#hawk shifts to ''she's perfect'' which is very

[stevie-petey]

episode one: the vanishing of will byers

Steve nods, as if you almost getting hit by his car makes perfect sense to him. When you walk over to your bike and inspect it for any damage, he follows after you.  “So,” he whistles, trying to pretend that this is all a completely normal occurrence. “You, uh, need a ride?” Honestly you don’t know why you’re surprised he hasn’t noticed the clear signs of you crying, your swollen eyes and red nose. Not only is he a boy, but he’s also Steve Harrington. It’s a miracle he even stopped to make sure you weren’t dead.

summary: jonathan smuggles you free food in exchange for friendship, will goes missing the one time you listen to jonathan, hopper doesn't really like you, and steve harrington almost hits you with his car as you're sobbing like a damn baby (in a cool way).

rating: general, although there's plenty of cursing and slight innuendos, so fair warning.

warnings: cursing, fem!reader, and use of y/n.

words: 7k

before you swing in: hello ! this is the first chapter of my come home series, where i plan on rewriting the entirety of stranger things because i really love a good rewrite fic and this is me just indulging in my ideal fic fantasies tbh. before we start: this is a steve x reader fic, however there will be some slight feelings between the reader and jonathan, but it doesn't at all get in the way of steve and honestly just adds to the angst because i love a good tragedy. also, reader is dustin's older sister, but i tried to write her as neutral as possible in terms of physical features, so let's all just play along. that is all ! i'm very excited for this series and i hope y'all enjoy her as much as i do :)

-

November 6th, 1983

Your shift at Bookstrordinary ends at 8:30 tonight, so as soon as you’ve organized all the books within the store and cashed out the last customer, you say goodnight to your boss, Mrs. Waters, and clock out. Today had been a longer shift, and it didn’t help that you had to deal with a particularly eager bookclub mother who insisted that you had the latest copy of some obscure novel that she needed for her club. After several attempts to inform her that no, you really didn’t have some novel about a cowboy falling in love with a rodeo girl from Michigan, nor would you ever want to read that, the mother angrily walked away. 

You’re happy to finally be free from work though, excited to see Jonathan to tell him about the book club mom because you know he gets a kick out of those suburban middle class mothers that terrorize Hawkins. He works across from you, at The Hawk theater, and it’s one of your favorite things about the bookstore. Besides getting to be surrounded by books all day and reading Spider-Man, you get to be across the street from your best friend and share frequent breaks together. 

A bell signifies your arrival at the theater, alerting Jonathan to look up from the concession stand and smile at you. He looks tired, which you can understand. It’s been a particularly long school year so far with Jonathan having to work more shifts than usual to support his family. 

“Welcome to The Hawk, can I interest you in our specialty popcorn and candy corn mixture?”

You make a face, “No, thanks. Candy corn freaks me out.” 

Jonathan laughs, knowing you’d say that. It’s been a running joke between the two of you for as long as you can remember. You’re not picky with most foods, but candy corn? The bane of your existence. “Tough crowd, then.” 

You laugh as well, now standing in front of the counter, and you learn against it so that you’re in Jonathan’s space. After being friends for so long, personal space doesn’t exist between the two of you. You’re the only person that Jonathan lets get this close to him on a regular basis, which you’re secretly proud of. 

“So, you almost done so we can pick up our idiotic brothers?” Tonight, as usual, Will and Dustin are at Mike’s house playing DnD. They’d biked over as soon as school let out, while Jonathan drove you to work, so he was your ride back for the night. 

He shakes his head at you, wincing, “I picked up an extra shift tonight. Stacy called out sick, and it’s good money…”

You nod in understanding. He doesn’t have to explain himself to you, which he’s always relieved by. 

“It’s okay. Is my bike still in your trunk?” 

“Yeah, I can get it out for you since I’m kind of ditching you tonight.” 

You wave him off, already reaching across the counter to grab his keys from his coat pocket. “No need, I’ll get it out myself so you don’t get in trouble with your boss.” Jonathan’s boss is an older guy, extra scary. “I’m assuming that I’m taking Will home tonight?” 

“It’ll be late by the time you get the boys, and you’ll have Dustin. We only live a couple blocks apart, you can just bike with Will until you get to your street.”

“Are you sure? I know he’s scared of the dark.” 

“It’s fine, Y/N. You’re already doing enough being there for most of the ride; I’m sure Will can survive the last five minutes alone.” 

You give Jonathan an unsure look, but you don’t argue with him. He’s his brother, he knows Will’s capabilities, and it’s an unspoken fact that you baby Will a bit too much. He’s just so much tinier than the other boys, softer in a way that you want to protect. He’s special. 

Jonathan sneaks you a large peach lemonade and hot dog from the concession stand when you return with his keys. You’ve parked your bike up front, and you accept the food gratefully. You hadn’t had time to eat your usual dinner during your break due to the bookclub mother fiasco, so you inhale the food quickly and give his hair a ruffle. 

“You’re a lifesaver, bee.” 

Jonathan lightly hits your hand away from his hair. “Consider it your payment for dealing with Will and Dustin on your own tonight, bug.” 

Bee and bug were the names the two of you had given each other years ago. Jonathan had started it with bug, stemming from the fact that you love Spider-Man so much, and you had struggled to come up with your own nickname for him. Then it came to you: bee, or B, for Byers. It was perfect, and you’re still incredibly proud of yourself for the creativity, honestly. 

After your quick dinner, you say goodbye to your friend and head off. It’s late now, nearing 9, and you hope that Mrs. Wheeler and your own mom won’t be too upset with you for being late for pick up. You know they prefer to have the boys in bed by a decent hour, but in your defense, Jonathan did skip out on you.

You arrive at the Wheeler’s in a short amount of time and knock on the door. Your cheeks are flushed from the early November cold, and you’re regretting that you only put on a thin sweater and jeans this morning.

Mike answers the door, giving you a dirty look. “Did you have to come early?”

“I’m actually later than usual,” you sidestep him, making your way into his house; you’ve become used to Mike’s attitude. “I take it the campaign is still ongoing?”

“See, mom? Even Y/N understands how long a good campaign can go on for!” Mike waves his arms at you, as if to signify to his mother the importance of your understanding. 

Mrs. Wheeler ignores her son to greet you kindly, albeit a bit exasperated. “Hello, Y/N, please come in.” Then she turns to Mike, giving him a stern look. “Mike, why don’t you tell Y/N how you boys have been playing for ten hours? I’m sure she’ll be understanding then.” 

“You guys have been playing for ten hours?”

Mike looks down in embarrassment for a second before turning to his father for help. You laugh a bit at his enthusiasm and see a faint smile on his mom’s face as well. Quietly you excuse yourself to go downstairs to find the other boys, and Mrs. Wheeler wishes you luck. 

Everyone always acts like the boys are some giant pain; truthfully, you enjoy them. Sure, they can be a handful, but they’re just kids; it’s hard for you to ever stay mad at them. Plus they like you, so it makes dealing with them easier. 

Lucas, Dustin, and Will are running around the basement when you get down there, frantically searching for something. You hear Lucas inform Will that if Mike doesn’t see something, then it doesn’t count. The urgence in his voice amuses you; you’ll never fully wrap your head around why they take DnD so seriously, but you love that they can enjoy it with each other. 

Dustin is the first to see you. “Y/N!”

The other boy’s heads turn to you and they greet you with enthusiasm as well. Will rushes towards you for a hug, which you gladly accept. When you break apart, Lucas gives you a high five and asks about a comic you’ve put on hold for him at the store. 

“Any luck?”

“Sorry, Sinclair. It’s still sold out, but the second it’s restocked I’ll smuggle one for you.” 

“Sick!” 

Dustin walks over, now in his coat and holding a pizza box. “Want a slice?” 

You decline, informing him that Jonathan snuck some food for you. At the mention of his brother’s name, Will asks where he is. You tell him that Jonathan had to cover a shift and that you’ll be taking him most of the way home tonight. 

As you all make your way upstairs, you notice that Dustin continues up to the second floor. Lucas notices too, and the two of you share a knowing look. 

“Still have a crush on Nancy?” You ask, already knowing the answer. 

“Yup.” Lucas responds, smiling in disappointment. 

You wait for your brother outside, helping Will with his coat and listen to Mike’s rambling about the campaign. Lucas is already on his bike, ready to go. 

“There’s something wrong with your sister.” Dustin declares when he finally returns.

Mike looks at you, then at your brother, confused. “What are you talking about?” 

“She’s got a stick up her butt.” 

“Dustin!” You berate. Nancy isn’t your favorite person, but she’s always been nice to you the few times you’ve interacted. You guys used to be closer when you were younger, but high school has a way of distancing people.

“Yeah,” Lucas now speaks up. “It’s because she’s been dating that douchebag, Steve Harrington.” How the hell does Lucas even know about that? You didn’t even know about that until just now. 

“Lucas! Language!” 

“Yeah, she’s been turning into a real jerk.”

“Dustin, I swear to God-” 

The boys ignore you, which you’re honestly not surprised by. While they may like you, that doesn't mean that they listen to you. On a good day they maybe listen to you 25% of the time, but tonight was clearly not a good night. 

Mike finally cuts in, “She’s always been a real jerk.”

“Hey, she’s your sister. Give her some credit-”

Dustin is now the one who cuts you off. “Nuh-uh, only you get the sister leniency, Y/N. Nancy used to be cool, now she isn’t.” 

“Remember that time she dressed up as an elf for our Elder tree campaign?” Lucas asks, almost reminiscent. 

You shudder at the way he says it, and you shudder more when you see the dreamy look in your brother’s eyes. “Yeah, I remember…” 

“Gross,” you huff at your brother, now hopping on your own bike. 

Lucas and Dustin begin to pedal away, and you call after them to wait up. Will is still with Mike, and you promised Jonathan you’d get him home. You give the boys a bit of space, waiting a few paces ahead. Will has always been shy around Mike, something that you’ve tried not looking into too much, but to be safe you give them some privacy. 

Faintly, you hear Will say, “The Demogorgon, it got me.” 

Lights flicker a bit, but you’re too focused on the slight unease you feel by Will’s words. Before you can think too much about them, he joins you. “Race you up to Lucas and Dustin?”

“You’re on,” you tell him. 

Will beats you to the boys (which you let him do), and you’re out of breath. The four of you bike in silence for a bit until you reach Lucas’s turn into his neighborhood. 

“Good night, ladies.” He says, and you don’t need to be a psychic to know what your brother’s response is going to be.

“Kiss your mom ‘night for me.” Bless him.

You and Will giggle together, and Dustin smirks at the two of you, proud. He sits in the praise for a few moments before challenging you and Will to race home with the promise of a comic for whoever wins. 

“I call last year’s Black Cat issue of Spider-man!” You call out, already biking away from the boys. 

“We didn’t say go!”

Dustin and Will call after you as they try to catch up, and within a few seconds the three of you are speeding down the hill towards your home. You laugh gleefully, enjoying the way the wind whips through your hair and the way Dustin, though annoyed by your early start, laughs alongside you with Will. 

Somehow Will is the one who wins the race, which you’re impressed by. He may be small, but he’s surprisingly good at winning when it comes to a competition. Dustin shouts at Will that he’ll kill him, which makes you send a warning look at him. 

“I’ll take your X-Men 134!” Will retaliates, still flying through the street. 

You and Dustin are now stopped at your mailbox and you take a moment to catch your breath before shouting at Will, “Be careful, please! Stay safe!”

“I’ll be fine, I promise!” Will’s voice is distant, now a few yards away, and you stand outside for a few more seconds to watch his figure disappear into the night. Dustin has already gone inside but you wait to follow, only going inside when you can no longer see Will, hopefully home safe and sound. You feel fear creep upon you, but you chalk it up to your usual worry when it comes to the boy. 

He’ll be okay, Jonathan should be home within the hour. 

– 

The next morning you’re frantically biking to school, pissed off at Jonathan. He’s your ride every morning, or everywhere, really, and for the second time in 24 hours he’s bailed on you. Dustin left for school ages ago on his bike, so you’re thankful he doesn’t see you embarrassingly sweaty and gross as you race to school. 

It’s not that you’re pissed that Jonathan bailed again, you’re pissed because he didn’t even have the nerve to call you ahead of time to warn you. Now you have only ten minutes before the first bell rings, and your sweater clings to you uncomfortably as you sweat. 

You make it to school with a few minutes to spare, so you quickly make your way over to your locker to grab the necessary books for the day. You’re still sweaty, and you don’t want to even think about what your hair looks like right now. You look down the hall towards Jonathan’s locker, still not seeing him, and you begin to worry a bit. Maybe he overslept after last night’s shift? 

A body crashes into yours, sending your notebooks spiraling to the ground. Steve Harrington looks at you sheepishly, only saying a small “whoops!” before continuing his fast pace towards the girl’s bathroom. You scoff, now even more annoyed with your entire morning, picking up your stuff as you see Nancy enter the same bathroom a few moments later. 

“In a public school bathroom?” You mutter in disgust, collecting the last of your things and heading to class. 

You decide to give Jonathan until second period, sophomore English which the two of you share, before you freak out. You know you have a problem with over worrying about the people you love, so you try to calm yourself down. While Jonathan has never been the type to cancel without at least calling first, you reason with yourself that everyone has a bad morning. He simply slept in too late. When he wakes up, he’ll come to school and he’ll be sitting in the seat next to you in English. 

Except Jonathan isn’t in the seat next to yours when you enter the classroom an hour later. Now you officially let yourself begin to worry. Something about this doesn’t feel right. 

You’ve never skipped class before, school has always been important to you. You’re the top of your class with hopes of running away from Hawkins with Jonathan to a big city with an even bigger university. However, you don’t even hesitate to flee the classroom and find the nearest phone in the school to call the Byers’ residence. 

Jonathan answers after a few rings, and the words that leave his lips change your life forever. “Will is missing.”

You feel all the air in your lungs be knocked out of you. You can’t breathe and you sway a bit as your knees threaten to give out. This isn’t real, this can’t be happening. 

“What?”

“Will, he-he’s gone, Y/N. We can’t find him and-” 

You don’t hear whatever else Jonathan says. You struggle to get air back in your lungs. Will isn’t missing, you just saw him last night. Mere hours ago Will laughed next to you, face alive with joy, he hugged you and joked along with you. 

“He didn’t come home last night-”

“He didn’t come home?” Jonathan’s words catch your attention and you feel bile rise in your throat. Will didn’t make it home last night. You were the last one to see him, and the realization crushes you; it’s all your fault. 

“Mom and I just searched the woods, and there’s no sign of him and-” Jonathan is rambling now, his own fear and despair clear in his voice. 

“Jonathan,” you force his name out, now needing to be there for your best friend. You can worry for Will in your own time, right now Jonathan needs you. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” 

“Y/N, you don’t-”

You hang up before Jonathan can argue with you and stumble towards the exit. Your limbs feel heavier than normal, and your ears are ringing. Will is missing. He’s so small, he’s scared of the dark… You left him alone in the dark. 

The bike ride to the Byers home is a blur. You don’t remember much, your body going on autopilot the second you hopped on your bike. You’re running on pure fear and adrenaline right now, too worried for your boys to focus on anything else. 

You don’t bother to knock when you arrive, instead you let yourself in. Joyce is on the phone, arguing with some woman named Cynthia. Your eyes find Jonathan’s, who is sitting on the couch hunched over something. You walk over to him and sit down beside him and your stomach lurches when you see the words “have you seen me?” he’s so neatly printed out on a piece of paper.

“Bee…” you exhale, voice cracking a bit. 

Jonathan doesn’t say anything, but you know him as well as you know yourself. He doesn’t want comforting words right now. You take his hand into yours and lean your head against his shoulder. Worry has made his muscles tense, but you feel him relax into you a bit as he rests his own head against yours. The two of you sit like that for a moment, taking in the comfort you bring each other. 

“Bitch!” Joyce slams the phone down, causing you and Jonathan to jump apart. 

“Mom,”

“What?” Joyce is a mixture of both rage and anxiety, and you feel awful looking at her. Her son is missing, you can’t imagine what she must be feeling right now.

“You have to stay calm.” Jonathan tells her, his voice firm but kind. You know it’s taking everything in him to be as stable as he is right now; he’s putting on a front for his worried mother. You squeeze his hand, hoping it conveys the support and love that you need it to.

He squeezes back, and you see Joyce finally recognize that you’re there as well. She sends you a weak wave, which you return, before she goes back to dialing and trying to reach Lonnie. Jonathan gives your hand one last squeeze and lets go, now returning back to the posters. You immediately understand that he’s doing this to distract himself, so you do the same and wordlessly help him.

You begin writing your own “have you seen me?” when Joyce once again slams her phone down. The sound makes you flinch, inadvertently messing up your writing, which you sigh at. Before you can ask Jonathan for another piece of paper, you hear a car pull up. 

Jonathan stands up to investigate, alerting his mom that the cops are here. You follow after them outside, your heart dropping when you see Will’s bike in the Chief’s hand. He ushers everyone inside, informing Joyce that he found the bike lying in the road.

“How far was it from the house?” You ask, your voice frail. 

The Chief looks at you, his nametag informs you that his name is Hopper, and raises his eyebrows. “And can I know who is asking?” 

You clear your throat, nervous under his scrutinizing gaze. “I’m Y/N Henderson. I’m close with the Byers, I biked with Will home,” your voice catches in your throat, snagging onto the guilt that has been clawing at you ever since you found out Will was missing. You clear your throat again, determined to continue. “I was with him last night. My brother and I live right off Mirkwood, a few blocks from here. He only had a few more minutes before he would’ve been home.” 

Hopper stares at you. “Mirkwood?”

“It’s where-”

“Yeah, those moron kids explained it to me. I just didn’t think someone your age would call the street that, too.” Then, as an afterthought, Hopper adds, “The bike was found a block from here.”

His words sting, but you ignore it. If the bike was found only a block from the Byers’ home, then that means that something had to have happened to Will only minutes after you last saw him. You feel the familiar churning in your stomach, wracked with guilt. 

“Did it have any blood on it?” Joyce now asks, and you’re thankful she’s taken the attention off of you. 

Jonathan sees your distress and grabs your sweater so that you fall back a bit from the cops and Joyce. “Do you need a minute?”

You can only nod, afraid that if you open your mouth you’ll either cry or throw up. He gently guides you to his room, closing the door. Once you’re alone, he wraps his arms around you and pulls you in tight. You’re shaking harder than ever now, Will’s happy and shining face from last night keeps flashing through your mind. 

You were the last one who ever saw him.

You’re the one who was last responsible for him. 

You.

“It’s not your fault,” Jonathan whispers, his voice muffled by your hair. You’ve always loved how you fit perfectly in his arms, your height difference being just enough that he always rests his chin against your head when he hugs you. 

“I’m the last person who saw him.”

“Y/N, I was the one who asked you to only bike him halfway-”

“No,” your voice comes out louder than you intend it to, and you push Jonathan away. He lets out a confused noise as you grapple at him, forcing him to look directly at you. “I should’ve been with him, Jonathan. It’s your job to support your family, and it’s my job to help you. I have to… I have to be the one who helps you.” 

You’ve always been fascinated by psychology, and you remember reading in one of the journals about codependency; the term was used in relation to addiction, specifically alcoholism, but it had caught your interest. To love someone to the extent that their actions make you feel responsible for them, to selflessly take on their burdens to a debilitating extent, well, it reminded you of your relationship with Jonathan. 

You’ve always taken on whatever Jonathan has had to deal with, ever since you were kids, and it’s always come so naturally to you. He’s never asked you to, and sometimes the extent to which you carry his weight angers him, but it’s how you love.

It’s who you are. You’re always the one who helps, it’s what you need to be able to do. If you can’t help the ones you love the most, then what good is your love for them?

Jonathan may not know about codependency, but he knows how hard you love those closest to you. “Bug, listen to me.” He grabs your face, almost aggressively, in order to cut off your rambling. “My mom, she-she’s already spiraling and I can’t… I need you. I need you to be here, with me, right now. If I lose you too, then I-I don’t know what I’ll do.”

His words cut through you like glass. He’s right, you know he’s right, and you feel another wave of guilt wash over you. This guilt is different from the guilt surrounding Will. This is mixed with shame for allowing yourself to spiral so far and forcing Jonathan to take care of you. Joyce is clearly unwell, you can’t fathom how much he’s had to deal with today. 

You gently remove Jonathan’s hands from your face and take a step back. If you’re going to help him, you need to collect yourself. From here on out, you have to be a wall for him to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, someone who will listen to him. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Jonathan shrugs at you, now allowing a hesitant smile to cross his face. “If it makes you feel any better, it took a lot less pleading to get through to you. I’m still working on my mom.” 

The joke is foul, one that should make you feel even worse than you already do, because what sixteen year old has to plead with their mother to remind her that he’s there, too? The joke is horrible, and it’s exactly what you need to find yourself laughing, and Jonathan joins. 

Codependency can be a bitch, but Jonathan understands you in ways that no one else can. 

“You think the cops are gone?” You ask, wiping away the remaining tears. 

Jonathan listens for any sign of them and shakes his head. “No, I think we’re all clear.”

He walks out the room first and you follow after him. Joyce is standing in the kitchen, staring at the counter with a far off look in her eyes. You and Jonathan look at each other and you motion for him to go talk to her. He nods, and then you motion to the living room to indicate that you’ll continue working on the missing posters. 

Carefully writing on the posters soothes you, in a way. It’s rhythmic, providing a sense of lull that you readily embrace. You faintly hear Jonathan talking with his mother, then you watch as he leads her to her bedroom and shuts the door. When he returns he sits next to you on the couch and begins to work on the posters as well. No words are needed. 

You work on the posters in silence for a few hours until it nears 3pm. Dustin will be getting out of school soon, and you have to be there for him when he’s home. While Will may be Jonathan’s brother, he’s also your brother’s best friend. You get up and head into the kitchen, long familiar now with its layout and usual contents within the fridge, and quickly prepare the ingredients for spaghetti. It’s a simple meal, but Jonathan and Joyce need to eat. Once it’s all laid out, you return to the living room and tap on your friend’s shoulder. 

“Hey, I have to head out now to check on Dustin, but I just put a pot of water on the stove along with some noodles on the counter. I also cut up some vegetables and put them in the fridge for the sauce. Start the meal whenever, I laid everything out for you.”

“Thank you, really,” Jonathan exhales, relief evident on his face. He hadn’t even thought about dinner, which you figured he wouldn’t. 

You bend down to kiss the top of his head. “Anytime, bee. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“Okay,” 

“Just…” you linger at the door, not fully wanting to leave him all by himself. “Be careful, please.” 

“Go, Y/N. I’ll be fine, I promise.” Jonathan reassures you.

“I’ll be fine, I promise!” Will’s voice is distant, now a few yards away, and you stand outside for a few more seconds to watch his figure disappear into the night.

It’s brief, but the flashback punches you in the gut. You close your eyes, holding onto the image of Will’s face in the moonlight last night, and when it fades you take a deep breath and force yourself to leave. 

The second you’re on your bike, pedaling away from the house, you let the sobs that have wracked against your throat all day out. It’s messy, the tears coming down your face faster than you can wipe them away. All the fear you’ve felt is now able to freely come out. It’s not the safest way to bike home, but you know that if you hold the tears in any longer you’ll collapse. You do your best to still be alert, but apparently you fail because a BMW honks at you to avoid you hitting it. 

“Fuck!” You yank your bike to the right, having no idea that you had been on the left side of the road, and topple over. The fall isn’t anything bad, but it definitely is your final straw for the day. You lay in the ditch you’ve landed in, staring at the November sky, and let the pain from your skinned knee serve as something to ground you to reality. 

“Holy shit, did I hit you?” 

Steve Harrington stands over you, a horrified look in his eyes. 

“Unfortunately not, otherwise I’d be able to sue you and get money out of it.” 

“Uh… okay?” He offers you his hand, although still very confused. “You didn’t like, happen to hit your head or anything, right?” 

You accept his help, albeit mostly because you have to, and brush yourself off when you’re up. “I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention, sorry.” 

Steve nods, as if you almost getting hit by his car makes perfect sense to him. When you walk over to your bike and inspect it for any damage, he follows after you. 

“So,” he whistles, trying to pretend that this is all a completely normal occurrence. “You, uh, need a ride?”

Honestly you don’t know why you’re surprised he hasn’t noticed the clear signs of you crying, your swollen eyes and red nose. Not only is he a boy, but he’s also Steve Harrington. It’s a miracle he even stopped to make sure you weren’t dead. 

“No,” you say, now repositioning your backpack so that you can get back on your bike. “Thanks anyways, Harrington.” 

Steve continues to follow you, even after you’ve started to pedal away. “You’re welcome, random girl I almost hit!”

You’re a bit further now, and you still feel like utter shit, but his words somehow make you laugh a bit. For a brief moment, you forget about everything, so you call behind, “It’s Henderson!” 

“That’s an odd first name!” The boy shouts after you, still following from a distance. 

“Y/N Henderson!” You’re fully yelling now, a good yard away, but you can tell that Steve hears you based on the way he begins to wave eagerly, finally stopping next to his car. Faintly you understand the boyish charm that makes him so loved by all the girls in the school; you understand why Nancy Wheeler has fallen for him.

“Bye, Y/N!” It’s faint, but you swear you can hear a smile in his voice.  

The good mood that Steve Harrington inexplicably puts you in vanishes when you near your house. Nothing has changed, yet it feels as if something has shifted. Will had been here only hours ago. You spot Dustin’s bike laying on the grass, haphazardly thrown as usual. 

Dustin is just taking off his coat when you enter, immediately running over to him to pull him into a bone crushing hug. 

“Y/N!” he squeaks in surprise. 

“Are you okay?” You know you’re squeezing your brother harder than you need to, but God. He’s safe, in your arms, and you’ve now learned that not everyone can say the same about their own loved ones. 

Dustin wiggles a bit, trying to break away from the hug, but you only pull him in tighter. “Geesh, no one died.” 

Normally you’d berate him, but you embrace his snarky comments. They’re what make Dustin so unique, his humor one of your favorite parts of him

When you don’t respond, Dustin stops wiggling around and finally accepts the situation. “I love ya too, sis.” 

You giggle a bit, now pulling away. “At least mom isn’t home right now. The minute she hears about what’s happened, we’ll be on lockdown.”

Dustin’s eyes widen. “Shit, you’re right.” 

“Lan-”

“Language, I know.”

You ruffle his hair, now feeling a bit better. Dustin is still Dustin, so maybe everything will be okay. You and your brother go into the kitchen for your post school snack, and you call your boss to inform her that you can’t make it to your shift. The words “family emergency” catch in your throat a bit, and Mrs. Waters is kind enough not to push it.

Dustin catches you up on his day, informing you about Hopper questioning him and the other boys. 

You scrunch your nose at that. “Is that even legal?”

“Unsure, but it was awesome.”

“Will went missing, Dustin. It isn’t ‘awesome’.”

Dustin tilts his head at you. “Well, I bet Will is going to have a blast hearing everything when we find him.” 

His words are so matter of fact, as if he already knows that Will will be found after all. His naivety worries you a bit, but you also can’t help but indulge in his hope as well. Then you think about what he’s just said. “Wait, who’s ‘we’?”

Your brother pretends he can't hear you, miming at his ears. “Dustin-”

“What?”

“Dustin, you and the boys can’t just-”

“I can’t hear you!” He’s running to his room now with you quick behind his heels. 

“Dustin, I swear to God-”

“I gotta do homework, Y/N, bye!” He slams the door in your face. 

You sigh. There’s no getting through to him, years of being Dustin’s older sister has taught you that, so you go into your room instead. You might as well get started on the assignments you missed today, and you have a huge chem test tomorrow, so you’ll focus on that and keep an ear out for Dustin. Whatever he’s planning with the boys, you won’t let them do it alone. 

After a couple hours of silence from Dustin’s room, you decide to call Jonathan. The line rings for a while with no answer, and eventually you give up. It makes sense that he’s not answering, he’s had a long day. You hope he’s asleep, but you know him better than that. He’s probably holed up in his room, trying to distract himself like you are right now. 

A loud thud from Dustin’s room breaks you from your thoughts. Then you hear a quiet “shhh!” that sounds suspiciously like Lucas, and you immediately throw on your shoes and a jacket and march outside. 

Dustin is halfway out of his window when you arrive, and Mike and Lucas stare at you, caught red handed. 

“Guys, I think she can hear us.” Your brother says, breaking the silence. Mike scoffs at him and Lucas groans. 

You eye the three of them, unamused. “Your best friend just went missing, what the hell are you guys doing out here so late and alone?”

Dustin awkwardly finishes his descent down, finally landing on his feet with a thud. He secures his hat back on his head and goes to grab his bike. You block his path. 

“I’m serious, one of you needs to start talking, now.” 

Lucas and Dustin look at Mike, who is their unofficial leader of the gang, and he huffs. “Look, Y/N, I like you-”

“How thrilling.” You say, voice monotone. 

The boy ignores you and continues to talk. “But Will is missing, and we aren’t just going to sit around and wait. He’s our friend, we have to do something.” 

You open your mouth to speak, but Lucas interrupts you. “You’re definitely our favorite sister in the group, so you’d be even cooler if you let us go.” 

Again, you try to respond, but this time Dustin beats you to it. “Yeah, you’re like, totally cool already. If you pretend that you never saw us, that’d be great.” 

“Guys-”

“And don’t give us a whole lecture about safety. That’s all bull.” Mike says. 

“Boys!” You scream. They all fall silent, not used to you ever raising your voice at them. You’ve only ever yelled at them once or twice, preferring to be the “cool” sister whenever you can, but right now they’re seriously pissing you off. 

“Let me speak.” When no one says anything, you continue. “I’m not going to stop you guys from looking for Will. In fact, I support it-”

“You do?”

You shoot Mike a death glare, which promptly shuts him up. “Yes, I do. However, I’m not letting you guys go alone.” 

The boys all groan at this, acting as if it’s the worst thing in the world to have you tag along with them. You ignore their complaining and head over to where your bike sits against the porch. You zip up your coat, the chill from the night making you shiver a bit. 

“No arguing, or I’ll call all your moms. Ours included, Dustin.”

“Why me?”

“Look, guys. I’m proud of you for stepping up, but I’m coming with. The last time I let one of you boys go off into the woods alone…” 

The boys shift uncomfortably now, realizing how heavy the guilt weighs upon you. After a few beats of silence, Mike finally gives in. 

“Fine,” he says, pointing a finger at you. “But the second you start to freak out, you’re gone.” 

You salute Mike, hopping on your bike as you all begin to bike away. The ride doesn’t take long, since you live just off of where Will was last seen. Thunder rumbles when you all approach the crime scene, and you shudder a bit. 

“It’s going to rain, guys.” You inform them. 

Dustin looks up at the sky with uncertainty. “I think maybe we should go back.”

Mike is quick to shut down the idea, urging the others to keep going. You admire his loyalty to Will, and you figure it’s why the two of you butt heads so often. Out of the entire group, you’re the most similar to him. 

Lucas and Mike go under the caution tape first, and Dustin hangs back. You place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We can go back, you know.” 

He clenches his jaw, jutting his chin out a bit. “No, Will needs us.”

Your brother puffs out his chest and follows after his friends, leaving you to take up the rear. More thunder rumbles and the rain begins to come down. You flip your hood up, thankful you remembered to grab a hoodie when leaving. 

Mike guides the way with his flashlight, then Lucas, then Dustin, then you in the back. You make sure to keep your eyes on the three boys, scared that the second you look away they’ll be gone. The woods have always creeped you out, but you push your fear down to keep them safe. 

“Will!” Mike calls out, the rain now pouring down on you guys. 

“Byers!” 

“Will, little bee!” You call out as well. He never liked when you called him that in front of the others, but tonight was an exception. 

“I’ve got your X-Men 134!” Your brother bribes, unintentionally making you laugh a bit. If Will is nearby, he’ll surely come out to claim his prize. 

Your foot catches on a tree log, and you slip in the mud before just barely managing to catch yourself. It’s getting hard to see given how dark it is and the rain surrounding you. Dustin voices his concerns, only to be called a baby, and you bite your tongue. If you defend him, he’ll only look more like a baby to his friends. 

“I’m just being realistic!” He retaliates, which you commend him for. 

“Dustin’s right, guys. It’s getting really bad out here. We’re surrounded by a ton of trees, don’t they attract lightning?” You ask, now paranoid that you’ll be struck down any second. 

“You guys are being sissies.” Lucas taunts, annoyed as well. 

You try to argue, but Dustin voices a thought that’s been at the back of your mind. “Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad?”

You think back to how Hopper seemed worried when he investigated the Byers home. From what you can recall, he suspected that Will had been running away from something, explaining why he’d abandon his bike.

“And now we’re going to the exact same spot where he was last seen, and we have no weapons or anything?”

Maybe Dustin’s right. This definitely wasn’t your best idea, and you’re regretting letting them follow through with their plan. For someone who claims to want to keep their loved ones safe, you really suck at it. 

“Dustin, shut up.” Mike voices, though he now looks a bit concerned as well. 

“He’s right, Mike.” You speak up, stumbling a bit in more mud. Your shoes are definitely ruined, now. “I was at Jonathan’s when Hopper showed up, he thinks Will was running from something.” 

The boys go quiet now, and when you’re about to suggest going home, you hear rustling in the bushes. 

“Did you guys hear that?” Mike asks. 

Your heart stops as the rustling continues and you all start to twist and turn, looking for the source of the sound. The rustling gets louder, almost as if it’s getting closer, and you tighten your hand around your flashlight, ready to use it as a weapon just in case. 

Then, the light flashes upon a little girl, drenched in an oversized yellow shirt, shivering. Her head is shaved, but her small stature suggests to you that she is indeed a girl. You all stare at her, no one saying a thing. She stares back, a terrified look on her face that breaks your heart. 

“Holy shit,” you whisper. 

Her eyes land on you; something about her reminds you of Will, and  you know that nothing will be the same again.

-

⌑ series masterlist

⌑ if you would like to be added/removed from my taglist, just let me know :)

[cloudedmoonofficial]

Shrewbelly purred with satisfaction as he wrapped up his story about Captain Hawkshell saving a kitten from the hawk that earned her name and reputation as the Soaring Protector. Stark, Red, and Boulder nestled into their soft bedding. Red was barely old enough to understand the story as it was, so he had nodded off early. Stark had fallen asleep halfway through the tale, it was one of her favorite stories and Shrewbelly was sure she had asked for it a dozen times by now, but Boulder managed to make it through to the end of the tale this time. The little fluffy kitten usually got bored after the exciting hawk fight in the middle, but he seemed determined to stay awake through it this time. Mostly because Stark had teased him from not knowing the end. But almost as soon as Shrewbelly finished, Boulder’s eyes dropped closed. The last of his energy had been spent.

“He’s certainly a determined little fellow,” Shrewbelly whispered to Boulder’s mother, Mudtrail. He got a snore in response. It seems she had fallen asleep to his story as well. He couldn’t blame her, the midday sun was leaking into the den and made it the perfect weather to snooze in. Mudtrail shifted and wrapped her tail gently over the kittens. Even though Mudtrail wasn’t Red or Stark’s mother, she loved all the kittens just as much as Shrewbelly did.

His heart did a funny little leap when he thought about Mudtrail’s dedication to the kittens. Most cats in Marsh Colony were happy leaving most of the kitten raising to Shrewbelly, which, as much as he loved them, had been a monumental task as Marsh Colony’s only Keeper in quite some time. 

Stark would be leaving his care soon. She had learned to identify all the marsh dangers quickly and was a very astute learner. She had practiced her night stalking skills to be a real asset of hers. Even with Shrewbelly’s dark coat, Stark always managed to find him quickly. He would miss her, but she promised to visit him often, and Shrewbelly believed she would.

Boulder was a little slower to learn, but once Shrewbelly caught his interest, Boulder was single-minded in achieving his goals. That kind of drive could be dangerous in the Marshlands, but Shrewbelly prayed to the Spirits that the kitten would learn how to temper it.

I just wish I had another cat to help me. Shrewbelly sighed. In the past few years, a few cats had shown interest in taking up the Keeper Path, but none stuck with it. As much as he knew his colony needed him, Shrewbelly also knew that many Marsh Colony cats just weren’t interested in the job. Staying in camp most of the day. Teaching the kittens the history of their Colony. Doing basic drills with the kittens to prepare them for Field training. Any cats interested in training kittens tended to become Mentors instead. 

A part of Shrewbelly knew why. In Marsh Colony, kittens were in the most danger, and their history was littered with terrible stories of kittens getting lost, taken by predators, or drowning in the marsh. Try as they might, the land was dangerous. The Spirits to Come shine on Marsh Colony last, so the Spirits Beyond keep us company instead. It was a dark truth about Marsh Colony’s history that turned many cats away from becoming a Keeper.

Even Shrewbelly’s story for them today was of a kitten, just like them, nearly getting carried off and eaten. And who was there to save them? Not a heroic Keeper. When everything goes right, that’s just a Keeper doing their job. When things go wrong…

“Hey, Shrewbelly?” a small voice pulled Shrewbelly from his thoughts. He didn’t expect anyone else to be awake at this time. Typically the whole Colony was asleep until the dusk patrols began in the evening. 

Shrewbelly quietly pulled himself away from the sleeping cats and walked outside the nursery to see Frostshadow standing there. The white molly looked relieved to see him.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” she started. Shrewbelly shook his head. 

“No, I’ve just put the kittens to sleep.” Shrewbelly winced as he saw Frostshadow look longingly into the nursery. He could guess why she was here.

“I know I should be getting rest, but…” Frostshadow’s voice trailed off and Shrewbelly’s heart ached for her. Frostshadow had recently been through a miscarriage of kittens. The young molly had been so excited to become a mother, and had even talked with Shrewbelly about becoming a Keeper once her kittens were born, but after the ordeal, she had spent a long time recovering in the Herbalists' den with Smallpebble. Shrewbelly had done everything he could to try to help Frostshadow before and after with her kittens, but they hadn’t talked about her training to become a Keeper since.

Frostshadow tore her gaze away from the Nursery and took a deep breath. “Mind walking with me for a bit?” She asked hopefully.

“Of course.” Shrewbelly bumped his head to hers softly. She would always have his support, even though he felt pretty sure he knew where this was going.

They walked in silence, it had been a while since Shrewbelly had left the base. The humidity of the marsh midday sun wasn’t pleasant, but he continued forward, patiently waiting for Frostshadow to find the right place to talk. She eventually sat on a log next to the water. Reeds and lily pads peppered the water’s surface but there was just enough space for them to look out into the still water. 

Frostshadow took a deep breath and began. “I want to thank you for everything, Shrewbelly. The Colony doesn’t thank you enough for everything you do.”

Shrewbelly wasn’t expecting that. He thought Frostshadow might hate him for not being able to save her kittens. He stammered. “Well. I uh...I...thank you, Frostshadow....I wish I could have done more.” A tear came to Frostshadow’s eye and she let out a small laugh that quickly turned into a sniffle and frown as she stared back out into the water. “I’m sorry about your kittens.” He finally added.

Frostshadow nodded. “Me too.” she said softly. “I’ve been thinking about where I go from here,” she continued. “About what path I want to take. I always wanted to be a mother, but…”

Shrewbelly waited on baited breath. She would say that she doesn’t want to become a Keeper, not if it meant dealing with hardships like this all the time. Or that she would instead start training to become a Mentor.

“I’ve decided that the Colony needs more cats like you. I still want to train to become a Keeper.” 

Shrewbelly’s jaw dropped. Frostshadow turned to face him and gave him a determined, if pained, smile. He could still see that passion, that fire in her eyes she had before. He smiled back at her and knew that this was truly what she wanted. 

“I just need a bit more time,” she finished. “But I still want to do this. I want to be there and help cats the way you helped me.”

Shrewbelly purred. He would wait however long Frostshadow needed, knowing that he still had her friendship and support, and still wanted to be a Keeper made his heart soar. “Of course! Take the time you need, Frostshadow. You’re going to make a wonderful Keeper!”

“Thank you, Shrewbelly. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

Art by Tennelle

[dooblez]

been doing a clangen challenge (started with two cats) and my leader rustedstar has had the most sad-to-happy story ever i am obsessed with him

so i started with rustedstar and his mate shadowowl who were very much a disaster couple:tm:

shadowowl was the only medicine cat and the one who kitted which was,,, a very bad idea on my part because he immediately died from blood lost after giving birth

and then a whole moon later dropletkit died from whitecough and silverkit got taken by a hawk, leaving rustedstar with his one child spiderkit (poor king lost pretty much everyone but his one baby [who just happens to look like a perfect mix between rustedstar and shadowowl; thanks game 🥹])

so rustedstar does what any normal cat would do in his situation and starts doting on his child her entire kithood (much to her chagrin— she kept getting annoyed with her dad while he kept having positive interactions) and then decided to mentor spiderpaw but refused to take spiderpaw on any border patrols for her safety <3

not long after spiderpaw became spiderflame! and then transed his gender <3333

at this point their relationship started to shift and spiderflame started to trust in his dad more and their platonic love skYROCKETED it was so cute

and then !!! just this moon !!! spiderflame announced they were having kits !!

i feel like rustedstar is overjoyed to be a grandpa his little guy has grown up so fast <333 i’m so happy he’s finally able to have SOMETHING of a family ajdkakdkfkamdlg

[clangenrising]

Month 11 - Leafbare

“It’s getting worse out,” said Jagg, staring out over the fields. Ghost nodded and shuffled his feet to shake some feeling into his toes. The horizon was a hazy white blur, the mountains a smudge of grey barely visible through the falling snow that continued to amass on the grass and the trees and the distant houses. 

“We should get started on some snow dens,” he said, mostly to himself. 

Jagg looked over at him, her pretty silver pelt shimmering under the flakes adorning it, and tilted her head in confusion. “Snow dens?” she asked. 

“They’re burrows in the snow,” Ghost laughed, enamored by her naivete. “They’re for keeping warm in. We’ll need them if we’re going to stay out here and watch the front.” 

“Gotcha,” she said with a nod, filing the thought away behind her yellow eyes. They reminded him of Miss Smoke’s. “Do you think you could show me how?” 

“To keep warm?” he rumbled suggestively as he leaned in to her. “How could I say no?” She laughed nervously and shoved him away - all in good fun, he thought. 

“No, how to make a snow den,” she shook her head, still smiling. Tooth and claw, she was pretty. “Please?” That was just like her. Always seeking out knowledge, finding ways to take the world apart and put it back together. Sometimes he wondered if she only hung around him to pick his brain for useful things.

“Sure thing,” he chuckled and gave her a cuff over the ear. “Get the others together and I’ll show you. I’m gonna check in with Razor real quick.” 

“Good luck,” she whispered, her unnotched ears flicking back against her skull for a beat. She shivered and not from the cold.

“Thanks, doll,” he purred. He shook his pelt in vain and started across the little camp they had made. It was more a clearing of trampled grass and snow than anything and it was always shifting, stretching deeper into wild territory every day. The openness of it was not ideal - they’d been attacked by a hawk the other day which Sycamore had managed to kill before it could get ahold of anyone - but that was the nature of war, or so Razor said. 

The big grey tabby was talking with Sycamore and Tiger when he approached. Ghost paused just outside of earshot but within Razor’s field of view and waited. At this point he knew very well that Razor did not like to be interrupted. After a minute or so of conversation, Razor looked up and gestured for Ghost to join them, which he did.

“Just the cat I wanted to see,” said Razor. “I’m heading back to the city for a few days. While I’m gone, Sycamore is in charge.” The ginger house cat in question looked Ghost up and down, daring him to challenge his authority. 

Ghost simply nodded. “Understood.” 

“Tiger and a few of the others are coming back with me,” Razor continued. “Will you be good to manage the Chaff who are here or should we take them with us?” 

“I was just about to get them to work making snow dens,” Ghost said. “I should be alright, this is a good crew.” Tiger smiled to himself as if Ghost had made a joke.

“Perfect!” Razor purred. “See? I knew you had it handled.” 

“Have fun while you’re gone,” Sycamore said to Razor with a grin. 

“Oh, you know I will,” Razor laughed. Ghost smiled to hide the eye roll that wanted to take over his face. Yeah, I’m sure Scorch will be thrilled to see you, he thought. The bitch. He almost hoped Razor gave her a good scar for the stunt she had pulled with Mystique. Almost. He still frowned on hitting girls, even if this one deserved it. 

Before long, Razor and most of the Exalted had left for the city. Ghost made note of the cats remaining: Sycamore, Oreo, London, Humus, and Miss Bella. An interesting group to be sure, but not one that would give him much trouble. He headed to the other side of camp where Jagg had gathered the Chaff. 

“You ready to get to work?” he asked, looking them over. Today it seemed he had Dandelion, Wicket, Lizzie, and Tadpole to work with. Not terrible, as far as groups went. 

“Yes, sir,” Jagg said eagerly, her shoulders straight and proud. Dan nodded his head in agreement. Wicket snuggled close to Lizzie, his fur fluffed up into a big ginger ball. Tad didn’t seem to be paying attention. 

“Alright, let’s get to it then,” said Ghost. The den building went smoothly enough. Once he’d shown Jagg and Dan how to do it, they split up to show the others and it wasn’t too long until they had finished the first one. 

“Well done,” Ghost said as he looked around the little room. 

Dan smiled under the praise and ran his tongue over his paws a few times.  “Thank the Folk,” he said, “I don’t think I could dig much more!” 

“Why don’t you two go check on the others?” Ghost suggested. “You can settle down in that den when it's finished.” 

“Why can’t we stay here?” Tad asked flatly. 

Ghost frowned. “Because the Exalted need a place to sleep. Now, go on.” 

“They can use the other one,” she flicked one ear. Dandelion shifted, starting to look nervous. 

“It’s fine, Tad, we can go,” he said. 

“You’d better watch your tone,” Ghost scowled. “If the Exalted heard you, they’d wouldn’t be nearly as forgiving as I am.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Dad,” Tad droned sardonically, “I forgot how gracious you were.” Ah. So she was one of his. He searched his memory for any chance that he already knew that. Luckily for him, Tad got up and headed outside, glaring dully at him as she passed. 

Dandelion popped up to follow her and said, “you’ll have to forgive her, Sir, she’s just cold and cranky.” Ghost looked the tom over, his memory straining. His scruffy cream fur was ticked with brown and his face was round and inviting, home to a pair of bright, yellow-green eyes. He reminded Ghost of someone… Daisy? Lacey? He couldn’t remember. He wondered briefly if he’d lost the memory to age or if he hadn’t cared to learn in the first place. 

“You’re her brother?” he asked. 

“Yes, Sir,” said Dan.

“And your mother, she was…” Ghost trailed off, trying once again to dredge the name from the depths of his mind. 

“Maisie, Sir,” said Dan. 

“Maisie,” Ghost nodded as if that had made everything perfectly clear. To tell the truth, the name did nothing to jog the rest of his memory. After a moment, he refocused his gaze to realize Dan was still waiting obediently for him to continue. 

“Uh, that’s all,” Ghost waved him off. “Go get yourself warm.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Dan smiled, then bounded after his sister. 

Ghost shook his head, disappointed. In what, he wasn’t sure. His memory? Tadpole? Something else? The edges of that thought made his muscles tense and tighten, like they were anticipating a fight, and he pushed it away with another, more jarring shake of his head. 

Stepping out into the snow, he called to Sycamore. “The den’s ready.” 

“Finally!” Humus cried, bursting from his spot in the snow to race towards the shelter like a jingling, brown striped rabbit. Oreo followed shortly behind without a word of acknowledgement to anyone. 

London brushed his tail against Ghost as he passed and said, “Thanks, pal.” 

“Yes,” added Bella, “I was certain I was going to freeze to death.” 

“Maybe they’ll be faster next time,” Sycamore said, leaning against her as they made their way into the den. He looked at Ghost out of the corner of his eye, ginger tail twitching. 

“We will certainly do our best,” Ghost dipped his head. Sycamore huffed but said no more. Once the Exalted had disappeared into their burrow, Ghost let out a sigh and looked up at the thick white flakes starting to come down faster and faster. It was going to be a rough night, snowed in and stuck with a bitter daughter in a small space. If the snow didn’t let up by morning they were going to have to go hunting in the storm which he was not looking forward to. Luckily, he had the authority to delegate that sort of thing. 

Shaking the snow off of his muzzle, he turned and went inside, resigned to a tedious evening and a long, quiet night.

[slaymitchabernathy]

Love Me Tender

“Don’t stop.”

Soarynn giggles at her boyfriend’s words and he knows why, he sounds like he’s pouting. It’s not like he can help it, not with her nails scratching his scalp just right. And he’s had a long day, so if anything, he deserves this, to be in bed with his head in Soarynn’s lap while he reads one of her favorite books out loud.

It’s domestic.

“Well, you stopped reading,” Soarynn replies, some teasing in her tone. Coriolanus glances up at her, nearly losing his breath from how gorgeous she is. “Because you stopped giving me scratches.”

It’s a pitiful argument and they both know that but Soarynn simply rolls her eyes and continues scratching his scalp, her other hand resting on his shoulder. It’s nice to be like this every once in a while, completely engulfed in her and her scent. A few years ago Coriolanus would’ve scoffed at the idea of being this intimate and vulnerable with his girlfriend. But now four years into their relationship, he allows for a moment like this every once in a while. Besides, he knows how much it means to her, to be like this with him.

Coriolanus knows he’s far from perfect, and he’s definitely not the most outwardly loving boyfriend. He’s seen how his friends act around their girlfriends in public, stealing kisses, holding hands, teasing, and laughing. He’s not one for public displays of affection. Soarynn has never brought it up, never complained but he knows she wishes for that type of affection sometimes. And she gets it. But only behind closed doors.

Coriolanus Snow is a proud man, an important man. He can’t be seen running around the Capitol streets coddling his girlfriend. He’d be the laughingstock of the country! So he adopts a more reserved persona. He does show some displays of affection, he holds her hand, opens the door for her, and buys her whatever she wants. Things like that.

He can’t have people thinking he’s a negligent boyfriend.

Coriolanus clears his throat once more before reading where he left off, “Where were we? Ah, yes, the chase. The rabbits quickly took off for their den in hopes of escaping the clutches of the hawk's talons, Juniper called out to Clover, ‘Run! Run faster!’ She could feel the hawk getting closer and closer and…Soarynn you can’t possibly enjoy something as childish as this,” he says, furrowing his brows as he continues reading silently. Nothing about this book pegs him for good literature.

Soarynn gives his golden curls a tug, “It’s not supposed to be realistic Coryo, it’s supposed to be a cute story.” Coriolanus rolls his eyes, “They’re talking rabbits! How is that good writing? I’m going to find out who the publisher for this book is and write them a letter.”

Soarynn sighs but says nothing, which is just another thing Coriolanus appreciates about her. She doesn’t argue with him. “Maybe we should read a different book,” he suggests, tossing the rabbit book to the side. Maybe Petunia will use it as a new scratching post. He’d be perfectly fine with that.

“Why don’t you just tell me a story then? Since you’re such a writer,” Soarynn quips. Coriolanus looks up at her again and she’s giving him that look that lets him know it’s a losing battle no matter what option he chooses. Coriolanus sighs, “Very well. Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a beautiful city. The Capitol. In the Capitol, it was safe, clean, and filled with order. The little girl lived there her whole life and grew up to be a beautiful young woman.” He steals a glance at Soarynn to find her genuinely interested in where he’s going with this.

“One day the girl realized how terribly lonely she was. Not even her cat could offer true companionship.” He thinks of Petunia, a gift he'd given to Soarynn two years ago, a cat as spoiled as can be with an attitude to match. Still, Soarynn adored the cat so that had to count for something. Soarynn's fingers begin to slow down and Coriolanus is quick to shift in her lap, pleased when she picks back up, "But one day she came across someone, someone good and noble, someone who would protect her no matter what."

He hears a snort but chooses to ignore it, "Someone who was ruggedly handsome and tall, someone who was a shining beacon of authority, someone wh-"

"Someone like Coriolanus Snow," Soarynn says dramatically, cutting him off before he can finish his lengthy description of this mystery man. Well, he tried. Coriolanus slowly sits up, listening to Soarynn giggle behind him, "You're a horrible audience," he tells her, running a hand through his golden curls. Soarynn crawls up behind him wrapping her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder, "But you love me all the same."

Coriolanus feels a small smile form on his lips, "That I do," he replies, allowing himself a moment to simply enjoy being in her presence.

Soarynn was truly a gift he felt he often did not deserve. She was kind, beautiful, caring, funny and charming. Anyone could have her but he had been the one lucky enough to swoop her off her feet. She was more than gracious with him when it came to his mood swings and short temper, something he knew he did not deserve.

Soarynn wraps her arms around him a little tighter, to the point where he's concerned, "Are you alright darling?" Soarynn hums, burying her face in the crook of his neck, her favorite thing to do.

"Just promise you'll love me forever."

Coriolanus chuckles at his girlfriend's sweet request, something only Soarynn would ask. He reaches behind him and runs a loving hand through her soft hair, "As long as you remain a devoted girlfriend then you won't ever have to worry about my love for you straying Soarynn," he assures her. He didn't even think he was capable of love for the longest time. Then he met Soarynn. Now he doesn't know if he could stop loving her, even if he tried.

Soarynn lets out a content sigh followed by a yawn, "Just had to make sure," she mumbles, her arms slowly loosening. Coriolanus looks down at his wristwatch, it's well past their bedtime and they both have things to do tomorrow. "Time for bed," he tells her.

꧁ ꧂

Burrowed under the covers with Soarynn safely in his arms Coriolanus can't help but wonder what the future holds for them. He has an idea, a dream if you will of what his future could be.

The President of Panem has a nice ring to it.

But there's still time, so much time for all of these things and he's in no rush, not as long as he has Soarynn by his side. Who loves him so tenderly.

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

[katzirra]

Man July going to be a fixing period of my life.

New shift starts Monday, so I'm gonna be 7:30a to 3:30p now. Which means seeing my girlfriend, friends and family more!!!

That shift means I'm gonna have dedicated alone time, which I can use for keeping me accountable for art like I used to!!

It also means dedicated time for video games, shows and movies with Becca like we used to do when I was still at Michael's!!

Also means a better sleep schedule, because I excel on 6-7 hours of sleep so going to bed at 12/1 is gonna be perfect for me ;; it's my natural sleepy time.

Job extension also means once I get to September I should have most of my smaller debt paid off, and I can get us a new bed!!!

IT ALSO MEANS LEGIT SAVING FOR THE PC IS HAPPENING AND SAVINGS!!!!!

Natalie has invited me to DnD when my schedule works out, and I'm debating using Dahlia or a new character, but I love her build.... I might let them get to level 5, and see if the DM will approve her with all her bells and whistles.

I'm excited to actually see my dad more, hopefully, and my sister and her kids because we had a long talk when I got back in town. Good shit.

I'm starting a new medication track today. So we'll see how that works out. My doctor is seeing that my levels are still kinda too close for my comfort on my A1C, and my weight is uh, not budging like she hoped so we're trying Ozempic. Which, I'm hoping helps bring those levels down to normal. The weight loss will be nice, but I'm more concerned in the long run with that diabetes avoidance, yo...

Also going to get a pelvic ultrasound I guess because UH .. periods aren't happening and we can't pinpoint WHY....???

My fucking shit is a mess, just saying lmao everything is FUCKED.

Trying to be positive and I'm really excited for this shit right now... The job stuff is supposedly a new year contract, with possibly an extension, and I'm gonna be hawk eyeing the usajobs shit this time. FOOL ME ONCE -

But I'm very excited for that work life balance renewal.... I may have hated Michael's sometimes... a lot in the end... but the hours were really good for me and I worked well around it.

I gotta go make lunch and take a nap before work so I'm not yawning all day unu but....ya'girl is trying. I'm trying so hard to get the mental and physical health back to a good place....

[ablatheringblatherskite]

Assigning dæmons to characters in the Phantom of the Opera!

Quick explanation of what dæmons are: In summary, in the His Dark Materials world, they're basically physical manifestations of the soul, just in animal form! They are most commonly the opposite sex of their human. It's also taboo and just. wrong to touch another person's dæmon, and usually only happens between lovers or in battle. You also can't move too far away from your dæmon without dying/being severed intentionally (which is. very traumatic. unless you're a witch). The relationship between a person and their dæmon is sacred—they're your lifelong companions, which I love the idea of. And, until a certain age, dæmons can shift to different animals (the age you settle (when your dæmon choose their final form) varies depending on the person).

ANYWAY enough info dumping time for my HEADCANONS for what dæmons the characters from The Phantom of the Opera would have!!

Christine Daaé: a canary named Einar

I'm just gonna say it now—I don't have much reasons for picking these dæmons other than vibes. I just believe that Christine would definitely have a little bird dæmon, and the canary just seemed like the cutest choice! Plus, according to google, canaries are "somewhat timid and shy little birds. Unlike larger bird species, they don't usually do well with being handled, although there may be the occasional exception. Canaries are charming birds..." They are also, from what I know, very cheerful and playful! Which I think fits Christine very well!

Plus, imagine the dynamic between her dæmon and Raoul's and Erik's dæmon—with one being a dog and one a cat. I don't know, I think it just adds a really interesting dynamic to their relationships!

Raoul de Chagny: a golden retriever named Lili

I think the reason I picked the golden retriever for Raoul is fairly obvious LOLL. But aside from the obvious matching personality, I thought it would be really interesting if his dæmon was a dog, especially because he's nobility. Because, according to His Dark Materials, people with dog dæmons actually usually tend to be servants. Which is very classist LOL but like. I feel like it makes complete sense to me that Raoul's dæmon wouldn't match his status in society, plus it would definitely give something extra for Philippe to be worried about regarding him. The dynamic with his social status and his dæmon just sounds like something really interesting to explore!

Plus, I love the image of Lili cuddling with Raoul whenever he's upset and/or starts crying.

Erik: a Siamese cat named Ayesha

I feel like the reason for this is really obvious LOL. Why don't I make Ayesha his dæmon?? I think it's extra sweet if she were! Plus OF COURSE Erik's dæmon would be a cat LOL. Honestly, what else would it be?? Plus, there's this analysis I found of Siamese Cat dæmons, and I think it fits him pretty well!

Plus I love the image of Ayesha getting really annoyed with Erik's shenanigans and advising against them, but still helping him with them anyway LOL.

Meg Giry: a nova scotia duck tolling retriever named Maxime

So I was thinking that, personality wise, Meg definitely would have a dog dæmon too. I was actually considering a golden retriever but I felt like it didn't really fit vibes-wise? So I looked for dogs that are similar and thought that the nova scotia duck tolling retriever looked perfect!! Plus, after I googled their personalities, I think they definitely fit Meg. I also just think it's adorable that Christine's two best friends both have retriever dæmons ehehehe

Philippe de Chagny: a red-tailed hawk named Désirée

So going with the nobility thing, I thought that Philippe would definitely have a really grand dæmon. Like the red-tailed hawk!

The dæmon forum on tumblr have actually already analyzed this dæmon, and I think the traits fit Philippe really well! Although I guess it can be argued he's an extrovert and not an introvert, but there's also such thing as introverts that are very social, so.

But yeah I just love the image of Philippe, with his hawk dæmon, and Raoul standing beside him with his golden retriever dæmon 😭

The Persian/The Daroga/Nadir: a Persian leopard named Fariba

No because I truly believe that Nadir would have the COOLEST dæmon ever. Which is yes, a Persian leopard. Like, the vibes just make sense!! Plus considering he was the chief of police, it just makes sense.

I also love the image of Nadir, with his epic leopard dæmon, and Erik beside him with his house cat dæmon LOLL

OTHER HEADCANONS FOR THIS AU:

I bet Raoul, when he was younger and before Lili settled, would often like it when Lili would shift into a red-tailed hawk, completely because he wanted to impress his brother and have a dæmon like his.

I also think that Christine and Raoul played all sorts of pretend games together, with their dæmons shifting into animals to match whoever they were pretending to be. I can also imagine them taking naps together under the tree, with their dæmons curled closely together.

I feel like when Erik was in the circus, his dæmon was handled so much to the point that he became desensitized to it. I also think he probably learned how to separate from Ayesha even if it hurt a lot to do so, but like out of necessity 😭

I feel like Einar would sit in Christine's hair a lot. I also feel like he and Ayesha would have a very interesting relationship with each other. I also feel like Einar would like to sit on the head or nose of Lili whenever Raoul and Christine are hanging out together.

I also feel like Erik would often be VERY tempted to touch Einar, and his hand might hover so close to him—but he would pull away before he ever did. But I also think that a part of Einar really wanted him to actually do it while at the same time being terrified that he does.

I also feel like, in this universe, to get Raoul, Erik actually grabs Lili so that Raoul is immediately weakened and pretty much incapacitated, and THEN he wraps the noose around his neck. I don't think he'd bother holding onto Lili the entire time—I don't think he'd like doing that either lol, considering his trauma regarding it. I also do feel like Erik would have Ayesha attack other people's dæmons, kind of like how Mrs. Coulter does it? But Lili and Ayesha have definitely had at least one fight, maybe during Wandering Child.

Everyone finds Nadir extra intimidating because of Fariba, even if Fariba is the most chill dæmon ever.

I love the idea that, after all the events of POTO, Christine and Raoul are sitting together and comforting each other, and that's when they touch each others' dæmons for the first time. And that's when their relationship with each other truly solidifies, because there's nothing more intimate than touching another person's soul.

[championofravens]

Tali rates the multiple Makima plushies he just learned exist

Within not even thirty seconds of me deciding to window shop AmiAmi I am confronted by evils beyond my understanding

FuRyu's Makima plush. This is actually the one I have preordered. Cute, simple, teddy bear size, the eyes are well detailed and the hair is cute. Looks stiff, the clothing is very minimalist, perfect for going on my shelf and probably not for cuddling. Worth the twenty bucks I'm getting it for

2. ChimaColle's Makima. Absolutely minuscule. Itty bitty. Love the tiny detailing in her eyes. Her chubby cheeks. Could probably fit whole into mouth. Would be scared of losing it or a hawk carrying it off after mistaking it for a mouse

3. Movic's Makima. DELIGHTFUL. Absolutely designed for maximum cuddling. The chubby body, the fuzzy texturing of the hair? Perfection. The creepy simplified eyes add to the cuddle factor. Will come alive and kill you in your sleep. Cheaper than my preorder which is making me sweat.

4. Good Smile's Makima. Upsettingly attempting to be realistic! Love the fucked up way they did her shoes and pant legs. Her strange expression looks almost concerned? Or sympathetic? Even she's wondering why she was made. Love the thick ass eyebrows under the bangs though.

5. Bkub Plush's Makima. Fuck. Are you for fucking real. Are you really doing this to me. I can't fucking believe I don't own this. Look at the smug cat mouth. Those sky high eyebrows under the bangs. The vibrant as fuck eyes, the soft floppy arms and big potato shoes. Fuck off I want this so bad Im going to throw up

6. HATAKEYAMA SHOJI's Makima. I love the face so much!! The eyes are lovely and I enjoy even the slight shift in expression. I also like the cranberry red hair and soft squishy looking mid section. Easily the prettiest plush.

7. Into Corporation's Makima. .... The way she stares makes me very uncomfortable so this should be considered the most canon one

[seraphfighter]

Character Cuddle Scale

Thank you for the tag, @glitchinginthegarden! 🫶 This is a fun one.

How-to: Rate your OCs based on how they handle cuddling/being cuddled.

I'm going to try and include some of my lesser-known OCs along as my main ones in this--here we go!

Val (cp77): 7/10. In theory, Val's a cuddler. The girl longs for an affectionate touch. But in reality, she has a hard time letting enough people close for that kind of physical contact. Yet, when it's with her significant other, she melts into the cuddles. Wrap your arms around her and you aren't allowed to move away until she says so.

Aila (bg3): 5/10. If you don't know her and she doesn't trust her, don't touch her. You might lose a hand. If she loves you though, she enjoys the contact. But most of the time she prefers to be the one holding instead of being held, she likes being able to give her partner that physical comfort. She loses some points for her shortness.

Rowan (skyrim): 9/10. This man was made to cuddle. His idea of a perfect day is lazing around doing nothing and if you're there with him, you aren't escaping the cuddles. He also naturally runs warm so you will be comfortably toasty the entire time.

Jade Shepard (me): 3/10. Good luck getting her to rest long enough to cuddle. She's constantly go go go. She hates sitting still. She'll begrudgingly cuddle if you pull her down and force her to, but she will constantly be shifting around so it won't be very comfortable for either of you.

Ember Hawke (da): 4/10. She's not a very physically affectionate person, which isn't a surprise to anyone who knows her. Her love language is words of affirmation. Yet, if she's feeling down or if you're in need of physical comfort, she will cuddle with you, but as soon as you're feeling better she's done.

I have more OCs I can go into but I feel like some answers would be repetitive, so we'll stop there for now.

No pressure tagging: @totentnz, @togepies, @bishicat, @trashcatsnark, and @streetkid-named-desire

[bonefall]

Creation Myth; Afterlives

I wonder how humans fit in with your rewrite's mythology with the four gods and stuff, like there is this whole other sapient species running around, how much does someone like Midnight have to do with them? Do they have a known afterlife?

@halogenwarrior

I have a rough draft, but I haven't committed to it yet because I go back and forth on how powerful the Gods of the Seasons (Sharptooth, Sol, Midnight, and Rock for the newcomers) should be.

But here's my thoughts,

The Origin Story

Midnight scoured the island from the sea and crafted the mountains, the hills, the forests, and for each predator, she created a partner. The fox and the badger hunt the rabbits above and below the ground. The wolf chases the sheep and the twoleg is there to catch it. The owl flies by night and the hawk flies by day.

But when she came to the cat, it was too perfect to pair. She could create no equal-- it was her finest work.

So she gave them a special task; to appreciate the world for what it is, to rest and to sample all the pleasures of creation. It's why cats are so hedonistic and think they're so perfect.

But Sol was BORED. There was harmony and nothing ever went wrong, it was too easy. So he gathered up the twolegs and the dogs and taught them about games, and the silly, arbitrary rules that come with them.

They had so much fun they made more and more rules, more and more games, until they couldn't tell their rules from their reality. It's why twolegs seem so crazy, and why dogs don't know how to stop playing.

Midnight was MORTIFIED. He RUINED her hard work with silly lies like money, and politics, and not-England! But worse... there was joy in these new concepts. Cats did the task they were assigned to do and they sampled the pleasures of creation. Midnight has never forgiven her brother Sol for what he's done.

Cats are on the same level as humans-but-not-quite. They have the capacity they need to enjoy the world to its fullest, whatever happens to be IN the world at the time.

So... other answers;

Do humans have an afterlife?

I think all the animals do, but I'm not sure how it works for them since Warriors is about the cats. At the very least, dogs and humans are able to become ghosts.

I go back and forth on how powerful I want the gods to be and how their shifting power works. @troutfur gave me a suggestion a while back about the idea that there is a 'veil' that shifts, and whichever god is in control during that shift has more power than its siblings.

But I do also know that I want gods to be able to easily conjure up "pocket dimensions". Like the Dark Forest, which Sharptooth created while he was One-eye.

Additionally, the human afterlife isn't nearly as powerful as the cat one. That's a given I'm working with. StarClan can make trees grow fast, chase clouds, and make new spirits... but wherever they go, humans don't get to do that.

How much do the four gods interact with humans?

As a result of the story being focused on cats, there has to be some reason why they don't care much about them, right?

The simplest and funniest reason I can imagine is that they just don't like them. They just like cats more. Or, in One-eye's case, he got roped into a bloodfeud with this specific group of cats and he won't just give up because his pride is wounded.

Sol probably plays with humans a lot, but when he met Harry it was just. Magic.

I also go back and forth on how powerful these four really are, if they're truly CREATION GODS or just demigods, like Hercules. If it's just these four, or if there's more beyond this particular landmass.

In any case it's beyond the scope of my rewrite, lmao.

[blossoming-sun]

Why I think the Miraculous Movie is amazing

First of all, the Kwamis and the miraculous. When the miracle box is introduced in the movie, the only Miraculous in it are the Ladybug, Black cat, turtle, fox, and bee. If there are any of the other miraculous, we aren't shown them. Honestly praying that those are the only ones, because the other ones kind of suck.

Also, another thing that I found interesting was that Hawk Moth seems to be impacted from using his miraculous, even though it's never said that the butterfly miraculous is broken. He has visions of destruction when he looks at it at the start. He passes out on the floor after akumatising someone for the first time. He lets himself go over the course of the movie- either because of his obsession or the effects of using the miraculous.

Anyway, I love how the kwamis and miraculous are so connected in this. Nooroo poking his head out of Hawk Moth's button in the song he sings, and Tikki actually shifting between the two at the very end of the movie. And speaking of the end of the movie-

The akumatised people:

No objects for you, an evil butterfly is going to crawl inside of you and painfully turn you into a monster. Ladybug and Chat Noir actually have to fight till the end. they can't take the easy way out and just... rip their notebook or something. Also loving how (as far as we know) the akumatised victims are just random guys. Always hated how in the show out of over 2 million people in Paris, Hawk Moth always chose to go after one specific group of teenagers. And can we talk about how Hawk Moth akumatised himself at the end of the movie? He turned himself into a literal GOD. No magic notebook for him, he literally destroyed all of Paris and turned a river into lava. Why didn't he do that in the show?

The characters:

Chloe still sucks at the start of the movie, but she isn't weirdly possessive of Adrien, which is good. Also, Marinette isn't a stalker in this, which is an upgrade. Chloe and Sabrina seem to have a somewhat-healthier than canon dynamic, especially at the end of the movie. But tbh in canon Chloe literally locked Sabrina in a closet at one point, so there isn't much competition. Also she seems to have more of a rivalry than bully dynamic with Marinette at the end of the movie, which i wish had been explored more. But oh well.

I love chaotic Tikki. Imo "WE'RE GOING TO GO ON ADVENTURES AND ALMOST DIE" is way better then "Oh, I believe in you!" Which Movie Tikki does as well, but it definitely felt like she had more personality than canon Tikki. Plaggs characterisation I'm not a massive fan of. I like his apathy and how he likes rotten things (ties in with him being destruction) but they didn't need to turn him into a fart joke. Seriously. Something I do like about both the kwamis is how their personalities are so different- because they represent opposite things. From the start of the movie, it seems like they also hate each other (Master Fu begs them not to fight when he opens the box) which is neat.

Agreste drama:

Adrien telling his father that he sucks in that one scene gives me life. I also really like how Gabriel is a bad dad, but not actually terrible. He lets Adrien leave the house. But he still sucks in the sense he pays 0 attention to his son. Even Nathalie calls him out on it. But unlike in canon, Gabriel seems like he's actually trying. He just lost himself trying to get Emilie back. And with the Hawk Moth vs Chat Noir and ladybug scene at the end, I 100% think that Canon Hawk Moth would have just taken Chat Noir's miraculous and made the wish instead of stopping. He's definitely not perfect, but he's more of a good guy than in canon.

Also, with the timing, yes I feel like it was rushed, but tbf the creators of this movie managed to do the same thing the show's done in 5 seasons in an hour and a half. Also the animation was amazing.

Uh and thats all I have to say, so here are my hopes for the sequel:

Gabriel redemption. I want to see him be a good father and try and move on from what happened

Main Villain Mayura. (I also want her to frame Gabriel for her evilness)

More Chloe screentime. She was an Icon.

Queen Bee, Carapace and Rena Rouge

More Agreste drama

A bunch of cute couple stuff between Marinette and Adrien

[originemesis]

@micsmasmuses cont. from xxx

He glances at the masks mouth then back to his eyes, then to his wings. Admiring them as they ruffled up at his touches, it makes his grin grow wider as his gaze trailed down his body. His free hand gently runs over the spikes of the collar. Since when did they allow these? Is this fashion up there? Kinda tacky if he’s being honest. Rolling his eyes at the high heel comment he scoffs. “You’d like to see me in heels wouldn’t you pervert” his eye twitches slightly before his face was grabbed. A pout forming to his lips as those talons squish his cheeks. But a small prick of those nails leads to a small head of that golden blood rolling down his cheek as he stares at him a bit annoyed.

“She probably did. But we could always switch it up if that’s what you desire?” He offers with a grin. Though at the mention of the meeting he groans. Well that ruined a bit of his mood. He honestly forgot about it, or more of the fact he really didn’t want to show up despite his favorite little play thing being there. Even if it’s important he has better things to do. Though the mention of drinks after has his attention. Eyes lighting up a bit, it’s been so long since he’s really had some time with the other male. “Drinks huh? I’m very available for drinks” he purrs. Letting the deep noise rumble from his chest as he feels Adam push closer into his touch. “Who says I’m judging? Quite sexy of you taking being the first dad to heart. If anyone is the perfect one here it’s you handsome” He says grinning at him, he truly loves stroking this man’s ego. His gaze still on his as he leans in closer. He will admit he’s tempted to take this ridiculous mask off, it gets tiring to look at when his face is better in his opinion. Just as he leans in a bit more getting awfully close he moves around him and out the door. Cane in hand as he adjusts to his normal height. “C’mon then. Don’t want to be late for such an important meeting now do we” he mocks his siblings voices as he gestures him to follow along. He could at least take him to the right meeting room.

It's irritating in a way- to be poked and prodded at like some animal in a zoo. In hindsight, that was likely all he was to the first Fallen. Some weird, new animal from a gated-in garden that just so happened to sport spikes on his collar, and a divine leash that was not so obvious to others, much as it was to him in the moment of fussing and fondling the serpent seemed set upon now that he wasn't guarded behind his usual hologram. "Maybe one stuck in your throat since you're so eager to jump down mine." He added with a final squish of his company's cheeks, noting the garish glow of the angel blood tipping his talon's end once he abandoned his catch with a flustered shove like it would dissuade Lucifer from uncovering his closely concealed secret that was hardly one between them, much as the first man liked to pretend that it was.

"Acting like it's such a big deal for you to offer when there's no risk that you'll end up with the short straw shape-shifted to horsecock midway. Fuck you, by the way." He might have been an asshole, but at least he was consistently so. Shaking his head, he almost welcomed the dampening a work break would bring between them, however short-lived it was given the promise of post-coital conference affairs. The fuck did he even agree to that for? He really was losing it the longer he had to loiter in hell at hands that fussed with his heavenly uniform as peckish as a preening hawk. "A drink-" He corrected him- emphasis on the 'A', since clearly it was the best letter fucking ever. "Soms of us still have to fly all the fucking way back." Which clearly annoyed him to the point where his ire was more dedicated to that unfortunate fact than it was to acting like his chest wasn't relaxed in its new position of rising and falling under the subtle weight of flared fingers.

"...can you maybe not?" The dad bod jab was enough to earn the other a sharp quip and a sudden beating of wings that only hesitated halfway to coming to blows around the smaller silhouette if only because he wasn't sure how he felt about an ego stroking that came from the same force a cat's tongue enforced upon frazzled fur. "I mean I know it's impossible not to get your nuts off to me, but shit. You're not doing your 'im sho cwassy, I ware a top hat wike a wittle beta betch' image any favors, dude." His own poor impersonation skills shared, he hesitates once the only other member of the aforementioned meeting leans in to-...what was he doing? Despite his hard-won ruthlessness, Adam found himself tilting his head back a short ways, a lure enough to coax his heat-seeking pursuer's breath just under his chin where he swore he could feel the brief, amused flicker of a forked tongue shortly before the shorter man grew back down into his own height and hastened him towards their meeting with a flick of his wrist.

It took him a moment to realize he had to breathe, and he did so while gladly releasing the pent up pressure keeping his gut in check as he ruffled his wings in the half hope their ruffled appearance would be equated to his own impatient shifting while grumpily falling into line behind hell's keeper. "The two minute's tops agenda is important enough for me to be here in the flesh. Could act more grateful." He rolled his eyes under his mask, and true to his word- lasted about two minutes in the meeting of which 50 seconds were actually dedicated to the matter of extermination, and the rest was an impassioned plug for heaven's sponsor for the day- his dick. Productive and absolutely worth the trouble of sending him down there. Golf fucking clap for Sera.

"-anyyyyyyway..."

[taughtdefense]

YOUR WARM HANDS DELICATELY SLIDE ACROSS ROBBY’S EXPOSED, BARE SKIN, being careful to not aggravate his injuries or press to much onto them, dark eyes blazing with a rage that’s bone-deep, one that feels familiar & just as all-consuming as it’s always been. it sets your blood on fire, a spark to a wildfire that screams through your whole body. your hands are trembling, nostrils flared as anger takes ahold of you, narrowed eyes zeroing in on the splotches of red or pink that line robby’s skin: bruises—or the start of bruises, at least, & other superfluous injuries. you’re sitting on the end of your bed, almost obsessively touching robby, eyes skating across his bare, marked skin in concern before flickering up to meet his eyes.

still, every single injury makes your eldrtich self snarl in your mind, the shift sliding underneath your rage-hot skin. you can feel your anger like a physical weight on your shoulders, & your eyes are fucking glowing red. the lights in the apartment flicker violently, have been, since your friends burst into the apartment, helping your badly injured partners take their current positions. you’d pulled robby into your bedroom immediately, feeling sick to your stomach, & furious.

❝ robby, what the fuck. ❞ you pause, exhaling sharply. then, louder, more enraged, seeping into your voice, you repeat yourself: ❝ robby, what the fuck. ❞ you aren’t yelling, & the glowing rune floating above the doorframe of your bedroom door essentially makes your room wholly soundproof. you’d locked the door, too. even if you started screaming—not that you would because there’s no way your fiancé could have predicted this utter bullshit from happening—no one outside of the room would be able to hear you.

tory is currently being coddled by nova, cosima, stef & scarlett in the bathroom in your apartment. they’re carefully trying to take stock of & tend to their sister’s various injuries: hours-old bruises littering her skin, which she hadn’t told anyone about, a new cut across her cheek, a black eye forming—she’s too hopped up on adrenaline to stop shaking long enough for her sisters to calm her down—green eyes sliding towards the door anxiously. while she gets that they’re worried, all tory wants to be with you & robby. maybe she can sleep off her injuries…

miguel is sitting at the kitchen island, wheezing heavily thanks to bruised ribs, his leg bouncing anxiously. there’s a bruise forming on the left side of his jaw. he’s trying to avoid emma’s wrath. while he can’t understand what she’s almost shouting in greek, you can, & a part of you is grateful that you’re not in the hot seat for once in your life. a seriously pissed off emma pantazis-soot-dawson is not something you want to be on the receiving end of. hawk is sitting in front of miguel, bandaging his knuckles, frowning. anthony, bree, betty, ciro, rhydian, chase, rosalie, calla & a handful of their other friends/family members are standing around miguel & sam. rosalie is very careful with the way she’s trying to patch up sam’s hands, eyebrows pinched in concern.

everyone’s faces show various stages of different emotions while miguel recounts what happened: how the four of them got suddenly stopped by some brunette girl with a faux-innocent smile, wrapped in designer clothes & perfect makeup—your sister, faith—in the middle of the street. how preston had appeared out of the shadows, with three current gang members flanking him. ryker, hannah, nick. ryker had sneered at robby in greeting. & then, to top it all off, auryn had smiled icily at robby, demanding to know where precisely his ex-boyfriend was.

damn it. you should have been with them. maybe you could have deterred auryn, ryker, preston, faith, nick & hannah from—

you know what the message is from your siblings, & it makes you that much more furious, coming up with increasingly violent ways you could avenge your hurt partners. you just think the others wanted to inflict agony, really. while that group specifically didn’t spring to mind on your list of people most likely to even know the others existed, that doesn’t mean you’re going to keep yourself out of the equation. not after a direct attack of this scale.

faith had brought up nessa, too, while she’d casually wrapped her perfectly manicured hand around tory’s throat. she’s much prettier than you & samantha. tory didn’t know who the hell she was talking about—& couldn’t even ask anyway, because your sister threw tory onto the street with a fraction of her true strength, & tory’s head collided with the pavement, & she passed out. she has the bruises to prove it around her neck, in the shape of faith’s hand.

there was a delay from the time the confrontation started, & when you & your friends—rhydian, charlie, cosima, icarus, sulien, damiana, & ciro—had sensed something was seriously wrong. when preston sensed the massive amount of powerful energies barreling towards them, the offending group had backed away, not a hair out of place. but first & second had appeared in front of an adrenaline-filled, bleeding, slightly disorientated miguel, & simply stared at your partners. your creators asked them to relay a message:

third—the monster you know as ethan wilson—must die.

you grit your teeth, exhaling heavily, fingers sliding down robby’s torso to map his injuries by touch, eyes still glowing red. the veins underneath your eyes & in your cheeks, all the way down to your jaw, are inky black—you’re enraged, & you can’t seem to calm down. the guilt of not being there is eating you alive. you don’t want your partners—or even your friends—to go out anywhere in public anymore. not without you there—not for a while.

❝ come here. ❞ you murmur to him, an arm slipping around the small of his back, pulling him down onto your lap. gently, your largest set of wings curl around robby protectively, cocooning him, hiding him from the rest of the world that wants to hurt him. you never want to see him hurt ever again. not if you can help it. ❝ i-i’m so sorry i wasn’t there. i’m so fucking sorry, robby. ❞ you apologize, instinct more than anything. there are tears in your eyes, a prevalent rage still stuck on your inhumanly glowing face. if anything, you’re only getting angrier. you inhale shakily, seemingly resigning yourself to your fate. ❝ i’ll go to them. that’s what my creators want. it-it’s why they hurt you guys: they want to get to me. i’ll handle all of it. ❞ you promise robby firmly, leaning up to brush your lips against his. ❝ i love you so much. ❞ you whisper.

@taughtpain , miguel, tory & sam came back home with injuries, thanks to your siblings—& other enemies.

[mallowstep]

Does Tadpole / Frogheart get a love interest in the Misty au?

yes? maybe? i don't know?

i figure out ships when i'm writing. like, i didn't know about storm/shade until i was writing about shadepelt. the five f family panclan polycule came out of a joke, but they're background characters, so i didn't have to think about it, and i sorted out the squirrelcrow part before the five f family panclan polycule developed. (yes, i Will type the full name every time.)

feathertail/brook was because i didn't want anyone to die to sharptooth.

mothpool because i can't NOT write mothpool, it's humanly impossible.

frogheart kind of...takes a while to mature, i suppose. he doesn't become a warrior for a while, which is somewhat symbolic of that (the fact that he chooses not to move on is pretty symbolic)

so i don't Know. he might have a love interest? but until i start writing who he's close to, i won't know who that is.

anyway, excerpt is when the three meet tigerstar for the frist time. i might have already shared it. shrug.

(cw: referenced abuse, tigerstar manipulating feathertail's ptsd, etc.)

"Where are we?" Mothwing asks. Hawkfrost and Frogpaw are standing to each side of her, and she tastes the air.

"I don't know," Frogpaw says. Hawkfrost shrugs, and then his ears swivel.

"That was Feathertail," he says. "That way."

Mothwing and Frogpaw nod, then run after him. She strains to hear what Hawkfrost is following, making out a distant voice, and then something quiet.

"How do you know it's Feathertail?" she asks. "Could be anyone."

Frogpaw overtakes them both. "It sounds like her," he says. "I'd rather not be wrong about this. She could — she could get hurt."

That's enough to keep going. They've never said it, but they've never had to. If Feathertail is in danger, they'll be there.

"So she left you to raise them," someone says. "Figures. I suppose she would have just fucked them up."

Mothwing can smell Feathertail now.

"This way," she says, slowing to a jog. "We can..." She flicks her tail, trying to convey some indeterminate plan.

"Have you told them about me?" There's a pause, and Mothwing stalks forward. A tom is staring at Feathertail, his claws extended and his teeth bared, and she stands in front of him.

"What's she doing?" Frogpaw whispers. "She's so calm."

Mothwing studies the tom. Frogpaw and Hawkfrost press around her.

Feathertail has only described their father once. She did the thing where she folded her paw back and forth on the ground, her tail tucked between her legs and her ear folded flat.

They didn't ask about him after that.

But Mothwing had committed it to memory. She said he had amber eyes, said he had brown stripes.

The tom lifts his head, and tastes the air. Mothwing sees the scar that runs across the bridge of his nose, and she knows.

"I know you're there," he says. "Why don't you come out?"

Frogpaw pushes past her. He's the one who's been waiting for her, Mothwing isn't surprised. Hawkfrost and Mothwing run after him, and she presses her face against Feathertail's shoulder.

She was so sure Feathertail was still, but now, next to her, she sees the tremble in Feathertail's legs.

"Do you know who I am?" Tigerstar says. Feathertail stands, taking a step past them. Mothwing can see the shake in her legs.

"Get away from them," she says, her voice trembling.

"Does little Feather think she can stop me?" Tigerstar says.

Feathertail cringes. Nobody calls Feathertail Feather. Not Stormheart or Stonefur or even Mistyfoot, and before Feathertail left, she was almost inseparable from Mistyfoot.

"Get away," she repeats, and her voice is quieter.

Tigerstar takes another step closer to her, and Feathertail leans back. He puts his paw over hers.

"I thought I taught you how to behave," he says, his voice low and gravelly.

"Get away from her," Frogpaw says, brushing Feathertail's shoulder.

Tigerstar sighs, moving his paw off of Feathertail's. "I've done this all the wrong way," he says, his voice flooding with warmth. "This isn't how I wanted this to go."

Hawkfrost steps to Feathertail's other side, and Mothwing brushes to stand at her shoulder.

Feathertail is shaking.

"I'm sure she's told you about me," Tigerstar says, baring his teeth slightly. Feathertail wavers. "All lies, most likely."

He purrs. His tail flicks forward, across Frogpaw and Mothwing's chins.

"I hoped to catch you alone," he says. "So that I could have a chance to explain myself. We'll have to do it all together, then."

"I said stay away," Feathertail says, and she steps past them again. Every one of her muscles is tensed, and her hind paws splay out, the tips of her claws extending. Feathertail is trembling.

Tigerstar growls, and her legs buckle.

"That's right," Tigerstar says. He growls again, and Feathertail's stomach touches the ground. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Mothwing glances at him, and then Feathertail.

"I'm sorry," Feathertail whispers.

Mothwing crouches down, touching her nose to Feathertail's shoulder. Feathertail whimpers, and Mothwing pulls back, staring at Tigerstar.

"You're...Hawkfrost," Tigerstar says. "Mothwing. Frogpaw. Hm. Not a warrior yet?"

Frogpaw's tail lashes.

"Fine, fine," Tigerstar says. "Don't talk. I am sorry for how this came about."

Hawkfrost turns his head towards Feathertail. "We don't want to talk to you."

"Because of Feather?" Tigerstar says, incredulous. "I suppose I have my work cut out for me."

Feathertail's ear is pushed all the way back, her tail tucked between her legs.

"You would've been better off with Mistyfoot," he says. "Go on. Tell me the terrible things she's told you."

Feathertail hasn't told them about Tigerstar. The elders have, but only in short spurts. Stormheart and Stonefur were always quick to usher them away.

"What's Mistyfoot have to do with this?" Mothwing asks, despite herself.

Tigerstar laughs. "She's your mother."

[i-cant-sing]

I know requests are closed so this isn’t a request I just had an idea based off an ask you got about hawks and the Todoroki clan. What if the reader escaped from yandere Todoroki clan (Dabi scared the reader/took it too far with the threats, or because endeavor and the brothers had a fight and the reader got scared)and they ran into hawks, crying and panicked thinking that he would help. But hawks recognizes them from the pictures in endeavors desk and offers them a lift to somewhere safe. Only for hawks to fly the reader back to the Todoroki estate where the whole family is waiting for them.

The reader feels hurt and betrayed and everyone is angry, but hawks being hawks tries to diffuse the situation by saying,”stop scaring the poor kid. They came to me scared out of their mind, but being the outstanding godfather that I am, I made sure to bring them back safely.” (Or something like that)

And endeavor just accepts that hawks claimed himself as the readers godfather, and tells the reader to get inside and to clean up.

So now hawks takes it upon himself to hang around the estate more to fulfill his “godfather” duties, spoiling the reader as much as he can.

Yandere Godfather Hawks x Todoroki clan reader

I was going to write boyfriend Hawks, instead of Godfather Hawks but this was just too good. I kinda thought that the age gap between Hawks and reader would be too much so maybe Godfather would be a better role for him, but the chaos that would follow if they find him dating reader would be just *chef's kiss*. I think I just might write bf Hawks too. Let me know what you guys think.

Anyways, enjoy!

Check out my MASTERLIST here!

Yandere Hawks:

You didn't know how long you had been running for. You didn't know how far you had gotten away from their house. You didn't even know where you were going, to be honest. But you did know that you had to get away from there as far as you could.

Sure, you only had a few hours headstart. But for them, the most powerful family in Japan, this wasn’t enough time for you. 

You had planned your escape with their schedule in mind.

Enji would come home from his office at 9pm; he used to return at 11, but ever since you were kidnapped adopted by them, he tries to come home early.

Natsuo had already visited you during the day. He habitually comes after his shift at the hospital. Once he would check you over for any injuries and be satisfied with your overall health, he would join you, Rei and Fuyumi for a quick lunch before leaving.

Usually, you would spend the day with Rei, Fuyumi and Shotou, then Enji would come by the time dinner was served. And once everyone went to sleep, Dabi would come to visit you around 2 am. He would tap on your window and disturb you from your sleep, but its not like you have any engagements in the morning anyways. Once you would let him in, he would talk to you and maybe watch a movie too. If he's pissed, he might "accidentally" leave a burn mark on your arm (and you've tried asking your family for help, but they wouldn't do anything. Natsuo would just bandage you up, while Shotou would comfort you. Besides, you've learned not to snitch on Dabi because he would even get angrier than before.)

That was your routine ever since they had took you, almost 7 months ago. Well, they had actually adopted you an year ago, and everything was going well. But then you started noticing their odd behaviour. You thought they were just being protective of you at first, but as time went on, their obsessive tendencies and no regard for your personal boundaries started weirding you out.

Then one day, they just stopped letting you out of the house. No matter how much you cried, begged or fought, they just wouldn't let you go outside, telling that you its for your own good.

At first, they would use cuffs to keep you bound since you fought so much. But then you started behaving, and they slowly started trusting you more and stopped putting on the restraints.

What they didn't know was that you were just biding your time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to escape. Like today.

Shotou had to go to his friend's house to work on a school project, so he wasn't able to join you at lunch today and would be coming home late.

After lunch, once Natsuo had left, you asked Fuyumi if she could go to the mall and buy you some books. You had been complaining to her about your boredom for quite sometime now, so she agreed and left to go shop for you.

So that only left you with Rei in the house. And while she had a weaker quirk than the rest of the family, your quirkless self was no match for her either.

But she was easier to fool. You told Rei that you were going to take a nap in your room and to call you when dinner was ready. Rei nodded before going to the kitchen to start preparing for dinner.

You went to your room and opened the window to get out. It used to be bolted shut but after months of working on it slowly but stealthily, you had managed to pop it open. It was 6, and you were sure Fuyumi and Shotou would be coming home by 7, so without having anytime to pack, you ran.

It was stupid. You should've at least gotten your coat and shoes on, but there was no guarantee a chance like this would appear again, so you left without them.

You kind of regret it now, as you winced in pain at all the rocks and twigs pressing into your bare feet. You shivered in the cold, which didn't bother you at first because of the adrenaline pumping through your veins, but now as you slid against a dumpster in an alley to give a break to your legs, you wished Rei could've given you some proper clothes, instead of the light, pastel pink dress. In her defence, the house was centrally heated during winters so you didn't really need warm clothes inside the house. But now, looking at the dark clouds forming in the sky, you wished she could've at least given you a sweater.

It had soon started raining, and the wind had picked up as well. Shivering, you decided to stay put by the dumpster and wait until it stopped. It would be easier for them to find you if you ran now because the streets will be empty because of the rain. And its not like you could go to a police station either. How will you explain to them that the no.1 hero had kidnapped you?

Sighing, you closed your eyes. You just have to vanish from their eyes until they give up on you, or at least find someone else to replace you.

Hawks was flying home when it had begun raining. Tutting, he flew back to the ground to walk his way home. It was dangerous to fly during the rain; his feathers would get heavy and weigh him down.

As he was walking, whistling to himself, he heard someone whimper in the alley to his left. He walked in the dark alley, bracing himself for any sudden movements. The little whimpers came from near the dumpster. The alley had no light, so he couldn't see much. He walked closer to the source of whimpers and he could make out a silhouette of a shivering girl, who was completely drenched. Her eyes were closed so she hadn't noticed Hawks yet.

He took a step closer. "Hey. You okay?" As soon Hawks voice reached her ears, she snapped her eyes open and backed away from him. Hawks backed up a bit, raising his hands in surrender. "Its okay. I'm a hero." He said, calmly.

Once she seemed recognise him, or at least realise he wasn't dangerous, she relaxed a bit. "What are you doing in the rain?"he asked. She paused for a bit, before replying in a tiny voice,"none of your business." Hawks smiled. "It kinda is. Now you can either tell me, or I can take you to the cops and you can tell them. What's it gonna be?"

Your breath hitched at his question. If he takes you to the cops, Enji will surely find you, and the punishment that will be waiting for you...you didn't even want to think about it. "I'm just...running." you mumbled, hoping he would leave you alone. "From who?" When you didn't reply, he sighed. "Okay. Can you tell me why you're running?"

You thought for a bit. Would he believe if you told him the truth? You knew he was close friends with Enji and you heard from Enji that he was very loyal to him, so you doubted that he would believe you if you told him the no. 1 hero had been holding you hostage for 7 months. But maybe he could help you. If you just tell him that someone's after you, then maybe he could drop you off somewhere safe?

Gulping, you answered. "I- I was kidnapped. And they've probably noticed that I'm missing now and- and I need to hide before they can find me. I can't, I can't go back there-" your voice broke down as you slowly started crying.

Hawks's eyes widened as he heard you confess. He hugged you, rubbing your back soothingly. "Shh, its okay. I'm here now. Tell me who it is." You shook your head no. "Don’t be afraid. I'll keep you safe. Just tell me who-" "No!"you cut him off, realising that you would be putting his life in danger if you told him the truth. The Todorokis have done it before, with your old family and friends; you have no doubt that they will do it again.

Hawks was taken aback by your outburst. Who were you so afraid of? Was it a crazy ex? Or a family member? Maybe you had gotten in trouble with the wrong crowd? Whoever it was, fear was evident in your voice. He had to help you.

"Okay. I'm sorry. How about we get out of the rain? Maybe to a cafe, where we can get a coffee to warm ourselves up?" He asked you again, trying to look at your face in the dark. You shook your head again, before speaking. "Could you- could you just get me out of this city? Or at least as far away from here as possible?"

Who were you so scared of that you wanted to leave the city? He could investigate that later, but first he needed to get you out of the rain. 

He nodded. "Alright. It should stop raining anytime now, so I can't fly you out right now. How about we walk to my apartment and warm ourselves and then, I could take you anywhere you want?"

This was the best you were going to get. You know you need to leave the city right now, but he was your only chance of leaving. So you agreed. Hawks smiled at that. "Can you walk?"he asked you. You nodded, but as soon as you took a step, you yelped in pain, almost falling down. Thankfully, Hakws was near to catch you. He laughed. Noticing your chattering teeth, he gave you his jacket. "You're going to catch a cold." Once you had worn his big, warm jacket, he lifted you up into his arms and started walking out of the alley and towards his home.

As he got out of the alley, the street lights finally illuminated your face.

You looked familiar, like he'd seen you before, but he can't seem to remember where he saw you. His eyes scanned your face. Your brows were furrowed in worry, and you kept looking over his shoulder. You looked scared, almost like a child. Looking down, he noticed your pink dress was completely ruined. He moved his gaze to your feet. They were bleeding, due to the stones, twigs and broken glass that had pierced them. Your legs had tiny burns, some had faded, others looked still fresh.

Were you being abused? Is that why you're running? He wanted to ask you these questions but he knew he had to wait for you to open up.

"Thank you."your tiny voice brought him back to reality. Hawks gave his famous heroic smile. "No problem." You gave a tiny smile of your own. It was kind. "Why do you keep looking back?"he asked you. Your eyes widened slightly, looking like a kid who got caught stealing cookies. "Are you worried about them taking you away again?"he asked, not really sure who he was referring to. You started tearing up again. Your lips wobbled as you slowly nodded your head. He stopped walking, causing you to look up to him. "Its okay. I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you again. I promise." His voice held such sincerity, you started crying into his chest as you kept on thanking him.

Hawks meant every word. He's going to make sure nobody ever lays a finger on you. How could anyone harm such a sweet thing like you?

He rubbed your shoulder with one hand to calm you down. Once you had stopped crying, he spoke again. "Hey, look. It stopped raining." You looked up and he was right; the sky had cleared up. "Well, are you ready to fly?" You smiled slightly before nodding. He told you to hold on to him tightly, and you buried your face into his chest before he took off.

Once you guys were in the air, Hawks told you to open your eyes. You did and the view was breathtaking. Tall buildings and sky scrapers were all over the city, and tiny lights from cars and street lamps looked like stars. It looked like a scene from an anime. Really pretty.

"Wow."you finally said. Hawks chuckled at that. Your looked like you just saw Santa. So adorable.

"I'm glad you like it."he said, as he started flying towards his home. You smiled. "Hey! You never told me your name."he said, mocking fake surprise.

You giggled at that. "I'm Y/n."

And just like that, Hawks finally remembered where he had seen you.

A year ago Endeavour had asked him to find everything he can on this one particular girl. Hawks thought that maybe you were linked to some case, but your records were clean, so he thought that maybe Enji was just looking for someone for Shotou. Hawks thought it was weird when you suddenly disappeared from the public eye a month later. He tried to ask Enji about you but he would just brush him off, telling him he had mistook you for someone else. It was odd, but Hawks eventually let go of it.

Wait. Does that mean Enji had been hurting you? No, that can't be it. Enji had been working with him on a lot of missions abroad, and the burn marks on your legs were rather fresh. 

"Whats wrong?"your soft voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Hmm? Oh nothing. Why do you ask?"Hawks faked a smile. You stared at him. Something was off. "Nothing. Its just you were lost in your thoughts, I guess."

Hawks laughed at that. "You’re really observant, aren't you?" Deciding to test out his theory, he continued. "Well, you're right. I was thinking about a work colleague. You might've heard of him. Endeavour, hm?"

At the sound of his name, you stiffened, confirming his suspicion. You were connected to him somehow. Hawks didn't know how, but he was going to figure it out. "Um, y-yeah. He's the no.1 h- hero, right?"the fear in your voice had returned, although you were trying hard to hide it.

Hawks nodded. "Yeah!" He had to find out how you were linked to Enji. Suddenly, he turned around and started flying back where you guys had started.

"W-what are you doing? Why are we going back?"you asked him. He looked down at you and replied, "we need to get bandages for your wounds. Otherwise your feet will get infected." You nodded. "Oh. Okay." With that you closed your eyes to prevent them from drying against the wind.

After maybe half an hour or so, you opened your eyes to look where you guys were flying to. You looked down and to your horror, saw a familiar house coming up. You looked at Hawks and he seemed to know what you were thinking. "We're going down there."he nodded his head towards the Todoroki estate. Your eyes grew wide, and your body started trembling. "No! No! We- we can't! We can't go there!" You started shaking your head. "And why not?"Hawks stopped flying towards the estate, simply flapping his wings to remain in the air. You just shook your head. "We can't. I can't. Just drop me off somewhere else. I'll be fine on my own." Hawks wanted to know the real reason. He frowned. "Tell me the truth right now or I'll take you down there this instant."

You gulped, his eyes were showing that he wasn't bluffing. Your eyes started to glisten with unshed tears as you finally told him the truth. You told him everything; about how Enji had kidnapped you, how he got rid of your real family, how he and Rei had tried to keep you a secret from everyone, how their kids found out about you but instead of helping you out, became attached to you just like their parents, about how the famous villian Dabi was Enji's son and how he would sometimes burn you. By the time you were done, tears were flowing down your cheeks as Hawks tried to process what you had just confessed to him.

"Do you trust me?"he suddenly asked you. You looked at him confused. "What?" He repeated again. "Do you trust me?" Did you? Honestly, not that much, but he was the only one who was going to help you so you slowly nodded. "Yes?" Not really sure of it yourself but Hawks accepted the answer anyways. "Good." As soon as he said that, he started flying again, towards the house. You started thrashing in his arms again. "No! You said you wouldn't take me back here! You said you wouldn't!"you were full on sobbing against him, trying to wring yourself free from his vice grip, but Hawks was neither listening nor relenting his tight hold on you.

You looked down and that's when you saw them. Enji, Rei, all of them, were standing in the garden looking at you and Hawks. Even Dabi was there. Rei must've panicked and called everyone. And from the look on his- everyone's face, you could tell you were in deep trouble.

You thrashed in Hawks arms, begging him to fly away, but he didn't listen to you at all.

Once you reached the ground, you didn't pull your head out of Hawk's chest. You don't want to see their rage or the punishments they have planned for you.

"Hey, Endeavour!" Hawks broke the silence first. "Mrs Todoroki. Kids." He nodded towards them. "Hawks. Who do you have there?"Enji asked, pretending as if he doesn't know you. Hawks laughed. "You don't have to pretend! I know everything." At this, Dabi activated his quirk, ready to cremate him but was stopped by Shotou.

Thinking that this was some sort of blackmail, Enji asked, "What do you want? Money?"

Hawks smirked. "Nope! Look, I know you kidnapped her and all but you are providing her a good life, right?" He paused to look at them. Everyone nodded. He continued. "And you're just keeping her home to protect her from harm?" Again, everyone nodded. "But she still managed to escape you all even though she's quirkless and you all are not."

"Get to the fucking point."Dabi said impatiently.

Hawks sighed. "Clearly, you need all the help you can get. You need me. I can help you help her keep safe and healthy!" He paused, before his eyes lit up. "I can't have my goddaughter getting hurt again." Everyone looked at him weirdly. Goddaughter?

"How about you hand her over and you'll still be able to fly." Dabi threatened, blue flames engulfing his hands. Hawks laughed again. He was right. It wasn't Enji who giving you those nasty burns, it was Dabi. "If something happens to me, I have enough evidence gathered against you" he pointed to Dabi, "and then cops will get involved and maybe take away Y/n away."

The threat of someone taking you away from them, made their heart drop. Rei, who had been previously sobbing, put a hand on Dabi's shoulder, telling him to calm down.

Hawks grinned at Enji, raising his eyebrows. "So what will it be, Endeavour?"

Enji understood the ultimatum Hawks was giving him. Either let him in the family or risk losing you to the authorities. And he knew Hawks wasn't one to make empty threats.

Enji's eyes snapped to you. You were trying to bury yourself into Hawks chest, trying to hide from them. He wasn't that mad at you for running, more worried if anything. Had his family really spooked you that much? He'll have to worry about that later. First he needs to get you back into his and Rei's arms.

Enji sighed, before nodding. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

Hawks beamed at that. "Great!" He was glad that Enji had accepted. "Now, you need to take Y/n in before she catches a cold; although I'm certain she already has. Oh and tend to her bloody feet too! Poor thing was just running around barefoot." He chuckled. Shotou moved forward to take you from Hawks but you clung tightly to Hawks shoulders.

"Please. Please. Just take me out of here. Please." You whispered to him, fresh tears pricking your eyes now.

You looked so scared. Your eyes were saucer wide, nose red from cold and cheeks flush. Fear. That was were you emitting. But the longer he looked at your face, he found something else too. Hope. Innocence. Naivety. And while fear was the predominant emotion, the latter were the ones that he wanted to protect. "Hawks." Enji's voice broke him out from his trance. Hawks smiled. Addressing you, he started rubbing soothing circles to your back. "Hey. Hey. Its okay, princess." You kept on crying, your eyes begging him to whisk you away anywhere but here. You looked so much like him when he was little. So afraid. "Listen, do you remember what I promised you?" You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. You're so endearing. "I promised you that I'll never let anyone hurt you again, didn't I?" You nodded slowly. "I intent on keep that promise, dove. Infact I'll talk to your dad tonight! But you need to go in and take warm bath. I don't want you getting sick, okay?"

You had seemed to calm down as you slowly nodded and let him hand you over to Shotou, who quickly ushered you in, with Natsuo, Rei and Fuyumi quickly following behind, leaving Hawks with Dabi and Enji.

"Lets go to your office, Endeavour! I have to go over some details as Y/n's new godfather." Enji nodded and went inside to go to his home office. Hawks was about to follow but was stopped by Dabi. "What game are you playing, you freak?" 

Hawks chuckled, before swiftly pulling out a very sharp feather and pressing it against Dabi's jugular. "I'm just here to make sure that no one hurts Y/n again. And if I see another scorch mark on her, I'll find you and carve your skin into ribbons."

I will be accepting requests and asks for godfather hawks and Todoroki clan!

Oh and don't worry, I'm working on part 2 of rei hurting the reader. It'll be done soon! :)

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 324: Is There a Force Field Around Him??

Previously on BnHA: Flashback!Rat Principal was all “please tell Midoriya that I spent a concerningly small amount of money upgrading U.A. into a wacky physics-defying funtime grid so as to make the final battle much more confusing for everyone.” Present Day!Mic (or Present!Mic, if you will) and Jeanist were all “if only somebody could deescalate this dangerously unhinged mob, we’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas.” Ochako was all “LISTEN UP PEOPLE.” The mob was all, “god??” Ochako was all, “NO, IT’S ME, OCHAKO. I’M REALLY HIGH UP ON THIS BUILDING AND THE VISIBILITY IS LOW DUE TO THE RAIN, SO I CAN SEE HOW YOU MIGHT MAKE THAT MISTAKE. ANYWAYS, DEKU WAS OUT THERE RISKING HIS LIFE FOR YOU CLOWNS EVEN THOUGH HE’S JUST A KID, SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD ALL REMEMBER HOW TO BE DECENT HUMAN BEINGS, THANKS.” Let’s see if her Big Scolding Energy has any impact.

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all “so I have this speech planned out, and it’s really good, but it also only really needs about 6 to 8 pages, but I’m gonna see if I can stretch it out to 17 pages so I can kill time before we get to the next volume cliffhanger two weeks from now.” Anyway but it really is a good speech though. There are feels, and tears, and more talk about how Deku is so in need of a shower that just looking at him requires a tetanus booster, and more feels, and more tears, and bonus ship drama, and an iconic callback to the very first chapter which reframes the entire series in a new context in a totally epic and moving way, and it’s all very good. Except that Horikoshi is determined to never let anyone actually give this kid a hug. Who hurt you, dude.

omg we are opening on a callback to chapter 212, a.k.a. the chapter with by far the cutest flashback that doesn’t involve any baby Todorokis

baby Ochako is lethally cute. she could literally murder someone with her cuteness. I just want to scoop her up and play airplane with her until she accidentally activates her quirk while we’re spinning around and we both helicopter up into the air never to be seen again

��a child’s insistence” huh well that’s all well and good, but I sure hope this doesn’t mean we’re going to drag out the whole “sternly lecture the obnoxious citizens” plot for another whole chapter. no offense but I think we’re good

so page 2 is just continuing the whole happy/worried faces monologue, which of course is very important to Ochako’s character as it provides the context for why “who protects the heroes” ended up becoming her thing. and this is making me think we actually are in for a whole second chapter of this sob. when will my boy finally get to rest

OH MY GOD SUDDENLY THESE PEOPLE HAVE EYES IMAGINE THAT

HORIKOSHI: [reaches for a box of tissues while tearfully penning an homage to his beloved Spider-Man 2, specifically the train scene where the crowd sees Peter without his mask and they suddenly realize just how young he is]

HORIKOSHI’S HOMAGE SCENE: “COME TO THINK OF IT, I GUESS IT WAS KIND OF MEAN FOR US TO PICK ON THIS TEN YEAR OLD KID WHO WEIGHS 75 POUNDS AND LOOKS LIKE HE LOST A FIGHT WITH SATAN’S MOLDY OLD BASEMENT”

lol at this one guy who can feel the mood of the crowd shifting and is all “WAIT, NO, I WANTED TO KEEP BEING AN ASSHOLE DAMMIT”

as many pointed out last week, this man is wearing an All Might shirt. that’s some fantastic irony there

-- SDKFJWIGKS

“LITTLE GIRL, I HOPE YOU’RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE WALKING AROUND DRESSED LIKE A SOVIET-ERA BUS STOP.” heh. last week I said I was ashamed of BnHA being my favorite manga. that was a lie, actually

(ETA: in the original Japanese Ochako’s next two lines are basically “the only ones covered in mud will be us heroes!” followed by “please give us some time to get rid of the mud”, with that second line basically being the single funniest thing I’ve ever read rdslkjl. Ochako thank you so much for supporting my running gags. “YEAH WE KNOW HE’S DIRTY. WE ARE GONNA TRY AND CLEAN HIM UP, BUT IT MAY TAKE A WHILE, I’M JUST SAYING. I MEAN LOOK AT HIM. HE LOOKS LIKE AN ASBESTOS COSPLAY.”)

doesn’t the megaphone kind of look ever so slightly like an axe that she’s wielding maniacally here

easy there Lizzie Borden

also that’s a really bold claim to make there. and not one she necessarily should have to make, either. but as we all know, there’s nothing that shounen manga likes more than having its heroes bravely hoist heavy burdens of responsibility like good self-sacrificing citizens

p.s. lowkey loving how Kacchan is positioned here standing slightly behind Deku. not presuming to stand in front of him all overprotectively (because he would hate if anyone ever did that to him), and kind of being unobtrusive and letting others take center stage -- but still being close enough to Deku that he can catch him if he stumbles or passes out again

(ETA: or maybe not lmao.

DEKU: [falls to his knees]

KACCHAN: [glancing up from his phone a few minutes later] “someone just sent me the stupidest meme about milk crates -- oh. uh. you good...?”

really, son. “the burdens you can’t carry, we’ll carry them for you. ...later, I mean. right now it’s late, and we’re all cold and wet.”)

also lowkey loving this OchaTsu moment here

I was going back and binging Ochako chapters this past week for reasons, and I gotta say it really stuck out to me just how often these two are paired with each other. they do everything together. it’s a really sweet friendship that often goes unappreciated but it’s very cute

meanwhile, not to be outdone by the OchaTsu, Iida is staring at Ochako with open admiration talking about how she’s fighting too. it’s been so long since we’ve had any IidaRaka you guys. I was starving and I didn’t even know it

oh my lord IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING

THE LIGHT IS BACK. he finally looks like him again. what a cathartic fucking moment omg

ffklkdw

“I KNOW YOU ARE ALL SCARED, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, WE DEFINITELY CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY AND WE ARE ALL SCARED TOO!” good pep talk there kiddo

BUT, jokes aside, truth be told this is the exact right approach to take imo, and something that’s long overdue. I’ve said this before, but this new generation of heroes is shaping up to be much more transparent than the All Might generation. they’re basically abandoning the almighty, untouchable Superman “heroes as gods” concept in favor of the more nuanced “heroes as people” concept instead. and that’s a good thing. seeing their heroes as humans, with human limitations and weaknesses and flaws, will hopefully not only lead to more scrutiny and accountability, but also more awareness of how hard some of them are working and how much they’re sacrificing. that’s something All Might never quite grasped back at the start of the series -- that the weak, vulnerable, injured him could be just as inspiring as the mighty, invincible him -- perhaps even more so. there’s a power in seeing otherwise ordinary people show extraordinary bravery and compassion. it inspires others to try and do the same

SSDLHK AIZAWA SIGHTING AAHHHHHH

so he was still back at the hospital this whole time?? smdh at this disrespect. that feeling when your sexy self-insert character’s powers of rationality are too strong, and so you have to nerf him so that he doesn’t ruin your Deku Angst arc twice over by (1) immediately talking some sense into Deku and making him come home Right This Instant Young Man, and (2) not allowing him to leave U.A. in the first fucking place. excuse me, you want to do WHAT now, Midoriya?? that’s it, go to your room

also living for Katsuki and Hawks’s soft expressions. Shouto’s too, although his is tinier and harder to see. and Jeanist’s 12-foot-long neck. imagine Jeanist’s head with Mic’s hair. maybe Jeanist had a mohawk back in the day and that’s why U.A.’s doors are so big now

speaking of soft faces, Enji’s is also excellent

what could this random close-up possibly imply?? hell if I know. but Horikoshi truly fears no discourse and that’s what I love about him

OMGGGG

“smh my child is so dumb.” poor Ochadad. your child is cute af count your blessings

SDOFFHSMH

I’m telling you guys. lethally, catastrophically cute

this speech is still ongoing lol. Horikoshi you’re doing so good but I think we get the point now my dude. you gotta learn how to transition out of these things

UNEXPECTED TOGA WHAT

“there we go” Horikoshi says, crossing off the last line on his list of Ochako ships. “that’s all of ‘em”

poor Ochako is just repeating the same “LET HIM REST, PLEASE, WITH EVERYONE’S COOPERATION, IF YOU DON’T MIND, WE APPRECIATE IT” talking points over and over again hoping someone will throw her a bone and acknowledge her already. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP HER

literally they’re all just staring up at her silently omg. work with me people!!

now she’s saying it for the 56th time but more dramatically all of a sudden

they got so dramatic that for a minute I thought she had suddenly leaped off the building or something

look, not to rush you or anything Horikoshi, but I’m starting to get the feeling that this is yet another one of those “the volume is ending soon so I need to either hurry things up or slow things down in order to make sure we end it on my perfect cliffhanger ending” chapters where you go to ridiculous lengths to drag things out much to the exasperation of your week-to-week readers

(ETA: ftr, volume 31 ended on chapter 306, and I’m predicting that vol. 32 will end with chapter 316 (a.k.a. “you’re next!” [explodes]). I’m guessing vol. 33 will follow suit and likely end on chapter 326, so keep your eyes peeled for a big cliffhanger in two weeks’ time. Deku’s dad?? All Might in peril?? U.A. traitor at long fucking last?? we shall see.)

is Deku straight up falling in love with Ochako right on the spot lol what is happening

I know I just said that I enjoy when Horikoshi gives zero fucks about discourse, but shipping discourse is a whole different beast lol. I hope he’s prepared

(ETA: and for the record, I have no interest in shipping discourse either, as always. and I think this scene can be interpreted as platonic, tbh, with the context being that Ochako was literally introduced as someone who was willing to help him so casually without a second thought, and now here she is saving him again.

I don’t think it really fully hit Deku until this moment how much he needed saving. like I said in another meta somewhere, selflessness is basically just selfishness on behalf of others. and Deku is selfless to a fault, but that’s okay, and it doesn’t mean he needs to change -- he just needs friends who are willing to be be selfish on his behalf in turn. and I think the full emotion of what it means to have friends like that just hit him at last. everything his friends have done for him, how much he needed it and didn’t even realize, and how grateful he is. anyways what a terrible day for rain.)

-- son of a --

is he apologizing?? or pleading?? please tell me that’s not the case, because what the actual fuck. Deku you beautiful precious radiant selfless child, this is the exact opposite of how this should be. all these motherfuckers should be on their knees apologizing to you

DEKU WHY

I DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS FREAKING BOMBARDMENT OF EMOTIONS GODDAMIT. OUT HERE ARMED WITH YOUR FREAKING TREBUCHET OF FEELS TO LAUNCH AT ME UNPROVOKED. WHAT’S WITH THAT

FREAKING CHRIST. THIS BOY IS CRYING HIS EYES OUT AND HORIKOSHI IS JUST ZOOMING IN WITH THE CAMERA, LIKE CAN WE JUST CUT HIM A BREAK ALREADY. ENOUGH OF THIS. HE’S SO YOUNG AND HE TRIES SO HARD AND I JUST NEED HIM TO FEEL SAFE, HORIKOSHI PLEASE CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME THAT ALREADY WHAT IS THE FREAKING HOLD UP!!

GIGANTIC FOX LADY!!!

GIGANTIC FOX LADY PLEASE BE MY HUGGER BY PROXY!! SERIOUSLY GIRL IF YOU JUST HOLD YOUR UMBRELLA OVER HIM OR SOMETHING AND DON’T GO THE EXTRA MILE I’M ABOUT TO LODGE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT. THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS NOW

!!!!

A KOUTA IS GOOD TOO!!! oh my god if Kouta hugs him I will seriously 100% straight up cry. go on and test me

FOR THE LOVE OF --

is this man expressly forbidden from drawing hugs in his contract or something. DO YOU DO IT JUST TO SPITE ME?? this is tyranny, sir

AND I KNOW, THIS PAGE ACTUALLY CHALLENGED THE VERY PREMISE OF THE SERIES ITSELF, AND HERE I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT HUGS, OR THE LACK THEREOF. “this is the story of how we all became the greatest heroes.” and just like that, he waves a polite middle finger at all of the Strongest Greatest Chosen One shounen protags of old, in favor of something much less conventional, much more interesting, and much more suited to Deku’s character. because if that one sentence doesn’t just sum up Deku to a T. he gladly relinquishes his Greatest Hero status in favor of acknowledging the hero in everyone. what a class act. that’s my protagonist

I love this kid so fucking much I swear. only just PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. GIVE HIM HIS HUG