#i had this thought about what if you...got rid of someone and needed help cleaning it up yk

[bi-writes]

like...i knew i was a dark writer but the shit in my drafts. oh boy.

[iinthehexcore]

the last drop

summary: Work could be hard to find in the Undercity. Thankfully, you had found a job - at the Last Drop.

content: probably ooc silco, reader works at the last drop, silco saves you from a drunk dude, nothing too crazy, requested but not proofread! 1396 words

a/n: i have never written for silco before but he is one of my favorite characters! hope i did him justice wahaha!! i used 'jinx fixes everything' as a reference for the layout of the last dropw

⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

Work, especially work that is not... completely illegal, was hard to find in Zaun. Safe work, even less. But as someone who had grown up on the cold and harsh streets, you would take anything you could find. The Last Drop - last you had seen it, Vander owned it. It was the heart of the Undercity, the one warm place in the cold town. But Vander disappeared, and someone else took it over. Not as warm and inviting, but it was your best bet at a stable job.

The woman who interviewed you - if it could even be seen as an interview - only nodded, telling you to be there the day after at seven p.m. sharp. One minute later, and she would come find you.

Well, it was easy to say that you even turned up early. You did not want to know what would have happened if you hadn't. When you walked in to the empty bar, you saw another bartender.

"Hey," he looked up, throwing the towel on his shoulder, "You're the new bartender?"

"Starting today," you nervously said, pulling at your shirt.

"Cool," he nodded, "I'm Thieram. I'll help you your first few shifts."

Working with Thieram was fun. He was familiar with all the people who came into the bar, telling you funny stories of what they did while drunk and betting on who would be the most drunk that night. He even went to split up a fight that had broken out. Even though you had worked here for a little over a month now, you had yet to see the big boss.

The lady who interviewed you, Sevika, frequently sat at the booth hidden in the corner. In front of her always sat a glass or bottle of booze, depending on how her day went, together with some playing cards and a cigarette. Today, however, the bar was completely empty.

Either it was because there was finally a bit of sunshine in Zaun, or maybe a natural disaster was heading your way without you knowing. Even Thieram wasn't at work - something about 'another job needing to be done'. It left you alone with only one drunk man in the far corner of the bar. Only you, the drunk man, and a bucket of water.

If there was nothing else to do, then you could just clean. Though you truly care about Thieram, you could tell that deep cleaning wasn't his strongest suit. You had finally rid the ceiling of spiderwebs with the help of a chair, a stick, and a rag that was nearly falling apart. Sweeping the floor, wiping the tables, and lastly, cleaning up behind the bar.

Every bottle got neatly placed in their spots and the wood was nearly shining now that all the dirt and grime was wiped off of it. The pipes above your head had no more dust on them and even the lightbulbs were now clean.

As you were about to throw your towel down, you heard footsteps on the stairs. You never went up those - you knew Silco had his office up there. There was simply no need for you to be even near it.

Were you supposed to look him in the eye? Maybe not. Maybe you shouldn't even speak until he spoke to you. But it would be rude to not acknowledge him at all, too. You had no time to go over your options as you heard one of the bar chairs scratching against the floor.

There sat Silco.

The two of you looked at each other in silence for a moment. You, terrified. Him, almost curious.

"You are the new barmaid."

Not even a question.

He knew the answer. Sevika had told him about a handful of people coming to find a job, but she thought you the most capable one. Not addicted to Shimmer, seemingly healthy enough, and Thieram told her you were good at your job.

"I am, sir."

He only lowly hummed as you turned to grab a glass and the bottle of alcohol that was meant for Silco. Thieram made sure to remind you where it was multiple times - only the boss could have this. Unless he said the opposite, he would always get a glass poured for him. So, you did.

You carefully put it in front of the man, not sure if you should say anything. He didn't seem like someone who really did any small talk anyway.

"Did Thieram put you up to this?"

"Up to what, sir?"

He shook his head.

"It's Silco," he lit his cigar, raising the glass to his lips, "And the cleaning."

"No, si-Silco," you corrected yourself, shifting your weight from one leg to the other, "Wasn't sure what else to do, so I thought that I might as well."

It was hard to read him. All he did was hum in response, downing the rest of the gold liquid before disappearing back upstairs again.

Two weeks had passed, and thankfully, Thieram was back. The pub was packed - inside people were nearly sitting on top of one another, and the crowd even went on outside of the bar. You heard laughter, talking, screaming, a bang every so often. Sevika, back in her usual spot, just kept an eye out. As you glanced over, you saw her glass nearly empty.

Sevika and you weren't... friends. No one in the Undercity necessarily had friends. But you were both... friendly, at least. If no curse words or glares was considered friendly. What you had learned was that she liked to have her glass full, so you grabbed her usual bottle, stepping past some drunk guys before standing next to Sevika.

No words were exchanged as you filled up her cup, wiping away some spills as she nodded in response. More than enough, you thought. With a slight smile, you twisted the cap back on the bottle, turning to walk back to the bar.

Halfway through, though, your path was blocked. The group of drunks, the jugs in their hands nearly empty. You knew that these weren't their first ones, either. You took a deep breath, trying to squeeze past them, but it was simply impossible.

"Ah, look here," one of the men coughed, grinning weirdly, "The new barmaid!"

"Yes, and the new barmaid would like it if she could go by," you mumbled, the glass bottle in your hands.

The men looked at each other before loudly erupting into laughter. One jokingly wiped his non-existent tears away, shaking his head.

"Why? We not fun enough for ya?"

"Yeah, come on," the one in the middle leaned over, his face uncomfortably close to yours, "We're good guys, I swear."

"If you were, then you would let me pass."

He whistled, circling you as he now stood behind. There was still no way of getting through though - his friends just moved closer together, blocking your exit.

"Big mouth for a barmaid," he grumbled, "Maybe someone should teach you to shut up."

"You think so?"

A voice, raspy and low, accompanied by the smell of cigars. You slowly turned your gaze away from the terrifying man in front of you, your eyes falling on Silco. The man was hard to miss, but what was even harder to miss was the shining pistol he held in his hand, aimed at the man who had been bothering you.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, cocking the gun, "At a loss for words?"

The man and his friends didn't say anything, the glasses in their hands shaking as they nervously looked at Silco. He just rolled his eyes in annoyance, pressing the gun against the man his temple before gesturing to the door.

"Get out."

You nearly let out a relieved sigh, holding the bottle close to your chest as you looked back at the ground. You felt a hand on your shoulder, making you turn your head. Silco looked down at you for a moment before pushing the gun back into the holster.

"They will not bother you anymore."

He glanced at Sevika who downed her glass in return, wiping her mouth before nodding at the redhead next to her, both walking out of the bar. They could handle it.

"Thank you, Silco."

"No need to thank me," he glanced at the bar, seeing Thieram busy with all the other customers, "A drink will do."

[notjusthespongenextdoor]

Harm reduction teeth care advice from someone who is really bad at regularly brushing their teeth

Background: i have like four or five root canals. I got my first one before i was legally allowed to drink. Basically every time i went to my six month cleaning as a kid/teen they would fill at least one cavity. I have had a REALLY bad time with my teeth and was at the point where I just thought it was inevitable and that was just how my teeth were.

But I just got my teeth cleaned and both the dentist and the hygienist congratulated me on how clean my teeth are and how healthy my gums look. I have made so much improvement recently and I absolutely do NOT have perfect dental hygiene habits. Trying to get just a little ways there can do a lot.

Obviously, you should try to brush and floss twice a day or after meals (or before? idk) or whatever. You know this already and if you are doing well with that then you don't need to read this post, keep up the good work (genuine)

But this is really hard for a lot of people and god knows I don't fucking do that. Do not despair, you are not without hope

TL;DR because this is rather long:

Try not to breathe through your mouth. Nose breathing only.

Brush your teeth when you can, it doesn't have to be every day to count.

Swish water around in your mouth after eating to get rid of food particles and digestive juices.

Clean along your gums. Flossing is great, but if you hate it, try soft picks or toothpicks. And just like brushing, it doesn't have to be every day to count. Try whenever you can.

Go to dental cleanings. Look into dental insurance for help with the cost -- it can be surprisingly affordable.

Ok, now the long version:

If you sleep with your mouth open, don't

This will keep your mouth from drying out when you're asleep, which creates the Perfect opportunity for bacteria to grow and eat your teeth. Bonus: i basically stopped having teeth falling out dreams after enforcing nose breathing, which is a big get

I know for a lot of people this is a big ask right off the bat, but I would really really suggest giving it a shot -- even if your nose is chronically congested, there is absolutely a chance that making a concerted effort to breathe only through your nose will actually clear your congestion and lower the chances of it coming back. You'll have to find what works for you here. If you already can breathe well enough through your nose but your mouth hangs open when you sleep (#drool squad) then try getting ahold of some Extra Gentle medical tape and taping your mouth closed when your sleep. Yes it feels very weird, but I do it every night now and it does help a lot. (#no longer drooling squad)

Brush your teeth when you can

Maybe obvious, you should be brushing your teeth. But, just because you can't do it twice a day doesn't mean you shouldn't bother! Doing it once a day is great, doing it multiple times a week is pretty good, doing it once a month is genuinely better than nothing! Every time you brush you disturb the bacteria building up on your teeth and do a little bit to prevent it from hardening and turning into plaque. Any little bit helps.

And there are a lot of things you can try changing about brushing your teeth if it's difficult for you. Get a different toothpaste if you hate the one you're using. Use less toothpaste. Don't use toothpaste at all if it's a big issue for you. There is some good that toothpaste does (usually, depositing fluoride, for the most part) but brushing your teeth without it still helps a LOT.

If it hurts when you brush, consider getting a softer toothbrush or finding ways to numb your mouth a little bit before you brush. Swishing around really strong mouthwash can be a bit numbing, though of course a bit unpleasant in itself. And if you want to completely avoid the spots that hurt -- okay, it's still good that you're brushing the rest!

If the time of day is bothersome for you, if you hate brushing in the morning or before bed, then see if there's a better time to do it. You don't need to follow these rules. I've seen plenty of people brushing their teeth in the office bathroom. Do it whenever works for you.

And if it's hard to remember, you can buy disposable toothbrushes, even ones that already have paste on them. You can keep them at your desk or in your car or whatever and use them and throw them away. I am giving you permission to use these if it will help your dental health. It is an accessibility measure.

If you can't brush, swish some water around in your mouth real good

For years of my life going to the dentist and having shitty hygiene this was never a tip I was given by anyone until just a couple years ago when I started going to a new one. It can do a lot of good to swish some water around in your mouth after you eat and try to rise off all your teeth. There's the obvious benefit to this which is getting rid of food particles, but also your mouth becomes a more acidic environment during and after meals to aid with digestion (or something like that) and that can be harmful to your teeth and create a better environment for bacteria to grow. Just rinsing your mouth out helps get some of that acid out of there and return your mouth to its base level.

And like, you don't need a sink or anything for this. I just swish some water around and swallow it yknow. It was in my mouth anyways

Clean along your gumline somehow

Flossing is often the only option offered for this. But my recent dental hygienist made a couple of alternative suggestions for me instead of flossing. First, (and you should do this regardless of if you floss or not) make sure you pay attention to your gumline when you're brushing your teeth. Get that good and clean.

Then, if you really dislike floss (which I do), there are other ways to clean your gumline. Currently I use "soft picks" which are a brand name but they're essentially little plastic bristle sticks that you can shove between your teeth and get the gunk out of there. I don't mind these at all, and they don't trigger the Ick factor i feel when i use floss under my gums.

And if you don't want to buy those, even using a toothpick (after softening it) can do a lot of good getting the gunk out of your gumline and from between your teeth.

And just like brushing, every time you clean your gums counts. It doesn't have to be every day or every week. Every time you do it is a good thing. I generally only do it twice a week and like I said, I have seen such a massive improvement in my gum health. And i promise it will bleed less as you get more into the habit! And this is coming from someone who bleeds a lot!

Go to dental cleanings

They suck i knowwwww they're awful, but they really do help a lot and if you clean your teeth a little bit more often then cleanings do become a lot more tolerable because there's less for them to do. If there's a financial issue, look into different dental insurance options. There are some really cheap (~$15, $20 a month) preventative plans that completely cover two cleanings a year. I understand this still might be outside of people's budgets, but it's really important to consider if that's an option for you.

And if you can, try to find a dentist's office with hygienists who are willing to work with you and not shame you for not being perfect. My attempt at actually trying to care for my teeth started when a hygienist said, do you think you could try flossing(/cleaning gums) once a week? And I thought, you know, I think I could do that. And so I tried. And it has helped. There are offices like that out there, but I understand if you don't have the option of finding one. If you get nagged by these people, just smile and nod and try to reinforce in your brain that you ARE doing the best you can and you don't need to be perfect to do a lot of good for your health. Try to do what you can and try not to give up for lack of perfect dental habits.

Any little bit you can do does help. Find what you can do and congratulate yourself for doing it. I hope you can find something that works!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Snake Eyes 6

Warnings: noncon, coercion, manipulation. Proceed with caution.

Note: thanks all for reading and I hope you’re excited for this one. All feedback is more than welcome and loved and appreciated. Reblogs are most helpful.

Part of The Club AU

“I’m afraid that we cannot dock again. Not until the end of the event,” Sif shrugs. “What exactly is the issue? 

You accept the answer with a nod. It’s about what you expect. You know the truth won’t help you. When has it ever? 

“I was only asking. I... if I had an emergency or anything...” 

“We’ve paramedics on board. Safety measures.” 

“Well, off the boat. Just. Family,” you lie. “Really, I was only asking because I was curious.” 

“Fair enough,” she looks past you. 

You don’t bother with a response. She’s already onto her next task. She sets off in her rounds and you head back to the bar. 

As you pass between two tables, someone makes a noise at you like a cat. You ignore them and keep walking. It’s nasty, the way these men act. 

“Darling,” a familiar slither coils through the air. “You aren’t ignoring your customers, are you?” 

You turn to face Loki as he stands nearby. His posture is as rigid and derisive as ever. “I didn’t hear anyone speak to me.” 

He smirks, “ah, yes, well, you are serving such fine drinks, we do forget our manners.” 

“You got my attention. Did you need anything? Water?” You ask. 

His lips curve deeper and he bring his knuckle up under your chin. He leans in, looming over you. He snickers. 

“You will know what I need, when I need it,” he drawls. He winks and swipes his thumb over your cheek. “Go on. I didn’t hire you to give me such a look.” 

“Sir,” you look him up and down. 

You back up and turn. You strut away on your heels, focusing on keeping your gait steady. You know he’s watching and waiting. You are too. 

🐍

The night stretches almost until dawn. After clean up, the room littered with half-finished glasses, broken tooth picks, and dribbled alcohol, you head back to your room. At least you’re alone, even if the space fits little more than yourself and your bag. 

You sit on the bed and wipe away your make up. You pull another wipe from the package and press the cool cloth to your face. It takes three to get rid of the clown paint. 

You tuck away your pouch of cosmetics and strip down to your underwear. You pull on only a tank top and spread out on the mattress. It’s thin but not entirely uncomfortable. You stretch and yawn. You roll your back to the room and bend your arm over your head. 

Your leg hooks over the blanket. The air is stagnant. You usually sleep with a fan. Your eyes close and your muscles relax. The only thing you like about working late, is how easy it is to fall asleep. 

You wake with a start. The room is dark. You can’t see more than the outline of the door. You sit up and peer through the shadows. 

There’s a tapping on the door frame. You look down at the floor. Someone’s standing on the other side. Their feet darken that line of light. 

“Darling,” the voice wafts through and sends a shiver up your spine. 

You pull the blanket over both legs, as if hiding from the man outside your door. Your heart pounds. You locked the door. You know you did. The handle jiggles at that thought. 

“You cannot hide forever, darling,” Loki taunts. “Or perhaps you like to swim.” 

He raps on the door one last time and laugh. His soles scuff then tap away. You frown and lower yourself onto your back. You stare up into the dark. 

That man has wrapped himself around his grudge like the very snake he reminds you of. 

🐍

Breakfast sees less diners than the previous night. You expect at least half the guests are hungover, just like your coworkers. Zadie is moving particularly gingerly. 

You serve two plates of sunny side up and sliced avocado, with a fruit cup and seasoned potato. You wear a smile as you retreat. Simple work. Even if you’re already tired as hell, it’s easy. Pretend to listen and keep that stupid look on your face. 

“Dear, you seem to be the only one without a pocket full of advil,” Sif greets you. “Perfectly so. Won’t you do me a favour. There is a private table is the Asp Lounge. There.” She points. “They need someone who can balance a tray. Table of four. Mimosas to start.” 

You follow her gesture. Please, your luck can’t be that bad. It won’t be him. 

“I can handle it,” you assure her. 

You go to the bar. You make the drinks. That’s nothing. It’s old hat. You put them on the tray and cross the large dining hall. 

You go into the lounge, just behind the curtain. There are four men. He’s there. Loki sits with Mr. Shelby, Mr. Pine, and another man you don’t recognise. 

You put the drinks down, serving your de facto boss last. As you do, he brushes down your rear. You twitch but don’t say a word. The other men are glancing at their phones and tossing out numbers. It might just be a dick-measuring contest. 

“Anything else?” 

“Men?” Loki prompts. 

They grumble and shake their heads. You retreat. Thank god. They hardly seem interested in the mimosas. 

You take the tray with you. You wipe it off and put it back on the stack. You go to help pit some more cherries with Tara. You expect more prep than serving throughout the day. 

“Big to do tonight,” Tara says. “You must know all about it.” 

“Oh?” You glance at her. “To do?” 

“Mr. Laufeyson must’ve said as much. Since you served him last night.” Her tone grates with envy. 

“If you’d like to takeover tonight, please, be my guest,” you say. 

She scoffs. “You act like you’re so much better than the rest of us. You’re a replacement.” 

You shake your head. “I earn my tips, same as you. Think maybe you’re reading into this. It’s pouring liquor and carrying plates. Not that hard.” 

“Ugh, you are so... snobby. All the girls noticed. They said—you don’t want to talk to any of us.” 

“You haven’t exactly tried,” you turn to rinse off the knife and your hands. “Maybe it’s better if we don’t.” 

You dry the knife and place it back in the tray. You dab the moisture form your hands and hang the cloth. You spin and Tara gasps. 

“Darling,” Loki beckons to you from the other side of the bar. “A moment.” 

You stare at him. Tara looks over her shoulder, her eyes as sharp as darts. You let a sigh out through your nose. 

“Sure,” you snip.  

Stay or go, you’re not winning. 

[gay-dorito-dust]

ik you don’t write much for walker … but your walker as readers older brother figure head cannons live in my mind- i love him being that reluctant protector of everyone- i think about the cactus fruit scene so much HE CARES IN HIS WERID FUCKED UP WAY- anyways i was wondering if you maybe had more thoughts to share 👀 maybe him freaking out over reader getting injured on a mission?? or just more stupid sibling shenanigans bc ik i would love to pester him all the time

i must admit, this bastard has grown on me like a mold, or a stain i can't get rid of anyway-

you and john still pester each other as surogate siblings do, it's a highlight to everyone's day honestly as seeing you and John squabble over who had eaten the last of the ceral you both unironically liked, throwing jabs and nuding each other out of the way as you both made your way to the kitchen.

it had been months since you've crossed each others paths on that fateful day in the vault, and now you and John had come to accept that you were most likely siblings in another life. even during missions where you two were paired you'd go in as obnoxious siblings who hated each other but would wage war should something happen to the other.

'he's grown on me like a mold, an annoying mold that sqwaks in my ear military terminology that i could give less then two shits about.' you'd tell Yelena and Bob when they asked about how you could withstand Walker as long as you have. 'i care about him, he's my brother from another life that i'm reluctant to say i'm glad to have met in this life, he's a dumbass but he's a dumbass i'd gladly take the piss out of for the rest of my life.'

'they're an idiot, they need me to look out for them and often get into some stupid bullshit every second behind my back.' John says to alexei and Ava. 'yet they've become a stain on clothes that i can't be rid of entirely but learned to live with instead. i haven't felt this way about someone other then Lemar...they annoy me but i want to protect them, they make me question my sanity but i'd give them the shield off of my back without hesitation.'

John then shrug his shoulders, remembering the times where he'd drag you to watch the game with him even if you didn't want to, only by the end you two were screaming at the tv together, arms tossed over the others shoulder as his team won. That was family in his eyes. 'Though i guess that's just how families are with one another, you hate each other one minute but remeber that you would fight for and with any time of the day.'

you two would say these sentimental shit to other people about one another, yet never say it to each others faces, instead you just show each other that you care for one another. You'd watch the game with him whenever it's on or help fix his fucked shield and he'd make you something he knew you would like, clean your weapons for you and even make sure that befofre missions you had everything you needed.

'gun?'

'john.' you'd whine.

he points at you.'no buts, this is mandatory checklist. now gun?'

'yes.'

'knives and or daggers?'

'i've got both since you keep insisting that i have back up wepons in situations if i were disarmed.' you tell him as you both ran over the cheklist he made specifically for you. you hated it but you knew that this was John's way of caring for you and showing his worry whenever you were partnered up with someone else other then him.

'don't die.' is what he says.

'i'm contractually obligated to not die on these missions becuase who else will take the piss out of you if not me?' you reply back but you hated not being partnered up with your brother from another mother, yet you knew he could handel himself and he had that fucked up tacco shield of his too. 'catch you later captain tacco shell.' you'd call before leaving with Ava and Yelena.

john hated it when you called him captain tacco shell, becuase it had caught on and everyone from Ava to Bob had been calling him that ever since. he knows he'll never see the end of it but still it's something he had silently condemed you for.

if john were to ever find that you were hurt on a misson he'd freak out, he's already lost Lemar Hoskins on a misson in the past and he wasn't about to loose his idiotic sibling either. The moment he had heard over the comms that you had been hit badly, suddenly being called captain tacco shell didn't seem all that bad, it was funny even, as he immedietly rushes to your location faster then he had ever before.

everyone was moving out of the way the second john came into view, giving him the space to get to you without feeling the back end of his sheild. they had never seen him look this dishevield before as he's scooping you up in his arms, holding you close as his jaw clenched in anger and annoyance at himself for not being there.

'come on dumbass, i need you to wake up and call me captain tacco sheild again, come on please wake up so i can tell you how dumb you were...i need my sibling back...my stupid, dumb, insufferable sibling.' john would say as his chest constricts and hurts him in ways he couldn't describe. like he couldn't breath, like he having some part of him being torn away from him that he didn't know he had before meeting you.

John stays with you while you were healing, always sat in the room with you, cleaning your weapons like he always did but this time it was to distract his mind from the worst happening to you, he would even talk to you alloud and await your snarky resopnses, feeling his chest hurt more when he was greeted with silence instead, reminding him of your current situation and suddenly he was back to being angry.

the rest of the team try to cheer him up, letting him know that you'll be up on your feet sooner or later, yet that didn't work as John only stared at them blankly with a forced smile. 'i might loose my sibling, i don't need to be coddled thanks.' was all he says.

Yelena understands John's situation the best, knowing the feeling of loosing a sibling or close to loosing a sibling and would tell him that he was going to get you back, that he wasn't going to loose his sibling and that he should treasure every moment he gets with you afterwards when he does get you back.

so when John was cut off his rambelings, he was about to be annoyed again but perked up when he heard your voice, weak but still snarky and sarcastic as the day he first met you. 'shut it captain tacco sheild, i'm trying to get some sleep over here and all i can hear is your annoying and degrading voice in my ear constantly.' John was estatic, but you weren't scott free from his rants and scolding for scaring him half to death, telling you that he could barely leave you alone on a missoon withouy you getting hurt.

normally you'd snark back at him, but this time you just simply grabbed his hand and said 'i'm right here dipshit, i'm not going anywhere because you're stuck with me annoying for the rest of your miserable life.'

john relaxed and smiled a little to you as he squeezed your hand back, happy to know that you were going to be okay, but he does become unbeareably protective of you for weeks afterwards. making sure you were okay, not pulling any stitches or making your situation worse.

'i'm not a baby john!' you cried.

'stop whining and take your meds.' John replied and the team knew things were back on course when they heard you and john pick right back up from where you both left off. Everything was going to be okay for the surogate Walker siblings.

god forbid your dating or crushing on Bob or anyone else on the ream, he's going to be even fucking worse in so many ways that range from overbearing to embarrasing you infront of them. Though John would also insist that they had to go through him before dating you, to which you groan and shove him away for being annoying, only for him to point at you and say 'i'm your brother! i'm meant to be annoying.' yeah your dating life would be soemthing with this man pratically interogating your crush/ patner for hours on end.

[koiiiji]

the wolf hunts tonight

author's note ; in honor of my 22, here is jinrang smut. kinda part 2 to this. also! i mostly used translator today bc im in hurry and really tired, so this is unproved as hell!

author's note 2 ; small explanation and theory before i start. so since Jichang was policeman in countryside after Gitae got him, i can imagine that whole Seoul police was under him, when he was a king, OR he had a great connections and levers of pressure on the police, because how else you can be policeman after criminal past? and since Jinrang ended up in Seouls prison i connected that reader and Jichang may had an agreement����🤫

tw ; MINORS AND EMPTY BLOGS DNI!!!!

⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄

the gallery hummed with low conversations, the clinking of champagne glasses punctuating the air like a melody. warm glow of the chandeliers bathed everything in golden light, casting elongated shadows across the intricate artwork you had carefully curated. it was a night meant for celebration — a night that marked your new beginning.

you never believed in your premonitions, but now, standing here, you were thankful that you asked Jichang for help and did it right in time. before someone named Lee Jihoon started get rid of the first generation one by one, and before Jinchamg himself he met his end. you’d disappeared, pulled out of the game at just the right time. it was easy enough — easier than you wanted to admit.

with well-placed bribes and Jichang’s connections in police and other departments, laundering the money had been frighteningly easy. a few forged documents, a favor traded in whispers, and suddenly — you ceased to exist.

your past was erased, your sins scrubbed clean with ink on police papers and deception. no chains. no skeletons in the closet. no connections to first generation.

but nothing in this world came without a price.

Jichang had made that clear.

a favor for a favor.

you wanted out? fine. he would grant you that much. a life free from the underworld, a future untouched by blood and gangs. but freedom was never free.

Jichang just needed a big beast in his trap.

the wolf of Busan was a good prey. he needed to be caged, and you were the perfect bait.

everyone knew about you and Jinrang. everyone knew the way he looked at you. the way he spoke to you. the way he treated you.

it wasn’t difficult. a few fabricated documents. carefully worded requests. the papers placed neatly before him, nothing amiss, nothing to suspect.

“just sign them for me.”

oh, what a sweet voice you had.

and he signed. without hesitation. without suspicion. because when it came to you, Jinrang never thought twice.

the moment the last stroke of his signature hit the page, the weight of your betrayal crashed down like a death sentence.

a second later, chaos erupted.

restaurant, once a place of quiet luxury, became a warzone of raised voices, the scrape of chairs against marble, the cold, metallic click of handcuffs locking into place.

four officers slammed Jinrang forward, his face crushed into the polished wood of the table, his breath forced from his lungs as they restrained him.

he didn’t resist. but when his head lifted — when his dark, unreadable eyes found yours — you broke.

you couldn’t move. for a moment.

couldn’t breath. for a moment.

you wanted to say something. anything. but your lips wouldn’t part, and your body felt as if it had turned to stone.

officers were speaking — reading him his rights, listing charges, their voices blurred and distant, drowned beneath the deafening pounding in your ears.

and, as if on autopilot, you walked away.

the weight of his stare burned into your back with every step, but you never turned around.

not when his voice finally rose, raw with confusion, with fury — with betrayal.

not when the officers tightened their hold, shoving him toward the exit.

not when you heard the unmistakable growl of his rage, thick with something dangerously close to heartbreak.

you kept walking.

it was simple.

you had your freedom now.

what is his few years in prison, in comparison with your freedom?

he deserve it he is a criminal.

just as were you.

the truth sat like a stone in your chest. but now fortune was enough to last a lifetime, to start a new life. but guilt had a way of making even the most luxurious silks feel like shackles. still, you had done what needed to be done. for yourself. and that alone had to be enough.

it wasn’t.

that’s why you were here tonight, surrounded by the faceless elite in the heart of your own carefully curated gallery. art was a lucrative and safe business, a playground for the rich, where money changed hands without question. perfect place to start anew.

and the night was perfect. until you saw him.

a flash of silver in the crowd. long white hair, sharp eyes scanning the room. Baek Sang.

if he was here, then…

your blood turned to ice, and a sharp, electric terror surged through your veins.

the wolf was here.

you scanned the room frantically. he was lurking somewhere, blending seamlessly among the guests, prowling, searching. for you.

step back.

pulling out a gun in a room full of wealthy patrons would be suicidal. running wasn’t much better. but staying still? that was worse.

another step.

your fingers tightened around the fragile stem of your champagne glass, pulse hammering against your ribs. your mind raced, sifting through every possible exit, every route that would get you out.

step.

you still can slip out. you have the means, the resources — if you will be fast enough, if you move—

bump.

the impact sent a shudder through your body. the glass nearly slipped from your fingers as you collided with something solid.

too solid.

warmth. a wall of muscle, steady, unyielding.

fingers, warm and confident, wrapped around the delicate stem of your glass, effortlessly plucking it from your grasp. the faint scent of leather and traces of cologne invaded your senses as a deep voice ghosted over your ear.

“going somewhere?”

Jinrang.

the rasp in his voice sent a shiver down your spine, but what truly paralyzed you was the way his stubble brushed against your neck when he spoke — deliberate, teasing, dangerous.

guests around you remained blissfully unaware of the predator in their midst, of the way his fingers lingered just a little too long against your skin as he lowered the stolen glass to his lips.

he took a sip.

then, with the same leisure, he leaned closer, whispering —

“take me somewhere quiet.”

it wasn’t a request.

⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄

the world around you blurred as you guided him through the hall, each step deliberate, controlled. no one noticed. or maybe they did, but no one would dare interfere. he had that effect on people.

once inside the storage room, the door clicked shut behind Jinrang, and you refused to turn around. you could feel his energy a coiled spring ready to snap.

Jinrang’s presence behind you was suffocating, his broad frame crowding the space, leaving no room for escape.

“you sold me out.” his voice was eerily calm, but there was something underneath — something dark, something simmering just beneath the surface.

you swallowed hard.

he stepped closer. the heat of him ghosted against your back, heavy, inescapable.

“i rotted in that cell,” Jinrang murmured, his voice deceptively calm. “thinking about you, thinking about how you set me up. about how easily you slipped away, got your new life.”

your pulse pounded in your throat, each beat a countdown to something inevitable.

your fingers curled into fists. “Jinrang—”

a rough hand slid around your waist, pulling you flush against him. your breath hitched.

the warmth of his body burned through the thin fabric of your dress, every ridge of muscle pressing against your back. then — lips. his mouth grazed the curve of your neck, hot and unrelenting.

“Baek insisted on your death,” he murmured, voice laced with calmness and boredom — but you weren’t fooled.

you felt it, the way his fingers trailed up, slowly, languidly, until his hand settled right at your throat.

a little pressure. not enough to cut off air — but just enough to remind you of what he was capable of. your pulse pounded beneath his palm.

“and yet…”

the air shifted, and suddenly, his other palm was on your waist, firm and possessive. his breath, hot against your skin. you shuddered when his lips brushed the curve of your neck, a cruel mockery of intimacy.

“i have my own ideas for you.”

a sharp inhale left your lips as his hand glided up your torso, fingers pressing just lightly enough against your throat to make you aware of the power he held. his grip wasn’t tight — yet. just a warning. a reminder.

everything in your body screamed to run.

you gritted your teeth, forcing yourself to move. with a surge of adrenaline, you pressed your heel hard into his leg and tried to break free. he hissed in pain, but he won’t give you opportunity to run away again.

you twisted, aiming to break free, but he was faster. his palm sank into your wrist, a sharp, possessive grip that had you gasping in pain. tears pricked your eyes, but you didn’t stop. summoning every ounce of strength, you jerked your head back, aiming for his forehead —

— but Jinrang anticipated it. his fingers tangled in your hair, yanking you back with ruthless ease. a cry tore from your throat as your back arched against him, the sudden force pressing your body flush against his. now, arched like a snake, your back bent and your ass resting right on his crotch, you looked into his eyes without breaking contact.

your breath came in ragged gasps. his dark gaze filled with something unreadable — rage, lust, hunger.

“you fight like a wildcat,” he murmured, his grip tightening slightly. “that’s what i always liked about you.”

his fingers flexed around your throat, his lips ghosting over your skin once more. the line between his rage and desire blurred dangerously, and you weren’t sure which side of him you feared more.

⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄

thrust.

the ring tasted metallic in your mouth as you drooled on his finger. Jinrang's movements became more urgent, pounding you into the wall with each thrust. his words were punctuated by the rhythm of his body against yours.

“i was gentle with you,” he growled, his voice low and husky.

thrust.

“gave you everything you wanted,” he repeated, each word emphasized by the force of his movements. the thrusts came faster, harder, each one a reminder of his words.

“and how did you repay me?” he demanded, his voice rising in intensity, his body pressing against yours with a fierce urgency.

your eyes rolled back, overwhelmed by the sensations and the emotions swirling between you. the metallic taste of the ring lingered, a stark contrast to the warmth of his skin against yours. the world around you narrowed to the space between your bodies, the only sound the heavy breathing and the pounding of your hearts.

“why?” Jinrang growled in your ear, his voice low and menacing, punctuated by the force of his thrusts. the stubble on his chin tickled your neck, an unpleasant sensation that only added to the turmoil inside you. his breath was hot against your skin, sending shivers down your spine with each movement.

“i... i...” you mumbled, trying to gather your thoughts as his body thrashed against yours. sensation was overwhelming, his cock moving against the sensitive spot inside you, sending waves of conflicting emotions through your body. fear and desire tangled together, leaving you breathless and helpless.

“i wanted out of the game,” you stuttered, your voice trembling. “i don't want to do black business,” you whined, the words barely escaping your lips. your body betrayed you, responding to his touch despite your mind's protests.

the sounds of your bodies moving together grew louder — the thrusts, the squelching of skin on skin, the slap of his balls against your clit. it was a cacophony of sensations that left you breathless, the air thick with the scent of sweat and desire.

“well, you'll have to come back whether you like it or not,” Jinrang said, his voice dripping with a predatory hunger. his words sent a shiver down your spine, a mix of fear and anticipation that only fueled the fire between you.

“n-no...” the thrusts became indistinct, sharp and fast, each one a reminder of his control over you. your body arched against his, despite your mind's resistance, as if drawn by an unseen force.

“you'll come back and help me get back what i lost wiyh your help," he growled, his body moving with a fierce urgency. his eyes seemed to burn with an animalistic desire, a hunger that couldn't be satiated.

the rhythm was relentless, each thrust a declaration of his dominance. the world around you melted away, leaving only the two of you, lost in a vortex of desire and anger.

a low, animalistic growl rumbled from deep within his chest as he pressed deep into you one last time, hitting your cervix. the pain was sharp, making you yelp and your knees buckle. but even in the pain, there was a twisted pleasure, a satisfaction that came from being claimed so completely.

“you're not just coming back,” he hissed in your ear, his breath hot against your skin. “you're going to work for me. for as long as you put me in prison,”he added, holding your limp body up on your wobbly legs with his free hand. his grip was firm, possessive, a reminder that you were his now, bound to him by more than just words.

⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄

a/n ; i don’t really like this so pls don’t take it seriously, i just needed to getting closure with it, either it won‘t leave my mind😵‍💫😵‍💫

[secretress]

❝𝐏𝐀𝐂: 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮.❞

Your future lover message to you.

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Tips | Paid Readings

Not a tarot card reading, only based on my intuition.

18+ readings | Divider

Pile 1:

My patience for you

my dearest, please take care of your needs and heal your inner child. I cannot see you go forth without you caring for yourself.. please, if you cannot for yourself, at least for me.. take care of yourself.. because I love you too dearly for you to waste your time doing nothing that shall help you in the near future.. and I cannot let you do that; I want to see you—I want to kiss you and whisper sweet nothing into your ears after we make love.. I want to see you smile every time I say something silly, in reality those stories are real, but I make it stupid just to see you smile.. so please for me and to see each other quicker, please take care of yourself.

I shall be waiting for you,

Your prince charming –

Pile 2:

Proud of you baby

HI I HOPE YOURE DOING ALRIGHT, IMAGINE ME YELLING IN EXCITEMENT, HEHE.

SOOO YOU GOT A PROMOTION, THAT’S AWESOME! CONGRATS BABE, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND I HOPE YOU WORK HARDER TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS AND KICK ASS OF THOSE SEXIST MEN IN THE STEM MAJOR. ALSO ILL KICK THEIR ASS TOO.

UMM, I THINK MY MESSAGE TO YOU IS TO MAKE SURE YOU EAT PROPERLY BECAUSE I KNOW YOU STAY UP ALL NIGHT, PULLING AN ALL NIGHTER TO GET YOUR ASSIGNMENTS DONE BUT FOOD IS ESSENTIAL AND HYDRATION. SO YEAH GET THAT FIXED SO MAYBE YOU CAN—DURING YOUR BREAKS EAT SOMETHING PLEASE AND PLEASE SLEEP BETTER FOR ME.

THANKS SO MUCH AND ILYVM XOXOXOOXXOOXXOOXOXOXOXOX

Pile 3:

I won’t give up on you

I can see you changing your life and I see that you met someone you don’t trust.. and that’s okay, I know you struggle with trust issues, but please know—that’s me. Its okay not to trust me now, and please don’t until you feel comfortable enough to open yourself up to me. I know youre an introverted person and that’s okay. Ill be the boat you will sail on and find that treasure on your map. I will be your rock when you play .. rock, paper, scissors.. ill be your armor when youre sobbing and ill be the one saving you when you start drowning in your trust issues once more.. and I’ll fight for you when you try to push me away again.

So go ahead and try but you cannot get rid of me because we are meant to be and that’s final.

Pile 4:

You’re the reason why I became so romantic

When the moon shines onto the river, we see a beautiful reflection shining, letting the people see the beauty and that is what I see within you, my love.. youre one dashing love and I cannot get enough of you especially during love making, but this isn’t a love letter I suppose.. this is my message to you and you shall receive it after I say what I love about you.

Youre one beautiful lover, the way you smile at me as I write and do my homework, waiting for me to be finished so we can cuddle and watch your favorite, us both laughing as it gets to the funny scene and then both saying we wont watch that same Disney movie once more, but we do. An endless loop of laughter.

From those to when we take a shower together but there is never any thoughts of doing the deed, only thinking of making sure the other is okay and properly cleaned, your innocence is the most beautiful as this world is truly a mess, but I shall never ever take advantage of your pureness as it floats my heart anew when I think of you and wishing I could give you flowers for all of eternity.. that is the love we shall cherished as this is what our love shall be.

So my message to you my dearest is, please keep being the most beautiful that you are and keep your pureness as it is the most beautiful of them all. As you are the most tantalizing flower one can pick and cherish, let it grow and feed it with water and sunlight as you watch it grow into the magic you wished you had seen the first time you lay your eyes on.. and that is you. you are my flowers and you are the magic within that I truly didn’t know I deserved or needed, so thank you my dearest and thank you for accepting me for who I am.

- Your dearest.

[daisyjonesgf]

the lakes (11) // finnick odair x f. reader

summary: it's supposed to be over, you and Finnick are supposed to spend the rest of your lives helping each other heal. living as peacefully as possible, but the the third quarter quell throws a wrench in your domestic bliss.

previous chapter/next chapter

masterlist

4.2k words

warnings: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, gore/violence/death, poisonous fog, mental illness, paranoia, self-hate, terms of endearment, manipulation of someone's feelings, unedited, no use of Y/N

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

Although his hands were sweaty and the last thing you needed was extra body heat, when Finnick’s fingers played with the ends of your hair and rubbed your shoulder you refused to let out a complaint. You would have rather died of heat stroke than rid yourself of his comforting touch. Especially since he'd insisted you needed to rest and this was helping you, even if the paranoia was going to keep you on edge. Your eyes stayed glued shut in an attempt to just listen to what he said, but it was too hot, and your thoughts were too loud.

The pain in your head had pretty much ceased, but the threat of infection was extreme. What would Finnick do if you died that way? Would he let himself die to protect Katniss, the rebellion? Even if in the hypothetical you would be dead, the thought made your heart still with guilt. It has consumed you more recently, the idea that like how you couldn't live without Finnick, he couldn't live without you. Of course, it didn't make any sense to you. He was him, so much to give, to offer, so beloved that there was so much more out there for him. Yet, the way he talked increased your fright that that's not how he saw himself. When his burning hand pulled its contact away from you, it snapped your head back into reality. Eyes opened as you watched Finnick walking away and heard the ringing sound of a sponsor gift.

Your hands, equally covered in perspiration, went to wipe your face of it, all in vain. “I think it's a spile." Katniss finally said, grabbing whatever item had arrived and walking to a nearby tree. You hadn't a clue what she was talking about. Were you losing it already? What was a spile?

“A what?" Finnick asked, following her. It was good at least to know you weren't delusional. Whatever it was must not be something of use back home if you both had no idea what it was. Peeta had raised from wherever he'd been laying to follow to accompany them as Katniss tapped the item into the tree. She looked at it expectantly and you weren't sure what had happened at first when they all gasped excitedly. Then Finnick was in front of you again, “Let’s get you up, angel, there's water.” Maybe that's what all this confusion was, dehydration. Without effort he had pulled you to your feet.

It was like a miracle to see clean water pouring out of the spile and Peeta pulled away to let you have your turn. The moment it hit your tongue it was so refreshing, you'd gone so long without a drink your body had almost tricked itself into forgetting how dry your mouth had been. But the water brought instant relief, you splashed some on your face before pulling yourself away to make room for Finnick.

Unexpectedly being hydrated and having the ability to drink more whenever needed calmed you more then you'd anticipated. Regardless of how exhausted your body was when Finnick urged you to lay down and try to rest once again, you were reluctant. Even if it was unlikely, part of you asked, what if you fell asleep and it was the last time you saw him?

“Finnick, I'm fine! I'll keep lookout too, you've been taking care of everything all day, you've got to be exhausted." He sighed at your refusal.

"You're so sweet, that it's infuriating. Please, angel, you need to rest. I will be less tired knowing you're not.” His ocean eyes begged yours, hand stroking your cheek softly.

“That's not how that works." He deserved rest, to lay down. You were perfectly capable of staying there with Katniss. The darkest depths of your paranoia asked you why he wasn't comfortable letting you watch over, if didn't trust you. However, the thought was gone as soon as it made its appearance, if there was one thing you knew it was that you trusted him.

“Please." He whispered and you sighed before mumbling an agreement, there was no way you'd win this argument.

“Will you lay by me?"

He stared at you for a second like he was contemplating, “I’ll just be a few feet away, just on watch.”

You wanted to ask him why he couldn't just do that while laying with you, but you knew he wouldn't say no if there wasn't a reason. Maybe he planned on trying to gain more of Katniss’ trust by staying up with her. Regardless it's not like you would be able to fall asleep if he wasn't there anyways, you couldn't remember the last time you had. It was as if the moment he was away you lost all body heat and couldn't rest unless he was there.

The idea of even verbalizing that made you feel guilty, so you just rolled your eyes and began walking in the other direction to lay down. "Fine."

You could sense his own eye roll at your dramatics and you found yourself a spot between the roots in one of the trees. Staring at the sky through the tree branches when Finnick’s voice reached you through the still air, “Your eyes are still open." You turned your head his way to throw him a glare which he simply laughed at before turning to walk closer by Katniss. It was easy to get lost in your thoughts, the sounds of insects chirping and buzzing somewhere. It was almost peaceful, if there hadn't been the looming fear of death.

This was interrupted when a banging noise cracked through the arena, you shot up, but there didn't seem to be any actual danger. You could see Katniss and Finnick looking up at the sky which quickly ceased. With no threat at hand you cautiously laid back down. Not long had passed before you heard footsteps coming in your direction, you turned your head to the noise.

“You're supposed to be resting." Finnick remarked, laying down by you.

“I'm trying." You scoffed and he raised his eyebrows with a knowing look in his eyes, “Aren't you supposed to be keeping watch, or did you feel guilty for refusing to comfort your wife?"

“If she's going to stay up and keep watch then I might as well sleep. Shows her I trust her too.” His warm arms wrapped around you as he gazed at you. The paranoid voice was back, gnawing in your brain, asking why he wouldn't let you keep a lookout with them. “You okay?" He asked, brows furrowed.

“Yeah." You muttered, shaking away the intrusions. “Well that's good because I couldn't have slept without you anyways." Snuggling deeper into his arms as your noses touched.

“Glad I could be of service then, Mrs. Odair." Finnick pressed a kiss to your lips. Tucked into his arms you were finally able to push away most of the fears, to act like it was just you in Finnick’s arms, falling asleep under the stars. Like you were at home, just the two of you in love. Maybe if you thought about that long enough you'd find the few and far between relief of a sweet dream about the two of you. You tried to convince yourself that you were on the beach with him, that he was keeping you warm as the salt air grazed your face. That the moonlight would shine on the ethereal waters and brighten your face. Eventually you were able to drift into sleep thinking about those fantasies, or maybe they were memories, who knew your brain felt like it had been on overdrive. However, your comfortable rest was interrupted when Katniss was screaming in pain and urging you all, desperately, to run.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

“We should start staking out the Careers, find a plan of attack." This was the beginning of the end, you told yourself, once they were gone the four of you would have to do the same to each other. But Marlowe was still right, as a team you needed to get rid of the biggest threat.

"How are we supposed to find them?” Birch asked, looking around incredulously.

"The arena can't go on forever, plus they'll be confident enough to start fires and be louder.” You sat on the muddy ground, throwing your knife into random spots. The arena had begun to warm up on day 5 and the rain had become progressively warmer until day 7. Although the lack of pouring rain was a blessing, it was also a curse since it made finding water a priority once again, and there wasn't much iodine left.

Besides natural causes you'd assumed the other tributes who's faces you'd seen in the sky at night probably died at their hands. It was almost harrowing to think about how you could very soon die at their hands as well, but you had to trust that your group could overtake their’s.

“They're probably at the Cornucopia, that'd be typical." Conway’s arm was resting lazily on one of your shoulders. Marlowe nodded her head in agreement. “We should eat and then head that way."

You pulled a backpack closer to you, “I'll get the net."

“Marlowe and I will go check on the snares if you guys try and get fish." Birch and Marlowe headed off as you pulled the net out of the bag. Rising off the ground to find the nearest body of water.

You listened to the birds chirping before Conway broke the silence, “I don't know if I can do it." His admission was quiet, like he was nervous to say something.

“Do what?" You turned your face to look at him, his eyes glued to the ground.

“Kill them, the Career pack."

“You had a higher score than some of them and you're plenty strong, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Conway exhaled, he looked at you incredulously, "Not like that. I mean I don't think I can kill them, let myself kill them.”

"You killed in the Bloodbath."

"Only once and it's eating me up inside."

You stared at him in silence for what felt like an eternity, but was really just a few seconds. Before you tore your eyes away from him to look at the scenery around you, "Then don't, I’ll do it.”

"You've changed a lot, you know.” This caught you somewhat off guard, but you kept a straight face as you walked.

"I don't think I have, really.” Except in matters of paranoia and distrust which had greatly expanded, it really felt like at your core you were still you.

"With respect, princess, I don't think you would be as willing.”

"At home we weren't in these circumstances.”

"Seems there's a lot about you I don't know then.” The sound of his footsteps had stopped, so you turned to look at him. The two of your stared at each other, he seemed to be coming to terms with something and that made you nervous.

“I'm not saying I want to, just that sometimes you have to do what it takes to survive. Even if it's difficult or-”

"Untrue?” Conway finished, your stomach knotted. What was he getting at?

You sighed," Yeah, I guess.” He stared at you longer before he nodded his head and walked forwards. His aura was all off and it made you somewhat panic. “I'm sorry if that upsets you that I'm doing what it takes to go home." Your voice was more frustrated as you followed him. Finnick would have understood, the longer you went without him the more you longed to be with him, to be with someone who really got you.

He stopped walking and grabbed your arms, “It's okay, I understand. It's just hard to come to terms with when you remember that this is all designed to bring that out in us. To see the other side, not through rose colored glasses.” It was like he was having a different conversation that you weren't being let in on. An echo in your voice told you were done with your facade, that he'd figured it out, but you quiteted it. You'd done everything you could think of, why wouldn't he believe you?

Conway leaned in and kissed you, it was soft, sweet, like he'd never be able to kiss you again. He pulled away and gave a small frown as he looked at you longer, “We should go, we’ll probably find a pond of something soon." He began walking off and you stood still for a few seconds, mind trying to grasp what was going on. But you followed and he fell back into conversation about home as you netted for fish.

Eventually you'd all returned with your goods to eat before setting off towards where you'd assumed the Cornucopia must be and therefore, the Careers. It was a long, boring, pain seeking them out, observing their moves, planning your attack.

“Maybe if we wait them out they'll just turn on each other." Birch was crouched down in the long grass. “We could hit them when they're already untrusting." His thoughts were interrupted by a piercing scream. Your heads all snapped to look across the opening where the noise had come from. One of the Career’s was running towards the two waiting, as she ran a cannon went off. You couldn't hear what she was saying, but she looked frazzled, like she'd been running for her life.

“Looks like our window now, then." Marlowe muttered as she began trudging through the mud. You weren't sure that would be a great plan, that any of this was, but everybody else seemed to agree. Hiding the bags in the grass as they followed her. This wasn't well thought out enough. You tried to appear as though you agreed as you walked behind.

“Come to kick us when we're down?" One of the boy’s, Otto, yelled out. You cursed everyone for not trying to be more sly, not waiting until they were more off guard.

“What happened?" Birch asked, hatchet firmly in his hand. He nodded his head to the girl from District 1, Satin, who was shaking, legs covered in mud.

“There's these horrible crocodile creatures in the swamps." Satin's voice was shaky, she was forgetting herself, that she could die, and you pitied her. You recalled seeing her volunteer, but here she was struggling to maintain composure due to some Capitol mutants, it was gut wrenching to think about the shift between the glory and terror that must have occurred. Finnick had ensured that any Capitol propaganda about the Games and their respect was uprooted from your brain the moment he could.

“They got Aulus." Arria, you believed her name was, the female tribute from 2, said. Her voice didn't even quiver, but you could see some sadness in her eyes, that would've been her last connection to home.

“I'm sorry." Conway was so sincere and everyone stared at him for a second. You didn't know what it was in, respect for his kindness, disbelief because he was just another obstacle in winning, anger because he was a threat.

“Thanks for not just attacking us though, I’ll remember to say how compassionate you all were when I'm on my Victory tour." Otto’s scalpel chain was lunging forward, and unassuming Birch who'd stepped too close by got nicked across his arm as he tried to move out of the way. Hissing as he threw the hatchet at Otto, who turned to miss the weapon. Regretfully all you could think about was how much of a coward the boy was when he made a run for it as Birch scrambled to gather his weapon back.

“Get him Birch!" Marlowe screeched out as he followed. Then Conway was groaning as Arria slashed at him with her sword. Insticinually pushing his spear forward which caused her to shriek as it planted itself into her leg. You hated how slow everything felt like it was going, usually the climax of a Game's felt more rushed to watch, maybe this wasn't the real climax though. She slipped a bit as she tried to pull the spear out and stab at him with her sword. He had the clear upperhand now, to kill her, but he wasn't taking it. Just staring at her with pity.

‘I’ll just have to do it,’ you told yourself and threw the knife into her head. Conway’s face was hit with the splatter of blood and he stared at her body with shock as the cannon went off. Looking at you as you pulled the knife out of her head. You were disgusted with yourself, but desperate time called for desperate measures and you were so close to being able to go back home, see Finnick, feel the ocean, give to your family, to let that all pass up because he didn't want to kill her.

“Somebody had to do it." You muttered out numbly and then looked away at the yells of Marlowe and Satin. A pitchfork had been used to create a nasty hole in Marlowe’s leg and there was a bleeding gash in Satin’s side. Marlowe was able to plug the machete in just deep enough before Satin had gone back to her with the pitchfork and there was that terrible canon again.

“Come on." Conway’s hand tugged at yours and before you could ask questions he was pulling you along as he ran.

“What are you doing?" You asked when you finally gained comprehension.

“We have to go, Birch is gonna kill Otto and then it's just us left." You were back in the long grass, “We'll prolong this if we go hide, here, put the knives in the bag and we'll go find a new place to camp." Conway said breathlessly.

“It would be more fair for us, too all just fight it out now, all together."

“I heard them talking, they were gonna gang up on us and they're so strong, especially together." Your heart was starting to race, maybe he was right this surely was starting to feel climactic. You couldn't help that you were looking at him with suspicion though.

He must have sensed this though because he kissed you, “Trust me." Conway whispered out, hands taking the knives from you to place them in the bag. You nodded, if he was still kissing you he must believe you, and the Conway you knew wouldn't kill someone he loved. Then another cannon went off, either Otto or Birch, “Let's go." His explanation still didn't feel right but you nodded and followed. Blindly following your childhood best friend, the man who loves you and you could love back that way, into the marshes to try and keep you both alive for just a little bit longer.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

The screams of pain were instantly enough to stop you from being any sort of tired when you awoke.

“The fog is poison!" Katniss screeched and ran forwards. You could see the cloud of it rolling down towards you all and Finnick was immediately pulling you up, urging you forward.

You were all sprinting as fast as you could, eyes desperately searching for somewhere new to aim for. The fog seemed to be everywhere, like it was getting faster and surrounding any place you could have thought to sprint. You could feel your heart pounding in your skull as you scrambled. Willing yourself not to pause when you heard Katniss cry out quickly followed by Peeta. Your blurry vision is still able to make out their figures though which helps you keep going. Suddenly Finnick had tripped on one of the many vines and was yelling.

“Finnick!" You were screaming, trying to pull him forward out of the fog threatening to completely engulf him. He stumbled forward.

"Come on, angel.” Despite the searing pain he must have been in he grabbed you and then the fog hit one of your calves. You nearly fell forward as you howled out at the harsh, burning that blistered into your skin, enough pain to make you feel like you were going to throw up. Finnick yelled your name and forced you to keep running in any direction away from the fog which seemed to be in any direction you turned.

“Peeta!" You ran towards Katniss, Peeta was on the ground. Motionless besides the twitching muscles around the areas where the boils had taken over. “I can't carry him." Her voice was broken.

Finnick nodded, “Keep up." He looked at you somewhat sternly, but it was more coughing it out. Katniss and Finnick supported Peets and began moving forward as the looming cloud of death crept up. It was hard to move forward, your legs felt like they were going to melt off into a burning sludge. You felt guilty when you arm gripped onto Finnick's free one, trying to keep balance. Then the agonizing pain took over again, unbearable and shooting across your back. You swore that you could hear your skin sizzling in the fog, it was hard to keep your eyes from falling shut, from letting yourself collapse into the ground. Until you were rolling down a hill, the feeling was so harrowing that you let yourself tumble down and then lay dejected, waiting for the fog to consume you.

Katniss’ cries didn't even make you move, the fog must have got her, and this was all for nothing. We'll all die in the arena and the Games will go on next year and every year after that without incident. “The water, it helps!” She called out and you finally pried your eyes open, wincing at the excruciating feeling when you tried to move. Eyes trying to adjust as you crawled forward, trying to silence your whimpers, the pain felt nearly unendurable.

“Finnick." You croaked out, searching for him amongst the roots. Peeta and Katniss’ exhales of relief signaled to you where the water could be, but it wouldn't have felt right to help yourself before you could find him. Your eyes adjusted enough to see a figure laying not far in front of you, “Finnick!" Fingers clawing into the dirt as you pulled forwards not even wanting to think about what it would be like to try and stand again. Hands eventually landing on his chest, trying to shake him awake, he wasn't responding, and whatever pain you'd felt physically was somehow overwhelmed by the harrowing panic settling in. “Come on, Finnick, we have to go.” You tried to drag him towards the water, gasping out in pain as you tried to pull your own scorching body across the ground with his. “I can't get him." Your voice was hoarse and Katniss and Peeta was by you.

“Go wash yourself off, it gets rid of everything and Katniss and I will grab him." Peeta tried to reassure, crouching down. You tried to shake your head, nothing felt reasonable right now, you were too panicked, gripping onto Finnick tighter.

“Finn, you have to wake up. Please, I need you, please wake up." Hands were trying to grab your arms and you weakly tried to stop them. "I can't leave him.”

"You're not, we need to get you washed off and then we'll get him too.” Peeta said, pulling you up to lead you to the water.

“Get him first." You choked out, the physical pain, the emotional pain, all of it compounded was too much.

Then Katniss was pulling you forward from where Peeta had gotten you, she cupped her hands in the water, not dragging you in. She poured some of the water onto your arm and you could have sworn you saw steam leaving your skin as you nearly yelled at the increased pain before the relief.

“Come on, this is good, you can help grab him once you're better." She reassured, helping you pull yourself the rest of the way in. You nodded now and shrieked when the water overwhelmed each blister, the wisps of the poison leaving your body.

“Thank you." You stuttered out, but she was gone and Finnick was being dragged in by her and Peeta. He was screaming when he hit the water and you grabbed his shoulders as he tried to fight against it. “It's okay, it'll feel better, it's getting rid of it." You tried to reassure as he kept fighting back. “Finnick, Finnick, you're okay, this is helping.”

“We need to get our weapons." Katniss said to Peeta who ran off as you kept holding Finnick in the water. Finally Finnick’s eyes fully opened and you signed, letting yourself smile.

“I thought you were gonna die." You stopped holding down his shoulders to wipe away all the tears that had fallen from everything and the water itself.

He stood up, laughing, “Don't be too disappointed, I am in fact, still breathing."

You laughed in disbelief before wrapping your arms around him as tightly as you could, terrified that in a moment this could all melt away into a reality where he hadn't woken up. “Good.” Finnick kissed the top of your head and didn't think you'd ever be able to tear yourself away.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

thank you so much for reading, I'm so sorry this took so long to get out I've been swamped recently. all the support has been appreciated so, so much and I love you all 💕 feedback, likes, comments, reblogs are all greatly appreciated, my ask box is opens and I'll be getting to some of them soon to branch the time between the next chapter. thank you all so much and I hope you enjoyed this chapter 💋

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[posttexasstressdisorder]

https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/hey-democrats-wake-up-20219559.php

The sky is falling. The United States federal government is being illegally dissolved before your very eyes. The workers you rely on to ensure that you don’t eat ground beef tainted with paint chips are being laid off en masse. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided your office last week and asked for your papers, even though you were born in Fremont. A fire tornado is due to touch down in your backyard next Tuesday. Your parents are terrified to board an airplane. Your gay nephew is terrified to go to school. Your 401(k) is in the toilet. MEASLES. Measles have returned and want to eat your baby. Every day you look at the news, and you’re told that the president would like to bring back cockfighting. You and I need reassurance. You and I need to know that someone out there is trying to put an end to all this madness. Instead, we get this.

I hate you, Democrats. I hate you so, so much. Yes, I hate Trump and Elon and all of the s—t-for-brains voters out there who were like DURRR THESE FELLAS ARE JUST WHAT WE NEED TO CLEAN UP WASHINGTON DURRR. But I reserve a special place in my black heart for you, Democrats. You are the representational equivalent of being put on hold by customer service. All you do is let me down. It’s like being a Browns fan if every time the Browns lost, a Tesla ran over my dog. You guys make voting feel pointless.

Starting with you, Joe Biden. You still alive, old man? Well, you could’ve fooled me. Great job staying in the 2024 race juuuuust long enough to torpedo your party’s chances, and then pissing off to Cape Henlopen solely because George Clooney asked you to. Were you a good president? I have no idea, because you were too busy huffing oxygen from your bedside tank to sell your agenda to the American people. Maybe you could have gotten everyone on your side by crafting a really clever sign to hold up.

And who’s this? Why, it’s former Vice President Kamala Harris, who got voters excited for exactly one month before huddling with her advisers and deciding to campaign as a Republican, WITH Republicans. And what other brilliant tactician could tap one of the most beloved governors in America as her running mate and then Tim Kaine-ify him by 75%? Hey Kamala, maybe in your free time you can pursue a life sentence for a homeless man who stole a box of Chiclets from a local CVS. I legit thought you would win in November! Why did I think that? Someone should brain me on the head with a baseball bat.

Speaking of head injuries … John Fetterman! I’m a fellow brain injury survivor alongside John. So when this man suffered a stroke during his Senate race against Dr. Oz, I was like, “Do NOT discriminate against this man just because he had a brain injury.” Little did I know that Fetterman’s blood clot would turn him into the second coming of Joe Manchin. I just got rid of Joe Manchin, and now I have to deal with a taller, weirder one? 

These are just some of the people I was foolishly hoping would put a stop to the meme-ocracy that’s currently eating the world. Democrats keep responding to our cries for help with, “Get out and vote!” Who am I even voting for? Is it you? Is it some asshole company on your donor roll? Is it shrink-wrapped skull James Carville, whose electoral acumen has aged even worse than he has? I’ve gotten more results voting on a new flavor of Lay’s potato chip. 

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with California Gov. Gavin Newsom upon arrival in Los Angeles on Jan. 24, 2025, to visit the region devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires.MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Now that I think about it, how did a state that offers so much sunshine and terrific produce end up with a whole armadaof s—t Democrats, including Adam Schiff, Nancy “once we all die in a rejuvenated smallpox epidemic, the House will be ours again!” Pelosi and Alex Padilla, who thought that a sternly worded letter to a Trump mole would end the administration’s desecration of our national parks. And don’t forget about Dianne Feinstein! Yes, I know that Feinstein is dead. No, that doesn’t excuse her. Stupid, dead Feinstein. I bet she’s lecturing children in hell because they dared to ask for a table fan.

And if you think that my party has more to offer on the opposite coast, may I introduce you to New York Democrats? Oh look, it’s Little Mister Punching Bag, Chuck Schumer! A Palestinian American resident of this man’s state was just kidnapped by ICE and remanded to Kafka State Prison down south without cause, and Chuck’s first instinct was to essentially say, “Now we all know this young man is brown, which means he hates the Jews.” Totally. Way to see the REAL story going on here, you empty tin of pomade. And somehow Chuck has even greater moral fortitude than Eric Adams, who probably couldn’t commit murder without accidentally leaving his Turkish passport in the victim’s hand. 

I can’t believe how useless most of these Democrats have proven in the fight to preserve something, anything, functional in this backwater of a country. Oh, do you want me to give the RBG girlboss treatment to Sonia Sotomayor, who skipped out on retiring while Biden was in office because she just loves writing terse dissents? What about Hakeem “Next Pelosi” Jeffries? Will he bamboozle the opposition with his fearsome repertoire of debate club hand gestures? Judging by those signs from the other night, I’m thinking no. No as all f—k. 

I don’t expect you geniuses in charge of my party to listen to my plea, but I’ve been shouting into the wind for decades now so I may as well do it one final time. Democrats need to give voters like me a reason to care. Our current president is an asshole, but he sure knows how to get people to care one way or the other. Part of that success has been from brute force political messaging. Part of it is from the voraciousness of capitalism mutating this country into a place where everyone is told they’re equal but no one WANTS to be equal. When Donald Trump runs on a platform that boils down to F—K OTHER PEOPLE, tens of millions of Americans eat it up because they’ve been conditioned to hate other people: their boss, their movie stars, that guy that cut them off on the drive to work, everyone. 

I don’t know how we solve this problem, but actually WANTINGto solve it is a good first step. I see little evidence right now that Democrats — especially you, Gavin — have that desire. I’ll still vote in every election out of obligation, but how many others will just stop doing it entirely now that you’ve failed them so consistently? I have a hard time trusting a bunch of people who couldn’t even think to start up an ASSHOLE chant on the House floor during Trump’s speech last week. I’m wagering that younger generations are even more disaffected. Those people will be lost forever unless you f—kers finally understand what’s happening outside your office window. 

And if you don’t get your s—t together now, I’ll know it’s because you don’t want to. I’ll know that you never cared about democracy. That you never cared about fixing the Constitution that’s currently sitting at the bottom of Sam Alito’s toilet. That you never cared about women or gay and trans folk or the poor or Muslim Americans or even Jewish people. I’ll know that you only care about yourselves, same as the president does. If you careerist scum want to prove me and every other voter wrong, you’d better get started right now. The clock is ticking. 

[writeforfandoms]

Homeward Bound 2

Find the series masterlist

Your job as the caretaker is rarely boring, especially around nesting time. Fortunately, you're prepared for almost anything.

Warnings: Swearing, accidental self harm (walking on hot sand), bits of backstory.

Word count: 1k

Your room off the hatching grounds was small, with just the necessities. A simple bed, a small table for some jerky and water, and a small wardrobe. You didn't inhabit this room all the time, thankfully - your normal room was bigger, more spacious. But for the last weeks leading up to the hatching, if you weren't out on the sands, you could be found here. 

You didn't dare go far from the eggs, especially as it got closer to hatching day. It was risky, considering you would only get a few hours’ warning, at best. 

So when someone knocked on your door at some ungodly hour, you woke and rolled out of bed before your brain even had a chance to catch up. You threw on your robe for some semblance of modesty, yanking the door open. 

One of the messenger boys stood in front of your door, hair mussed and cheeks red from his run. “One of the dragons,” he said, one hand waving back the way he'd come. 

You didn't wait for the rest of his message, pushing past him and sprinting down the short hall and to the sands. Hot sand nearly burned the bottoms of your feet, but you paid it no mind. 

It took only a moment to find the dragon in question. A new mother, gray wings spread wide, nearly prancing in distress but somehow never even touching her eggs. 

“Hey, hey, easy,” you soothed, approaching her carefully, hands up. “Easy, beautiful. Calm down and show me what's wrong.” 

She hissed, higher pitched than normal, more nervous than aggressive. But she settled, at least a little, all four feet remaining planted now. 

“Good,” you crooned, taking another couple steps closer. “Now. Show me what's wrong.” 

She hissed again but allowed you close, wings slowly settling against her back again. She stepped back carefully, allowing you to see the nest. 

And the clear crack that ran across the top of one of her eggs. 

“Oh.” Sharp pain lanced clean through your chest. “Oh, beautiful….” Ever so carefully, your fingertips ran across the crack, feeling for moisture. It was possible the internal membrane hadn't torn, in which case you could patch up the egg. Fortunately, that looked to be the case this time. You breathed out slowly, pressing your palm mid-way down the shell to check the temperature. A little cool, but not bad. 

You could make this work. 

“Okay,” you breathed out. “Okay. Your egg is okay.” You looked up at the dragon to make sure she understood, meeting brilliant golden eyes fearlessly. “I'm going to help.” 

She trilled softly, lowering her head to nudge your shoulder very gently. 

“Yes, yes,” you murmured, sparing one hand to pat her snout. “Go get your rider, and a few others if you can. Quickly.” 

She hesitated only a moment, the instinctive pull to remain at her nest strong, before she turned and took off. You didn't watch her go, instead focusing on shoring up the sand around all the eggs. That would help keep them all stable and warm. 

Now to address the crack. 

You didn't want to leave it alone - there was too much potential for things to get in there and cause problems. 

You had all the things you'd need for a kind of paste you could cover the crack with. It would need to be reapplied periodically until the egg hatched, but it would work. 

You spared a brief thought of thanks that your mother had taught you everything about this job. 

The tromp of boots on sand and the trill of the dragon pulled your attention up from the sand. The mother had returned with her rider and two others. Including Simon. 

“Pack more sand around these eggs,” you ordered the three. “All around them. But do not touch the cracked egg. I will be back in three minutes.” 

You stood, frowning thunderously when one of the riders goggled at you, mouth open. “Now,” you snapped.

Simon cuffed the gawking rider before striding off to grab one of the shovels. You turned and ran back to the small storage room off the hatching grounds, full of ingredients for just such a need as this. 

The sand was hot as you carried the bowl back to the egg, reminding you painfully that you were not wearing shoes. You grimaced but pushed through, walking calmly this time. You didn't want to get any sand in the bowl. 

The three riders had made quick work of getting the eggs braced with more sand, Simon still holding the shovel even as he watched you approach, eyes dark. 

“Good,” was all you offered, kneeling carefully next to the cracked egg. Partially to not get more sand around, and partially to make sure your robe stayed covering you. You covered the crack with the paste, carefully going beyond the edges of the crack to be sure nothing could get in. When you checked, the egg was already a little warmer. Very good. 

Sighing softly, you pushed back to your feet. “Very good,” you murmured. “The egg will be fine. Thank you for your help.” You looked at each of the three riders. The one who belonged to the mother dragon actually stepped forward to hug you, something you returned a little awkwardly. 

The mother settled around her eggs again, even more carefully now, crooning softly before she settled her snout right next to the cracked egg. You patted her head, relieved. 

It took until you gathered up the bowl and tugged your robe tighter to realize that Simon was still standing to one side, gaze still fixed on you. You paused, foot scuffing through the sand, eyes blowing wide before you schooled your expression back to neutrality. You nodded to him once and strode back to the storage room, covering the remaining paste with a cloth. It would keep for a while. 

You needed to wash up. 

You paused, just for a moment, at the edge of the sand where the hallway to your room branched off. Simon was standing next to Ilsbet, one hand under her chin, forehead pressed to hers. You turned away from the quiet moment. But not before you smiled.

[dandylion240]

Wiping his eyes on the back of his hands “what do we do when Master doesn’t need us?” Jonah looked around the room seeing the books. “Do you read?” he reached for one of the books disappointed that he couldn’t read them too. He could have used the distraction knowing his mind was going to relive his time with Master in his dreams. Reading would have helped.

“No, I never learned,” he answered stepping back as Jonah walked to see the books. “Master offered me books, but as I never learned I just kept them to feel the paper and the prints. I hope, once I am free, I’ll be able to find someone willing to help me learn.”

“He knows I can’t read, but he keeps giving them to me.” Deep inside Cecil felt it was so he could humiliate him and mock him for his ignorance. Dragons were rumored to be creatures of great knowledge and he couldn’t read or write.

He got off the bed and walked towards their small window, it had grating on the window, though he could not see it, but he enjoyed sensing the warmth of the sun. The glass was double panned so no sounds came in or out, no fresh air either so he couldn’t tell what was outside, but he knew there was water all around them. 

“We are expected to keep ourselves clean and dance. We’re expected to do chores, like cleaning, cooking, laundry, pleasing the master when he asks for us,” he crossed his arms. “He’s probably working on your work schedule.”

“If we behave we are allowed to go to the garden once a day, it’s the most beautiful part of our prison,” he smiles gently. “I enjoyed going there when I was allowed.”

Looking up from the book he held in his hands, “a garden?” Jonah asked. 

He wouldn’t mind going outside, if it were just him and Cecil. Fresh air would be nice. He smelled awful.

Setting the book aside, Jonah asked “is there place I can bathe?” 

All he wanted to do was scour his skin until he couldn’t smell or feel master on him anymore. If he lost all hope of his family finding him he might be able to drown himself. Shaking his head he’d wait on that for a while. Surely someone would come.

Cecil smiled gently at Jonah, he couldn’t exactly ignore the smell. He nodded and walked to a door, opening it to reveal a fully equipped bathroom. It was clean and kept and illuminated. With several bath salts, gels and soaps and perfume bottles.

“Master enjoys when we smell nice, so there are perfumes on the shelf. I personally prefer the first one on the left, the small round one, shaped like a pear.” He points to a small half full blue bottle.

“You can shower or bathe there. Do you wish me to wash your back? Or hair?”

He gave Jonah a small smile. “I know the first time can be difficult so if you need someone to help you wash, I am here.”

Heat flushed Jonah's cheeks as he thought about anyone helping him bathe other than Ethan. “I .. uh,” he felt weak and he hurt all over. “Yes, I would appreciate some help. You are my brother after all.”

He couldn’t disguise the quiver in his voice as he tried hard not to start crying again. 

He took the pear shaped one and began to fill the tub hoping the perfumed scent and the hot water would at least get rid of the stench. “I must really smell bad if I can smell myself,” he pressed a hand to his lips as a nervous giggle came out.

Stepping into the tub Jonah closed his eyes hoping for some peace to fill him but fearing it would be a long time before he’d ever feel at peace again.  “You said we would need to dance. Can you dance? I mean you get around our room well but to dance requires knowing where your partner is and will be as you move.”

He was curious but he hoped his questions didn’t come across as rude. He had never met anyone who was blind before.

Cecil walked to the bath after Jonah. He got on his knees next to the tub and grabbed a colourful loofah, with his hands he felt for his soap grabbing it, getting the loofah nice and soapy. Gently he started washing Jonah’s back and shoulders, massaging his arms and shoulders.

“I have pretty good spatial awareness, so yes, I can dance. As long as we have a predictable choreography and I know where you are, I can dance with you.”

Cecil adjusted a little to wash down Jonah’s arms, just wanting to let him relax for now.

“Brother…” He gave him a smile. “I like the sound of that.”

He finished fairly quick putting the soap and loofah exactly in the same place where he had taken it from.

“It’s actually fun to dance. I quite enjoy it. I enjoy music.” Cecil confessed. “I just don’t like it when Master has loud guests around. Sometimes I lose my awareness due to the noise. Once I fell off the stage, they all laughed, but Master was so embarrassed.”

“So do I, music I mean,” Jonah sighed, sinking into the large bathtub. 

Lifting his hands he inspected his long delicate fingers. “I play the piano. In an orchestra my dad started.” He paused, swallowing shoving aside the fears he might never see his dad again. “I can play the guitar too. I taught my son, Eli.”

Looking over at Cecil and his clouded sightless eyes, Jonah said “I could teach you too. You know, once we are rescued. Perhaps you could even perform with me.”

If he said it enough times he’ll believe it. When they’re rescued. When they’re home. Yeah he liked the sound of that. His heart yearned for home even as his brain told him it was just a dream.

Cecil looked at him and gently reached for Jonah's hands, taking his fingers in his hand and tracing them, noting how delicate they were. They felt gentle and soft. Music, piano, he had heard the music of the piano and loved it, could he really learn it? He wanted so much to learn new things, things he thought of but never thought possible. Reading, playing music, something more than being this exotic pretty thing for someone else’s entertainment.

“I’d love to learn! I’d love to learn so much!”

Then he let go of Jonah’s hands and grabbed the shampoo, pouring some into his hands. He gently starts massaging Jonah’s head, while washing his hair. Hoping to distract him of the terrible things he had to endure and help him bear this a little easier.

“Your hair is soft,” and he gently smiles, brushing his hair. “Eli? Your son? What is he like?”

“My son?” a soft smile replaced the anxious lines on Jonah's face “he’s a good boy. Gentle. Smart. Talented. Always worried for others.”

Jonah paused finding it hard to continue over the lump forming in his throat. Thinking of his kids. It was good to have something to hold onto. If he’d done anything right it was his children. He couldn’t regret the past and the decisions he’d made because he had his son. Eli was worth it. 

“I hope he doesn’t blame himself for what happened,” he lifted a hand to wipe away a few tears. “We were having a family day at the beach and I know he was worried. Didn’t want to come. Begged Ethan for us to stay home where it was safe.” 

A sob tore through him “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such a cry baby.”

Gently Cecil wrapped his arms around Jonah’s shoulders, pulling him to a gentle hug, letting him rest his weight against him. Cecil could hear the fatherly love in Jonah’s words, how, despite all he was going through, Jonah’s worries were on his children and loved ones.

“You may cry with me, it’s alright, I don’t think you’re a cry baby. You are a strong man, here you are, away from your family, your children, but still trying to hold on, trying to make it.”

He brushed Jonah’s face gently and gave him a gentle reassuring smile. He was such a strong and gentle soul. 

“Eli is lucky to have you, Jonah. Don’t give up, you have so much to live for. Your tears are not weakness.”

Jonah brought his hands up to hold the arms wrapped around him. He gave himself the luxury to cry without recriminations. 

“Thank you,” he murmured “I’ve never thought of myself as strong.” It was a foreign concept to him. He had grown accustomed to seeing himself as weak. It was eye opening and a voice inside his head questioned why Ethan never told him he could be strong and still cry. 

“Am I keeping you from your duties?” Jonah asked concerned for his new friend and brother. “I don’t want to be the reason for you to be punished.”

He gave Jonah a smile. “You are strong and there is nothing wrong with showing emotion.”

He sighed and pulled back gently, grabbing a pair of towels for Jonah. “I do have chores to do, but I wanted to give you a little comfort, before going. Rest, for now, finish your bath and rest and we’ll meet at dinner.”

He sat the towels down next to the tub and looked around, before turning to face Jonah once more. “You’re free to do whatever you wish in our room. It has some commodities and if you desire more you can ask and earn them. Perhaps you could ask for a piano?”

He stopped at the door and quickly added. “Oh, whenever you take something that is shared. Like our towels, the soaps and perfumes, a comb, place them in the same place. I know where everything is out of habit. If you place them elsewhere you’ll find me going around ‘Jonah, where’s this and where’s that?’ which I understand may be a bit annoying.” And he smiles playfully.

The clatter of the pen hitting the desk was the only sound in the tiny office. Caiden caught it as it rolled over the edge. He tossed onto his desk mumbling “I don’t like it.”

“So you’ve said,” Cory chuckled softly leaning back “you worry too much.”

“You don’t worry enough,” he countered, picking up his pen again, clicking it several times in succession. 

Shrugging Cory glanced out the window behind Caiden’s back. It’s not that he wasn’t worried. He just didn’t see the need to dwell on it. “You need a girlfriend…”

“Humph,” Caiden’s eyes strayed to the single picture on his desk. A dark haired young woman smiled up at him, the younger sister of his best friend. They’d met two years ago. Time and distance kept them from taking the plunge to take the next step. “This isn’t about me,” he rolled his neck and shoulders stretching his tired muscles. He’d spent hours trying to find a trace of the man known as The Albino. All he found were dead ends. “I don’t trust her,” he said, bringing his mind back to the present conversation.

Smirking a little “I doubt she’d try anything with her son there. Kai’s a good kid. I don’t want to disappoint him.”

“That’s what I mean,” Caiden huffed getting to his feet. “She knows how to manipulate you. You  need to be careful. She isn’t what she appears to be.”

Raising an eyebrow “I know she’s no damsel in distress.” He found that out after the men he had guarding her and Kai told him how she was very adept at losing them at will. No one that afraid of her ex would ever knowingly ditch anyone who was there to protect her. “That’s putting it mildly,” Caiden leaned back, the blinds bending behind him. “My contacts have gathered enough intel to believe she was more involved in her ex-husbands dealings than they previously thought. Julien took the fall but it doesn’t mean she was innocent.”

Cory gave him a skeptical look “are you sure? Maybe her ex just manipulated evidence to make it look like she’s guilty. Maybe that’s what he has over her…” He snapped his mouth shut. Why was he defending her? He was usually a better judge of character but she made him feel like a chump.

Crossing his arms Caiden slowly shook his head. “You don’t believe that anymore than I do.”

Cory felt a muscle jerk in his cheek spoiling his statue imitation. Had he been a chump? Had he been so eager to fall in love that he willingly closed his eyes to all the warning signs he had that Noelle wasn’t who she pretended to be? Or was it the kid? “You have a soft spot and I doubt Noelle is above exploiting it even if it means using her son.” Caiden put into words what they were both thinking. “Shit,” he mumbled beneath his breath.If it weren’t for Caiden pointing out the obvious he would’ve walked into a trap tomorrow.

“My guess is Julien doesn’t like competition,” Caiden said. “Competition,” he choked “if he wants her back he can have her.”

“I don’t think he wants Noelle either,” Caiden sighed, “look you got really close to Kai. I don’t think the guy wants to share his son. The moment that kid said he wanted you to be his dad was the moment your death sentence was signed. Julien isn’t about to share his son’s affection with anyone.”

“Oh,” he was an idiot. He hadn’t considered that. Not that he knew any of this when he’d met Noelle. If she had been who he thought she was then none of this would matter. He’d still protect her and Kai. Kai was the real loser in all of this. Snapping his fingers he looked up at Caiden. “I think I know how we could turn this to our advantage.”

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I meet with Noelle as planned. Instead of falling into their trap what if we trap Julien? Once we have him we make him tell us who his middle man was.”

Peeking through the blinds Caiden watched couples going in and out of the French restaurant next door. They all seemed happy without any cares at all, never suspecting the pain and loss he dealt with on a day to day basis just a few feet away from their happy bubbles. “You’ll have to wear a wire and I have some friends who will help us stake out the park.” He was already moving towards his desk to see who he could call for a last minute job.

“Sounds like a plan,” he smirked, feeling that he was actually doing something instead of beating his head against a wall. This might be the break they needed to find Jonah.

Previous/Next

[trashland-llamas]

Mother-Hen

x gender neutral! reader

Reader who has those over the top mother-hen vibes colliding with the grumpy asshole that is Logan Howlett. Who at first avoids Reader like the plague. Growling out how he wants nothing to do with them. To which they don't take any of it to heart, having done this dance a dozen times over.

Seeing it for it was. He didn't want anyone to get close as it meant caring and if he cared about someone, it could then be used against him. And that was simply more unnecessary heartbreak to drown in a bottle of whiskey over. Oh, but it doesn't stop Reader from bulldozing that down.

It all starts when Logan brings a relatively new mutant down to their room instead of the infirmary after a group mission. 'Scared of hospitals and the like. You were the next best thing,' he gruffs out. Seeing the extent of the injuries from how torn up the mutant's clothes are, Reader clears the table, grabbing their first aid kit. Logan laid them down.

Watching from the sidelines as Reader prepares a needle and thread, stitching the mutant's skin together. 'Your turn,' Reader wets a rag to get rid of the dried blood around Logan's already healed wounds. 'I can do that myself.' Too tired to fight against it altogether, Logan takes the rag. 'Thank you, now go. I'll watch over the kiddo.' Their foot now in the door. Letting him leave to the shadows.

The next time they cross paths is late at night when Logan’s abruptly awoken by a nightmare. Deciding to go take a ride on his motorbike when he smells spices in the air. His nose leads him to the kitchen where he sees Reader cooking up a large pot of soup. Their hair tied up into a lump, resting on the nape of their neck. Sleeves rolled up as they chopped vegetables and chicken to go into the broth. The sick season was close upon them.

'Why are you still up, cooking soup?' Logan spoke up after leaning against the wall, his tone accusatory. 'Because of how often everyone forgets to eat. Plus sometimes after missions, it's nice to have something you can just heat up.' Reader answers, watching out of the corner of their eyes as Logan sits down.

'Not to pry, but what's keeping you up?' They had always thought he had a weariness to his bones, outside of the added adamantium. ‘Couldn’t sleep,’ comes his short reply. Not really wanting to talk about it. ‘Touchy subject, got it. Well, you can stay if you like and I can dish you out a bowl when it’s ready. Need someone as a taste tester anyways.’

Logan doesn't respond but ultimately stays, the coziness of the kitchen was better than how he'd feel, standing alone, under the stars. Genuinely desiring company for once; Reader's company.

'Here you go,' pushing a bowl towards him. 'Thanks,' not bothering to blow on the still hot soup. Reader nods, going back to packaging the soup in deli containers. Moving stuff in the fridge around to make room. Logan, after finishing his bowl, takes up the mantle of cleaning the dishes.

Waving away Reader's 'oh, you don't have to do that.' Saying that he wanted to. That and his calloused hands were accustomed to manual labor. It was the least he could do in exchange for some well cooked food, as shown by the grin on his face.

Logan realizes they’ve wormed their way into his heart when he finds them passed out cold on the couch in the common room. Chuffed that at the very least, Reader seemed to have been taking a moment of relaxation for themselves. The battered old tome he had lent to them had fallen to the ground mid-reading.

Their neck at an awkward angle that would definitely hurt in the morning. ‘Really got yourself into a pickle here.’ Taking a minute to argue with himself, running the pros and cons of what he was about to do. Cause yes, he could simply toss a blanket over them and call it a day yet his gut was telling him that wasn’t enough.

‘C’mon, wake up bubs.’ Jostling them by the shoulders, helping them up to a standing position as they’re still half asleep and groggy. ‘Logan?’ Hands guiding them by the shoulders. ‘Yea, it’s me.’

Not realizing in their state that Logan was guiding them towards his room and not theirs. That is until they see all the Americana type decor. ‘What are we doing in your room?’

‘Was closer…the common room’s no place to get sleep with all the busybodies trudging in and out. That and your neck looked like it was killing you.’ Explaining like it was obvious. Sitting on his usual side of the bed, Logan held up the duvet. A silent way of telling Reader to get in.

Too tired to argue with how homy the atmosphere is, they oblige. Climbing over to rest their head on Logan’s chest. His heartbeat easily lulls them back to sleep.

[robinsegghead]

Danny's Daycare Part 15

Masterpost

Jason didn’t enjoy killing per se. It wasn’t like, a favorite hobby of his or an addiction and he had to get his fix, but every once in a while there would be an asshole so completely deserving of a bullet to the brain that Jason couldn’t help but feel a bit of peace the moment they stopped breathing. Had he been a bit worried that Miguel and Santiago would hate him for killing their dad? Yes. But was ridding Gotham of one more child molester worth it? Yes.

After he’d pried Danny off of the body of someone he’d never seen before, he’d held the man close until his rage died down. He thought- well he thought he and Danny were different. Danny had some kind of explanation for how he’d come back to life and he seemed at peace with the whole kinda-sorta-ghost-thing but when Jason had first found Danny beating the shit out of another person, his eyes had looked… Lazarus green.

Jason knew for a fact that Danny’s eyes were blue (how many times had he gotten lost staring into them while the man raved about space or Gotham or some other special interest of his?). So despite not knowing the situation, Jason had fought Danny away from the man and held him close until what he assumed was pit rage went away.

He knew it was confusing, disorienting, to come out of an episode and instead of getting answers to the questions he so desperately wanted to ask (What happened? Do I need to kill this guy? Are you hurt? Are the boys hurt? Why are your eyes Lazarus green? Was the Pit Rage? Do you know who the league of Assassins are? What is your relation to them? how-), he told Danny to get cleaned up and checked on the boys.

It was both surprising and completely unsurprising that he found Santiago locked in a closet with Miguel crying in front of the door. He got the younger boy out in seconds and immediately had an armful of angry and scared thirteen year old boy. They only spoke for a few minutes before Danny had come back and he decided to give the family some time to talk.

But his eyes were BRIGHT green and he couldn’t shake the feeling that- was it just a dead person thing? That would make sense, right? His eyes glowed green but they’d always thought that was the Pit’s influence. But that guy- Phantom- his eyes had been green too. So three dead guys walk into a daycare with glowing green eyes- it was like the setup of a really bad joke.

No one asked him what happened to the kid’s bio dad which was good because while Jason was glad he’d stopped Danny from fully killing the bastard (Danny didn’t need to have another murder on his conscience, even if both would have been justified in his and most people’s books), he had no intention of letting the bastard get away alive. He’d looked into Miguel and Santiago when he’d first learned of their existence and the only reason he hadn’t killed their sperm donor then was because he was behind bars.

So he’d placed the man’s unconscious body on the fire escape outside the hallway and grabbed it on his way out. Once he was far enough away that the boys and Danny wouldn’t hear the gunshot and connect it to him, he put a bullet in the man’s head. He dropped the body in an alley near a police station and intended to call it a night before remembering he had to debrief with the bats.

Maybe it was his disappearing act or his short responses or something in the way he held himself, but for once B seemed to listen when Jason told him off.

No he wasn’t going to give B the card Phantom had given him- “Did he ask YOU to coffee? Didn’t think so, fuck off.”, no he wasn’t going to explain why he’d been trying to get a moment alone with Danny after the fight- “My personal life is none of your business, fuck off.”, and he definitely wasn’t going to explain why he’d left the daycare and come back to the cave covered in blood- “My personal business is none of yours, fuck off!”.

And after it all B had just let him. He pushed less than usual and not in the ‘afraid you’ll go into a pit rage if I push’ way but in a ‘you’re clearly not going to tell me so why bother’ way. (Maybe even a ‘you’re my son and I trust you to make the right decision’ way? Was that too much to hope for?) 

He’d definitely confused the hell out of Duke with his questions but he just- he needed to get answers and he couldn’t rationalize getting them from Danny at the moment. He’d call Phantom tomorrow, tonight seemed too… forward. Especially since the ghost (King wtf) had essentially asked him on a date (that’s what was implied with the flirting and mention of coffee, right?!). 

So if he had green eyes sometimes, and Danny had green eyes sometimes, and Phantom had green eyes, and they also were all dead at some point, then maybe there was a connection? And Duke understood that kind of thing way better than he did because the kid could see auras and shit so maybe he could tell Jason something useful. And he did. 

Useful and entirely meaningless at the same time because what the fuck did it mean that they all had toxic green auras?!

He’d patrolled for a few more hours, contemplating what it really meant, what he should do, if he should ask Danny, and so on and so forth, until he felt out of his mind with questions. At some point he decided to call it a night and head back to his apartment to sleep. But he had so much energy still- nervous energy too- he hated nervous energy. 

When he was feeling… feeling too much, he baked. Or cooked. Usually he made more than he could ever eat and brought the leftovers to the safe houses he’d let homeless kids live in or down to a shelter or something else like that. Tonight he had one goal in mind with the food he made.

So he baked. He made a pan of brownies, a tray of cookies, three dozen muffins, a pie of all things, and he cooked. He made a pot of stew, a lasagna, two different soups, vindaloo, and a breakfast casserole, and when he was done he packed up as much as he could carry and took it to Danny’s. 

Sneaking into the apartment was easy, he’d done it often enough for the last couple of months and despite warning Danny that he needed to get better security, the man never did. He probably forgot honestly, Jason didn’t think he’d ever met a man quite as busy as Danny. Whether that was because Danny was actually busy or because he didn’t know how to delegate, he wasn’t sure, but he always seemed like- well like Bruce levels of busy. Like he had a job and a secret other job and also he took in random kids and helped everyone he could as much as he could and gave away every part of himself without a second thought.

So. No security system. 

Jason put the food away, some went into the fridge while others went into the freezer, and noticed the apartment felt empty. It would be weird to check if he was in his room but he had a feeling he knew where the man was if not his own home.

Keeping the breakfast casserole and a plate of cookies, Jason swung around the building and landed carefully on the boys’ fire escape. Sure enough, when he peered through the window he found Danny being absolutely drowned in cuddles from Miguel, Santiago, and their cat, Curiosity.

(He’d never admit it but every time he stopped by to drop food off or check in, Jason pet the cats. What? They looked lonely and he wasn’t heartless. He’d been confused and worried out of his mind when he visited for the first time unable to find Curiosity- that cat always came running first so where the ever-loving fuck was he?! But he’d had to leave before finding the orange cat and vowed to find him the next time he visited.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find Curiosity the next time either. He’d come so close to asking Danny where his fucking cat went ((Curiosity was the one who’d been sick when he first found them what if he’d died?!))- should he leave a post-it note asking about the kitten? But again, he’d gotten pulled away by vigilante stuff and had to leave without an answer.

It was only when he’d come over as Jason the tutor that he figured out Danny had given Curiosity to Miguel and Santiago and the cat was over in their apartment most of the time. He was relieved that the cat hadn’t gone missing or died, but now he’d need to stop by and find that cat in their apartment and how had he not noticed the boys had a cat he literally visited their apartment more than Danny’s at this point!)

He slid the window open easily and slipped into the apartment stealthily. None of the boys stirred as Jason quietly put the casserole in the fridge, with a quickly scribbled note on top, and the plate of cookies on the counter. After he finished he moved back towards the window but paused as he sat on the window sill. 

Miguel mumbled something and pushed his face further into Danny’s shoulder and all three of them shifted slightly until their limbs were more entangled than they’d been a moment before and it was hard to tell where one of them started and the others ended. He didn’t know how they didn’t see it- that they were a family- he really didn’t. Danny corrected anyone who called him their dad, they corrected anyone who called them his sons, and yet here they were, cuddling after a traumatic incident where Danny protected them with everything he had.

(He didn’t think about how he and Bruce fit into the exact category he was placing Danny and the boys, he DIDN’T.)

Curiosity chirped and looked around suddenly, seeing Jason and offering him a yawn. That was his cue to leave. He… he didn’t want to, not really. Something about Danny had made him feel safer than anything else had in- in years. The twink he found standing over the body of his murderer, the guy who’d taken on twenty-five goons without a weapon because they’d dared to hurt Miguel, the man he’d pried away from a child molester only hours prior- this was a man anyone would feel safe with.

But Jason wasn’t used to feeling safe and slipping out of the window and grappling back to his own empty and suddenly very lonely apartment was familiar enough. He didn’t feel as safe here as he had in the run down apartment of a practical stranger, but he should. It was his home. He should.

He didn’t sleep.

~~~~~~~~~

“I don’t know how to tell him!” She shouted, hands gripping her hair tightly.

“Just tell him. It will all work out.” He responded calmly.

Scoffing and rolling her eyes, she shouted back. “Easy for you to say! If things are going to turn out so well, why don’t YOU tell him? It was your idea after all!”

“It would not do well if I told him, he’d only be angry at me. He has a difficult time being mad at you.” Again, with a calm response.

“He’s not going to take it well- I wouldn’t and I’m literally him!” Dani reasoned.

Clockwork huffed. “You are not ‘literally him’, you are your own person and you have been for years. Do not diminish all of the hard work the two of you have put into being your own people. Tell him.” 

“He’s gonna kill me! It’s not just him anymore- he’s got the boys to worry about you know this!”

“Tell him.” CW responded idly.

Face palming, Dani groaned. “I’m so dead.”

~~~~~~~~~

Shortly after Miguel’s explanation and panic attack, Danny convinced him to take a nap and spent the next few hours cleaning the apartment and putting things in order. He sent out another message saying the daycare would actually be closed for the rest of the week and he’d update the parents as soon as the building was safe enough to open back up. They were surprisingly understanding for people who were being inconvenienced in a big way.

After that he checked his email and reached out to three people who’d applied to the daycare to set up interviews. If all of them worked out he’d have three more full time employees, one who was old enough and experienced enough that he might be able to leave her in charge sometimes. 

By one thirty he realized he didn’t know where his phone was and should really message Jazz and Dani about what had happened. Searching the couch cushions, he found his phone buried under where he’d slept the night before.

(17) Missed Calls

(38) Messages

(5) Voicemails

Well. Shit. Danny started with the voicemails, the first being from Jazz.

“Danny? I saw the news- are you okay? Are the kids okay? It’s all over the news- apparently some kids were out nearby and recorded what happened through the window? Oh my Ancients- call me back Danny!”

She sounded more worried than mad, that was good, he could work with a worried Jazz- and angry one? Not so much. An angry Jazz would tear him apart molecule by molecule until he was nothing but a puddle of separated atoms.

The next one was from Sam.

“Danny Nightingale what the actual FUCK-”

Tucker cut in. “Holy shit dude! Did you actually fucking TACKLE the Scarecrow?”

“Tucker! More importantly- did your clone tackle Scarecrow? Cause the recording got fuzzy after that but not so fuzzy we didn’t notice the GLOWING FUCKING PHANTOM!”

“Sam’s right dude, the cameras caught more than usual- maybe it was because they were farther away? Or just because your energy was being expended keeping a clone around? Not sure, but the videos show a vaguely humanoid vigilante flying around and kicking ass.”

“Call us back Invisio-Bill.”

Okay, so people being able to see Phantom wasn’t great, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. It wasn’t like he planned on going out as Phantom again- he hadn’t come to Gotham to be a vigilante and team up with the birds and bats. Valerie and Wes left similar voicemails to Jazz.

“Can’t even keep off the news as Danny, eh Nightingale? Let me know if you’re okay.”

At least Valerie’s message was teasing and not angry. Seriously, why were all of the women in his life so terrifying when they were angry?

“Dude! So Phantom’s back, huh? And you got to meet Batman, Robin, Red Robin, and Red Hood? Seriously man- that’s- that’s wild! You know it’s pretty funny that that guy -Duke Thomas- works for you and was there that night because-” There was a loud honking sound cutting him off. “Oh shit, I’ve gotta go, I’ve got a hot date. Let me know you’re okay! Bye Danny!”

The last voicemail was from a number he didn’t recognize but with a Wisconsin area code. 

He deleted it without listening.

The messages were similar to the voicemails, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Wes, Tim, Damian, Jesse, and a few others just checking in. Jason had messaged to cancel their tutoring last minute citing a family emergency- thank Ancients he’d canceled because Danny had completely forgot they’d had an appointment. 

He deleted the text messages from the Wisconsin number he didn’t recognize.

He didn’t care to read them.

At some point people from Amity Park and his past life were going to find out he’d moved to Gotham and set up shop so to speak, but he’d hoped it wouldn’t be so soon. Maybe after he’d been here for a full year, with an established ‘business’ and connections and friends and whatnot, but not earlier. Even then, he’d hoped the only people who would really notice were peopel who didn’t care that much.

Flash, Pualina, Kwan, people who would go ‘did you hear Danny’s in Gotham now?’ and then have a laugh and move on without reaching out.

He didn’t want to hear from Vlad.

He didn’t want to think about what it meant that Vlad was reaching out.

If Vlad knew where he was then they knew where he was ant that meant he wasn’t safe. Worse- it meant the boys weren’t safe around him. Danny had grown accustomed to his life being in danger at all times a long time ago. He’d grown used to it when lab equipment malfunctioned throughout his childhood, when he’d died, when his parents' security system started targeting him, he’d always known he was in danger at all times. But he was supposed to be the one stable and safe thing about the boys’ lives and he couldn’t be that if he had the GIW and the Fenton’s breathing down his neck.

So, knowing it was something he should have done a long time ago instead of banning ghosts from coming into Amity, Danny sent a text to the group chat.

Crime-Fighting, Night-Stalking Vigilantes

The-Next-Bruce-Wayne: Get in losers we’re going to take down the GIW

The-Next-Bruce-Wayne changed the group chat name from ‘Crime-Fighting, Night-stalking Vigilantes’ to ‘Operation Take Down the Plastics’

Chaos is typing…

TooFine is typing…

Cassandra is typing…

The-Next-Gotham-Rogue is typing…

The Midwest Princess is typing…

And with that taken care of, Danny shot quick responses to his Gotham friends before turning off his phone. He told Tim, Damian, Jesse, and any parents who’d privately messaged him, that he was all right and would be getting the daycare in order as quickly as possible. He messaged Duke to check in and let him know that therapy was included in all of his employees’ benefits and that the teenager should take full advantage of it. 

Jason had first messaged to cancel their scheduled tutoring session and later (much later he noticed) messaged to ask if he was all right and if there was anything he could do to help him or the boys out. Danny apologized for not getting back to him sooner, thanked him for the offer, and returned it due to his own family emergency.

Setting his phone down he started planning how they’d do it. He’d need to talk to Clockwork and the rest of his council about how to go about getting the Justice League on their side. He could do it without them probably, but Danny had a strong suspicion that if he brought the Anti-Ecto-Acts to the JL’s attention, they’d get them abolished faster than any other route they took.

Except for war, maybe.

But Danny had overruled that suggestion years ago and instead banned Ghosts from Amity Park. He couldn’t stop them from coming through altogether or he’d be preventing many of them from their obsessions which was dangerous. It also wouldn’t really be fair to ban them from a place that might have once been their home.

He’d instead cracked down on their behavior. Any ghost who wanted to come to Earth needed to be approved by someone Danny had selected for that exact purpose. They needed to know enough about human culture to not cause chaos everywhere they went. Of course some of them *cough* Skulker *cough* didn’t listen to these rules and still caused chaos on some scale.

It wasn’t a perfect system but it was the best Danny had been able to do while also recovering from severe injuries and learning to be the King of the Infinite Realms. It had been a lot and he could admit that not all of his decisions had been winners.

“Danny?” A voice cut through his thoughts and he realized he’d been sneaked up on.

Offering Santi a smile, Danny moved his feet and offered the spot to the boy. “What’s up Santi?”

“Miguel’s bein’ weird.” He made a face. “What’d you two talk about after I left?”

Licking his lips, Danny tried to decide how much he should share. He didn’t want to break Miguel’s trust by revealing too much, but Santiao deserved to know that Danny knew certain things about their dad and oh god- was this what it was like to be a parent?! “We talked a bit about… about your dad and his feelings. Is he all right?”

Santi nodded slowly. “He’s… fine. Kinda… clingy. Din’t want me ta leave the room but not-” He considered his next words carefully. “Not for the usual reasons.”

Ah, yes. Danny remembered Miguel admitting to never leaving Santiago alone with Danny intentionally and why he did it. A part of him melted to know that Miguel wasn’t worried about that anymore. “Sometimes people need comfort but don’t know how to ask for it. Miguel seems like he might be one of those people.” Danny whispered conspiratorially. “I was like that when I was his age.”

“Danny?” Santiago started hesitantly.

“What’s up kiddo?” 

The boy shifted uncomfortably. “Did Hood… Is- Is my…” He inhaled sharply. “Is my dad dead?”

There was something about the way he asked it that Danny couldn’t put his finger on. His voice was fearful, afraid, worried, and it was also hopeful, anticipating, relaxed and it seemed like he couldn’t figure out which set of emotions were his true feelings.

“Honestly, Santi?” Danny filled his lungs and let out a deep breath. “I don’t know.” He looked the boy in the eyes when he answered, unwilling to miss even a single microexpression. “Hood said he took care of him and I don’t know exactly what that means.”

The boy looked at his hands. “Red Hood kills.”

“Sure, but he doesn’t always kill.” Danny tagged on. 

Santi squirmed as if deciding whether or not to say what he was thinking. Deciding to share his thoughts, the boy looked away from Danny. “He kills people who hurt kids,” Before Danny could respond, he whispered, “an’ rapists.”

Closing his eyes tightly, Danny pushed back the red that threatened to overtake his vision like it had the night before. He wouldn’t go there- couldn’t go there- not again. Hopefully they’d never have to see that piece of shit again. Ancients he hoped Hood had killed him.

“Yeah.” Danny felt his throat drying out by the second.

“Good fuckin’ riddance.” Miguel said from the hallway that led to their rooms.

Santi’s head whipped up to see his brother and they studied each other for a moment before Santi nodded once. “Good fuckin’ riddance.” He decided.

Danny wanted to sit in this moment, bask in the fact that these boys who’d been through hell and back were finally rid of their tormentor emotionally and physically and would be able to heal and move on eventually. But it would seem Hood had other plans for him as he felt the tug in his gut of a personal summoning.

“Shit.” He cursed. The boys looked at him, confused. “Sorry, sorry to ruin the moment.” Danny stood up, slipping his phone into his pocket. “I want to tell you boys something but I don’t really have a lot of time so I promise I’ll explain everything when I get back, okay?”

“What?” Miguel frowned.

The tug in his gut was getting stronger and Danny wished he could ignore it but a personal summoning was pretty difficult to refuse. “Listen, I’m- well- I’m not a meta exactly, but that’s the quickest way to explain it right now and I have to transform and go meet someone who’s calling me right now. Don’t do anything crazy, stay in the apartment please, I should be back in a couple of hours tops, okay?”

“Uh…. Okay…?” Miguel shrugged, looking between his brother and his guardian.

With a nod Danny let the summoning pull him away and transformed before arriving in a shabby alley. 

“I thought we were going to get coffee, eh sugar?”

Prev. Next

[theprettyarachnid]

gratitude (halsin x reader)

a/n: i’ve had this in the draft for awhile but i thought id post it also would you like a part two?

warnings: none

"Prove your loyalty to the Absolute!" The goblin yells while holding a branding stick. It had the symbol of the Absolute. You and your friends came here to rescue Halsin. He was the archdruid and there was a chance that he could rid the parasites that were squirming in your head.

You give a quick glance to Shadowheart who gives you a shake of her head. She's telling you to not do it. You look at the woman who is starting to give you a suspicious look. You need to rescue this Halsin and alive preferably.

You purse your lips before giving her your hand. You could feel Shadowheart's disappointed eyes staring at you. You scrunch your face up feeling the heat melt your skin while hearing a roar of goblins shout in approval. If getting branded to fit in meant you could rescue Halsin, you were willing to do it and you did.

The citizens of the Grove surrounded your camp in celebration of their new found freedom and your bravery. You were sat on the floor with a glass of wine watching tieflings and dwarves dancing to the loud music. You take a sip before you feel someone take your hand.

It was tiefling, no older than you, inviting you to dance. You smile while getting up. You couldn't really hear what she was saying because of the music and the other people laughing but she gave you a bright smile which you returned.

You both stumbled a little bit queuing laughter from the both of you. Everyone at this party had a little too much to drink but it was obvious no one cared about the headaches they will have tomorrow morning. The song ends and you and the girl are out of breath.

Before either of you can say something, her friends call her over. She gives you a somewhat flirty look and walks away. You smile, still catching your breath, until you feel eyes on you.

You turn your head and meet Halsin's deep eyes across the camp. Your breath hitches a little before you turn away and try to find Shadowheart.

The camp was quiet but you couldn't help groan in relief as you finally sit down at your tent. It felt like this was the first time you sat down in days. Your legs were exhausted and your back ached from cleaning up the party mess at camp. It wasn't a lot but it was still an inconvenience, another chore.

You stare down at your bandaged hand. You should probably take a look at it. You listen to your surroundings to make sure everyone is asleep before you slowly yet painfully unwrap it.

Jesus.

It was black and still had some loose melted skin at the edges. You can feel the disgusted look forming on your face. You look around once more before sighing. You get up and head over to the river with some fresh gauze in your good hand.

You gently collapse onto the grass. It was nice and cool by the river and the breeze felt nice on your skin. You close your eyes for a few moments trying to forget about the past couple of days. You're so immersed into everything that you don't hear the quiet footsteps coming towards you.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Shit!" You gasp when you hear a deep voice. You turn around and see Halsin who has an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He says with his hands gently raised up to his chest. "May I sit?" You nod with a smile while tapping the spot next to you.

For such a big man, he barely makes a sound

"I never got to properly thank you." Halsin speaks while looking out onto the river.

"You don't need to thank me..." You quietly say repeatedly pulling down your sleeve.

"Yes, I do. My people would not be free without your help and I would probably be dead by now, fed to spiders or left to starve in that cage." He says looking directly at you. You look back studying his features. He had years of wisdom carved into his face, crows feet from how many times he's laughed and smiled, and he has lines in between his eyebrows showing how much sorrow and frustration he has lived through.

You finally look away, unable to keep eye contact any longer, and look at the river. You could see the stars and your own reflection. You look... sad and tired.

"Does it hurt?" Halsin asks making you look up at him. You were hiding it with your sleeve so he couldn’t see it. Did he know what it was? That it was a symbol of everything he’s against? Everything your group is against?

"I'll live."

"That's not what I asked." Halsin says while slowly grabbing the gauze. You completely forgot why you even came to the river in the first place.

"I can handle it." You hesitantly say but for whatever reason you're giving him your hand. He flips your hand to see your palm but you can't help but form a fist. It hurts like all the Nine Hells combined but a part of you still didn't want him to see it.

"Whatever it is, I know you did it for the greater good." Halsin raises his eyes to look at you. They were a beautiful green. You stay quiet and look away as you slowly open your palm. Halsin looks back down and a silence falls between the two of you.

You couldn’t tell what kind of silence it was. Uncomfortable? Tense? Embarrassing? Whatever feeling it was giving you, you didn’t like it. You start pulling your hand away and look away from him in shame. He’s probably disgusted by you.

“I’m sorry you were put in a position where you felt you had to do this.” Halsin finally says and tears creep into your eyes. Why was he being so nice to you? You wanted to say something, anything, but if you did your voice would break and the tears would start falling.

More silence. You flinch a little as you feel the cold water against your burn. You would think it would feel nice but it didn’t. It hurt. More than you thought it would have. Halsin wraps his large hands around your burnt one before reciting something. You feel a bit of relief as a green light shines and slips between his fingers.

“It won’t make it go away but… it should help.” He says and begins to wrap it with gauze.

“Thank you.” You let out and slowly take your hand away. You let out a sigh and look out to the river again. “You’re right though.”

“Hm?” He asks

“The river, it’s beautiful.” You look at him and you realize the river isn’t the only thing that’s beautiful. Halsin is too and you feel your cheeks warm up a little. He smiles and looks at the river too.

“You always have to appreciate the little things especially in nature. It offers us so many things for free and asks for nothing in return.” You let out a quiet chuckle and smile at him.

“You’re a very calming presence, Halsin.” He looks at you and smiles.

“I’m glad, I try to be.” He laughs a little and you can’t help but yawn. You really were exhausted. “You should get some rest, Y/n.”

“It’s okay, I probably won’t be able to sleep.” Halsin grunts as he gets up and offers you a hand. “Thank you.” You give him a gentle smile and stand up.

“You’re welcome.” He returns your smile and Halsin starts to walk you to your tent. You don’t realize you’re still holding hands until you’re at your tent. You both laugh, yours more awkward while Halsin’s is more light-hearted.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” You say with a smile. You felt like you were going to drop.

“Yes I will.” Halsin says and turns around to walk to his tent. You go inside your tent and take off your shoes and your extra clothes. You lay down and you let out a groan. You couldn’t tell if it was out of pain or pleasure.

You stare at the ceiling of your tent and sigh. You couldn’t get Halsin’s kindness towards you out of your head. Nor his smile. It was so genuine and warm. You get more comfortable and close your eyes.

Although you have just gotten out of trouble, you already begin to sense another problem. One of the heart specifically.

[concreteangel92]

Tomorrow’s Another Day

Noah Sebastian x female reader

MASTERLIST

Talks of bad mental health but nothing specific

No real warnings for this one, I’ve just had a very low few days due to some personal reasons and spent 2 days not really getting out of bed until I had work this morning and had to be a functioning adult again. This idea came to me as although I always ‘get back up’ on my own, sometimes the idea of someone to hold you when you’re so low is very comforting

I am ok fyi just needed a couple days of doing nothing and letting my mind and body rest completely before I had to get back to normal day to day shit haha

•you didn’t expect Noah to be back early from tour, he’d wanted to surprise you but that unfortunately meant he was heartbroken when he found you in your shared bedroom

•your mental health had taken a bad turn in the last week and for the last few days, you’d done nothing but bed rot

•and not the ‘glamorous’ kind you see online, you hadn’t washed in nearly a week, dirty dishes from the small meals you had eaten lay forgotten about on the side next to you, bin overflowing, dirty washing on the floor

•you never meant for Noah to see this, of course he knew you had suffered with your mental health when you first got together a couple years ago but since being with him, it had become so much better and your bad days were very far and few between

•you’d had every intention of cleaning yourself and your bedroom up before he came back from tour but that had now been taken out of your hands

•Noah walked in to you asleep in bed in the afternoon, curtains shut and no sign that you’d been out of bed for days, that thought would absolutely cut him hard, why hadn’t you called him?

•Noah would wake you up very gently, not caring in the slightest about your physical state

•seeing Noah would no doubt cause you to cry with guilt and shame that he’d walked in to this

•Noah would one hundred percent bring you into a strong hug and just hold you close to him

•”what the matter angel? Why didn’t you tell me you were struggling?”

•”I didn’t want to worry you while you were on tour, I’m so sorry, you weren’t meant to see this”

•”I’m glad I have, don’t ever be frightened of telling me if you’re struggling, I’d drop everything in a heartbeat to come back here”

•after Noah had held you while you cried, once it lessens he would then gently get you up to go to the bathroom

•Noah would stand with you while you brushed your teeth and he’d run a nice hot bath for you with your favourite bath bomb in

•while it runs, he’d brush the knots gently out of your hair and then help you get out of your clothes

•once in the bath, Noah would help you wash your body and your hair, taking the time to rub your scalp as he knows this relaxes you the most

•it would be done for the most part in a comfortable silence as he wouldn’t want to push you to talk

•only talking would be him talking about each step he was going to do next

•”just going to rinse your hair out baby ok?”

•once Noah is satisfied that you’re clean, he’d leave you to relax for a few minutes on your own

•in that time, Noah would open the windows, change the bedding and get rid of the dirty plates and empty the bin, making sure you had a fresh, clean and safe space to come back to

•holding the towel open, you’d fall into him and let him dry you and get you into some clean comfortable clothes, no doubt one of his T-shirts as they make you feel safe, while whispering gentle encouragement in your ears the entire time

•once back in your room, he’d make sure you drink as much water as possible, he’d have snacks ready if you wanted them but won’t push you to eat if you really couldn’t stomach it

•”How are you feeling now angel?”

•”Better, cleaner. I’m really sorry Noah”

•”Nothing to be sorry for”

•Noah would then put on one of your favourite tv shows/favourite comfort film and hold you close to him, playing with your hair until you fell asleep again

•”I’ve got you baby, tomorrow’s another day”

[hatsunemitskislobotomy]

“…𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮..

𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮…”

╴╴⊹ꮺ˚ ╴╴╴╴╴⊹˚ ╴╴╴╴˚ೃ ╴╴

well that was one way to be broken up with.

she couldn’t even be mad at the guy. he had been very sweet and patient but she had spiraled and started missing texts that turned to missing calls— which turned to missing dates. wasn’t the first time either, she just was that much of an exhausting person to keep up with.

in the sense that she was always behind.

she let out a sigh as she rid herself of his footprints, deleting his texts, deleting any photos, unadding him on socials— the whole nine yards.

but when it came to that dreaded voicemail.

her finger hovered over the red trash can button, taunting her.

and then she pocketed her phone, she supposed it would serve as a reminder.

that it was always her fault.

she rubbed at her face before emerging from her room.

“ah, you’re awake.” her raven haired roommate looked up from his book

“and to think we thought you were just about to sleep through your date.” her snowy haired roommate chimed in from his position laying across the raven’s lap

“ah, about that… i just got broken up with.”

“…”

it was quiet between the three of them, then again when was it not? she never made much efforts to communicate with them past their typical chores and roles in the housework.

the two in a friendlier than most relationship were seeking a third person to help take up the lease and that’s exactly what she did, nothing more nothing less.

and when it got awkward…

“yeah…” she murmured looking at her hands

“do you… want to talk about it?” it was a cheap attempt, she appreciated it nonetheless

“i’d rather not, i think my first proper conversation with you two shouldn’t be me bitching about my ex.”

satoru’s airy laugh sounded as he got up from his lover’s (?) lap.

“please, we wouldn’t be opposed.”

“speak for yourself satoru, only you are a fiend for other people’s affairs.” suguru tsked, closing his book slightly

“but please, if you need someone to talk to— we’re both willing.”

“i thought i was the fiend suguru—”

“you are, i’m offering as a concerned roommate.”

“i’m fine.” her words a lot harsher than she intended

and then came the unconvinced, concerned glances.

“sorry.”

and then she retreated back to her room.

if she kept this up she’d find herself out on the streets.

she let out a sigh, it was what she deserved right? no boyfriend, no roommates, no friends, nothing.

on her birthday no less.

she let out a sigh, she might as well distract from this pitiful day.

————————————————————

nothing beat rearranging your room instead of confronting your feelings.

she shook her head, she didn’t have a right to feel anything more than empty. the only thing that she felt was the need to rearrange her room and rearranged it was.

she needed a new change of scenery, after all she was another year older.

and yet still none the wiser.

the brutality of reality seemed to sting more as one got older.

she sighed, at least she can mope in a clean room.

a knock pulled her from her thoughts.

“it’s open.”

and then there stood her two roommates.

“i don’t think we’ve ever seen your room—ack! ow…”

“seriously satoru?”

“what? it’s true…”

she stared at the two bickering before the raven sat his eyes on her.

“y/n… we wanted to see if you were free later—“

“please, she’s always free—“

a smack, then a whine.

“we’ve realized that you haven’t been properly introduced to the area… we’d love to do you the honors.” he offered a half hearted smile

she supposed it was true, aside from her dates once in a while— she never really was familiar with the area.

“i suppose i can accept.”

“i told you suguru now we have to drag her ou— wait what?”

she chuckled, for the first time in a long time, a genuine chuckle tumbled out from her lips.

the two men were in awe.

“i’ll join your endeavors to wherever, i… i could use the fresh air.” she swallowed

the bright blue eyed man seemed ecstatic as he left her room pumped, the more subdued raven gave her a soft smile before leaving her to get ready in peace.

“thank you for humoring us.”

she should be thanking them, but she wouldn’t say that part out loud… at least not yet.

—————————————————

she couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward as she was wedged between the two men who insisted.

something about her being too small and easily losable in the crowd.

apparently these parts were known for having winter night markets where the cold winter streets would warm to life with street food and vendors.

she hardly had a chance to process the sights and the atmosphere as they dragged her from stall to stall, sampling food, eying trinkets, playing games.

she’d be a liar if she said she wasn’t having fun.

“wait guys— i’m gonna get some of the dango from earlier.” satoru was bouncing away before the two could even respond

“well his dentist certainly has their work cut out for them.”

suguru had to process her snark words a little before letting out a chuckle.

“believe it or not, satoru has the most elaborate brushing routine that I’ve ever seen. he’d rather die than develop any sensitivity to sweets.” he hummed

“i see.” she hummed, starting to rub her hands a bit

“getting cold?”

“a little, it’s fine— i’ll probably invest in gloves one of these days…” she sighed a little

“here, let me.”

he gently took her hands in his, letting her much smaller hands rest nice and warm in his own.

“your hands always this warm?”

“i’d have to say quite the opposite for you, and here i thought satoru’s was bad.” he chuckled lightly

“speaking of— if it’s within my boundaries… what are you two?” the words just tumbled out of her mouth

they weren’t married, and they seemed very comfortable in each other platonically as well.

it was obvious that they loved each other, but she couldn’t help but wonder in what way?

he tilted his head slightly.

“perhaps soulmates, life partners. he’s practically my everything.” he smiled

“oi! quit being so cryptic!” suddenly satoru was back with his dango in one hand and the other around the raven

“he’s my person— not much else to it.”

“that wasn’t any better than mine in the slightest.”

“yeah but you go into the poetics of it too much, just call it as it is.”

and she was left with more questions than she had answered, but in a way she sort of got what they meant.

they were each other’s person.

“i’m glad you two have each other.” she gave them a smile

“ah shit— she just got broken up with… are we being too much?”

“satoru!”

and there it was again, that airy laugh that made the boys still. they were still in awe that she had it in her, not when she constantly looked miserable in their eyes.

“guys, guys it’s fine— you don’t have to change anything for my sake.” she sighed, a small smile still playing at her lips

“ugh you’re so sweet! your loser boyfriend didn’t even deserve you like that!” satoru whined as he shook her a little

“especially dumping you on y—“

an elbow to the ribs and his hands were immediately off you.

“suguru…!” he groaned

“you have a big mouth.”

“oh but you like that~”

another elbow.

she couldn’t help but snicker at their antics, one moment they were like an old couple in love and another moment it was almost as if their were your typical best friends who’ve known each other forever.

she thinks she’s starting to understand what suguru meant by them being each other’s person a little bit better.

“sorry about talking about your relationships so carelessly.” suguru gave her a sheepish smile

“it’s alright, nothing that wasn’t my own fault.” she shrugged

they looked at each other.

she couldn’t just leave it at that.

“i have the tendency to just… withdraw..” she bit the inside of her cheek

“at some point it’s exhausting for the other person, dealing with me disappearing every so often— although it’s not intentional… it’s not hard for someone else to think i’ve lost interest or i’m being unfaithful.” she gave the two a half hearted shrug

“i suppose there’s just a lot i need to work on myself before i put myself out there.”

the two seemed conflicted, it was good she could recognize the areas she needs to work on…

“…but aren’t you being too harsh on yourself?” suguru blurted out, satoru immediately nodding

“there’s nothing wrong with working on yourself… but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to love and be loved.” satoru gave her a look

she knew they were right, but sometimes it was just easier to be miserable without having to think about another— only thinking about herself and her misery. she was selfish like that.

and they could tell by the conflict that flashed on her face.

before the conversation could progress any further she felt something cold prick at her nose, and then she looked up.

a gentle snow was falling.

“well would you look at that.”

she wore a wistful expression as she looked up, letting the snowflakes gather on her lashes as the warmth of her skin melted the ones on her face.

perhaps it was the universe letting her have this one thing, the first snow.

suguru and satoru seemed thrilled as well.

“suguru— look!”

“i see it satoru.”

but everyone seemed so far away as it was just her and the gentle snow.

it was beautiful.

but beautiful things hardly last.

“…!”

she looked back at the two who gave her a look, suddenly she was back on the busy night market street.

“you’re shivering.”

she didn’t notice until another one wracked her body.

before she could speak she felt herself being dragged along by satoru, suguru trailing behind the two.

“wha..? where are we going?”

“somewhere to warm up!”

——————————————————

when the two dragged her off, she expected for them to go back to their shared apartment or a restaurant.

but she was sitting down on a couch in a dim room with a microphone in hands while colored lights danced around the room.

“i… i have a few questions—”

“come on! it’s nice and warm and you can sing your heart out about your shitty ex!”

“he wasn’t shitty though, it was my fault we broke up.”

“that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to feel some type of way about it.”

which was true.

“come on you know the classic breakup songs right? it’ll get whatever off your chest—“

and before she could protest satoru was already queuing up a song.

and that’s how the rest of the night went, although hesitant at first it wasn’t long before the three taking turns in singing songs and ballads. from cheesy classics to songs of yearning and heartbreak that suguru sang a bit too well for satoru’s comfort.

“i’ll never make you feel like that!” he whined clinging on to the raven who gave him an exasperated look

“i know.”

she couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, it was nice to be around other people.

“i’m going to the restroom.” suguru hummed before peeling satoru off of him

“can i come with~”

“no.”

she snickered a bit at satoru’s clingy behavior.

“he’s so mean to me!” he huffed

“i think he knew if you two went together you wouldn’t be coming back out any time soon.” she mused

he let out a dramatic sigh.

“i suppose you’re right.”

“also we couldn’t leave your mopey self all by your lonesome.” he gave her a little nudge

she shook her head with a smile.

“i think i would’ve managed.”

“yeah yeah don’t lie— you’ve been all sad about your lame ex. y’know if you said no earlier sugu and i would’ve just dragged you out one way or another.”

“i’d like to see you try.”

“suguru manhandles me on the daily— we’d get ya.” he snickered

a comfortable silence fell between the two.

“do you feel better?”

she pondered his question a little.

“i do…”

but.

“but..?” he tilted his head

“it’s not even the breakup at this point…” she sighed a little

it was the prospect of getting older, and not a damn thing changed.

life itself was a fickle thing, ever changing.

so why hasn’t she?

gripping onto the ways of her past, she joked that she peaked when she was younger and it was all downhill from there… when did it start being actually true?

her past, her youth— it took all the best parts of her.

and now she was someone despicable enough to be broken up with on their birthday—

she felt cold hands on her cheeks, snapping her from her thoughts.

“you got lost in your head.” bright blue eyes staring down on her as she blinked

just how long did she spend ruminating looking like a complete nutcase in front of him?

“suguru was right— your hands are cold.” she mumbled out

“you alright?”

“i’m not sure yet.”

“…you wanna sing one more song?”

she sighed.

“pass me the mic.”

she got up to go queue up the next song, her back towards satoru— he didn’t need to see her inner turmoil boil up once more.

she heard the door click open, she figured suguru was back.

“ah— suguru. you wanna join the last—“

the words on her lips died as she turned around to meet his gaze, only for it to fall on a cake.

a birthday cake.

“welp— cat’s out of the bag! woooo! happy birthday!”

she was still processing it.

“satoru that’s hardly appropriate,” suguru rolled his eyes at him before turning to face her once more

“come, sit down.”

so she sat down on the couch in between the two as suguru set the cake down in front of her on the table.

“we weren’t sure what flavor you’re into but as a self proclaimed confectionery connoisseur, all the cakes from this bakery are really good so it should be alright.” satoru hummed as he pulled out candles from his pocket and expertly placed them around the cake

she finally found her words.

“how… how did you know…?”

suguru gave her a small smile.

“well at first we didn’t, but then we did some extensive research—“

“we were snooping around your socials.”

“…yeah that.”

her lips couldn’t help but quirk up at that.

“we knew something was up when you bothered to speak more than five words to us.” satoru shrugged before being met with a smack to the head

“owww…! it’s true!”

“forgive satoru, he’s bad at handling delicate situations.”

“i’m just saying it how it is! you looked more down than usual and we snooped around! can we talk about how shitty your ex is for dumping you on your birthday?” he ranted which earned him another smack

she was overwhelmed with emotion, she didn’t even realize the tears that started to stain her cheeks.

“you made her cry.”

“shit— i’m sorry!”

“no no,” she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand

“i’m grateful i promise, just processing… y’know?”

“we hope you know that you deserve this, having a birthday worth celebrating.” suguru put a hand on her shoulder

she offered him a watery smile.

“hug? you look like you could use one.” satoru offered

typically she would’ve refused, she wasn’t big on physical gestures but she couldn’t stop herself from nodding softly wiping her face some more.

she let herself be caged in between the two, taking in their scents and warmth. she relaxed into their holds, letting out a sigh once her sniffling subsided.

“thank you.” she whispered softly

“i know we’re still sort of strangers but we’ve grown a liking to you, if you ever think you’re alone especially here… we’re here for you.” suguru murmured

“you’ve already been welcomed in our lives aside from the roommate formality stuff, it’s just up to you if you want us in yours.” satoru chuckled lightly ruffling her hair a little

“i’d… like that.”

and they held on for a little bit longer, she held on for a little bit longer.

“now how about we blow out some candles?”

❀° ┄───╮

this one is dedicated to all the girlies who feel some type of way (wanting to die lol) on their birthdays, including me today :,)

╰───┄ °❀