#he deserves to do this it’s like free therapy 💜

[chloesimaginationthings]

How I assume salvaging went in FNAF pizza sim

[alumort]

Ao3

I had the pleasure to write for @naruto-calendar this year!! I had so much fun and learnt a lot with this piece :>

Go check out everything, it's free and everything is so beautiful 🥺💜💜

Lee’s latest mission sent him away from the village for a couple of weeks, longer than he wanted to be away from his son. His body ached. As one of the physically strongest ninja in Konoha, his missions tended to involve carrying the heaviest things imaginable to humankind.

However, Lee was paid accordingly.

His salary was enough for Metal and him, so he didn't find any reason to complain. Lee could take the entire week off to recover – he could already feel that some physical therapy would be needed soon.

Plus, Golden Week was around the corner. Four different holidays happening in the span of seven days, making it a perfect time to take a well-deserved break.

Well, that was a problem for his future self. For now he would go home, thank Tenten for taking care of his son while he was gone, and make dinner for Metal and him as usual. It was late enough that his son might even be asleep; but knowing him, he was probably waiting for his father no matter how tired he was, even though his child tended to go to bed pretty early into the night.

Lee didn't hesitate before opening the door of his house, a huge grin appearing on his face as he announced himself.

“I am home!”

However, the only one to greet him back was Tenten. His son was nowhere to be seen, and that confused him the most. Metal always brightened up when Lee got back from his missions, running towards him for a hug and to ask everything about his time away.

“Welcome back! Metal’s a bit busy right now. He’s in his room,” his friend whispered, prompting a confused look from Lee. “He’s– you should talk with him, Lee. You might cheer him up. He told me he was going to keep studying for the rest of the night, and even said bye, but I wasn’t going to leave him alone…”

That was odd. There was no reason to be quiet, unless something had happened… Well, there was only one way to find out. He thanked Tenten for helping him out and sent her home, not wanting to make her stay out so late into the night.

Lee went towards Metal’s room, opening the door with a grin, ready to greet his son.

Something was different now, judging by Metal's tired expression and that he only waved at him. There were a couple of books in front of his son – study material from the ninja academy that had started earlier in the month. The material was simplified for his age, yet the seemingly countless pages still appeared to daunt him.

“Sweetheart, is something wrong?” Lee asked.

Metal just huffed, mumbling something about homework and kunais.

There was no other response, which did nothing but further confuse Lee. His son was shy, but he liked to chat with him, especially after he returned after a long mission. Just what had happened to his child? He would need to talk with Metal’s teacher as soon as he could.

Without saying anything, Lee hugged Metal– and after a couple heartbeats of a tense silence, a soft voice spoke up.

"Papa, the academy is hard," Metal admitted, his gaze focused on the ground as he talked, a pout on his face. "And– and everyone has a friend that can help in class. But… I do not. I do not talk much during class."

That sounded like him. No matter how much his son wanted to chat with his peers, his shyness was such that his words got stuck on his tongue whenever it was time to greet an unknown person, even other kids his age. Of course, it would be frustrating! Lee couldn't blame him at all. He had been in his exact situation many years ago– albeit, not for the same reasons.

Kids could be cruel, and perhaps there were things Metal wasn't telling him… Pressuring him for answers wouldn't work.

"Sweetheart, the academy is hard, I will not lie to you. I am sure you might find a friend or two soon– after all, classes have just started! Do not lose hope!" Lee said after a short silence, and he made no comment as Metal held him tighter in response.

That was perhaps the only thing he could tell him for now, although it probably wasn't too soothing. Maybe Sakura would have some time in her schedule, so Metal and Sarada could at least get to know each other…

Lee let out a soft sigh, massaging his temples with his free hand. Maybe things would get better after the short school break. Probably.

An idea crossed his mind after he’d reminded himself of an upcoming holiday – his son needed some solitude to feel better, so maybe he would be able to arrange something to help… hopefully one of his contacts from the war could help him out, somehow.

He decided to leave his son to his studies, knowing better than to insist.

After making himself a quick dinner, Lee grabbed his phone and immediately began texting some old friends, taking his time to ensure his message was perfect for everyone. Of course, some ryo would be exchanged in return, but it would be worth it in his eyes.

His excitement showed through his entire being through the night and even the following morning. His son couldn't help smiling at Lee’s enormous grin after getting up, before leaving for the academy. He had the perfect plan! Now all he had to do was to tell Metal after his lessons were over.

He would love it! Or so Lee hoped…

~

One day after they got home from the academy, Metal squinted his eyes, noticing a half-filled suitcase on the table. Countless green jumpsuits were piled in and outside of it. A smaller suitcase was beside it, though it had nothing. Metal squinted his eyes before turning around, looking at his dad.

“... Papa? What– what is this for?” was all he said, with a worried expression on his face.

“Metal, I see that you are struggling, and… I had an idea. We will take a break from the village for Golden Week!" Lee explained with a grin, but he saw uncertainty on his son's face. "We will spend some days in the Land of Earth, but not in Iwa itself. I think you might enjoy it!”

Metal wasn’t too convinced, but he said nothing. Instead, his gaze fell to the ground and he played with his hands, nervous as usual. It was an unexpected plan, and sudden changes always made him upset– everything went quiet quickly.

Lee gulped, taking a couple of seconds before speaking once again.

"I, um, I promise you that you will have a good time, son. There will not be many people there, except wherever we happen to eat." Lee exclaimed as he packed their clothes, noticing that an uncertain expression appeared on his child's face. "And if you do not… I will walk across the village on my hands five– no, ten thousand times!"

That always made Metal chuckle, and it seemed like he had relaxed at least slightly. He was smiling now, deciding what to bring to the trip with Lee's help.

The days until their vacation seemed to pass in a blink. Metal seemed more excited about the change of pace than he had been at the time of hearing the news, doing his best to carry his own little luggage without assistance. Lee made sure to bring his camera along, knowing well that he'd enjoy taking pictures of their surroundings; He hadn't used it in a while because missions kept him too busy, but that would be the perfect excuse to clean its dust.

There was only a way to reach the Land of Earth quickly– and that was with the help of thunder trains. The station was filled with people from all over the village, eager to escape their everyday surroundings. They could barely push through the crowd, and Metal had to sit on Lee's shoulders in order to not get lost.

(Plus, Metal had fun reading the informatic boards all over the station, and that helped him find the way towards their train.)

They arrived with enough time to pick their seats and later their individual train rooms, and Lee looked at everything with curiosity. He tended to only travel on foot, so it was one of the first times he would go on the thunder trains. They were odd for him still, although nobody could deny how comfortable they were compared to walking everywhere like in the past.

Before the thunder train even started moving, Metal tapped his dad's shoulder, trying to get his attention.

"Papa, how much do we need to wait?" was the first thing Metal asked, tilting his head to the side as he spoke.

"Well, we have a couple of days to go… Do you want to read with me for a while?"

His son nodded just as their transport began moving. Lee picked up a book that he had bought during his mission, reading out loud even though his child was perfectly capable of doing it on his own. Metal enjoyed listening to him do different voices for the characters, exaggerating when needed so his acting would make sense, yet staying quiet enough as to not bother their fellow passengers.

However, it didn't take long for Metal to get bored. He then looked Lee in the eyes to ask something once again.

"Are– are we there yet?"

Lee chuckled at the question– seeing his son so excited was adorable, honestly. He grinned before replying.

"We are still in the Land of Fire, son. Once trees begin scattering around, you will know we have left," was all he said, though his son didn't seem quite convinced.

He kept reading out loud for some minutes more, before Metal pretty much repeated himself, tugging at his jumpsuit as he talked.

"Um, Papa – are we close now?"

… something told Lee that he would need to answer the same thing every now and then, until they arrived in Iwa. Letting out a soft sigh and a smile, Lee gently messed with his hair, obtaining giggles in response.

"You must be patient, sweetheart. We will still have a lot of time remaining in our youth when we arrive!" he exclaimed, and he was the one to chuckle once he saw his son's pout. He marked the page of his book and closed it before continuing. "I know what we can do! Let us play a game. I spy with my little eye…"

That was enough to keep Metal distracted for half an hour, until he began bombarding him again with countless variants of 'are we there yet?’. It would be a long, long trip, filled with different games, such as rocks and scissors, and by the end Metal wanted to listen to some more tales about Lee’s days at the academy.

About three days went by like that, and Lee didn't even realize when the thunder train had stopped moving at last, too focused on taking care of Metal to notice when they had come closer to their goal. A machine voice announced their destination in an odd monotone. His son was the first one to rise from his seat, grabbing his things and gently tugging at his jumpsuit, ready to explore even when the moon could be visible in the starry sky.

They got out and Lee had to look for a familiar face in the crowd, and– ah, there they were!

His old companion from the war was waiting for them at the train station, welcoming them with a warm smile. Metal was too shy to talk, but he was content observing their surroundings as the small family was guided toward their vacation destination. After all, it was the first time his son visited a new place, so of course he would be curious! Lee couldn't help but smile at the scene, holding his hand at all times.

They went through marked paths in the woods, exploring a small valley with mountains surrounding their sides. Lee chatted with the other ninja meanwhile, while Metal quietly pointed at things that caught his attention.

"We're almost there," Lee’s companion announced to Metal, who hid behind his dad in silence, playing with his fingers. Both adults chuckled and they went on, passing through a fence marking owned land, and a stone path began guiding their steps.

A small cabin soon appeared into view, just big enough for the family of two. Lee thanked the other person and gave them the promised ryo before settling in, not worrying about food as their host had already left some for them in the fridge. He only had to prepare dinner, and then they would see what to do the following day!

"I am tired, Papa," Metal mumbled all of a sudden, rubbing his eyes as he spoke. The trip from Konoha had been long. He had been too busy during the train, wondering where they were going that he had barely gotten any sleep at all, and the walk through the forest had probably exhausted him too much.

"Well, let me prepare you something, and you can go to sleep! How does that sound?"

His son just nodded, sitting down to wait. But he ended up falling asleep on the table, barely waking up to eat dinner and then falling into a deep slumber once again. Lee just tucked him in bed, always careful enough as to not startle him.

Lee decided to be up for a while longer, deciding what to do in the morning, where to go with his son– he knew how vast the forest surrounding them was, and so had to plan accordingly. And even when they were on vacation, he wanted to continue training, deciding to do so once he woke up in the morning.

They would have a good time there, Lee was certain of it. For now he would prepare things for the upcoming day, going to bed some time after his child.

~

The sun had long since risen in the sky, and it was time for Lee to go back to the cabin– his training had been successful! Plus, he began recognizing a couple of the forest's intricate paths, and exploring with Metal would be easier that way. He was probably still asleep, and Lee would happily wake him up with no problem.

Though, against his expectations, the man was met by a familiar, curious gaze as soon as he stepped into the cabin once again. And a warm hug.

“Papa, can– can we go for a walk?” was the only thing that Metal said, his eyes shining with excitement… had he been another person, Lee would’ve wanted a break, but his energy was almost endless! Or that’s what Neji said, whenever they met for a spar or two between their missions.

“Of course we can, sweetheart. Let us get ready to go!”

In no time they had gathered what they needed, wearing their matching jumpsuits as usual before leaving for the day.

And so their small adventure began, with a backpack full of snacks and water in case they needed them. His son seemed to enjoy nature’s quietness, smiling whenever he heard a bird or saw an animal pacing around near them– Lee found the perfect opportunity to teach him how to use his camera with different plants and bugs. Metal mumbled something about Shino enjoying the images, so of course he tried to make sure they were perfect! It was adorable to see.

There was one thing the taijutsu master couldn’t deny, though; no matter how much he had explored the forest earlier on, the trees seemed almost the same everywhere, with almost no change between them. Lee squinted his eyes at one point, confused at the view in front of him.

They had seen the heart-shaped boulder a couple of times now… were they going in circles? Metal didn’t seem to notice, looking at the ground as they walked while trying to not fall behind.

He jumped on the rock to observe their surroundings better, trying to notice a difference in the bushes, in the trees… Lee decided to go where vegetation seemed lusher, perhaps finding a small village around, without much hope.

Soon Lee could hear the sound of rushing water nearby, and he squinted his eyes– he couldn’t remember seeing a waterfall during his training. Maybe they had gotten lost? No, that wasn’t possible. They’d find something or someone… eventually. Perhaps. He was starting to get worried as more than an hour had passed since they began their walk, though nothing but a smile showed in his face, not wanting to worry the boy.

“We are in a very deep part already, what do you think?” Lee asked instead, continuing his walk while his son played with his fingers by his side.

Moving through a couple of bushes, the man saw something that he did recognize, at last! A small lake nearby, in a clearing between the never-ending trees, with a river coming from the mountains’ peak that fed it– he had run two dozen times by that area, judging by the kind of trees around. Returning to the cabin would be an easy task from there!

… Though, judging by his son's slow walking, it was perhaps time to take a break. Metal would never say it outloud, but it was obvious to Lee– and he wouldn't say no to his needs.

"I think we can have our picnic here! It is very quiet. What do you think, son?" the man exclaimed, receiving a simple nod from Metal, who sat down on the ground almost immediately. Lee let out a chuckle as he took things out of his backpack, preparing everything for later on.

The forest was quiet, and the two could see a river from where the lake got its water from. Far away one could still see nothing but the characteristic mountains of the Land of Earth, covered in countless trees and plants that neither of them could imagine– Metal's eyes seemed to shine with joy, his gaze falling on everything and with a little smile decorating his face. Lee couldn't help it but grin, quietly taking his camera from its bag and… click! A perfect picture!

"Papa!" his child complained with laughter in his voice, not annoyed at all. Still he leaned in to look at the result, nodding with approval. "I… I like it."

"I am glad! We can print it once we get home, if you wish."

An unexpected hug surprised him, but Lee simply returned the embrace, knowing to remain quiet until his son was ready to speak. Rushing him wouldn’t do any good.

“Where– um… where will we go next?” Metal mumbled, looking at the ground as he talked.

“Well, there are more paths in the forest, so we could go somewhere else!” his dad suggested with a smile, though he got confused as he saw Metal deny with his head at his response. “No? Do you want to go back to the cabin?”

“I… I want to see more places, papa. Can we go somewhere else next?”

His eyes sparkled, though Metal wasn’t able to see it– his son was actually enjoying their trip! That was his main worry, apart from being able to return to the cabin; Lee’s idea had worked!

“Of course! Your springtime of youth has just begun, so we can go anywhere you want! You might be able to talk to your classmates about your adventures, too,” he exclaimed with a huge smile, seeing that his son had let go in order to nod at his words.

Days later, after returning from the Land of Earth, Metal managed to make a couple of friends at the academy, thanks to his exciting adventure! Lee couldn’t be prouder of him.

[miyos-multiverse-express]

for the ask game- C is for care! What do you do to care for your pokemon, and how do they care for you?

Oh boy. This is gonna be a long one.

I have,,, so many mons now. It's a little insane. Actually, let's pack this under a cut.

Prima (Roserade, female, Shiny)

My beloved Starter. I met her when I was 16!

I pamper her relentlessly. She has a battery-charged daylight lamp back in my hut in Hisui and I have never forgotten to buy new batteries once. She gets pruned every month so she can move freely. Just. Ahhh,,, I love her very much. She protects me from so many wild Mons. She's the best 💜

Nino (Flygon, male)

The stealthiest Bug I've ever met. He is so very neat and the best ambusher I have. He gets to free-fly every evening. I hope Palina has been looking after him alright in my absence...

Linux (common Arcanine, male)

My trusty partner in ingredient searching! Seriously, Linux probably remembers more about cooking than I do. He gets along great with Palina's pack, too - I'm at least very sure he's doing just fine.

Passenger (Galvantula, female)

This not-so-little-anymore buddy evolved during our travels through Route 6 yesterday! (Amongst others - I'll get to that in a moment.)

I got her from Boss Emmet and she lived in my pockets for half a week before I noticed her. She's surprisingly good at snapping me out of moods - and my battery buying has doubled because of her. Right now, I have to keep her in her ball more often than not - Ren has arachnophobia, after all.

Thera (Sylveon, female)

THERA MY BELOVED. My therapy Mon - hence the, uh, rather uncreative nickname, heh. Arc, she's the best. I buy her... a lot of treats. Probably too many. She deserves all of them for dealing with my,,, immense amount of psychological issues. The anxiety is just the start, really.

Annie (Mismagius, female)

For lack of access to Thera at the time, Annie ate my anxiety for several weeks, which... probably contributed to why she's a lot more chill than others of her evolutionary line. I... really hope she's okay, wherever she ended up when I got to Galar...

Jet (Altaria, male)

My first real flyer! Saved my ass during the Michina Incident. I sing together with him a lot. Or, I did.

Cymbal (Togepi, male)

The other member of our impromptu musical troupe! Baby. Literal baby. I hatched him from an egg. Oh arc, I hope he's okay...

Isle (Gastrodon West Sea, male)

Probably my most adventurous Mon, I found him lost in the wrong half of Sinnoh during my... roughly two months with the Chosen Kiddo. Always keeps his cool - in that he's always very enthusiastic about whenever we ended up. A bit annoying when we got lost, but... he's a sweetheart, really. Likes mud baths a LOT, much to my clothes' misfortune.

Hanabi (Cinderace, female)

Her and Kuroko are probably the quickest growing Mons I have... probably because I fed them EXP candies as treats. (Seriously. I got her a week ago at Level 5. It's a little insane.)

Hanabi likes dragging me around a lot - at least she's learned pretty quickly that she doesn't fit on my shoulders anymore... Much like Isle's positive nature, her enthusiasm keeps me grounded in the present.

Kuroko (Corviknight, female)

My second Flyer! Though I haven't used her as one just yet - she only evolved yesterday, after all. Much like Hanabi, she gets EXP candies as treats for good behaviour.

We met by way of her literally smacking into my face. She's great! A bit of an attention hog. I think Hanabi and her have developed a bit of a rivalry, actually. Despite that, they work together really well. I should test them out in a Double Battle sometime.

Conductor (Litwick, male)

The newest member of my (increasingly big) Pokémon team! I caught him during the Fire Gym mission, and he immediately reminded me of home, so he stayed.

I know better than to feed it too much of myself this time, so. Uh. I did something else which might have been just as bad of an idea.

the little tyke feeds off of me!

... believe it or not, Fragment volunteered. I think he likes the little candle.

[1d1195]

I’m trying my best to be kind to myself but it’s not looking too good lol but I’m okay though really just so busy that any free time I have I want to sleep lol

We love retail therapy! Did you buy that new bag?? Or those towels?! Or did you treat yourself to something?? But you’re so real for saying that about having nothing to do lol I lowkey feel the same way with how busy life has been lol I do celebrate day of the dead! And no worries, the fact that you even remotely remember anything is always so appreciated! But yeah so this weekend was just focusing on that like building the offrenda(I guess this would be the alter? Idk about the translation lol) and i honestly love building/decorating it! I would not consider myself good at decorating at all but when it comes to the day of the dead I love it! The flowers and the spiritual aspect of it means a lot to me! Plus it’s a bit sweet remembering passed loved ones at least for me! And I found the cutest alebrije that reminded me of my dog that passed a few years ago! Oh and best believe I did my annual watching of Coco! Still bawled my eyes out lol But other than that I did nothing too exciting lol I finally got time to myself so I just catches up on shows lol

Omg thank goodness for basketball bf!!! And if he ends up riding a motorcycle I fear that would truly be the end of me!!! But lowkey it’s kind of pathetic how my mind immediately compared him to my hot professor last year when I saw him in that jacket 😔😭

And it’s probably because of that tbh lol but lowkey I feel like it could relate somewhat to all your Harry’s since they are just so sweet even when they fuck up lol

I think given the vibe and structure of the one shot, I don’t think you glossed over his issues too much! If anything I think it’s gives off a mysterious vibe of what “exactly” did he do and what was the breaking point for him. He obviously had some insecurity issues since even when they were together he didn’t believe he deserved her. So in theory you could have gone into more of his issues in the past, but I think that would have made it longer or more than just a one shot which isn’t really what you wanted. If anything if you do decide a check in on then you could do a flashback of when they broke up or events that led to it.

He was so unhinged for that and in this economy?!(I know it’s imaginary lol) The letters alone I fear would have broken me because it’s such a vulnerable act to even write it then SHOWING IT to the person you wrote about… CRAZY I COULD NEVER! Though I loved that you included it!

Oh I love that certain songs just inspire you!! I totally get what you mean about storytelling in songs, it’s a different vibe and not everyone can achieve such good storytelling!

Thank you for being so kind! I hope my week isn’t too bad but sadly another exam this week😔 anyways I hope that you have a lovely start to the week! Hope this week is a bit smoother too! Also don’t worry about posting, life gets busy so no need to stress about it! Love you lots Sam!-💜

I feel you on that. I love sleep so much. I don't want to read or write at this moment in time. I just want to hibernate and get through all these insane busy things.

I DID buy a new bag. I found towels, not totally in love with them. Did like two bits of Christmas shopping. I got a coffee too. I remember what the offrenda is from Coco! (and also Lizzie McGuire, that might be before your time). I'm sure it looked beautiful and it's so lovely that you and your family remember loved ones. It's such a special holiday I wish I could celebrate it 🥰

It's not pathetic. I love that for you! You can have more than one hot educator in your life 😂

I'm quite sleepy right now, but I'm very grateful to your kindness about Hummingbirds. I'm glad you loved it. I always appreciate your kind feedback and reassurance 💕

I hope your exam goes well and it's smooth sailing from here on out 💕

xoxo

[sonneillonv]

and chrissie surely didn't tell him the real reason why she needed it. she probably told him she's stressed because of finals after springbreak so he didn't know the extent of her situation. he wouldn't have given it to her if he thought it could harm her. love your additions.

Thank you, Anon 💜

And no, she definitely didn't tell him the real reason or he wouldn't have been quite as shocked when Vecna's attack first started. 😅 She might have told him she's having really bad dreams, or maybe that she's been so anxious with a sense of impending doom that she can't focus on anything else. Maybe just that she 'feels scared all the time'. But my overall guess would be that he would have thought her problem was anxiety and/or depression, and Ketamine is actually very effective for treating depression!

A Ketamine high is characterized by disassociation and euphoria, which may be why Eddie thought it might help her - not only by lifting her mood, but also by giving her some distance from whatever was causing her such anxiety in her life so she could relax. A low dose, taken once, would have been really truly unlikely to cause her any harm or give her a bad experience, so the people saying that Eddie didn't give a shit about her safety are way off-base. As party drugs go, he picked a very safe one for her, and one that may actually have been able to help her had her problem NOT been, y'know, supernatural.

Mental health stigma being what it was in the 80's, I strongly doubt she would have gone into too much detail. But one of the things I love about Hellcheer, and that makes me love Eddie, is that after talking to him for literally five minutes Chrissy felt like she could trust him to help her without judging her. And I've said many times, and will continue to say, that I think Eddie being 'the local weed-and-occasional-pill-guy' and Eddie being a DM are actually two sides of the same moral precept for him, which is this: When your life is shit, escape is a kindness.

An escape can be a couple hours in a fantasy role-playing game where the goals are concrete and you can actually win. Or an escape can be a couple hours of a euphoric trip. An escape can be the stage high you get off playing heavy metal for an enthusiastic audience of five drunks. Eddie's whole character is built around the idea of 'escape' which is, incidentally, why his cowardice makes perfect sense - he runs from problems, he helps other people run from problems. The system has never helped him, so he works outside it. He sees someone like Chrissy, with the walls closing in around her, and he opens a window for her the only way he knows how. It's not greed or negligence, it's mercy.

Is it the absolute bestest, most ideal way for Chrissy to address her problems? Of course not. In a perfect world, her whole family would be in (free, competent, compassionate) therapy - and it's worth noting here that Chrissy DID try that. She was talking to a therapist, but I doubt the guidance counselor was licensed to prescribe and even if she was, that would have meant getting Chrissy's parents involved. Actually, it may even have been her recommendation that Chrissy see a doctor licensed to prescribe antidepressants that drove Chrissy to Eddie in the first place - if she knew she needed chemical help, but she couldn't tell her parents, that leaves her one obvious option.

What a lot of people in this fandom don't seem to realize is that we do not live in a perfect world. If you actually care about helping people and reducing the harm they suffer from their circumstances, you have to meet them where they are, and where they are is usually messy and imperfect and problematic and less-than-ideal. You have to square with the fact that people still deserve help when they make choices you don't like. If you judge them for using the only safe resources they had (or in Eddie's case, for offering the only safe resources people had), you're actually doing the opposite of good - you're contributing to a stigma that drives people away from seeking help through legal channels.