widened your eyes as you saw by thhe corner of your eye the poor boy shivering at the memory as Yagi patted him by the head with a nervous chuckle.

You followed Nezu when he entered the building and found the place surprisingly intact even if hearing some shouts, psyotic laughter here and there..

"Im so sorry to not introduce the place for you (L/n)-san, but I have not only young Midoriya here but also another "student" to take care of." The man laughed as you smiled up at the man.

"I understand. Having onterns at such a young age must give some work." The blonde chuckled as he waved while Midoriya wished you a good first day at work before Nezu called you to stand beside him on a elevator and pressing the button to go down.

The number of the monitor, indicating the floors, were lowering as you arched an eyebrows until you jumped at hearing nezu giggling.

"We have floors that indicate which state our pacients mental health is... the lower the floor, the more these expecific pacients of oura need desperately for help."

"I see..." you picked your bag and took out the paste that only had the name and doccuments of your future pacient... Chisaki Kai.

A man around 20 and 25 years old that was a surgeon once, raised by a mafia boss. After being catched of by police for trying to make an unknown and forbided drug he was arrested. His adopted father had gotten ill and eventually put into a coma... in desperate to gain some blood for the elder the only with the compatible blood type of his father was his nephew... it seems that he had almost taken the blood of the girl by force due to desperation after he got out of prison...

Not even succeding on helping the old man, he got send to the Asylum after the acussation of his poor mental state. He got into a physical and heavy fight coincidentally with another pacient of here, and lost both of his arms.

He seemed also to have some sorta of OCD. His mysophobia being so advantege that not even if he comes to contact with dirty places, but even if he felt nervous or angry, hives would appear on his skin... also suffered from PTSD attacks and was paranoid, seing figures of assasinans and monster of four arms after the loss of his father and own members...

This patient is considerated one of the mosy dangerous around here even if missing both arms, now aparently substitute by prosthetics..

NOW you knew why anyone hasn't been very fond of him... the man had beaten up three of his previous doctors and almost send one to heaven.

The sound of your gulp got mixed with the ones of the doors of the elevator opening and Nezu menyioning for you to follow him on the hall.

The entire hall was super and almost shinning clean as you walked through it.

"As you saw on his file. Chisaki has a serious matter with dirt, even going as far as to almost beat our janitor after finding a piece of fry lying on the cafeteria. After that, he reveives his meal only on his room in hopes je doesn't cause such a tragity like before..."

"I see he is pretty... demanding." You muttered as Nezu stopped by a door made of Iron as he searched for a key.

"Surely, not even one of his doctors got the chance to knowing kore than his files, so I wish you to be the lucky one." The man smiled at you before pushing the door.

"... who is it?" The voice came from the darkest part of the room and you saw a hunched over form after squinting your eyes hard enough. The voice was deep and low kinda sexy even

"Chisaki. I have the honor to present you the doctor (L/n) (Y/n)-"

"Ah, another doctor I see." It came as a scratchy sigh, his head lifting up to reveal a man with gorgeous golden dull eyes and brow hair similiar to the woods of a pine, his skin pale amd the prosthetics arms shine the light of the halls back into your eyes.

This was against your own code.... but damn this man was hot.

"Is.. a pleasure to meet-"

"Lets see how much long will you last..." he said with a empty smirk before falling back to his stoic and empty expression, staring at the wall and demanding for you both to get out.

Nezu sighed as he accompanied you to outside and looked at you expectedly.

"... I think I can deal with him. He doesn't sound too bad as his files give away." You smiled at Nezu as he gave a rather relieved sigh and shook your hand in glee.

"Great! Your consulta will hlbe in his room witha bodyguard waiting outside to provide you security as he will be handcuffed for extra care."

You frowned at that as the man handed you the key and accompanied you for an tour around the whole building... Handcuffed? This was a bit extreme...

Wasn't it?

.

.

.

You breathed in and out as the guard was already set on post to watch over. Turning the key to open and quickly close it as instricted by other doctors and collegues.

"Hello." You greeted softly while closing the door as he stared at the table he was handcuffed with "I believe we didn't had a much pleasurable start due to Nezu there..." you seated on ths chair in front of him as he gritted his jaw.

It was silence for a bit as you sighed in sympathy.

"Listen, I have nothing here. Neither to hurt or touch you. I also took at least three showers before coming here to talk with you. I was rather excited to be honest." You smiled at him as he only arched an eyebrow up, still stoic expression.

"Foolish." He gritted through teeth as you tilted your head in confusion "You heard of me getting three people at least to the verge of death... Tell me, how cam you defend yourself from me?" His voice lowered dangerously but you still remained grounded. Surprisingly not even feeling scared.

"You mean also from the... monsters?" You saw how his muscles tightened as his eyes widened at you before narrowing them deep into your soul.

"Dont play like that. I know no one can see them... is just me."

"Well, that is true..." you leaned a bit towards him "But that doesn't mean I cant just try to understand you."

"Is that supposed to make me laugh? I dont need this stupid shit." He hissed while glaring at you.

"I suppose... but when was the last time you talked with someone though?"

It was silent... then he just sighed a bit shakily before starting to scratch the upper part of his arm...

"Get out. Now." You hummed, eviting to giggle at the shocked face he tried to hide at sieng you actually was leaving after he demanded.

"I will be back by tommorow then. Have a nice day Chisaki." You left the room and was inspected by the guard for any form of bruises or injuries and yhey were impressed.

"You're the first one that didn't got injured with that guy over there..."

"I think i just might be getting somewhere with him if I try hard enough."

.

.

.

Slowly but surely you got to talk with Chisaki. He still remained reserved most of the time, but as soon as you brought up the topic of a mess on the first floor was enough to make him complain about the quality of this place.

It wasn't exactly a start... but you did needed to get some sorta of trust of him on you.

One day you were about to enter the room and saw the episode everyone warned you about. His hallucinations.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" you dodged the table he threw with all the force he had near the door as you closed immediatly when you heard the bodyguard calling for others to help put Chisaki on a straightjacket.

"Get out! Get OUT! GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs as he lunched the air and walls as you watched in wary and worry in your eyes as you tried to aproach safetly from behind.

"Chisaki-" you gasped when he almost punched you if it wasn't for your good reflexes "Chisaki listen to me!"

Ee only let out a bloody scream as he tried with all his forces to attack you before he caged you by the wall as you gagged at the metal hand on your throat.

"Chisaki.. im not here to hurt you-!" You tried to push more air into your lungs as he growled.

You tapped his shoulder out of desperation and immediatly gasped for air as he jerked away from your touch, blinking as if he had just woken up as you coughed.

When you opwned your eyes and saw him standing up, looking at you in shock you sighed in relief while getting up.

"H.. How? How did you make him to..?" He whispered while looking around the room in desperation "H-He was just... here-! He was HERE!" He shouted, his anger coming back as you walked towards him.

"Chisaki.." his amber and wrathful eyes looked into yours as you asked softly "What was in here?"

"It was.." he looked at the ground comflicted before grasping his hair with a groan "No no.. cant be... CANT BE! HE ISN'T HERE!"

"Who isn't here? Chisaki?"

"MY IDIOT FATHER!" he shouted "HAPPY NOW DOCTOR?!"

You widened your eyes as he breathed in shakily before dropping on the ground and crossing his arms to support his head.

"But... why would your-"

"Not the one in my files..." he groaned before looking at the wall numbily "My biological shitty one... an abuser. Use that to get a promotoon or whatever brat.. just leave me alone."

You furrowed your eyebrows down at him. Your heart speaking louder than your mind as you gently aproached him and seated next to him, maintaning enough distance to mantain him on a comfortable state.

"... I thought you didn't remember your biological parents." You commented as he linched the bridge of his nose.

"How could you forget someone that made your childhood a living hell?" He breathed out "I dont even know why I am even telling you this..."

"... let me guess.. abusive?" You spoke with sadness as he chuckled darkly.

"Pitying a sociopath and murder now doctor?" He brushed his fangs away "Don't. Is pathetic."

"Abusive." You confirmed as you stared at the wall he was facing at "Instrict father and negletful mother..?"

"... the man was an arrogant bastard... always beating and just taking away any sorta of ways of basic needs.. while my mother was a selfish women whose always called me a failure. A burden. A mistake... my father on one day was about to beat me up for grabbing something to eat..when I grabbed his gun to defend myself and accidentally shot him... the woman called the police on her own 5 years old child can you imagine that?" You stared at him in sadness.

No one knew his backstory. No one knew anything about him when he was under 12 years old. His archive compeltely erased... and there he was.

"The visions you have... is of him?"

"... a more like fusion or something." He groaned whipe scrwching his face "Has his face but has the arms of a beast... and four arms... other times is that Shigaraki that took my arms... others are my mother just trying to stab me or hold me down while she yells for me to... to behave..." he sighed shakily "Is the session over yet?"

You frowned before slowly aproaching him and taking his metal hand on yours as he widened your eyes.

"Is over.. but if you want i can stay here... to make sure those assholes wont be back." You smiled up at him as he stared at you like you grew three heads.

"I... I believe you have other places to be...?"

".. I enjoy having your company." You smiled again "After all, you dont deserve to be left caged alone.. You're still human after all.."

He stared at you before looking at the wall as you giggled a bit at the tips of his ears getting red as he thought over and over again.

Was he... was he really worth of being called a human?

.

.

.

"This new medication here might give some colateral effects, so after taking them i need you to tell me. But asides from that they will releave a but if that itchy feeling of your hives and the other will help a bit with your-"

"Hallucinations" the man completed as he analyzed the bottle only to sigh and open it later "I saw them once in the hospital I worked for."

"Oh I see!" You replied cheerfully at seing an opportunity to talk with him "I know you were an explendid surgeon."

"... kind of. Had almost a heart attack when blood was spilled on my skin now at then. Sicks.." He looked at you snorting before the hint of a smirk started to form only to dissapear as he took the two piles onto his hand.

"Uh.. You need to eat first to take your meds." You warned before he could plop the pills on his mouth... he stared deep into your eyes as he lowered them on a napkin and leaned on his chair while crossing hsi metalic arms.

"Then I guess I wont be taking it. The food of this place is horrible and disgusting. Not as much as my room." You arched an eyebrow at him before furrowing them in worry.

"What? Dont they clean your room? The halls are even shining. And what about the food?"

"Not quite." He sighed "A precary job, and some guards like to come by and dirt the place just to give me a headache... the food is just the same."

You hummed before getting up.

"Well then, I guess I have to grab somethings and demands some changes..."

"Oh, how adorable. You getting my food? Make me laugh some more doctor, Im dying to see it." He spoke on a nonchantly tone as you only poked your tongue out at him before muttering that you would be right back.

To him it seemed like hours you had gotten out and even dared to scold on how slow you must be.

"I brought you what seems to be your favorite! Not the food from the cafeteria, I swear!"

He watched in amusement and accidentaly smiled at seing you there with what was once his favorite food until he flinched at your gasp.

"I see a smile thereeeee!!!!" You pointed at his face repeatedly as he surprisingly gently slapped your hand away while taking the bag.

"You're such a nuisance." He sighed, hating how his mouth drooled.

"I washed the fork."

"But I didn't even-"

"I know you Kai." You giggled before widening your eyes and slapping your hands over your mouth in shock.

His eyes were also wide open as you felt your face heat up.

"Im so sorry! It was so unproffesional this oh my Go-"

"Is..." he interrupted you while looking at the opposite direction of yours "Alright... surprisingly my name doesn't sound... so bad when you speak... doctor."

Your eyes softened a bit as a flustered and quite a happy smile graced over your features that made him blush even more.

.

.

.

"Is impressive!" Toshinori and Nezu exclaimed together as they saw the progress yoh had made with Chisaki only in a matter of months as you giggled. "You're a god send (L/n)-san!"

"Please!" You waved them off in embarrassment.

"No no, none of that young one!" Yagi snorted "We decides to give you a week of vacation after such an amazing progress like that! Starting today!"

"T-Today?!"

"Yeah! Dont worry about your pacient, we will get him a substitute just to make him take the meds."

You didn't had much of a choice since they already send the poor guy over his way.

.

.

Two days... two days and you simply wasn't here. Just seing a trembling hand almost throwing the pills at him as he sighed in dissapointment. Two days and he hadn't see the face of his beautiful and pretty doctor of his... he couldn't believe it...but he was so desperately craving them. To hear her voice, to.. even feel his hand brush against hers...

He jerked up when he heard the sound of the door opening, narrowing hus eyes at seing that the doctor whose entered his room, wasn't his doctor.

"U-Uh... I-I'm here to-"

"You're." He standed up from his bed "Not." He walked close to the shivering doctor "my (Y/n)."

Before he knew it, he saw visions of you being handed and taken away by one of these monster as he shouted and beaten up the man, the security guard allerting all of the bodyguards about the pacient 14 leaving his cell and attacking others.

The alarms set off and all securities were called as he toom them down ome by one as he shouted with all the forces of his lungs:

"WHERE IS MY DOCTOR?! GIVE HER BACK!" he shouted as he took each one of them down and even managing to stab one of the doctors and one of the security guards witha freacking pen that was in the pocket of one of the pacients that was nearby.

“GET THE SEDATIVE AND THE STRAIGHTJACKET! QUICK BEFORE HE-” the poor guard had his head locked on Chisaki metal hand as he slammed him into the wall into the point it bleed.

He shouted in pain when he felt the syring on his neck, his body starting to get drownsy as he was threw down on the ground, still trying to fight until the end as he kept calling for you...

“Help me... PLEASE! I WILL BE GOOD! IM SORRY!” He shouted and cried at the same time “WHERE’S MY DOCTOR?! (Y/N)!”

He shouted your name until he had no voice or force t do so as his body gave out....

.

.

.

You ran after scoldng every one that tred to stop you as you searched for the key of Kai’s room.

You had received an emergency call after three weeks of your vacation and to say you were both terrified and worried was a understandement. You needed to see Kai. Just thinking about him prisioned on his room and on a jacket made you feel horrible... you even heard the possibilty of the U>A taking away his prosthetics arms due to “security measures”.

You opened the door and loghten up the lights to see Chisaki laying on his bed. A numb look towards the ceiling as you whimpered his name and went to stand close to him.

“... did you come to kill me..?” you widened your eyes as you thought the urge to tear up as you looked for the key of the straightjacket that Nezu gave it to you after your begging.

“Kai im so so sorry...” You whimpered while freeing him... HIm blinking as if he just notices your presence and moving his arms before sitting up.... looking at his metal fingers move, one by one..

“..Are you another hallucination...?” he flinched at your hand coming in contact with his cheeks ashe looked at you as if he was about to kill you right there.

“No... Kai, feel me.. I’m here. Aren’t the meds helping you anymore:”

He stared at you for a what seemed like a decade before he brushed his fingers on your cheek before choosing to bring you close on what seemed like a hug, since he coulnd’t feel with his prosthetics...

A shaky sigh leaved him as he clinged onto you.

“I... You weren’t taken away... I dont feel sick with your touch...” you hugged him back with a shaky inhale before breathing out.

“I wont be taken away... Im your doctor after all...” you buried your face on the crook of his neck and inhaled his clean scent. getting drunk by him.

You didn’t know when your lips came in contact, but they did... and you didn’t even cared about your carrer anymore, you only carried about him... you knew this man could and would get better. You just could feel it.

“You want to know something?” he whispered after the kiss as you hummed “You sound more like an angell to me. My angel.”

[nerdypanda3126]

City of Love

Happy Valentine's Day and happy birthday @crescent-woods! I'm your @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers Secret Admirer! 😁

The prompt that I chose was: "They both host foreign exchange students who are dating, and end up getting dragged along on their dates and fall in LoOoOve"

Or rather, that prompt chose me because this thing took off and ran with me trailing along behind and hoping I can keep up 😅 I hope you like it!

As a side note: because there's a bit of a language barrier, there will be minimal French used throughout with definitions provided in the end notes, but the characters are speaking English unless otherwise mentioned. 

Read on Ao3 

First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Marinette paced by the door of her apartment, waiting for her new roommate to arrive. She had offered to go to the airport to pick her up, but the woman—Tikki, that was her name—had insisted she could find her own way. Marinette was clutching her phone, waiting for the inevitable call. Paris was confusing, after all, for those not familiar with it, and it was so easy to get lost, and what if she couldn’t make it? 

Just as she was starting to bite her fingernails, there was a knock at her door and Marinette ran to it, flinging it open to find a small woman—shorter than Marinette, even, which was quite a feat—in a bright red sundress with black polka dots and a huge sun hat big enough that the brim flopped over her face. When the sun hat tipped up, Tikki had gorgeous, wide blue eyes, and a black pixie fringe with red feathery highlights peeking out.

“Marinette?” Tikki asked, out of breath from carrying her bags up the many stairs to the apartment. Marinette nodded and Tikki squealed, dropping her bags to the floor, all fatigue seemingly forgotten as she swept Marinette up into a hug. She smelled like something sweet, although Marinette couldn’t place it. Some sort of pastry, maybe? She started yammering in rushed English, her sprawling American accent making some of the words run together in Marinette’s ears.  

“I just know we’re going to be the best of friends! I’m so glad I made it, those streets are so windy, you know, windy, like—” she made a motion with her hand, like a snake, back and forth—“but there was this nice man who pointed me in the right direction and—oh, désolée!” When she slipped into French, the tiniest hint of her accent remained. “J’ai oublié, this is supposed to be immersive, n’est-ce pas?” 

Marinette was taken aback, but smiled at the mashup of language. “C’est vrai,” she agreed, “but English is fine for now.” She stooped to grab Tikki’s bags for her, but Tikki smacked Marinette’s hand away and picked everything back up herself. Marinette almost giggled at the ridiculous contrast between the tiny woman and the wealth of luggage she’d brought. Tikki was stronger than she looked, though, because the weight didn’t seem to bother her a bit. 

“Your room is this way,” Marinette said, gesturing as she walked, intending for Tikki to follow her. On the way, she pointed out the kitchen and the bathroom they’d share. Tikki ooh’ed and aah’ed enthusiastically at everything, then squealed again when they got to the room Marinette had laid out for her and instantly dumped her bags on the bed and opened the curtains to let the sunlight stream in. 

In the smaller space, the scent surrounding Tikki was more concentrated and Marinette finally placed it. Cookies. Tikki smelled like chocolate chip cookies. It pulled Marinette back to living above the bakery with her parents. How was she the one that was homesick? Tikki was an entire ocean away from her family and would be for the next few months. 

Although Marinette's homesickness was rather the point of her signing up to host a foreign exchange student for the fall semester. She'd spent the spring semester looking for busy places to go so she could draw or study; her apartment was too quiet when she was used to living above a bustling bakery and with her parents. But it was her first year at University and she was determined to make it work. When she pulled herself out of her thoughts, Tikki was still looking out the window with absolute awe written across her delicate features. She started when she noticed Marinette watching her.

“Everything is so pretty here!” she gushed. “How do you say it? Jolly?” 

“Joli,” Marinette corrected kindly, emphasizing the ‘ee’ sound at the end.

“Right, c’est trés joli.” Tikki repeated carefully with a flounce of her hands. “I want to see absolutely everything.” 

Marinette did giggle at that. She supposed Paris was pretty, when it wasn’t something you saw every day. Tikki’s enthusiasm was infectious. 

“I was planning to take you out to lunch, if you wanted to go? There’s this little place—”

Tikki flopped her sun hat down on the bed and unzipped one of the smaller bags to pull out a crossbody purse and a pair of black flats. She ruffled the short ends of her hair, fluffing them on top where they’d gotten flattened by her hat, unfolded a pair of sunglasses and set them on top of her head like a headband, and grinned at Marinette. 

“Allons-y!”

***

Luka tapped his foot along with the music in his earbuds as he waited for the exchange student he’d be hosting to get off the plane. No thanks to Juleka, he had a picture to go off of and that was it. Although he assumed this guy had a picture of Luka and would be looking for him, too. 

He flicked through his phone absent-mindedly, keeping one eye on the gate. Juleka had been texting him the entire time, asking questions he couldn’t answer and telling him to be nice. This was all her idea; quite frankly he was a bit anxious about the whole thing. 

He was expected to chauffeur this guy around the city and show him all the French culture and, as Juleka had so kindly pointed out, “It’s not like you have anything else going on.”

“You need to make friends,” she’d wheedled near the end of the spring semester, shoving the brochure in his face.

“Friends that are forced to hang out with me and then leave after a semester? Yeah, sounds awesome.” He’d ripped the brochure out of her hands and thrown it back at her, but she didn’t give up. 

“Come on, all you do is go to that stupid club and whine about not being in a band yet! You should be breaking out of your shell, isn’t that what Uni is all about?”

“I don’t have a shell,” he’d muttered as he stuck his earbuds in. Juleka had rolled her eyes at him, but picked the brochure up from the floor and left it on top of his music theory book. She’d given him a pointed look as she flounced out the door. 

And then she went and signed herself up as a host for the fall semester anyways without telling him, somehow making it his job to pick their new roommate up from the airport. “Because you’re the one with the motorcycle,” Juleka had reasoned. And of course he had to stay in Luka’s room with him, because “he’s a guy, and so are you.” 

Whatever. It was one semester. How bad could it be? 

The guy who matched the picture ended up being the last one off the plane, and Luka wrapped his earbuds around his phone before stashing it in his pocket. As Luka’s new roommate strolled up, he had one bag on his shoulder, one rolling behind him, as if he were on vacation instead of about to stay in someone else’s home for the next few months. He was a head shorter than Luka, with russet skin and sleek black hair, pulled back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. He took one look at Luka, adjusted his bag on his shoulder, and walked towards the airport door. 

It took Luka a second to process what had happened before he was jogging after a great view of the guy’s shoulders straining against his teal T-shirt. What the hell was his problem? 

“Hé! Attendez,” Luka grabbed at his backpack and the guy turned with an unamused frown deepening by the second. “Uh, salut?” Luka stuck his hand out for a handshake, but deep brown eyes underneath heavy black brows just flashed down to Luka’s hand, then back up to his face. 

“Anglais?” he asked, drawing out his ‘s’ the slightest amount. Luka nodded. “Cool. Look, I’m only here because my girlfriend had her heart set on ‘Paris,’ okay?” He rolled his eyes as he made air quotes and pronounced it “Pari.” He shrugged, adjusting his bag on his shoulder again in the same movement. “I’m not here to make friends, I couldn’t care less about discovering your culture, and I don’t plan on being around much. So, thanks, but no thanks, you know?” 

The way he was pronouncing his “th” as a soft “t” and the subtle lilt to his voice, added to the consistently drawn out sibilants gave him a serpentine accent that made Luka pause before he realized what he’d actually said. 

“Your girlfriend?” How was it that this guy had just shown up in the country—with a bad attitude, no less—and already had a girlfriend? A scowl started to pinch Luka’s face although he had little motivation to stop himself. No way he could be friends with this smug little shit.     

Said smug little shit nodded, although his shoulders shrugged along with the movement, making him look like he was a cobra assessing whether to strike or not. “Tikki. We’ve been long-distance for a while. Pen pals, you know? Decided to come here, meet up, see the sights. She’s a bit of a Francophile, you know what I mean?” 

Luka blinked at him. He’d joined a foreign exchange program, flown who knew how many miles, would be staying away from home for months… for a girl? He hadn’t met yet? Was he insane? He shook his head in sympathy and shoved his hands in his pockets. “All right, well I’m Luka.” 

“Yeah, I gathered. Are you gonna show me the way to your place, or what?” He turned again and started back for the door. This time Luka was able to keep in step with him. 

“You got a name?” Luka asked, only slightly irritated by his apparent dismissal. 

“Not a French one. How about you just decide on something and I’ll answer to whatever.” 

“How about ‘ass’?” Luka grumbled. 

“What was that?” 

“Sass. I said ‘Sass,’” Luka amended quickly. 

He stopped again and leveled a look at Luka, narrowing his eyes to little more than dangerous slits. “Weird, but sure,” he said finally, adjusting his grip on his bag again. “So are we walking or what?”

Luka dug his keys out of his pocket and flashed the lights on his bike. It was an older model Yamaha; sporty, reliable, slim enough to wind through the narrow streets of Paris on deliveries, with an extra seat behind the driver for the times Juleka needed a ride. He’d bought it used and kept good care of it, other than the fading midnight-blue paint job. And the brakes. And the sputter it made when it started up. He'd meant to get that into the shop sometime soon. 

For the first time, Sass cracked a smile. “Now that I can work with.”

Translations:

désolée: sorry

J’ai oublié: I forgot

n’est-ce pas: is it not

C’est vrai: it is true (that's right)

Joli: pretty

c’est trés joli: it's very pretty

Allons-y: let's go

Hé! Attendez: Hey! Wait

salut: hi

Anglais: English

[mamabearcat]

Hungry Ghosts

I didn’t get a chance to write anything for Halloween this year like I planned. But here’s a spooky excerpt from The Importance of Ramen, parts of chapters 7 and 8. If you haven’t read it, I think there’s enough context there for you to work out what’s going on. Hope everyone’s Halloween is going as well as it can this year!

Inuyasha went back inside the hut. The others were still asleep, but he cleaned out the firepit, replacing the slightly damp logs from last night with fresh kindling. He had the fire going and Kagome's kettle filled with water for tea by the time she returned. One look at her face had him realising that something was wrong.

She was leaning against the doorframe, sweat beading on her forehead and upper lip. "Sorry… I'm… okay. I'm okay. Squatting down just hurt my leg a little more than I thought it would."

Without a word, he walked over to her and picked her up, carrying her back to the small nest made by her empty sleeping bag. After seating her carefully on the softly padded surface, he placed his hand on her forehead again.

Kagome tried to weakly bat his hand away. "Stop fussing Inuyasha. I told you I'm fine. It's the first time I've walked on this leg since yesterday; it was bound to hurt a bit." She plastered a smile on her face. "Look, I'll even drink more of that disgusting tea if it will stop you making a big deal out of nothing."

Inuyasha, ignored her hand, taking in her sweaty face and pale complexion. "You're not fine, wench. You had a slight fever when you woke up this morning, and it's already a little worse. Let me look at those wounds of yours to make sure they're not infected."

The commotion had woken Miroku and Sango. Miroku brought the first aid kit over, while Sango mixed more of the herbal tea that Kagome had drunk last night. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed but decided it would be less trouble to let everyone fuss.

Inuyasha carefully unwrapped the bandages on Kagome's upper left arm, being cautious of the still healing bruise below her elbow. He gently slid his clawed forefinger underneath the tape and gauze on one side of the wound and then the other, cutting through so he could lift the gauze off her wound. The skin around the deep cut was pink, but he could see that the wound was healing nicely, beginning to knit the muscle back together. He gave it a good sniff, just to make sure.

"This one's okay", he said. He moved aside so Sango could rub some of the healing cream from Kagome's first aid kit around the wound and redress it.

He moved towards Kagome's thigh on the other side and was surprised when she placed a defensive hand in front of it. "Kagome, I need to check."

"Sorry", she flushed, moving her hand out of the way. "I'm being a big wuss. This one just hurts a little more".

He placed his hand on the bandage and immediately knew the news wasn't good. "Kagome, this one's infected", he sighed. "I can feel the heat coming through the bandage without even looking at it."

"Dammit", muttered Kagome. "I was sure the saline would combat that."

Inuyasha removed the bandage even more gently than he had the previous one. Kagome kept herself as still as possible, making no sound, but her lowered brows and tight expression told the story of how much pain she was actually in. She whimpered a little as Inuyasha lifted the gauze away from the wound and drew in a deep breath.

"Fuck Kagome, no wonder it was hurting". The skin around the deeper puncture wound was bright red and shiny, the swelling spreading outwards around her thigh, pulling against the edges of the weeping gash. Red lines at the edge of the swelling streaked upwards on her leg. Inuyasha barely had to sniff to scent the smell of infection in her leg.

Sango peered over Inuyasha's shoulder at Kagome's thigh, and her face grew grim. "Take her back through the well, Inuyasha. She needs to get to a healer in her time as soon as possible." She gestured towards the red streaks travelling up Kagome's thigh. "These marks are a sign of a deep infection. I've seen them on other Taijiya who have been injured. Some of them recovered, but most …" She took a deep breath. "The infection grew rapidly worse no matter what our healers did. All they could do was ease their pain. Once they became confused and lost consciousness, we knew that they would never recover."

Kagome looked at them both, wide-eyed. "Don't you think you're being a little overly dramatic, Sango?", she chuckled weakly. "I mean, I just got back, and we need to get back on the jewel shard hunt. I'm sure if I just rest for today, then tomorrow, I'll be fine." She took in Inuyasha and Sango's serious expressions and looked towards Miroku. "Miroku, tell them that I just need some rest, and then we can all get going again."

Miroku squatted down next to Kagome, holding the mug of herbal tea that Sango had prepared a few minutes ago. "Now, Kagome", he said, his usual calm smile a contrast to the anxious grimace on Kagome's face, "what sort of elder brother would I be if I counselled against a course of action that would have you healing faster?"

He pushed the tea into her unwilling hands, smiling encouragingly as she forced herself to sip the bitter liquid. "If it's just simple rest that you need, surely a rest in your own time in a comfortable bed under your mother's loving care will speed your recovery. And, if as Sango suggests, a trip to a healer is required, that should not trouble you if you know it will bring your family here peace of mind. I'm sure if Inuyasha puts his mind to it, he could have you home before dark."

He looked questioningly at Inuyasha, who nodded brusquely. Miroku leaned closer to Sango, who was still leaning over Inuyasha's shoulder. "Do not trouble yourself about the rest of us while you're gone, we will muddle along together just fine." A sudden resounding slap, as Sango backhanded Miroku across the cheek, startled Kagome then had her giggling. Obviously, his wandering hand had been unable to resist the temptation of Sango's pert derriere as she leant forward.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the pair's familiar antics, but didn't move from his spot beside Kagome, as Sango knelt to begin the process of rewrapping the wound in Kagome's thigh. He removed the tea from Kagome's tense hands and placed the mug on the floor, so it would not be spilt, and held her hands in his own instead. His ears drooped and laid flat on his head at the quiet whimpers escaping through Kagome's clenched teeth as Sango cleaned and packed the wound with fresh gauze.

"Looks like we're goin' on another run, wench", he said quietly. He cleared his throat, trying to force a cheery note into his voice. "Maybe if I get ya home early enough, your mother will have time to make that crunchy chicken stuff. The one Souta likes so much. What's it called again?"

"Karaage" muttered Kagome through compressed lips. She really wanted to smile at Inuyasha's attempts to take her mind off what Sango was doing, but her leg hurt so badly, even worse than when the beetle had first gouged the hole in her leg. She tried her best, gasping a little. "It's a shame she doesn't know we're coming; she might have bought steak for you."

He grinned. "Now that would be worth runnin' back for." He tried not to wince as Kagome dug her blunt fingernails into his palms as Sango tightened the bandage on her thigh.

"All done", said Sango, using some of the special cleaning gel on her hands after she had rinsed them in the water pail as Kagome had taught her. She repacked the medical kit, as Miroku and the now awake Shippou bustled about making breakfast, cooking rice and making tea.

"Drink your tea Kagome", encouraged Inuyasha, letting go of her hands to pick up the mug.

She flapped her hand at him. "Gimme a minute", she panted. "I feel like I'm gonna… gonna…" Her eyes suddenly widened as her palm slapped over her mouth. Inuyasha had the good sense to let go of the mug and grab the almost empty water pail next to Kagome, tipping the water out and thrusting it in front of her face just in time. Sango padded back over to scoop Kagome's long hair out of the way into a tail over her shoulder, rubbing her back comfortingly as Kagome hurled what was left of last night's dinner into the pail in front of her.

"Hnn, that was so gross", moaned Kagome. "I'm so sorry." She spat one last time into the bucket, then wiped her mouth with a damp cloth offered by Sango. Embarrassment flooded her face, and she hung her head. Inuyasha dipped his head down sideways until it was almost perpendicular with the floor, so he could look see her expression.

"What's with that face, wench?" he questioned, looking at her narrowed eyes and downturned mouth.

Kagome looked up, her eyes blazing in her sweaty pale face. "Do you really have to ask?", she fired back. "I got targeted by a demon again, got myself injured, and now you're gonna have to babysit me and take me home. And to top it all off, I just ruined everyone's breakfast by chucking up in front of them while they were eating."

Inuyasha grunted. "First of all, the beetle was after the shard, not you, and the way it grabbed you took everyone by surprise, me included. Second, yes, I am takin' you home, but you ain't no baby and if you sit me on the way there, I will not be happy. And" he said, glancing over his shoulder and taking in Miroku calmly sipping tea while Sango served herself rice and Shippou and Kirara continued chewing, "breakfast don't look ruined to me."

Shippou's wide eyes took everything in as he continued munching on his rice ball. "Ish Kagmee gna ee mmk?", he asked Miroku, barely coherent behind the large mouthful of rice he was still chewing.

"She will be fine. Inuyasha will make sure of it by taking her back through the well and letting healers in her time assess her injury", replied Miroku comfortingly, patting the kit on the head as he continued to drink his tea.

Inuyasha sat down with them and began shovelling rice into his mouth, sculling hot tea as quickly as he could. Sango's assessment of Kagome's wound had him worried. Put an enemy in front of him that was threatening Kagome, and he would give his all to take it down, no sweat, but infection was a battle he couldn't fight for her. His mind went back to an image of long ago, his own hand tiny in the sweaty clasp of his mother's, her eyes closed as she struggled for every breath while the infection in her lungs fought to defeat her. Darkness and cold. She was so cold. He pushed the thought away.

"Miroku, Sango, you may as well go back to Kaede's while we're gone. That way I can come back through the well and let you know she's okay." Miroku and Sango nodded. "I'm gonna go over the mountain instead of around, that should take about two hours off my time."

"Over Mount Mitsumine?", asked Miroku. Inuyasha nodded, tapping his foot impatiently as Sango tied some extra rice balls and a flask of water into a cloth for him to carry in case Kagome grew hungry or thirsty later.

Miroku was puzzled – his mind was tickling him, trying to feed him information pertinent to the shrine on Mount Mitsumine, but he couldn't quite remember. He made an angry tsking noise; it was just out of reach, and he was sure it was something of importance.

Inuyasha squatted down in front of Kagome with his back facing her. She had done her best with the tea, taking a few more sips, but looked sweaty and tired, and Inuyasha felt his concern for her rising. He pushed it down again.

"Okay Kagome, the faster we leave, the faster you can be home sleepin' in that girly pink bed a yours" he teased, as she slowly eased herself forward, draping her arms over his shoulders. Instead of holding onto her thighs as he usually did, he created a seat under her bottom for her by interlocking his fingers behind his back. He straightened himself up slowly, bouncing her slightly, getting her into position. Kagome buried her face in his hair, whimpering in pain at the pressure his forearm put on her swollen thigh. "Shit, this ain't gonna work". He was going to have to carry her in front of him again, but it was hard on his arms, and would slow them down as they went over the mountain.

Shippou's worried face brightened, and he whispered in Sango's ear. "Wait, Inuyasha, Shippou's had a really good idea!" Sango spoke to Miroku and he dropped a few coins into her hand. She bolted out the door and came back a short time later with a long piece of thickly woven indigo fabric.

"What the fuck's that for?" Inuyasha grunted. Sango motioned for Inuyasha to bend down again, then motioned for Kagome to climb onto Inuyasha's back. She put the top centre of the piece of long cloth over Kagome, up near her neck, and tucked the rest of the width underneath Kagome's bottom, creating a pocket for her to sit in. She drew the long tails of fabric up over Inuyasha's shoulders, wrapping them under his arms, and then under and over Kagome's legs on each side, pulling the tails firmly back around to the front. She held onto the fabric and motioned for Inuyasha to stand. He did so cautiously, worried that Kagome would fall, but to his surprise, she was held in tightly to his back by the fabric and felt lighter than she usually did.

"You 'kay Kagome?", he asked, trying to look over his shoulder at her.

Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. The fabric had her snuggled in tight against his back and was supporting her leg without pushing on the wound too much.

"Yeah, I'm good", she murmured. Sango tied the long tails of fabric around Inuyasha's waist, being careful to make the knot above the Tessaiga so he would still be able to draw it if required.

"Now you have your arms free if you need them", she grinned. "It was Shippou's idea – he reminded me how busy mamas carry their children when they need to get stuff done. I used to… to carry Kohaku like this when he was little, when my mother and father were away on a raid and I needed to practice my drills". She smiled a little tearfully at the picture Inuyasha and Kagome made. "He always seemed very comfortable that way – he usually went to sleep when I wore him like this." Sango tucked the small tied cloth of food into the top of the wrap near Kagome's shoulder. "Now you're all set to go".

"Thanks Sango. Thanks runt – you did good." Inuyasha paused to ruffle the fox kit's fluffy red fringe and Shippou beamed under the rare praise. After a final nod to Miroku, Inuyasha ran out the door, slowly at first, until he grew to trust that Kagome wouldn't fall. He sped up and was soon out of sight.

Sango and Shippou finished up their breakfast and began tidying everything into Kagome's gigantic backpack. Sango looked sideways at Miroku, who was still muttering to himself. "What's up?", she asked.

"There was something about the shrine at Mount Mitsumine", muttered Miroku, "but I can't quite…" Suddenly he stopped, looking apprehensively at Sango. "Oh no. Hidarugami! I remember hearing from a traveller that they haunt the trail near the shrine!" Sango stared at him, open mouthed.

Overhearing the conversation, Shippou nodded, familiar with this particular entity. "Ah. Good thing they took some rice balls with them."

👻 👻 👻

Inuyasha ran like the wind, his feet pounding the ground as regular as a heartbeat. He could feel that Kagome had dozed off, the gentle sway of the fabric hammock she was supported in easing her pain a little. Inuyasha smiled. The runt did have some good ideas occasionally. He would just keep going until she woke, get as much ground covered as he could. They were already nearly up the mountain, the zig zagging trail no match for the sure footed hanyou.

The dappled light under the trees kept away the summer heat, and the splashing water from the little waterfall they were currently passing was refreshing. Brightly coloured finches flew overhead, flying through the spray in an effort to keep cool. He could keep going for a few more hours yet without needing to take a break. He could see the brightly coloured gate of Mitsumine Shrine up ahead. They just needed to get through this narrow-wooded part first and then the path down the other side of the mountain would open out, as more travellers from Edo used that road to make a pilgrimage to the mountain shrine.

Suddenly he felt like he'd hit a wall. Weakness caused his limbs to tremble and he dropped to one knee, staggering, trying to keep his balance with Kagome on his back. What the fuck was going on! His throat felt dry and cracked, his stomach clenched in on itself like hadn't eaten in weeks. He lurched to his feet and forced himself to keep moving, but each step dragged like something was siphoning off every ounce of energy he'd ever possessed.

Inuyasha growled in outrage. He would not let whatever this barrier was beat him. He would keep going. Kagome needed him to keep going. He heard her moan softly behind him, and it gave him the will to take a few more steps before his legs faltered and he slammed into the ground face first.

"Gome", he whispered, turning his face away from the sandy dirt of the mountain pass, his sandpaper dry throat cracking what was left of his voice, "you 'kay?" She moaned softly again, and against his will, Inuyasha's eyes rolled back in his head. The cheerful birds continued their twittering, splashing in the puddles left by the side of the waterfall, paying no heed to the pair collapsed on the path beside them.

👻 👻 👻

Kagome was jolted out of her doze as Inuyasha staggered beneath her, dropping to one knee. A sudden wash of fear prickled the back of her neck as the dappled sunlight around them was swallowed up; she could no longer see the path ahead, and the air was suffocatingly silent.

Turning towards the waterfall her panic grew as she realised that the previously tumbling water was still. The little finches hung motionless in mid-air, the droplets of mist they had been flying through only moments before hovering as if gravity had ceased to exist. They were caught in a bubble outside time, and she had no clue what had caused it. Kagome shivered, about to question Inuyasha about what had caused his stumble, when a slight movement in the trees caught her eye; she saw them.

She felt almost paralysed by bone deep terror as the shadowy forms approached from the darkened edges of her vision. There was movement on both sides of the path, they were surrounded, but it was difficult to see any details of what they were or to count how many as they shifted in and out of the darkness. Ten, twelve maybe? Whatever they were, they gave off an undeniably menacing aura.

This wasn't good. Her bow had been left with Miroku and Sango, not that she would be able to shoot with her injured arm, and she didn't have much experience channelling her miko abilities without the focus of an arrow. Her hands and arms were tucked in tightly to her chest; she could try to wriggle them free with an effort but was worried that would throw off Inuyasha's tottering balance.

Then Kagome realised that she wouldn't be able to bring her reiki to her hands anyway, not without injuring Inuyasha. She clenched her shaking fingers into fists tight against Inuyasha's back, unable to do anything but watch and wait as the pack of unknown foes came forward into the dim light and circled around them. Kagome felt bile burn its way into the back of her throat. She had already felt ill, but to see these things up close…

Empty sockets where eyes once where, skin stretched taut over bone they advanced, lipless mouths leering in delight at the fear of their prey. Ragged kimonos and wisps of hair fluttering in a ghostly breeze of their own making, they floated around Kagome and Inuyasha, no feet to tie them to the earth. Some appeared to have lost their kimonos entirely, clothed only in tattered fundoshi, bone white skin as tight as a drum over ribs, stomachs distended with malnutrition and split with decay.

As they approached in an ever-tightening circle, the ominous silence was replaced by sibilant whispers of hunger and death. Inuyasha staggered to his feet, moving forward on the path, but how could he, when the path was no longer there? She heard him growl in rage as he struggled forwards, and she couldn't help but let out a small moan of horror as she felt the slight brush of ragged cloth against her cheek as one of them glided towards her.

The spectre reached out a bony hand and caressed Kagome's dark hair, running her locks through its skeletal fingers almost as a lover would. The head sagged on an inhumanely long neck, and the eyeless creature licked where its lips once were, tongue blackened and swollen. "You will join usss", it whispered, bending its head close to her ear and she shuddered, recoiling at the unwanted touch. She almost screamed as the dry tongue curved along the rim of her ear. "Join usss, in hunger, join usss in death."

The spectre's head lolled forward as it turned its eyeless gaze towards Inuyasha. The realisation suddenly hit her that he couldn't see the spirits; had no idea of the threat they were facing. Before she could free her arm to try and knock the spectre's hand away, it reached out towards Inuyasha's face as he grimly struggled to keep moving forwards, a light touch sweeping across his mouth and nose. Kagome would have shrieked if she was not already breathless with horror as Inuyasha pitched forward suddenly, slamming them both into the damp sandy earth of the mountain path.

She watched as Inuyasha dragged his face sideways in the dirt, his beautiful amber eyes clouded in pain. "Gome, you 'kay?" he asked, his voice raspy. She wanted to answer, to give him some reassurance, but could only produce a small sound of fear.

What should she do? How could she fight back? She didn't want to accidentally purify Inuyasha with her reiki; she didn't even know what these things were, just that they spoke of hunger and death and that she was terrified of them. Inuyasha's eyes suddenly rolled back in his head, and with horror she felt his breathing become shallow, his heartbeat slowing with every beat. She was frantic. He was going to die, here on this path, and she was powerless.

A small thought swelled in her mind, bright as a bead. 'You are not powerless. You are a shrine maiden, a miko.' Pulling together her last vestiges of courage, Kagome closed her eyes, and imagined a thin beam of reiki that rose up into the air then spread outwards like an umbrella, forming a bubble of protection around herself and Inuyasha. She had no idea if her effort was affecting these things, and her mind churned, searching every memory for an inkling of what these creatures might be, trying not to weep at the sound of Inuyasha's rattling breath. She didn't think they were demons. Not demons, but dead things. Dead things on a deserted path, that wanted them to join them in death. Hungry dead things. Hungry ghosts. A long-forgotten memory suddenly unfolded.

Her father was whistling cheerfully, preparing for a weekend hike with his friends. She was sitting on the kitchen counter nearby, swinging her little legs. One by one, she handed him his first aid supplies to be packed into his backpack, and she grinned in excitement at being considered old enough to help Daddy while Mama went outside to hang out the washing. Grandpa had come into the kitchen to make tea. He rifled through the pantry and grabbed a package of mochi, pushing them into her father's hands.

"Don't forget my son, you should take these with you. It's always better to be safe than sorry when walking on a mountain path." Her father had rolled his eyes and then winked at her, but willingly packed the mochi into his backpack.

"Don't worry father, I'll be sure to be on the lookout for hungry ghosts."

Hungry ghosts. She vaguely remembered legends about those that died far from home during famine times. Their lack of proper burial caused them to wander in continued pain and hunger, and they lingered on deserted paths to force others to join them in death. That had to be what these things were! But how did you get rid of them? Was she meant to recite a prayer?

She gritted her teeth at her lack of knowledge; she was sure that Miroku would know this. Why had her grandfather suggested that her father carry mochi? Maybe it was something to do with food. Did you feed them, or yourself?

Using her last reserves of energy, Kagome wiggled her arms that were pinned by the tight wrap against Inuyasha's back, panting with the effort of maintaining the barrier. Managing to free them enough to reach the cloth that Sango had tied the rice balls and bottled water in, she frantically scrabbled to untie the knot with numb fingers, her terror rising as Inuyasha's laboured breaths stilled - then began again, now so shallow that they were almost a sigh.

'Gotta hurry, gotta hurry!' She was gasping in her haste, hoping against hope that the barrier that she'd tried to erect was keeping the ghosts at bay. There were two rice balls. She broke one in half and stuffed a chunk into Inuyasha's lax mouth and the other half in her own, then hurled the remaining rice through the paper-thin barrier at the spectres looming over them. After gulping down her own rice, she stroked Inuyasha's face and neck with shaking fingers. His usually tan skin was paper white, a bluish tinge spreading around his mouth and nose.

"Inuyasha, swallow. You have to swallow the rice." Hysterical tears rolled down Kagome's panic-stricken face, dripping onto his hair and cheeks as her voice grew more shrill. "Inuyasha! Please, please wake up. Stay here with me, don't go with them!" She tried tilting his head back by pushing on his chin, hoping it would cause a swallowing reflex, but terrified that in his unresponsive state she would force him to choke. Her panicked voice and stroking must have reached him on some level; his throat moved slightly as he swallowed a small morsel of rice without opening his eyes.

As if a switch had been flicked, the horror was gone.

It was a beautiful summer's day. Birds chirped cheerfully, flying through the rainbow hued spray thrown up by the gurgling waterfall, splashing noisily in the puddles, twittering their enjoyment. Noticing the cooked rice now scattered on the path, they swooped, squabbling and pecking, eager to take advantage of an easy meal. The dappled sunlight patterned the ground around them, leaves swaying in the breeze, and the delicate green of the forest framed the colourful gate of the shrine clearly visible up ahead.

Kagome dropped her head to Inuyasha's shoulder and sobbed quietly, releasing the barrier as the intense fear gradually ebbed away. She felt utterly drained. She took comfort in Inuyasha's heart beating steady and true beneath her, his back muscles moving rhythmically with each firm inhale and exhale of air. Her sobs suddenly turned to giggles when Inuyasha popped open an eye and spat the remaining rice out of his mouth, coughing and spluttering a little, wiping at his face. Rising on his elbow, he turned to look over his shoulder at her, growling his annoyance. "Kagome, why is there fucking rice up my nose?!"

[tarisilmarwen]

RobStar Week 2020 - Fantasy AU

(I think this one’s actually my favorite for this year.

Reposted because Tumblr is being dumb.)

---

"You couldn't have lost the arrow in some nice wide open field," Dick grumbled, pushing aside thick undergrowth that pricked his hands and scratched at his clothes.  "You had to lose it in the creepy fae-infested forest."

"Shut up and help me look for it," his friend Roy hissed, crashing through the brush next to him.  "If Lord Oliver finds out I've been messing with his magic arrows again he'll have my hide!"

Dick rolled his eyes.  "And if Lord Wayne finds out I'm in here with you he'll have mine," he drawled back.  "When are you gonna craft your own magic arrows to lose track of?" he complained.

"Told you, I haven't got the focus for it."

"You would if you studied."

Roy snorted.  "Like that's helped you."

Dick scowled, annoyed but choosing not to comment on the barb.  It wasn't his fault he'd been born without any magical talent.  That Lord Wayne had chosen to take him under his wing anyway as his squire was surely testament enough that hard work and practice could yield skills that were just as valuable as magecraft.

"Check down there, I'll look over here behind that fallen log," Roy's voice broke into his thoughts.

Dick quickly tried to untangle his sleeve from a trailing end of moss, caught on his elbow.  "I don't think splitting up is such a good--"

When he turned around to look, the other boy was already gone.

"--idea..." he finished timidly.

He looked around for a moment, eventually glimpsing flashes of his friend's tunic peeking out between the trees to his right.

Sighing, he trudged down the slope in the other direction.

The shadows seemed to deepen as he picked his way downhill.  The sunlight filtered down blue through the trees, catching sparkling dust motes in the air.  Dick caught the sound of running water and moments later found himself on the bank of a deep pond.  Water spilled into it from one side, tinkling through gray rocks in a musical waterfall.  It poured out through a filter of fallen branches on the other side, continuing on in a rushing stream that wound its way through the forest.  The water was a murky blue where the shadows fell across it, but clear down to the rocks at the bottom under the sunlight.

Dick caught a glimpse of something in one of the sunlit patches.  He squinted.  There was a long silver gleam sticking up from the mud.

He muffled a groan as he realized it was Roy's lost arrow.  Glancing around he considered his options.  If he dove down into the pond after it  and returned to the Manor soaked he would definitely be in for it.  Would it float back up to the surface if he jostled it loose?

He grabbed up a long stick, crouching on the rocks, leaning out as far as he could, stretching down.

The tip wouldn't quite reach the shaft.  Dick strained a little further.

His foot slipped on the damp rock.

Dick gasped, flailing, dropping the stick, finding himself falling face-first towards the pond.

A pair of hands came up out of the water, catching him an inch from its still surface.

Dick blinked in shock at a set of green eyes that were staring up at him from under the water.

The hands gave a small push, just enough to tilt his balance back over the bank, and Dick yanked backwards, his eyes widening as a head broke the water's surface.

"Woah!" he exclaimed, scrambling back on his hands.  He gaped at the creature.  "Uh..." he stammered, a bit a loss for words.  "Hi."

It had a girl's face, smooth and round, with warm golden skin framed by long, dripping red hair that made flaming trails behind her in the water.  Pink frills flared behind her ears, like decorative fins.

Fins...

Dick checked down under the water.  The girl's torso stopped at her hips, slowly fading into a bright pink and magenta tail.  He stared at it, open-mouthed, marveling at the neon blue piping along the sides, the feather edges of her fins, and the way the scales glistened.

He was moving closer before he realized it, and only noticed when she startled, pushing away from him a little.

"It's okay!" he said, holding up his hands.  "I promise I won't hurt you." He offered her a smile, hoping she'd see he wasn't a threat.

Cautiously, her face came back out of the water.  She stared at him, her green eyes mesmerizing and deep and he felt oddly... light.  His heart stuttered and his cheeks seemed to warm.

"Um..." he said.  He was looking for something wasn't he?  What was it?  Dick shook his head, coming to himself.

That's right, my idiot friend's arrow, he remembered.

"Hey, uh..."  He pointed down past her at the arrow on the pond bottom.  "Can... can you help me get that?"

She tilted her head curiously, her eyes squinching like she hadn't quite understood what he'd said.

He stretched his arm, trying to direct her attention.  "See that arrow?" he asked.

She glanced from him, down into the pond, and back again.  She pointed down at the gleaming silver shaft.

"Yes, that," Dick confirmed.

She gestured questioningly at herself.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, relieved that she understood.  "Yes, can you get it for me?"

She smiled, a gorgeous sight that had him almost falling backwards, and pushed away from the bank, sinking beneath the surface.  Her brilliant pink tail flashed up, sparkling in the sunlight as she swam down and retrieved the arrow.

She emerged momentarily, the silver shaft clutched tight in her hand, raised triumphantly.  Drifting forward in the water she held it out to him.

His fingers brushed against hers as he reached out and took it, sending some kind of tingle through his arm.  Dick flushed, losing track of his thoughts again, staring down at the contact between their hands as if in a daze.

"Hey Talentless, you find my arrow yet?!" Roy's voice floated up shrilly from behind him.

Dick broke out of his trance, shooting the girl an apologetic look.

"I have to go," he said, taking the arrow and standing to his feet.  "Thank you."

He had already turned around to clamber back up the slope and didn't see the way her eyes saddened or her forlorn hand lingering in the air after him.

***

The land boy visited her several more times after that.  He would bring her treats, delightfully sweet little morsels of human food, and grin every time her eyes lit up upon tasting one.  He would chatter at her, trying to communicate, and she would politely smile and shake her head when she didn't understand.  Human language was awkward and fumbling on her silken tongue, and even less could parse through her keen ears, but one word she learned and remembered well--the boy's name.

Dick.  An odd word, but one that seemed to suit him.  He'd tried to get her to pronounce it, and she'd come to a close enough approximation that he stopped correcting her when she said it.

She longed to tell him her own name. She could feel her soul bonding more and more to this boy every time they spoke.  She practiced saying it to herself, forming the syllables with her mouth, trying out her air voice.

Kory.  Kor-ee.  Khory.

She was whispering it under her breath, waiting with anticipation for him to come.  Her heart leapt as she heard his footsteps crunching through the short green grass.  As soon as she saw him she blurted it out.

"Kory!"

He stopped, blinking down at her in confusion.

"What?"

She pressed a wet hand against her chest, eyes earnest.  "Kory!" she repeated.  She tapped her collar insistently.  "Kory!"

He gasped, dropping to his knees and peering into her face.  "Kory?" he said.

She nodded vigorously.  "Kory!"

The smile that broke across his face caused firecrackers to spark inside her chest.

He breathed her name, reverently, in awe, and she felt herself melting into a warm ball of light.  Her heart suddenly ached looking at him.

Oh dear... she sighed to herself, realizing with dismay how far she'd fallen.

***

The witch brushed a strand of long purple hair out of her face, concentrating on the small text in her dusty spellbook.  The restoration process was going much slower than she liked, but if she could just get one good stretch without any interruptions--

"Hey Rae!"

Raven puffed out her breath in aggravation, swiveling around to see her changeling familiar hovering in the doorway, one hand on the ancient mahogany to hold it open.

"What is it, Gar?" she asked wearily.

He thumbed over his shoulder towards the opening.  "Someone here to see you."

He offered nothing further, prompting the witch to cross her arms.  "Well, what do they want?" she demanded.

"I dunno, I didn't ask," he said, shrugging.

Raven sighed in frustration, getting up from her seat and crossing over to the door.  Gar moved out of her way, letting the door begin to swing closed.  Raven caught it, curling her fingers around the edge and poking her head out around it.

She couldn't see anyone, at least at first.  Then a sloshing sound came from somewhere at her feet.

Raven glanced down in surprise at the young girl hanging half out of the stream that flowed in front of her cottage.

The girl was wringing her fingers together, shrinking bashfully into her bare shoulders.  She peeked up and offered a shy smile.

Raven stared flatly, expression vaguely confused.

"Can I... help you?" she asked.

The girl swept an arm backwards, lifting up her tailfin, waving it slightly.

Raven's eyes and expression were blank a long moment.  "Yes, it's a very lovely tail," she finally commented.

The mermaid dropped her fin back into the water, pointing anxiously towards the witch.

"What?"  Raven came out of the hut, closing the door behind her.  The mermaid continued gesturing insistently at her.  "Me," Raven guessed.

A shake of the head.  The pointing finger jabbed downwards.

Raven glanced down.

"My legs."

An enthusiastic nod and a bright smile.

Raven stared for half a second more, mulling that over in her head.  She slouched a bit when her mind figured it out.  "You want me to give you legs," she drolled in conclusion.

Another happy nod.

Raven sighed deeply, massaging her temple.  "Is this about a boy?" she groaned.

The mermaid ducked her head, looked sheepishly down at her hands and tapped her fingers together with a cute blush.

Raven made several private grumbles to herself before sighing again.  "Fine," she agreed reluctantly.  "But if things don't work out, don't come crying to me," she grumbled, already turning around to go back inside her hut.

***

She emerged momentarily with a bubbling potion in a clear glass bottle.

"All right.  This will let you walk on land for seven suns," Raven told her.

Very gently, she handed the glass to the mermaid, who took it in her slightly webbed fingers with wide eyes and an awed expression.

"Be careful," the witch cautioned.  "Under moonlight or in water the spell reverses."  She stepped back, brushing her hands off.  "You'll need to wait for sunlight or to dry off to change back."

The mermaid nodded, seemingly understanding.  Her mouth opened and a strained attempt at words came from her throat.

"Thaaannk... you..." she said.  A little more confidently she repeated.  "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Raven muttered, pulling her cloak tighter around herself as the mermaid flipped and dove down into the water.

***

"And... tada!" his friend exclaimed with a flourish.

Dick stared down at the concoction, watching cool mist drift up from it.

"All right, I give up," he said.  "What is it?"

The alchemist grabbed a wooden dowel from his rack, dipping it into the blue mixture, giving it a few good swirls and then pulling it out.

"Instant gilding!" Victor announced, proudly showing off the thin gold coating now lining the dowel.

"Woah!" Dick breathed, putting his hands on the table, suitably impressed.

"Admittedly not quite as impressive as the ever-elusive turning lead into gold," Victor said, setting the dowel off to the side and grabbing a towel to wipe his hands off.  "But quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself," he added with a wide grin.  He stepped back from his workdesk, crossing his arms.  "So what brings you by today?" he asked.

"Well, I was looking for--" Dick started, but then cut off as shouting rose up from outside, making him swing his head around, looking out the window of Victor's apothecary shop, puzzled.

Victor squinted his eyes too.  "Now what's all that fuss about?" he wondered.

The two boys wandered over to the door.  Dick stepped outside curiously.

A jumble of frantic voices met their ears.

"Don't touch it!  You don't know where it come from!"

"She walked outta the wood I tell ya!  Jus' like that!"

"Momma!  She hasn't got any clothes!"

Startled, Dick looked down the street, peering past the rustling wall of bodies that both crowded around something and fell over themselves trying to get away from it.

"Goodness dearie!  Are you all--"

"Stay away from it, Marjorie!  It's onna them fae I know it!"

Dick pushed past a few jostling shoulders, Victor on his heels, clearing a path towards the source of the disturbance. Dick's peering eyes caught a flash of familiar bright red hair and he stopped in his tracks.

It couldn't be.

The crowd finally parted enough for him to see her.  A beautiful girl with golden-orange skin and long crimson hair, stark naked, making her way forward through the crowd on wobbly, unsteady legs.

His mermaid.

She spotted him, her face lighting up with a gasp and a smile.

"Dick!" she called, stumbling her way towards him.

His face had warmed at least ten degrees hotter.  "Kory?" he squeaked in disbelief.

Kory blundered the last few paces, tripping on the last step. Dick rushed forward to catch her, his arms grabbing hold of hers.

Her hands clutched his face, pulling him down towards her until his lips met hers.

"Hhmmgh?" he muffled in shock, his brains dropping straight into his boots.

Kory wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, her skin warm and fragrant and her heartbeat sounding against his chest between the soft... things... pressing into his tunic.

Victor raised an eyebrow.

"Friend of yours?" he quipped.

Dick couldn't respond, all his mental faculties shutting down one by one.

***

Her land boy was in a daze when she finally pulled back, the words of his human language storing themselves in her mind, ready to be used.

Kory brushed a strand of hair from her face, pulling herself upright against him.  She didn't care about the fearful whispers from the villagers, their suspicious looks and how they shied back as if she were a cursed thing.  She didn't care that it was forbidden by ancient law for merfolk to tether their hearts to mortals.  She didn't care about the ache in her strange new legs that tilted and bent in odd ways she wasn't used to.

She was just so happy he was here.

"I missed you," she whispered in his ear, sliding her arms around him and holding him close.

He was still wide-eyed, his expression dull.

And all he could say in response was a breathless, "I can tell..."

[diamondsableye]

“Hey!  Guess what I just found in a box of my dad’s old things!”  Grimm huffed with an air of satisfaction, grunting from under the heft of his miniature backpack.  The pastel red material surged with a noticeable heavy bulge, as the harsh outlines of a semi rectangular object stretched the slightly dingy cloth along its edges.

His young companions turned their attention to the child strutting proudly into the room, knowing precisely who it was from the somewhat worn, dark hued graphic tee and the torn denim pants.  The first to reach the smug juvenile was Radiance, her cream colored sundress fluttering with every hurried step she took towards the trotting bug, her eagerness fading the closer she got to inspect whatever Grimm was so proud to show off.

“Awe Grimmy I thought you had something cool, like one of those super old brick phones.  We could’ve at least called someplace and had some fun!  If this is another boring old book I’m so not playing with you after this.”  The small moth huffed, more fuzz than fury.  She was still salty that the last time her playmate had insisted he had something fun to do, it turned out his idea of entertainment was nothing more than looking at an old dictionary for naughty words.  It had been tear jerkingly funny for all of 15 minutes before they got bored and hung up over how little there was to be found.

“Raddy trust me, this is way better than any other book.  This is a super magic book!”  Grimm beamed with excitement, already scrambling to take off the overburdened pack, hurrying to undo the sticky zippers which always caught on themselves whenever he worked himself into an energized frenzy.

“A magic book?  Is it like a spell book or a portal to a mis-ter-us world?”  Asked the petite juniper in a soft and sweet voice, saturated with innocent glee.  Her luminous branches flickered with life as a single small hand fiddled with the button to her denim overalls.

“No Lady, those books don’t exist, at least I don’t think so.  And it’s My-steer-ee-us, not mis-ter-us.”  Piped up another, crisper chime.  The voice had come from a young lad, his head adorned with a ring of stubby horns, as clean as the white button up and sleek grey trousers he so commonly donned.

The last two to approach the growing circle of friends was none other than Pale and Lady, who at least to Lady’s greatest ability, managed to keep each other conjoined at the hip.  Radiance let out a huff as the two approached, blowing the duo a timidly contemptuous raspberry once they were within teasing distance.  Pale stuck out his tongue and drew back his lower eyelid in response, the only mean gesture he was brave enough to send her, since the first and only time he ever threw her the middle, he lost dessert privileges for an entire week.  Oh how he wished he could've tattled on her back.

“Welll.... it’s sorta magic.  Apparently when my dad was in college, he played this Castles and Keepers game with his old school friends.  I was looking through the attic to find one of my favorite kites when I knocked over some stuff and found this book!  Apparently it’s a rule book for how you play the game.”  Grimm beamed with a dark smile, brandishing the newly uncovered hardback with the pride of a mighty sorcerer showing off their most accursed tomes.

“Seriously?  Old people games?  Ugh I’ve watched my family play stupid board games before, they’re always so rulesy and don’t have any excitement at all.”   Radiance almost immediately sighed in boredom, feeling let down by the surprise already.

“I mean I dunno Raddy, my mamma told me it’s a really scary game, and if you play it you turn evil.” Lady cooed with a lul of concern, regarding the book like a priestess to a haunted artifact.

“You don’t seriously believe that do you?  Remember when your mom said that you shouldn’t jump in puddles because one day you might jump inside a super deep one and you’d never come out?  Your mom tells you way too many stories I think.”  Pale chimed in with a curt cut of his voice, begrudging the sapling's timidness.  Even so, it was clear that the kiddie bug was apprehensive to join in on whatever his friend had planned.

“Cmon guys please?  I even brought in these things called character sheets!  I stayed up real late reading all about this and I got the perfect idea for.... for a.. I think the book called it a camp-pain?”  Grimm enthused, desperate to grab his friends’ weaning attention.  He fished up some spare pencils and a few slightly crumpled sheets of paper, ready to be filled out by waiting minds.

“How late did you stay up to do all this?”  Radiance asked, cautious but intrigued.

“You won’t believe this, but 9 P-M-!”  He beamed.

“Wow that really is late-!  You must be really serious about this then.”  Pale noted, taking a look over the sheet and offering one to Lady.  The youngin snatched it eagerly, pouring over the detailed contents.

“What is... Char-ris-maa?”  She asked, her head tilting in confusion to all the new words she perplexingly had never heard of before.

“Don’t worry guys I’ll explain all of it to you, but only if you decide to play the game with me!”  Grimm offered, the tempting offer hanging in the air decisively.  The rest of the gang looked to one another, mulling over their options.  It was enticing sure, but would it be worth it?

“Fine I’ll play, but this better not suck Grimmy, or else!”  Radiance huffed, but even through her begrudging tone, it was clear that she was barely containing her ample excitement at its seams.

“I don’t have anything better to do, I don’t like Miss Seeker’s craft ideas anyway.  She probably won’t notice if we’re off playing this instead.”  Pale offered, not quite captivated, but also not put off enough to turn the offer down.  The three looked to the last to join in, waiting for her response.

“Cmon don’t be a scaredy Lady, join us or else we’ll tell Herrah how big a scaredy you are!” Radiance teased, poking fun at the meek and shy sapling.  She stiffened at this, her rounded cheeks brightening with a frustrated blush as the moth’s threat did its work to rile her up.

“Nuh uh you wouldn’t!  You’re such a meanie Raddy!”  Lady shot back, so easily wrung in and agitated by the slightest tormenting.

“Well then prove it!  We all know you still sleep with a night light and that you once cried for an hour because you though someone took your favorite plushie!  Nya nya nya!  Lady is a big ol scaredy!” Radiance sung over and over in a crude mocking voice, her childish squeals flat and annoyingly toneless.  With a final huff and a determined wail, Lady broke through her fervent taunts.

“You’re wrong!! Fine!  I’ll play it!  But if mamma gets angry I’ll tell her it was all your faults for making me play!”  She squealed, asserting her all too certain threats to the group as a whole.  With that, Radiance let out a victorious sigh.

“Finally you decide to be some fun for once!”  She gloated, confident for now that she had swayed over the timid lass to her side for now.  With that, the trio stared back at Grimm, eyes brimming with curiosity and impatience.

“So...  What do we do now?  You said you knew how to play this game, but I don’t see a game board or cards or anything.”  Pale broke the silence first, inquisitively looking over the smirking bug with a hint of scrutiny.  After all, what kind of game had no pieces?

“Well, let’s take a seat, and I’ll explain everything!”  Grimm smugly cooed, taking out a pouch of various sided dice of all different colors.  Lady immediately was drawn to the unfamiliar objects, mulling them over as if she was surveying a new type of candy.

“Woah!  I’ve never seen dice with so many sides!  I never knew they could have that many!”  She exclaimed, watching them with unbridled captivation as Grimm rolled them around in his small palm.

“We’ll get to use them later but first, you guys get to make your characters!”

[spencersstrawberryjello]

Blankets (Spencer Reid x fem!MC)

Summary: After her first case, Aria struggles to keep a level head on the plane ride home. Spencer and the rest of the team comfort her, helping her realize she’s not alone (and also providing an adorable first meeting with our lovely Dr. Reid).

Content: Hurt/Comfort

Warnings: Negative self-talk and talk of insecurities (weakness), borderline panic attack

MC’s name and pronouns: Aria (are-ee-ah), she/her

Word Count: 1317

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

I stepped onto the jet, my hands already shaking. I just had to keep it together until I got home. When I got home, I could break down. I could not break down in front of the whole team after the first case. 

I sat down in a seat in the very corner of the plane, closest to the window so that I could hopefully stay out of view of everyone as I tried to calm myself down. My breathing was becoming more and more rapid, and I was going into full-blown panic mode. I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes to ward away tears, forcing myself to take deep, steady breaths. 

All I knew was that I could not lose it on this plane. 

I could not lose it on this plane.

I could not -

“Aria? Are you ok?” I whipped my head to the side, seeing Garcia standing in the aisle, concern coloring her usually chipper expression. 

“I’m fine,” I tried to make my voice sound normal, but it wavered. She immediately sat down in front of me, grabbing my hands. 

“Are you sure you’re fine?”

I couldn’t help it. 

I broke. 

Hot tears spilled out of my eyes before I could stop them, and I pressed a hand over my mouth to try and keep myself quiet. 

“No - I just - I just need to get home. I just need to get home,” I kept repeating it, moving my hand so I could suck in deep breaths. It wasn’t long before the rest of the team had heard what was happening, gathering around the section of seats we were in in an attempt to help, but really just doing exactly what I feared.

I didn’t want them to see me like this. Broken, after my first actual case.

I expected some kind of ridicule.

Anger.

To be fired.

Instead, I felt Emily slip into the seat next to me and put a hand on my shoulder. 

“Hey. Hey, you’re ok, just breathe. Deep breaths, ok? In through your nose, out through your mouth.” She started doing breathing exercises, and I tried my best to follow her, even over the erratic thoughts rapidly firing through my mind. 

“I’m sorry - I was trying to wait until we got off the plane, I’m sorry -” I apologized through my tears. Garcia just shook her head adamantly from the seat across from me. 

“No no you cannot apologize for this. This was your first time in the field, you’ve been through a lot today, it’s natural that you’re going to react the way you are.”

“But it’s the first case - I didn’t want to -”

“Aria, stop.”

“I’m not weak,” I didn’t know where it came from, it just slipped out. I don’t even think I’d realized that was why I didn’t want to cry in front of them. But it was out, and there was no taking it back.

“Oh,” Garcia’s expression was a mixture of surprise and sorrow as she pulled me into a hug, holding me even as I just sat there, desperately forcing myself to stop crying, “Nobody thinks that you’re weak. If you stop reacting to this kind of stuff, you lose a part of who you are. You’re not weak - you’re human.”

I sniffled, still trying to quiet my tears as the rest of the team dispersed, Emily and Penelope staying by my side. After a moment, though, a familiar face returned, holding a folded blanket in one hand. 

“Could I talk to her for a minute?” Spencer asked, and the girls nodded, leaving us alone as he took the seat across from mine. He observed me for a moment before seemingly remembering what he was doing, holding out the blanket to me. I shook my head in denial, pressing my hands against my eyes again to fight back whatever remaining tears were trying to sneak their way out. 

“I’m fine. Really, I’ll be fine. I just have to calm down.” I tried to make excuses to him, unable to see his reaction with my hands over my eyes. Despite what Garcia said, I was still under the impression that they were going to punish me for breaking down. I was new, and expendable. It wouldn’t surprise me if we got back to the BAU and Hotch decided I wasn’t cut out for this career, that I should find something else to do with that degree in journalism that has nothing to do with criminal profiling.

My excuses weren’t met with any sort of response, so I didn’t realize Spencer was still there until I felt a light weight on my shoulders. My eyes flew open, reaching over to my shoulder and seeing that he’d draped the soft blanket over me. Even if my mind fought against it, I grabbed the corners, wrapping it tighter around me and drawing a small smile to Spencer’s face as he returned to the seat across from mine. 

“Aria, do you know why we have this blanket on the plane?” He asked suddenly. I didn’t answer verbally, just shook my head in confusion. “Do you know how many times one of us has broken down over a case? Sometimes they want comfort from someone else. And sometimes, everyone could just use a good, soft blanket to cry with.”

I wasn’t even sure if I’d heard him right. “So you mean to tell me that the BAU has… a cry blanket?”

He laughed outright at the name for it, but he nodded. “Mentally, crying is healthy. If you force everything down, you’ve got no way of processing your emotions. And you’re not going to last long in this job if you don’t process your emotions. Actually, scientifically, the amount of mental strain that this kind of job puts on the people working it is - never mind. I’m rambling.” He cut himself off quickly, staring at the ground. I pulled the blanket a bit tighter around me, offering him a small smile as he glanced back up at me.

“Thank you, Dr. Reid.”

He smiled, nodding resolutely. “I’m glad I could help. And please, you’re a part of this team now. At least call me Reid. Or Spencer. Whatever you want; I know everyone calls me Reid, except JJ, she’s the only person that calls me Spence, which is kinda funny because -”

I was smiling now as I watched him talk, hands gesturing wildly and eyes lit up as he went on about some obscure research related to nicknames that I had never even heard of before. His entire body seemed to be engaged when he was talking about something he was interested in; he was incredibly expressive and emphatic, and I had no idea why I found it so adorable. 

I hardly even noticed when he had stopped speaking, looking at me with a strange expression on his face. 

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” He asked. I just shook my head.

“No reason,” I brushed his comment off quickly, a blush creeping up the back of my neck that I was praying he didn’t notice. Luckily for me, he just shrugged.

“Is there anything else you need? Water, tea, coffee?”

“I think I’m good. Thank you again, Dr.… Spencer,” I corrected. He grinned at me, offering me a nod before returning to his seat. I watched him go, a warm feeling in my chest. 

I curled up in the seat, both knees to my chest, resting against the plane window and watching the clouds around us. I had begun to feel a bit better, and despite the fact that I knew my sleep was undoubtedly going to be plagued by nightmares, the blanket around my body served as a comforting reminder.

I was a part of this team.

I glanced over at Spencer, sitting next to Morgan in the group of chairs across from me, and I smiled. 

I was a part of this team, and I was not alone.