#i don't think i'll ever stop spraining my ankles

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

the thing about having a health condition that gets worse with inactivity is that people really don't want you to buy a wheelchair. and if you get a wheelchair they only want you to get a cheap and uncomfortable one so that you're not tempted to use it too much. but what they don't understand is that it's very rarely a choice between "do this thing on foot" and "do this thing using a wheelchair". it's "do this thing using a wheelchair" or "don't do this thing bc it'll hurt too much if it's even possible at all". and the latter does not actually offer any more activity/mobility/improvement than using a chair, it just means you don't get to do stuff.

i am well aware that it would be actively detrimental to my health to use a chair all the time. which is why i'm not planning to! there are many areas of my life where the chair would be hindrance, if it were possible to use it there at all, so i've automatically got built-in non-chair activities anyway. but i am currently Not Doing a lot of things because i can't stand, and the chair allows me to do those things, and that's what it's for.

[loganwritesprobably]

First 'I Love You'

The first time you say I love you, and the first time they say it, featuring Crocodile, Benn and Ichiji

Notes/Warnings: GN!Reader, Alabasta era Crocodile, angst (Crocodile), fluff (Benn & Ichiji), character death, canon-typical violence, minor injury mentioned, Robin and Law as background characters

You say I love you first

It was a fairly normal evening, you and Crocodile were cleaning up and getting ready for bed, tired from a long day of work. You'd been dating for months now, with you having moved into his quarters above the casino a couple of weeks ago. Things weren't moving too fast, or too slow - just right. At least for you. You knew what sort of man Crocodile was, and you were just fine with that. You were less fine with knowing he was keeping secrets from you, but he'd tell you when he was ready.

You pulled your shirt over your head, turning to see Crocodile leaving the ensuite bathroom, ready to get into bed. You approached and wrapped your arms around him, pushing up onto your toes to press a kiss to his jaw. "I'll just brush my teeth." You told him, and he hummed with a smile. "Alright sweetheart." And with that you released him to head for the bathroom yourself. You paused in the doorway, which Crocodile took note of, and stopped before climbing into the bed to look at you expectantly.

"I love you, you know." You said. It clearly look your lover off guard, as he just stared at you, unsure how to proceed. "You don't have to say it back. I just.. wanted you to know." Then you slipped into the bathroom and left Crocodile to process your words.

It took Crocodile quite a while to finally say it back

With Luffy close to ruining all his plans

You still hadn't uncovered all of his secrets, and you didn't think you ever would

Luffy was closing in, you all knew it. For a rookie, the kid was crazy, and honestly kind of scary. You, Crocodile and Robin stood in the grand room beneath the palace, Cobra tied up in a corner and bleeding. You looked at Robin expectantly, waiting for the knowledge from the poneglyph.

"It isn't here." She told you both, turning to you first with a silent apology in her eyes, then to Crocodile with a more cold expression. "Do not lie to me, Miss All Sunday." Crocodile accused, and you reached to take his arm in your hand. "I believe her. It isn't here. But we can keep moving with the plan, with the power of a country we can look els-" You didn't get a chance to finish your sentence.

You looked down and found a knife in your abdomen, and Crocodie's large fingers wrapped around the handle. You slowly traced your eyes up his body until they met his, and he didn't even look remorseful. He let go of you, and you fell to the ground, bleeding. He approached Robin slowly, who was clearly wary and worried for you simultaneously. Two arms sprouted from the ground to press against your wound, all the while she was slowly inching away from Crocodile. Sadly, with her attention split between the two of you, he managed to get her next.

He left Robin on the ground, her extra limbs disappearing from around you so she could focus her energy on herself, and you didn't blame her.

Crocodile approached you again, looming over you with a smirk on his face. "You know, for a moment there, I almost loved you too." He said mockingly. Crocodile crouched slowly downward, and with one of his large hands he scooped your head up until you were close enough for him to press a filthy kiss against your lips.

You hoped Luffy kicked his ass. That was your final thought before your eyes slid closed for a final time.

Benn said I love you first, a surprise to you both

The Red Force had docked at an island to restock once again, having run out of booze a couple of days ago, and you were beginning to run out of food too. Everyone was disembarking to gather supplies and spend some time on land, but you'd managed to injure yourself while sparring with Shanks a few days ago, and you and your sprained ankle were to stay on the ship. It was a bit of a bummer, but at least it meant you didn't have to do heavy lifting. And you got to watch Benn do heavy lifting, which you'd never complain about.

"We won't be long darlin'." Benn called out as he headed for the gangplank. "I'll be here." You replied, lifting the drink in your hand with a grin. "Alright, see you later. Love ya!" He called out and walked away.

You remained there frozen, clearly Benn hadn't quite realised what he'd done, but you had.

But you weren't far behind.

Despite your injury, you put down your drink and rushed to the side of the ship, adrenaline helping you ignore the pain. "Benn!" You called out, leaning over the railing, grinning like a madman. Benn looked back at you, confused and a little concerned. "I love you too!" You said, laughing all the while. Only in that moment did Benn seem to realise what he'd done, and then he was rushing back up onto the ship to scoop you up into his arms and smother you with kisses.

You said I love you first, many times

Despite the way he acted, and the way he'd been raised and created, you knew that Ichiji had the ability to love, somewhere inside of him. You'd seen it in the way he'd hesitate just momentarily if he thought one of his brothers was struggling in a fight, or how he'd choose to take harder battles for himself to keep them safer. The signs were small, but they were there.

He was never outright cruel to you, and that was part of why you stuck by him. He didn't want to be cruel, even though it was what he was trained to do, because a part of him cared for you as much as you did for him. "Have a good day, I love you." You said, waving Ichiji goodbye as he left your shared room for a day of work, grinning all the while.

You didn't care how many times you said it before he said it back, you didn't care if you never said it at all. Being here and happy was enough for you.

And one day, he surprised you

Judge was dead. He had been for a long while. Once he was dead, you and Reiju had been able to begin helping the Vinsmoke brothers heal. You had been the only one to stay in contact with Sanji after he left, the least painful person to talk to since you hadn't been there in his childhood - a safe way to keep an eye on his family. He'd referred you to a 'friend' of his - Trafalgar Law, who apparently was a big fan of Germa, and he was happy to help.

His devil fruit was amazing, and you happily sat back and watched as he ran diagnostic tests, and learned how the Vinsmoke brothers ticked.

"Good news," Law said, "is that you can de-program them, you were right. Bad news though, is that it's gonna take a long time. There's some sort of switch I can turn in their brains, bring back their emotions, but you'll have to teach them to be better, I'd guess. Sorry Reiju-ya, it'll be a while before your brothers are whole." He explained, but that was enough for both of you. It was possible. But then, Law followed with, "It might be easier with Ichiji-ya, since he has you." he directed at you, and that filled you with even more excitement.

You agreed for Law to do what he needed to, and after the procedure the boys slept for almost a full forty eight hours. Law wasn't surprised, or concerned, so you tried to follow his example. He checked them over when they woke, and when he confirmed that physically they were well, he bid you goodbye. This next bit was on you.

"Ichiji." You said softly, sitting beside your lover's bed, reaching out to gently take his hand. "I- I.." He trailed off, looking at you with desperation. You reached up to brush some hair from his face with a smile. "It's okay." You soothed, kissing his forehead. He had nothing to worry about with you. "No- it's not." He growled, and you took his face in both your hands. "I'll wait forever for you, love. It's okay." You soothed again. Ichiji lunged forward to passionately connect your lips, reaching out to pull you onto the bed on top of him, your knees either side of his hips. "I love you." He whispered against your lips, eyes closed against the surge of emotions. "I love you too." You whispered back, eyes brimming with the happiest kind of tears.

Requests are open! See below links for my other works, and how to leave requests. I write both canon/canon and canon/reader requests for your enjoyment

AO3 | Fanfic Masterlist | Request Rules | Fic Trades Guide | WIPs

Tags: @claryeverlarkf @uselessboots

[scarletwinterxx]

my 200 - mark lee imagine

helllooooo, it's been a while😅 well to sum up the time i was gone, i've been busy with work, i cried alot after taeyong's enlistment, i secured tickets to see dreamies, i cried some more. i think that's it hahah anywayssss Mark Solo!!! i love love love the song🥺 and that's my inspo for this scenario, hope you like it!

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series�� you can check them out here.

and if you want, u can buy me coffee(totally optional but any donation is very much appreciated!) thank you🥺💛

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2024 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(pics and gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)

"So, are you still mad at him?" Haechan asks again. The same question he's been asking since the other night you went home upset. Ofcourse being your brother he knows you, he might be annoying as heck but he does care for you.

"I'm not mad at him"

"Then why aren't you talking?"

"Who says we aren't talking?" you asked back

"You haven't charged your phone since yesterday. I would know since I can track you. Number two, you're actually hanging out with me"

You hit him on the arm, glaring at him

"No but really, you good?" he asks

"I don't like it when you get serious. But to answer your question, no I'm not so fine right now" you finally admit

"So you two really fought? wow, never thought I'd see the day"

"Shut up, we didn't fight. I just said something and he freaked out then I freaked out now we're here" you vaguely explain, Haechan look at you with a confused look on his face.

"Care to share?" he prods

"I said I love you to him, I'm not even mad if he didn't say it back because that's not why I said it but the way he reacted got me thinking maybe I shouldn't have said it. There, now you know"

Haechan looks at you for a few seconds before shaking his head and walking ahead without saying anything else

"Yah! Where are you going?"

"Away from your stupid" he teases you, "I'm already upset enough, you can atleast pretend to be on my side"

He stops walking making you halt too. Haechan takes a deep breath before speaking as if he's preparing to make a speech

"I'm only gonna say this now because it's still weird my bestfriend is dating my sister, so you listen okay? This is Mark we're talking about. The same guy who let me boss him around just so I finally let you go out for coffee with him. The Mark that stayed with you at the hospital when you sprained your ankle and wouldn't let you lift even your finger for weeks until you got better. The Mark who would get coffee for you when don't even like the smell of coffee. I have to listen to him swoon over you every time we hang out, I hate it but I like him for you. Is that the guy you're doubting?"

As you listen to his words, all those scenarios play in your head. Each one making your heart fill with warmth only Mark could make you feel. Haechan and Mark have been friends longer than you and Mark have dated, he knows his bestfriend and you trust your brother.

"Then what do I do? I don't want to freak him out"

"If anything, I think he freaked himself out" Haechan chuckles, "Believe me, when it comes to you his brain cannot function right. He speaks many language but he forgets all of them when it's you he's thinking about"

You smile at that, feeling better.

"You're still coming to open mic night, right?" Haechan asks

"Ofcourse, Mark's still playing so I'll be there"

"Good, talk to him after. Not before, after. He won't get the words out if you talk to him before"

That night you arrived at the chill bar rented for the event. Mark told you a weeks ago he's playing, you were excited to hear him play live.

Just because you're in a bit of a situation doesn't mean you won't cheer for him. That's why Mark has been looking at the door ever since he arrived. Every time someone walks in, he gets his hopes up to finally see you since he had his freak out infront of you but it's been 40 minutes and you're still not here.

He should've picked you up. As your boyfriend, he thinks that's his job but Haechan told him the two of you will meet him there. Atleast you're coming.

"Hey Mark, you're next" Dejun calls him, gesturing to the small stage. Mark takes a look at the door one last time before walking onstage, strapping his guitar on before facing the audience.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the dark corner you concealed yourself from his view. You've been watching him watch the door, a pang in your chest when his hopeful eyes turn sad.

You watch him get on stage, getting his guitar and tapping the mic to make sure it's on.

"Hello... Hi... Okay it's working. Uh Hi everyone, I'm Mark. For tonight I'm going to sing an original song I wrote. Hope you like it" he smiles, earning cheers from the crowd.

You don't miss the squeals from the females in the crowd, whispering amongst themselves while looking at him in a way you don't really like.

Standing straight against the wall, you wait for him to start

"First you crashed into

my life and you just broke

My roof and my window

girl you had me shook"

You knew Mark's singing voice is good, countless times he serenaded you. Him and his guitar and you as his only audience.

"Who told me

love would come down

like a million rocks"

"You are my rockstar

Without you

I’ll always feel alone

When I’m lost

you guide me home yeah

You make my whole heart

When nothing adds up

I’ll be your number

You’re a 106 and I’m 94 yeah"

You can't even say or do anything but listen to him. Each word sinking in, in your head you're wishing to the universe that the words were meant for you.

In that moment, his eyes meet yours. Just like that, Mark's gaze changes. Like his purpose for being here finally arrived. Now he's not closing his eyes as he sing, he's looking right into your eyes straight into your soul as he says the words

"A million different stars but you’re the one

First you crashed into my life and you just broke

My roof and my window girl you had me shook

I’m living that Drama in my head again

Who told me love would come down like a million rocks

The rock you came with was an alibi

You and I we have the same disguise

Even that long brim of grey cap can’t hide

So till night rolls in again, together Can we rise up

You are my rockstar

Without you I’ll always feel alone

When I’m lost you guide me home yeah

You make my whole heart

When nothing adds up I’ll be your number

You’re a 106 and I’m 94 yeah"

The crowd cheers as he finishes the song but all he can see is you. He puts down the guitar then makes a beeline towards you. Everything else is background noise to him.

When he gets to you, he can't say anything. The words getting stuck.

"You sound great. The song too" you tell him

"Thanks" he mumbles, making you laugh. Instead of saying anything else, you just throw your arms around him, instantly he hugs you back. Burying his head in-between your neck and shoulder, a few days is too long without your hugs so he missed you terribly.

"I missed you" you hear him mumble

Tangling your fingers in his hair, you bask in his warmth. You missed him just as much. Any misunderstanding already forgotten.

"Let's get out of here" he says, breaking from the hug first before leading you out the door

"Where are we going?" you ask

"Anywhere, I just want to be alone with you" he smiles, giving you a quick kiss on the temple before the two of you started to walk with no destination for the night.

"So... tell me about the song"

Your intertwined hands swings in between the two of you, you watch him smile to himself like he just remembered something funny.

"It's called 200"

"200?"

He nods his head, "like you know 106 plus 94" he reference the lyrics to his song

"Yea that too, what does that mean by the way?" you ask, genuinely curious as to what inspired him to name the song 200 and the meaning behind the love filled lyrics

"94 days, that's when we had our first kiss. On the 94th day since we started dating. We went ice skating, then I walked you home. We kissed outside your door" he tells you, his eyes stay on the ground while yours stay on him

You can't even begin to describe what you're feeling right now. Kind of confused but also very very much moved with his words.

"and the 106?"

"You know... the first time we... yea that." he scratches the back of his neck, getting shy to explain the second reference but you already know what he meant.

This time you stop walking making Mark stop too. Finally he looks up at you, "So 200?" you ask

He bites his lips, his mind trying to process the words because he doesn't want to mess this up. He moves so now he's full facing you, pulling on your other hand so now he's holding both and you're now facing him too.

"There are a lot of meaning for 200 actually. But one of them could be 'Divine Timing', it means to trust the universe and Heaven are working on it, that you need to wait before everything falls into place. You know I used to think it would be so hard to fall in love, I used to wonder how would someone know that that person is the one for them. What if they're not? What then? I had so many questions, I had so many doubts" he admits, explaining the meaning behind 200

"Then like an answered prayer, you came into my life. I've never questioned anything since. Not until you told me you loved me, that night I was at lost. Not because I don't feel the same, it's because I do. I do love you. How is it that the girl of my dreams and my reality loves me too and she said it first before I could? Do I deserve her? Do I deserve you?"

By this time, tears welled up on the corners of your eyes. Mark looks at you in awe, wiping the few tears that managed to escape

"Sorry I acted that way, I had so many things to say but I didn't know how"

"Haechan did say you tend to forget how to speak when you're with me" you joke, making Mark laugh

"Well he's not wrong, you just render me speechless every time" he tells you

"So the song was about me?"

"Yes, and each and every song I sang. Some of my own, others I've picked because it reminded me of you. You are the music of my life, my only muse. I'll be your music for this lifetime" he takes your face in his hands, memorizing every detail of this moment so he could sing about it for the years to come.

"You love me?" you ask, pouting adorably at your boyfriend. He nods at you with a smile on his face before kissing you sweetly

"Very very very much. I love you, so so much" He whispers against your lips, sealing each word with a kiss like sealing a promise to you.

You smile with each peck, your grin growing until you were giggling. Music to Mark's ears. "I love you, too" you tell him

"I know you hate math, but when nothing adds up just think 200" he jokes making you laugh

"You and your way with words" you playfully roll your eyes at him

"You love me"

"That I do, Mark Lee. That I do.  

[ellephlox]

Head Over Heels

Summary: It's technically not your fault that you sprained your ankle, but Matt's annoyed with you anyway (at least, he pretends to be annoyed with you — but you know better).

Pairing: Matt x Fem!Reader

Warnings: A few swears, but otherwise just a whole lot of whumptober fluff!

"You're going to hurt yourself."

"I am not."

"I just heard you nearly fall over in the bathroom—"

"Because I'm rushing, Matt, that's what happens when your partner holds you captive for too long in bed and makes you late for work!"

Matt was in the process of buttoning his work shirt, a task that you noticed was taking him nearly triple the time it usually took, because his attention was entirely on you. "No one at the presentation will care if you're not wearing heels, sweetheart."

"I care!" You jangled your keys, checked your pockets again for your wallet, and slipped on a jacket. "It's a fashion thing. High heels equal professionalism."

"I like to think that I'm a professional lawyer, and not once in my life have I ever had to wear high heels to court."

"You're overreacting. I'm like a gymnast in heels. Ready? Watch this."

Your stilettos clacking against the floor, you performed several twirls, rotating as though you were a ballerina. For the first few, Matt said nothing, but then he reached out and stopped you with a firm hand on your shoulder.

"The heels sound like precarious twigs," he said.

"They're not precarious and they're not twigs. They're pretty." For added effect you started to skip by him towards your purse.

"Just — please stop," Matt said, finishing with his last button and gesturing downward. "Walk like a normal person, at least?"

"Don't worry. I wasn't planning on skipping into the office," you assured him. "Look, I'll see you for lunch, okay? I've got to split."

"Twelve o'clock. And also promise me you won't twirl like that during your presentation," he said, and leaned in to kiss you before you left.

It was another of those impossibly busy days when you and Matt wouldn't be able to spend much time together. He was going to be in court the entire afternoon, and you had a major annual presentation for work, meaning that you'd both be out overtime and wouldn't get home until late. The bright side was that you both had an opening at noon to meet at a small diner in Hell's Kitchen and catch up over lunch.

You cursed your high heels as you tried to speed down the stairs of Matt's apartment. They really weren't conducive for someone who was running late. Halfway down, you lost your footing; the stem of the heel missed the edge of the step and you jolted downward.

And, mercifully, caught yourself on the railing.

Knowing for certain that Matt was listening to you and likely heard your misstep — as well as the way your heart was hammering from the adrenaline of nearly falling down a flight of stairs — you muttered aloud, "See? Everything's fine," and continued on your way. Shortly after, your phone vibrated with a text from Matt:

Are you trying to give me a heart attack?

Laughing to yourself, you stowed your phone back in your purse.

And the high heels did work out, for most of the morning. You gave your presentation and then buried yourself at your desk in paperwork, confined to work for the rest of the day on everything you'd fallen behind in while prepping for the presentation. You couldn't help but glance at the clock every ten minutes; noon was going to be the breath of fresh air in an otherwise stressful day.

Fifteen minutes to noon you got up from your desk and made your way out onto the street. The sun was shining, a soft balmy breeze carried the fragrance of blooming lilacs as you passed a small garden, and plush clouds drifted overhead idly.

And then, just as you were hurrying to crossing the street — technically the pedestrian light was red, but you had a solid seven seconds before the approaching car would actually reach you — there was an ominous snap, and you found yourself falling onto the pavement, your ankle rolling in the process.

Well, not just rolling. It felt more like your ankle was jerked down into a direction it definitely shouldn't have been in, accompanied by a soft pop and a flaring of sharp, throbbing pain.

The car that you would have easily made it past had to brake, honking angrily at you, and you waved vehemently in apology as you struggled to your feet — shit shit shit that hurts — and hobbled out of the street.

"Bitch!" the man shouted from his window as he accelerated by you, tossing a middle finger at you.

Usually that would probably be enough to ruin your day, being yelled at by a stranger, but you were much more preoccupied with the stabbing pain in your ankle. Did I break it? Should sprains hurt this much? You stared, stunned, at the broken stiletto that was half-dangling from your shoe. It had simply snapped in half, for no reason at all.

"Traitor," you muttered to it, taking shelter in the shade of a building to assess your ankle. Gingerly you tried touching it, but it flashed with pain as you pressed on it. Inhaling deeply and tilting your head backwards — do NOT cry don't cry don't cry don't cry— you began to continue your way to the diner.

Matt wasn't going to be happy about this. And you already knew there was no way you could hide it from him. You were limping so badly that it was difficult to walk; each movement felt as though you were tearing your ankle again. If you could arrive at the diner first and get yourself seated, then maybe you had a small chance of the injury going unnoticed, but your limping must have delayed you just enough, because you could see Matt through the window of the restaurant — he'd already arrived.

And his head was already tilted in a way that meant, yep, he's definitely onto me, he can already hear me.

"Hi," you greeted him weakly as you walked in, ignoring the fact that tears were spiking in your eyes. Matt was already on his feet, grabbing his cane almost as an afterthought and approaching you quickly.

"I didn't think it was you at first," he said, quietly so that other patrons in the diner wouldn't hear. "Your gait was so different. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's not so bad," you said, knowing he'd hear right through the lie, but not caring much in the moment.

"Let me feel it."

There was no sense in objecting; Matt, you knew, wouldn't be satisfied until he'd done his radar scanning of it so that he could know precisely what was going on in your ankle. "Okay," you agreed. "But let's use the bathroom. These people trying to enjoy their meals don't need to see you feeling up my ankle."

It was a single-user bathroom, fortunately. Matt entered first and held the door open for you, and only once it was shut and locked did he abandon his cane and stoop by your feet. You leaned against the sink as his fingers grazed your ankle.

"What's my diagnosis, Mr. X-Ray?" you asked, trying to come off as playful, but it was hard hiding the pain in your voice. It didn't help that Matt wasn't having it. He stood up, hands on his hips, jaw twitching.

"You fully tore the ligament," he said. "I told you that those heels would get you hurt."

"Whoa, excuse me. This was not my fault. I didn't trip. The heel just happened to snap on me, so it is one hundred percent, completely, utterly, not my fault."

"You knowingly wore dangerous shoes," Matt insisted.

"Stilettos aren't inherently dangerous, Matt! They're shoes! I just got a bit unlucky—"

"Unlucky? You can hardly walk."

"I'm fine," you said, a bit more firmly, and tried, recklessly, to do the twirl you had done that morning to prove it, but had to stop immediately because it sent a rocketing flare of pain through your leg. "Ow. Shit."

Matt steadied you instinctively. "You should take the rest of the day off and go to the doctor."

"No way. I'm so far behind in work. Besides, I'm good once I'm sitting, it's just walking that's hard."

Matt said nothing at first, but helped you get from the bathroom to the booth, one hand loosely holding his cane and the other supporting you as you leaned on him. You were grateful for his strength practically holding you up; already your ankle was swelling and walking alone would have made a scene. Still, it earned a few stares from several of the other people eating in the diner, but you ignored them.

"I guess I should clarify," Matt said, only once you were seated. "You are taking the rest of the day off."

You furrowed your brow, outraged. "You can't tell me what to do."

"And I'd really recommend seeing a doctor," he continued, "because—"

"Last week you—" You realized your voice was loud and lowered it to a whisper. "Last month you came flopping onto the bed at three in the morning, gasping for breath because you fractured a rib, and when I begged you to see a doctor, you said, 'I'm fine. Don't worry about me so much.' Don't you see how much of a hypocrite you are?"

"I don't care whether or not I'm a hypocrite, I care that you go to the doctor," he said, then added, "But if you don't, you're at least not going back to work. You need to rest, elevate the ankle, and ice it."

You bit your lip. "What if I simply refuse?"

"Then I'll call Claire and make her come pay us a visit tonight to check on you."

The thought of burdening Claire with having to make a trip out to Matt's apartment just for your sake was enough to make your cheeks burn. "You wouldn't."

"I would," he said. "Unless you at the very least stay home the rest of the day and ice your ankle."

"I can't believe you." You fell into silence, punctuated only by the waitress coming to take your beverage orders. Once she left, you tried to brighten things a bit, because Matt's mouth was curved in such an unhappy frown that it was beginning to stress you out. "At least it wasn't my favorite pair of stilettos. If it had been, I might be tempted to try super-gluing the heel back on."

It didn't seem to improve his mood, because Matt didn't smile. "I'd prefer if you just stuck to flats from now on."

"That's a lie. I know you love my heels," you said, impetuously leaning across the table to grab his hands. "You may not be able to see my legs, but I know you can sense them, and I know that stilettos make them, like, ten times sexier."

"You know what's not sexy? A sprained ankle."

"Wow. Thanks for really bulldozing my self-esteem." You paused. "If my ankle makes me so un-sexy, then maybe I'll just... sleep on the couch tonight instead. Wouldn't want you to be near me if I'm all sprained-ankle-ish."

"You're impossible."

"I have a better idea. I can be bait," you said, watching Matt's expression carefully. "I'll stumble out onto the streets tonight — you know, all 'Woe is me, I've got a sprained ankle' — and that'll attract every mugger in the vicinity, seeing a vulnerable girl alone. They won't be able to help themselves, they'll just be dying to come over and rob me. And then, lo and behold! Daredevil dives in and catches all of Hell's Kitchen's criminals in one fell swoop."

Sure enough, you could see an irritated amusement in Matt's mouth, the type that meant he was torn between smiling and getting annoyed. "I'll agree to that plan when Foggy learns how to meditate for more than five minutes at a time."

The waitress arrived and took your orders. You sipped on the water she had delivered, your eyes not leaving Matt's face.

"What is it?" he said, finally. "You're dying to say something."

"Yeah. I want you to admit that it's not my poor high heels you're angry with. You're just worried about me."

"Can't it be both?"

"Leave my high heels out of this and admit it, Matt."

"Fine. I'm worried about you. Does that make you happy?"

"Sure does," you said, squeezing his hands and smiling. "By the way... did I ever mention that I'm head over heels in love with you?"

"Oh, my God."

A/N: This was just a short piece inspired by two separate asks I received that fit together quite well:

Prompt 1: hi!!! could you do a hurt/comfort where reader breaks her heel and sprains her ankle while walking home and matt finds her??

Prompt 2: May I request a Matt fic? I've been seeing girls on YouTube that test their heels out by running around in front of their s/o, and I thought it would be really funny with a clumsy reader and Matt having an absolute heart attack. Thanks!

Just realized that I completely altered the first prompt by having them meet at a diner rather than Matt finding her, so I apologize! I hope it was still alright to read :) happy whumptober, everyone!

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

For Your Own Good

Another fanfic written at night on my phone because I didn't want to sleep away the idea. Enjoy the products of my insomnia. Remember to comment and reblog, they are so so important!

Contains: D/s dynamics, kink negotiation, safe, sane and consensual, Dom Simon, sub reader, spanking, praise kink, fingering, P in V, fluff, aftercare.

Masterlist

1.6K words

In trying to avoid worrying Simon, you break a rule and he has to deal with it.

"You need anything, Love?"

Simon always texted you before he left work to see if he needed to pick anything up from the store. Your aching, sprained ankle said yes but you knew him, if you told him about it, he make a detour to the big pharmacy in the other direction of your house and return home with half of it. Sure, the first aid kit was stocked, but Simon would insist on picking up better pain meds and fresh wrap.

"No, honey, I'm good." 

You reasoned your reply wasn't a lie, you'd be fine with some rest and ice, and it wasn't that bad, but part of you was worried that you should have said something.

When the door swung open, the ice pack was still on your elevated leg, and he took one look at you and sighed. "What happened?"

He was already at your side, kneeling by you so he could lift the ice pack up to look at the bruising. "Misstep into a hole in the grass, I didn't see it."

He was gentle as he assessed the damage, pressing and moving and touching until he had made up his mind. "Does it hurt?"

If you had said yes, he would have worried, so you lied, and your no was met with a less than gentle squeeze. "Bullshit."

He marched into the laundry and returned with the first aid kit in a huff. "You wanna tell me why you didn't ask me to stop by the store and get you stuff to fix this?"

That tone wasn't good, it was time for damage control. "It's nothing a little ice and time won't help. I didn't want to inconvenience you."

The look he gave you told you the battle was lost. "We have been over this four times y/n, it's my job to look after you." A finger pointed at your necklace drove it home. "That means none of your needs are an inconvenience."

He took a deep breath and placed the ice back over your ankle. "I'm going to get some better supplies and pick up some better meds so you're not tossing and turning all night when that really starts to hurt. After that, well, talk about how we're going to handle this problem of yours once you're all fixed up."

He pressed his lips to your forehead and held your face in his hands. "I'll be back soon, alright? If it really starts to hurt, you better call me."

You nodded. "I will. I love you."

He smiled softly and grabbed your hand for a moment. "I love you too."

*****

He was back home within the hour and back at your side the second he was in the door. "How is it?"

"It's…" You weren't going to get away with telling him it was fine and you would only make it worse for yourself if you did. "It's hurting a bit."

He was gentle as the first fall of rain in spring as he wiped the damp away from the melting ice pack and wrapped your ankle, his focus so tight that you were sure nothing would pull him away. When he was done, he held his hand out for you to stand up, watching carefully for a sign that you were hiding that it still hurt. "Better?"

You nodded. "Much, thank you."

He picked up the TV remote and took you into his arms as you sat down to watch the afternoon news, and you leaned into his embrace as he started to speak. "You know I'm going to have to punish you for what happened."

You sighed. "I know. I broke rule."

He pressed his lips to your temple as his thumb moved back and forth on your thigh. "That you did, love. I'm not mad, I don't think I could ever get angry at you, I just don't know how to get you to understand that looking after you isn't a bother to me."

You took a deep breath. "I know, but I'm not the only stubborn one in that regard, Simon."

He exhaled sharply. "Don't push your luck, love, that's why we have the rule that we have to speak up when something's wrong so the other person can help. Once your ankle is healed, we'll talk about your punishment, and I don't want this to happen again."

You nodded. "It won't."

****

The wait was two weeks, one for your ankle to heal and the other for Simon to feel like he wasn't going to hurt it again. It was a formal affair; he had cooked dinner and insisted you ate plenty, then treated you to a nice dessert. Then came the negotiation, sitting opposite each other at the table as you went over what was about to happen, Simon trying to reassure you that you could always say no and he'd think of something different.

Once you were both happy, he led you to the bedroom with a hand on your lower back before sitting on the end of the bed with his leg splayed. He watched as you undressed, removing each piece of clothing and placing them down neatly folded so you could redress once the night was over, leaving you in nothing by the necklace of one of his dog tags that signified your collar.

He lifted his hands from where they were rested on his thigh so you could lay, bent over in his lap, and one of his hands ran up and down your back while the other made its way to your backside. "Are you ready, love?"

He didn't want you to count, this was far more about dealing with a rule being broken than anything else. "Yes, I am."

The hand on your ass pressed a little firmer before his gruff voice filled the room. "Ok then." Each hit was the same: heavy, even pressure, he handed two solid smacks, then moved to the next cheek. You knew he was halfway done when he paused to rub your skin. When the hit started again, he bent slightly, reaching down to grab your hand and lift it onto the bed so he could hold it as his other hand reached its full intensity.

It was over when the first tear fell, betrayed by a heaving breath and a stutter. His hand had stilled, resting on your skin to calm the blood rushing to your flesh before moving to the other cheek and doing the same. You could feel his erection pressing into your leg and his hand slowly sliding from your backside to your core, letting you know the rest of the night was ready to start.

"I'm so proud of you, love, you took that so well." He chuckled when he found you slick, his chest rumbling with affection as his fingers slid through your slit. "My good girl, I think you deserve a thank you for how well you did."

Your legs twitched as he made contact with your clit, and you sighed as he started to work in small, focused circles. "Thank you."

He smiled and slid two of his thick fingers inside you as his thumb replaced his fingertips on your clit. "You don't need to thank me, love, I'm enjoying myself." You believed him, considering that each time you shifted on his lap and brushed his cock his breath hitched.

He focused on your G-spot, his calloused fingers drawing pleasure from your body with practised ease. It didn't take long for you to reach the edge, and your request for permission was cut off by Simon with his steady pace and deep voice. "You don't need to ask, lovely, just let go for me."

He worked you through it, waiting until you were trying to shift away from him before removing his fingers. You heard sucking sounds and twitched your head to see him with his fingers in his mouth. He shot you a charming smile and moaned. "Like candy."

He brought you up onto his lap, being mindful of your heated skin. His lips found yours in a searing kiss, and he moaned into your mouth as you reached down to palm his cock through his sweatpants. You stroked him a few times before shoving his pants down just far enough to pull him out and nipped his lower lips as you held him so you could slide down steadily until you were fully seated and his jaw was clenching with restraint.

You started to rock in unison, and there was an unordered jumble of limbs to get him as naked as you. He pulled you into his chest, and you relaxed in his arms as he took over the pace and poured sweet nothings into your ear as he angled his hips to brush your G-spot with each stroke. One of his massive hands left your back to run your clit, and his teeth touched your neck as he once again worked you towards orgasm.

"Come on, Lovely, on last one for me." He swallowed your moans as you came and then followed behind you with a feral grunt and his teeth in your shoulder. He let you catch your breath, one hand rubbing up and down your back while the other stroked your cheek and once he was satisfied, the world shifted as he moved you both so you were lying on your sides.

He pulled you into his arms and spoke softly against your forehead. "You did so well for me." You muttered, and he chucked warmly. "You rest, I'll clean you up in a little bit. You need anything from me?"

You shook your head. "No. I love you."

He pulled you in closer, half revelling in holding you half because the cold was starting to seep in. "I love you too y/n."

Fin

@chaos-4baby @candy616

[strawburry01]

Enjoy the Silence

Summary: (college) Aaron and Y/N at a halloween party where someone gets a little drunk. Still a little conflicted angsty. Don't need to have read the other stuff leading up to this but it helps!

Word Count: 3k

AN: Guys, why do things keep happening to me? I sprained my ankle so bad running after this exchange student I met like, two nights ago, and he just laughed! SMH. Forgive me for how terribly this may read near the end- I'm just trying to get something out. I'll edit it later (maybe) (probably not) (oopsies!)

It had been about half a year of you and Aaron studying tirelessly in the library, but it wasn’t for nothing. Both of you were getting the highest scores on the exams in class and had, by the grace of god, made it onto the Dean’s list last year. It left both of you more determined than ever, but also more inseparable than ever. At this point you were both either at the library, class, or at each other’s place, much to the dismay of your roommates who would like some peace and quiet some nights. Luckily for them, this was one of the nights you were both out of the house, as it was Halloween. Well, the Friday before Halloween. Nobody really wanted to party on a Monday night.

Aaron and you had fought about matching costumes for a while because you refused to dress as Sandra from Grease because you thought she was such a pushover and gave up all her morals for Danny, even thought it would’ve made for a really good costume. He eventually gave up and just admitted he wanted to wear his leather jacket and didn’t care what you dressed as.

Well that is until you met him at his house in a matching leather jacket. He shut the door on your face before you could open your mouth.

“We are NOT showing up to a costume party MATCHING,” he shouted from the other side of the door.

“Aaron you said you wanted to match though!” you shouted back, trying to hide back your laughs.

“You know what I meant Y/N and it wasn’t this!”. 

“Oh come on you kill joy everyone is going to be so jealous of how cute we look!” you laughed as you shoved your fists in your pockets, thinking you looked damn good. You heard him shuffle around on the other side of the door before finally opening it with a dramatic sigh and eye roll.

“You kill me,” he sighed as he started down the porch, letting you catch up to him. You smiled as you stepped into pace besides him. You were heading to one of his friend’s party’s for the night. Aaron insisted it would be fun, but he’d brought it up enough you were getting a little suspicious. Aaron started talking about his roommates' failed cooking attempts as you lit a cigarette between your lips. 

“You’re smoking?” he asked, stopping his story and turning to you as you puffed out a cloud of smoke. You turned away trying to hide it from him.

“So what? You worried about me?” you hummed, trying to diffuse his anger as you ashed the cigarette end. He rolled his eyes and focused back onto the sidewalk.

“That’s bad for you y’know?” he stated matter-of-factly.

“I do know Aaron,” you responded in the same tone as you tapped his shoulder with your free hand. He always hated when you started smoking. It was a cycle you’d gotten yourself into at the beginning of this year starting every few weeks and then quitting whenever Aaron would start stealing and hiding your packs. You smushed your cigarette into the ground once you were finished right outside the house. Aaron had put on some sunglasses to add to his costume which you giggled at. 

“Stop it, you know I look good,” he said as he threw his arm around your shoulders lazily leaning onto you as you both stood in front of the door. You laughed more and patted his chest as you snaked an arm behind his waist to steady him. His friend whips open the door and the noise of the party booms onto the porch. 

“Aaron! Y/N!” he shouted, the scent of alcohol already emanating off of him, “you made it!”. Aaron hugged his friend and started talking as you nodded your hello and slipped into the thumping house, letting the two catch up. It was already packed somehow even though it had just begun, that’s what they’d get for inviting a bunch of nerds. There were several black cats of varying authenticity, a few Gene Simmon’s look-alikes, a smattering of half-assed Jedi, and a fair amount of suspect Spidermen and other superheros. You smiled peacefully to yourself, despite the chaos around you, taking in the moment and what all led to you even getting invited to such an event. You slipped a hand into the cooler to grab a beer and cracked it open to start sipping on it as you watched the crowd. You’d always been a bit of a wallflower, while Aaron was the chatty one. Sure enough, he was still chatting with his friend, just as energetic as he was before. Your old lab partner Jen spotted you at the party and danced her way through the crowed until she was by you.

“Ohmygod Y/N, so great to see you!” she shouted over the speaker. You stifle a smile seeing how out of it she was.

“Jen, how are you?” you asked, trying to be sincere, swishing your drink. She nodded enthusiastically.

“I’m so great Y/N. Who do you know here?!” she said back. 

“Uhm, I’m here with Aaron,” you admitted bashfully. Sure enough Jen responded with raised eyebrows and a shoulder nudge.

“You guys are still talking? That’s going gooood?” she said, leaning closer and waggling her eyebrows. You playfully scoffed and pushed her away.

“You know it’s not like that Jen, we’re just…friends,” you said, glancing behind  her at Aaron still gesticulating a story to his friend. She moved her head to block your view.

“Sure and is that why you guys are wearing matching costumes?” she accused. You rolled your eyes and sipped the beer.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” you said under your breath. 

“You’re blushing!” Jen giggled obnoxiously as she shook you by the shoulders, to which you swatted her away and tried to shush her even though he was across the room. She aww-ed at your shyness and eventually calmed down. “Okay okay, but still-” she said, “you two are cute together,”.

“Thanks,” you mutter under your breath, looking around the room for Aaron again only to see he had finally moved away from his friend. Where did he go? 

“Hello Jen,” he suddenly chirped, appearing besides you, double fisting two red Solo cups. “Ah cheers,” he said quickly clinking his cups to your beer. 

“Hello Aaron!” she smiles back with a toothy grin, “Ugh you two look so good,” she said looking at both of you. Aaron smiled and looked down at his own outfit before looking at you and nodding, confirming her compliment.

“Thank you Jen, you look good too,” he said back, eyes glancing over her and her fairy costume. 

“You’re too sweet Aaron,” she said, “Okay okay okay I’ll leave you two alone, say bye before you leave!!!” she said in an airy tone grabbing both of your forearms before wandering back into the crowd. Aaron silently took a sip of one of his drinks and smacked his lips before looking back down at you.

“She’s- something!” he remarked. You nodded and matched him with your own sip. 

“She’s nice, just a bit of a party animal,” you agreed, “like someone else I know” you chuckled, elbowing Aaron.

“Pfft as if, I just like talking to people. Unlike soooome,” he retorted, elbowing you back.

“Let me catch up to you then I’ll get social” you jokingly grumbled, taking another sip. He snorted.

The party continued and Aaron and you split again. Sure enough, you do warm up to chat with your classmates and friends as you keep another beer in hand. You feel a buzz starting as you laugh loudly at someone’s joke as you attempt to land a ping pong ball into a solo cup across the table. You miss and loudly shout ‘SHIT!’, only to quickly feel a body pressed against your back, a hand holding onto your hip.

“Let me try for a redemption shot,” Aaron laughed, reverberating in your ear as someone hands him a ping pong ball. He completely misses and you both burst out laughing, and you take the opportunity to lean back on his chest, only to have his grip tighten on your hip. “I didn’t say I was going to be good,” he defended himself as you watched the opposing team try to make their shots. You reach behind yourself and pat his cheek.

“Sure you are,” you tease back, feeling his warm cheek under your hand before you go to grab another fumbled ball. It’s crazy how bad hand eye coordination gets when you’re drunk. You weren’t complaining though. Having Aaron this close was…nice, but you would never really admit it. The game continues and you two end up losing, but just barely. Aaron happily finishes the drinks as you insist you can’t handle any more, mostly because you’ve seen how long it’d been sitting out. Aaron’s fraternity brother tendencies came out whenever he was trying to impress people with these games. 

You expect him to step away once the game is done, but instead he stays right where he is, moving his arms up they’re wrapped around your shoulders, keeping you close. He sets his head on your shoulder blade and sighs.

“You alright?” you ask, tilting your head to look at him. You felt him nod onto your shoulder.

“I’m doing just swell Y/N,” he says, knowing he doesn’t need to shout, which makes a chill run up your spine. He tightens his grip for a second before changing his mind, “can we go to the couch actually,” he mumbles to you. You obliged and started to weave your way through the partygoers back to the living room where you know there’s a few couches. Aaron doesn’t let go, despite stumbling a few times into your back. You throw some coats left on a couch onto the arms of it and sit down, Aaron finally releasing his hold. He flops down, laying his head on your lap, leaving his legs dangling off the end of the couch. He grumbles and groans as he throws his sunglasses off into the void of people dancing. “Y/N…I’m getting the spins,” he groans as he rubs the heels of his hands into his eyes. Oh shit, Aaron’s actually drunk.

You can’t help but gently place a hand on his hair and run your fingers through it.

“Poor Aaron drank too much?” you asked in a sing songy voice.

“Don’t baby talk me,” he whined as he lowered his hands and kept his eyes firmly shut, “can’t you just make me feel better,”.

“What would make you feel better?” you ask, raising your eyebrows to yourself. His eyes flashed open and he opened his mouth to say something, but instead of words he shoots up and promptly throws up over the side of the couch onto the ground. Yeah, good thing you didn’t drink that shit. 

You make him lay down on the couch as you tie up your hair and start trying to clean up the mess. Aaron’s friend finds you trying and grabs your attention.

“Y/N, yeah? Don’t worry about it-” he said, not seeming stressed, “I got this if you just uh, promise to get him home,” he said, tilting his chin in the direction of the still groaning Aaron. You nodded dutifully, you would much rather take this deal. After a few minutes of convincing you’re able to coax Aaron to his feet, leading him out before he can throw up on the floor again.

He does throw up again in the lawn and you try to pat his back to make him feel better, although you’ve never really seen him get sick from drinking so you’re not sure if you’re helping or harming. The two of you are able to make it back to his house, in only twice the normal time due to his drunken ramblings requiring perfect stillness in the middle of the street. 

“Y/N, you know I love you right?” he says bluntly the moment you pull the key to his house out of his jacket pocket. You froze. You know he doesn’t mean it like that, unless he does. You can’t really trust him with how half-shut his eyes are right now.

“I uh, love you too Aaron,” you say, forcing a bit of a smile into the corner of your mouth as you open the door to the dark house. Dammit, he’s not shuffling back into his room without a tumble or waking up the whole house. “We’re getting you to bed okay?” you say to him, as you hold an arm around his waist to steady him.

“Can you spend the night? I love you,” he said through his mumbles as the two of you stepped into the house. He leans his head down so he’s just speaking into your hair. 

“Aaron I don’t know I-” you try to interject.

“But I love youuuu and you never spend the night,” he whines like a teenager as you kicked open the bottom of his door to try and avoid a clatter. You sigh as you navigate him to his bed and let him fall onto it.

“Take off your shoes ya drunk,” you say as you cross your arms and flick on the lights. He hisses at the bright lights, but does kick off his boots before trying to get under the blankets. He eventually opens his eyes again and looks at you.

“Please spend the night Y/N,” he says softly, opening the blankets, “I just want you here,”. You’d spent the night before with him, but usually just on the couch after falling asleep on his shoulder during a movie. Did he actually mean this? Or was he just that drunk? “Please?”.

You can’t say no to this guy’s face. You sighed  and kicked off your own shoes and hit the lights before crawling into the area under the blanket. You can hear Aaron trying to form a sentence but he just mumbles words as he pulls you closer by the small of your back. You give in and rest your head on his chest, hearing just how fast his heart is beating, glad it isn’t just your own. 

“Y/N?” he finally gets out, breaking the silence of just the two of your breaths. 

“Yes Aaron?”

“Don’t leave me,”.

“I won’t,”.

You feel him slowly rubbing your back before eventually falling into a loud snore. He’s lucky he was handsome, otherwise you’d be smothering him with a pillow. Eventually you’re able to fall asleep into the darkness, trying to not overthink things.

You wake up to sunlight hitting you directly in the eyes through the window across the room. You groaned and turned to try and hide your face, remembering at the same time you were in a bed that was not your own. You groaned as you realize Aaron isn’t in bed anymore with you. Shit. You sit up in the bed, rubbing your head groggily. As if on command, Aaron swings the door open with two cups of coffee. His face brightens as he sees you’re awake.

“Good morning Y/N,” he says, his morning voice making your stomach do a flip. Well, either that or the residual alcohol. 

“How are you feeling?” you ask him, as you gratefully take the cup. 

“Not the best, I can’t lie,” he admits as he sits at the foot of the bed. You wished he’d just come back under the covers though, “I don’t really remember coming back home,” he says as he takes a sip of the coffee.

“Do you remember any of last night?” you asked. He shrugs, still facing the door.

“I remember doing really bad at beer pong with you,” he offered, rubbing the back of his head, “was I embarrassing? Oh Christ what did I say-”.

“Nothing! You just threw up on the floor, and then I uh- took you home,” you nodded, agreeing to yourself on this story.

“Mmm,” he hummed, before silence took over the room again. He didn’t ask what you were doing in his bed. He didn’t admit that he did remember some of the drunken haze. It wasn’t lying that he didn’t remember the walk home- he really didn’t- but he did remember you unlocking the door. And he vaguely remembered admitting he loved you.

For now though, the silence was welcome. The two of you sipped your coffee. 

“We didn’t fuck right?” he asked, only to be met with a pillow to the cheek.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Ikemen Villains - Part 2

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support Cybird by buying their stories. Spoilers under the cut. Expect mistakes.

Ellis: The baguettes here are delicious. I bought some the other day and ate them all before I knew it.

Ellis: Victor missed out on it and sulked for a while.

Kate: Hehe, I'm looking forward to eating it. Which jam do you recommend?

Ellis: The most popular here is marmalade, but I often buy cranberry.

Ellis: But if you don't want it, you can pick whatever you want.

Kate: Don't worry, I love them both!

Ellis: Then let's buy them both.

Kate: What!?

We bought baguettes, jam, honey, ham, pickles, and many other things.

(He keeps on recommending places to eat.)

(We're still prepping for the picnic, but I'm already having fun.)

Kate: I live here in London, but I have no idea this kind of restaurant exists.

Ellis: Finding good restaurants is my hobby.

Kate: Is it because you want to introduce them to people like this?

Ellis: Why do you think so?

Kate: It's just something I see when I talk to people in town.

People were giving me looks for being in a wheelchair, but they were surprisingly tolerant because they knew Ellis for his kindness.

Mechanic: You're making that stuff again, Ellis. Maybe you can help us at our factory again if you have the time.

Ellis: Sure. Jude said I can take next Tuesday off.

Shop clerk: Ellis! Perfect timing. Can you hold that for a second?

Ellis: Like this? This dress is the one Ted bought last time. Do you think it's going to sell?

Shop clerk: Of course! We're actually doing great after you introduce some great buyers.

Shop clerk: Oh yeah, are you still working for that shady Yakuza company?

Ellis: I'll stay with Jude until I fulfill my promise.

Fruit vendor: Are you hurt, Miss?

Kate: Um, yes. I twisted my ankle a little.

Fruit vendor: You're still a good boy, Ellis. Here, take this apple and go.

Ellis: Thanks. By the way, the meds you said you wanted are available at Bates' pharmacy.

Fruit vendor: You remembered? I'm glad. I'll give you this as a bonus.

(Ellis is so dedicated to everyone, not just to me.)

No wonder the people of the city love him like this.

Ellis: You're smiling. What's wrong?

Kate: Looking at you makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

Ellis: Hm? I don't get it, but you look cute.

(Cute?)

Ellis: We've already got the basket full, so it's time to go.

(Maybe the secret to being loved is being able to say these things easily.)

Carrying the basket full of things we bought and received, we unfolded the sheet as we arrived at the beautiful flower garden.

Kate: Yum! I swear, these baguettes are so good!

Ellis: I'm glad. I recommend toasting it with lots of butter.

Kate: Let's leave some and take it home. I want to do that tomorrow morning.

Ellis: Fufu, okay. I'll peel the apples. Just give me a minute.

I found myself smiling, seeing him act like a true lover. It was thanks to him I felt happy since this morning.

(I never thought I could spend my time so peacefully when I sprained my ankle.)

Kate: Haaa, I'm so happy.

Ellis: Really? I'm glad.

Ellis: Hey, Kate.

Kate: Hmm, what is it?

Ellis: How happy are you right now?

Kate: Hm, let's see. This may be the happiest I've been in months.

Ellis: I see.

He whispered as he dexterously peeled the apples with a black-bladed knife.

Ellis: I guess it's hard to make someone feel like they're the happiest person in their life on the first date.

Kate: Is that what you were going for...?

Ellis: Yeah. Here's your apple.

He offered a neatly peeled and bite-size apple.

(Ugh. Does he want to feed it to me? This is embarrassing.)

With that thought in mind, I meekly opened my mouth to play along.

(He's really dedicated to doing this much for my first job.)

(How can he be so kind to others' happiness?)

Ellis: Have you ever been so happy that you wish time would stop?

Kate: Time would stop?

Ellis: Yes. Feeling that the moment is so perfect that you don’t need the future anymore.

Kate: I don’t think so.

Ellis: I see. I’m glad.

Kate: You’re glad?

Ellis: Because if you haven’t felt it yet, I can make you feel the happiest you’ll ever be someday.

(I’ve never heard anyone say something so sweet before.)

(Wait, why am I getting serious? I’ve got to get in on the act since we’re acting as lovers!)

Kate: Then I’ll make you the happiest guy in the world!

Ellis: Me?

Kate: I’m your lover, so I just can’t let you take all the credit for our happiness.

Kate: What makes you happy?

Ellis: I...

Ellis: I can’t think of any.

(He’s always thinking about other people’s happiness, yet he doesn’t seem to have any attachment to his own.)

The slight difference in his personality was both strange and unique.

Kate: Then let’s find your happy moments together.

Ellis: Ah...

Kate: Hm?

Ellis: Maybe when you’re smiling.

(I’ll never be able to compete with him when it comes to pampering a lover.)

I almost took the act seriously and quickly turned my head away.

Kate: Please tell that to your real lover.

Ellis: What do you mean?

Kate: Saying those sweet things.

Ellis: I was just saying what I thought. Besides, you seem kind of happy.

Kate: “.........”

He peeked in, making me blush.

Ellis: “..........”

Ellis blinked his eyes as if something had hit him and gently pushed me down.

Kate: Whoa...wait...Ellis一

Ellis: If you were my real lover, would you be more honestly happy for me?

Kate: Huh?

Ellis: I wish I could be your lover because I feel like I could make you happier.

Ellis: Be my real lover, Kate.

I looked up at him, stunned, as he loomed over me.

Kate: D-Don’t tease me.

Ellis: I’m not teasing you.

(This is the first time we’ve spent time alone together, and now he’s asking me to be his lover?)

(Even if it’s just a pretend game, it’s a little too much.)

Kate: I know you would do a lot to make me happy, but that's the kind of thing you should say to the person you love.

Ellis: I like you, but still, no?

(Is he serious?)

Ellis: I will make you happy.

Ellis: I will live for that reason.

His words, which sounded like an unrequited love, were obviously a lie.

However, his twilight-colored eyes staring at me had an unusual warmth, as if they were telling the truth.

(Something's not right.)

His hands on either side of my face gave me the illusion of being trapped in a cage.

I felt like if I nodded, I wouldn't be able to go anywhere else.

Kate: I-I...

Kate: I need to know more about you before I can respond.

Ellis: I see. Okay.

He gently sat up and helped me up as well.

Ellis: Then, I'm going to teach you a lot about me until you get to know me.

Kate: Sure.

He was still smiling, but the disturbing illusion I had just experienced was twisting around my body like ivy.

The day went on, and the wind grew colder as we talked about other things.

He put me in the wheelchair again, and we returned to the castle.

(He really didn't let me walk most of the day.)

As soon as we stepped into the forest leading to the castle, he abruptly stopped.

Kate: Ellis, is something wrong?

Ellis: There might be a bit of trouble. Geez, I just had a happy day.

Kate: What?

Ellis: If you’re scared, just close your eyes. It’ll all be over soon.

Part 1╏Part 2╏Premium End╏Epilogue

[kalikoke]

I-I thought this was a comedy?!

But in all seriousness, the "Mom" episode of Abbott Elementary does an excellent job at capturing a particular dynamic between a mother and a daughter that is toxic to its very core.

It's been hinted at in the past that Janine's mother Vanetta wasn't exactly the best parent, so to see her materialize on screen as this kind of...person was a kind of revelation. Because now we've encountered the real Vanetta and seen her for the type of mother she's been to Janine all these years. The one looking to her daughter to parent her instead of the other way around.

I mean, we all know this but Janine's definitely a people pleaser, always trying to fix things even if it comes at the cost of her own wellbeing. So it makes sense now seeing her interact with her mother why she ended up being the way she is. Maybe I'm making a leap here, but the "love" her mom has seems conditional at best? It's just not a healthy relationship at all regardless.

And Barbara immediately recognizing what kind of mother Vanetta is to Janine and stepping in so quickly even if she knows she might be overstepping...that to me is just *chef's kiss*.

Melissa said something about not getting involved in another family's business unless it's on Yelp and it's to go against a competing family or something.

But see, Janine is family. She's a part of Barbara's work family, at least. And as much as she tries to keep her own boundaries with Janine (which imo is healthy to do), sometimes you have to stick up for your family.

And then after all that giving Janine tips about her upcoming trip, making sure not to have too much cash, but also have it, etc. That's saying "I love you" without saying it explicitly. It's like a close friend telling you to "text me when you get home" after a fun outing, or your younger brother getting you donuts while you were at the podiatrist for your sprained ankle and then immediately making fun of your cast when he picks you up from said podiatrist...

That's the kind of love Abbott Elementary's characters share with each other. They don't say it outloud because well, 1. that's probably an HR violation somewhere and 2. they don't need to.

But I digress.

It was so heartening to see Barbara step in to stand up for Janine, but even more so seeing Janine stand up for herself and set these boundaries with her mother. S1 Janine wouldn't have done this, I don't think, and I love this growth we're seeing for her.

(I have a theory Barbara was a lot like Janine earlier in her career as a teacher and Melissa acted as a kind of balance for her the way Gregory is to Janine and--ok ok I'll stop lmao).

Also, as someone equally as terrible at small talk if not entirely incapable, I truly appreciate seeing Gregory struggle with that. #representation

ALSO s/o to Ross Dress for Less, which incidentally is also my actual mother's favorite store, ever

[crazybagelbitch]

SORRY I FORGOT TO GIVE A PROMPT!! I’m clinically stupid. But for Hotch and Garcia as father/daughter platonic duo; “You came?” “You called” is my favourite prompt ever. Maybe Hotch rescues Garcia from an awful date or from Strauss’ wrath over something garcia definitely did but does not deserve punishment for

Penelope knows this is stupid. She knows that she could probably handle this herself and not have to interrupt her sleeping boss with this nonsense. Derek would normally be the first person she would call in a situation like this, but while they'll always be close friends with a deep adoration for another, it's different now that he's left the team and he has a new baby. He needs some space, and as much as she hates it, she has to respect it.

She could call JJ or Emily and they would come in a heartbeat. They're two kickass women who she knows would do anything for her, but something about it doesn't feel right. As much as she doesn't want to admit it, there's a certain comfort she needs at the moment and only one person, at least one person who is still alive, can give her that.

Wincing, she pulls up his contact and hits dial.

It's 3 am but she knows they all sleep with their ringers up high, a consequence of the job they work.

"Garcia?" he picks up after a few rings, sounding somehow both sleepy and 100% alert, "What's wrong? Do we have another case?"

There was a time when his second question would only ever be directed at JJ and not her, and it makes her feel sad and happy and proud and nostalgic all at once.

"N-No," she whimpers, "No, I'm sorry it's much less important than that. I shouldn't have e-even called you, I'm sure it'll be fine. Go back to sleep. Goodnight, sir!"

"Garcia."

It's not just her name, it's a command.

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

"I-I lost him, but I was walking home from a bar and this drunk guy was following me. I ran him off b-but I uh, I was running in heels and now I slipped and my ankle is-- well, it's not broken but it hurts and could you please come and get me?"

She's met with silence for a long moment and is worried she's going to get told no and to handle things herself like a big girl, but then she hears movement and shoes being put on in the background and her heart swells with gratitude.

"Where are you? Drop me a pin. Are you laying on the ground somewhere?"

"Sitting on a bench," she mumbles pitifully, sending him her location, "I really am so sorry, sir."

"Stop apologizing. I'll be there in ten; stay on the line."

On instinct, as a woman alone in the dark of night, she feels scared when she sees a car approaching, before the car gets close enough that she recognizes it.

"You came!" she exclaims in relief when he opens up his car door, rushing over to her.

"You called," he says simply, gently probing her ankle, "Garcia, I know I may be incredibly rough around the edges at times, but you have to know I would never leave you hurt and alone in the middle of the night."

"Where's Jack?" she sniffles, overcome with a mix of several emotions and the physical pain of Hotch touching her sprained ankle.

"He's still with Jessica, and even if he hadn't been, I would have still come to get you. He's still at the age where he'd forgive me for anything, even a 3 am field trip, if I bribed him with McDonalds."

"Thank you."

"I'm glad you called," he says with a nod, "I don't think it's broken, either. You still should get it looked at by a doctor, but that can wait until it's a decent hour of day. Come on, I'll help you up."

"You're my hero, sir."

[shannyh25]

DIANA: Of course you would take the long route when you've sprained your ankle.

ANNE: I wouldn't think of giving Gilbert Blythe the satisfaction of helping me! Why don't we cut through here? It's much shorter.

DIANA: But you told me this forest was haunted.

ANNE: I don't think it's haunted in daylight.

DIANA: That doesn't matter; it's always dark in the forest.

ANNE: Don't be afraid, Diana.

DIANA: What kind of ghosts would you say live in here?

ANNE: I'm not sure there are any. I only imagined it was haunted because it seemed so romantic at the time.

DIANA: What is it? Did you see a ghost?

ANNE: My foot caught on something.

DIANA: Charlie Sloan said that his grandmother saw his grandfather driving the cows home last year.

ANNE: So?

DIANA: His grandfather died two years ago.

ANNE: There's supposed to be a white lady who walked along the riverbank by Mr. Hammond's sawmill, wringing her hands and wailing. The men never actually saw her.

DIANA: Oh, Anne, don't.

ANNE: Perhaps she is now accompanied by Mr. Hammond who is looking for his lunch. No, I shouldn't have said that. He may follow me here.

DIANA: Oh, Anne, I'm scared.

ANNE: So am I. Deliciously scared. Mrs. Hammond said she once felt the ghost of a murdered child creep up behind her and lay its icy fingers on her hand.

DIANA: Charlie's grandmother is a very religious woman, and I don't think she would lie. Do you think there may be ghosts living in there?

ANNE: It's alright, Diana.

DIANA: [screams]

ANNE: Stop it, Diana, and help me out!

DIANA: Why did we ever come in here, Anne? Are you alright?

ANNE: I twisted my other ankle.

DIANA: What are we going to do?

ANNE: You mustn't be afraid, Diana. I'll be alright here. Run home, find your father, and ask if he'll come back and get me.

DIANA: You'll get carried off by ghosts. I'd never forgive myself.

ANNE: Be brave, Diana. Go. I shall endure till your return, although I may be forced to faint if my imagination gets the better of me.

DIANA: I could never feel as safe as your are, Anne. Bye-bye.

I got the movie quotes from greengables -1.tripod.com

Follow me for more inspiration! 💜💕

[aria0fgold]

Whumptober day 16, alternative prompt used: Brass Knuckles and Whumptober day 22 prompt: Glass Shard

Characters: Mel, Marigold Ages: 15, 29

Mel hissed as Mari applied ointment on his injuries. A swollen cheek, cracked lips, several cuts and bruises all over, he even seemed to have sprained his ankle as well, though he wasn't certain of that, not when the only pain he can feel is from his other foot that had glass shards lodged into it earlier. It was quite an unfair fight, 5 people with some wielding weapons, a bat, brass knuckles, or whatever. Yet even with those advantages, they still lost, pathetically running with tails between their legs.

“Aight, ya got any excuse bout this?” Mari continued to tend to his wounds, one of her pals saw him and ran to get her. So here they are, in one of their hideouts closest to the area. There was a small frown on her face, he can't quite tell if she's mad at him or the people he fought.

He merely stayed silent, he didn't have to energy to explain anything to her nor does he have the energy to even talk at all. He just wanted to get to bed, to hell with his injuries, infection be damned, he didn't care about anything anymore, he just wanted to collapse somewhere and never wake up.

“Mm… Well, should've expected that silence.”

Mel groaned, rolling his eyes and looking away, anywhere to distract himself, the pain wasn't a problem to him, he had worse before, what was the problem however, was Mari herself. He can't understand her at all. A gang leader famously known to be scary and strong, caring and tending for a brat she found half-dead in an alleyway. He sometimes thinks it would've been better for him to have died then. What was the point?

Why would she even bother to look after a stranger's kid, completely unrelated to her? His parents didn't even bother to care for him the way she's doing. So what's the point?

“Hey.” Mari snapped her fingers in front of him.

Mel frowned, “What?”

Mari put a hand on her hip, looking him up and down, “Hmm… Anyone ever told ya yer easy to read?”

He huffed out a sigh, “Yeah, the people I just beat up.”

She whistled, her lips forming into a smirk, “Oooh, look at that. Ya plan on fightin' me next too, aye?”

Mel glared at her.

She merely chuckled at him, “Maybe wait when yer all healed up. Wouldn't mind a spar with a lil zombie.”

“Seriously, just say what you wanted to say. Stop with that shit.”

“Heeh… Already said all that I wanted.” She shrugged, “Ya know, that gloomy look don't suit ya. Want me to tell ya bout that time I found ya?”

Mel let out a loud groan, “Shut it then. I don't wanna hear it anymore.” He'd heard that story countless of times already, far too much to keep track of, he never understood why she liked talking about it so much.

Mari didn't seem to listen, “You were sitting all bloodied at that alley--”

“I told you to shut it.” Mel grabbed a shoe nearby, throwing it at Mari who caught it with ease and an annoyingly smug expression.

She laughed, annoying him even further. She can be so unbearable at times, yet Mel can't truly bring himself to hate it. If anything, he hated that it brought him a sense of comfort.

He clicked his tongue as he stood, though he stumbled forward, Mari was there to steady him by grabbing onto his arm.

“Here, here, I'll carry ya.” She turned, bending down to carry him on a piggyback.

“No--”

“Aish! I aint taking no as an answer from ya! Ya can't even stand well! If ya don't want a piggyback then I'll carry ya like those princesses.”

Mel grumbled as he climbed on her back, tugging at her hair in irritation when she laughed, though it didn't quite stop her from laughing even more.

“Anyway, bout time ya tell me bout those brats ya fought.”

“So what? You can get revenge for me?”

“I aint giving ya that luxury! Ya get revenge on yer own, but those idiots did step into my territory so someone oughtta teach em a lesson not to.”

Mel chuckled, “My information comes with a payment. And payment first.”

Mari grumbled, “Aight, aight! Whatever! Tell me what ya want then!”

Mel laughed, a genuine laughter for the first time in so long, yet he didn't realize it as such. All that he knew then was, it wasn't so bad living like this.

[thebeautifulpsychoticdreamer]

I'm only half as drunk as the last time I posted anything substantial on here. I'm tired. My body is swollen. I keep poisoning it in an attempt to stop from being sad (alcohol, obviously). Have you ever sprained an ankle? Had a slightly infected cut, where it got warm, red and swollen? Do you remember how it feels to move around the wound? My whole body is tight, and dehydrated. I want to stop drinking, but it's hard. I want you to come over. I want the windows down, and a fan going, so it's not so hot. I want my favorite show, the one you bought me the full dvd set for, playing softly in the background. I want your hands to stroke my hair, and I want you to tell me I'll be okay. I want you to tell me stories about your life as I fall asleep on you. I want you to abandon your pessimism, just for me, just for a moment. I want you to see past everything, and just take care of me. And.. then I think I'd like to go back to normal for a little. Until the next time I need comfort. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get used to your presence sober. The alcohol shuts my worries up. But.. what if I do get used to it? And I'm a little more sober each time? Until being next to you feels as easy as breathing? What if we're good for each other? What if I stop having this underlying thought, that I'm less than you, that you must think I'm stupid and naive for being so young, that you'll only ever look at me and see my sister? What if you make me feel loved, and I'm finally old enough to change for the better, and be what somebody needs? I'm so afraid that you're gonna disappear one day, and I'll lose any opportunity I had. It scares me so much to think of you killing yourself. What if someone needing you, was all you needed, and I don't ever speak up? I don't tell you how much I wished for someone needing me to? You wanna know a secret? I've never had a single bad assumption about you. If you ever said something that could be misconstrued as mean, I always knew you mispoke, even before you explained. I'd tell you, I know. You're such a good and beautiful person, and you deserve so much.

[purplesurveys]

1731

When was the last time you wore a mask, and what kind of mask was it? Must have been a face mask and must have been sometime this month for a face-to-face work thing. I just can't remember when.

Do you say "couch" or "sofa"? 🛋️ I interchange them equally.

Have you found any gray hairs yet? if so, how old were you when you found your first one? Yeah, I have. My first one actually showed up when I was 11, and they've been few and far between since then. Most recently I spotted one a week ago and I tried to pull it out, but in the process of doing so I lost it in the mix of the rest of my hair.

Do you think you will dye your hair when you go gray, or will you let it be natural? I feel like I'd dye it early on, then eventually I'd just let it be.

Have you ever met anyone named Eden? Not in real life but I know someone with that name.

Which name do you like better: Eden or Aiden? Eden is a beautiful name.

What is your favorite type of meat to eat? 🥩 Pork. I'm pretty sure that's the most popular meat in the Philippines to begin with; we have so many ways of cooking/preparing pork.

When was the last time you felt jealous of someone? I'll admit I felt a teeny bit of jealousy towards Bea when she announced she was resigning. I'm happy for her, of course, but there was also a tinge of, "Dammit, you beat me to it and you actually had the strength to do this/actually bring this thought to reality."

What are three thing you think of when you hear the word "India"? Butter chicken, roti, and palak paneer.

Are there any bar stools in your home? No, we don't.

When was the last time you sat on a bar stool? August 2022.

Have you ever been to a spa? 🧖♀️ I don't think I've ever entered a spa, actually.

What is one thing you hate? How stuck I'm feeling at my job. It's quickly starting to feel like I'm the only one keeping myself hostage here.

Have you ever sprained your ankle? Yeah, twice. My left ankle is so vulnerable hahaha. I sprained it the first time tripping at school; then the second time missing a step while I had had too much to drink.

Do you own an artist's palette? 🎨 if so, when was the last time you used it? I don't own one.

When was the last time you attended a religious ceremony? ⛪️ I went to Sunday mass a week ago; I missed this morning's as I was in Nasugbu vacationing with co-workers.

If applicable, what is one trend you started when you were in school? Oh I was never the type to do that. Still not.

Have you ever done a craft project using a soup can? Nope. 

Have you ever had a Sony product just stop working? It's definitely possible but I can't remember anything specific.

What is your favorite type of tree? 🌳 I don't have a favorite tree. 

Have you ever had a spaniel for a pet? No.

Do you like the word "iota"? It's fine. I don't have any strong feelings towards it lmao.

What celebrities were you obsessed with when you were younger? When I was teenager I was obsessed with wrestling and barely anything else. Oh but there was One Direction hahahaha.

Would you rather sing or play an instrument? if you'd rather play an instrument, which instrument would you prefer to play? Play an instrument; and I would go with the piano.

Were you named after someone, and if so, who? My name was inspired by someone but I wasn't technically named after them.

Did you ever play with a yoyo as a kid? 🪀 Yes. I never learned how to play it properly but I liked trying nonetheless.

Who is your current favorite celebrity? BTS.

What is one thing you aren't able to do currently, but you wish you could? Go back to Thailand.

What is one thing you think tastes good with granola? Idk I don't have that often.

When was the last time you ate a granola bar? Years ago would be a safe guess.

Do you prefer jelly or jam? 🥪 I don't like them both.

Have you ever met anyone named Cameo? Kind of a unique choice for a name there...no, I haven't.

What was the last thing you sent in the mail? I sent several photocards for shipping to Turkey about a month ago.

What is your favorite thing to do on the ice? Skate on it, I guess.

Have you ever visited any of the Great Lakes? Nope.

Have you ever swam in any of the Great Lakes? if so, which of the Great Lakes have you visited? No.

What were you almost named? Ariel.

What was the name of the first dog you had as a pet? Kimi.

Do you any of your family members have birthdays on a holiday, and if so, which one(s)? It's only a Catholic holiday, but my grandma's birthday does fall on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Depending on the year's Christian calendar, my birthday does tend to coincide with Holy Week so I've had my birthday falling on Easter Sundays, Good Fridays, etc.

When was the last time you attended a kegger? 🍾 A what? You don't really hear that term here,

What was the last thing you wrote down? I was indicating a To/From on an envelope.

What is your favorite type of bird? 🦜 Penguins.

Do you think of yourself as young or old? how old are you? I feel like I'm neither but that I'm also reaching a level of old where I need to start planning smartly for the rest of my life (I'm 25).

Do you enjoy doing crossword puzzles? DUDE Dev got me invested in crossword puzzles literally just today. We were having lunch at Tagaytay earlier when all of a sudden she started reading out hints for us to help with. I asked her why she was asking about random phrases only for her to flash her phone screen, which at that point was showing a bare crossword puzzle. Needless to say I got excited and downloaded the same app she has. After this survey I'm actually planning to go back to the app and solve a few puzzles hahahaha bye!

[walking-loather]

Okay. So. I need to tackle some things.

Firstly, @penis-keeper

your inability to accept ableism against physically disabled people is serious, a problem, or even real, is not the fault of other disabled people

I never said anything to that effect. At all. In fact what I said is literally about disabled people facing marginalisation no matter what their level of disability is.

Being ablebodied IS A PRIVILEGE. I cannot FUCKING GET AROUND MY TOWN I LIVE IN. I absolutely hate intentionally obtuse fuckers like you who pretend like stairs and door lips and the pandemic aren’t fucking real. Holy fucking shit dude. Just say you think physically disabled people are the equivalent to “white gays” and shut the ever living fuck up. Stop talking. Genuinely

You are making a lot of assumptions of my level of disability and putting words into my mouth I never said. You've decided that I'm an enemy who doesn't even believe in disability all because I said that just because a less visibly disabled person might face less marginalisation that doesn't make them more privileged structurally.

You've assumed that I'm an able-bodied person just because I had a *slight* semantic disagreement. First of all, my level of disability is not relevant to this conversation and does not change the validity of the statement "you cannot be privileged on the same axis you are oppressed on", but if you must know, I'm not able bodied. I'm severely and visibly disabled. And yes, I believe in ableism! Wild! It's almost like I'm not the strawman you've decided to make me into.

You “don’t want to jump down OP’s throat” you just want to erase the marginalization of disabled people who are different than you.

Literally where did I say anything to this effect. I'm not erasing anyone's marginalisation. You're the one who COMPLETELY misinterpreted what i said to the point where it's almost literally the opposite. I think any amount of marginalisation is bad.

And now @permanently-sprained-ankle :

Saying that severely disabled people dont deal with higher rates of systemic discrimination is to deny the reality of severely disabled people.

Literally nowhere did I say that they didnt have higher rates of systemic oppression. I did say: "I just think it's important to realise that just because there might be less hardship for one disabled person compared to another, it doesn't lessen the oppression they face." I'll admit that maybe I should have said: "it doesnt lessen the fact that they face oppression", instead of, "it doesn't lessen the oppression they face".

But don't you see? You decided that I said severely disabled don't face higher rates of systemic oppression, when I never said that, and you're making assumptions about me based on that incorrect interpretation.

Being able bodied is a privilege even if you're neurodivergent

I know. Those are two different things. One is a physical disability, the other is not. They are on two different spectrums. Neuro-divergence and mental health are on their own spectrums. They are:

Neuro-typical <-------> Neuro-divergent

Mentally healthy <--------> Mentally ill

Able-bodied <------> Physically disabled

These axes might intersect on someone who is neurodivergent, mentally ill and physically disabled. They might not intersect at all. I agree, physical disability is different from neuro-divergence. They're different types of disability.

I said what I said about disability in general, but it can also apply narrowly to just one axis or all of them. You can't have privilege with the same thing you're oppressed over. A neurodivergent person is not more or less disabled than someone of a physical disability because they're not comparable. Its apples and oranges. It's two different axes. It's two different types of disabilities.

And just to really set the record straight because you both assume that I'm some able-bodied person denying the reality of physical disability: I'm not. I shouldn't have to divulge my medical information in order to have a shred of legitimacy in what I'm saying, but like I mentioned before: I'm severely and physically disabled. I struggle to push myself in my own wheelchair, and I live on enteral nutrition. (Meaning: everywhere I go people see the wheelchair first, and the feeding tube second before they see me as a person). Does someone who only uses a walking stick face the same amount of marginalisation as me? No. Is that a privilege? No, because they face ableism that is unique to their situation and it's all bad. Oppression is oppression. Each person's experience of it is subjective because everyone's life is different. What's mild ableism for me could be devastating to someone else, and vice versa. That's why oppression is a binary function; you either are oppressed, or you are not. Because disability itself is a binary function; you either have a disability, or you don't.

All disabled people are disabled, but some disabled people are more disabled than other disabled people.

All disabled people face ableism, but some types of disability will be more subject to ableism than others.

We can accept both facts: there is unity among disabled people in the oppression that we face and the identity we share, and also that there is a wide range of experiences and privileges within the spectrum of disability.

[xiaowhore]

genshin boys in a zombie apocalypse

premise: you're a half-dead college student (figurative) hoping to find comfort from caffeine intake in preparation for a brutal final exam, which led you to visit your local cafe down the block... only to be mounted by a half-dead employee (literal) seconds away from biting your arm off before a kind stranger bashes his head in. “are you okay? we came to save you!” he offers his hand, smiling invitingly.

unfortunately it doesn't appear to be romantic when the rest of his friends are raising havoc behind him, spilling zombie guts across the floor.

includes: diluc, kaeya, childe, zhongli, venti, xiao, albedo, kazuha & scaramouche ! + extra appearances

diluc:

the one who makes sure nobody actually dies. well he'd probably push kaeya into a horde of zombies if he finds an opportunity though.

initially opposed to you joining their small group. gathering supplies is hard as is, and caring for a new member doesn't seem very logical. “plus we don't know if they're infected or not,” he reasons, scanning you up and down with an analytical stare. “they could be hiding a bite mark.” “do you want me to strip?” “wh- no! don't take off your shirt, idiot-”

after assuring that no, you don't need to strip, he begrudgingly allows you to stay in their hideout. given that you can contribute to their survival, of course.

despite his dislike of you at first, he does grow fond of you, giving headpats whenever you're down or smiling at you now and then.

“here. i found a sweater from a nearby clothing store. i thought it was my size but it wasn't so you can have it.”

sure, diluc. as if he didn't hear you complaining about the cold weather last night.

kaeya:

he's apparently diluc's brother and you're so surprised because they're nothing alike. he's friendly on the surface, all smiles and nothing but amicable, yet there's something... unsettling about him.

his cold gaze on you feels pressuring, as if he's testing your worth every time you go out from your camp to gather supplies, and he's deciding whether or not to discard you if he found you useless. you're even wondering if he'll lift a finger to help you if you were ever in trouble.

however, you find the answer to that question is a “yes” — when zombies run after your group and one of them managed to grab your arm, kaeya immediately stops in his tracks and returns to the spot where you got left behind to help, risking himself to get bitten when he could've very well let you off to die on your own.

when you return to your camp, he's worried and frantic, composure entirely forgotten as his voice raises in volume while he reprimands you for being so careless.

but it's not hostile; it's the first time that you realize that huh, he really does care about you.

“what were you thinking?! you should be more careful! if you were gone, i... i would... nevermind. let's talk about this later. you sprained your ankle, didn't you? that's why you ran so slow. come on, i'll treat your injury.”

childe:

when you first looked at him, you thought he was oddly familiar. not in the way you recognized a student from your school, more like a face you've seen around... kind of like someone you saw on tv...

wait a minute.

he's that famous vlogger, isn't he?? that one crazy rich guy living in a huge mansion with his family and everyone in your class obsessed over?? his videos range from cooking sessions to pranks on his friends, and even the occasional reckless parkour video...

hence his title as a troublemaker in your group; he makes spontaneous decisions and has no self-preservation.

you know he's good at combat, but he's a little too enthusiastic about killing zombies. you swear you've heard him laughing maniacally while snapping someone's neck. (you wonder what his fans would think to see this psychotic side of his.)

he often gets scolded for the trouble he causes, but he's genuinely a good guy. he doesn't possess the arrogance you'd expect a celebrity to have, he just acts like an overly familiar friend you have no choice but to accept.

if he feels sad, he doesn't show it, the stupid grin perpetually stuck on his face. he's the most eager in the reconnaissance group to check out other areas since he's always trying to find his family members. (you hope he meets them soon...)

tells you his memories of his loved ones when you wake up from a nightmare late at night and can't fall back asleep so he calms you down by talking a lot. his voice is normally loud in the day, chipper and maybe annoying when he teases you, but he speaks in a softer tone as he urges you to sleep.

“sweet dreams, [name].”

the most likely to die for you — he can be foolishly impulsive, as how diluc would put it, but childe doesn't think it's stupid. he doesn't need to think twice about whether or not he needs to save you. he just wouldn't hesitate to get you out of danger. no matter what the cost...

zhongli:

decked out in full suit and tie upon your first meeting. he'd been working in his office when the zombie outbreak occurred, and started tagging along with diluc and the others ever since he bumped into them.

somehow knows the best places to take shelter in and grab supplies, saying other people had most likely already raided the supermarkets and convenience stores + he makes tactical plans to defend yourselves from zombies. thus, he naturally became the authorizing figure of your little group, giving out orders and splitting work between each person. a position he abuses by assigning you to do the same work he does so you'll spend more time together.

“do you mind it? i feel calm when you are with me, so i prefer things this way.”

capable of looking good even without showering for days straight and covered with blood. discarded his stiff blazer and rolled up his sleeves for practicality, unknowingly seducing you with his toned arms.

he allows you to braid his hair when you ask him for permission to pass the time.

venti:

the chatterbox everyone's grateful for. whenever it's too quiet, you begin to worry about what happened to all your family and friends, but he fills the space in your head with useless gossip instead. (actually, maybe you don't feel all that grateful.)

apparently old friends with zhongli; zhongli keeps an eye on him so he wouldn't dare drink a single can of beer, since a zombie apocalypse probably isn't the best time to be drunk at.

appears harmless (and a deadweight with nothing to contribute to the group since he's a lazy little shit) but is actually frighteningly good with a gun. once killed five zombies in a row with perfect aiming to the center of their foreheads. since then, nobody complained about him anymore.

also the person who saved you on impulse — everyone else was too wary to save other people, yet he forced them to come along when you were in a serious bind in the cafe.

“why did i save you, you ask? no special reason! you had a cute face, so why not? haha! i'm not teasing you, it's s compliment.”

xiao:

unkillable. zombies fear him. bow down to the true undead.

xiao attended the same university as you, and he's pretty famous for being good-looking... and also for the crazy rumors surrounding him. people say he was a nasty delinquent at high school, or he's part of the mafia, or something even more ridiculous than that. you never believed them, since xiao was like any other diligent student apart from being quieter than most... or more handsome than most.

that is, until you see him swinging around his metal bat and sending zombies flying into the air. perhaps there was some truth to those rumors after all. oh, he took off his jacket- is that a fucking tattoo on his arm??? so cool!!

at first, you thought he hated you. you guessed he was against you joining their group like diluc, and he'd been treating you coldly because of that. but you soon come to find he's just a really awkward guy, and he's been avoiding you 'cause he thought he scared you for being so violent; you'd probably appreciate it if he didn't approach you. he's a softie at heart, so make sure to reassure him you don't hate him, or he'll be sad!

very attentive towards you. notices when you're feeling tired from walking, or when you feel a little hungry and need a small break to take a quick nap. the kind of person who'd wait for you to catch up when you tie your shoelaces.

“i'll carry you on my back. i'm pretty strong, so don't worry about me. you must be exhausted from walking too much.”

albedo:

a scientist from the research laboratory that started all the chaos. quite an amazing individual: he came from the source of the virus, but was able to escape from a building filled to the brim with zombies without as much as a scratch. not to mention he survived alone for a long time before he met your group, growing his own vegetables and fruits in the garden. horrified when he learns you've been living off on junk food.

“you can't always rely on instant noodles for sustenance...”

he believes he can make a cure, and there's a couple of solutions he came up with, but has no materials to make them since the lab had been festering with zombies and he had no time to take anything else with him. he knows of several other places that might have the items he needed, yet he hasn't had much luck for the first few locations he visited.

he acts as the team's medic, and is generally seen as another authorizing figure alongside zhongli. appears to be cold-hearted but you can see how displeased he is whenever one of you is injured upon returning to camp. (he doesn't want to grow attached. if there's anything stupid sci-fi movies taught him, it's that death is inevitable in a zombie apocalypse.)

yet he grows attached anyways. you see it in the way he always sends you off before you go on a supply raid, telling you to be more careful, or how he scolds you when you come back wounded. it shows in the way he does his best to cook, so everyone could have a nice dinner to return to. albedo cares. in fact, he cares too much when he shouldn't be.

albedo had a secret.

deep into the night, when everybody else is tucked into their small tents, he cautiously examines his surroundings before pulling down the collar of his shirt. a bite mark decorates his neck, the greenish tint beginning to spread across his pale skin. the scarred flesh is unpleasant to look at, throbbing painfully in random intervals throughout the day. he's not sure how long he can pretend it doesn't affect him.

he takes out a syringe and grits his teeth when he pierces himself with the needle. he has 4 shots left... and it's only a temporary measure to stop the virus from completely overtaking his body.

“no, not yet. i can't die yet. please, god, give me more time... i won't ask for more. just until i can find the cure and save everyone. that much is enough.”

kazuha:

back at university, you used to sit beside a really nice guy. he offered to lend his pens when you forgot yours, and allowed you to copy his notes whenever you asked. you greet each other in the hallways and chat occasionally, but you didn't think you were particularly close... though you did have a small crush on him.

so imagine your surprise when you're suddenly wrapped in a tight hug in one of your supply raids.

of course, your first assumption was that a zombie had caught you, but the giggle you hear right beside your ear is obviously humane and far from the feral growling zombies made.

“did you miss me?”

your scream didn't go unheard though, so the others came to where you were in a hurry. though they were fully prepared to murder zombies, they weren't prepared to see a pretty boy holding you tightly towards his chest.

... and so, he was another addition to your team. similar to your case, he faced some opposition, but the final verdict was to accept him. begrudgingly. honestly, there wasn't any real reason to reject him; ever since albedo joined, food shortage wasn't an issue anymore, so why is everyone wary of him...

that aside, he stuck to your side like glue, insisting to be your protector. he's unexpectedly good at combat, wielding a sword — you don't know where he got it from — and he's surprisingly helpful when it came to predicting weather conditions, which certainly made it easier for the reconnaissance team. plus he has keen senses, able to detect when a zombie is nearby. volunteers to be on guard duty often.

despite his laidback disposition, he's quite protective over you. you've yet to know why. he can be kind of touchy, instinctively holding your hand when you walk into a seemingly dangerous area or just pulling you closer to him when he spots a zombie by the corner of his eye.

“don't let go of my hand and stay by my side. i know you can handle yourself, but i don't want to risk it.”

scaramouche:

you once thought diluc and xiao hated you, but it turns out it was just a misunderstanding on your part. but this guy... this guy definitely despises you.

in the first place, your first meeting wasn't the most conventional way to meet. you've been walking around a new area as a reconnaissance member when this eggplant brat suddenly jumps over a fence and lands a clean kick to your face, not watching where he's going. to top it all off, he doesn't apologize, saying it was your fault for being in the way. you couldn't believe it when zhongli allowed him to stay at your camp.

just a really annoying asshole. he's prickly towards the other guys, but is even more of a dick when it comes to you. (and even more of a jerk towards childe, but that much is justified because you learn they're from the same university and in a weird frenemies relationship.) okay, so maybe you've been making fun of his height, or clowning his haircut... or called him weird nicknames to annoy him... but he started it!

you feel like a kid all over again when you're with him. there isn't a single conversation between you that doesn't end in a childish argument. albedo sighs in a way a disappointed parent would, but you can't bring yourself to be mature when he's around.

well... he can be decent... in a bare minimum sense... like that time he took care of you when you were sick and albedo wasn't around... or that time he threw a jacket on your face because you felt cold but he didn't want you to think he was being nice so he did it aggressively...

not that you got along well. you weren't friends or anything, definitely not.

so it comes off as a shock when he saves you in a life-threatening situation, swinging around a steel pipe to pave a way through the crowd of zombies surrounding you. his eyes are cold, lacking of any sympathy towards the creatures that were once human and treated them as mere pests. to him, they were just hindrances in the way getting to you.

“who said i'll let you die? i won't let you go until you admit defeat to me, so hurry up and hide before you get killed.”

bonus: the drama-free adventure of the bois

in your travels, you happen to come across a group of young boys wandering in the ruins of what used to be a bustling city. which is quite odd — most children are... well... turned, since they aren't the best at self-defense. but these guys don't seem to be afraid of zombies at all, casually strolling into a grocery store to grab a pack of gummy bears.

or more like... they're not being approached by zombies?

you later find out their names; you only saw a pair of blue haired boys at first, but two other guys were waiting for them at their little base camp.

chongyun had an astonishing ability to repel zombies. he explained that zombies tended to actively avoid him for reasons he didn't know, and albedo is yet to understand what makes this possible. (he begs zhongli to let these kids join you lmao.)

xingqiu refers to chongyun as a “zombie repellent,” and although true, isn't a very flattering title. he's a bright and resourceful kid, the reason why they haven't died yet; zombies may not chase after them, but they could still die of starvation or illness. he marks down locations on his map that he deems safe enough for them to enter, and he always tries to find a way out the city, thinking there was a possibility the outside is devoid of monsters. (that's if the government hasn't locked you in yet, preventing further infection.)

in contrast to chongyun, bennett is a magnet for zombies. bad luck seems to follow him wherever he goes, and he's barely able to survive thanks to razor's help.

razor is bennett's best friend, the main combat force of them four. he's abnormally strong for a high schooler, but bennett can assure that he's not a delinquent. loyal to his friends and vows to protect them until the end.

together, they're also searching for their other acquaintaces: for chongyun and xingqiu, xiangling and hu tao; for bennett and razor, a girl named klee... who is also albedo's little sister.

“at this point, we're just adopting kids,” diluc mutters under his breath.

venti laughs, “it's fun though, isn't it?”

“all it means is more mouths to feed.”

(diluc ends up to be the most doting to them.)

[suzukara]

Hi, how have you been? I hope you stay safe and healthy 🙏

By the way, I saw your post for request some idea. Can you write how will Kazuha react when reader protect and took a blow attack meant for him (angst with happy ending)? Can't wait to see your masterpiece 😁

Don't do it again, please

pairings: kazuha x gn! reader

warnings: reader gets injured, angst with happy ending, kazuha calls reader endearments (don't worry they're gender neutral)

a/n: hi thank you! I've been great, hbu??? I hope you like this post as usual and enjoy reading!!! not proofread btw

maybe you shouldn't have gone here, you shouldn't have followed him. you should've just stayed back with the crux while they stock up on materials, but no, you decided to go to archons know where.

you were standing in the middle of the forest in liyue, lost. kazuha was known for going to where ever the wind decides to take him, how foolish you were to follow.

as the saying goes, "curiosity killed the cat".

you thought you were going die, dramatic enough, despite knowing that kazuha will always find a way back to you.

you sat on a large rock, deciding to wait for kazuha, instead of strolling further and further into the forest.

suddenly, you heard a grunt. you turned your head to the direction of the sound before seeing a familiar blade that you knew only one person would wield.

'kazuha! wait... isn't that the fatui?' you thought to yourself before stopping. 'he's injured...'

you quickly thought of a plan before attacking the fatui from behind. Little did you know, that they knew of your plans.

the blue fatui blocks off you attack, sending you backwards. you mentally prepared for the impact when someone caught you.

'kazuha?' you thought, opening your eyes.

"are you okay, my dove?" kazuha asks, eyes filled with worry. "you shouldn't have joined the battle, I could've taken care of them myself."

"with that ankle? I don't think so, my love. wait, WATCH OUT!" you yelled, moving in front of kazuha out of a instinct to protect.

you felt a sudden light-headedness wash over you as you vision turns black. the only thing you heard before that, was kazuha begging for you to stay awake for him.

you awake again, only to see beidou standing next to your bed.

"[name]! how are you feeling? you were in a rather terrible state when kazuha brought you here." beidou, the captain of the crux, asks.

"how's kazuha? is he okay?"

"woah woah! you literally just woke up after getting knocked out and your concerned about kazuha? not that I have anything against that but shouldn't you worry for yourself first?" beidou asks again with a concerned tone.

"I feel fine, but how is kazuha? he was injured when I last saw him." you practically demanded to know.

"okay okay calm down, kazuha is okay. just a little sprain in the ankle, nothing that wouldn't heal in a couple of days. hah, young love..." beidou looks off to the side for the dramatic effect.

"am I interrupting something?" you heard a voice your oh-so familiar with call out.

"ah! speak of the devil, your s/o was really worried about you, you know?" beidou teases, patting kazuha's shoulder aggressively.

"ouch my ankle..."

"oh sorry! I forgot about that... anyways! you love birds can have some time to yourselves, I have some business to attend to." beidou announces before leaving.

"so how are you my muse? are you feeling okay? any pain or light-headedness?" kazuha asks, concerned.

"I'm okay, is your ankle alright? it looked pretty bad back then..."

"I'm fine, it'll heal in no time. I brought you some porridge, you must be hungry. you should rest, I'll feed you." kazuha says with such a loving look on his face, who were you to decline?