#i can go sort of okay with it but mostly

[not-poignant]

Hi!

Do you write stories for your characters or characters for your stories?

Thank you!

Sending good vibes your way 💛

Hi anon,

I've always been a character driven writer. And even if I have the seed of a plot (like, one sentence), nothing happens until I have the characters to participate in that plot and drive it forward.

There are authors who are plot forward, I am absolutely character forward. A lot of my stories are more character studies than anything. And the genre most of my stuff falls into is 'psychological (insert conventional genre here)' (psychological romance, psychological fantasy etc.) because it focuses so heavily on deep psychological issues etc. within the characters and prioritises that above everything else.

I do like interesting plots, but for me personally, I prefer when most of that is created by the characters themselves. I feel like this is also pretty obvious in my stories! If you know what to look for, the characters themselves are constantly generating the plot/s we read, through their responses to events outside of their control, and to each other through their own actions. A lot of my stories could not exist without the characters creating them through determination, stupidity, fear, strength etc.

[pastelaspirations]

What if at some point, ink met his original self and the other characters from the perseverance au.

What would be their reaction? Would some characters end up in a fight or some end up getting to be friends?

I'm sorry, I don't know if I understand this question exactly. But, from what I can gather, it sounds like what would the Perseverance au characters' reactions be to meeting their "canon" selves? That is an interesting question! One I actually thought a lil about >:)

S o. A lot of the characters' reactions from the Perseverance au would be uh... Let's just say, are you familiar with forbidden knowledge and how obtaining such knowledge would drive someone mad?

Well, y e a h. I think the majority of my au characters would lose their mind upon discovering the multiverse and all that entails. After all, exposing mere, ordinary souls from an au to such a grand revelation is unlikely to have positive, lasting effects on their psyche.

I think this "being driven mad" outcome will unfortunately affect all of my au characters. So, Dream, Blue, Asgore, everybody. This might be doubly so for characters that I made up? Like, my ocs basically: Oren, Boris, Mary, etc. Imagine finding out that the multiverse is real, but you aren't present in like... any other universe. That would mess with your head big time.

S o o o... unfortunately, on account of "going absolutely insane," not many Perseverance au variants would retain their sanity long enough to actually interact with their "canon" selves. H o w e v e r. I think a character like Dr. Gaster would actually have a field day. He might be driven insane in a different way; go on his mad scientist arc trying to discover all the secrets of the multiverse and his alternate selves... however morally gray that might be.

N o w. Perseverance Ink??? He probably would be driven insane too, 'cus let's be honest. Imagine living in his world for a change and then discovering, y o, the multiverse is actually real AND you are the protector of it with heavy implications that you were sort of forced into the role whether you wanted it or not. Oh, and "you're" just flat out soulless now instead of just having a messed up one. F u n.

But I like to think he's a bit... more open-minded than that. Maybe after a bit of hyperventilating and having the wildest mind-warp his brain ever went on, Perseverance Ink just then. Calms down. Shuts his brain off. Decides, "Okie dokie, alright. Okay. The multiverse is a thing and 'I'm' the protector of it. Cool." I mean, when you get down to the nitty gritty, his world is kind of a mind-warp too, right? In the grand scheme of things, stuff he just accepts as fact don't make sense. Giant monstrosities that showed up out of nowhere and ended the world?? Y e a h, doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Canon Ink kinda just. Stands there, blinking at him, maybe mid-waving his hands because he was trying to calm Perseverance Ink down before he just did it himself. Then he's like, "Oh! Neat, you're, uh... Fixed now. Are you good...? No, uh, going insane anymore hopefully...?"

Perseverance Ink just gives a thumbs up, facial expression painfully neutral, "Yep, I'm okay." He then puts a thoughtful hand to his chin, "I... might have probably seen stranger things than just 'the multiverse is actually real,' now that I think about it."

Canon Ink blinks, then lets out a laugh, "Oh my stars, yeah, you're probably right about that! Come, oh my gosh, you have to see this, okay-" He effortlessly glides over to somewhere in the Doodle Sphere since he's used to the zero gravity, while it takes Perseverance Ink some squirming and odd movement to do the same.

He then gestures outward, to a whole bunch of floating papers that Perseverance Ink is still wrapping his head around what they really are, "Your AU is weird. It took me so long to know where to, like... stick it. It's, you know, obviously scary with all those-" Canon Ink breaks off with a shudder and semi-disgusted look, "Things. So I had to decide, 'H m m, does it go with the scary AUs or the romance AUs?' 'Cus like, it's also got such cute, romantic stuff and I just really had to make the call and-"

He abruptly breaks off, looking over his shoulder at Perseverance Ink, who is just giving him a... very confused, if not slightly perturbed, look. Canon Ink then clears his throat and lets out a nervous laugh, "Never mind that! I guess your timeline isn't up to that point yet- I mean! Never mind 'timelines' either, what's that? You don't need to know that, just- Let's just say I ultimately decided to slap your AU with the other scary ones 'cus I thought that made the most sense."

Perseverance Ink kinda just. Looks around at the "scary aus," not really knowing whether to feel depressed his world is lumped in with those or validated. He then goes, "Uh... Ink?" feeling v e r y weird he's essentially saying his own name.

Canon Ink spins around, beaming smile on his face, "Yep!"

Perseverance Ink glances away, taking a moment to compose his words since he isn't even sure how to ask this question, "Do... the other worlds here..." He gestures around to all these papers surrounding them that supposedly contain entire worlds, "Do they... Are they all like... mine?"

Canon Ink's eyes change into question marks and he looks really confused, "Uh, what do you mean?"

Perseverance Ink looks down at his hands before hesitantly back up at Canon Ink, "Are all the other worlds overrun by Beasts too?"

It takes Canon Ink a bit to respond, face going blank as Perseverance Ink assumes it takes him that long to process what he said. Then, Canon Ink just belly laughs and hunches over in the air, absolutely wheezing. He then floats over and smacks Perseverance Ink on the shoulder, bringing him into a hug as he breathlessly wheezes, "No! Oh my stars, no! Yours seems to be like... the exception. There isn't a ton like yours, there's only a select few with like, zombies, giant monsters, and other things, see?" He points to a small cluster of papers that Perseverance Ink assumes his world is lumped in with because they have the same requirement of "giant monstrosities that took over the world."

A small smile crosses Perseverance Ink's face, relieved not every world out there has to deal with the same reality he has to, "Oh, wow. Good, that's good. I'm really glad."

Canon Ink releases him from the hug and wipes a tear from under his eye, "Thanks, Ink, you're funny-" He breaks off before chuckling awkwardly, "It's... weird saying my own name like that, you know? Since we're both named the same thing."

"Yeah... I suppose you can call me something else? Like... a little nickname, I guess? I don't mind."

Canon Ink just tilts his head, "Are you sure? It's your name too, I don't want to-"

Perseverance Ink shrugs, "I mean, you're the... 'original,' right? It only makes sense that you have the name first."

Canon Ink glances elsewhere, gesturing with a hand as he seems to almost be talking to himself, "Well, asides from all the semantics of what truly makes an 'original' from either a multiversal or AU standpoint-" He then claps his hands together, "Okay! So, hmm, let me think..."

His eyes change into stars and he exclaims, "I know! I'm going to call you 'Willow,' since you're gentle, soft-spoken, and stand steadfast just like a willow tree!"

Perseverance Ink or... 'Willow' just blinks, as he is doubtful he would describe himself that way, before chuckling, "Yeah, okay, I suppose that makes sense."

Canon Ink laughs and pulls 'Willow' into a hug, "Great! Then we won't have to be confused anymore! Now-" He whips out his own Broomie, grinning, "What kind of neat stuff do you have on your Broomie? I like to dress up mine too for the holidays and stuff! Even if it gets irritated at that sometimes-"

Thus, a friendship was born ✧˖°. A non-canon friendship. But close enough that if they ever met, I imagine their interaction going this way. Ink then makes a game out of trying to name everyone in the Perseverance au a plant/tree name, to keep up with the "Willow" motif he accidentally set. So far, he calls Error "Cedar," Dream "Daffodil", Blue "Bluebell," and Boris "Oaky." Because "Oak" was not 'cute enough' in his opinion.

Perseverance Ink doesn't know what to make of that.

[outlying-hyppocrate]

i have officially returned. ask me anything.

[microknifeyuri]

"These characters have a father/mother and son/daughter relationship" my BROTHER IN CHRIST THE CREATORS/VA'S SHIP THEM

[icewindandboringhorror]

"We can get through this by working together, reach out to your friends, community is all we have, a social network will be your security in the world, now is the time to lean on others!"

I do agree, and it's scientifically sound (pretty sure there is data about how people with better social networks live longer and etc) but also....augh..... what about the severe social issues, difficulty to leave the house, physical issues which lead to like zero socialization energy a majority of the time, etc. etc. Social support can be a replacement for structural support, but.. I guess I just wish it didn't have to be. Community is extremely difficult to build, even moreso if you're someone who has issues with social cues or group conversations or even just being around others in the first place. And blah, nuance, of course I'm just complaining or maybe being too negative or maybe misunderstanding, but, I hardly have the energy to brush my hair once every 2 months.. how am I supposed to maintain a wide social network and be active in a Community and Join Groups lol... sometimes it kind of feels like "er.. well if thats my only option then...... ruh roh". It's overwhelming

[clown-femme]

[ninashiki]

I RESPECT YOUR TASTE BUT IF I MAY POLITELY ASK WHY KAZUI. hebores me i cannot lie so i want to understand why ur invested in him

No that's totally fair! Putting this under the cut

Honestly it's mainly that he's relatable! I tend to eat up gaynst if done well, and the overall production of how it was done in Cat (and his T2 voice trial, QnA posts) was fun. I also like that the gaynst happening was with an older man but not tied to romance. The overall bait-and-switch of "you thought he was just some random cheater well Guess What he NEVER cheated he only LONGED TO and she fell/killed herself because he was GAY and CAME OUT TO HER." was so fucking funny at the time too. (I can't remember rn if the accident theory was disproven) Cat is also one of my favorite Milgram songs, I had it on repeat for a long time (while I never listened to Half lol). I really hoped the innocent/forgiven verdict would have dialed up the resentful energy in that song (the eating of the dove bit at the end) and made him realize nothing is wrong with him but sigh of course not, it's obvious in the way Yuno is treated that Milgram is written with conservative Japanese sensibilities in mind. I'm not sure what they're going to do with him now, the self-hating energy is frustrating but not surprising. Hoping he doesn't get assigned a ballad. A decent portion of my love of him was also out of spite, since it was incredibly frustrating to see how people talked about him (even in the English fandom). I hope he got to be loved like a cat before he was summoned to Milgram, otherwise #rip. FWIW I would still completely support him if he was straight, then he'd be more of a Sylvain Gautier character lol. It never made sense to me that he was in Milgram (same with Yuno) so it made me feel strongly about him even if he's a flat character overall.

I am aware that could be considered shallow but the premise of Milgram is pretty shallow anyway. There is no way to ethically judge any of the characters without knowing what the final consequences of doing so are, which could be anything as far as we know such as suffering eternally (ex sending them to hell), head exploding (what happens to them in the novelization iirc), or not reincarnating and getting their soul destroyed/sent to the void (plot of the anime Death Parade which I am leaning towards the most as what they'll go for since it's implied everyone is already dead). I mean maybe some people would want that but I don't really think any of the characters deserve those fates since it's absurdly disproportionate... I would elaborate more if it didn't compel me to write thousands of words 😭 my ideal personal outcome was/is everyone getting forgiven

[sonknuxadow]

the thing about the character creator in sonic forces is that it was a really fun idea but the execution could have been so much better. i could fix him

[keeps-ache]

the urge to talk my head off vs. the calm of quiet vs. the Thoughts

[impossible-rat-babies]

puppets bunker and ddos attacks have never been so much fun

[bmpmp3]

gives your vocal synth a chronic illness. metatextually.

[theydoctor]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers✨ no pressure tho! ( ◕◡◕)っ ♡

(This is really hard btw because the last 80 reblogs in my notifications are just you and your Patrick insanity xD)

wdym i did absolutely not go insane over patrick (also you're to blame tss)

oki uhmm

- You <3

- bisexual people.

- jon & martin (except for when they make me cry)

- not dying ?

- punctual trains

[wannab-urs]

The fact that pedro came up with Joel’s line about waking up and knowing he’s lost something in the whole “i’m failing in my sleep” speech… that is heartbreaking.

There’s a specific kind of trauma when you lose someone and you think maybe you could have done something to stop it or you could have at least been there. The guilt and pain that probably doesnt ever go away even though you know logically you did nothing wrong.

I think he was talking about his mom in that scene, or at least drawing on that feeling and it makes me so sad for him.

[salty-dracon]

HI I’M SALTYDRACON, AND WELCOME TO JACKASS. TODAY WE’RE MAKING PROTESTANTISM MORE WELCOMING AND FUN BY DESTROYING THE WORLD AND REPLACING THE CHURCHES WITH LIBRARIES AND FILLING THEM WITH MURALS AND SOUP

[anisespice]

“ baby steps ” || tokyo rev.

continuation of this post.

pairing: bonten x fem!reader [ mikey, ran, sanzu ]

warnings: mature content ahead. MDI. mature language, crude humor, ANGST w/ comfort (mostly in mikey's), deadbeat!bonten (unintentionally), not proof-read so there may be A LOT of errors :// mikey's is LONG, ran + sanzu's are silly goofy, mikey + sanzu's are a lil unhinged lol and i think that’s it :))

notes: can i just say thank y'all so much for showing "accidents happen" the love that i didn't think it would get, it was made on a whim so i'm so so so happy y'all enjoyed! i tagged as many as i could (or that tumblr would allow) sorry if i missed some of you :( thank you for your patience and let me know how you feel about this continuation format :) !! notes ii: also also, pt. 2 for "accidents happen" coming soon! notes iii: MY COMPUTER CRASHED AND I THOUGHT I LOST EVERYTHING BUT IT'S OKAY IT'S OKAY :'))))

tagged: @fantasycantasy , @illegalspacecow , @captaincyberqueen , @cherryblossiren , @niragiswhore , @awkwardaardvarkforever , @valentsoup , @lovely212 , @miffysoo , @yandere-kouhai , @i-am-just-a-girl-ur-honor , @wisteriarose214 , @kindadolly , @yuwaimo , @sweetbella1221 , @simpingfor-wakasa , @sirachano0dles , @yutahg , @slowlikehonee , @blurpleuni-squid , @haruchiyoreen , @istanstraykidss , @loyard176 , @msluccapotato , @luv444lay , @backgroundcharactera , @jegelskeranime

Ever since you picked up your daughter, there’s been a hovering presence that wouldn’t go away no matter where you went. From the park, to the grocery store, all the way home it clung to you like a bad itch. Despite looking over your shoulder and being met without any sort of threat, that didn’t stop the uneasy feeling. And it only intensified when you received a knock on your front door.

You made a confused hum, checking the time on the microwave to confirm that it was indeed past the reasonable hour for potential visitors. Not to mention, you weren’t expecting anyone.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, instincts telling you that something wasn’t right, that your best option was to pretend you weren’t home. However, the person on the other side knew otherwise as they knocked on the door again, this time with more fervor. You inhaled sharply, taking hesitant steps towards the door until you were mere feet away from it. Eventually, you worked up the courage to look through the peephole, your brows furrowing in distress when all you could see was black—They were covering it. All the more reason not to open the door…

What if it’s a robber? Ridiculous, they don’t knock.

What if it’s just the neighbor? Why cover the peephole?

More and more did your mind swirl with endless possibilities, each one becoming less and less believable. Taking a long, deep breath, you doubled-checked the door-chain was on before slowly cracking it open. And as you attempted to peek through the sliver, nothing could’ve prepared you for the arm that forced its way through, startling you as you yelped, stumbling back as it made a grab at you.

Before you had the thought of shoving the door closed on the offender’s arm they grabbed the little chain, then yanked it clean out of the wall. To your terror, a dark hooded figure entered your home, head hung low, concealing their identity.

You began to hyperventilate, backing up to keep distance as they staggered further into your home before kicking the door closed behind them, effectively blocking you from the exit. Surely, someone heard your scream and would check in, or call the police. But, how long did you have before the intruder decided to make a move? Not to mention, your sleeping child just down the hall…

With that last thought in mind, you immediately steeled your nerves.

Even if you had to use your bare hands, you were going to do whatever it took to keep your baby out of harms way.

You reached for the closest weapon without taking your eyes off the figure, hands clasping onto a discarded umbrella that was leaned up against a closet door. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. Taking a defensive stance, you prepared for what you assumed to be the inevitable.

“I-I don’t know who you are, or what you want…b-but if you don’t leave…my..my boyfriend will be home any minute! H-He knows how to fight, and he’ll fuck you up if you try anything!”

Your means of intimation fall on deaf ears. It were as if you hadn’t spoken at all. They just…stood there. Watching you from the darkness. That feeling, that hovering presence you’d been weary about all evening…there was no doubt in your mind it was because of this individual. Suddenly, they gave a watery chuckle, hand coming up to rub the lower half of their face as the chilling noise dissipated into soft snickers.

You sweatdropped. “I mean it! He’ll be here real soon, so you better get out of here before-”

“[_____]…” the figure finally rasped, voice heavy with an emotion you couldn’t decipher in the moment. You froze, eyes widening.

“…How the hell do you know my name?”

Without much urgency, they stepped forward into the light. Beneath the warm glow, it took you mere seconds to recognize the person standing before you. You gasped, trembling hands dropping the umbrella, it landing with a harsh clatter. Soft, mortified hitches in your breath echoed through the small space, memories flashing before your eyes as you covered your gaping mouth.

“M.. Ma..” you whimpered, throat tightening. A shell of a man, who gazed upon you with stormy eyes flooded with tears at the mere sight of you.

He gave another strained laugh, muttering to himself as he soaked you all in. “Needed to know.. Needed to know it was really you…”

Mikey eyed you up, intensely, eerily silent as he did so. Then, he took in the surroundings, the warmth, the interior, the smell of dinner—It truly felt like a home. A bitter pill to swallow once he reminded himself that you built it without him.

His sharp gaze returned to your stunned expression. He sneered.

“Must’ve been easy for you. To forget me and move on, just like that. Like I was nothing.”

You blinked, taken aback. All you could do was remain speechless, cemented to the ground with thoughts and questions racing in your head. Now matter how many times you opened your mouth, no sound would come out aside from choked whimpers.

“Do you know…how long I’d been searching for you? Been mourning for you?” He hissed through clenched teeth. “When you left, I thought… I thought someone had taken you. That I lost you all because I was too stubborn to say I’m sorry…”

As he spoke, Mikey slowly closed the space between you. The more he came into the light, the more you could see how the years had treated him. His cheekbones were more pronounced, the dark circles under his eyes as well. His lips were dry, cracked, his fair skin now ghoulishly pale. If not for the black hoodie you would’ve mistaken him as such; ghost of your past.

Your shoulders shook, hands hovering over your face as you gaped in disbelief. He’d been looking for you?

That night, that stupid fight you could barely remember…he made it crystal clear that he wanted nothing to do with you. He pushed you away. Pushed so hard that you almost believed he really wouldn’t have cared if you dropped dead. You knew he didn’t mean it, knew it was just another dark impulse…but none of that mattered when all your pregnancy tests came back positive just hours prior.

That night, you made the decision for the sake of your daughter. And also, for his sake. At the time, you were certain he wasn’t ready to be a father. He was quick to rage, merciless, losing himself to the darkness you tried to protect him from. If you had stayed, you were certain Mikey would’ve never forgiven himself if he lost control in front of his own flesh and blood, if the child grew to resent him for something he struggled to control.

You thought you were doing him a favor…but it appears to have done the opposite.

“And this whole time…you’ve been here, alive. Playing fucking house with someone else.”

You stiffened. Someone else? Your visible confusion only irritated him further.

He scoffed. “Don’t play dumb. You said it yourself. Too bad he won’t be coming home anytime soon. I’ve already got Sanzu and the Haitanis looking around for the bastard. And when they find him, I’ll make him regret sticking his filthy dick inside you.”

Confusion morphed into realization. You did threaten him with said hypothetical boyfriend…But, that was before you knew it was him!

“Oh, Manjiro…” you whispered. He glared, scorned.

“Don’t you dare pity me. I mean, you got the family you always wanted, right? So who cares who it was with, right? Congratu-fucking-lations.”

You shook your head, exhaling deeply as you held your face in your hands. For years, he thought you dead. Then, when he received word of your appearance, he finds you with child. And not once did he consider that child to be his? It’s like…he couldn’t fathom the thought.

If only he had looked just a little bit closer, he would’ve seen that she had his eyes. How they resembled those pools of ink that used to shine with so much hope back in his youth, so playful and full of love…those same eyes that now gazed upon you with contempt.

It stung.

He thought so low, not only of himself, but of you as well.

Taking a deep breath to reel in your emotions, tears began to well up in your eyes. He assumed they were tears for your doomed lover, further breaking his heart as Mikey clenched his fists to the point of nearly drawing blood. Luckily, even though you struggled to find the right words, someone else happily found them for you.

“Papa..?”

Both of you instantly drew your attention on the toddler standing near the kitchen, one fist clutching her blanket while the other rubbed the sleep from her eye. You glanced at Mikey, and he was stiller than stone. His once dead-stare had morphed into what could only be described as incredulous. Surely, he heard her incorrectly…

With a sniffle, you crouched down to address her, offering a soft grin as you nodded earnestly. “That’s right, sweetheart. Papa’s finally come home.”

The little girl blinked sleepily, taking a second to reboot. But, as soon as the words registered, a bright smile stretched across her face as she excitedly rushed towards Mikey, throwing herself onto his legs and hugging them like a koala as she chirped, “Papa, home!”

Said man hobbled a bit at the force, arms windmilling as he caught himself to keep from falling backwards. He didn’t know what to do with himself, especially when those big, round pools of ink opened and stared right up into his soul. Mikey’s heart nearly stopped. With a hitch in his breath, the gangster did everything he could to hold his composure, looking between you and the child as you both gazed at him with so much warmth…it was suffocating.

Sensing he was overwhelmed, you reached down to scoop up the bubbly bundle, holding her close as you eyed Mikey, apprehensively.

He resembled a cornered animal—Muscles stiff, jaw tight, eyes wild. After a moment, Mikey began to slowly back away into the shadows of your home, conflicted, devastated. It wasn’t until his back hit the door did he eventually fall to his ass, of which caused your child to giggle at how silly he was being. However, all you could do was hold back tears, watching as the reality started to weigh down on a man who just discovered he was a father.

Nervous, you gently explained. “I didn’t leave you because of our spat, Jiro…and I never moved on. I just…thought that I’d be doing more harm than good sticking around when I found out I was pregnant…I didn’t want to add any more stress on your plate, so I…”

Mikey didn’t respond. He sat there, stare vast and unfocused. But, you knew he hung on to every word. So you continued. “I wanted to tell you. But…I wasn’t sure how. At the time, I believed you had stopped caring about me altogether. And to hear you’d been looking for me, I-I’m…I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you harbored all that guilt. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”

Your daughter wiggled around in your hold, making small grunts in complaint. Her eyes were trained on his figure huddled in the dark, wanting to be acknowledged, wanting his attention. “Papa!”

Mikey flinched. He focused his gaze on the two you, haloed by the light emitting from the living room. You both were like salvation, reaching down to a broken sinner…How could she want anything to do with him? When he had missed so much already…

To keep from accidentally dropping her, you placed your daughter back on the ground, watching wearily as she wobbled all the way to Mikey, blanket in tow. You weren’t worried about him hurting her, far from it…if anything, he appeared to be the fragile one.

Eventually, she made it to her destination, standing before him with a curious, but eager expression as she rested a hand on his knee. Mikey watched her, took in all of her features, every last detail as he engraved it to memory. She was beautiful, just like her mother. One would think his genes didn’t stand a chance. But the eyes. That was all him. From his mother to his older brother to himself, there was no doubt in his mind that those were Sano eyes.

His lower lip quivered, reaching out hesitantly to caress her cheek. She didn’t cower away, merely babbled as she began patting his knee, allowing his thumb to rub over her chubby cheek. You clasped your hands over your mouth, growing even more emotional at the delicate moment. Mikey looked enamored already, eyes subtly sparkling from what you could see as they interacted.

“I-I told her stories, about you. And I made sure to show her photos, too. Old ones, but still you nonetheless. I wanted her to know who her father truly was. Despite everything else…”

Your daughter cooed, then placed her blanket in Mikey’s lap before climbing into it. Mikey didn’t dare move, rigid as she made herself comfortable. He looked up at you, looking for guidance, for reassurance. Your encouraging smile was enough for him to hesitantly place his hands on her small back for support, carefully adjusting so that she was stable. She laid her head on his chest and stuck her thumb in her mouth, sighing contentedly.

And, for the first time in years, he smiled.

When you hadn’t seen her familiar pigtails bobbing around, or heard any of her excited chatter with the receptionist up front, worry couldn’t even begin to describe what you felt the moment you realize…your daughter wasn’t here.

As soon as the meeting looked like it was wrapping up, you politely excused yourself from the room. Masking your worry wasn't too difficult, but there's no doubt a couple people might've noticed the spring in your step as you exited. One of them being Rindou Haitani. He watched you speed down the hall with mild interest, corner of his mouth ticking up ever so slightly as he thumbed around on his phone beneath the table. Having been updating his older brother during the meeting while he was on his smoke break, he was more than eager to inform him of the storm that was no doubt heading his way.

Little did the younger Haitani know, he was already dealing with one.

"And then, Haruka-kun tries to take Momo-kun's bento box because she had cuter animal shapes, but Momo-kun already said no, and so Haruka-kun pushes Momo-kun, and then tries to take it! But I pushed him and hit him with my fist, like this," she clenched up her tiny fist and held it up to Ran before striking down on his forearm with all her might. It didn't even pitch. "Like that."

The lavender-eyed man merely gazed upon her with mirth. "Did you now?"

"Mmhm! And teacher got so mad, and said that she would tell Ma about me fighting, but she's stupid because Ma didn't pick me up today, and I told Haruka-kun if he snitches, I'll beat 'em up!"

Ran lowly whistled. "Quite the little menace, ain'tcha?"

She pumped her fists. "Yeah!" Then, she paused, holding a finger to her chin in thought. "Wait...what's a menace?"

"Ah, something you inherited from your old man." He ruffled her hair, much to her displeasure. Though her innocent jab earlier regarding his age still hit a sore spot, he was starting to like the sound of it. She, on the other hand, wasn't convinced.

"I already told you; Ma was on her happy juice when she said that. She said not to believe anything she says when she's on happy juice. It makes her do silly things."

Ran chuckled. He knew that all too well. The little girl wouldn't be in this world if not for your inability to hold your liquor. But judging based on how you've raised her so far, clearly you made the right decision keeping him in the dark.

He'll admit, he wasn't the best in terms of commitment. Throughout his day to day, Ran just didn't have the energy. With being in Bonten, keeping an eye out for his younger brother, handling business, dealing with numbskulls and disposing of their bodies, there was never a time to even consider settling down. One-night stands and on and off flings were the easiest choice. At least, until he stumbled upon you.

You were the whole package and more. Classy, independent, witty, and a looker to top it all off. When Bonten started collaborating with the organization you worked in, he couldn't help but to be drawn to you—Like a moth to a flame. It started out as the occasional bantering, trying to one-up the other, catch them off guard. Ran was smooth with his words but could never quite beat your sharp tongue. Thus, things escalated to something more flirtatious. Harmless, but it didn't take long before the months of tension between the both of you began boiling over...and throwing alcohol into the mix, it was the first time Ran finally felt like he had the upper hand. Seeing how poorly you handled just a few glasses of wine, it endeared him. Seeing a piece of you that no one else had the privilege to witness. Your sloppy side, the clumsy, whiny, touchy side. After that long, passionate night beneath the sheets, the one time you and Ran allowed yourselves the space to be vulnerable with one another...you found yourself pregnant. And Ran found himself being nonethewiser.

He wonders, if he hadn't left the next morning and completely ghosted you...would you have kept him in the picture?

Suddenly, his phone dings. Reaching back to pull it from his back pocket, Ran half expected it to just be another update on the meeting or Rindou cursing at him to hurry his ass back inside. But, it wasn't that at all. And at the sound of your kitten heels rushing out of the building and halting at the top of the steps, Ran didn't even need to look up to know who was glowering down from them.

"Hey, Ma! Guess what, the purple man isn't such a meanie after all!"

Ran snorted, finally looking up from his phone to greet the woman who not only still had his heart, but evidently his first child. You, on the other hand, weren't so thrilled to see him.

"Rika. Wait inside. Ma's got some words for the purple man."

He smirked. "Wanna say 'em over a glass of wine?"

"You son of a-!"

"Bad word!" Your daughter covered her ears. You flushed, your composure nearly slipping just by being in his prescence. Ran, immediately seeing the opportunity, teasingly pouts at you whilst covering her tiny hands with his larger ones, shielding her.

"Honey, please, not in front of the child. Can't have her repeating those dirty words at school, can we?"

You fumed, speaking through clenched teeth. "Haitani, as soon as I get her in this building, away from you, I swear to God, I'm gonna wring your neck."

He hummed, amused. "Well. Guess she didn't get her violent side from me after all. Speaking of which, did you know at school today-"

"Hey! No snitching!"

“...What did you say?” 

You were hoping you heard the teacher wrong. Surely it was just your exhaustion taking the wheel. But, when her kind smile didn’t falter, nor did her gushes for the supposed “adorable display”, you immediately grew suspicious.

While heading home from work, you went to pick up your children from daycare. And when you arrived, the teacher merely informed you that it was already taken care of by your very handsome and very devoted husband. 

“I-I think you’re mistaken. My boyfriend and I aren’t married…”

The teacher, finally coming back down to earth, tilted her head in confusion. “Eh? You aren’t?” 

“Did he…say we were?” 

“Well, no. I just assumed since it was easy to tell who he was here for. Hikaru and Kaoru look so much like their daddy.”

You choked on your spit.  Hikaru and Kaoru look so much like their daddy. Hikaru and Kaoru look so much like their daddy.

You did everything in your power to keep from strangling the poor woman. Sure, she didn’t do anything wrong per say…but she sure did make a grave error. And your struggle to restrain your intrusive thoughts must’ve shown on your face from the way she placed a concerned hand on your arm. “Are you alright, miss? You look like you’re about to faint.”

“M-Mhm, yep, great, just peachy.” You squeaked through clenched teeth, sweatdrop on your forehead. “Could you um…confirm something for me?”

“Uh.? Er, sure. I’ll try my best.”

With tense shoulders and a tight smile, you asked, “Their…father…did his mouth have two scars in the corners?”

The teacher blinked, confused. Shouldn’t you already know that answer yourself?, she was probably thinking. And she would be right; you did know. But her simple, hesitant nod was the final nail in the coffin that was your delusion—Haruchiyo Sanzu had found you. And to make matters worse, he had the children.

Your smile faltered, twitching ever so slightly. Covering it with a forced chuckle, you cried, “Oh, that’s..wonderful! He’s always been self conscious about them, and I’m j-just.. beaming with joy that he’s embracing them more. Have a nice evening, Ms. Yuki.”

The teacher didn’t get a chance to respond as you quickly turned on your heel and began speed walking home. You’d apologize for your abrupt exit another day…right now there were more important matters to worry about. For instance—How on earth did Sanzu find you? How did he know about the twins and where they were? Oh, God…did he know about Satoru?

Dialing him up a few times only for the calls to go straight to voicemail weren’t reassuring in the slightest, having you rush across oncoming traffic just so you could avoid any further delays for your fraying nerves. You could see your apartment complex up ahead, heart thumping in your throat at the familiar, black SUV parked a couple blocks down. Had it not been for the heavily tinted windows and no license plates, you probably would’ve overlooked it. He knew where you lived. Stomach in knots, muscles stiff, nerves shot. You didn’t know whether to feel relieved or devastated. Your kids were safe at home, but at what cost? You stood in front of the building, rooted to the ground. Despite mentally preparing for this exact scenario for years, it all went down the drain the second you went to that daycare and discovered your children were missing.

It wasn’t until your phone vibrated did you snap out of your thoughts, shakily pulling the device out of your back pocket to check the notification.

from : unknown 1:06 pm     “ hi, mama.~ ”

Your stomach twisted. Attached to the message were two photos.

The first photo was of your kids eating McDonald's in the kitchen, happily cheesing and waving at the camera. You couldn't hold your choked gasp, hand coming up to hold your quivering lower lip—They were safe.

The second photo...was of Satoru. Tied to a chair, gagged, and beaten senseless. And standing behind him, holding him by his hair so that he could pose for the camera, grinning like a cheshire cat...

Another message pops up. Your grip tightened around your phone.

from : unknown 1:09 pm " daddy's home.~ "

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[moonstruckme]

remus one shot where he can’t stop blushing around the reader because he has a huge crush on her and sirius and james are like dude please ask her out already?? 🙈

cw: the trials and tribulations of a restaurant job, semi-confident reader (or at least she can withstand Sirius' flirting, which I couldn't), James and Sirius' shameless wingmanning

shy!Remus x fem!reader ♡ 1.1k words

The cafe is crammed. You’ve almost tripped over two kids already whose parents let them run loose, you did let a glass slip from your tray when a customer stuck his leg out into the walkway without looking, and you’ve quickly reached the conclusion that today was definitely the wrong day to break in your new work shoes. You’re on your last straw at only ten in the morning, but your pasted-on smile becomes twice as genuine when you see a table of your favorite regulars. 

“Hi,” you say warmly, clicking your pen and readying it above your pad. “How are we doing today?” 

You’re greeted with two dazzling grins from one side of the booth and a shyer smile from the other. 

“Y/n,” says Sirius, in his suave, flirtatious way (you’ve learned not to take it personally), “you’re looking stunning.” 

You know your hair is suffering from the weather outside and there’s orange juice down the front of your apron, but you smile at him anyway. “Thank you, so are you.” 

“How’s your morning going?” James asks. These boys are never ones to skip over pleasantries to get to their meal, and while with other tables you might try to hurry them along, you never mind in this case. Today especially, you welcome the break. 

“Oh, it’s going,” you try to joke, looking pointedly down at your orange juice stain. “Could be worse.” 

He makes a face. “Yikes.” 

“It’s fine,” you say breezily. “What can I get you?” 

You look to James, because really he’s the only one you ever need to ask. The other two are fairly consistent, but James seems inclined to try something new every time he comes in. 

He doesn’t disappoint now, locking eyes with you seriously over the top of his menu. “How is your butterfly lemonade? No—actually, what is your butterfly lemonade?”

“It’s…” You bite your lip, thinking. Sirius snickers, and when you look he seems to be sharing in some joke with Remus’, whose cheeks have gone a tad pink. “I’m not sure, honestly, but it’s sweet. I think you’d like it.” 

“That, then.” James slaps down his menu decisively. 

“Right.” You write it down. “And then, a caramel latte and a tea?” You look to Sirius and Remus for confirmation. 

The former shoots you a grin you take as a yes, while the latter nods and says quietly, “Thank you.” 

“No problem.” You soften your smile for Remus. You adore all of these boys, but you have a bit of a tender spot for him. Remus is by far the quietest of his friends, though really just as friendly when he does talk. It’s terribly endearing. 

You click your pen again. “Okay, back soon!” 

The boys’ table remains a bright spot in your morning for as long as they’re there. Their antics you’re rather used to—the flirting, and the pranks, and the teasing way both James and Sirius poke at Remus while his blush worsens and worsens—but it surprises a laugh out of you when you joke that you’ll have to spit in Remus’ food if he orders the brioche (which infamously holds up the kitchen every time) and Sirius snorts doubt he’d mind before yelping and jumping in his seat. By the time you’re bringing them their ticket, the cafe has reached its late morning lull and your day is remarkably brighter than it started off. 

You seem to be interrupting some sort of debate when you approach their table, Remus leaning forward to whisper across the booth before he catches sight of you and sits back. The tops of his cheekbones are tinged pink. Sirius, on the other hand, is grinning wickedly, whereas James looks mostly exasperated. 

“Thank you,” James says kindly, taking the ticket from you. Remus starts rifling through his pockets for cash, but Sirius only looks at you as though sizing you up. 

“Y/n,” he starts to say, ignoring how Remus’ eyes narrow in his direction, “are you seeing anyone at the moment?” 

You feel your eyebrows lift. “Not currently, no.” 

“But why not?” He affects a look of puzzled contemplation, propping his chin on his hand. “You’re a pretty girl. Are you not looking to date?” 

You shrug, fighting the urge to cross your arms defensively. It’s not that you’ve never gotten these sorts of personal questions from customers before, but you weren’t expecting them from this table; you thought you knew better than to take Sirius’ flirting seriously. “Nothing has come up lately, I guess.” 

“Do you fancy men?”

“Sirius,” Remus hisses. “Leave her alone.” 

“What?” Sirius spreads his hands, guileless. “None of us would care if you didn’t, lovely—well, some might care, but no one would hold it against you—” He yelps for the second time today, this time shooting a glare at his friend across the booth. “Anyway, you don’t have to say if you aren’t comfortable.” 

You’re laughing a bit now, half nervously. “No, that’s okay. I do, yeah.” 

“Interesting.” James sets down the ticket. It seems you have his full attention now. “And what do you think of our Remus?” 

Remus makes a horrified sputtering sound, and you turn to find him looking at James in betrayal. He’s pink to the tips of his ears. 

You can’t help a small smile as you catch on. “I think he seems very sweet.” 

“Mm, well spotted.” James nods, tenting his hands like a man at a business meeting. 

“Yes, very good taste,” Sirius agrees. 

“He’s a dateable bloke, no?” James asks you. He jolts in his seat a little, but doesn’t yelp like Sirius had. Remus appears caught between wanting to hide his face in his hands and wanting to burn his friends to cinders with his gaze. He’ll be lucky, you think amusedly, if he doesn’t burn himself up first. The hue of his blush is only getting deeper. 

“He is,” you agree. You look at Remus again. This time, he meets your eyes, his look softening. 

“I’m so sorry,” he says miserably. 

Your grin spreads. “No, don’t be.” 

“So would you like to date him?” James furthers. 

Remus does put his head in his hands now, letting out a muffled groan. “James.” 

“What? Clearly you aren’t going to do it yourself, and I am sick of trying to eat my breakfast whilst you moon over—” He jumps in his seat again, and goes quiet, reaching down to rub at his leg. You tuck your lips in to hide a smile. 

“I’m just going to take this,” you say, reaching for the customer copy of their receipt. You bend over, scrawling your number down on the signature line. “And if anyone has more questions for me later, they can give me a ring. Okay?” 

You look at Remus. He looks nauseous and stop-sign red, but he manages to give you a small smile. “Alright,” he says, tentatively.

“Perfect. Bye, boys.” You shoot them a wave as you go to your next table. You hope Remus sees how your smile is really only for him.