#feels embarrassing. i mean it clears up but its still.. like ahhhh

[salsflore]

still thinking about This.... and i have a thing or two to say about it....

[cinnamonest]

Alright let's make one thing clear;

Riddle (from TWST) would 100000% do things that are on the verge of momcon. I doubt he'd do actual momcon (I mean have you SEEN their relationship??) but he'd project it on his darling.

I can see him forcing his darling to dress more like his mom, put her hair up like his mom, do her makeup like his mom, but not act like his mom. HE wants the power in THIS relationship.

10000% would call you either "mom", "mommy", or his mother's name while he noncons you.

Yes omg omg AHHHH he WOULD he is such a Mama's boy, a kind of the same vibes as [this post] from forever ago? He would subconsciously single out a darling that bears some physical resemblance and make you his replacement Mommy :))))

Although he doesn't realize it, it's also where he gets his preferences. It's subconscious; if you asked him if he sought out facial features or traits that resembled his mother, he would scowl, say no, that that is a frankly reprehensible notion.

But anyone who has seen both you and her, well, they can't help but raise their eyebrows a bit at the facial structure similarity. No one says anything to him about it, though, out of fear of invoking his ire. The last thing anyone needs is him getting embarrassed over the realization and going into a pseudo-tantrum over what an absurd suggestion it is that he would ever select for someone based on a facial similarity to his own blood. What kind of pervert would even come up with such an idea? He's just too oblivious to his own self to recognize it.

He sort of tries to make you this... ideal figure, what a perfect mommy to him should have been. Obviously he's a controlling little bastard from the get-go, always, always correcting every little thing you do. But the way he moulds you into a maternal figure is not entirely a conscious decision. He enforces things upon you that just sort of seem right -- that you have to wear this and this in this specific way, that you should hold your posture this way, walk like this, speak more formally in public and more casually with him, and with this sort of tone to each setting respectively... no, it's not in the rules or anything, but there's a sort of well-known propriety to such things, you know? Just because it's not a rule doesn't mean there isn't a very specific and proper way for people to behave and carry themselves and so on, especially for someone in your position, seeing as your behaviors and mannerisms reflect on him.

He doesn't realize to what degree his idea of normalcy and propriety has been shaped by example. That is, his own mom. It's where he gets all of his ideas of proper behavior for anything not explicitly in the rules.

It's not just a matter of forcing you to behave a certain way, either, but also discouraging what he doesn't like. Sometimes you do certain things that don't seem out of the ordinary, that you don't even think would upset him, yet he still seems to scowl. What exactly is his problem with the thing you're wearing? It's not inappropriate, nor does it defy any of the countless regulations you know are imposed upon you... but it just doesn't feel right to him. It's not something she... that you would wear.

And why does he not like this or that part of your speech patterns, the hairstyle or length you have, so on and so on? He couldn't say. He just knows he wants to change it to this specific idea he has in mind. All the while unaware he's subconsciously basically just redesigning you into Mommy 2.0, more or less.

But yes, there's a few things that he does not want you replicating: a sense of authority over him, and that constant, merciless criticism. On the occasion you have been upset with or reprimanded something he does, it makes him unusually, exceptionally uncomfortable and upset, the way he stiffens and scowls. Usually, he's fairly receptive to and humble about criticism (as long as its valid), but you're just not supposed to do that. You're the one person that can't, even if he made a genuine mistake. You're supposed to be the embodiment of tenderness and affection.

If he recreates the setup himself, with you, he can give himself a sort of power he never had with his real mother. It's a very comforting sort of feeling, all the warmth and familiarity, but with none of the fear of failure, none of the anxiety around a single misstep. So when you give him that anxiety anyway, it feels like a transgression, like you've done something wrong, and he can treat it accordingly.

And with you, he's a lot more sensitive to criticism too. Even if you say just the slightest thing, even if its worded very nicely and given to him very gently, it upsets him. He's uncharacteristically petulant about it. He'll cross his arms and scowl, mutter something under his breath, and more or less give you a cold shoulder and silent treatment for the rest of the day. Unless, of course, you make it up to him somehow, namely by apologizing and admitting you were wrong and he was right and he did nothing wrong. If not, the bitterness and hurt can last for quite a while.

As for what he calls you, well. He unfortunately isn't the type of guy who can say something and not realize what he's said, so he does catch himself, face buried against your neck and balls deep inside you.

Mommy...

And he freezes up, stops completely. Stiffens. There's a few moments of silence as he has to come to terms with and process his own words.

That -- I don't --

A slip of the tongue, perhaps. So he tries to pass it off as. However, it's only at that moment that it seems to click, all the dots connect and he realizes what he's done with you, how he's moulded you. The poor thing gets extremely self-conscious, hurries to the library to desperately seek out psychology texts in some desire to find out if there's something wrong with him.

However, he does find said material, which claims that, at least to some extent, this sort of thing is normal... maybe not to the extent he's done it, but, it says something about how men often pursue partners that bear some resemblance to their mothers... so he takes that piece of information and runs with it. Rather, he stretches the concept beyond the point of what anyone else would consider reasonable, and extrapolates it to mean that what he's doing is normal, too.

So now, he can let the anxiety go and not have to feel paranoid that he has some kind of problem, because it's normal, so he doesn't have a problem at all, no. In fact, even if you object in some way, he uses the information to justify and argue the matter from that point forward... so he'll keep calling you what he feels like, thank you very much. Just hope it doesn't accidentally slip when you're around others... that would be the end of him, they'd never let him live that down.

And in truth, somehow the whole thing makes him less anxious around his actual mother, he feels less of an urge to live up to her expectations and is less afraid of upsetting her, now that he's redirected his need for approval and validation to you instead. Although with that gone, he does get a bit more openly resentful, which impacts their relationship negatively a bit... and although he'll have trouble both explaining to you where he got all the clothes from that he comes back with over break, he'll have even more trouble convincing her he doesn't know why hers went missing...

[parkerlyn]

How would the ROs feel about an MC that’s always complimenting them in a genuine manner, even for the smallest of things?

Ahhhh somft 🥺 Haven’t done one of these in ages so please forgive the rust on these drabbles askdjfkd (still working on the art prompts slowly in the background)

Written in the early dating phase, thank you for the ask! ❤️

The Healer: "You're amazing."

The Healer laughs, bright and clear, while they bring their hand down from the shelf. "I think I'm just tall in this case."

"Tall and amazing."

“Yeah, alright.” A chuckle echoes through their chest as they hand you the jar with a smile. 

Cool glass greets your fingers, but when you try to open the preserved fruits you’re met with the unbreakable hold of the sealed lid. The metal slides under your grip at another attempt, still not budging, the only evidence of your effort in the pain at your palm.

You sigh and hand it back to them, and they twist it open with an infuriatingly quick 'pop' before handing it back to you.

“Tall and amazing and the best jam jar opener,” you state matter-of-factly as you happily take the jar back. The syrupy sweet smell of honey and peaches accompanies another round of the Healer’s laughter.

“You did most of the work,” they say in assurance before a mischievous smile works its way over their mouth. “But are there any other small things you want done? I’m starting to get used to this string of compliments and I’m kind of curious how many you can remember in a row.”

Leaning the jar against your lips, you hum. “You don’t have to do anything, I can make that list on my own.”

A quirked eyebrow joins in from the Healer as they let you mull over your thoughts.

“Tall and amazing and the best jam jar opener, the best Healer, the best hugger-” They laugh. “-the most genuine, most gorgeous, the best laugh and eyes-haver-” They snort at your phrasing but the eyes in question narrow over their rising cheeks, smile spreading wider as they hold their hand up.

“Okay, yes, thank you, my ego is never coming back down, going to be grinning for days,” they babble back and hold their hand out for you to take as they lean against the counter. With a step forward, you gently place the jar on the wood surface before letting your fingers smooth over their outstretched palm, hands turning downward to intertwine together while you take another step closer.

True to their statement, the smile never leaves, and they bring their free hand up to brush a thumb over your cheek and down the soft skin by your ear.

“My turn to shower you with compliments about all the things I like about you?”

Your eyes close against the touch. “Do tell.” 

A soft exhale follows their thumb as they turn your head to the side.

“Actually, maybe I can show you.” 

The Sage: When you remark on how wonderful they are, there’s the briefest widening around their hazel eyes as the glow from their face fades. But it morphs instantly into a polite and measured “Thank you” while they carefully close their book. Formal and stilted, but not uncomfortable. 

It takes a few more trips of you hovering around the Archival Library to observe that this is their default. Mask on, manners sharp, neutral in all ways, in case the compliments have an ulterior moment.

There’s a pang of sadness in the realization.

A sudden determination carries into your steps, your previous reasons (or excuses) for being in the Library all but forgotten as you march your way to where you last saw the Sage. They hear you coming first, tilting their head upward and letting an excited smile slip through their professionalism.

“Oh! I didn’t know you were still-”

“You’re amazing.”

They gape, blinking, mouth trying to lure a response from their throat. 

You continue before they can refasten their formality.

“And lovely, and stunning, and more brilliant than all the stars in the sky.”

With your added barrage of compliments, their mask seems unable to be placed properly, and they slowly reshelve the book in their hands with their face turned. It takes an awfully long time, you notice, their hand tapping the top of the book’s spine once it’s settled, with a few more pats down its length for good measure despite the already snug fit.

When even they realize that shuffling their fingers over the book is redundant at this point, they let their wrist fall and tap a quick rhythm against the bookshelves.

“I’m not sure I can hold a candle to you but-”

They let it loose now. The delight, the happiness, the quiet exhilaration at your words. They almost raise a hand to their mouth to try and stifle the soft smile, but decide to let it shine outward as their eyes crinkle into a blissful, serene joy.

Instead of trying to restrain their expression, they wrap their fingers around your hand, pulling you closer and a few steps farther between the corridor of volumes. You let them lead you, let them turn and raise your hand to their lips, let them place a fleeting, secretive kiss against your knuckles before dark hazel meets your eyes.

It comes as a whisper. No caution or apprehension. All tenderness and adoration. 

“Thank you.”

Oisein: You can’t help the out-of-place comment, admiring Oisein’s glowing freckles as they scrunch up their nose over a particularly stubborn scuff on one of their leather bracers.

They look to you as the sweet words slip out. At first with an almost fearful shock, until they compose themselves with a breath and an arched brow.

“Alright then, what’re you after?”

“What?”

A smirk twists the corner of their mouth, eyes narrowing and darkened. “Complimenting me while I’m making the most unattractive face I can muster over some rancid bracers? What is it, yours need fixing? You break something? Piss off the Magesmith again?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t take that job from you."

“Good. I’d be devastated.” Oisein gives an exaggerated ‘phew’ with a swipe of their hand over their forehead, light laughter quickly following. Jokes aside, they lay the bracer down and fold their arms. “But really, what’s this about?"

You lift your face from your palm, the weight easing from your elbow on the table. “Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that you looked beautiful.”

After a hesitant pause, they make the same face from before, face twisting and freckles shifting on their cheeks as they scratch below an antler. Flickering light spasms through their pointed ears and down their neck, and they curse under their breath. Hands fly to cover their exposed markings, glowing gleefully regardless of their permission.

Their voice comes out a murmur.

“Should’ve grabbed my earring, I can usually hide that, damned things...” they trail off before taking a few steps toward you, that familiar smirk starting to curl through their lips. “Maybe I just need some practice?”

You lean back into your palm and feel the corner of your mouth lifting to match their expression while they close the gap between you, step by fluid step. Lavender eyes bore into yours as they settle their weight against the table, lifting a knuckle to trace from the base of your ear, along your jawline, down below your chin.

A slight pressure raises your face as they lean forward with a whisper on their tongue.

“Tell me again.”

Despite the many chances they have, nothing seems to be able to mute the light cascading from their skin.

The Magesmith: They scoff at your compliment, brushing it aside with the soot from their work, and go back to fumbling with the bits of metal in front of them.

You frown. "I mean it."

Their eyes flash between red and pink. "You don't have to do that."

“What?”

“Do the-” they wave the small tweezers in their hands in your general direction and sigh. “-the thing. You don’t have to always compliment me or do the cutesy talk and-”

“Can I not just compliment you?”

“No.”

The frown pulls further at your mouth. “Why not?”

A sigh sags through their shoulders as they put the tools down and run a hand through their hair. Auburn loosens from the hold of their headband and covers their eyes before their fingers pinch together at the bridge of their nose. Their lips press into a thin line, jaw set, fingers sliding down the side of their face to scratch softly at their chin before they wrap their hands around their neck.

When they don't respond, you continue.

"I'm not just doing a thing because I feel like I have to, if that’s what you’re thinking," you start quietly. "And I have it on good authority that I'm just stating facts when it comes to how incredible you are."

Another scoff sounds at your conclusion, though this one seems tinged with another emotion. Worry settles in your gut when you read the disgust on their face until you realize it's something else.

Embarrassment.

And a swirl of color that reaches the tips of their ears.

You grin.

"You're sure you don't-"

"Don't say it. You don’t have to- ugh," The response is curt as they turn away, reaching to busy their hands with their tools again, hiding their eyes and twisting something in their arm.

But the vibrant smile that breaks through tells you all you need to know.

[e8luhs]

since cataclysmalbound has been p much abandoned in favor of refactoring (i assume?), would u ever consider talking abt more of the plot of cb that you didnt manage to get to? or does refactoring borrow enough of the story that it would be too risky? im v curious abt the fate of the characters! also hi if youve noticed somebody listening to the cataclysmalbound playlists. that was me <3

THIS IS SO SWEET im actually shocked that people are still getting into cataclysmalbound or are at least remembering it fondly all these years later. like it wasnt THAT long ago in the grand scheme but it feels like its been such a long time since i was working on it. im glad that people can still enjoy what was put out :,,)

i dont think i would ever completely reveal everything i had written for cataclysmalbound from start to end, because first of all it is a little bit embarrassing to look at my writing from when i was 15 years old now that i am 20, and second of all with cataclysmalbound i had a plan for about half of it and was flying by the seat of my pants for the other half of it. which was just how my writing style was at the time, and thats definitely something that has changed a lot for me since then. but that just means a lot of things werent fully fleshed out so its kind of hard to share. probably a little disappointing for some #cataclysmalheads to hear but it is what it is

HOWEVER, here is some random trivia that i am okay with revealing as a treat

sebran was going to go grimdark at some point due to being exposed to the horror terrors (just lose it go crazy go stupid ahhhh). the whole sequence was going to be called sebrovania btw because lilia cantripped my friend lilia cantripped composed a track for that, called sebrovania of course, which you can listen to here. lilia is so fucking awesome for making this and other songs for cataclysmalbound by the way.

kapreo was going to become a rainbowdrinker. rivian was also going to godtier. fucking OBVIOUSLY vergas died at the end but i think that was pretty clear to everyone on the planet. yay <3

each act was going to be named after a tarot card, and the events that would take place during each act would correlate with the card. so act one was the fool because it was of course the beginning, but also because of everyones innocence around the true nature of the game until its too late. act 2 was the hanged man, act 3 was the tower. those three were the only ones i ended up figuring out cards for because i didnt know exactly how long i wanted cataclysmalbound to be

the base premise for the universe that refactoring is set in (vitium) came from my favorite arc that i had planned for cataclysmalbound where lyreni and vergas were going to both be warring via the code and altering reality through it as well. thats really about it though. i thought it would be cool to expand upon that. anyways see below for my favorite note about said arc:

refactoring really doesnt bear any resemblance to cataclysmalbound otherwise. at the very start of its creation, i did take some traits from the cataclysmalbound characters and used them as jumping off points for creating the new characters, but honestly 3 years down the line my brain guys have been developed SO far beyond those super initial concepts at this point that even i forget about their roots sometimes

so yeah. hope this helps and thank you for asking :)

[bakusquad-assemble]

hiya lol could you write a bakugou x reader and (they're dating already) and he's just being soft for her and cuddling in his dorm and he starts tickling her and she's screaming n stuff so the class rush in and are totally not expecting to see bakugou practically sat on reader and tickling her, lol no pressure obvs lol

Ahhhh thank you so so much for the request,lovely!! I really enjoyed writing this one so I hope you like it! Soft boy Bakugou has my whole heart! I’m very slowly making my way through my request inbox, but feel free to send me more prompts to get the creative juices flowin!

Bakugou Katsuki was never one to show affection so openly like his other classmates would with their significant others. He was a reserved person, and the idea of PDA had always embarrassed him. So when the two of you had started dating, you were very aware of how he reacted to being touched, and respected him enough to never poke or prod in public. What took you by surprise though, was how different he was in your private company. The once prickly and standoffish boy couldn’t keep his hands off of you. At first it was jarring, his warm arms around you feeling so foreign and new, but you couldn’t help but relish in it. Sometimes you even found yourself teasing the poor touch deprived boy to see how much he needed your body against his. It was cruel, sure, but also incredibly validating to have Bakugou huff and puff until you paid attention to him. Today was one of those days.

Bakugou made his way to your dorm room after class as he did everyday, his textbooks from class slung over his shoulder in his book bag, fully intent to study and spend some quality time with you. Just being in your presence always had a calming effect on the explosive boy, so he found himself drawn to you every chance he got. He knocked once on your door before letting himself in, tossing his bag to the floor and locking his crimson eyes onto your form. You were already sitting at your desk, head buried in your book and head nestled in the palm of your hand. You made no movement in his direction, instead keeping your eyes glued to the pages before you.

“Hey, Suki.” You smiled softly at his presence, earning a grunt in return. He threw himself onto your bed, looking over at you longingly but still said nothing as he pulled out his own papers and got to work. The two of you sat in silence for a bit, a smirk ever present on your face. You could feel the boy's frustration radiating off his body and knew that it would only be a matter of time before he got sick of the lack of contact. Bakugou cleared his throat and you lifted your head ever so slightly.

“You okay? You need some water or something?” You teased, finally turning to look at him over your shoulder. He was looking at you with furrowed brows, a light flush spread across his cheeks.

“why the fuck are you still sitting over there?” He asked, trying his best not to sound desperate, but a little seeped through. You could’ve melted on the spot from his tone.

“I’m doing my work.” You stated plainly, turning your back to him once more to hide your smile. You could hear him growl at your response.

“Yeah no shit dumbass, but why are you doing it over there? You don’t want to spend time with me or somethin?” He tried his best to look anywhere but you, feeling the embarrassment overtake him. You could hear the distress in his voice and you couldn’t help but let out the laugh you’ve been stifling. He was so needy and you loved it. You put down your pen on the desk and turned completely in your chair, finally facing your red faced boyfriend.

“the fuck you laughing at?” He looked confused, trying to flesh out the meaning of your behavior.

“Aw what’s the matter, Katsuki? Does someone need attention?” You teased again, your head cocked to the side toyingly. You saw his demeanor change immediately. The once confused expression was replaced with a devious grin as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. You were fucking with him.

“Oh, you little shit!” Bakugou jumped off of his place on the bed and rushed at you, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you from the chair roughly. You couldn’t stop the loud scream that escaped your mouth, echoing throughout the room and cascading down the hallway of the dorms.

“Tryin to mess with me, huh?” He snickered into your ear, holding you against his body tightly as you tried to fight against his hold. Laughter bubbled out of your throat as Bakugou picked you up with ease, slinging you over his shoulder and making his way back to his previous spot in the room. Despite your kicking and playful fighting, Bakugou’s grip on you barely wavered. He slammed your body down onto the bed and climbed on top of you, a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

“Well now I’m gonna make you pay for that.” His voice was sinister, dangerous, and you had no doubt that he meant business. Panic washed over you, and your fighting against the blondes grip got more frantic.

“No no no!” You laughed nervously, the sound mimicking that of a person in immediate danger, a scream of terror, but you were smiling and so was your boyfriend.

“Too late, you made me mad and now you’ve got to pay for it.” He let his hands live on your hips for a second, relishing in the feeling of your presence, before digging his calloused fingers into the sides of your body. Bakugou’s tickles were vicious, but there was still a certain softness to his hands. He let them roam your body, feeling every curve and smooth expanse of skin. His laugh cascaded around you like snow flurries, beautiful but bitting. To everyone but you, the sound was devious, Filled with malicious intent, but you knew better. So you laughed too. You laughed so hard that you could barely breathe.

“S-stop! Stop please, it hurts!” You felt your lungs burning, your chest tightening uncomfortably as Bakugou’s tickles only got more intense. You let out another scream, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes as you tried to fight off the strong blonde boy on top of you. It was no use though, he easily overpowered you in your current state. You thought about using your quirk to get him off of you, but honestly you didn’t really want him to stop. You loved feeling his hands wander your body, feeling his hot breath against the crook of your neck. It was intoxicating.

“In your dreams, y/n! You’re fucking dead!” You screamed once again, this time much louder, cowering from the anticipation of his punishment, but it never came. Instead you heard your door swing open, hitting the wall with some force. Both of you jumped at the sudden noise, and the sudden appearance of some familiar faces standing on high alert in your doorway. Bakugou made no motion to move from on top of you, instead shooting a dangerous glare towards the four idiots that had just made their appearance, their voices ringing in his ears like gunfire.

“Y/n?? Are you okay?” Mina’s voice echoed throughout the room immediately

“We heard screaming! Is everyone alright?” Kirishima spoke up next, his voice laced with obvious concern. The four figures froze in the doorway as they took in the actuality of the scene, a blush fighting its way fervently up Bakugou’s neck. Kaminari and Sero attempted to stifle their laughter, but to no avail.

“Oh ho ho, shit!” Looks like we had the wrong idea!” Kaminari snickered, bumping Sero in the side with his elbow.

“Damn, you two sure do have a weird way of gettin it on!” Sero chuckled, causing Kaminari to laugh even harder.

“Come on man, don’t kink shame them!” Kaminari’s stupid voice had Bakugou seething with rage.

“DON'T YOU FUCKERS KNOW HOW TO KNOCK?” Bakugou’s voice bellowed throughout the room, causing you to wince just from sheer proximity. Your face was a light shade of pink from being found in a compromising position, but Bakugou’s was fire engine red. Kirishima shifted awkwardly in his spot, bumping Kaminari hard in an attempt to get him to stop laughing.

“We’re sorry, Bro! It just...sounded like Y/n needed help! that’s all! We were all chilling in Mina’s room down the hall and heard her screaming!” Kirishima pleaded apologetically, clearly shaken that he had overstepped in such a personal way for the angry blonde. The last thing he ever wanted to do was make his best friend angry or uncomfortable.

“JUST GET OUT BEFORE I KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!” Bakugou yelled again, this time effectively stifling the laughter coming from Kaminari and Sero. Mina let out a soft giggle, ushering the terrified boys out of the room in one swift motion, feigning confidence to hide her own fear of being blown to bits.

“Alright guys, nothin’ to see here! I think we should give these two love birds their privacy.” You could feel Bakugou growl softly at her words, causing you to chuckle into your hand. Mina gave you a wink and a flirty little wave as she closed the door behind her, leaving you and Bakugou alone once more. Bakugou quickly took a pillow from your bed and chucked it at the door as it closed as hard as he could, making contact with a loud thud and earning a screech of terror from the other side of the door.

There was a moment of silence between the two of you before laughter cascaded from your lips. Bakugou looked back at you with wild eyes, clearly confused by the sudden noise of happiness.

“The fuck are you laughing about now?” You shook your head and wiped your eyes before looking back at him, a smile ever present on your face.

“It’s just...of course they had to barge in like that! They never cease to amaze me. ” You let your smile fade slightly as your hand reached out to caress his cheek. He hesitated for a second before allowing his form to melt into your touch.

“I’m sorry, Katsuki. Are you okay? I know you don’t like letting people see you like that. ” Your soft voice enveloped him, causing him to nod ever so slightly into your hand.

“M’fine. Those dumbasses just get under my fucking skin.” You let out a soft laugh, nodding with him.

“I mean, at least we know they’d come save me if I was ever being murdered.” Bakugou let an exhale of breath from his nose, the corners of his lips upturning ever so slightly.

“I’d get there first.” His confident tone was masked with warmth, a tone you recognized all too well. It was the same tone he talked in when he talked about your future together. It was filled with love. You rolled your eyes, but you still let the smile rest on your lips. You pulled Bakugou down next to you, keeping your eyes locked onto his crimson ones.

“ I know you would.” You whispered before bringing your lips to meet his in a loving kiss. It was short-lived contact, but still sent a shiver up Bakugou’s spine. He never expected to fall in love, never once imagined he’d let himself be so vulnerable in front of another human, but there was something about you that broke him down. Every single wall he had made that he believed to be impenetrable, you demolished with a single kind and understanding smile. And while Bakugou never imagined himself falling in love, he had unequivocally and irrevocably, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He pulled you in close to his chest, letting you rest your head there as he let himself savour the gentle sounds of your breath. He ran his hands through your hair gently as he felt you speak up once more, the words escaping your mouth causing a surge of pride to rush through the blonde boy's body.

“you’re my hero, after all.”

[salami2]

← Chapter 1 →

They Call It Teyvat…

⇥ fem!reader x genshin men ⇤

(n) a homesickness for a home you can’t return to, or that never was.

Synopsis: It felt like a dream when you first arrived to this odd land. No clue on how you got there- let alone leave. Soon enough, you met Paimon and started the journey of finding all the archons of Teyvat. Along the way, you catch the eyes of numerous men… to your demise.

Word Count: 1.6k

Warning(s): Nothing really! Mentions of Venti, Dvalin, dresses, etc.

A/N: ITS FINALLY HERE! I’m sorry, I closed the requests just so I could work on this crap. Anyways this is just pt. 1 to many chapters. Enjoy!! Really though, enjoy!

“Hey… I need you to wake up now. I know it might be hard…”

A thousand voices rang through your mind, getting lost in a sea of voices. The one that called out was different then the rest. Calmer, quieter… more desperate.

“Wake up. Wake up. Wake-“

Your mind jolted awake, sweat growing on your forehead and body. What a horrible feeling of waking up to a nightmare, you thought. The voices were still ringing around your mind.

The feel of spikes underneath your fingertips convinced you that this cushioning was not your bed. You came up from the grassy ground, dirt dug deep into your nails.

“I must’ve thought I was clutching my bed sheets..” You thought while scraping away the grim.

But you were right. This in fact was not your bed- nor your bedroom. No. In fact, this was a grassy area in a not too familiar scenery.

It was lushious. Like a calm summer's day. Dew drops on the bright green grass made it almost sparkle in the daylight. And the smell of rain could be smelled. Fresh in the air.

Oh, this was most definitely not your home…

Goodness what were you doing here? Your mind tried to trail back to what you could remember. And you could only think of bits and pieces.

You remembered pitch black; owls howling in the nearby trees. Remembering that you cried asleep.

“Thinking back isn’t going to help me, wherever the hell I am…”

You thought. Inside, you were panicking. This was not your home. It was strange, nothing looked familiar to you. And yet it felt familiar.

This place, this time. It feels too nostalgic for you to say it’s new. To say it’s unfamiliar.

“Oh, my god it looks like I’m stuck in a.. fantasy novel! This scenery is gorgeous.”

It suddenly occurred that you were on a cliff side. You carefully trudged over to the end of the cliff, looking over to see the view. What you could see amazed you..

There were walls. They stood so tall and grand. Peaking over those walls was something to be expected.

It was a city, from the looks of it. Hiding away behind those walls. With even bigger towers and buildings. With windmills! And massive buildings in the back. Maybe they were the important ones.

Wait, what were you doing just standing here like a fool??

There’s civilization out there! And all you could do was gawk like a fish? You embarrassed yourself. Still- that place looked nothing like you’ve ever seen before.

Your first thought was somewhere in Europe. The scenery seemed that way. And from first glance, Germany? Yes. The structures would explain it all!

“heeeeeyy!”

A faint sound ringed from the distance. Coming from the bottom of the cliff. From what you could make out, it was almost like a child.

Children? No, it can’t be. The voice was quite childish, but it couldn’t be. And where they calling out to you?

Suddenly the voice started to grow; louder and louder. Until you could see the face behind the voice.

Whatever it was was tired, screaming, and flying right into you.

Wait-

You fell back with the force from the flying child. The thing fell into your arms, swirls in its eyes and a red bump on its forehead.

It didn’t take long for the thing to wake up, though. Immediately flying up to your confused expression.

“S/O! There you are! Paimon’s been trying to find you everywhere, and this is where you’ve been hiding!?”

It’s face came inches away from your own, huffing in frustration. So far all you could get was that this thing was named Paimon. And it was angry, for some reason.

“I-I’m sorry, Paimon,” you managed to get out, “I just wanted to see the scenery. Y’know?”

She huffed. “And you better be! Now c’mon, I brought you a simple dress for you to wear. Be grateful Paimon is such an amazing companion.”

The flying girl looked proud of herself. Thinking it was stupid of her to be proud of a pointless feat. But then again, she was quite small and frail. You’ll let this slide.

She was right about one thing: you needed to change.

Peering down to your legs, you noticed the attire you were sporting right now. A… hospital gown, from the looks of it.

The fine dress she had picked out for you was decent. Basic and brown with a leather belt. Perfect for being unnoticed. Along with a satchel with simple embroidery. You felt a little worried as to where Paimon might have gotten this from…

“Thanks, Paimon. Uh- should I change here, or?” You asked. She puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“NO! Are you a savage or something!? Here, Paimon will take you to somewhere remote and then we can go to that city over there. Uhhh, what was it called? Oh yeah, it’s called-“

“Mondstadt. It’s called Mondstadt…”

Rigid bark against your palm went smoothly along the trunk of the tree.

You and your lovely companion, Paimon, had found a spectacle that was still unfamiliar and new. An old statue resting underneath a grand, oak tree: just sitting there while the world went by.

Standing underneath it alone made you feel intimidated. Wondering how the hell a tree could get so big.

“Wow… damn, I wonder how old this girl is..” you said to yourself. “Hey, Paimon? Can you tell me where we are again?”

“Uhhh, Paimon doesn’t know the name. Oh! But Paimon remembers they call this continent Teyvat! That’s about it, though.”

You hummed to yourself.

“Teyvat… wait, a continent? Then that means there’s countries inside of this place. Or whatever this world follows.”

Before you and Paimon left, you had mentioned Mondstadt before she could. Funny- you had never known of that city before and yet the word seemed to fly out of your mouth.

Paimon floated up near your shoulder, looking panicked and scared.

“S/O! I saw something weird in the sky!” She exclaimed, taking a small hand and pointing up towards the clear, blue sky.

You stepped away from the tree to see what she was rambling about.

It was like an instant did the flying green object go by. Leaving you and your floating companion speechless.

“AHHHH- DID YOU SEE THAT!?” Paimon exclaimed while tugging on your sleeve.

You couldn’t help thinking to yourself. “Huh. You don’t see that everyday-“ still in awe at what just happened. “C’mon Paimon! We have to follow whatever that thing is!”

She gasped dramatically. “Follow!? Did you SEE how scary that thing was??”

You rolled your eyes as you stepped up the pace and started jogging. “Paimon, if it is what I think it is; that thing that was in the sky might just be a dragon!”

“AND HOW DOES THAT MAKE IT ANY BETTER!?”

While she groaned in detestment, Paimon quickly trailed behind you. You- being determined to find that dragon- kept running towards the direction it was going.

It took a while, but you stopped in the middle of a thick forest. Hearing grunts of an animal getting louder and louder as you peaked from a nearby tree.

What you saw shocked you; to say the least.

A boy, arms reaching forward near the snout of the dragon. Smoke coming out of its nostrils.

“… Don’t be afraid.” He said, trying to calm the beast.

“… It’s alright now. I’m back.”

You felt something happening crawling on your skin, arms. It was odd. Looking away and at your arms, you finally saw. Eyes widening.

Turquoise veins appeared- running down your arms. Glowing for what seemed like a split second. Soon it stopped. Your veins, disappearing.

The dragon roared. It echoed across the entire forestry. The young boy's arms went to cover himself as the dragon tried to attack.

“Who’s there!?” He called out. The dragon, now enraged, spread its coloured wings and flew off to who knows where. While the boy vanished with a bright light.

The same bright light that you encountered…

“Oh, my god… what the fuck was that?” You were too staggered to mind tongue. Looking back at your arms.

“A-are you ok? Your arms…” Paimon said under her breath.

Ok? Ok wasn’t the word. You were… lost, scared, thunderstruck, worried, anxious, terrified to your wits ends.

But all you said was-

“I remember.”

“So wait, Paimon is confused-“

The day still burned brightly as you walked down yet another gravel path.

“Confused about what? I remember. I remember being in a… hospital. Yeah- a hospital. Also, there were people surrounding me and I just… passed out.”

Your face while rembersing showed Paimon enough to know what you were gonna do.

“Paimon… I have to get back,” you said, “I- I remember, there’s something I need to do!”

The flying toddler was confused and hazy. Get back? Another world?? She didn’t know how to respond to what you were saying at all.

“Uhh- well, if you need to get back home, Paimon might know a way…”

“Really?? What do you got?” You persisted.

“Well, all over Teyvat they mention these deities called the seven archons…”

“Deities…” you mumbled under your breath, thinking out loud.

“A-and they created all the elements of the visions you see today. So, if anybody can get you home, maybe they can…?”

Suddenly, your hands flew to Paimon’s shoulders. A shining beam plastered across your face. Oh yeah, Paimon was scared.

“I’m in a new world full of magic and mystery, trying to find seven gods that might take me months, years, or even DECADES to find… LET’S DO THIS, PAIMON!”

You scurried away. Seemingly towards the massive towers you could see in the distance. Paimon gasped, catching up to you.

“A-are you crazy!? No way you could ever do that! Paimon could never dream of such a… ridiculous thing!!”

Alas, you could not hear her over the feeling of pure excitement and adventure in your eyes. This is just like in the books! Where there’s magic and powers and hidden romance- everything you loved to read!

“Too late! C’mon, let’s get to Mondstat quickly so we can find the first god!”

You ran off ahead. Leaving an annoyed Paimon to trail after you.

Oh yeah, this was most definitely gonna be a journey to remember…

@salami2

[moony-meadow]

The Very Hungry Beelzebub (2)

Previous Part / Next Part

With an echoing splash, I fell into the space that could only be Beelzebub’s stomach. Terror took hold of me as the reality of my situation fully settled in. Desperately, I scrambled to my feet. There was liquid up to my knees, and though it was pitch black, the area felt more spacious than the previous stomach I had occupied. I didn’t dwell on those details long though.

I threw myself against the wall of the stomach I was trapped in, pressing my palms into the squishy surface as though I would be able to phase through it. “Nonononono--this can’t be happening, I can’t--” I froze. Had I just spoken? One of my hands jumped to my throat. “Ahhhh,” I tested. When I felt the vibrations beneath my hand, I became sure I hadn’t imagined my own voice.

Evidently, the silencing spell Beel cast on me had been temporary. The effects had lasted just long enough for the demon to get me exactly where he wanted me. “Maybe it’s not too late,” I breathed. It was just at that moment I noticed a burning sensation beginning to prick at the parts of my skin submerged in the liquid that pooled at the bottom of Beel’s stomach.

“Stomach acid. I’m standing in stomach acid,” I reminded myself. And unlike when I’d been in Mammon’s stomach, there was nothing stopping this acid from doing its job and dissolving anything it came in contact with.

I struggled to prevent my own panic from halting all rational thoughts. I needed to keep it together. There was still a chance I could survive this.

Pressing myself up against the wall I guessed to be the outermost, I screamed out Beel’s name as loudly as possible. I didn’t wait for a response before announcing my command. “I order you not to digest me!” My voice was shrill and shaky. The words sounded more like a desperate plea than a command from a master. Were I not currently in a life or death situation, I would have felt self conscious. As it was, I was just glad I had managed to get it all out.

In the next instant, I felt the muscles surrounding Beel’s stomach tense. And then suddenly, the painful burn from the acid retreated as the liquid drained away. A few moments later and I was standing in a completely dry environment, with only the stinging of my skin to show the dangerous liquid had been present in the first place.

Slumping down to the floor, I released a heavy sigh of relief. Ever since arriving in the Devildom, I’d had my fair share of near death experiences. Hell, I’d even been killed once (in an alternate timeline, of course). However, my familiarity with dangerous situations didn’t make them any easier to deal with. I still felt like I’d been figuratively run over by a truck.

“Y/N?” The sudden rumbling voice shook me out of my brooding. I startled slightly as the wall I had been leaning against was gently pushed inwards, no doubt by a hand pressing from the outside.

“Beel? Are--are you...yourself right now?” I questioned uncertainly. When he had said my name, it had been tentative and soft--much more like it usually was than what I’d heard only minutes ago. However, I had to remain wary. The last thing I wanted was to be struck with another silencing spell.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry!” Beel cried. Though he didn’t directly answer my question, his response easily gave him away. He was back to his normal self. “I-I didn’t mean to--oh god, I could’ve killed you!” Now that my panic had ebbed, it seemed it was Beel’s turn to freak out. His voice was riddled with genuine horror and fear.

After Beel had first told me about his secret eighth sibling, Lilith, and the crushing guilt he felt in regards to her death, I began to see the demon in a new light. He was someone who cared deeply for his family, someone who wanted nothing more than to protect those he cared about. So when he felt as though he failed in that task, Beel placed every ounce of that guilt on his own shoulders. It made my heart ache to witness, especially now that his guilt was in regards to me.

“Beel, it’s okay. I know you would never do that when you’re...well when you’re in your right mind,” I assured him, hoping he could feel the soft pat I gave his stomach wall.

“Are you okay in there?” Beel questioned urgently, giving no indication whether or not he accepted my forgiveness or not.

Automatically, my hand reached for my still slightly aching legs and feet. The fabric of my pajama bottoms and socks, while still present, did feel markedly thinner. I suspected it would have been only a matter of time before the clothing dissolved altogether. “I-I’m fine,” I told Beel. “Just a little shaken up, that’s all.” I was attempting to sound reassuring, but the fact that my voice was still wavering slightly probably didn’t help me to be convincing.

The giant hand resting against the outside of the stomach began to move in a slow back and forth movement. It was surprisingly soothing, given the circumstances. “You’re sure I didn’t hurt you?” Beel asked softly. It was crazy how such an imposing looking demon could manage to sound like a little puppy dog.

“I promise, I’m okay,” I insisted. “I just need you to get me out of here.” I almost wanted to remind Beel that this wasn’t my first time in someone else’s stomach, in an effort to assuage some of his worries. However, I still wasn’t quite comfortable bringing up that little tid-bit of information. The fact that I had somehow managed to end up eaten by two separate demons in a matter of days still caused me quite a bit of embarrassment.

“How can I do that?” Beel inquired, seeming uncertain.

“You just need to...well cough me up basically.”

The experience of Mammon forcing himself to hack me up hadn’t exactly been pleasant. In fact, I might even argue it was worse going up than it had been going down. But considering it was pretty much the only viable option, short of someone cutting Beel open and pulling me out, I was resigned to going through it again.

My statement was met with silence on Beel’s end. I was fairly certain he had heard me, so what was preventing him from responding? “Beel, is there a problem?”

There was a pause and then, “I...I’m not so sure I’ll be able to bring you back up.” the demon admitted miserably.

I raised a questioning eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”

Beel’s stomach expanded and then contracted as he blew out a low sigh. “Unless I’m sick, I-I really can’t spit out or throw up anything I’ve eaten.” He sounded sincere, however what he was saying must’ve been a lie.

“What about that time you accidentally swallowed some of Solomon’s cooking and had to hack it up?” The occasion was difficult to forget considering the taste of the food the sorcerer had cooked still haunted me to this day.

Another moment’s hesitation. Beel clearly was reluctant to voice whatever it was he planned on saying. The rubbing against the outside wall of the stomach came to a stop. “That’s because my body only lets me get rid of stuff I didn’t enjoy eating,” he finally divulged, the words sounding almost like an apology.

It wasn’t surprising to me that Beelzebub had taken pleasure in eating me. It had been well established that he found me to be delicious even before today. I’d accepted the fact that everyone in the Devildom (excluding Solomon and the angels) considered me to be some kind of delicious treat. No, that part wasn’t what bothered me. I was much more concerned with the news that Beel believed himself incapable of getting me out the only way that I knew worked.

Anxiety was threatening to sneak back into the forefront of my mind, but for the moment, I managed to push it back. “Well you can at least give it a try, right?” I offered.

“Of course, just--just hold on,” Beel replied.

When Mammon had coughed me up, it had seemed to help if I stood up straight and still. I assumed the same position this time, bracing myself for the oncoming onslaught of movement around me.

My environment folded slightly, I assumed in response to Beel bending over. Next, a firm weight appeared at the front of the stomach from his hand. Then came the coughing and retching that shook my whole world. Last time, when I’d been in Mammon’s stomach, it had taken only a matter of minutes before I was spat out onto the palm of the demon’s hand. This time however, nearly ten minutes passed with absolutely zero progress, and I could tell the process was beginning to take a physical toll on Beel.

“Hey, hey, you can stop!” I called out, lightly pounding on a wall of the stomach. It seemed pretty clear that Beel’s assumption had been right. We would have to find some other way to get me out.

The motion of Beel’s heavy breaths surrounded me. “I’m so sorry, Y/N.” His voice was riddled with guilt and sorrow.

I was about to insist that he had nothing to apologize for when suddenly I heard the distant sound of a door opening. It felt as though every muscle in Beel’s body tensed as he too realized someone was entering the room. Both he and I could only pray it wasn’t Lucifer.

“Oh hey, Beel. I was just lookin’ for Y/N.” I released a sigh of relief at the sound of Mammon’s voice. While I loathed the idea of letting the Avatar of Greed know I had once again been eaten, he was the only demon in the House of Lamentation I would even consider letting in on my current predicament. At least the secret would still go no further than Beel, Mammon, and I. “They’re not in their room, have you seen--” Mammon stopped mid-sentence. I could only assume he had just noticed the state of the kitchen. Sure enough the next words that came out of the demon’s mouth were, “What the hell happened here?”

[sparklingpax]

Hmmmm... Starscream, and Leonardo!

Hi!!! Yes!! I can definitely do these two <3 And aaaa sorry I left this tab open and forgot about it >///<

///

Starscream (I'm assuming from TFP?)

First impression: (Given that I was like, 5 or 6 when I saw TFP, cut me a little slack on the simplicity of this jdsjsdsdj) "The King of being Sly" and also "sharp claws, sharp claws, so COOL!! OWO" Interestingly enough, I had no particular feelings for him as in 'hating' or 'liking' his character, I just liked his claws and the Way he moved and talked :3 So.....well, I guess contradicting myself two seconds ago that would classify as: I liked him when I saw him, and also acknowledged fully that he was So Evil but that was ok >:)

Impression now: PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS BEFORE EXCEPT NOW I LOVE HIM AS ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF THE SHOW AJSDJSDKFSj Starscream hhh 💖 Also I still adore his claws and figure <3

Favorite moment: Oof, there are many to choose from....

THE HIP THRUST DANCE THING FROM PATCH BECAUSE WHO DOESNT LOVE THAT MOMENTS SDHSDJ

Every time he used his claw fingers as weapons of some kind

Every single time he did that epic thing where he jumped off a surface and near the ground, transformed, and bolted straight back up into the sky, leaving a clean, perfect trail of smoke...AHHHH

The Entirety of the episode "Thirst" because Starscream (and KO) and their dynamic was just *chef's kiss* 💝

Idea for a story: I know these have been written before but like. Any kind of scenario where Starscream gets to enjoy some recreational activity, maybe where he just goes on a nice, long flight on a clear, sunny day--maybe even goes to another country...just flies around in peace, stops and sits on a rock somewhere and watches a city of people down below, contemplating life.........sure, he reminds himself how easy it would be to go down there and destroy everything because he is more powerful than those puny humans could ever be!! And yet.....he just sits there and watches those people walk around and live their lives, intrigued for even just a little--after all, Lord Megatron didn't give him orders to destroy that city, now did he?

........SORRY ITS CHEESY, maybe even slightly ooc, but jsJSDH o///o I want Scream to be happy :3

Unpopular opinion: Probably not unpopular, but I've seen some people say that Starscream's character was inconsistent and written badly,,,,and I,,,,,disagree so fully with that???

But that's kind of it, and I don't think that many people think that, so.....I'll leave it at that--

Favorite relationship: Hmm......Starscream and Knockout dont come for me please I said this already but they have the perfect dynamic AA

Favorite headcanon: As you can tell by my story idea, that Starscream has recreational activities he tries to do when he can, and that they include Just Flying Around in Peace amongst other things (idk where I saw that one but I did see it somewhere and I love it ok--)

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In conclusion, Starscream q///q 🥺💗💖💕✨

///

Leonardo (TMNT 2012)

First impression: OK so my first episode of TMNT 2012 was actually the last five minutes of "The Enemy of My Enemy" because I was just flipping through channels (and I was a third grader :D). I got that bit where he and Mikey were talking and Mikey was like "It's like when I found out that Leprechauns aren't real," to which Leo just stares at him and says, "You didn't know they're not real?!" (as Raph and Donnie sign frantically for him not to say that) and instantly, Mikey looks horrified: "LEPRECHAUNS AREN'T REAL???"

You might be asking why this is at all significant for my first impression of him....well I decided right then and there that Leo was a Dork and I liked him a lot.

To this day, I can't make sense of this or why that one scene there made me think that, but well, I can't figure myself out anyway lmfao--

So long story short: I liked Leo on sight, and maybe three or four episodes later, I cemented that opinion for sure in my mind, and also found him highkey attractive o///o 💙 In fact, he was my favorite for a short period of time ^w^

Impression now: LEO MY BELOVED 🥺🥰💕

He's officially my second favorite now!! I stil think he's adorable, but like adorkable kind of cute ;w; BUT I also see him as a great leader, a good character with meaningful development. He remained attractive to me and I've always thought he was cool.

TMNT 2012 WAS SO GOOD AAAA I LOVE ALL FOUR OF THEM TBH >w<

Also he was and still is the definition to me of That Friend everyone calls responsible who Is Kind Of but sometimes you find that friend trying to eat three hotdogs at once and reconsider that and I Know this makes no sense but I stand with this idea lmfao

Favorite moment: BATTLE WITH SHREDDER IN TE SEASON 2 FINALE (which had a sad ending and it makes me sad every time I watch it but also GO LEO GO, SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF)

-"Imagine if they knew who they were working for!!" *proceeds to Kraang Impression accurately* "..." and then he just laughs nervously and they return to planning an infiltration to TCRI

-LEO FANBOYING OVER SPACE HEROES WAS ALWAYS THE CUTEST qwq 🥺💙💙✨

-and many other because there are 6 seasons and I'm forgetting a lot of moments I'll be sad later I didn't remember at first--

Idea for a story: Hmmm.......Leo attending a Comic Convention and disguising himself as a human, because that would be funny but also lowkey cute >w< And!! It would be just him....idk, but it feels like something fun and that would result in him being a Happy Turtle~

:))

Unpopular opinion: Um...........I didn't love those outfits/battle armor/whatever those were that he (or the other turtles tbh) had for both the forest thing in season 3 and then the black ones they had for the end of season 5; like it was only in a few scenes and it wasn't awful by any means but.....eh......

Favorite relationship: His dynamic with Master Splinter as the eldest and most responsible son, and then the dynamics with his brothers, especially with Raph because they fought a lot, but by the end of the series, they kind of saw eye to eye most of the time....that was just so well-written imo, I enjoyed it :D

Favorite headcanon: Ok, at the moment I can't recall one I've seen, so I'll just tell you one of mine: Leo actually likes onsies (those pj things) and owns a few because they're comfy and kinda cute :D but he's kind of embarrassed of this because he just knows his brothers will never let him hear the end of it if they were to find out, especially Raph--

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Thanks so much for the ask!! :)

[skylarmoon71]

Donatello x Reader- Fanfiction Oneshot. (TMNT 2014-2016)

"Guys look what I invented!" Raph sighed when he saw you walking on the ceiling with your newest invention.

"She's at it again." he spoke, drawing in the attention of his other brothers. Donatello's eyes widened in amazement. "No way, you made gravity defying boots. "

You grinned from your upside down position, showing him a thumbs up. The beeping on your shoes made your smile drop. "Uh oh." the light changed from blue to red and you were now falling head first. 

"AHHHH!!!" 

Donatello rushed over, doing a flip and catching you mid air. His feet landed on the ground with a harsh thud, and you released a breath, holding unto him. "A-Are you alright!" he was surveying your body. All in all you seemed fine. You stared at him, admiring the beauty of his green eyes.

"I-I'm okay." your reply was said a bit shakily. Whether from the fall, or your slowly increasing heart beat, you couldn't tell. Donatello placed you on your feet, and Leonardo walked over, already preparing a speech. You knew that look on his face, he was about to scold you for your recklessness.

"(Y/N), you need to be careful. You could have gotten really hurt. What if we hadn't come in." You knew he was just concerned. Your head lowered. "I'm sorry Leo, I'll be careful next time." He raised his hand, patting you on the head softly. "It is pretty cool though." you looked up with a wide smile, fist pumping. Michelangelo was at your side in seconds, ready with an onslaught of questions. One of which probably included if he could borrow your boots.

Meeting the turtles was the best thing that happened to you. It was a real eye opener, that was for sure. You were an inventor at heart, testing out one of your creations. At the time you were just studying constellations and solar patterns. One night your panels picked up something strange. Whatever it was had a major energy source because it shorted your computer, as well as Donatello's equipment.

They'd been out on patrol while you were on the roof. And just ended up running into you. If your stuff hadn't overloaded Donnie's, they probably wouldn't have stopped to investigate. That was the first time you'd ever seen something so incredible. Of course when you saw them you fainted, from what you heard April had a similar reaction. But after that, when you came to, your curiosity got the better of you.

The fact that four huge mutant turtles were standing right in front of you seemed like the last thing you cared about. You just started asking questions. Like a scientist, you were inquisitive by nature. It wasn't long after that, you became quick friends with the turtles.

You and Donatello were especially close. He was just like you, always building and altering gear and technology, utilizing it to its maximum capacity. You were always helping him upgrade his inventions, and he'd give you ideas to create others to help the turtles protect the city. 

Being able to explore your interest with someone who loved technology just as much as you did was all you could really ask for. So whenever you weren't working, you were down in the lair, testing out your machinery. Your boots were something you'd been working on for weeks. Unfortunately it still needed a bit of tweaking, because the battery didn't retain as much power as you hoped.

"As soon as I get it up to speed I'll lend it to you Mikey." That was all he needed to hear.

"Boyah!! I got first dibs guys!" he was already running off cheering. You pulled the boots off, studying it. "I may have to alter the size as well."

"So how was patrol?" You asked surveying your equipment.

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Raph said boastful, biting down on the toothpick at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm sure. Well while you guys were gone I ordered pizza." That was all you needed to say because pretty soon they were all headed to the other room to devour their favorite food. You laughed at how quickly the room cleared. Splinter walked out, his tail swishing slowly behind him.

"(Y/N), it's always nice to have you with us. However I'd advised against indulging my sons in that unhealthy food." He probably regretted ever introducing them to it, because it seemed like that was all they ever ate.

"Even if I didn't you know they'll still get their hands on some." he sighed.

"I suppose you're right." He looked at you like there was something else he needed to say.

"Is there something wrong?" He shook his head, a smile gracing his lips.

"I'm just very grateful for you." the statement caught you by surprise.

"T-Thank you Master Splinter." It really did mean a lot to you that he thought so.

"I should be the one thanking you. Not many people are willing to accept my sons. They are extraordinary, but society has a very focused view on what is right and wrong. This world could use more people like you and Ms. O' Neil." you could understand where he was coming from.

"I know what you mean. Growing up I dealt with my fair share of ridicule. I guess to the other kids I was always just weird. " At a young age you'd seen things different. While kids were playing on slides and swings, you were solving mind puzzles and complex math sums. Technology was easier for you to figure out that people.

You glanced at the turtles eating happily from the other room talking among themselves. Your gaze lingered on the purple clad one maybe a little longer than necessary. When you realized you turned back to Splinter, who was wearing a suspicious smile.

"I'll leave you to it then." and with that he was walking away, hands behind his back.

"Hmmm?" 

Sometimes you wished you could read his mind.

"Hey (Y/N), come and get a slice before they devour all." Donatello's words made you run over.

"Save some for me!" You spent a while wrestling to get a slice. Dropping down next to Donatello. her persisted to tell you some of the upgrades he was thinking of making in the lair. His computer set up was pretty impressive already, but just because something worked didn't mean it couldn't be further modified. Donnie was always thinking ahead.

"Just imagine if we made four of those boots of yours!" he sounded excited, letting out a laugh and a cute little snort. You paused for a second, and he pushed up his glasses, a little embarrassed at the sound that left him. You watched him with glowing red cheeks.

"OH MY GOODNESS WHY IS HE SO CUTE!!!"

If you hadn't already swallowed your pizza you would have probably choked on it.  Who knew the nerdy little turtle would have such an effect on you.

~~~~

Mikey was patting his stomach, clearly content. You smiled, gathering the empty boxes of pizza to carry to the trash. Donatello caught you struggling with about seven boxes, still trying to stack more. "Let me help you." you nodded, and he took a couple from your hand, following you out the room. You walked with him, a comfortable silence gathering.

"What were you and Sensei talking about earlier, it looked pretty serious." His question caused you to slow down a little.

"Umm, not much. He was just saying he's glad I'm around. He also said I should stop buying so much pizza for you guys." you gestured to the boxes in your hand, causing a shy smile to rise on Donnie's face.

Upon reaching the trash area, you dumped the boxes in the bin. Donnie did the same.

"Well I am glad you're here." you looked over at Donnie, who suddenly seemed a bit flustered. 

"I-I mean we're all glad you're here." he corrected, fidgeting. You watched him fiddle, your heart giving a slow flutter. Donnie really was the cutest. Maybe it was the glasses, but every time he looked at you, your chest would constrict in the most pleasant way. Hearing him say he enjoyed having you around was another plus. It did give you slight hope. Maybe he reciprocated your feelings. "I'm glad too." you replied, skipping back to the lair. Donnie's eyes followed as you moved through the sewer, a content feeling settling in his chest.

~~~

"Hey Raph, Leo." you waved at both brothers entering. Raph looked up from tying the bandages around his hand, greeting you. "Hey what's up."

"Not much, I just needed to borrow some material for a something I'm thinking about. Where is Donnie?" At the mention of his name, Raph moved closer, dropping a hand on your shoulder as he leaned in. "You know, you always run to Donnie's room whenever you get here. I'm starting to wonder if ya have a little thing for him." you sputtered, backpedaling.

"W-What No! That's No!" you shouted. Your yells earned a look from Leo, who was now very curious.

"If you're looking for Donnie he's in the training room with Mikey." Leo said almost on instinct. Did he know as well that you always gravitated to Donnie. How could you be so obvious? And here you thought you were covering your little crush well. You frowned at the smug look Raph sent you, putting his toothpick back in his mouth as you basically sprinted out the room, cheeks quickly turning red.

"Stupid Raph."

If he figured it out, maybe Donnie did too. What if he knew the entire time and just didn't say anything. 

"That's crazy, stop it stupid brain!" you tried to rid the thoughts. You did like Donnie, but if he found out and things got awkward, you wouldn't be able to deal with that.

When you got to the training room, you froze at the door, just staring. Mikey and Donnie were sparring. You stood watching every move, flip, punch that Donnie delivered. Sometimes you forgot that he wasn't just smart, but also a very skilled fighter. The way he attacked so efficiently, carefully calculating every hit, retaliating with his bo staff. Your heart was definitely pounding now.

"He's incredible."

You weren't sure how long they had been going at it, but after a few more minutes they stopped. Donnie had successfully knocked Mikey off his feet. "I win." Donnie said with a cute little grin.

He held out his hand, and Mikey took it, standing to his feet. They high fived and that's when their focus was drawn to you.

"(Y/N)?" Donnie called in question. You were still standing there gawking. You blinked a couple times, then cleared your throat.

"N-Nice moves." you commended. Mikey puffed out his chest. "Well you know, what can I say, gotta impress the ladies. " At this point he was flexing every muscle on his body, yet all you could see was the thin layer of sweat Donnie was wiping off his forehead. The action made his biceps bulge. A short breath left you. You licked your lips, enjoying the sight of his very muscular body. You swallowed, hoping you weren't being too obvious. Because right now you couldn't help it. Someone so adorably hot shouldn't be allowed to live on the planet.

"This should be a crime."

Somehow Donnie had moved without you realizing, because he was directly in front of you, adjusting his glasses to check your vitals. "(Y/N) do you have a fever!" He sounded worried.

"Your heart rate is elevated as well as your temperature. Not to mention how red your cheeks are. You need to lie down. " he didn't give you a chance to argue, picking you up and carrying you to his room.

When he stepped in he laid you on the bed gently, before turning and searching around his room for medicine. He picked up a packet of tablets, as well as a bottle of water, dropping it on the desk, moving back to get a piece of cloth. When he got back to you he was unscrewing the cork of the bottle to wet the cloth. 

"Just lay down and I'll-" because he'd been bouncing around so quickly you weren't able to stop him. Now that he was sitting right next to you, you took his hand, halting his actions.

"Donnie, I'm fine. I don't have a fever." His head tilted to the side. He pulled back down the goggles to scan you again. When he raised it, he looked confused. "I-It's back to normal. But you were just really warm. How did it go down so quickly. " he put down the bottle, still sitting on the ground before you. He reached over, placing his hand to your neck. He really was a sweetheart.

"The reason I was so warm wasn't because I have a fever."

"Then why?" he asked.

"It's..because of you Donnie.." you breathed.

"Because of me?" As smart as he was, he probably wouldn't figure out what you were trying to say. Your legs dangled off the edge of the bed. With you sitting upright, and Donnie on the floor, you were right about his height from your position. 

Throwing caution to the wind, you leaned forward, hands smoothening over his shoulders. Donnie just sat there, clearly alarmed at how close you were getting. You closed the space between you, eyes shut tightly as you pressed your lips to his. You didn't stay connected long. After a few seconds you pulled back to gauge his reaction. Truth is you weren't sure what type of reaction he would have, but you were tired of hiding how you felt.

"I love you Donatello."

"I said it!"

Donnie was still silent, you sort of expected as much. He just stared at you. When he finally did speak, it came out hesitantly. "Y-You...love me..?" you nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. "I do." you confessed. He was quiet again, and you wished you could read what his eyes were telling you, because it was lost on you. 

Despite that, you reached up slowly, taking off his glasses so you could get a better look at his gorgeous eyes. You placed them on the bed next to you, moving over to sit right between his legs. Now that you had a clearer view of Donnie's eyes, you noticed that they were dilated. That fact just made your heart pick up. You leaned in again, wrapping your hand around his shoulders this time as you kissed him.

This kiss was slower, passionate. You were conveying everything he made you feel since you'd met him. Every time he made your heart beat spike, pulse quicken, breath hitch.

All your emotions combined in one, just for him. When his muscled arms moved around your body, you swooned. You could tell he was cautious, because with his strength he could easily hurt you. Donnie held you softly, earning an appreciative sound from your throat. He finally started to respond, eyes closing, pulling you as close as you could get. Pretty soon you were gripping at his body, kisses hot and heavy.

All your pent up energy was coming out. You were shocked you were able to go so long without oxygen. The way you were kissing him made him lightheaded. It was if he were the air you needed to breathe. Your tongue darted out, hands moving to the back of his head to keep him right where you wanted him. 

You were moaning softly, brows furrowing as you tasted him. So sweet, just like his adorable personality. Your hands ventured over his plastron, and this time Donnie moaned. The sound caused your stomach to coil in anticipation. When you finally pulled away, you were gasping in mouthfuls of air. Donnie did the same, chest heaving in equal pace to yours. As you tried to catch your breath, your eyes stayed trained on his soft lips. Partially wet with saliva from your most recent session.

"I...had no idea that you.." his sentence was incomplete, due to his panting, but you could put the words together. He obviously wasn't aware of your feelings. This entire time he'd been pining after you, and you'd felt the same way. Donnie scolded himself for not saying something earlier. All along he could have been kissing your deliciously plump lips.

"I'm sorry it took so long." you spoke. Now that your breathing returned to normal. You could think a bit clearer. He shook his head.

"It's okay.I-I just thought that because I'm a mutant and you're..you're.." he didn't finish the sentence, eyes moving to the floor.

"I never saw the need to try.." he lamented. His broken tone really made you want to cry. Of course he was insecure. He was a mutant turtle. You guessed he just expected everyone to judge him for what he was. You reached over, lifting his eyes to you.

"I don't care what you are Donnie. In my eyes, you're just.." you paused, looking for the right words. There were way too many to describe him. So you just settled for the first ones to pop into your head.

"Incredibly hot." you whispered. He gulped, obviously noticing the growing need in your eyes. You leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Intelligent." you pressed another kiss, this time a bit lower. 

"Caring," a kiss to his neck. "Sexy." you were trailing kisses down his neck, and Donnie was having a very difficult time keeping his heart rate under control. Your head lifted, and this time you kissed him firmly on the lips. "Mine." you thought.

You stayed there, safe in his arms, exchanging long overdue kisses. People in this society would probably never accept what he was, but you'd love him, no matter what. And at the moment, that's all he could really care about.

[m1r0h]

cry baby ~ yang jeongin

pt2 of wiped out series

general warnings; angst, mild swearing, fluff, happy ending

—————————————————————————

it was a warm summer day when jeongin met you. 

it was the town’s big fair, and it was bustling with teenagers and kids alike, the smell of fair food filling the air. jeongin should’ve known better than to go with his girlfriend... or.. ex girlfriend. 

they were on the ferris wheel when she broke the news to him that she had found somebody new. he wasn’t surprised at this point. when the ride had come to a stop, she left him there, alone, demanding that she find another ride home. jeongin walked away from the ride, going to sit under a tree behind one of the food trucks. 

tucking his face in his arms, bringing his knees up to rest on, jeongin tried to hold back his tears, but to no avail. that was, until a certain someone tapped on his shoulder.

“you okay?” it was a girl’s voice. a voice as sweet as honey.

jeongin picked his head up from his lap, hurriedly wiping away stray tears. “uh, i-i’m fine.” he attempted to say, but it came out as a choked whisper and he cleared his throat.

you furrowed your brows at him. “hmm, you don’t seem okay.” you sat next to him, leaning back against the tree. jeongin looked confused, and was about to get up and leave, until you stuck out your hand.

“y/n, i go to school the next town over. i assume you go here?” you asked, and jeongin nodded, shaking your hand. “you’re yang jeongin. i’ve heard... stuff about you, to say the least.”

jeongin gave a half smile, knowing what that meant. people were quick to bully him for his failed relationships.

“so,” you looked at him. “it happen again?”

jeongin didn’t answer, he just avoided your gaze. “i mean... we could hang out if you want?” you said, and jeongin turned his head to you. “y-you wanna hang out with me?”

“of course, why not,” you say, standing up from the ground and dusting off your pants. you held out your hand for him to grab onto. he hesitated at first, but eventually pulled himself up.

“come on, i’ll make your day better.” you smiled.

—

its been two weeks now, and jeongin has never felt more busy. he sees you nearly every day after school, and the two of you hang out at your house. it seems like all fun from the outside, but on the inside, jeongin’s hurting.

the nightmares haven’t stopped, even though he has somebody new in his life.

it’s 2:43 am when jeongin wakes up from another nightmare, whining from exhaustion as he gets up to go to the medicine cabinet. taking another sleeping pill, he chugs it down with his water and collapses back into bed. he grabs his phone, finger hovering over your contact, the only thing stopping him being the early time.

until he accidentally presses the dial button and hears it start to ring. too late to turn back now, he let’s it go, secretly hoping you don’t pick up.

after the third ring, you pick up.

“jeongin, you okay?” you groan sleepily, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, trying to adjust.

“uh, y/n, i’m sorry i didn’t mean to call, i-i mean, i was going to but it’s early and i didn’t want to wake you-“

“jeongin, what happened.” you interrupt him.

“nightmare,” he says. “s-sorry, i think i talk too much.”

“you don’t,” you say, fidgeting with your sweater. “is it about your ex girlfriends?”

the silence on the other end of the line answers your question.

“i knew that bitch anyway, she was a waste of your time, the one from the fair, i heard about her. she’s being passed around by guys now. you’re so much better than that, jeongin. i’m gonna make you believe that.” you say a bit more than you expected.

jeongin’s heart beats faster at your words.

“try to get some sleep, okay? i’ll see you after school later.” and with that you hang up the phone.

—

you had walked jeongin to your car, driving him back to your place for the 4th time this week, it now being friday. jeongin was sitting on the couch eating some of the candy you had bought him. sitting next to him, you grabbed some from his palm and shoved it in your own mouth.

jeongin giggled at you. his heart nearly stopped when you grabbed his hand, lacing your fingers together. “is this okay, jeongin?” you question, and he nods.

but really, he’s nervous. “uh, y/n?” he begins. “i think i worry a lot..”

“you do, innie,” jeongin blushes at your nickname for him. “but it’s okay, nobody’s gonna hurt you now.” you scoot closer next to him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“m-my nerves.. it goes away for a minute when i’m with you.” jeongin mumbles, looking you in the eyes.

your own blush starts to fill up your cheeks. you lean in slightly to jeongin, your lips nearly touching. jeongin’s heart starts pounding, and he pulls away. embarrassment flows through you with his rejection.

“i-i..” jeongin stutters, standing up. “i’m s-scared, i... i hope you won't ever lie to me.. and if you do, i know i won't be your cry baby. im done being stepped on... i.. you’re just gonna do the same.. i can’t do it again, y/n, i can’t...”

“innie, i’m not like that..” you begin, but he’s already running out the door.

—

jeongin still smells you on his clothes when he gets home. through the sweat and tears, he still picks out you on him. and that’s a problem.

no matter how much he likes you, his past memories of every girl he’s ever liked is just comparing you to them. “i’m not like that” your voice rings through his head. thats what they all say. thats what they all say before they made a fool out of him.

jeongin pulls out his notebook and begins to pile out his thoughts.

y/n, shes so good to me, shes so perfect, everything about her is so beautiful, i like to believe shes being sincere to me, but what if she was set up to this? she said she knew about me from gossip at her school. what if one of my bullies set her up to it? what if im just one big joke to her? i want to just be happy with someone for once in my life, why can’t my brain let me? why can’t i just forget the past? i just want to focus on her, y/n, my beautiful y/n, she’s all thats on my mind. god, i fucked up didnt i. i just left her there. i didn’t even kiss her back. nice fucking job, jeongin. she probably hates you like everyone else now.

jeongin doesn’t realize his paper is now wet with his tears. he tucks it away, pulling out his phone, seeing you had texted him.

y/n: jeongin, please come back

y/n: come on, we can talk about it

y/n: i’m sorry..

great. now she thinks its her fault. jeongin thinks to himself. he shakes his head, picking up his jacket, already on his way back to your house.

—

you open your door to see jeongin out of breath, his hair sticking to his forehead. he quickly wraps his arms around you, engulfing you in the biggest hug you’ve had in a while.

taken aback, you bring your hands to rest on his back and nuzzle your face into his neck. “i-i’m so sorry. t-the way i’ve been treated, i just, i’m so scared of this, especially so soon, i don’t know why i acted like that, i’m so so sorry, y/n.” he says, crying into your hair.

“innie, shh, there’s nothing to apologize for. i’m gonna help you through this, okay?” you pull away to look him in the eyes. his eyes dart back and forth from your lips to your eyes before he smashes his lips onto yours. the kiss is everything he expected it to be, you tasted sweet like strawberry lipgloss and were so gentle.

he pulls away, catching his breath again. “p-please don’t be like them.” lip quivering, he wipes away a tear.

“jeongin, i-i love you. i’d never hurt you, please trust me on that. we’re both outcasts, even if we go to different schools, i see me in you, we both have never fit in, i think that’s why we’re so meant for each other.” you say, watching jeongin’s eyes widen when you say you love him. you feel his heart pounding.

“you really love me..?” jeongin says, taking your hand and putting it on his cheek. “nobody’s ever told me that before.”

you giggle, kissing his nose. “well, i’m glad i can be the first.” after a few giggles from jeongin, you say “but in all serious innie, please trust me.” you pinch his cheek lightly. “i’m gonna make you forget everything, okay.”

jeongin nods. “i know i’ll fall in love with you, y/n... and that’s just what I’ll do.. even if i’m scared. i feel invincible when i’m with you..”

“well, let’s take on the world, innie.”

—————————————————————————

AHHHH OKAY SO I GENUINELY LIKE HOW THIS ONE TURNED OUT!!!! i hope you all enjoy it too!!! 

[bladekindeyewear]

HS^2 bloggin’ mainline 2020-09-29

More Homestuck time!  Continuing on the outside-canon plot.  Livebloggin’ starts now...

> CHAPTER 14. The Best Laid Plans

Wait, who’s house is this?  Was this Roxy’s?  (When I saw a glimpse browsing my twitter feed during the debate, I saw Yiffy on the ground accosted.)

> (==>)

THEY’RE JUST HOME?!?!?????

HOW???  HOW could the heat be off so badly?

Jane’s arrogant, but one of the CHARACTERISTICS of her arrogance is that she underestimates the character and capability of her political opponents.  How would she NOT consider the possibility that these kids would return home again even while the heat was on??  How would she assume that JOHN would be too smart to come back to--

...oh right, she may not know John is involved or willing to do anything.  That’s fair.  But the kids??

I’m sure there’s going to be SOME sort of explanation of why the heat is off.  Also, I wonder who made that anti-Jane battle plan chart?  John himself, or Karkat or something?  Karkat’s usually the chart-er.

JOHN: wow, i feel like i'm barely keeping myself sitting. JOHN: if it weren't for keeping you kids safe i'd be out there right now!

Hm.  Are they counting on the fact that Crockercorp would KNOW that John and Vriska are both there to intimidate them from moving in against them?  From a sheer difference-in-firepower standpoint after Vriska’s big display?

HARRY: and some of us aren't gods and shit. JOHN: i'm detecting a hint of judgement in your voice, there, harry anderson JOHN: don't you enjoy being a part of all this? finally getting to be in the thick of it all? HARRY: i mean i was having a fine time at school, if i'm being honest. HARRY: all this tear-assing back and forth between my home and various points of interest over the past few days has me pretty beat.

Yeah, most kids don’t appreciate being involved in war.  Even Vrissy immediately showed some regrets no matter how much she liked to think of herself as wanting to get out there.

HARRY: also i wouldn't call this "the thick of it all" JOHN: oof, getting air quotes'd by my own son. JOHN: we had to hide in a forsythia bush on the way back here when that drone flew by! JOHN: that's the thick of father-son hijinks if i ever saw it! JOHN: well, modern day war hijinks, but i'll take what i can get, you know??

(Be more considerate, John!!)  Hm, so they DID sneak their way back in here?  I mean, John’s powers may have helped them get through unnoticed, but this is still a big stretch.

HARRY: i'm not knocking the old adrenaline thrill, or helping out Vrissy's moms or anything. HARRY: i'm just saying i was literally just here and you told me to leave, so i hope this is where we're gonna park it for a minute. HARRY: a boy's gotta breathe. JOHN: yeah, well, this wasn't my plan, either. JOHN: but rose sent out some false intel about us heading toward my house, so technically this is the safest place we can be right now, since they cleared the area and everything. JOHN: i guess.

Ahhhh.  Okay.  Yeah, a Seer of Light can float an attention lure and know it’ll be an effective enough distraction.

HARRY: hmm. JOHN: what? HARRY: now YOU look like you're hiding some extra commentary. JOHN: oh, i don't need to burden you with all the bureaucratic stuff, it's boring. HARRY: well now hold up, dad. HARRY: a minute ago you were all "we're in the fight together," and now you're backing out of sharing the details? JOHN: it's not really- HARRY: am i a part of this or not? JOHN: well i'd sure say you were! JOHN: but i guess maybe my thoughts on what is or isn't right for the operation aren't up to snuff. JOHN: because here i am, sitting in the dugout, same as you. HARRY: in the dugout?

Mhmm, John’s sore about Rose not counting on John as a heavy hitter.  He got back INTO this in part because he missed all the action and relevance, and now they’re telling him to stop and stand still?  That’s never been a command John’s easily agreed with.  For now, protecting the kids (Blood!) is enough to keep him sitting, but if they (and Vriska) start encouraging him...

HARRY: plus i wouldn’t have been able to get your measurements for some clothes that actually fit you if we hadn’t come back here where all my sewing stuff is.

Thank god, we might get a non-embarrassing god-pajamas John back

HARRY: you were getting pretty into everything back there with rose and them? getting to be with the old crew and everything, like the stories you told me about the game? JOHN: yeah. HARRY: that sucks. JOHN: i had a good plan, too! JOHN: it just wasn't good enough for karkat, i guess. JOHN: i'm just not "experienced enough in combat strategy"

Oh huh, so that’s John’s discarded plan he’s holding.  Karkat's faction hasn’t quite succeeded the bloody (heh) way so far, perhaps he needs John’s Breath to add some inspiration to it for the most success but they’re not giving him enough credit?  It’s hard to blame them for doubting him, though.

JOHN: that is a plus of being here, at least. JOHN: it's been really nice to get to spend so much time with you. HARRY: um. yeah, it's not so bad. HARRY: anyway, before you ruffle my hair or anything, it looks like things are getting a bit heated between the vriskas over there. HARRY: maybe we should offer them a snack to bring the mood back down? JOHN: me, mess up your hair when you’ve worked so hard on that look? i do know you at least that well, harry anderson HARRY: thank god.

Cute!

VRISKA: So you actually want to know what I’m thinking now? You want my opinion? VRISSY: Um...Yes? VRISSY: I'm not Really Sure what’s going on right Now. VRISKA: What? VRISSY: I just was wondering why you’re so pissed off at me. VRISKA: What the fuck are you talking about? VRISKA: I’m not pissed at you, you haven’t done shit 8asically at all since i’ve been here. VRISKA: I just can’t 8elieve I’m 8ack stuck in this tacky rumpusblock after all of that!

Both Vriskas are constantly assuming the other Vriska is thinking about them because they’re both Vriska, when they’re really both self-cente-- no, that’s not quite true.  Vrissy constantly assumes Vriska is thinking about her when she isn’t, and Vriska is somewhat grated because Vrissy belongs in this universe and she isn’t? Or--

Gosh they both have so many issues going on and firewalls up that I can’t actually make heads or tails of it.  Usually what’s on Vriska’s mind is painfully obvious from her dodges, but Vrissy is so oblique with her OWN weird thought processes that-- god I dunno

VRISSY: We could do Something if You Wanted. VRISKA: Huh? VRISSY: If you’re 8ored. VRISSY: This isn’t my House, but Harry has video games and Movies and shit. VRISSY: Actually, we’re pro8a8ly 8etter off not watching his movies. VRISSY: His taste is Worse than His Dad’s. VRISKA: AGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

They’re from two different worlds, yeah.

VRISKA: No, I don’t want to watch a fucking movie! How the fuck can you think a8out movies????????? VRISKA: How are you okay with any of this? VRISSY: Any of What? VRISKA: 8eing left at home like a couple of dri88ling of wigglers!

Vriska invests all of her self-worth in what she can bring to the table relevance-ways.  Her self-esteem couldn’t survive the sidelines.

VRISKA: How are you so calm right now? Your lusii were training you, right? And you’re a troll, you’re definitely five times stronger than a human! And if you’re my clone, you are way more 8adass than little miss Fussy Fangs. VRISKA: I can’t 8elieve you just stayed 8ehind?!?? VRISSY: Well...they told me to. And they’re my Moms.

COMPLETELY different lives.  Vriska has never really accepted, never really KNEW what “peaceful life” is actually supposed to be, nor how alluring and satisfying it is.

VRISKA: Clearly not a good plan, 8ecause then I would 8e part of it! VRISKA: What’s the point of me even coming to this shitty fake reality if I’m not supposed to fix it?

hahahahahahahaha

VRISSY: Yeah, they told me about That stuff, but a Lot of the Shit that Happened in the Session if just not in the History Books. VRISSY: You weren’t Really mentioned that Much. VRISKA: Excuse me? VRISSY: People know who you Are, 'cause we had to Memorize the names of Every one of the Players, Even the ones who didn’t last very Long. VRISKA: You’re trying to tell me that there’s a whole recorded history of SGRUB, and I’m not in it?  VRISSY: You’re not not in it.  VRISSY: I guess they Mostly Focused on the Creators who Ascended, you know?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

--hm, what if some of the pre-retcon timeline where Vriska WASN’T as involved DID fold its way into this one?  Explaining Jane remembering Gamzee showing up early in her session to sell her troll blood when that was (if we’re remembering right, correct me if I’m wrong) erased by the retcon in favor of Vriska time-traveling in in his place?

VRISKA: Whoever was schoolfeeding you was a complete 8ulgesucker, because I “ascended” 8efore any of the humans did!! VRISKA: Literally 8illions of years 8efore, since our session was the one that created theirs!!!!!!!! VRISKA: I was the 8ne who 8uided John’s 8uffoonish 8lue ass all the way through his first 8ew days in the Medium! VRISKA: I m8de all the plans to take down the J8cks! VRISKA: I SINGLE H8ND8DLY! VRISKA: CURED YOUR MOTHER’S FUCKING ALCH8LISM!!!!!!!! JOHN: uh, vriska, everything okay over there? VRISKA: EVERYTHING’S FINE, J8HN! JOHN: okay. JOHN: do you girls want a snack? VRISKA: AAAAGGH!

HA!

HARRY: vriska, eat whatever. HARRY: just not the zebra cakes, those are mine.

(Zebra cakes are kinda Barbasol-bomb-like, right? Doom thing, because black-and-white stripes like most of the black-and-white-striped explosives in Homestuck? --Nah that’s a stretch.)

> (==>)

--That’s not Jane’s head, that’s JOHN’S head giving a thumbs up.  Wow.

...Your plan prominently features Yiffy even though you didn’t know she existed until a couple hours ago?

JOHN: so anyway, as you can see, this would have worked just fine! HARRY: no i think karkat’s right. this looks like shit, dad. JOHN: you know, me letting your earlier use of the word "fuck" slide wasn't a blanket approval for all cursing in front of me. HARRY: sorry. HARRY: try not to make such a shit plan, and i won't call it that. JOHN: haha wow.

Harry really is his son, wow

HARRY: i mean, i still can't believe i told vrissy and them to bring a dead celebrity to school. HARRY: what was i THINKING. JOHN: you were thinking it sounded hilarious! JOHN: but yeah, in hindsight, maybe not the best call. JOHN: maybe it’s genetic? HARRY: yeah.

Harry really is his son, wow

HARRY: i kinda can’t believe we’re all still alive, actually. HARRY: and how did YOU make it this far, being so bad at this? JOHN: i had my friends with me, i guess.

Pretty much!

Plus, they haven’t really had time to talk about what happened with Dave, yet, and he doesn’t want to tank the mood by bringing him up.

Glad John’s taken some time to deal with that offscreen, so he can keep being cheery here.

He’d spent so long seeing mostly the best parts of Roxy in Harry Anderson. He forgot, he guesses, to look for himself in there, too. And if what they have in common right now is a lack of strategic foresight, hey, he’ll take it.

Hah, fair enough!

JOHN: speaking of friends, i will say the snacks were a good call, at least! JOHN: i don’t hear any more screaming, anyway. JOHN: see, that's one good plan between the two of us!

--they left, didn’t they.

> (==>)

HARRY: oh, that was definitely them leaving, wasn’t it. JOHN: ah.

--So was Vrissy peer-pressured along, or practically abducted?

> (==>)

--Oh, this was the picture I glimpsed and scrolled past on Twitter!  She’s not on the ground, she’s running-- good.

> (==>)

--ALREADY!  Fuck yes!  :D

(and those cute paws on jade’s gloves wow)

> (==>)

--Oh I thought that was an air-lift! No, they were just diving to the ground with her.

Man, the pacing of this panel-to-panel composition throws me SO much.  Stuff happens without being properly established, and we’re shown the wrong keyframes to internalize it easily.  (I hope I don’t have to keep mentioning how much I miss Andrew’s talent at it, even though the art WITHIN panels is better here.)

So Jane is confronting them with soldiers.

ROSE: Oh, is this one of those rare and marvelous beasts, the "villain speech"? ROSE: I've written one or two in my time. ROSE: I'm on the edge of my seat. I hope it's better than your political material; I've always found that rather trite. JANE: I haven't given a political speech in years, Ms. Lalonde. I don't know what you're referring to. I'm just a simple business woman. JADE: right with her own talk show JADE: and multi billion dollar merchant company and lobbying groups! JANE: That's what a business woman is, Jade, dear.

--ah, in this perspective maybe Jane DOESN’T have the resources to be “everywhere” yet.  Makes more sense that they could’ve left the home unguarded.

JANE: But enough of that. I'll skip straight to the point. JANE: You are on my territory, in the presence of my secret police, laying your hand on my investment.

QUIT DEHUMANIZING THE GIRL

JANE: You think I come anywhere unprepared? I haven't left the house without an armed guard in years. ROSE: Is it the libidinous power rush that comes from snapping your fingers at men with guns, or are you worried that you might accidentally do something heroic?

Rose usually has decent snapbacks I guess

I don’t think Rose’s plan was to admit themselves into custody like Jane is asking, but I’m not ruling it out.

> (==>)

(this image is so cute)

JADE: wow could you be any more full of yourself?? JADE: shut the fuck up for a minute and look up!

> (==>)

Ahwhoops.  Jane misunderstood who’s in control of the situation.

> (==>)

Ooh!  That’s threatening.  :)

(Tavros is playing along, but he doesn’t HAVE to fake that sweat.)

KANAYA: If You Make One Single Move I Will Bite Him Directly On The Exterior Shout Tunnel KANAYA:  I Will Turn Your Son Into A Rainbow Drinker KANAYA: Then You Will Have A Rainbow Drinker Son JANE: That's not how troll vampirism works, don't treat me like an imbecile! JANE: You think I don't know everything there is to know about your disgusting biology? KANAYA: KANAYA: Okay Then I Will Just Break His Fucking Neck

HAH

Yeah, mutual child-threat standoff.  Jane isn’t going to make that sacrifice, AND can’t be SEEN making that sacrifice.

> (==>)

Jane Crocker hesitates.

This is something that she used to do regularly. Hesitate. Stop and think and weigh her options. Talk out every possible scenario and the impact they might have, morally and optically and socially. What would the political apparatus think? What would her social media followers think, her friends? As the years went by and she honed her instincts, she found herself doing this less and less.

Yeah, the difference between deserving a Just death or not is whether you’re willing to check yourself and allow another’s will to override your own.  To allow someone who ISN’T you to have a say in how reality unfolds, to consider that what you want may not be right.

The impact that her words made became lessened when spread out across such a wide and thirsty audience, as public sentiment began to swing her way. She stopped thinking about how she would be received, and more about how she could play to the people she knew would receive her favorably. 

Yeesh.  Topical.

Looking up she sees Tavvy with tears in his eyes. Rage and guilt surge inside her. This situation is not her fault.

Anger is based in fear.  Jane is not just afraid for Tavros, but afraid that she’s at fault.  And the more she fears and has to deny that, the angrier she’ll get.

Is it angry enough to make a rash decision here?

> (==>)

JANE: This situation is not my fault! 

Jesus, she even said it out loud?

JANE: I'm the only one who has taken any interest in her upbringing or education! JANE: Or have you forgotten who has been paying for her schooling and taking charge of her introduction into society? JADE: i never asked you to do that! JADE: you offered! JADE: so stop calling me ungrateful for not sucking your dick over things i never asked for!

Taking something that was a clear, ostensibly-selfless gift and using it as a transactional club.  I hate that.  Nothing shows how transparently little you actually believed in the “selfless thing to do” than that.

> (==>)

She can't just stand here and let herself be humiliated, allowing two architects of the insurgency mess her around like this.

If they were to kill Tavros, the entire world would see them commit this war crime. And weighed in the balance, Lalonde and Harley would be off the playing board. Saving your daughter certainly counted as a heroic death, and with the damage they'd done to humanity, it would also probably be just.

Tavros has not called out for her once. Perhaps he knows what her choice was always going to be.

Whoa you made that choice pretty easily, psycho-Jane.  Are you actually gonna try it???

> (==>)

JAKE: Tavvy! 

Oh shit, the plan!  :D

--if Jake isn’t just.  Um.  Taking the threat to Tavvy seriously, not having realized this was a bluff.  Um.  Jake?

> (==>)

That looks like he’s taking it seriously.  Shit.

At least Jane will look like even MORE of a monster if she gives the order this way.

> (==>)

JANE: Stand down!

I don’t think Jake’s gonna listen to you when it comes to Tav’s safety anymore.

> (==>)

JANE: Get out of my sight.

Oh.

Is she letting Jade, Rose and Yiffy go?  --probably, but it’s unclear.

Damn this panel-to-panel framing not conveying what’s going on properly.

Guess that’s it for now!  Patreon Commentary....... I’ve been putting off the commentary backlog for a long time, but I think the Homestuck Commentary coverage deficit still has to wait a while longer because the World Is A Fuck and I have to devote more time to stress relief than usual.  Take care y’all

EDIT: extra bit on gamzee corpse here

[unloved-cadillac]

Firstly to start off with, ummm a white kurtan, yes please, I know this bitch looks good whatever hes wearing, so it dont matter, BUT THE BLACK TANK TOP OOFFFF YOU BETTER STOP, ITS NOT GOOD FOR MY HEALTH. But moving on, I've finished reading the whole thing now, and I'm writing this in notes, so if you're getting thing like 40 minutes later it's because I'm drafting my ask. Basically I'm just gonna skim read it again and just give you my thoughts and any feedback, if that's okay with you, you can ignore this if you want to, I completely understand. I dont mind at all 😊😊

Ok to start off with, the exposition was really good, you've set the tone and introduced the Ackerman family really beautifully. When I read it initially the fact that Levi did not want a family or to get married was quite emphasised upon to me, and I'm really looking forward for the inevitable development and how his view changes as the chapters go on. I also love how you introduced Farlan and Isabel, and lightly touched upon how they met, you didnt go into too much detail and I really like that, it kept me focused on the actual story itself, which is about Levi and not Farlan. And Farlan wanting tto marry her 😢😢. I think it's really really sweet and I cant wait to see more of them. I love it so much.

The transition from setting the scene to their father being poisoned was not something I was expecting and made me go oh shit he dead. Part of me felt like it was moving too quick, but the other part of me loved the shock factor of it since it happened so suddenly. I didnt think of it as too big of an issue though, it was still enjoyable to read.

The whole encounter with the peasant guy made me wonder just how many more people there are like him, that dislike the Ackermans and would try to kill them. And whether y/n would be one of them. Also I got a bit confused as to who was speaking whether it was Farlan or Levi, but I read the sentence again and it was fine, I understood, so maybe I was just being a dumb bitch.

Oooh a quick point Levi sympathising with the criminal was really touching and made me feel warm and gooey. It shows that hes not a dick and does actually care about his people. But it also shows he has clear boundaries and is really firm. He will make a great leader in the future.

YESSS BODYGUARD ERWINNN!!!!! I WAS LITERALLY TELLING MY FRIEND THE OTHER DAY, ERWIN AND LEVI BODYGUARD AU IS THE BESTT. YES SWEETIE UGH ITS FANTASTIC. IVE SAID THIS BEFORE BUT IM SAYING IT AGAIN I LOVE IT.

Carrying on, I love the whole Erwin/Levi/Farlan interaction, of course Erwin knows everything, why wouldnt he, hes a boss ass bitch. Also again, reaffirming that Levi does not want a wife, nOicE. Really builds up his future development.

The difference in Levi's and Farlan's reaction is comical. Ones there waving and smiling and the other ones there like fuck off leave me alone. ALSO WHOEVER SAID THEY'LL GIVE UP THEIR VIRGINTY SAME GURLL SAMEEE, I WOULD TOO YOURE NOT ALONE. AND YES FARLAN IT IS FUNNY, IT MADE ME LAUGH.

Awww the people are so nice, offering things for free, that's how you know you're loved by your people, I rate it, rate Levi sm.

Okay my guy, imma need you stop for a second and relax. Taking your top of??? And your scarf??? Okay big man, I see you, I see you, looking fine af. Ahhh I love imagining this in my brain, so stimulating.

Anyways, Y/N'S HERE NOWWW YES BITCHHH IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE, TURN IT UPPPP.

Nanaba being my sister is absolutely exquisite *chefs kiss*. I really thought you'd maybe put Petra, and then Petra would like Levi as well, but no its Nanaba and I fucking love her so so much. Also not really relevant, but I dont have any older sisters, but I do have older cousin sisters and I call my favourite one didi mooni (I think that's how you spell it, or muni idk) and yeah it just reminded me of her. I haven't seen her in so so long because of the pandemic and I miss her :(

Ah. So. Y/N does hate the royals. I wanna know why?? Does she think they're overrated?? A bad experience maybe?? Everyone else seems to love them. I'll just have to wait and see I guess.

ALSO PLEASE TELL ME THE LITTLE KID WAS MIKASA!!! IM HOPING SO SO MUCH ITS MIKASA, IT PROBABLY ISNT BECAUSE SHES AN ACKERMAN HERSELF BUT I CAN STILL HOPE!!! SHES SO CUTEEE AND ADORABLE AWWWW WEVIIII 🥺🥺🥺

THEY SELL TEAAA AHHH ITS A LOVE STORY BOUND TO HAPPEN. AND HE HASNT TRIED THEM YETT!!!! YES OMGGG TEA DATES, THEY CAN BOTH SIT DOW AND SHE CAN INTRODUCE HIM TO NEW SHITT AHHHH MY HEARTTTT 🥰🥰🥰IM GETTING WAYYYY AHEAD OF MYSELF.I need to calm down.

The whole meeting with Levi and Y/N was so adorable. It felt really short and I want more, but its okayyy, hopefully there are more chapters. Them locking eyes, him following her to get the leaves, HIM HELPING HER PICK UP THE BLOODY LEAVES, THE HAIR PART REMINDS ME OF IN BOLLYWOOD MOVIES WHEN THE PROTAGS HAIR GETS STUCK IN THE GUYS WATCH OR THEIR DUPATTA OR SOMETHING. OMGG Y/N IS ONE LUCKY BITCH.

Also since you havent specified the race of y/n, just wanted to ask is she Indian?? Or it it unspecified?? You wrote that she blushed bright red and many dark skinned readers wont be able relate. So yeah I'm not too sure whether that was intentional or not, I'm sorry if I'm mistaken though. I mean no harm at all.

Farlan's relationship with Levi is just beautiful, like I know I'm using the word beautiful a lot, but their broship is immaculate. Something else that I love.

Both Levi and Y/N not wanting to get married is hilarious. I really like how you've characterised her, shes really fierce, independent and seems really kind and caring as well. I really like this Y/N, very family oriented.

If I was her dad I would've taken the money. 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️ Not complaining about it because my dad would've done the exact same thing, but if I was him I wouldve taken it. Sis is broke, sis needs all the money she can get.

Both parties questioning Levi and Y/N is hilarious, fucking Erwin, I love him so much I stg. I'd sacrifice my life for him. Hes best boy 😇😇

I feel like this is really really long already so I'll quickly sum everything up, if you got this far you deserve a clap on the back and a medal, because I've basically just waffled. I really really enjoyed this chapter, it was very good in terms of introductions and getting to know the characters, I loved the initial meeting between levi and y/n and it did make my heart flutter quite a bit so that's that. I dont have any complaints really, just small minor things I've mentioned before and that's it. I really look forward to the coming chapters!!! Thank you so so much for writing it. Please make sure you're taking regular breaks and keeping hydrated and healthy. Thanks sweetie xxx 🥰🥰🥰

I’ve read this WHOLE thing..twice. I can’t stop smiling omf you’re so sweet! But, yeah minor shit I didn’t mention and I left it up to reader. Like the skin tone, sheesh. I don’t want any problems with that, I just said red blush to signify embarrassment. Reader is reader no matter what.

Aren’t we all broke af? But I liked the idea of the father being humble about it. Lol. Idk.

I don’t want to get into too much detail because that will obviously ruin the story but I love your ideas. Tea dates?! How cute! Erwin is the best, of course. He knows ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) and he’s the kind of person who would follow his princes no matter what. Till the end, you know?

As I said, highly inspired by Bollywood movies lol.

You took your time and wrote all of this and I’m so fucking happy that you did. I can’t wait for all of you to see the upcoming chapters. I hope that you’re staying happy and hydrated as well. Also, happy Shivratri! (If you celebrate for it) and to everyone else celebrating.

-Caddy.

[duker42]

Hello! It’s the person who’s been requesting the “making it count” stories! Could I have part 3 plz? Where y/n is worrying about the situation while Levi is under, and maybe some flashback in Levi’s POV? I freaking love your writing

Ohhhh My damned eyes are watering....must be the allergies!!!!

💜Making it Last💜

“Come on, Levi. I know you’re in there. Please baby, just come back to me.” Y/N pleaded as she looked down at his still figure.

It had been three days since Hanji had dragged him into the farmhouse where she and Historia were holed up. Three days since a thunder spear had thrown him through the air and disfigured him. Three torturous days since Levi had been conscious.

Historia was wrapped up in her new baby boy, enjoying motherhood as much as a monarch in hiding could. Y/N took care of both mother and child diligently before returning to her place by her injured lover’s side.

She unwrapped the bandaged hand, inspecting the shortened fingers for any signs of infection. The skin was pink and didn’t look inflamed. She was so thankful for that. She was also thankful that his eye wasn’t glazing over like she had feared it would. It seemed that he might keep his vision in both eyes.

She needed him to wake up, there were only so many times she could tell him about the baby in her womb while he was laying there, unable to respond. She wasn’t sure if he could even hear her, but she hoped that somewhere in his mind, Levi was battling his way back to her.

~~~~~

**Levi’s Flashback**

“So where’s that pretty medic I saw you with all the time?” Levi gritted his teeth at the grating sound of Zeke Yeager’s voice.

He ignored him, at least he appeared to. Levi was aware of every movement the smug bastard made. He sat beside the fire and looked into its flames, while the bearded man sat, leaning against a tree.

Two months they had been out here. He hadn’t been able to sent Y/N a message, needing to keep any information strictly about intel. But the urge to write her a note to tell her all the pretty words he was horrible at saying in person was there. The idea of having her see them in writing not nearly as embarrassing as trying to spit them out with making a fool of himself by stuttering.

The memory of their last night together kept him focused. The morning after where she woke up in his arms, sleepy smile and ready kisses was what kept him sane while dealing with this damned monkey. He held on to those feelings when he woke from his pitifully few hours of rest to the tense atmosphere of the camp.

“You know, if you were a bit nicer, you could probably convince that gorgeous creature to sleep with you. Might improve your disposition.” Zeke taunted.

Levi shot him a fierce glare over the fire. “Ahhhh got shot down? That why she’s not here?”

“Shut your shitty mouth.” Levi growled, unable to restrain himself. He looked back down at the fire, his body tense.

“Oh no, you are sleeping with her but she can’t be here and you’re missing her.” Zeke laughed as Levi threw him another glare.

Levi regretted taking watch tonight. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his tent and try to sleep. He would fail, but time away from that bearded bastard was the best kind of rest he could hope to get out here. But he had let the soldiers crack open the case of wine that had been delivered with the provisions. It had been so long since they had relaxed, he had relented and let them have their fun.

Most had to be passed out by now. Levi had refused to drink with them, not out of spite, but because someone needed to watch their prisoner. He would take care of it himself so everyone else could have a few hours of normalcy.

“Why do you care?” His voice was low, almost unheard as he continued to watch the flames dance.

“Well, you are the last Ackerman male. You should really think about extending your line. She has a really nice set of hips to help out in that area.” Zeke grinned as the soldier stiffened.

“Keep your filthy eyes off Y/N’s hips, monkey, or I’ll slice them out of your shitty skull.” Levi threatened, pulling the small knife out of his

boot and twirling it in his hands as he leveled his cold eyes on him.

Zeke held his hands up. “I wasn’t looking for myself. But she has a set of childbearing hips that could easily give you many children.”

Levi didn’t answer him and Zeke took it as a sign to continue. “Although, you would have to get over your cleanliness issues. Childbirth is horribly messy. The fluids and blood. She would spend hours sweating and screaming in pain as she struggled to push the baby out.”

Levi growled in warning, but Zeke was undaunted. “Then there’s the afterbirth. This huge glob of blood and slimy tissue where the baby had spend the entire time growing. It has to pass out of her body as well. Do you think you could handle that?”

Levi was light headed at the idea of Y/N in pain and screaming out as she gave birth. He refused to give Zeke the satisfaction of rattling him though. “I have bathed in the blood of Titans and my comrades for years. If you want, I can do it again right now as I see how much I can slice off of you before you die.”

“Okay...okay. I get it, sore subject.” Zeke finally relented and dropped the subject of childbirth.

Silence fell between them as Levi thought about Y/N being pregnant. It wasn’t something they had ever really talked about. There was far too much going on to worry about things they couldn’t have. But he found he wasn’t as staunchly opposed to it as he had been before Y/N had come into his life.

That was.... interesting. Damn Zeke for putting such a thought into his mind. Damn himself for feeling tender at the idea of a brat. He had brats, there was an entire camp full of them, under his care. A squad of brats that he had watched grow over the past four years, and one brat that seemed to be going down the wrong path thanks to his bearded bastard of a brother.

Better to lock those thoughts away and concentrate on the task at hand. He never knew if he would see Y/N again. What was the point of daydreaming about things that would never come? He was too pragmatic for that, preferring to live in the here and now.

The early morning light was starting to fill the sky. Levi noticed Zeke beginning to shift in his seat. He tensed up, that feeling of anticipation flowing over him, like it did before a battle. His senses sharpened and his mind cleared.

Zeke suddenly shot to his feet and bolted across the clearing. He let out a horrific scream as Levi gave chase. Lightening bolts split the sky as Levi’s entire contingent of soldier were transformed into Titans.

He allowed himself one stray thought before his eyes narrowed in concentration. ‘I love you, Y/N.’

~~~~~

She had decided to put a line in his arm. The Marleyans had taught her about the advanced medical procedures they had. The Hizuruan envoy had provided them with the supplies during their last trip. Y/N kept the fluids that would keep Levi alive dripping into his veins.

She knew that Historia and even Hanji were losing hope with every hour that he was unresponsive, still Y/N held out.

She didn’t want to carry their baby alone. She wanted Levi to grumble about how fat she was getting, even though he wouldn’t mean a word of it. Once he accepted it, he would hover in his own way, prod her to eat more, drink tea, rest. His cleaning would probably run rampant, having to make sure she was in a clean environment as much as possible.

She smiled as she brushed the raven hair behind his ear, she would put up with all the obsessive little tics he could manifest, if he would just open his damned eyes.

Hanji brought her a meal she wouldn’t touch, her stomach so uneasy with the thought of losing Levi it had rebelled against food. He would glare at her if he were awake and demand she eat, but she knew for a fact that he would do the same thing. She had seen him sit with soldiers while they were asleep, unaware that their Captain was watching over them in the midnight hours.

“Y/N?” Historia’s voice came from the doorway.

She turned to the tiny woman, holding her baby in a light blanket in her arms. She padded towards the bed gently as she looked over her friend with concerned eyes.

Y/N knew she looked like shit. Her eyes were dark with lack of sleep, she was frazzled and rumpled with worry. Her entire demeanor was melancholy. She jumped as Historia put the baby in her arms and stepped closer to the bed.

Y/N cradled the new life, his little eyes were wide as he solemnly looked up at her. She had a vision of herself holding a baby with slate grey eyes, visiting the cold stone memorial etched with Levi’s name, honoring Humanity’s Strongest Soldier. She choked back a sob as she held on to the baby tightly.

“He will make it, Y/N. I just know he will.” Historia offered as she brushed her fingers across his still face. It would be the only time she would have ever been able to touch him like this, Levi being far too standoffish to allow causal contact.

“I pray so Historia. I don’t know if I can do this on my own.” She sounded so weak, even to her own ears. Historia had just given birth without the father present. He had no intention of being in the child’s life. Just a donor who had given her his seed in exchange for a few nights in the Queen’s bed.

Except their child had been created from their love, not an agreement. A mistake of the best kind. The same kind of mistake that had given Levi life, allowed him into this world for her to love. She needed him to know that he left behind a legacy. Wanted him to flash his eyes in approval as their son or daughter laughed, experience the things that he had gone without during his childhood.

She had no doubt that he would blaze his way through parenthood with dry humor, quick sarcastic wit and endless love for his family. He may not say those things often or show them in a capacity that most understood, but Levi Ackerman was a man who felt more deeply that almost anyone.

Historia gasped as Levi moved. It was a small twitch, but it was movement. Y/N hurriedly gave the baby over to his mother and started examining him. His fingers were moving, restless against the fabric of the blankets. His eyes were rapidly moving behind his eyelids, the muscles of his cheeks were pulsing.

“Come on, love. That’s it. Open your eyes.” Y/N encouraged as she held on to his bandaged hand gently.

Suddenly his eyes opened wide, his mouth let out a horse shout as he thrashed around. He horror of his last conscious moment still in his mind and Y/N shouted his name for him to hear.

She saw the focus come back into his grey orbs. He looked around the room confused, stopping when he saw her over him. “Y/N?” His raspy voice was gravely from disuse. His throat must be dry for days without swallowing. She grabbed a cup of water from the table and lifted his head.

He drank like a man dying of thirst, deep and appreciatively as the cool water slid down his throat. When he was done he leaned back again and looked at Y/N in amazement. “How?”

“Hanji. She brought you here.” Y/N eyes overflowed with tears as she released all the pent up worry and stress. His hand tightened in hers and he hissed in pain.

He saw his hand and he sighed. Looking back at Y/N’s tear streaked face, he knew he must have been out of it for days. He had thought in that moment that the pin was pulled that he was dead. That he would never see Y/N again, that she would have to move on without him. To see her again, was a gift by itself.

“I love you.” He croaked. She started crying harder, and threw herself on him as she sobbed.

“I love you too. I was so worried. I don’t want to do this without you. I can’t, I’m not strong enough.” She confused him. Do what? She was the strongest woman he knew, she could do anything without him. What was he missing?

“Levi....I’m pregnant.” She pulled back to look him in the eye.

He’s breath caught at her words, his eyes widening as they darted down to her stomach. The simultaneous feelings of joy and overwhelming fear crashed through his system as he repeated her words in his head.

His lips twisted gently, he could feel the pull on the stitches in his face but he couldn’t help it. He pulled on her hand and felt her sag against him. He kissed her hair and looked down at the mutated hand with new resolve.

He needed to recover, and destroy their enemies. He had a child to protect. The lover carrying his child to protect. It gave him the beginnings of hope for their world, their future. Making it last, this feeling blooming inside him, that was worth fighting for.

Mobile MasterList

[currentlyreadingmanga]

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun: Chapter 8 - The Confession Tree

My thoughts so far: okay so I’m starting the manga on this chapter since I’ve already watched episodes 1-4 of the anime which cover chapters 1-7. The story so far is not at all what I expected (in the best way possible). I really like the dynamic we are establishing with what seems to be our main trio (I already kinda ship Hanako and Yashiro but I guess that’s to be expected). I also love the mechanic they explained regarding the rumors and the effect they have on the aparitions, it’s very cool and I can’t wait to meet the other mysteries. Also I’m incredibly curious about Hanako’s past and from some comments I’ve seen online of manga readers sobbing about the angst, I’m more that sure that this series will make me cry at some point.

Previously: We last left of with the resolution of the Misaki Stairs arc (and an adorable little peck on the cheek that I was not ready for). Also, we were introduced to two new characters, Natsuhiko and the green haired girl, which seemed to be keeping tabs on Yashiro and Hanako, and they also seemed to have a grey/black version of Haku-Joudai named Koku-Joudai. I’m curious to know if one of them could end up being an aparition like Hanako or if they could be working for one of the seven mysteries (since the girl was shown in the anime to be the one on the radio spreading the rumors about the mysteries)

Now onto the new chapter!

Okay so the chapter starts with what seems to be one of Yashiro’s daydreams about her prince charming, bless her heart

One thing I’ve found really interesting about her so far is her personality: she’s definitely a romantic person, someone whose head is on the clouds and thrives on romantic and over the top gestures and stories. But at the same time this idealistic part of her also shows us (like how she realised herself in episode one) that it’s not so much that she’s in infatuated with every pretty boy she meets but more so that she’s in love with the idea of being in love, of having the kind of romance you see in movies or read in books.

And this panel once again reinforces that idea we established in chapter one.

Kinda went on a long tangent there but anyways, she’s daydreaming and-

pffft that made me laugh. I see that Hanako’s little kiss affected her more than she wants to admit even to herself. That’s adorable omg. Poor thing can’t catch a break and starts yelling NO in the middle of class. That’s really not good since people have already seen her “talking to herself” in the hallways.

Okay but this cover page?? and this title??? I smell the romantic tropes coming and I’m totally okay with it omg

We skip to gardening class and we learn that it’s been a month since Yashiro and Hanako met and the bond was forged.

“I don’t think anything good’s ever come from it” keep telling yourself that, sweetie, but you know you like his little sassy self even if just as a friend by now.

Omg

That really hit her hard, huh? Denial is not just a river in Egypt, Yashiro dear

But she says she’s never been kissed before and I understand how much importance she puts into it. With her romantic personality, she probably wanted it to be a special occasion with someone she already had feelings for

Gotta say, it’s kinda refreshing to see that this is one of the first things she considers. Because while Hanako does seem to have a teasing personality in general (or at least it seems to me so far that he enjoys teasing her in particular), as she starts to connects all the shipping moments so far, it is a logical conclusion to reach.

Aoi arrives and oh! Yashiro actually talks to her about what’s been happening with Hanako (omiting the ghost part, I assume)

Aoi seems to agree that he seems to like her and 

That’s an awfully happy reaction for you to later say that “he’s not your type” (then again, she’s probably happy already by the fact that someone likes her, but still) 

“I can’t tell her he’s a ghost, so...” okay, good lol

Okay yeah, she’s definitely over the moon with the idea that he might like her

Now Aoi presents the idea of “why not date him anyway to see what it’s like”. And I’m a little conflicted, I know she means well and I know that’s not where this situation will probably go, but it could also lead to a scenario of where he feels like he was lead on.

Anyway, Aoi says that she should probably get ready since it seems likely that he will confess soon

Ah, here it is, our new mystery or aparition and Yashiro notices that something is off about this whole situation. If she doesn’t remember the tree being there, could it be because of new rumors? and also, why is she the only one notice it? I’m guessing it is because of her bond with Hanako, and that lets her have a stronger connection with the spiritual world in the school; just like during the last arc, since she and Kou were the only ones who noticed the people who had gone missing.

Nevertheless, it seems like we can see the tree work its magic right now and um-

ngl I was so confused for a second there by his lukewarm reaction lol so he’s practicing to confess to Aoi and his friend here is being a good sport about it kinda by helping him

Aoi points out how there seem to be a lot of new couples lately thanks to the influence of the confession tree

When Aoi suggests that a “special someone” could be asking Yashiro soon to meet him under that tree she’s all like “nooo of course he wouldn’t”. And that in my book means “of course he will but probably not to confess to you because come on, the couple can’t get together so soon”

And yep

Seems it will go that way. You know, the “one person thinks one thing, the other thinks another thing but both of the think they are on the same page but then they realize and it’s embarrassing” way. I kinda hope I’m wrong though because if he doesn’t confess, Yashiro is probably gonna be really sad about it and I don’t want her to be sad

Okay, next day. Yashiro is excited to tell the news to Aoi but it seems something happened that made her cry

Oh

I guess I should have seen this coming when they mentioned the onslaught of new couples but I didn’t expect that it would work even on people who weren’t actually confessing to each other. I wonder if it would work its magic on any type of confession, even the ones that were rejected, or if it worked here because even if they were practicing, his friend still said “yes”

These two are pretty cute together but it seems like Aoi isn’t taking it so well.

Apparently she knew that Akane liked her (it seems like it’s been like this for a long time since they’re childhood friends) but she rejected him. Or that’s my guess since she says that she doesn’t like him and the day before she knew that he was practicing to confess to her. But yeah, for her to be this torn over it, I think that she likes him more than she wants to admit. Huh, seems like Yashiro and Aoi have a lot in common in that regard

Anyway, it seems that Yashiro wasn’t able to talk with Aoi about her future meeting with Hanako under the tree but that’s not gonna stop her

I love Yashiro so much, bless her heart and this manga’s self awareness 

This chart omg I love it pffft Poor Kou and Hanako, classified as little wild boys. I’m a firm believer of the idea that it doesn’t matter if you have a clear “type”, you could still fall for someone when you least expect it. So what I’m trying to say is that this won’t stop me from hoping that this ship comes true. I’m already invested

Now she sees it waiting by the tree and thinks “he can be pretty cool sometimes” while blushing. That’s good, Yashiro, acceptance starts with baby steps

Oh man, here we go. I think I’m right but I don’t want to be

Ahhhhhhh this is beautiful but I feel like Yashiro’s happiness is gonna get crushed real soon ahhhh

Ahhh baby she’s so happy that she was confessed to, I can’t

And there it is. Hanako is urging her to turn him down quickly and she looks so confused ;n; bby

Is he trying to get the spirit to show up by forcing it to work harder since the confession didn’t work out naturally? It would be a way to do it, I guess, and it would answer my question from earlier

Yep, that seems to be the case. And by the sounds of it the tree doesn’t sound very happy about this

I-I don’t know what I was expecting from this tree but it really wasn’t this omfg that face

Yashiro voices my thoughts by saying “gross” and the tree feels very offended by this and tries to attack her but it seems he can’t touch her.

At first I thought Hanako had stopped it, but it looks like Yashiro had a protection spell on her cheek. Well, I’m guessing that Hanako still stopped it since it says “seven” and it makes sense that he would cast something like that on her considering how prone she is to find herself in this situations

Now the tree is trying to justify its actions but Hanako replies that what it’s is nothing more than meddling with people’s lives and yeah, that about sums it up. Even if the core goal was to make the couples happy, it still went overboard like with Akana and his friend.

Aaaaand Hanako defeated it. Now it’s a really small tree. And he explains that it is a “kodama”, meaning a supernatural tree and that its methods were indeed forceful when it started gaing power thanks to the rumors.

Oh. Oh no. Now that he’s explaining everything to Yashiro he’s like “but didn’t you already now this since you were helping me?” and she’s trying to convince herself that she’s not bothered by it but she clearly is and awww baby it’s okay.

Oh nox2 Hanako realized what she was thinking and he’s gonna tease her about it but I don’t think it’s a good idea right now oh no

Noooooooooooooooooo she’s crying oh no ;n; She wears her heart on her sleeve and she was so happy, poor baby

You know, I heard that this series gets angsty later on but I didn’t expect to be fighting back tears so soon

Well, Hanako is obviously startled by this reaction. She’s so embarrassed and oh, he says that the kiss he gave her was the moment he placed the protection spell so she wouldn’t get attacked by supernatural for a while! Ohhhh that explains why the writing appeared on her cheek, makes sense

But anyway, she says it was confusing and tbh she has a point, specially when you consider it in relation of how he normally behaves around her. She’s walking home, and I can’t really blame her, even if it was a misunderstanding, she probably feels like her emotions were played with a little bit

Oh this is a beautiful double page spread:

He took his hat for the first time! and you can tell that he really feels bad about what happened. Like, yes, he enjoys teasing her but I truly believe (at least so far) that he would never really try to hurt her on purpose

Ahhh and the next close up of his face! baby boy, he looks so sad noooo ;n; and he really does look like such a young boy, which can be easy to forget due to his easy going and teasing Hanako of the Bathroom self.

He asks her to stay with him until she’s done crying since he probably doesn’t want her to leave while she’s still upset ahhhh (ಥ﹏ಥ)

“Today, at this moment, for the first time...I felt like I wanted to know more about him” (TдT) (TдT) (TдT)

[rqs902]

.

enyu’s mom calls him "公子哥" is he rich or is this a JOKE LOL and his mom is at a bar IM CRYING HAHA 

i just get a feeling youku eliminated shiwei for dramatic effect... 

but aw xue en crying over weihao and mxy saying star master kids are all worthy to lin mo 

L O L i was gonna be like oh thats nice enyu’s dad asked about his friends, he’s really been paying attention but then he starts throwing these

L O L I SEE WHERE HE GETS HIS REALNESS FROM HAHAHHAHA

LOL NOW HE KNOWS HOW IT FEELS

omg xikan wanting to call luo zheng!!!! im grateful theyre still close, theyre doing such different things now

awww mubo !!! being all supportive and protective of zuo ye 

hHAHAHA omg fan yu talking on the phone to renyu is so cute, so expressive with the gasp when renyu says they just recorded elims and then the AHHHH and OH MY GOD when he says he and zaixi were eliminated and the ALSKJLAKS and loud sigh when renyu reveals he just tricked him hahahaha theyre so cute omg can fan yu pls show up at the next perf, id die

lin ran’s “new world new me” im cry

lol renyu’s getting roasted by his team mates but at least they didnt really ditch him 

what is this set up anyway? theyre given a mission to leave, so theyre allowed to run around... but not? who planned this lol youku......

LOL jin fan tryin to reason why theyll be ok going to guangzhou 

did their group just get special permission bc director li hao?

hahaha ayyy zhan yu jumped first, you go child! not surprised somehow that he’d love it

lin mo’s group went to the same place? LOL but also they seem so much more under control LOL such a guai group 

LOL WHY ARE THEY SO LOUD HAHAHAH i dont think ive ever seen people that loud on a roller coaster LOL 

LOL why am i not surprised enyu is the one carrying xzx 

i cant with xzx and his heelys omg

leave it to csp to relate bungee jumping to some great deeper meaning for zlj’s personal growth hahahah but good on the kid for going through with it. interesting that zixin said he sees himself in zlj so much

HAHAHHAHA THIS FACE

when reminded he’s the hormone representative his face changed so fast im crying 

ycw is laughing his butt off and i love how it says “children’s playground” in the background

when ycw gets thoroughly ignored

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA OSCAR’S SSHHHHHHHH AND XUE EN TELLS HIM TO WATCH HIS “LANGUAGE LANGUAGE” HAHAHAHHA 

i just realized theres an english speaking line in this group :’) syh, xue en, oscar 

awwwwwwwwww them all planning to sing him happy birthday on the dot and setting it up so he can be at the top at that moment awwww thats so fun

LOL the way that oscar cursed his way to the top and is sweating so hard LOL the poor kid omg HAHAHHA

aw he can tell syh drew the card

LOL ITS OKAY OSCAR I STRUGGLE WITH READING TOO 

get you a friend like ycw who’ll tell you that you can decide how to pronounce words right, just because its your birthday 

struggling to read xue en’s handwriting LOL 

HHAHAHAHHAHAHA HOW DOES XZX RECOGNIZE IT’S HUANG ENYU BY FEELING HIS PECS HAHAHHAHA

i feel the need to just say huang junrong looks so adorable in his bright yellow outfit hahah

there’s two types of kids in this group: hjr and enyu screaming their butts off, and lin mo and xzx wallowing in regret of their life decisions

hjr and enyu always saying its too short when the ride ends LOL

lin mo talking real talk over dinner about their feelings BC HES A REAL LEADER and knows how important it is to address this. these concerns are obviously very present in his mind, even when theyre out having fun to relax, and he’s still trying his best to figure out how he can help them and motivate them. 

makes sense that they would include enyu interview clips bc hes surely spouting the real talk, but i think its interesting its mainly him and lin mo getting screen time. 

enyu would be the one to speak up and say something when lin mo is trying to talk to them though. i think theyre both right though, im guessing lin mo is in part too nice, bc he doesnt feel comfortable enough with them to be as strict as he normally is, bc he knows they have reason to not be motivated and he feels bad for them. but at the same time, he brings up a good point that they themselves need to have their own motivation. it cant just be him putting in effort. and i HUGELY respect that he is telling this to them straight up bc its a hard conversation to have, esp bc im sure he wants them to like him as a friend. but i respect that he knows if they have problems they have to air them out bc lack of communication will be too costly. 

momo is lucky he has someone like enyu on his team who’ll actually talk to him with real opinions rather than just hide in fear of disrupting the status quo. literally enyu is the one voicing that he doesnt want takeout and he doesnt want to stay up late, and other people agree, but the surprise on lin mo’s face just tells you that he wouldnt have even realized these are things that are bothering his teammates unless they straight up told him, and thankfully enyu did, bc lin mo thankfully is reasonable and willing to change his habits for the sake of the group TO HELP THEM. hes willing to do anything he can to help them, as long as they tell him what they want from him. huang enyu’s lesson in communication, dont let people guess, just tell them straight up 

its interesting bc its clear enyu respects lin mo a lot, says he has the experience and the skill and the right to yell at them to get it together, but hes still not afraid to tell lin mo he thinks lin mo should be more strict with them. and then i respect lin mo for not backing down when being criticized and for strongly insisting that they need to put in effort themselves too. he cant force them to do anything they dont want to do themselves. they themselves have to want to do well. 

lin mo is really out here taking care of his group of children and leading them and helping them and looking out for them and im just floored by his leadership yet again. i really hope they can pull it together. 

lin mo is a dork and stanning him leads to mostly either second-hand embarrassment or disappointment. from qcyn to snzm, it just always feels like he’s being mistreated and taken advantage of and stepped on, and sad things just keep happening to him. but then he has these moments where he reminds you of why he’s worth stanning. why it’s worth waiting for something good to finally actually happen. and why he deserves those good things. its just so nice to see hes getting some appreciation and recognition for the things he does. at least youku let us see his leadership in action. 

aw 

totally not surprised akey is there to drive the conversation for their group’s real talk time. tyger co-leader translates clearly hahah

LOL LI HAO TOTALLY FORGOT THE SNZM DANCE LOL

im like not surprised xikan’s group got the least adventurous adventure bc hes not afraid to show how serious hes taking this competition, but also somehow still feel like hes not getting better treatment relative to being number one?? maybe im just overthinking 

honestly all things considered im okay with this being the debut group

i mean i love ycw and zry but i feel like this makes sense to me.

this looks scary lol lin ran wyd

but yea even the way they framed the cliff hanger for next week... why do i just feel like xikan is not being treated with the respect he deserves?? 

anywayyyyyyyyyyyy for 少年營業中

LOL gz’s impression of zlj watching scary movies sounds so accurate im ded

zixin is so adorable!! i love his outfit too ahhah 

LOL gz’s sassy response to zlj responding when xue en says he’s gonna talk about a cute trainee with highly regarded visuals 

why am i totally not surprised xue en didnt get scared but zixin got scared AGAIN lol 

why do i suddenly get the realization that we hardly ever see ycw and zlj interact 

it just feels weird to see them together even tho they obviously have overlapping friend groups lol....

poor shiwei isnt even here and they keep talking about him LOL at least theyre not even really roasting him LOL ycw and yzx too nice for that

im just DYING at the cto gege’s laughing SO HARD HAHAHA 

and ycw’s face LOL 

xue en’s laugh made this ep worth it LOL

wow should i be happy that lin mo is finally in the next ep of this side show, or sad that jin fan never got to appear and itll be the last ep :( im also excited to see lin ran again! wow its weird to think that snzm is ending soon, it felt like the first 7 eps were like a slow burn and now its a mad rush to the end 

[sarah--goff]

Their Dark Materials: Chapter 6; False Alarms

Also avaliable on A03 under: Sarah_Goff works

For any suggestions/questions/ etc my email is  sarahgoffmana03@gmail.com

hope you enjoy

happy Halloween!

-Sarah G

_*_

“Ahhhh!”

your voice echoed all around you, your yelling cries scattering.

You tried to grab onto something but all you could feel was the air slipping through your fingers. You were on your back, gliding down what felt like a long slide, you snapped your head up, watching the light from the gap you had just fallen through shrink away quickly.

You could hear the wind rushing past your ears as you slid into nothingness, the speed would have exhilarated you- if you weren’t terrified of the land to come. Or where you were headed.  

You imagined hitting the ground and smashing like a china teacup.

The slid twisted and turned sharply in the darkness, causing you to hitch your breath and gasp at every unexpected movement. Your hair was streaming behind you.

You tried to stop yourself by planting your feet but it was useless you continued to glide downwards.

Your heart was pounding and your blood turned cold. You kept your arms over your face in case you suddenly smacked into something unexpected.

Without warning, you slide off the end of the slide in mid-air, landing on a deep and plush rug.

You caught your breath for a few seconds trying slow your heart and gather your bearings.

What the fuck was that?

You wanted to cry out in frustration, you had been so close! Your hands thrashed the rug either side of you! Dammit! The castle was practically in your reach!

You were sure that flipped stone wasn’t a coincidence.

You reminded yourself that you were extremely lucky to be alive right now as you dusted yourself down.

You squinted around you, standing from the rug.

You were in a tunnel  of some kind, you were sure.

You could see a light at the end of the darkness you were in, you don’t hesitate to move towards it. You were never a fan of the dark anyway.

You come to the light and blink in it. Instead of coming to the mouth of the tunnel, as you thought, you were instead surrounded by large walls, huge grotesque faces carved into them.

It’s this way or no way.

Besides for all you knew, this could lead to the castle, right?

You shuffled past them, their grey, haunting expressions. God you were hoping this lead somewhere good.

The stone walls spoke in a booming voice “DON’T GO ON” and you leapt five foot in the air with a surprised shriek “Jesus fuck!” your hand flew to your racing chest.

Did everything in here speak?! The walls too!?

“go back while you still can” they rumbled sinisterly.

You found your voice “what are you talking about? Go back where? You said breathlessly, “there is nowhere else!”

“this is not the way”

“There isn’t any other way!” you argued, spinning to face one of them “If this is another trick!” you warned.

“take heed and go no further"

" Beware. Bewarrrre"  The voices were all around you "beware of what!" you squeaked, shiver running down your spine, suddenly you wished you weren't

so alone.

“Alright, alright, show’s over!”

You turn your head towards the direction of the voice and groan. Just what you needed.

“Hipple” you say in mock-surprise, folding your arms coldly at him “boy, am I glad to see you”. The sarcastic laced comment echoes around you.

A stone wall beside you reverberates in amusement at your comment.

“It’s Hoggle!”  he snaps, then side-eyeing the laughing wall “y’ should be more grateful- you could have ended up anywhere!”

Perhaps it would be wiser to take the advice you were given this time around, not wanting anymore disappearing acts.

You shrugged, still mad at his earlier swerve to help, “well I wouldn’t be down here at all if you had helped me in the first place” you raised an eyebrow.

He scowls back throwing up his hands “even if I wanted to help y’, Jareth-“

“Yeah, yeah death penalty, I remember” you retort.

You sigh and run a hand over your face. Losing your cool wasn’t going to get you through the labyrinth. It wasn’t your style either.

“beware, beware” the walls’ voices interject your argument “soon it will be too late”

“Hoggle, what are they talking about?” you ask, turning to him throwing up your hands. You lower your tone “I just came down that path, there aren’t any others!”

Hoggle waved his hand dismissively “ah, don’t pay any attention to them, they’re false alarms, you get a lot of them in the labyrinth- especially when you’re on the right track “

“oh no you’re not”

“quiet!”

“sorry just doing my job…”

Your eyes light up at Hoggle’s words “On the right track? Am I?”

“beware-

“just forget it!”

“So have you come to help me then, or just give me more riddles?”

“No,” Hoggle says ignorantly “to help, actually. Y’ won’t last five minutes in here by y’self. I knew y’ were going to get into trouble as soon as I met y’. And it so happens that I know a shortcut” .

“Gee thanks” you murmur “but why - what changed your mind suddenly?”

Hoggle looked nervous, wringing his hands “well…nice girl, big scary Labyrinth-“

“Why , Hoggle”

“Alright, alright I ain’t supposed t’ but if I take you as far as I can, will you give me something in return?”

You glared at him, the nerve of him!

On the other hand, was right, you wouldn’t last five minutes without some inside help, as you had just found out, you wanted to leave this dismal place as soon as possible. The Goblin King never specified if you had to run the labyrinth alone.

Does this count as cheating? You hushed that voice at the back of your head.

Your shoulders slumped a little, giving in to the shorter man’s wistful look.

“Okay okay fine, what is it that you want?”

“You have a charming bracelet” he says shyly.

You look down at your wrist at the bangle and begin to take it off. It’s so beautiful…a small price to pay.

“no not that trash the other one, in your pocket”

Pocket? You slip your hand inside and take out your ring of keys, dangling on your finger, making it jangle. “You want… my keys…?” you looked at him confused.

His eyes light up and he snatches them “yes! The charms! he gushed over your tacky key rings turning them over one by one.

You look down at him, so obviously smitten with them- you have to tip up a smile. “You can have it then; do we have a deal?” Kari and Brian were going to kill you for losing them, but you reminded yourself if you didn’t get out of here there would be no angry Kari and Brian to go back to anyway- or anything else for that matter.

You shook hands. Hoggle dropped the ring of keys in a small pouch bag, slinging it back over him.

“So, you know a way out of here then?”  you said eager to leave this unsettling place.

He’s already venturing on, gesturing you to follow behind “come on”

You walk on, leaving behind the False Alarms, these walls, thankfully, didn’t have faces.  

“Are…Are you sure its safe this way?” the path seemed to stray further from the light, you had a nauseous feeling wash over you.

“Ah, its fine I told you they’re just false alarms to make y’ doubt y’self”

Hoggle hummed under his breath, apparently searching for something in particular.

“There’s always one of these around here somewhere” you hear Hoggle murmur, watching him feel along for something until …“aha!”.

“What? What is it?” your hand comes to rest against a ladder, you can loosely see the rungs leading upwards.

You let Hoggle go first, he seemed sincere in helping you and probably didn’t mean you any harm, but you couldn’t take any chances espically if he was planning to ditch you.

His earlier comment echoed in your mind ‘Things aren’t always what they seem in here’.

You let out a “huh”, thinking aloud. You gingerly reach for the first rung, pulling yourself up behind him.

You heard him wheeze above you “what?”.

“Nothing, I was just thinking about something you said earlier”

“ah, yes…Sorry about all that” he coughed with embarrassment. “I did want to help y’ really, y’ know” he sounded genuinely regretful. “y’ve got to understand my position; I’m a coward and Jareth scares me”

“what kind of position is that?” You wrinkled your nose

“That’s my point- you wouldn’t be so brave if y’ smelt the bog of eternal stench” he said pompously

He stepped up a rung and it fell, you hear it clatter below you and wince.

“Is that all it does- smell?

Hoggle shook his head “the worse thing is, if y’ so much as put a foot in the bog of eternal stench y’ll smell bad for the rest of your life it’ll never wash off”

Yeesh, that did sound bad.

“Right…So…” you climbed up further “I guess we’re friends now huh” your voiced echoed.

“Friends…?” Hoggle sounded surprised.

You shrugged though he couldn’t see it “well, yeah I mean you’re helping me out of here aren’t you, isn’t that what friends do, help each other?”

“Friend huh, I like that…I ain’t never been no-one’s friend before”

“well…we’re friends now. My first friend in here anyway”

He gave a ‘hmmf’ followed by an awkward silence. Hoggle cleared his throat.  “Why are y’ here anyway? Let me guess, rotten sibling?”

Rotten sibling?

“uh, no, actually turns out I took something and now I owe the king, apparently… I have to win the Labyrinth to get out of it”

Your sweaty hand slapped against the wooden bar, you were about half- way and didn’t dare look down. A bead of sweat trickled down your face which you quickly wiped away. “I don’t really understand how though, I couldn’t really dispute it at the time”.

Hoggle chuckled knowingly “that sounds like Jareth alright, shady deals, glamour magic, y’ need to be careful around him, he’s fae”

Your eyes widened in surprise “Fae? Like fairy?”.  So not goblin after all.

“Try sly trickster” Hoggle scoffed “when y’ take gifts from fae, it means that you owe them back whatever they want” he explained grimly.

Upon hearing this, the bonkers conversation from your bedroom floated into your head:

‘You took the gift, you owe me whatever I wish... what I want- is you’

You shivered remembering the way the Goblin King’s eyes sparked and pierced you at that moment.

You shook off that memory “that doesn’t make sense whatsoever” you pointed out.

“Well it wouldn’t, would it? That’s why they’re known as tricksters” Hoggle grunted with more effort.

You rolled this over in your mind. So maybe this was kind of your fault after all, but you still didn’t ask for that damn book!

“what did you mean when you said rott-“

“Here we are” he cut you off, shifting something above his head. The unexpected light made you cover your face and squint but you headed upwards towards it, finally glad to be above ground and able to see properly.

You climbed out of a plant pot to see the scene had changed from what you saw earlier. The walls didn’t appear quite so tall and menacing.

“Which part are we in now?”

This area of the labyrinth was pretty and well-kept you found it hard to believe it was part of the labyrinth at all. It was a good sign that you had moved on in the maze significantly.

“Somewhere near the heart of the Labyrinth” Hoggle dusted himself down replacing the plant pot.

-*-

“Curses!” The Goblin King cried as you climb out the plant pot. The goblins come to a momentary standstill at the outburst.

"Well?" Jareth hissed at the creatures "what are you gawping at, back to work!"

The goblins resumed the mopping, dusting and polishing, quietly murmuring among themselves. Jareth was working them to the grindstone, ensuring the castle was spotless for when his guest arrived. He must admit, he much preferred it this way, being able to see out of the windows clearly was nice for one.

He had never in a million years thought you’d get this far so quickly.

Okay, he’d played dirty, flipping that stone over, he hadn’t meant you any harm, of course, you were in safe hands, but it wasn’t a real challenge if it was over already, was it? You wanted a challenge and challenge you would get.

He told himself in the long run he was actually doing you a favour, you wouldn’t be so naïve when you returned to the Above. If you returned.

It was looking very likely now and he just couldn’t have that.

"Why can't I see my face in these floors!"

Notes: