#i feel very out of my depth and understand that i am not safe anywhere

[coalswriting]

competition gone wrong - lottie matthews

summary – after lottie doesn’t return to the cabin from her competition with natalie, (y/n) looks for her. (approx 2.3k words)

a/n – hello i am probably Not back because uhh. i’m very busy, but i am rewatching yellowjackets with my friend whenever i get the chance :^) i just watched s2e4 so i wanted to write something based on that. did not proofread this so it’s probably a mess too!! sorry in advance. i desperately need to sleep LOL.

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the heat of the distant sunset beat down on your back as you struggled to walk through deep snow. though it was unbelievably cold, you didn’t stop your trek, looking around at your surroundings cautiously.

the others had gone with natalie to uncover a frozen moose that she had found while you? you were looking for lottie. you had a bad feeling since the moment their weird competition was established this morning; you were all sitting, still drowsy from the early hour mixed with the cold room, and nat had gotten into an argument with someone about food, mari perhaps? long story short, lottie was volunteered to challenge nat on who would find food faster. it had almost felt like lottie couldn’t fight for herself – everyone had so much hope in her, and she didn’t want to let that falter.

truth be told, you didn’t believe in hope. it was a dangerous thing; too much of it led to ignorance, and that only took people so far. humanity was greedy. they always pinned their deepest desires on anything but themselves, whether it be an omnipotent force, or even just a seventeen-year-old girl with a strange understanding of the wilderness. either way, you believed in lottie, not because you had ‘hope’, but because you knew that you would climb to the deepest depths of tartarus for her if it meant keeping her safe. and thus, here you were, walking around a deadly silent blanket of snow, weaving through trees, looking for lottie matthews. 

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when you first enrolled in wiskayok high school, you were a bit of an outsider. your family had moved from houston. they always told you that it was because your father had received an incredible job opportunity in wiskayok, but you knew it was secretly because you would return home from school, covered in bruises with tearstained cheeks. you were considered a loser in your old school and fell victim to all the bullying. girls constantly pretended to be kind to you, only to spread rumours behind your back, boys would ask you out, and then laugh in your face, and you constantly dealt with rubbish stuffed in your bag, or gum tangled in your hair. school faculty didn’t do much, probably because many of your bullies’ families funded the school. they claimed that the bullying would stop with time.

besides, it wasn’t too much of a loss on your family to move; wiskayok wasn’t anything special. housing prices were dirt cheap, and your parents were respectively an engineer and a hairdresser. they could find work anywhere.

your first day at whs was in the middle of the second semester of 8th grade. your brain managed to block out much of the anxiety, but as you stood in the middle of the cafeteria double doors during lunch, it all began to set in. you felt like a startled, hurt animal, mouth slightly agape, scanning the room for a free seat, anywhere. students peered up at you, studying you, like you were a strange specimen in a lab. suddenly, you felt a harsh shove on your shoulder as a deep masculine voice muttered “out of the way, loser!”

you inhaled sharply, regaining your balance, and shaking yourself off. you felt yourself shrink as some witnesses began to laugh. then, you felt a hand on your shoulder, and you turned around to look at the source. she was the most beautiful girl you had ever seen; she was a bit taller than you and had long flowy chestnut hair with curtain bangs and the deepest brown eyes. you felt like you were getting lost in them. her eyebrows furrowed, as she seemed to repeat herself.

“are you okay?”

“huh?” you spluttered, regaining your consciousness. you felt sick to the stomach, and your hands developed a newfound sweatiness. “yeah, sorry.. i’m okay.”

“those jocks are dickheads,” she dismissed, then she smiled at you, and holy shit. that weird sickness in your stomach became fifty times worse, and you had to forcefully rip your eyes away from her out of a genuine fear that you would die on the spot. “i’m charlotte, but everyone just calls me lottie. are you new here?”

“i’m (y/n),” you finally said, finding the confidence to make eye contact again, heat spreading up your spine. you hoped your cheeks weren’t going red. “i’m new, yeah. i moved from houston.”

“oh, wow!”, her eyes almost seemed to sparkle with admiration, “that’s a huge city! what are you doing down here in little old wiskayok?”

before you could reply, a ginger girl appeared behind lottie, looping an arm around her neck – you would later discover her to be vanessa palmer – “lot, stop torturing the newbie. cmon, i’m starving!”

lottie laughed, swinging the ginger’s arm off her, “okay, okay!”, she giggled, before turning to you. once again, she put her hand on your shoulder. “you want to come and sit with my friends? well, our table is the girls’ soccer team, but i’m sure they won’t mind you joining us. oooh, maybe you could try out! do you like soccer?”

she seemed to talk a lot, you noticed. you weren’t too sure if it was because she was as nervous as you, or if she was just a very chatty person, but you liked it. you liked her. she was nice.

eventually, you did try out for the girls’ soccer team, the yellowjackets. and surprisingly, you somehow got in. with that, you became closer to the team, especially lottie and van.

however, when the plane crashed on the way to nationals, four years later, everything changed. you were still enamoured by lottie, but she was different now – not smiling much and very quiet. van seemed like a stranger to you, and you had seen a side of taissa, natalie, and shauna that you never thought you’d see. they were imposters. and jackie and laura lee? you shuddered as you thought about them, alongside all the others that had passed away during the initial crash. they were once your friends, but you never had given yourself the chance to process their deaths. even as you sat upright in the middle of the night, crying tears of mourning over them, it never felt real. the concept of them dying was artificial in your head, and despite seeing their bodies, you concluded that you would probably never convince yourself that they were really dead.

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the snow had begun to pile on heavily and you could see your breath with every steep step you took. you were growing desperate now, the sun setting at a faster pace than you expected. you guessed that you only had about an hour of sunlight left before you would be plunged into darkness with only the merciful moon to guide you. it was probably wiser for you to turn back and continue your search tomorrow, but you knew you couldn’t stop yourself from looking for her if you tried.

suddenly, turning a corner, you saw a form a few metres from you. your breath caught in your throat, as you shuffled (as fast as possible) towards her – lottie.

“lottie?” you gasped, wiping snow off her face, confirming her suspicions. “lottie, do you hear me?!”

your voice was a little louder now, laboured with thick panic that stung in your throat like bile. her cheeks were rosy, contrasting her pale, greying face. you didn’t want to see her meet the same demise as jackie, so you whipped your thick jacket off, and after a struggle, you managed to get it on her. realistically, this was an incredibly stupid decision, but with adrenaline coursing through your veins, you felt unstoppable. and damn, did adrenaline take you far.

“hang in there, lottie, not yet, please…” you murmured, carrying her with all your might. about fifteen minutes had passed, and your thighs were burning. lottie’s starved form was heavier than you expected, and your energy was running out. you felt yourself collapse into the snow, the cold wetness seeping into your skin. then, you heard the urgent voices of mari and akailah as they called your names. 

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“don’t beat yourself up over it,” lottie smiled warmly, putting a cup of hot chocolate in front of you. you had fumbled an important game mid-season, and it seemed like mari and taissa were mad at you. playing with the strings of your hoodie, you met her eyes, your stomach doing backflips. in a way to cheer you up, lottie had taken you on a ‘date’ – her words, though you wish they were a reality – to a café, and then a walk through the park.

you leaned back against the worn fabric of the seat, groaning. “is it that obvious that i’m thinking obsessively about it?”

“yes, (y/n),” she laughed, poking you in the forehead. “you always beat yourself up after our games; it’s like you never let yourself be proud.”

you reached to slap at her hand, but she pulled way before you could make contact, “i just always like to know what i could’ve done better. i’m not that great at soccer, i don’t even know how i got on the team!” you groaned, “like you’re all so perfect, and then i’m constantly messing up somehow.”

lottie went quiet for a moment, studying you as if you were an ancient scripture, like everything you presented was important to her. “you are so much more than you think (y/n),” she said, admirably, “you are one of our most adaptable players, and you’re so, so, analytical. you bring so much to this team, and you don’t even know. why do you think i always pass the ball to you in a tight situation?”

before you could answer, she continued, “it’s because you’re so damn dependable!” then lottie laughed, and winked at you, “also, you’ve a super sexy bod, and i always catch myself admiring you in the changing room.”

you choked on your hot chocolate, feeling your heart suddenly beat much faster in your chest. a ghost of a blush lined lottie’s cheeks as she reached over the table to put a hand on yours. “look, (y/n),” she murmured, voice suddenly soft, “i uh…”

you awaited her answer, feeling a sudden tsunami of anxiety wash through your body. you wanted to hide, but you wanted to hear more of what she had to say. lottie’s cheeks grew even more pink, before she tore her eyes away from your (e/c) ones. after a few seconds of silence, she looked up at you again, much more composed than she was only half a minute prior, “want to ditch this joint?”

and that, is how the two of you ended up in some isolated part of the public park, laughing and huffing, out of breath. “fuck your long legs, lot,” you gasped, leaning against a tree. lottie’s laughter boomed through the flora, as she tackled you to the ground. the both of you wrestled a little, but after a few minutes, lottie reigned victorious. she brushed your hair out of your face, staring at you.

“wh-what’s up?”, you whispered, and you swore that she could definitely feel the thumping in your ribcage.

lottie smiled at you, gently. but this time, it wasn’t her normal smile – this smile was full of fondness. “just admiring,” she muttered, and before you could process anything, her lips were on yours.

you never talked about your feelings after that day.

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a loud ringing invaded your head as you slowly regained control of your senses. everything was so bright, and you felt uncomfortably warm, if not too hot. as you tested the movement of your limbs, you felt something wrapped around your stomach. your strength slowly came back, and your eyes fluttered open.

you were in the cabin.

“huh?”, you said to nobody in particular. you almost jumped out of your skin as a husky voice reverberated near your ear.

“thank fuck you’re awake, (y/n).”

you craned your neck slightly, meeting lottie’s captivating brown eyes. you moved to pull away, but felt, what you now figured out was her arm, wrap tighter around you. looking down, you noticed that you were in the tub, and you were naked.

“w-what happened?” you gasped, reaching to cover yourself. lottie half-sighed-half-chuckled as she sunk her nose into your hair.

“i almost died, and you saved me. akailah and mari found us together, and based on the footsteps, you carried me a long way. thank you.”

you went quiet as you recalled what happened; how you had hurried through the snowy landscape, taken your jacket off for lottie, and carried her before losing consciousness. there was no beating the in-love-with-lottie allegations that van had made against you before the day of the plane crash.

“why did you do it?”, lottie continued, “the wilderness wanted me to die, so why?”

you felt your throat stiffen as your brain whirred with various answers. after a moment of silence, you decided to listen to your beating heart and come clean. there wasn’t much reason not to since you would all probably die out here.

“because, lottie matthews, i’m in love with you.”

you began to regret everything when lottie didn’t reply. however, she didn’t disappoint you for long.

“i don’t regret kissing you in the park that one time.”

you broke into a laugh, “is that all you have to say?”, and you felt her squeeze you before planting a kiss on your shoulder.

“i think you know how i feel. you’re the only one who keeps me grounded, and you’re always there for me. i never feel lonely when i’m around you.”

that was enough confirmation for you. sometimes less was more, and you leaned into lottie’s touch in the tub, enjoying the feeling of her skin on yours.

well, until taissa told the both of you to stop hogging the hot water.

[tiramegtoons]

(Hi, the bullying anon is speaking. Neither English nor Italian is my native language, but I still hope you'll find the next text enjo- I mean horrible. Have a nice day, spectre smoocher :3 ) This day has been not like most of the days of this month.

Since the morning Snatcher’s been swirling around you the entire time, leading you either on a simple walk, to a place in the forest where he rolled out a black and purple blanket and presented you a fruit basket, or back to the tree-house where a sweet homemade tiramisu’s been awaiting you since Friday.

You knew it was there since Friday not because he told you, but because the entire room covered in cocoa powder and Snatcher (the culprit themself) were the first thing you noticed when you returned home after another long day. When you asked him about the mess, he said he didn’t understand what you were talking about, and you were too tired to ask him any further. Besides, kissing his cheeks was never as sweet before.

Long story short, today was so busy with activities that you needed a weekend after this weekend.

At the very least, now you could relax in the embrace of your favourite ghost. Face hidden in his chest, lazily playing with his fur, evoking quiet purrs from the depths of his soul.

“So what is the meaning of all this?” you ask him quietly and turn your head up, examining the softened features of your capturer, his gentle smile, and expression of adoration.

The paws on your shoulders don’t go anywhere, but the rubbing stops for a second. Then, Snatcher continues making biscuits out of the tired muscles of your back, like a big cat does when it feels safe and comfortable. Heh, maybe there is a relation between ghosts and felines.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? NOTHING’S BEEN OUT OF-“

He interrupts himself, glimpses towards the forest, and snaps his fingers. There’s a yelp resounding from somewhere afar that makes him let out a mischievous chuckle. He turns back to you and to his previous emotional state of affection. He caresses your cheek with a claw while staring into your eyes with that same soft expression. You cover his claw with your hand, squeezing it oh so slightly.

“AS I WAS SAYING, NOTHING’S BEEN OUT OF ORDINARY!”

He isn’t answering you that easily, is he?

“Fine,” you say as you lean back from him and stretch a little, his paws retracting from you in surprise and barely concealed disappointment from the lack of your touch only to wrap around your waist a moment later, “then, I guess, I’m going to...”

You pause and giggle, savouring the sight of Snatcher’s confused and expecting expression.

“...spend the rest of the day studying!”

You jump on the floor.

“NOOO-“

Noodly arms, wrapping thrice around you and completely stilling you like a rope, but still not tight enough to bring you any sort of discomfort, replace the paws on your waist.

Pfft. Gotcha.

“I MEAN-“

“Yes?” You drawl while slowly turning your face to your shoulder where Snatcher’s head now rested, “is something wrong? I thought you loved studying. Even when it takes a lot of time.”

Snatcher sighs, realising the futility of his attempts to keep his intentions secret. Already having a few ideas about what the answer could be, you wonder why would he be so sneaky about it.

“NOT WHEN IT’S YOU WHO STUDIES FOR WEEKS ON END AND IT’S THE ONLY THING YOU DO.”

“Aww, is the spooky spectre worried about me?”

Snatcher doesn’t burst into denials, as you kind of expect from him. Instead, he simply looks at you, no sign of a smile. You almost expect tears to form on the edges of his dimmed eyes with how concerned he seems to be.

“Yes. I am.”

Oh.

All your desire to joke around dissolves almost instantly. It’s hard to stay in the playful mood when he looks at you like this.

“Sorry, schpookums,” you lean to his face with yours, touching his cheek, and give him a weak smile. You were tired after all, “you know how it is with studies.”

“OH, I SURELY DO!” For a second, his voice sparks with joy from a wave of memories, but he returns to his previous state, “BUT YOU’VE BEEN GOING FOR SO LONG. SONO FIERO DI TE, MIA CARA, MA... I JUST WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF MORE.”

Sense of pride for his attempt at speaking Italian rises in your own chest and mixes with a heavy lump of feelings in your throat. You try to swallow as discreetly as possible.

“Those hours spend on learning Italian sure do pay off, huh? Well,” you have to clear your throat and turn away from Snatcher, who’s still resting his head on your shoulder and now returning your weak smile, “one full day off certainly won’t hurt me.”

“YES, CERTAINLY! ESPECIALLY SPEND IN MY COMPANY.”

And here we go.

“Can’t believe you only get more humble with years.”

Snatcher quickly wraps around you with his tail, almost as if he’s still thinking you’re going to run to your chemistry notes as soon as he moves away from you for an inch, and frees his paws instead. He combs his invisible hair with one while resting the other on his chest and gives you perhaps one of his smuggest smiles.

“WHY, OF COURSE I DO! IT’S ONE OF MY MANY TALENTS AND WHAT MAKES ME SO PERFECT FOR YOU.”

Some thought seems to cross his mind, as he stops the dramatic posing and turns back to you, holding his paws in front of him, dinosaur-style.

“AS MUCH AS I’D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT I AM, DON’T YOU WANT TO MOVE BACK TO THE CHAIR?”

“Mhm! Also, is there any tiramisu left in the fridge?”

“SURE IS!”

And so you two spend the evening cuddling in one seat and talking about everything and nothing at all at the same time until you fall asleep, your soul warmed by the presence of the purring ghost by your side and the tiramisu in your stomach. Maybe you can even hear a quiet “ti amo” and feel how Snatcher carefully takes you to your sleeping place while you’re drifting away and how light his touch is when he spoons you from behind.

However, one thing you surely aren’t aware of is a beast of an unknown species hiding in the bushes near your and Snatcher’s home, swearing under its breath and occasionally throwing annoyed looks towards the tree while tending to its singed tail.

JXHDHFJDJDJCJ

WHAT THE FRICKA FRACKIN

WHAT

*SUPERSONIC SCREAMING*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

[tubby1]

USA Tour

My thoughts after travelling the United States extensively

INTRODUCTION-

I have been to the United States several times before this trip, but in 2023 and 2024 I really went in depth and reached some of the more rural areas, the ones not many tourists/non locals visit.

I am a graffiti writer/urban explorer, although not a traditional one. The 2 main things I do while I travel the US are 1- paint hidden areas under bridges/tunnels 2- walk around/skate around downtown areas. While most writers like to stay around the big cities, I prefer to visit the smaller towns/rural areas.

Because of these 2 activities I partake in, I visit a lot of random places that normally other people would not visit simply because they are generally just boring places to your average individual.

As well as this, I stand out as an obvious outsider, being non-white and having an Australian accent, it often strikes up conversation with the locals from the small towns.

While I am painting/seeking out hidden areas, I often run into homeless people/remnants of campsites in these places. I always try to be friendly and say hello to people, so sometimes I strike up conversations where people talk to me about their living situation and how they ended up there.

The main question I always get asked by people is “Why are you travelling here of all places?” My answer to this is the same as why I travel anywhere. I just enjoy being in new places, and seeing both the good and bad of the world. It’s important to see the bad to appreciate the good. 

And make no mistake, I am very grateful for the situation I was born in and the advantage I was given in life. After travelling to many different countries, I am aware of the advantage I was given simply because of where I was born.

My hometown of Sydney, Australia, as of 2023, was ranked as the 4th best city to live in the entire world. Not a single American city ranks highly on the list, and for good reason.

Ever since I was 16, I endeavoured to make a living online through internet marketing, at a time where the average joe making a living online wasn’t really heard of, compared to these days where there are plenty of kids who can make a living online doing something simple like streaming video games.

But make no mistake, I am also extremely grateful that I was able to waste many months online, making pennies before I was able to make a sustainable living. I had my parents supporting me and a safe place to live until then. If I was born in a less advantaged place, I could be already working in a sweatshop before I became a teenager, I could be in a war torn country fearing for my life daily, with no electricity, let alone access to the internet.

I will write more about the global situation and the geopolitical issues I have seen, but for now, the purpose of this write up is to write about the socio-economic issues I have observed in the United States.

The main points I will be covering are

How travelling from state to state feels like travelling from country to country

The deteriorating downtown areas in much of the rural US, while the corporations and strip malls(stroads) grow larger and larger.

How the homeless problem in the US differs from any other country I have been to

How many Americans I have spoken to from rural areas have not only no/warped understanding of how other countries are, they do not even know much about life in cities like NYC, Chicago etc besides only being a few hours drive away.

How Americans seem to become more fiercely political the more rural you go, and how they argue politics where it’s completely unrelated.

The large amount of propaganda Americans are subjected to, on the billboards/radio etc, and how it differs when you go from the city to the country.

How Americans accept a lot of things as ‘normal’, when it would not be considered normal in any other country

How the United States remains an economic superpower with a large influence over the world, especially via Hollywood TV/Films, but the vast majority of the US, is absolutely nothing like many people think, with so many people living in poverty.

Let's take into consideration 3 huge American corporations and how they impact the people and community. Amazon, Walmart and Dollar General.

Amazon

While Australia also has Amazon, it is nowhere near as widespread as it is in the US. No matter where I have been in America, I always see the Amazon delivery trucks as well as the Amazon boxes outside people’s houses and businesses. 

In Africa, if you want a cheap everyday item like a phone case, you go out and buy one from a vendor on the street.

In the US, if you want a phone case, you can order it off Amazon for a few dollars with free express shipping, free returns and it will be at your doorstep before you know it. 

Now while this is great if you want cheap items, you also need to think about how it is impossible for small businesses to compete with this giant. You cannot undercut Amazon, simply because you would not be making any profit. They even have their own shipping courier, which is unheard of in other countries. Because of how highly it is used and ranks in search results, some smaller businesses resort to selling their products on Amazon and giving them a cut of their profits.

I believe Amazon is a key reason why shopping malls in America are dying, as well as why so many stores in different downtown areas around the country remain abandoned/vacant.

Walmart 

Walmart is the all-encompassing megastore which is in every major town in the USA. These days you can go out to eat at Subway for lunch, go to the optometrist, go grocery shopping, go buy some childrens toys, go to the bank to get a loan, go buy some hardware and tools, get your car fixed, all in the same building known as Walmart. In Australia, I would have to go to several different stores, and spend several more hours running the same errands. However, convenience comes at a cost. Walmart is able to effectively put many different local places out of business, and not just the retail sector. One Walmart I visited even had a medical centre inside, although this is something I only saw once.

Also take into consideration this-

When Walmart moves into a small town and wipes out all the smaller businesses by undercutting prices, they also eliminate a large amount of jobs. So the people who were paying $5 instead of $10 for a meal, this can come full circle when they lose their job and end up working at Walmart and getting paid less.

Walmarts do not exist in downtown areas, they exist usually on something known as a stroad, an exit off the highway, and are usually located near fast food chains, and other big box corporate stores. They effectively remove business from the heart of the town and move it to this new car-centric area. The big chains band together, and this exit off the highway becomes the new epicentre and one stop shop, killing off the downtown area.

Dollar General

I underestimated the power of Dollar General until I really went deep and visited the very rural areas. This chain exists in towns so small that they do not have a Walmart. I have spoken to several people who do not even regularly go to the grocery store, instead they survive off fast food and the cheap processed food selection that Dollar General has.

This corporation is also responsible for ending a lot of smaller businesses.

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How Americans are fiercely political and divided

I have never been to a single other country on the globe where its citizens are so political, and this is observed every day when I was travelling throughout it. There are always huge flags, banners, bumper stickers, and signs everywhere. It is common when I strike up conversations with people that they start diverting and talking about politics when it has no relevance to the conversation. This phenomena can also be observed online, the amount of times I’ve seen Americans arguing about politics online in the comments of completely unrelated YouTube videos, among other things, is absurd. 

For many people, this truly is the most important part of their personality.

I do not have much interest in speaking about American politics, so I will not elaborate too much on this section. All I will say is that people should realise there are bigger issues to worry about, and the rich and powerful rely on this division of its citizens to pit them against each other.

While driving I would sometimes listen to the radio as well as observe billboards, which don’t really make sense to me. For example, I don’t quite understand why so many people are always discussing gay/trans rights, when, unless you belong to that demographic, it really should not affect your everyday life regardless how you feel about that topic.

I have noticed in poorer communities, people tend to be more politically inclined, compared to the city, and they think the political parties are the only thing which can save/deteriorate their town.

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Oblivious to the outside world

Most Americans I have met do not have too much knowledge of the outside world, and are shocked when I tell them about things in America which do not occur in other places. 

For example, going to a restaurant and paying the price of the food only rather than paying the ‘server’ is mind boggling to some. Going to the doctor/hospital and not showing any sort of ID or anything, just getting free treatment is something that doesn’t make sense to many Americans.

The prison system, the school system, the way Americans are all taxed, many just believe this to be the norm and can’t imagine anything else.

Americans are assigned a ‘social security number’ at birth and set to live, work and die.

Travelling state to state, or country to country?

Painting graffiti in different states feels like painting different countries. I paint mostly underneath bridges and tunnels. This requires me to park the van in a place that may be seen as unusual. In a very populous place like California, maybe no one bats an eyelid if they see someone park and then walk under a bridge with a backpack. In a very rural state like West Virginia, this could be quite the opposite. Several times I would park the van, and start walking, and people would come out of their houses to question me, to follow me secretly, to say I couldn’t park there (regardless of actual legality), etc…

I realised I had to try and be a lot more cautious in these more rural states if I was to avoid trouble, so I resorted to not ever parking near people’s houses and forgoing certain spots if I felt it was just too rural and my presence walking around would draw too much attention. What state/town I was in would drastically affect my attitude for graffiti/stickers. In a big city, I would generally feel comfortable walking/climbing around and painting/putting up stickers if I was visible by the public as I was usually quick about it. In the smaller towns I was far more cautious, as even just putting up stickers in front of pedestrians could cause some issues.

A place like NYC does reflect what I envisioned and exactly what I expected, from what I’ve seen on television/movies. I would see lots of people riding bikes around, commuting to work, lots of small corner stores, lots of people out and about, parks full, people playing basketball, whatever you normally see in a big city etc etc….

A place like rural West Virginia/Arkansas is completely different, you rarely see people walking around or outside, the downtown areas look completely abandoned, and if you see people hanging around downtown they are likely homeless. 

Another example I have to consider, is when I spent some time travelling through somewhere such as California, is most people I observed with relatively ‘normal looking’, but going to rural states, most people are obese as well as the amount of ‘morbidly obese’ is so high, it would be easy to guess if you are in an urban area or a rural area just by looking at the people walking around Walmart.

A person from NYC going to a rural town in upstate NY would be a culture shock despite being only a few hours drive away, and vice versa.

The lack of public restrooms, and why

There is a huge lack of public restrooms in the US, as well as the ones you see in places like parks are often just locked without any valid reason or signage. So much so that I generally don’t even try opening the door to most public restrooms I see, I just assume they will be locked.

The few public restrooms you see open are usually small with only one stall, very dirty, out of toilet paper etc…

In the cities, many businesses will have signs saying their restrooms are broken, not for customers or have a numerical lock on the door.

Now let's look at ‘rest areas’ on the interstate. I’m going to be honest here, these places are usually superb, very clean and very nice. While driving long distances, I often look forward to these places, to break up the drive, use the restroom, fill up my water bottles at the refill stations, and sometimes just sit and chill in a very clean, air conditioned area.

What’s the difference with the restrooms here and in the city? One caters to vehicular traffic and one caters to pedestrian traffic.

Skateboarding’s link to observing economic disparity.

One of my favorite ways to wander around a new city and explore is to ride my skateboard. While skateboarding is illegal on the sidewalks in many places, this is where I normally like to ride, and after riding through a few cities, there is something I have noticed.

In the poorer suburbs, the sidewalks are basically unrideable. I basically spend a lot of time just carrying my board as the sidewalk is full of cracks/weeds and completely unrideable.

In the wealthier suburbs, the sidewalks can be exceptional to ride. Smooth, wide and very well maintained.

It is the same city though. Just certain areas the city cares about, and certain areas they do not. 

The quality of sidewalks is not something that many people notice, but as a skateboarder, it is something I have observed everywhere I went. It is one small detail out of many.

Los Angeles - rich get rich, poor get poorer

I have always wanted to go to Los Angeles since I was a kid. It’s Hollywood, y’know? LA is a big place, and the areas within it are very different. I have wandered around the train tracks and LA rivers around downtown and it’s pretty lawless to say the least. Completely covered in trash, full of homeless, and some spots I did not paint because of the hostile people living there.

I remember a particular stretch of tracks downtown, walking through giant piles of stolen bikes being parted out, and seeing masked people rob a freight train as it parked up momentarily. I have observed chaotic scenes similar to this before in poorer countries, but it’s not really what tourists think of when they think of ‘Hollywood’.

Not too far of a drive away from this chaos, what do you have? The rich celebrities, the gated mansions and wealthy neighbourhoods of Beverly Hills, Calabasas etc… 

Conversations with homeless

Painting graffiti in America, I always run into homeless people. Sometimes they keep to themselves, sometimes they want to talk. 

Sometimes they ask me for money and I offer to buy them food instead. Most of the time they will decline, but something they will take me up on my offer so I strike up a conversation as I walk with them to the nearest food place/grocery store.

I ask where they are from and how they got into that situation. Some people say something simple like they lost their ID, and then had trouble acquiring a new one, and then their life gradually declined into homelessness. Many people had a bad childhood. Sometimes I meet people that enjoy living under a bridge. Sometimes I see families and children, just trying to survive and get through the winter… 

The fact that I paint graffiti and enjoy exploring lets me see the kind of places the homeless seek out. I am merely a traveller, a tourist passing through and painting something for fun. For them, that bridge covered in excrement and trash is their home… 

It is true that a lot of homelessness is associated with drugs/alcohol addiction. I have met many people who are obviously high and incoherent and other times I meet regular people though. I treat everyone the same, regardless of whether they appear to be wealthy or poor.

Some of the worst people I’ve met in life were the wealthy, entitled ones. Some of the kindest people I’ve met were the unhoused ones with next to nothing.

Some people are in that situation because of their own bad decisions. Some people were taken advantage of and dealt a bad hand in the game of life. Many people suffer from bad mental illnesses, and are left untreated and unhoused.

I remember these people I crossed paths with that I could not help. I remember being in a small town, saying hello to someone under a bridge and opting to start a friendly conversation before realising that they had schizophrenia. They started rambling to me and talking to people that were not there, and I listened to it all as I took my time to paint a piece. I normally paint quickly, but sometimes I opt to do a piece and paint longer if there are people who I feel are enjoying talking to me at the spot.

I remember reading discarded journals under bridges, of people writing about their lives. I remember people telling me about their goals and dreams, I remember the hope in their voices as they described where they wanted to get there in life, and I knew the chances of them achieving their dreams were next to nothing.

I remember meeting people who were living amongst a pile consisting of just random objects they collected of no use to them, they were obviously hoarding and had a mental illness.

Maybe when you have so little to your name and no one to support you, having a bunch of random items around you makes you feel okay.

No one chooses where they were born and what situation they were born in. We shouldn’t try and divide ourselves. We are all humans moulded from the same clay.

We laugh, we cry.

We get excited, we get angry.

We love, we grieve.

We are all one race, the human race.

[syggwolf]

And after doing all of option three, I would often come back, and I would say, "I'm sorry, I have BPD."

Saying 'I'm sorry, I have BPD' with zero further explanation or consideration of how I hurt someone and how I recognize that I hurt them was basically a declaration, a promise, that I was going to do this again, and also that I couldn't do anything about it. I was telling those around me that I could not control myself, that they could not relax around me. When you do that, you are dehumanizing yourself into an emotionally unstable bomb. One of the first clinical descriptions I read for BPD(I was working my way up through the literature, oldest to newest, probably a bad idea with a subject as janky as mental health, but hey I like to be thorough and I went to school for psychology.) was a description in some older literature that literally compared a person suffering from BPD to, wait for it... P L U T O N I U M. Thanks for that, old timey psychiatrist, you ruined my life for six straight months. I internalized that. I believed I was slowly killing everyone I loved, radiating stress and pain out at them and driving them away, that the only safe place for them was ANYWHERE BUT ME. I became deeply clinically depressed and convinced that I should probably just kill myself because I BECAME my diagnosis and that diagnosis was basically, "You're a substance that poisons people by existing.".

Then I discovered DBT. The entire premise of DBT is that with help from others, and learning to reorient your thought process and interrupt it in a healthy way, you can avoid exploding by being able to be honest about how you feel without making other people feel like garbage. Yes, I uncontrollably feel IMMENSE pain over what seems like trivial things to other people, but no, I do not have to turn that pain into incredible displays of outwardly directed violence. I can instead turn that pain into an honest and in depth discussion of the real problem I'm having and try to seek comfort and reinforcement that I am cared about with people who understand my condition. In short, my emotions are intense and unyielding, but I can still get them validated by people who actually care about me and understand that I have this illness. So the trick here is that instead of saying, "I'm sorry, I have(and am) my mental illness and I can't do anything about it.", you instead say, "I'm sorry that I hurt you, your feelings are important and I do not want to hurt you, and I am taking responsibility for my actions. You are coming first in this situation because I trust you to reciprocate. I have a mental illness called BPD, sometimes it overwhelms me, this is what that mental illness does to me and why, now that you understand me better and I've put your feelings first, here's how we can work together to prevent it from happening again."

There is never a simple and easy conclusion to the question of whether a mental illness or other illness or disability should be mentioned as a mitigating or explanatory circumstance. There IS a very good chance that it DID and will continue to play a factor. Having said that, there is also no point in turning yourself into your diagnosis or maliciously shifting blame to the diagnosis to avoid apologizing if you've actively done something that harms another person. Apologizing, even with a mental illness, will not kill you and does not undermine the seriousness of your mental illness or the fact that you lost control. Apologizing lets you TAKE control BACK by admitting you're a human being who makes mistakes and can hold the power to rectify them. It's empowering. Obviously, BPD cannot be cured. It's a lifelong disability that has cost me many a potentially good friendship and many good experiences over my lifetime. I cannot exist without saying I have BPD, but I can honestly say that I am not controlled by BPD. I am a sufferer of BPD who wants to fight back. I've found others who are willing to listen to me and respect what BPD is, as long as I understand when I've messed up and genuinely do my best to make them whole about it when I do, and I could never have done that by just saying, "I'm sorry. I have BPD."

Sick list of symptoms bro. Now try humanizing your behavior instead of pathologizing it.

[booksnbrainrot]

So I am going to hardcore project onto Rue. 

I have estranged myself from my family of origin for the time being. The reasons don’t matter, beyond just a brief statement that as an adult I looked back at my family and realized that they were going to be dangerous to the person I felt myself becoming. That I wanted to become. I spent my childhood being a perfect, dutiful daughter and any expression of independence or individuality was seen as an attack or betrayal of that dutifulness. I lost my childhood to that role, to that sense of duty.

I will also be hardcore projecting onto Hob. 

As someone who took the intensely painful step to tell my family “I don’t want to see you or talk to you right now, I love you but I need to be safe from you for a bit” and then had to enforce and make boundaries even stricter as they were continuously broken, it’s very easy for me to expect that step from friends and loved ones who have terrible families. Families worse than mine in many ways. 

And so, watching Rue take this step of “I am choosing myself. I am choosing love and I have never felt so free and so terrified and all I want is to feel less alone, to feel like I am making the right choice, dear god somebody reassure me that I am making the right choice” I understand so intimately why they look back at Hob like “why can’t you make this choice with me? Why are you choosing to keep yourself in the service of those who mistreat you, why are you so determined to sacrifice the very concept of your selfhood for people who don’t deserve you? Why are you with them when you could be here with me?”

I get it, like I so get it. But it is not Rue’s place to demand that. And it is only going to force Hob to double down on his loyalty to the Goblin Court. Because, what else does he have, really?

To be clear, most of what Rue is doing is so right! Introducing the idea that Hob is an individual deserving of basic respect and that he’s allowed to things that as an individual that only benefit himself and because they benefit himself, and reiterating and reinforcing those ideas, like that’s “My Friend is in a Super Toxic Situation” 101, baby. You uplift the victim so they can lift themselves out. 

But there is also this frustration of “Why isn’t this working? Why can’t you just leave?” that is so juicy and so human and also, unfortunately, super unhelpful and unhealthy. 

If someone had behaved that way towards me before I was ready to hit da bricks, it would have forced me to double down on my unconscious defense of my family. It would have made it harder for me to estrange myself. I didn’t have any other identity. I didn’t, emotionally, have anywhere else to go. Once I get into therapy and started developing an identity outside of my family, I could imagine leaving. And I did

Right now, Hob doesn’t have anything else. He doesn’t have a sense of identity outside of “Goblin” and “soldier.” But he does have a chance. 

If he takes Binx or Andhera up on their offers, if he could imagine a place to be himself, imagine an identity outside of the Goblin Court, he might be able to leave. If he knew and trusted the depth and foundation of Rue’s love and affection, for him personally as a person, there might be enough outside of the Goblin Court for Hob to base an escape on. 

But he doesn’t have that. Yet.

[balkanradfem]

How I learned to grow leek

My first method of growing leek was to plant it inside in containers, and wow they did not like that. I managed to grow 2 leeks per season, and one got stolen at that. There was, however, a gardener in the community garden, who always had extra leek, she was giving it away, she couldn't get rid of it enough, and I was perplex how was she doing it. So one day, she came over to my garden, and decided to teach me her ways.

The instructions I got from her were as follows: Dig out a shallow row, it doesn't need to be big or long, just the depth of a finger. Then, sow seeds in it thickly, she helped me do it and we dispersed a half of a seed package in that little row. Then water gently, so the water doesn't carry seeds around, and cover it back up with soil. No watering after you cover it up, the dry soil keeps the moisture safe underground and makes it easier for the plants to come up.

What happened next is they grew like this!

I was very surprised that almost every seed we threw down germinated and decisively grew, while me trying to germinate it inside had 2% success rate. They like being outdoors better! Now, what we grew is a bunch of plant starts, they can't exactly grow big this close together, so the next instruction I got was: Wait until they're the thickness of a pencil, then pull them out, and plant anywhere in the garden, separated.

I waited until they got bigger, and for rain to fall, because I needed soft wet soil in order to be able to pull out the little leeks without breaking them. Planting was extremely easy – just stabbing a stick into the ground to make a hole, pushing the leek in, and then pushing the soil to keep it in place. It didn't feel like they were taking any space in the garden at all, because they could be planted anywhere  - in the middle of strawberries, between tomatoes, around peppers, any little space I could find, I'd pack a few leeks there. They were still so small, I doubted if many of them would take and actually grow.

And you know what. Every. Single one of them grew. It turns out they're extremely happy to latch onto any earth and will grow in any place they can. I planted them apart late summer, and in the fall, I had some good young fresh leeks! I left most of them in the garden during winter, and found out that leek will not grow much during the cold frosty weather, but it will stay put, stay fresh, and be perfectly delicious to eat. So every time I'd visit my garden in the winter, I would take a few leeks back and had leeks all winter. And then in the spring, they started growing again! And then I found I had actual big leeks, and every tiny one who seemed like it was struggling, suddenly transformed into a large ass leek.

It is now the end of May, and I am still eating leeks from that same planting. I had never, from the moment they were starting to grow, been out of leeks. I've brought in more than 100 leeks during the last two seasons. I've had leeks in every possible way. I've had to harvest the last of them because it's been so hot now, they're going to seed, and even when they're going to seed, they're still tasting just as good.

So now, you finally understand why I am complaining about washing vegetables. When a woman has to bring in and wash 100 leeks, that is not something that happens without consequences. Leeks grow their layers from underground up, meaning every single time a new leaf grows, dirt from the ground gets trapped between the leaf and the stem. Meaning, even after your leek looks washed, as soon as you start cutting or peeling it, there will be dirt falling out of it everywhere.

But anyway, here's to 100 leeks for all of you hungry for leek! This way of planting also proved great for parsley (without planting apart) and parsnip (also without planting apart, and a little deeper row). I've certainly been impressed with how happily these will grow sowed outside! Hope you all have leek abundance.

[liftcutie]

DNA: a basic guide

there’s been a lot of new/returning activity in the community, and though i’m somewhat new to DNAing myself, i thought i’d make a very basic overview, since i’ve seen a lot of lifters asking questions about it.

feel free to reblog with additions/your own experiences!

MASSIVE DISCLAIMER:

i am not the authority on anything i’m about to write. i’m a stranger on the internet! as you should with all posts on liftblr, take what i’m about to say with a relative grain of salt, and do your own research and risk assessment.

what does “DNA” mean?

“DNA” stands for “did not arrive.” it’s used as shorthand to describe a common type of online refund fraud.

how does it work/how do i do it?

there’s no special process. it’s relatively simple:

the customer places a legitimate online order for their target item/items. however, when the package arrives, the customer then contacts customer service and claims the parcel didn’t show up in order to receive a fraudulent refund.

unlike shoplifting, with DNAs, a legitimate purchase has to occur in order for the scam to take place.

what are the consequences if i get caught?

this is very important: DNAing, no matter how small the amount, is a type of fraud. based on where you live, the legal penalties for getting caught will vary—it can be difficult to find information online, but i would encourage you to do as much research as possible.

however, even if companies don’t take legal action, refund scamming can result in your account(s) or address being blacklisted from certain online stores. i’ve heard certain companies (amazon) will even ban IPs (which basically means they ban your whole computer, rather than just an account on it). i’ve also heard UPS and other mail carriers can/do ban the addresses of repeat offenders if a suspicious amount of investigations (see below) have been filed.

i personally haven’t heard of anyone experiencing trouble from their bank’s end, but i would stay vigilant nonetheless.

other important terminology

EB: this stands for “empty box.” it’s a variant of DNAing where, instead of claiming the parcel didn’t arrive, you claim the box itself came empty.

partial DNA: partial DNA is when you claim only a portion of your order didn’t arrive. for example, you might say you received a dress you ordered, but were missing a shirt or a pair of shoes—the company then refunds you for only the “missing” items.

investigation: an investigation occurs when the company files a report with the carrier regarding the missing package. this can take days to weeks to process. from what i understand, most of these investigations are either protocol or purely meant to scare you off, and most of the time go absolutely nowhere.

how long should i wait after my order is placed/delivered to contact customer service?

it depends. many people suggest waiting longer so the company is less likely to conduct an investigation (it’s virtually useless after a certain point). however, i’ve also had some successes doing it the day of delivery; use your best judgement.

what do i say to customer service?

act natural! put yourself in the mindset of someone whose order has genuinely failed to show up. be disappointed but polite, and above all firm in what you want. many DNAs are as simple as:

YOU: hello, i placed an order on your site about a week and a half ago. i got an email saying my package was delivered, but i didn’t receive my order.

CS: i’m sorry to hear that. let me check on that for you... i can offer you a reshipment or a refund. which would you prefer?

YOU: a refund, please.

a common mistake is over-explanation. don’t offer more than what customer service asks—an innocent person likely wouldn’t.

i’m not going to go in-depth with methods or “what-ifs” on this post, but there are plenty of great tips on liftblr and reddit. however, if you end up facing suspicion, you will need the ability to stick to a believable story if you want your money back.

what stores can i DNA?

there are lots of stores you can (relatively) safely DNA, with varying degrees of difficulty. from what i’ve read and my own experiences, most people agree that:

shein/romwe*

glossier

lush

hollister

abercrombie

victoria’s secret

are easy places to start and build your confidence. if you’re curious about a certain store, ask around! lots of people are willing to share their experiences. or check out my new blog—@dna-stories!

*shein and romwe will always open an investigation to try and scare you off—however, i have literally never heard of one of these investigations going anywhere. don’t let it intimidate you!

ANOTHER HUGE DISCLAIMER:

just like shoplifting, it’s important to keep greed and recklessness in check. there’s always a risk with DNAing; be smart, and never spend what you can’t afford to lose. if you need that $600 for rent, don’t blow it on bathing suits and bank on your refund—there’s always a chance you won’t get your money back, and you don’t want to accidentally put yourself in a bad position.

where can i find more tips?

reddit has a lot of good information, particularly about amazon, though be mindful of the age of certain threads; some things are bound to outdated. this is a master list of store information i’ve referred to before (but again, take everything with a grain of salt)!

there are also a ton of lifters who post helpful tips on here. i’ve been referring to @heavenlylifter, @urfavoritelifter and @fairylift’s blogs a lot—and many others, too!

i hope this post serves as a helpful intro to DNAing!

stay safe, and happy scamming!

[keijislove]

Hi babe! I was wondering if I could request a Tony Stark x daughter reader? With lots of angst and her being locked in her room because she’s being bullied for her darker skin

(I understand if you’re not comfortable with this)

Safe Place: Tony Stark X Daughter!Reader

I think this turned out a bit longer than I expected.

Sorry :(

I hope you like this, I don’t really have a lot of experience with this matter, so I hope I captured the emotions right!

I AM APOLOGISING IN ADVANCE, THE HURTFUL COMMENTS MENTIONED HERE ARE NOT ONES I WOULD EVER USE IN MY LIFETIME.

GIRL, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL JUST THE WAY YOU ARE – YOU DON’T NEED DIMWITS LIKE RACISTS TO DEFINE BEAUTY. YOU WANT THE DEFINITION OF BEAUTY, GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

PUT A STOP TO RACISM.

WARNINGS: Slight EXTREMELY racial comments, mentions of death, toxic relationship, angst, Tony being a little... well, Tony.

Being Tony Stark’s daughter was nearly everyone’s dream. Well, everyone you’d come across at school, anyway. It seemed rational from their point of view – big house, big bedroom, expensive branded clothing, basically an overall exquisite lifestyle coupled with fame of being his daughter which was sure to earn popularity points anywhere and everywhere. A man rolling in that amount of money would make a great dad... right?

You thought differently. Which was one of the main reasons you did not tell anyone who your father really was and your teachers understood your predicament and played along to your story of being an ordinary girl with no scope for coolness whatsoever.

Your mother had met your father a long, long time ago – when Tony was still in university. Of course, he’d left her before he even knew she was pregnant, and they never saw each other again. You didn’t exactly love your life as his daughter. In fact, from what your mother had told you, he was (in your vision) a complete monster whom your mother had the sad misfortune to meet.

It was her untimely death that had forced you to go live with the man who was the reason you were born and the man who ruthlessly left your mother to fend for herself and a baby. You had tried for foster care, but the agents told you that your father was still alive and more than capable of taking care of you – being the famous Tony Stark and all.

So it would suffice to say that Tony was lowkey shocked when you turned up at his doorstep one day with a grudging expression and declarations of being his daughter. He actually didn’t believe you at first and asked you to piss off which confirmed your earlier assumptions about his character – asshole. After you’d snapped at him and showed him all the legal documentations stating that you two were blood-related as father-daughter after all, Tony was even more shocked than earlier.

Though he would rather die than admit it, he felt sad after seeing your fourteen-year-old self standing at his doorstep. He’d missed your birth, your first steps, your first words, he even missed helping you with homework in preschool – basically all precious moments you enjoy with a child. But you made it pretty clear that you didn’t want to be here – something that made Tony’s already overlarge pride swell like a bullfrog and stopped him from ever getting close to you. While you were busy thinking he didn’t want you, you overlooked a small detail – he took you in.

If anyone had the power to bribe an adoption agency to get rid of their kid, it was Anthony Stark, yet he never gave you away. The simple explanation (that he would never, in a million years, admit it to you) was that he didn’t want to lose you – around the only blood-related family he had left.

And so began your life as Y/N Stark. It functioned surprisingly well for your expectations. Pepper was really nice to you and those few occasions when the Avengers came over, you were able to talk to Natasha about ‘girl things’, her presence reminding you of the mother you had lost only too young. You sometimes even asked Bruce for help with homework, too proud yourself to go to Tony. Overall, you stayed out of his way while he stayed out of yours – an arrangement you were both satisfied with.

The worst part was that you never talked. Ever. You would wake up and walk to school, refusing Jarvis’ continued protests of letting you use the self-driving car, came home the same way where you did your homework and grabbed a snack before you ‘father’ came back upstairs from his little man cave in the basement and a small ‘good-evening’ passed between you two as you went your separate ways. This cycle repeated itself every day. Recently, your life at school hadn’t been going great.

You’d known that your skin tone was a notch darker than the others at your school – something you had gotten from your mother – and this was not something you really cared about. That’s when they started coming – the comments. What were originally small, snide retorts of ‘wash your face, ew!’ (A/N: I AM SO SORRY) had now escalated to them calling you obscene names you’d never heard before and asking you to leave ‘their’ school

Which was why, instead of being at school today, you were locked in your bedroom, sobbing into your pillow.

It had started out as a very unusual morning. After getting comments hurled at you left right and centre the previous day, you’d had enough. You’d woken up and declared to Jarvis that you were skipping school and he was to, under no circumstances, notify your father about this. After that you tried to eat some cereal, but the bubbling dread in your stomach made it taste like dry carpet, so you gave up and stomped into your room, locking the door before flinging yourself onto the bed and crying your heart out.

It was in times like these that you felt the need for something – a gaping hole in your chest. It seemed foolish to even admit it to yourself, but you really wanted someone like a parent. Someone who listened to your problems and comforted you accordingly, someone who actually cared about you. And since Tony Stark filled neither of these requirements, you gave up the foolish dream and sunk, once again, into your self-fashioned depths of misery.

-------

Tony casually sipped on his wine, putting one last screw into place to make the latest piece he was testing out. As he powered the device on, it vibrated for a moment before the words ‘model failed’ appeared on the screen Tony was examining.

He swore loudly and shoved it ungracefully aside before running his hands through his hair. There had been many an occasion where Tony seriously considered going to your room to just say something to you that wasn’t a monotonous ‘good evening’ or ‘the milk’s finished’ or something else like that. He wanted to talk to you. To you.

He wanted to get to know the real Y/N – what you were like when you weren’t too busy being bold and refusing to appear vulnerable. As if reading his thoughts, Jarvis’ voice filled the room suddenly.

“Sir, I do believe that Ms Stark is currently locked inside her bedroom. She refused to go to school just this morning.”

“What?” Tony exclaimed, “Why, did she tell you anything else?”

“Just this, Sir, along with a few obscene warnings of not informing you about this occurrence. If I recall correctly, Ms Stark told me she would rip out my sockets with her bare hands had I come to you.”

Ignoring the small smirk that was growing on his lips at the thought of you behaving exactly as he would, Tony wiped his tired hands on a nearby cloth before sprinting out the door and up the stairs to your bedroom.

He knocked on the door.

“Go away Pepper, not in the mood,” came your muffled voice. It was weak and raw – evidently, you had been crying.

Ignoring the poking feeling of dread bubbling in his stomach, Tony knocked again.

“Open up, kid, it’s me,” he shouted.

“Definitely not in the mood, thanks.”

Tony sighed. This was exactly what he had tried so hard to avoid –turning out like his own father. Not knowing how to deal with a daughter properly, he just let you go about your business as you wanted, hoping that it would yield better results than what his childhood had been like. Now, looking back at how much he’d neglected you, he suddenly realised that he had done the exact thing he was afraid of – hurt you.

“Y/N Y/M/N Stark, open the door. Please.”

Perhaps it was the please at the end or the way he acknowledged you as his living, breathing daughter for the first time that made you stagger limply over to the door and push it open.

Your eyes were puffy, red and swollen from bawling nonstop and your brows were knitted into a disapproving frown. It broke Tony’s heart to see you like this.

“Listening,” you sniffed, crossing your arms.

“Okay, why don’t you sit down,” Tony frowned slightly.

You gave another hearty sniff and led him to your bed where you flopped down and watched as he took a seat beside you.

You both sat in a very painful, deafening silence for the next few minutes.

“You didn’t go to school today,” Tony casually remarked as you played with your pillow, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I did,” you said simply.

“Wanna tell me what’s going on?” Tony offered.

“I really don’t,” you admitted as he burst out laughing and you gave a grudging giggle despite yourself.

“Seriously, kid,” Tony said in an undertone, “You’ve gotta open up a bit more. I mean, it’s been like what, two years since you moved here and you never bother telling me what’s going on. And look where that got you – come on, tell me what’s going on. Is it school?”

“Partially,” you quietly said to which he cocked an eyebrow.

“Completely,” you amended, sighing, “Kids, you know, they’re just being – well, mean.”

“Okay,” Tony nodded slightly, “You want to talk about it?”

“They... they make fun of me,” you admitted, “About – about my skin colour and stuff. And I know I’m being stupid, getting upset over this –”

“It’s not stupid,” Tony broke in, “It’s not stupid at all. Nothing gives anyone a right to talk to you that way.”

“Try telling that to them!” you burst out, final letting go of the pent-up emotions you’d been holding for days, “What did I ever do to them – it’s not my fault I look like this, maybe if I could choose what to look like, I’d choose something they want! Just about everyone seems to have a problem – what the hell do they expect me to do? It’s unjust, unfair, unsettling and unkind, but of course they don’t care, do they?!”

Tony didn’t even flinch throughout your entire outburst until you broke down and tears began rapidly pouring out of your eyes once more.

“Hey, hey, stop, listen to me,” Tony sternly said, seizing your shoulders and turning you to face him.

“You’re a Stark,” he said, gazing you dead in the eyes, “You are beautiful, you’re smart and you’re kind. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

This was too much for you to handle and you started sobbing again – sobs of partial happiness and partial guilt that didn’t look like they would stop anytime soon.

“Come here, kid,” was all Tony could say as he pulled you into a hug, allowing you to sob into his shirt while he stroked your hair, trying to calm you down.

“I’m sorry if I’ve ever been mean to you,” you whispered finally.

“It’s okay, kid,” Tony murmured, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “I’m sorry I haven’t been a great father all this time.”

You two sat in a now comfortable silence, occasionally clearing your throats or sniffling a bit before Tony finally spoke.

“If anyone says that to you again, I will have them cut up and fed to the fish in my house in Malibu.”

“Thanks, dad.”

[koumine]

🦑 take your tentacle monster on a date 🦑/ Ruri-chan headcanon [OM!] [tentacle monster Reader/Leviathan]

check out the first snippet from this fic here! -> [link]

content tags: tentacle monster!Reader / Leviathan, gender neutral reader, monster courting, fluff, humor, eldritch vibes, communication issues between a tentacle monster & a humanoid demon, my attempt at a Ruri-chan headcanon, one tiny mention of breeding (literally 2 words)

[rated T below] [WIP ZONE]

Courting Leviathan, it turns out, involves a lot more talking than you had thought it would. He’s still pretty damn adorable, bringing you gifts of strange little figurines and textiles and babbling on and on about them. But you don’t understand his fascination with them, or the need to amass so many of them when they all look so similar to you, though of course you safely secret away everything he gives you into a pocket dimension. Until one day, when you come up to meet him in the cool shallows just below the drop-off, and he beams happily as he tells you that this is his favorite and hands you a little clear rectangular prism with air trapped inside along with an idol of -- You hurl the box away from you, your tentacles writhing and flinching in fright. The Mistress of Poison! you howl.

“Hey!” Leviathan cries, snagging the box as it soars by him. “Why did you do that?!” You inch away from him, and the terrifying mint-condition idol he’s cradling in his arms. You have doomed us both, you wail mournfully. None can touch the Mistress of Poison’s unholy idols but for her most dedicated acolytes! He looks confused. “Um, this is just a regular-edition figurine, you can get these anywhere -- I would give you a nicer one, at least an SSR, but I haven’t quite worked out the waterproofing enchantments yet, and I wouldn’t want to waste a limited-edition SSR if it’s just going to get crushed by the pressure when you go home… But here, I doubt you care about mint-condition collecting, so you can touch this one!” And he opens the package, releasing the air in a stream of bubbles, and reaches in -- NO! you roar, and seize his arm to keep him from touching the idol, from being tainted by its venomous corruption and dooming himself, and he flinches so hard that he drops the box and it goes sailing through the water. And lands, open side first, on the tip of one of your tentacles. The idol is touching you. You shriek so loud it kills a nearby school of fish, and nearly tear a hole in the fabric of reality to hurl yourself away from this horrible plane of existence, before you realize -- you feel nothing. No pain. The tentacle touched by the idol is not withering away into a warped husk, no deadly corrupting venom is clawing its way through your being, the ten thousand voices of the Mistress of Poison are not crooning their song of murder into your mind. You’re fine. And Leviathan is holding your tentacle. “Are you okay?” he says, eyes wide with concern for you. You shrink down a little, drawing your tentacles inward. (Including the one Leviathan is holding. This brings him closer to you. Nice.) I am very confused, you admit. You offer the box back to him. This idol is safe to touch? “Yes,” he says, looking confused himself as he takes the box. “It’s just a plastic figurine. Ruri-chan doesn’t poison her fans.” He glances aside. “Anymore.” Ruri-chan, you echo slowly. A fittingly horrendous new name for the Mistress of Poison. He smiles, and gives a happy little giggle, looking at the idol fondly. “I know, right? She’s so cunning and adaptable!” Yes, you agree. You look at the idol, too. The “figurine”. Please tell me more about the recent exploits of the Mistress Ruri-chan, you say. I fear my seclusion in the depths has left me ignorant of Her Venomousness’ latest pursuits. He beams happily with his teeny tiny humanoid teeth, and launches into an adorably excited babble about the last five thousand years of Poisonous news, to which you listen attentively, frequently exclaiming in excitement, in between snacking on the fish you killed earlier, which your tentacles started grabbing as soon as you realized you weren’t about to die. (You try to feed some to Leviathan, but apparently he can’t talk and eat at the same time, so he only eats a couple, before rambling on. It’s ok, you’ll kill a proper meal for him to eat later. Maybe that mega-megalodon is still around?)

She infiltrated the human world? you exclaim. “Yes!” And didn’t poison them all?? “No, listen, you haven’t heard the rest yet --” You munch on your snacks, listening intently. “...and now she uses flower magic to destroy evil demons!” Flower-based poisons, you muse, sagely nodding several hundred eye-stalks, a truly ingenious means of keeping her foes at bay. “Exactly!!” He does an excited little wiggle in the water, and continues. She sang a diabolic duet with Levistus?? you exclaim, sometime later. “I know, right??” And I MISSED IT??? you screech, brandishing several half-eaten fish in agitation. He smirks at you. He’s still holding your tentacle, which makes your other tentacles shiver with joy. “I have the concert special episode on my D.D.D.,” he says. “We can watch it together!” Yes, you say immediately. A Date, a Proper Humanoid Date, aaaaa you are the luckiest direct descendant of Mighty Cthulhu to have ever spawned. “Oh, but …” His face falls a little. “My D.D.D. is only waterproofed to twenty meters.” He gives you a hesitant look. “You’ll have to come up to the surface…” You do your best to suppress the instinctive shiver, tightening your grip on his hand. Do I have to go … on land? you ask weakly. For him, you would, but… “No, the reef is shallow enough,” he says, “you can stay fully submerged the whole time.” Oh, you say, and relax. Reefs are fine. Tasty, though not filling. Let’s go then!

You watch the concert together with him at the edge of the reef, on a tiny little rectangular spell-stone that Leviathan summons and holds in both hands. Sadly, you don’t get to hold his hand during it. But he does let you cuddle up close to him, and blushes and smiles so delectably when you show restraint and carefully lay one (1) tentacle across his shoulders and along his arm. The concert is devastatingly good. You love everything about the new Ruri-chan, and continue to be incredibly satisfied that you pledged to tithe a portion of your ongoing soul collection to her all those eons ago. Your happy screeching (and your attempts to sing along with the one song you know, an old deep-sea trench classic) shatter a swath of nearby coral and shake a bunch of fresh fish and crustacean carcasses loose from the reef floor, so there are also snacks for your Date, oh infinite hells, it’s so perfect. Leviathan even eats everything you hand him, this time, prickling sea slugs and hornet shrimp and anemone-laden chunks of coral, and as he munches contentedly away at the snacks while watching Ruri-chan dance a dance of decomposition and destruction and decay, you feel the constant howling of feed your mate stuff him full feed him breed him FEED HIM in the back of your mind quiet down to a low hiss for the first time in an eon.

read more? -> [masterlist]

[alessabriel]

Moments like those were unique with characters from tokyo revengers.

I'm really loving the Tokyo Revengers manga and I couldn't help but write about some characters, when I go later in the manga I will write about even more characters and I hoped to get it right. Take good care of yourselves, drink water and eat well, it is important to.

Anyway Byebye ✨

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➡️Draken | Ken Ryuuguuji

The sun filtered through the window with lilac curtains giving the room a slight glow illuminating the scene within it; a tall young man with blond hair sat on the floor on the black carpet with a noticeably smaller girl behind him.

There was no one else with whom he could let his guard down like this.

Draken despite the cold shower, knowing that he has rested well and that he should not be sleepy, your soft hands combing him make him drowsy, lethargic and with heavy eyelids, he could hardly see your reflection in the mirror in front of him. He, concentrated on his braid and there was nothing better in the world than you being so close that he could feel your warmth, your soft caresses.

With care and gentleness you manage each blonde strand between your fingers, intertwining little by little. You did not see the mirror, they only saw blonde locks that slipped between your fingers, he had beautiful and well-groomed hair. Almost finalizing the braid was when you directed your gaze towards the mirror in front of you; Draken seemed to be nowhere near falling asleep again from the way he nodded slightly.

"Are you sleepy Ryu?"

A denial was the answer clearly but you only laughed at the obviousness of his lie, he was so cute when he was so helpless and vulnerable with you. They were unique moments and by how he snuggled between your legs he said that he only wanted to spend a few more minutes like that, together.

In the morning when even their paths did not separate, Ken Ryuuguuji could allow himself moments of vulnerability where you would cradle him carefully, smiling at all times and he did not need to have his eyes open to know that your face only showed love, he had already gone through a long stage of doubts, denial and self-inflicted pain that knowing who you are, his partner, that you are by his side and that you do not have any doubt in loving him as he is, with everything included only makes him feel more secure. Draken didn't doubt his love for you, he never could.

"I just want to stay like this for a few minutes"

"All you wish Ryuu"

The "I love you" were in the air and were received by both, they knew that love was mutual ...

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➡️Mikey | Sano Manjiro.

The days you left school were naturally late thanks to the extra classes, the club, and other activities. It was normal to walk through the hallways of the school meeting only a few students from grades above who gave tired greetings, it must be difficult to be anywhere from leaving you assumed.

The silence was comforting as something cold.

Once with your outdoor shoes on, you left school seeing how your boyfriend was on his motorcycle with his cell phone in hand distracted, a clumsy idea emerged from the depths of your head and you executed it without thinking twice; you covered his eyes with your hands feeling the seconds how his hands touched yours, it was difficult to hold the laughter.

Mikey only limited himself to smiling without you seeing him, from the moment he felt your warm presence he knew it was you and only as confirmation the sweet aroma of your perfume invaded the air making it comforting, you were warmth, affection and home. You were so smiling, sweet, attentive and funny that sometimes he thought how you had noticed him.

As if you had a detector for his pessimism, you kissed your boyfriend on the cheek when you discovered his eyes showing your remarkable pout openly.

"You are bad guessing love" you accused fun catching your partner's face in your hands, you held between your little hands a mysterious, beautiful and so enigmatic world called Sano Manjiro "It will be that I am very good and I take you by surprise. What if? "

Mikey could only smile and let himself be carried away by your beautiful voice, you seemed to have a sixth sense for when he was just getting into negative thoughts about his relationship and he felt grateful for it, you were so special and irreplaceable.

"Aha, of course" accepted the blond amused, receiving another kiss with pleasure but this time on the lips. Mikey loved the feel of your smooth lips against his own, he could taste the taste of your gloss directly from your lips and it was the best feeling in the universe. "Come on I'll take you home."

The words died from the moment you got on the motorcycle behind your boyfriend, clinging with both arms to his waist and hiding your face from the wind that you knew would impact on your face that you still did not get used to. The soft roar of the motorcycle lulled you, the aroma of fabric softener, sun and sweets coming from your boyfriend only made you feel even more comfortable that it was inevitable not to rub your cheeks against his back, love overflowed from your heart .

"I love you Manji" you whispered softly, without the intention of making you listen but because of a red light one of Mikey's hands was caressing yours, you knew that he had heard you.

"I love you even more S / o-chan"

The green light on the traffic light sealed the rest of the trip in a pleasant and sweet silence, where they knew they were safe.

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➡️Hanagaki Takemichi

It was late when they finally managed to get out of the game room, both laughing at monumental losses in silly games but with a more than happy smile on their lips. Takemichi couldn't help but smile and feel the constant pounding on his chest as your fingers were intertwined with his own, it felt good.

"I had a lot of fun today Michi" you said once you were both waiting for the train at the station, your gaze fixed to the front and then looking at your side hoping to find him looking elsewhere but you met his unmistakable bright eyes that made you blush "We should go out like this more often, I say if you don't have more meetings with Touman "

"I think the same! We won't have any meetings at the moment so you will put up with me longer, ”Takemichi joked laughing.

"I like spending time with Takemichi-kun so it wouldn't be to put up with it, it would be spending quality time with my boyfriend"

You refuted by giggling when you heard that he was choking on his own saliva, so you let go of his hand to gently hit his back helping him out of his stupor. Takemichi could only try to stop coughing and when he did he felt you closer, one of your arms behind his back surrounding him and how you leaned against his. It was instinct and perhaps the feelings of him speaking for him since he left a kiss on your head, he could smell the fruity aroma of your shampoo and the unmistakable essence of your perfume.

Little did you know that your Takemichi could only think of a way to save you, never to lose your smile and treasure each new memory.

You were his first and only love ...

━━━━

➡️Atsushi Sendo | Akkun

The journey from his school to your school was about half an hour, but it was worth every tiny second for Atsushi who, like every Friday, had separated from his other friends to pass by you. Even though they had been going out as boyfriends for more than two and a half years, he still felt the nerves all over his body and the butterflies flying in his stomach that multiplied when he saw him leave the main doors laughing at something that your friends said, you looked beautiful with the glow of the sunset making you the center of their world. It was ridiculous how just by seeing you could make him fall in love more. Trying to regulate his nerves I wait for you when he saw you say goodbye to your friends and jog the rest of the way towards him. Was it even allowed to look this good and attractive in a school uniform? He did not know.

"Did you take too long Atsu?" you questioned your boyfriend smiling.

The other people ceased to exist the moment you approached him, the moment he could see your bright eyes and catch the sweet aroma of your perfume in the air.

"Not at all I just arrived a few minutes ago, how was school?"

With a remarkable pout you started with your remarkable anecdote of this day without even knowing that Atsushi was looking at you as if you were hanging the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky. Akkun only listened and commented from time to time, until it was his turn to tell about his day at school. Neither of them noticed when their hands clasped, it was natural.

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➡️Tachibana Hinata

The dark sky above their heads only gave more seriousness and intimacy at the moment, with her nerves on the surface Hinata could only see how the wind moved your hair and carried in it, the scent of your shampoo or perhaps your perfume. perfume that I gave you on your birthday a year ago?

"The moon is beautiful tonight" you said to the air.

Hinata did not take long to detect the message behind your prayer, endless nights watching k-dramas, anime and watching movies xianxia by your side made her understand the references, she loved how you expressed yourself so casually by dropping messages of your unconditional love.

"If the moon is beautiful S / o"

When Hinata thought that silence would fill the air, your voice was heard again but this time in front of her. Hinata could only swallow hard to see you standing in front of her, so she could see the difference in heights between the two and how the elegant beauty accentuated your being, you were so pretty and attractive that it could not cross her mind that you corresponded her feelings but there they were; in the park late at night on a romantic getaway that consisted of a motorcycle ride and talking in a park where they had confessed.

"But I can't help but think that I'm lucky to be able to call you my girlfriend Nat."

"It is not worth it! You always know what to say and you leave me like a fool in love looking at you. You're unfair S / o-chan! "

Before her words continued Hinata felt your lips brush against hers, your kisses were so soft and gentle that she felt so fragile in your arms, so loved and desired.

"I love you so much Nat"

The kisses continued gentle, soft and in order to communicate love, one more memory that the couple would engrave in her memory.

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✨ Here is the end, comments are welcome and if not has in the same way thanks ✨

💕

[grippingbeskar]

Okay omg- I read your fic "Had you said the words" and first of all, I'm so in love with it, it was an emotional rollercoaster, you went from this sweet story and conflict between them to this masterpiece of spice. The fucking talent!

It gave me the idea of Obi Wan wanting to explore, he lays in your bed with you and his hands are exploring your body gently and it's so good, your legs are still shaking, but he can't get enough. He's half hard again and he could go again "This wasn't it, right?" he asked and you smiled, not expecting him to be this needy.

"No, but there's a risk if we go further." you'd say and he would listen, he'd be a bit upset but understand if you wouldn't go further, until he sees you pull something out of your drawer. You had kept a few condoms just in case you'd be interested in seeing someone, sex wasn't forbidden after all, only the attachment which came with it sometimes.

Anyways, Obi Wan would go crazy when he would safely slip inside of you, it would drain every bit of energy he would have left when he feels the pressure and slips into you. Maker, he would see stars in front of his eyes, the very stars he came from and he would be so loud and almost rip your sheets apart. Every second spent like this felt like hours to him. For you it would be like your first time again since you had spent so many years of not having seen someone because you were loyal to Obi Wan.

Btw, the stamina he would have? Prepare for a few rounds and think of an explanation for Anakin why you have these weird bruises on your neck.

okay i left this for a bit bc i want to answer in DEPTH. oh my god

okay first thank you so much. GOD i love that fic it has a special place in my heart— it was my first obi fic and i literally had it sitting in my drafts for ages bc i hated it and now i love it HAHAHA

obi-wan in private is literally a 360 from who he is in front of everyone else— he is like a teenager. ready to go anywhere and everywhere, all the time once he gets a taste. it’s like addictive for him i hnggnngngngng okay i’m losing my mind

obi-wan would b the fucking safe sex advocate of the YEAR. the type to always ask, always check, he’s methodical like that. but also so fucking spontaneous he’s taken to just keeping condoms stuffed in random places everywhere ‘just to be safe’

‘yeah but we could just wait till we got back’

‘yes, but what if we can’t wait? i’d hate to leave you out to dry, love’ LIKE PSLSSSSSSSSS he’s just got ‘em shoved in his robe in secret pockets. i feel like he has a lot of those.

and yup. stamina. after the first few times— bc let’s face it, he’s so lost in the feeling he’s never had, the first few times he’s hardly in control of his own body, but after he can focus a lil more. oh m ygod. hours. there i SAID it. mans is a planner— METHODICAL in breaking you apart in the best way possible.

and that last line. obi wan and choking. i am a puddle on the floor.

thanku for this. i am dying.

[fanartfunart]

Fly Away

Episode 1: Paon Lilas (*Lilac Peacock)

Ao3 Link (If I actually continue this, check my Ao3 of the same name “Fanartfunart”.. Considering how much mental real estate it’s taking up, I probably will.)

An au in which Adrien didn't succeed in trying to 'sneak' into brick and mortar school and therefore also didn't get the Black Cat miraculous..... but he did find a pretty peacock. (It's in his house... I mean....) Ladybug and Féline Sombre (Who uses She/They. Black Cat hero name thanks to @broadwaytheanimatedseries) get some help from the mysterious peacock miraculous holder, but Ladybug isn’t sure he’s 100% doing this for good.

Warnings: Canon typical violence.... Not much else? Tell me if I need to add anything.

A/N because Brick and Mortar schoolers never know that’s what they are: "Brick and Mortar school" is a homeschool/online school method of reference to in-person schools before calling it “in-person” was a thing. I 100% think Adrien would use that phrasing. (if the writers knew it existed...Tho. Idk if there's a French equivalent)

-*-

Adrien knew he shouldn’t be doing this. This was a worse idea than trying to sneak his way into brick and mortar school. He’d only seen it by accident. He wasn’t even doing very good at committing to breaking into his father’s mysterious safe. This was the third time he’d come back down to find out what was behind that painting.... He should really not be doing this. But...a secret compartment behind his mother’s painting was just… too interesting to ignore. He unfurled an umbrella to cover himself from the cameras his father probably had in the room. Inching his way to the painting of his mother. 

...He had had far too much time to think about this. He only had to punch in the code once (his mother’s birthday- frankly, his father really needed a code harder to guess), for the safe to click and unlock.

The contents… were not what he anticipated. It looked like a keepsake box, not a super secret compartment. He ghosted a hand over the frame of his mother’s photo, blinking away the lingering sadness. ...A peacock brooch? He picked it up, tumbling it in his hand. It almost hummed with energy. He tilted his head, brow raised.

Footsteps.

Adrien frantically closed the hidden compartment and glancing for a hiding place. The umbrella closed over his head just as he dove for the curtain. That… might bruise. He flattened himself against the windowsill, going on his tip-toes on the barely-there window ledge. 

From the distinct clack of dress shoes on the floor, his father had entered the room. Adrien held his breath, hearing his father’s footsteps come closer. A strange whirr. Then silence. Adrien stood there for a long moment, feeling the edges of the peacock brooch dig into his clenched fist. Heart hammering. But father never called for Natalie, or his bodyguard, or moved, or anything. It was eerily quiet. The umbrella peaked out of the curtain. He popped open the umbrella to find… no one. 

"What?" Adrien whispered to himself. He frowned, and tiptoed out from the window, before racing out of the room, down the hall, and outside. Once safely in the garden, he dropped the umbrella. He slid down into the grass, taking deep breaths. 

The brooch vibrated.

Wait. The brooch vibrated? He opened his hand. He had to shield his face from the burst of light. He opened an eye to see… a tiny… hummingbird? No, it was a peacock. Why is a peacock… floating? And Tiny? And why isn’t he sneezing? Are miniature peacocks hypoallergenic? “What the...”

“Ooooo, hello!” The creature said cheerfully, “Lovely weather isn’t it? Beautiful flowers! Nice to be outdoors for once isn’t it? Are you my new miraculous wielder? You’re so cute! You look almost like…” tears welled up into the miniature peacock’s eyes. Adrien looked around frantically. It kept talking unintelligibly between sobs, gesturing vaguely.

“Are you… okay?”

“Noooooooo.”

“Right. Er-” Adrien frowned, clearly it wasn’t going to make sense if he asked what was wrong. He opted for distraction. “Do… you want something to eat?”

“Oh sure!” The tiny peacock’s tears cleared up immediately.

Adrien blinked at the sudden change in mood and nodded “Let’s… Let’s go get you something to eat… I guess. Er, what are you?”

"Oh I'm Duusu, a kwami, I can grant the power to hone emotions into constructs."

He tilted his head. The image of Ladybug summoning her Lucky Charm came to mind. "Like… a superhero? How?”

"Well you are transformed by a magic phrase, and once transformed, you can create a sentimonster out of vibrant emotions. Whoever holds the Amok, the item imbued with power, can control the sentimonster."

“Oh, cool!”

"It is! Do you have any mangoes? I love mango."

“We’ll see.” Adrien glanced at the peacock brooch and stuffed it into his pocket. He looked back at the door inside, then Duusu. “Actually, can you… hide? Just for now-”

“Oh yes! Don’t worry! I know the Kwami and our wielder's identities are a secret.” The kwami zipped into Adrien’s over-shirt inner pocket and settled there. It felt… almost natural. He smiled a bit to himself and went to find out if they had some good fruit for the tiny peacock. 

-

The TV played in the background while Duusu had another sudden breakdown about… something. Adrien still wasn’t sure what. He was starting to feel very out of his depth. 

“Duusu.... Duusu. D- Duusu, do you want to talk about it?” There was a pause before the tears flowed even harder. Adrien was reminded of a sprinkler.

His eyes were pulled to the TV, with a flash of red and black blurring on the screen. Followed by an Akuma. Ladybug and Féline Sombre. He glanced at the Kwami. “Duusu… you mentioned you can give me powers, right?”

“Mhm! You just have to say ‘Spread my feathers.’”

“Alright! Duusu-”

“OH! Wait I didn’t-”

“Spread my feathers!” The transformation felt so natural, like he was made to do this. He struck a pose and smiled behind the fan that materialized in his hand. “Alright, let’s go help Ladybug and Féline Sombre.”

He didn’t expect to start… feeling, seeing emotions. Although he supposed that made sense for the power set. They were everywhere- it was like being dropped into the deep end of a pool, surrounded and covered. Fear, worry, frustration, annoyance, determination. Stronger emotions felt… bigger, somehow. The world was full of colors and feelings he’d never expected. He lept across rooftops, feeling like he was flying. His own elation from the truest sense of freedom he’s ever had in… ever; a bright vibrant bubble. He stumbled to a stop as he spotted Ladybug.

Ladybug was determined… and scared? He didn’t expect that from Paris’s hero. She kept looking around, searching for a plan. The redhead cat hero dove in from above and smacked the Akuma with their baton. Her baton was then immediately captured and swallowed by the plants under the Akuma’s control. Féline Sombe pulled desperately before eventually giving up and vaulting towards Ladybug. She was scared too, he noticed, and frustrated.

The Akumatized person was angry. So so angry it was overwhelming. He almost couldn’t see the person behind their anger. “It’s only a matter of time before Chloé Bourgeois and the litterers of Paris pay!” The plant-covered Akuma cackled. 

Chloe?! Well that’s not good. One of his only friends is in danger?

“Bonzaniac is just gonna grow bigger if they go anywhere near the Eiffel. We need to prune this plant before it’s unmanageable.” Ladybug told Féline Sombre, wrapping her yo-yo around the Akuma’s legs, straining to control Bonzaniac’s movement.

Féline Sombre gestured widely, “If I touch them I’ll just become Cat-nip! How are we supposed to stop them?”

Ladybug called her Lucky Charm, ending up with a polka dotted fishing pole. “How’s that supposed to help?” 

The peacock hero frowned and… Chloé? What’s she doing here? Bonzaniac noticed her as well, it seemed, because the plant growth reached toward her. Chloé’s fear grew rapidly and immediately. He plucked a feather from the fan, imbuing it with power. He dove from his perch on the roof down towards Chloé and Bonzaniac. 

“Fly away, darling amok.” The feather fluttered into Chloé’s necklace. He grabbed a traffic cone and hurled it at the plant tendrils, keeping it from touching Chloé. Féline Sombre quickly took over the idea, batting away the tendrils with a trash can lid. (That made Chloé cringe.) A purplish mask of light illuminated Chloé’s and his own face. “Chloé, I am…er- Paon Lilas. I can sense your fear. Let me help you turn it into safety. I can grant you a construct to protect you.” 

“Then just do it already!” Chloé cried, “Please just don’t let it turn me into a sticky sappy gross tree!” A large golden bear materialized in front of Chloe. It roared and Chloé gasped. “Mr. Cuddles!”

Ladybug was... understandably confused. “What? Another Akuma?” She furrowed her brow and deepened her fighting stance.

“OH! No no no, uh, I’m Paon Lilas." He flourished his fan with a bow. "I’m here to help.”

Ladybug’s suspicion grew, but he didn’t have much of a chance to explain himself as Bonzaniac roared and turned on him, aiming their plant tendrils towards him. “Hey! I’m not really the roosting type of bird!” He dived for cover behind a car, patting himself down, “Come on, is the only weapon I get a fan? Why couldn’t I get a baton or something like that?”

The gold bear attacked Bonzaniac, knocking them down. Bonzaniac grappled the bear in plants, taking the plants away from protecting their back.

Ladybug gasped, "There! They only have so much plant matter! Féline, destroy as much plant matter as you can, Paon, distract Bonzaniac! I'm going Akuma fishing."

The two other heroes nodded. 

"Cataclysm!" Féline Sombre yelled, summoning black destructive energy around their hand. She ducked and weaved towards the center of Bonzaniac's plant mass, jumping out of the way of grasping tendrils. 

Paon Lilas whistled "Hey Bonzaniac, have you heard about Fast Fashion? I use all my outfits that way. Never worn the same shirt twice!"

The Akuma roared "All. That. WASTE!" They focused a massive amount of plant matter towards him. 

"Didn't think that'd work so effectively," he muttered under his breath. He lept out of the way, and back around the bend of the car. The plants wrapped up around the car. He whooped in triamph.

Féline Sombre finally managed to hit Bonzaniac, severely reducing the amount of plants in their control. Ladybug swung the fishing pole and caught a necklace from in the middle of the thicket of plant matter. She crushed it under foot and captured the purple butterfly that fluttered out. 

Mr Cuddly the sentibear sat on the Akuma victim. Paon frowned and glanced at Chloé. The gardener looked dazed and confused.

“Now who do you think you are?” Chloe said, crossing her arms.

The gardener smacked the side of the over large bear. “Wh- you! You littered in my garden! And refused to simply pick it up!”

“So what? That's not my job," Chloe huffed, crossing her arms. The sentibear huffed with her.

Paon snapped his fingers, pulling the amok from the necklace, the sentibear disappearing. Chloe gasped, pouting.

"Mademoiselle Chloe," Paon sighed softly, "How would you feel if someone threw trash into your beautiful hair and refused to help clean it up?" Chloe grabbed her hair, and Paon saw her horror at the concept. "Exactly. That garden takes just as much work, or more, as your hair. I suggest apologizing."

She pouted, "Fine, your garden was pretty or whatever, sorry I messed it up." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "There. I apologized."

Féline Sombre and Ladybug chatted in the background. Féline grabbed their baton and with a light salute, she vaulted away. 

Paon's Miraculous beeped. That... meant something right?

"Birdy!" Ladybug called, walking toward him, her own Miraculous beeping. "Where did you get that Miraculous?"

"Oh… um…. Funny story-"

"I'm sorry, but you need to give it to me. It doesn't belong to you."

"What?" Paon took a step back, "Why?" 

"It's been lost. I'm going to take it back to the original owner."

Paon paled. Did Ladybug know his father? Or did his father find the lost miraculous without giving it back? Did his father know what it was? What would happen if his father found out he took it? The bubble of elated freedom popped. "That… sounds like a great, morally right thing to do… but… consider…” He took a soft step back, glancing up to find a path of escape, hands raised surrender. “I can't. Sorry, bye!" Paon ran, leaping up and away.

Ladybug moved to go after him, only for her miraculous to beep again. Sabrina had run in just in time to comfort Chloé, so Ladybug sighed and ran in the opposite direction.

Adrien tripped over himself as he detransformed in a back alley. His legs weak, and head dizzy. "Woah- is that normal?"

Duusu looked up at him with sad eyes. "I meant to tell you. The miraculous is broken... If you continue to use it... it will hurt you."

"... Does it hurt you?"

Duusu thought for a moment. "The transformation? No.... It is nice... to see another use it's power so kindly."

Adrien glanced down. He looked at the broach clipped to his overshirt. The lightness... the freedom. He nodded firmly. Unclipping it from his shirt and instead clipping it in his inside pocket. Hidden. "I'll be careful. Come on, let's get something to eat...” He rubbed his head, “I feel like we both need it."

-

Marinette just barely managed to make it to the bakery before the afternoon rush.

"Marinette! How was school?” Tom called, opening his arms for a hug. She happily took her place in her father’s arms.

"Not great.. Chloé caused another Akuma."

Tom sighed and shook his head, releasing her with a pat on the back. "At least we have Ladybug and Féline Sombre. Come on, if you can't learn in peace at school you can learn some more Dupain-Chang classics!"

Marinette chuckled and nodded, heading over to get ready to work behind the counter.

The door chimed, signaling the entrance of a young blond. She stared at him. He seemed oddly familiar. She started picturing him against all the blonds she knew, although her brain was still somewhat stuck on the Peacock Miraculous holder…. She really needed to talk to Master Fu about that. 

The boy stumbled. He was just about to faceplant into the counter before Marinette, intending to catch him- shoved him. He fell on his rear instead. 

“OH, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” Marinette cried, moving to pull him up to his feet. He was surprisingly light, ohmy and now she just manhandled him like a human doll.

“It’s okay! You saved me from what was probably a worse fate.” He giggled awkwardly, "Thanks... I’ve been.. a bit dizzy today, I guess."

"Oh, I hope you feel better, anything I can do to help?"

"Heh, I was looking for food. Got some, er, fruity stuff?"

"Fruity, fruit. For sure, fruit." Marinette stared at him a bit longer. Finally the images and fashion magazine clippings clicked next to the boy’s face. She gasped "Adrien Agreste! You're Gabriel Agreste's son! He’s my favorite fashion designer!"

He laughed awkwardly. Rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… That’s… that’s me."

"You probably hear that all the time, sorry! But! Fruit." She walked over to the counter and gestured at the prepared goods. "Macaroons are always good, and there's some a couple of fruit Eclairs, brioche and jam-"

He smiled somewhat stiffly, before frowning at the eclairs. He made a subtle 'come here' gesture. Marinette looked down at the eclairs herself, unsure what exactly made him frown.

He sighed, adjusting his overshirt. (Duusu settled nicely into the pocket again, glad to have been able to choose his treat.) "I think one of those is good.... Er... actually, I think two." 

He handed her the money, and she handed him the pastries. "Thank you."

She smiled, "Thank you! Come again soon. Just try not to trip, that's usually my thing."

He laughed. "Actually…” He takes a bite of his eclair, with a smile “I think I will definetly try to come in again."

"Oh! Okay, cool!"

He waved and walked out of the establishment with a small smile.

Tom leaned over as she watched him leave. "Flirting with the customers?"

Marinette gasped dramatically, "NoOo dad no. He's... just a friend."

Adrien leaned against a wall and sighed. Duusu floated up into view, taking a section of eclair. "Ah young love..."

He shook his head, "...She's just a friend..." He gasped, glancing back at the bakery with a smile, "A friend."

-

Marinette frowned, "Wait, Master Fu, do you think he could be working with Hawkmoth?"

"It is a possibility. I wouldn’t be surprised if the butterfly and the peacock had been nearby each other. If you can find out where he found it, it may help us find Hawkmoth.”

“Hm, he didn’t seem like he was with Hawkmoth. He was helpful... And he actually got Chloé to apologize?”  She was still bewildered about that. It wasn’t the best apology ever, but she still actually did it.

“The peacock wields the power of emotion, Peon Lilas will be able to sense emotion. He can very easily use that information to manipulate others into doing things for him. Even something as simple as an apology.”

She frowned, considering, “I think I understand.”

“Be careful, the peacock is not to be underestimated. Make sure you and Féline Sombre are prepared for what he might do next."

She nodded firmly. "I will be.”

-

Gabriel Agreste stared at the paused frame from the newscast on his newest enemy. Emile's painting ajar and missing a vital item. "Natalie... Where is the surveillance footage for this room?"

She silently pulled up the footage, scrolling through to find an umbrella blocking their view of their thief.

Gabriel growled under his breath and stood up. "Time to catch a runaway bird, it seems. See what you can find from the rest of the cameras in and out of the building. If there's anything or anyone out of place, you tell me immediately."

"What will you do sir?" Natalie asked, already scanning through footage on her tablet.

"Someone found and stole the peacock miraculous from right under our noses. I need to find a way to protect my identity and a lure for our heroic peafoul.”

[lucrezia-thoughts]

The Lesson - How to Admit You’ve Fallen in Love

Pairing: Pero Tovar x (F) Reader

Warning(s): 18 +, light Dom Pero, brief almost sexual assault, feelings

Summary: You never expected an intimidating lodger to teach you the ways of pleasure…

Link to Master List

“Sleep, amor. I will teach you more when you wake.”

As soon as the words left his lips, Pero realized both his mistake and the truth of it. Amor... Love... There was no room for love in his life.

Sitting up in bed, he put some physical distance between the two of you as his mind spun. You were just so beautiful... so... responsive... so innocent... and you'd wanted him. Him. A man whose hands were stained in the blood of innocents and sinners alike. And yet, you'd allowed him to touch you, to taste you, to guide you.

Pero suffered no delusions about what kind of a man he was. He was a killer. A liar. A thief. A mercenary. He lived hard, fought harder, and fucked harder still. There was no room for innocence in that reality.

Getting off the bed, he padded quietly over to the table and grabbed the hunk of bread from the dinner tray you'd placed there. Seeing the neglected meal only served to strengthen the guilt beginning to run through him. You'd just been doing your job. Feeding a lodger... and he'd dared to touch you.

Ripping off a piece of the bread, Pero sighed as he turned to watch your sleeping form. He could still see the shine of your arousal and his saliva on your sex and he cursed his manhood for its rising interest.

Chewing unnecessarily violently at the bread, he silently vowed to himself that he would no longer taint you with his corruption.

¤¤¤¤

Soft pressure along your cheek gently roused you from your sleep and you leaned towards the feeling. You heard some soft mumbling in a language you didn't understand and smiled as you remembered the previous night and whose bed you were in. "Pero..." You whispered as your eyes slowly opened to take in his handsome face above you.

"Good morning, mi amor." You frowned slightly as you took in his closed off body language. He'd donned his pants while you slept and he moved away when you'd opened your eyes. "Pero?" You questioned as you sat up to get closer, but he got up off the bed and bent down to pick up and hand you your dress. You felt the tears begin pooling in your eyes as you got up and took your dress from him with shaking hands.

"Amor..." Pero sighed as he reached out, cupped your chin, and lifted your face to look at him. Your damp eyes locked on his and you tried to express everything you couldn't formulate the words to say. He leaned forward and kissed you softly before stepping away. Turning his back to you, he picked up your dagger and pulled a whetstone from his pocket. As he began sharpening the blade, you knew you'd been dismissed.

Swallowing your tears, you dressed quickly and ran from the room. You hadn't even bothered to get the tray. You took a few deep breaths and did your best to train your face into a neutral expression as you made your way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

When Gwendolyn stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later, you kept focused on the dough you were kneading to prevent her from seeing your face.

"Isn't it a lovely morning?" She mused cheerfully as she grabbed a pail to go collect milk.

"It is certainly a morning." You acknowledged, tossing more flour onto the counter top to keep the dough from sticking.

"Did you manage to learn your lodger's name?" She asked conversationally and you shut your eyes as you tried to keep your voice even.

"Yes...I did."

¤¤¤¤

Pero scowled as he saw William's beaming face approach him in the hallway. "What right have you to be so cheerful, amigo?"

"What right have you to be so dismal?" William countered, coming close enough to clap him on the back. Pero shrugged his hand off as they made their way down the stairs and into the main room. "We need only collect our weapons, then we may be on our way." William grinned and Pero grunted non-committally.

As they made their way towards the stables, a loud bell rang through the room and you emerged from the kitchen. Your eyes locked with Pero's for a moment that pierced through his heart. He saw such pain and sorrow in their depths and he knew he was the cause of it.

As you turned your head away, he wanted nothing more than to disappear. You'd allowed him a glimpse at heaven and a man like him had no right to want or expect more, but when you opened the door of the inn to let in two new mercenaries he knew he wasn't going anywhere. He may not deserve to have you, but he would do everything in his power to keep you safe from other men like him.

Tugging William back from the hallway that lead to the stables, Pero slapped his hand over William's mouth and pulled him out of view. William struggled for a moment before he saw the problem. William nodded his head and Pero took his hand off his mouth as they watched you greet the mercenaries.

¤¤¤¤

"Good Morning, sirs." You couldn't help the uneasy feeling that settled like a stone in your stomach. These men were just as heavily armed as William and Pero had been and infinitely more sinister in manner and appearance.

The taller one circled around you and your hand blindly sought out your dagger, only to find the sheath empty.

"We require lodging, little lady." He sneered and reached out to stroke a hand down your cheek where Pero's fingers had been just that morning. You moved your head back from his hand, but kept your eyes trained on the man.

“Your weapons will have to stay in the stables.” You responded and stepped back when he tried to touch you again.

"I don't go anywhere without my weapons, woman." The man's sneer turned to a scowl and your eyes darted from his face to the kitchen, trying to gauge the likelihood that you could make it past him, when William and Pero appeared from the fireplace room.

"That's no way to treat a lady." William grinned as he grabbed the man's shoulder, but you saw the flash of a wince on the man's face. When you felt a presence behind you, you hadn't needed to turn to know it was Pero.

"Now, I believe the lady gave you the condition for lodging here." William's grin widened. "So, either comply or my friend and I will escort you out."

You watched carefully as the man's eyes swept from William to the other mercenary at his side to Pero behind you. Scowl widening, the two new men began to strip off their weapons. "Excellent choice." William gathered up the weapons and nodded to you before disappearing through the hallway leading to the stables.

You took a deep breath before addressing the men. "Please follow me." You lead the men to their rooms without incident, but you were quick to realize that was because of Pero when you caught him watching from the end of the hall.

Your stomach clenched and your heart ached when you saw him, but he disappeared down the stairs before you could thank him.

Making your way back to the kitchen, you stepped into the room quietly before hurrying back out when you found William and Gwendolyn locked in a passionate embrace. Silently walking back to the stairway, you made an effort to make as much noise as possible as you made your way back to the kitchen. "How is the meal coming, Gwendolyn?" You all but yelled as you crossed the threshold to find them at complete opposite ends of the room now.

"Gwendolyn?" You asked again when the silence in the room became awkward.

"Oh!" You sighed as the plate she'd been holding fell from her hands and shattered on the ground.

"Let me help." William offered and was across the room before you could object. Shaking your head, you gathered a few more plates and loaded them with food for the lodgers. As you left the kitchen, you felt Pero's presence again as you made your way to deliver the food.

The next few days passed in much the same manner. You'd taken to loudly announcing yourself as you approached the kitchen and knew Pero was tailing you everywhere you went, but he hadn't so much as addressed you since that final kiss in his room.

On the evening of the third night since William and Pero arrived, you and Gwendolyn were finally alone in the kitchen as you prepared dinner. "So..." You started as you finished chopping the vegetables. "William?" You asked his name as a question and held your hand out to catch the jug Gwendolyn had been holding.

"What about William?" She asked as her eyes widened. You smiled as you set the jug on the table before pulling her into a hug.

"I am happy for you, Gwendolyn." You explained and smiled wider when she squeezed you tight.

"I really like him...he said he was going to ask my papa for my hand when winter is over!" She sniffled  and pulled back to beam at you. "Me, he wants me!" She added excitedly.

"He's a very smart man." You assured her before pulling away to add the vegetables to the stew.

"May...may I go spend time with him while the stew simmers?" She asked tentatively and you nodded your head. She practically bounced from the room in excitement.

Stirring the stew, you heard someone enter the kitchen and assumed it was Gwendolyn until a rough hand tugged at your waist. Turning around, your entire body tensed as you realized it was the larger man who'd tried to touch you before.

"You're a hard one to get alone, little lady." He grinned and your eyes darted around the room to find an escape path, but he'd rested one hand on the counter top and the other on the wall to effectively block all your exit paths.

"Please...sir...I need to-" You tried to plead with him, but he cut you off.

"It can wait." He grinned wider as he stepped closer to you and your back hit the wall. Your stomach churned in fear and you turned away from him and started to shut your eyes when the man's scream rang out through the room.

Whipping your head back around, you saw your dagger protruding from his hand and Pero's hand was wrapped around the hilt. "Do not touch what is not yours." He growled to the man and twisted the dagger until the man cried out and nodded. Tugging the dagger back out of the man's flesh, Pero stepped aside as the man scrambled from the kitchen clutching his bleeding hand.

"Did he touch you, amor?" Pero asked as he walked over to you. You shook your head and felt tears fall from your eyes as he tentatively lifted his hand to cup your cheek.

"Pero..." You whispered and leaned towards him, but he just stroked his thumb along your skin.

"Good, amor." He breathed as his eyes searched your face and your body trembled at the praise.

"Pero, please...I need you." You whimpered and reached up to cup your hand around his.

"Mierda...te amo." Pero groaned at the contact and captured your lips in a desperate kiss, but quickly pulled back.

"Hermosa...Amor, I can't." He grunted and watched as more tears spilled from your eyes. Tears that he'd caused. No matter what he did, he was hurting you.

"I want you to..." You breathed and leaned forward to press against him.

"Amor, I am not a good man." Pero tried to cling to his vow, but his resolve was quickly fading with you being so close and wanting him.

"You are to me." You whispered as you gently pressed your lips against his.

"Hermosa..." He groaned and swiped his tongue along your lip just to hear your moan. "If I do not walk away, I will take your maidenhood." He warned.

You pressed closer to him and brushed your nose against his.

"Take it."

----

A/N: Ask and you shall receive! I hope this meets your expectations @kiwi-the-first! I'm sorry I had to break it into two parts...As always, comments and feedback are love!! And if you have an idea, please send it in!! ALSO, if you guys want this one to continue, please send in some ideas!!

TAG LIST: @prideandpascal @paintballkid711 @artsymaddie @computeringturtle @northernpunk @clydesducktape

[butchdaydreams]

how do you know if it is worth it to wait on someone?

I met this girl about 2.5 years ago and ever since that first day, we have been so drawn to each other in every single way. We hung out, talked on the phone every night, texted every day, all those things. We always talked about the depth of the feelings we felt for each other and that led to admitting that we were both in love with each other.

She has been in other relationships with women and tells me that this is the strongest she has felt towards anyone ever. I haven’t been in a relationship with a women, but over the last few years I’ve realized that I’m very much gay. This is the first time I have genuinely felt this strongly about someone and it’s overwhelming but in a very good way. She has made me feel so safe and has helped me process my feelings when it came to realizing I had feelings for her.

We always talk about the future and she has told me so many times that she wants us to be together and wants to build a future with me, and I tell her the same things. And she says those things so genuinely, and I know she means them because she is not the type to openly talk about her feelings. But she has been dealing with something that is sort of a set back I guess? She says she’s ready and wants a future with me but then there hasn’t been any action on her part to change anything between us. And because of the situation she is dealing with, she has to be the one to act on us because it is not a situation I am involved with, so of course it needs to be when she’s ready.

We have talked about it a lot recently and she always tells me how much she wants things with me and that she’s ready, but then never does anything to act on those words. I’m in love with this girl, and over the time we’ve known each other, both of our feelings have gotten so much stronger for each other. But it’s been 2.5 years. That’s a long time. I love her and I want things with her, so I don’t want to throw away when we have. Especially when she says she is ready. But at the same time, it’s been this long and nothing has changed for us.

So I guess I’m just struggling to understand what to do. Any advice or opinions are welcome xx.

My general rule of thumb is if you start to wonder if you’ve waited too long and if it’s time to move on, it probably is. If you have tried and waited and it’s still not going anywhere, the healthiest thing for you mentally might be to start letting go and letting yourself move into healthier and more reciprocated love

[dumbdemonslayertexts]

random excerpts from black girl time travel kny au

Pairing: rengoku / oc

note: lots of angst mostly. forgive me for this not being y/n format i have to work up the chops to be graceful enough to write that

tagging @dudeandduchess and @adoriable and @tengens-bunny bc they sparked the greatest muse i’ve ever had to write fictions since i was like 14 literally wtf you are my queens???!?!

even with her mind working double overtime to secure her discomfort, the serenity if the rengoku estate could not be diminished. imene tried her hardest to remember any time prior to her time shift where she saw the moon so brilliantly illuminating the earth below it. each blade of grass, every stone in the garden reflected its glow; the whole of her surroundings were accented with such a pure silvery lining, giving a beauty distinctive to the night alone. it was tranquil enough for her to eventually draw a cleansing breath through her lungs, which finally released some of the staleness of doubt and second guessing that had filled her self image lately.

“you are awake still, imene-chan?”

that voice struck her in her chest, shooting sparks of heat and flutters in her stomach. and the fact that she was hearing it meant he was home. safe. and home.

“imene,” she softly insisted, making him smile as though he were being teased.

“imene.” his voice was warmer when he said her name, she would swear to it. and it stirred in her heart almost painfully with the need to hold him forever.

“i couldn’t sleep,” she shrugged off her dilemma, far more preoccupied in the happiness of seeing him, falling into those gorgeously untamed eyes and sweet smile again… “i’m happy to see you!”

“kyojuro.”

when the depth of his rich tone interjected his name, it caught her by surprise. and, true to form, he hadn’t needed her to say a word before reading her thoughts and emotions with complete accuracy.

“wh–?”

he lessened the distance between them, tucking his chin to sustain her eye contact where she sat, “imene… would you say it for me?”

the shadow of pessimism in her brain was shouting. he was easing the lines of formality as a kindness—-it was his vibrant character and nothing more. why was she so dense as to not even understand that? why did a simple name make her world feel brighter, and have her smiling to him, lovestruck?

“kyojuro.”

he smiled. with utter bliss, he smiled at her, exhaling like she’d lifted a weight from him. “ah… i prefer that, i think… don’t you?" 

just like that, the playfulness was back in his voice and eyes. though, another element felt as though it had been added unto it. one she was far too daunted to even hope to name. so she changed the subject. 

"how’re you feeling..?” she asked, lifting herself to stand, “you’re not hurt anywhere, are you? did you get any sleep or did you come right–”

she’d closed the remaining space between them as she fretted over him. ginger, worrying hands grazed butterfly touches up his chest, and the moment she’d made the mistake of tenderly cupping his face, his grin vanished… along with the delusion of pleasant standing she had dared hoped for with anyone there. it took so very little, but reality struck her like frozen lead. 

the subtlest way she could, imene lowered her touch away from him, even as she felt stony ice fill her stomach at his reaction. she could feel how he’d stiffened just before she took her hands away. so then, at that very second with how clear things had become, finality settled into her. still, she wished he would have just lunged his blade through her gut instead; the pain would have been so much less. 

“i–” kyojuro tried his best to play off the disgust, to turn the awkwardness in any other emotional direction. the poor thing even had the courtesy to look remorseful—-very convincingly, at that. god, how noble could one man be to still be kind and gentlemanly even now, trying to play off repulsion as he so obviously was? “no, i am not injured, i am feeling well! but i wished to return home as quickly as i could once i’d fulfilled my assignment. so, yes, i made the decision to return directly. i hope you haven’t been up out of worry for me.”

he was even back to beaming a smile by then, close-eyed and cheerful. she could only give half the heart in her attempt to smile back, barely nodding to acknowledge his answer. the bolt of dejection was still scalding in her chest, trying its best to well tears into her eyes.

“what is it?”

he asked after she’d broken eye contact with him for a time. imene had needed the privacy to blink down the urge to cry. 

“i’m …ready to go back to oyakata-sama’s estate. but i was kind of worried of how much trouble it would be to ask if he would take me in a second time… i didn’t know if it would be rude to him,” she tried to sound as casual as she possibly could, asking softly, like it were nothing more than a passing thought over an inevitable eventuality instead of a conscious decision of hers. but from the look on kyojuro’s face, she may as well has torn a hole through him.

“has something happened?”

he was so concerned. kyojuro sounded so hurt and concerned that the prickling of tears threatened her lashes again. even with his aversion to her, she could not stand to see someone so sweet and kind be hurt. “no…”

“please, imene, if you were upset by anything that happened while i was away–”

“i wasn’t, kyojuro,” she insisted, pleading.

“are you unhappy?” he asked. and it broke her heart to hear just how willing he was to remedy whatever issue she may have experienced just by the tone of his voice, especially after just returning from a mission, “you don’t have to hesitate to tell me if I have failed to host you well.”

“you haven’t failed anything. i’m not unhappy. but I can–” dread made the words catch in her throat, but it was too late for her to retract anything now, “feel that I’m making everyone uncomfortable." 

she waited for him to say something, but the flame hashira only looked at her in pained confusion, stunned and churning his brain to unravel her meaning.

"your father does not want me in your home, kyojuro. i’m a stranger to him—-in fact, I’m pretty sure he can sense that i don’t belong here,” she explained. he was faintly shaking his head, but even with the urge to protest, kyojuro could not deny that truth. “and senjuro–”

“he adores you,” kyojuro desperately interjected. her lips parted to negate it, but he continued before she could. and suddenly, there was a visible glimmering in his sunborn eyes, “he’s told me. many times, everyday we spend together. you…” his face softened from the accosted state she’d frozen it into earlier, and he paused his hurried explanations, “ease him. from our father. even though it is nowhere in your responsibility, you comfort him.”

“him liking me is just going to strain things between the two of them even more,” she shook her head, trying physically to mash the stress out of her temples, “that can’t be worth it, i don’t know how long I’ll even be in this time!”

“you would be surprised at its worth, imene." 

her conscience screamed at her to look at him, and she refused for as long as she could… just for knowing how gutting it would be to do. decency prevailed over her to finally grant him enough to at least meet his eyes, though. and the way his soul cried out to her through them left her destroyed. 

"i’m so sorry to have made you uncomfortable in my home. you needn’t worry about speaking with oyakata-sama, that is my responsibility, i will take care of it.”

he was resigned and sullen. It was almost impossible to tell with how genuinely he retained a positive outlook despite anything, but imene could see the sadness shining in his fiery stare, even with how radiant his grin was. she could also note how the sure grip of his sword had lessened to self-soothing strokes with his thumb at its hilt. “In the morning, I’ll make the arrangements for you. …I hope you believe me, imene, about senjuro. It’s been some time since he’s had …a loving woman around him. he isn’t likely to remember our mother well. what you’ve given with your presence is precious to him. priceless, I would say.”

he gave her an elegiac curve of his lips, and the water blurring her sight conquered her at last, dripping tears so heavy they fell straight to the ground, without a trace left on her cheeks.

“as for our father… he has been this way for a while. it is him. or, it’s what he has become, not a result of your being here. his callousness falls onto senjuro and myself normally, but I suppose you provided a new outlet for it …” he sighed, “it doesn’t excuse my negligence, but i will speak to him, you have my word.”

when she swept her eyes free of more accumulating tears, she felt kyojuro’s palms encircling her arms. it was a touch she had been desiring from the moment these feelings for him had begun to surface, yet when she felt it, she recoiled as if she were burned.

“imene,” he begged quietly. she still tried to keep her tone even.

“but you, kyojuro.”

confusion seeped into the misery soaking his expression, and his brow curled again to search for some hidden meaning in her words. his hands were away from her, though, the instant she showed discomfort.

“you’re the most uncomfortable around me of the three of you. you’re disgusted when i come close to touching you, you can’t even stand to be near me, in the same room, you’re always double checking to see if i’m up to something down every hall and in every room, and around your brother—-i can’t stay here and make you feel like that in your own home! especially when you’re out saving people and risking your life constantly! why would you even want me here if i make you so ill at ease—why would you want to come home to that kind of feeling after all you do!”

she hated how much heat she could feel under her skin–behind her eyes, in her cheeks and nose, at her ears. even more, she hated the pinched and congested whine her emotive state rendered her voice to, like some indignant child. it was humiliating to say aloud to him—-to verbalize just how awfully her self-regard had been eaten away, and to at last face it herself. now her cheeks and chin lay adorned with sheening wet streaks. she couldn’t hide any of it any longer. stillness followed after. not a word spoken, only the amplification of her breaths rattling and struggling to calm against rengoku’s measured silence. 

when she could bear to raise her head again, imene could see him in what looked to be a deep epiphany. a terrible one. like his actions had only know processed into awareness for him, and had left him reflecting in horror. 

“imene.”

he lifted his eyes enough for her to come into view, and his own lashes were starry now, blacker with the moisture accumulating at their base, in spite of the soft grin he wore, “i’m afraid i have to correct you. you said i haven’t failed in caring for you well. but i have done exactly that.

"would you come and sit with me,” he propositioned when she said no more. he’d expected nothing less when she could only look away from him with clenched, leaking eyes, so clearly pained that it ripped his heart to shreds. kyojuro was patient to await her answer, and held out his arm for her when she surprisingly accepted. imene had assumed that they would both share the space on the engawa she’d taken before his return. instead, he lead them to a more secluded area of the estate’s garden, on a stone bench that provided ample view of the night time, and allowed an unstifled breeze to cool them both that she greatly appreciated. 

“i must apologize.”

“you did already.”

kyojuro glanced over his shoulder, hearing her delicate assurance. it surged through him, littering his skin in goosebumps. 

out of consideration of how small their shared seat would be, he had crowded himself at the corner by her side. it allowed them both room for their legs, considering how widely his sat apart, but he could admit there there was a high element of shame that made it more difficult to face her. “yes, and it is not at all adequate for how i’ve hurt you.”

every time he spoke, sounding like he cared, she could do nothing but weep more. somehow, in spite of everything, his sympathy hurt more than anything else. and made her feel horrible for not being acceptable. “you can’t help how you feel, rengoku-s–”

“kyojuro." 

his eyes met hers with stone solid conviction that she couldn’t understand. for someone who disliked her so palpably, he was intent on establishing friendly casualness between them that gave her a migraine trying to comprehend. his next words went far enough to bring a knot to her brow. "you’re right, i can’t. but to have acted on those feelings so poorly is shameful." 

"acted on them poorly?”

“you were manifested in oyakata-sama’s estate. a refugee he deemed to have been brought here for divine reason. he is our leader in this fight we have undertaken against evil. he is the head of our organization, to be honored and respected.”

“it seemed that way,” her faint voice commented.

“yes. for that reason, and more i can’t explain now. understand, if my master says to me that you are precious, to be cared for, i wouldn’t ever dishonor that, nor you.”

now he’d given her her own shocking epiphany. it was slow to unravel itself with how meticulously he explained, frustratingly peeling away with the more he revealed to her in this less than receptive state that her mortification left her in.

“i wished to fulfill the role of your caretaker as best as i could. but as a hashira, i am frequently called away for extensive periods,” he gradually began to turn himself round, now diagonally beside her rather than perpendicular, “you are out of my direct sight for so long that i force you to tolerate my overcompensating once i return. i want you adjusted well, to not be overwhelmed or confused, or grieved with being alone. i wished to watch over you closely in case you were to need me.”

“oh…”

“and your nearness…” he began again, “imene, you were brought here under my protection. not only for me to oversee your healing wounds, but for your safe keeping all together. you are my charge. but i took this upon myself before knowing you—-i was not prepared for you to be so gentle and loving, and to possess warmth that i have not felt in so many years. you emanate affection–your spirit could even bring out playfulness in tokito-san. and your strength is one i have only seen in one other in my life." 

she wanted to cry again, now. and was well on her way, hearing this perfect man speak of her so glowingly. out of nowhere. 

"your peculiar beauty was something i was prepared to disregard. i am from a family of uncommon features; i willed myself to overlook the uniqueness of your eyes as many do mine, and to not be stricken with the comeliness of your hair, or with the beauty of your delicate complexion—-one i have never seen, and that i now will never forget. i convinced myself of it only being the allure of one sent from the heavens. i was mistaken, and then overcome." 

"you—-” her voice broke, weighted with the sobs fighting to bubble out of her chest, “i don’t understand…”

“you are the most beautiful woman i have ever set eyes on, imene. my dreams could not even create anyone nearly as bewitching. and i swore to ignore it, until you showed yourself equally as beautiful in your soul.”

▷▷ part 2

[kbuggg3]

~U m b r e l l a       A c a d e m y~ FivexReader: “Stakeout” (Part 1)

IMAGINE: After discovering the apocalypse and getting transported back into the present, Five and (y/n) make it their mission to stop the doomsday clock and save not only their family, but the entirety of the world as they know it.

No ever thought anything like this would ever happen. Everyone assumed the other was content with the lives they were forced to live. Well, everyone except Five. He was very secretive or quiet with his hate for this lifestyle. It started off as a regular day in the Hargreeves residence.

Mother had just finished making breakfast as she rang the bell and all 8 of us raced down the stairs to see who could try and get to their assigned seat first. Of course we couldn’t sit down yet- we had to wait until our father sat down. He would then nod his head, giving us the green light.

Things were going as good as anything can get there. Breakfast was good. The usually smell of eggs and bacon was almost comforting. Until Five decided enough was enough. He slammed his knife into the table, causing the bottom of it to stick straight up.

All of our eyes went wide. Well, everyone’s except mine. I just slouched back in my chair and rolled my eyes. Even 15 year old me was fed up with Five’s shenanigans.

Me and Five were very close. Closer with each other than we were with anyone else in the family. Me, being Number 8, always got picked on for being the last number. But Five would always tell me I had the coolest powers to cheer me up. I had telekinetic powers.

There was this “unspoken thing” between me and Five as Klaus would call it- We were also pretty close with him.

Me and Five liked each other, as more than friends of course. But it was forbidden. It was our fathers rule to “keep it professional” even though we were only kids. That’s one reason why Allison and Luther’s relationship never went anywhere.

The other reason being they were both too shy to admit their feelings. Whereas Five, a person with no filter whatsoever, used to tell me all the time. He told me everything and anything. Five used to slip notes under my door, telling me to meet him after hours.

When everyone was asleep I would open his door to find him waiting for me on his bed, wearing a plain white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, just like the rest of us (Father picked those outfits out as well).

We would lay on our backs side by side on his decent sized mattress and talk about anything that came to mind. Sometimes he would say to me, “I wish we could be together,” as if telling someone you liked them was as simple as telling someone about their day.

But that’s what I liked about him. He was open. Honest. Because we told each other everything, he would always rant to me about how father won’t let him time travel.

So I knew the moment he stood in front of the upright knife with his fist clenched, he was angry about just that.

“Number Five?”

“I have a question.”

Father continued to eat his breakfast as if this were a normal, everyday thing. But it wasn’t. “Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herr Carlson.” Five rolled his eyes and responded sternly, “I want to time travel.”

“No.”

“But I’m ready! I’ve been practicing my spatial jumps, just like you said!” Five then proceeded to teleport from his seat, over to the right side of fathers chair. “See?”

Father sighed and took the fork of eggs away from his mouth as he began to lecture Five. “A spatial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and reappearing as an acorn.”

“Well I don’t get it.”

“Hence the reason you're not ready.” Father stated as he took a sip of his grape wine.

Five looked over to me, his angered look immediately going soft. I shook my head, trying to tell him not to go any further. He looked like he was actually considering it, but the moment he looked away, all considerations faded.

“I’m not afraid.”

“Fear isn’t the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even on your mind, are far too unpredictable.” Father then threw his utensils onto his plate making them clatter loudly and he faced Five and yelled, “Now I forbid you to talk about this anymore!”

Five gave me one last look, almost like he was apologizing for something, and then ran off, causing all heads to turn.

“Number Five! You haven’t been excused!”

Of course Five didn’t listen. Why would he listen to our so-called father who didn’t even bother to give us real names, only numbers? But maybe he’ll listen to me. Without thinking, or waiting for consent, I got up from my seat and ran after him.

“Number 8!”

After yelling his name over and over again, Five finally turned around, his cheeks red with anger. “Five, where are you going?”

“Away.”

“What do you mean ‘away’? You're just gonna leave everything?” Five didn’t answer.

“You-“ I began to try and speak again but my voice was breaking. I can’t let him see me like this. I cleared my throat and tried again. “You’re just going to leave me?”

Five’s eyes moved from his untied shoelace to my eyes. His gaze softened again and he slowly reached out for my hand.

“I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve this.”

And then it happened. It’s kind of all a blur really. All I remember is him letting go of my hand and the blue light surrounding him.

I desperately reached out to grab his hand but all I could touch was the sleeve of his uniform. And before I knew it, I had time traveled into the future with him. Every building was crumbled and in ruins.

There were occasional fires here and there. After finding all of our family dead, the only evidence we found was an eye that Luther's dead corpse was holding in his hand. We spent 30 years together in that shithole.

At first it was hell. He was mad at me for being there because it “wasn’t safe” and “I should be at home”. I was just trying to stop him from making decisions that he insisted WEREN’T stupid. Look where that got us.

Eventually we met Dolores. She’s the only friend me and Five ever had. Especially when you grow up as a “baby superhero” as Diego would call us. We never went to school, birthday parties, play dates.

We lived a life that was far from normal, so we were very thankful for Dolores. Eventually me and Five made up, started dating even.

43 years later, Five then made an equation to help us time travel back home and even after Dolores told him a million times that his equation was inaccurate he still used it anyway, causing me and him to go back to recent times.... but in our 15 year old bodies.

After reuniting with our family and almost getting murdered by some of Five’s old co-workers, we are now trying to figure out who the eye belongs to so we can try to stop the apocalypse from destroying our world and everyone in it.

—————————————————————

“I knew this was a waste of time. I mean what did I expect her to do? Help us?” (y/n) and Five walked away from Vanya’s apartment complex.

They had tried telling her about the apocalypse and where the couple had been for the past 16 years, thinking she was the only one they could trust, but it was too much information for her to handle. She didn’t even know how to respond to them.

“Well, Five, how did you expect her to respond? Did you think she was going to understand everything immediately? We’ve been gone for the past, what, 16 years? For them at least. For us it was 43.”

“I understand that, but you’d think she would have something to say or questions at least!” (y/n) nodded in agreement. “Let’s just go to the laboratory and find out who this eye belongs to.”

Five nodded as well and grabbed her hand. He then teleported them to the front steps of the laboratory. (y/n) let go of his hand and began to walk up the steps, but he pulled her back and wrapped his hand around hers as he tried to keep his eyes forward and act normal.

Even though every touch, although some small, makes his heart beat 10 times faster and the heat to rise to his cheeks. (y/n) just giggled and kissed his cheek, that soon began to turn a slight shade of pink.

They walked through the doors, hand in hand, with hopeful smiles on their faces.

—————————————————————

“What. An. Idiot.” Five said angrily as he stomped down the steps. (y/n) and Five had attempted to ask the guy for the name of the owner of the eye, but he insisted that he could not give out that information. And when the man looked me up and down, Five got a little violent and they called security.

“Well maybe if you hadn't threatened to ram the guy's head into the wall, we probably would’ve actually gotten somewhere.” (y/n) stayed as she sat on the steps and watched as Five paced back and forth, attempting to think of another plan.

“Wha- i- He was looking at you in a way that no older man should be looking at a 15 year old!” Five shouted pointing toward the doors to the lab. He then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose instead. “Alright. Fine.

Let’s just... go with plan B.”

“Which is....?”

—————————————————————

“You want me to do what?”

“Klaus, please! This is important!” (y/n) said, folding her hands like she’s begging.

“So you want me... to go to this laboratory.... and pretend to be your dad so you can, what, find the name of the person who owns an eyeball that you found in the future?”

Five and (y/n) shared a look and shrugged. “Yes...?” After a moment of silence Klaus finally spoke up. “I’m too sober for this. I am NOT going to do this.”

—————————————————————

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Klaus said frustratedly as he, Five, and (y/n) walked down the familiar hallways of the laboratory. “You’ll do anything that involves you getting paid, won’t you?” Five snapped. “Hey 20 bucks is a great deal don’t you think?” Klaus turned to (y/n) and she shrugged then nodded her head.

They eventually made it to Mr. Big’s office, which was the same guy Five threatened. “I’m sorry but without the client’s consent, I simply can’t help you.” Five stood up and angrily responded, “Well we can’t get consent if you don’t give us a name.”

“Well that’s not my problem. Sorry now there’s really nothing I can do, so-“ Before the guy could finish, Klaus interrupted. “And what about my consent?”

“Excuse me?” My. Big’s replied confused. “Who gave you permission... to lay your hands... on my children?” He began to fake cry as me and Five looked at each other, and then at Klaus with a confused look. “Wha- I’m sorry?”

“You heard me.”

“I didn’t touch your children!”

“Oh really? Then how did my son get that swollen lip then?” Klaus stands up and faces Five. “He doesn’t have a swollen-“ Klaus brings his arm back and punches Five hard in the mouth. (y/n) gasps, but doesn’t move from her seat, trying her best to play along with whatever it was Klaus was doing.

Five touched his hand to his mouth, looking at the blood on it. He looked like he was going to kill Klaus right then and there. “And as for my daughter!” Klaus began to look at me with his arm pulled back, ready to hit, but before it reached her face (y/n) grabbed his fist and yanked it forward so his face was close to hers and she whispered, “Touch me, and I’ll kick your *ss.” Klaus just smiled and backed away.

“What about your daughter?” Klaus looked at me with a smirk and I began to fake cry. “H-He touched me! He tried to rape me!” Five smirked as well as he wrapped an arm around my waist and Klaus laughed with joy.

“You guys are crazy.”

“You have no idea.” (y/n) replied chuckling slightly. Everyone watched as Klaus picked up a snow globe that was sitting on the man's desk and he read it. “‘Peace on earth.’ That's so sweet.” He then smashed it onto his head causing it to shatter and his head to bleed. I jumped slightly at the noise and Five’s grip on my waist tightened as if to reassure me it’s ok.

“God that hurt.” Klaus groaned. When the guy reached for the phone on his desk and typed in a number, most likely security again, Klaus took it out of his hands and held it up to his ear. “There’s been an assault...” he “cried”, “in Mr. Bigs office and we need security, now. Schnell!” He yelled then threw the phone down and shook his head to try and make the blurry vision go away.

“Now here’s what’s gonna happen Grant.”

“I-It’s Lance... actually.”

“In about 60 seconds, two security guards are gonna burst through that door, and they’re gonna see a whole lot of blood and a distraught little girl, and they’re gonna wonder ‘What the hell happened?’” Five looked me up and down, smirked, then looked over to the man. “And we’re gonna tell them that you... beat the shit out of us and RAPED our little girl!” Klaus continued to fake cry but it turned into a laugh when he saw the man's terrified expression.

“You're gonna do great in prison, Grant. Trust me, I’ve been there.” Lance just gave him a weird look but Klaus continued. “Little piece of chicken like you. Oh my god you're gonna get passed around like a......” he tried to think of something to say but couldn’t do he just brushed it off.

“You’re just- you're gonna do great. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Jesus, you’re a real sick bastard.” Lance replies.

Klaus’ face went stone cold as he responded, “Thank you.” And spit a piece of glass from his mouth. (y/n) walks over to his desk and leans down close to his face, to where her slightly unbuttoned uniform shows her cleavage. She reaches her hand past him, resting her arm on his shoulder, as she tries to reach the small drawer behind him to get a lollipop.

She can hear his unsteady breathing which makes her want to throw up, because he’s actually somewhat liking this 15 year old girl seducing him, but also smirk because her plan is working.

Her fingers finally wrap around a lollipop and she whispers with a smile, “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.” She pulls back, unwraps the lollipop and puts it in her mouth. She then throws the wrapper onto Lance and walks out of the room with a sway of her hips. Five stared at her in awe and Klaus winked at the guy.

Finally, Lance took them to where all of the files are. Five stood in front of the desk, Klaus sat on the other side, facing Lance and all the files, and (y/n) propped her elbows up on the end of the desk, her chin resting on one of her fists as she watched the man as he searched through the drawer.

“That’s strange.”

“What?” Five demands.

“Well, the eye hasn’t been purchased yet.”

“That is strange.” Klaus says standing up and circling Lance to make him nervous.

“This can't be right. It hasn’t even been manufactured yet. Where did you get that eye?” He asks looking up from his files and at Five.

He just shakes his head.

—————————————————————

“Well this is not good.” (y/n) says as the three of them walk back down the steps of the lab. “I was pretty good, though, right? ‘Oh ya? What about my consent bitch?’” Klaus laughed, trying to re-enact the scene from earlier.

“Klaus, it doesn’t matter.”

He just rolls his eyes and responds, “What’s the deal with this eye anyway? Why is it so important to you?”

“Someone out there is going to lose an eye in the next seven days.” (y/n) responds as Five finishes.

“Exactly. They’re gonna bring about the end of life on this earth as we know it.”

Klaus was listening, but didn't really understand what it meant. He didn’t try to understand because he doesn’t really care. He just wants his money.

“Yeah whatever. Hey, can I just get my 20 bucks, like, now?”

“Your 20 bucks?” (y/n) asked as Five rolls his eyes.

“Yeah my 20 bucks.”

“Unbelievable. I give up.” She throws up her arms and walks back to the steps and sits down. She rests her elbows on her knees and her chin rests on one hand while the other hand holds her unfinished lollipop.

“The apocalypse is coming, and all you can think about is getting high?” Five snaps. “Well I’m also quite hungry.” Klaus rubs his stomach then makes a growling noise. “You're useless.” Five shakes his head and walks over to (y/n), sitting next to her and stretching his legs out in front of him.

“Oh come on. You need to lighten up, old man.” Five signs and grabs (y/n)’s free hand, placing their intertwined hands in his lap and gently rubbing her hand with his other. “Hey you know, I’ve just realized why you're so uptight. You must be horny as hell!” Klaus laughs as if he’s just discovered a new scientific discovery.

(y/n) and Five just look at him and then continue on with what they’re doing. “All those years by yourself. It’s gotta screw with your head being alone.”

“I wasn’t alone. I had (y/n).” (y/n) smiles a little and stares down at their hands. “Perfect! Well why don’t y’all get together and... we’ll ya know!”

“You know what? Your right Klaus.”

“I-I am?”

“He is?” (y/n) asks, standing up with Klaus. “Of course he’s right. He’s always right. Well, we best be on our way then!” Five grabs (y/n)’s hand and pulls her towards the road, leaving Klaus there with a surprised look on his face. “Hope you don’t mind if we use your bed! Thanks!”

“Wait... what?!” But before Klaus could say anything else Five teleports himself and (y/n) into a taxi. “Wait no! Not my bed! Also I need my 20 bucks!” Klaus yells, running after the car. (y/n) just rolls up the window and waves as Five pulled her into his lap and kisses her jaw, then her neck, then her collar bone, and goes back up.

“Was it true what you said?” (y/n) asked, smirking. “Not entirely.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Well, for starters, I wouldn’t say that I’m not horny but....”

“Mhm. And...?”

“And that is NOT the reason why I’m ‘uptight’.” Five says pouting a little. (y/n) just laughed and they continued to kiss. When they were completely out of sight, Klaus ran his hands through his hair.

“Shit.”