#i promise other asks will be shorter this is just something i've already thought a lot about | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

accidentally-in-fictional-love · 5 months

Text

Susceptible - Jack Delroy/Reader

Warnings: Fully clothed grinding, very slight dirty talk, very light exhibitionism in a sense, no use of Y/N, female-hinted reader because of skirt/makeup mentions but other than that there's no real gender mention.

Wordcount: 4950

Summary: You spent a small fortune getting a ticket to Carmichael Haig's show on the promise of his new act showing his audience something the world has never seen before, as well as the possible attendance of one Jack Delroy, but will two hours of bullshit be worth the risk?

Notes: There is SO MUCH BUILDUP I'm so sorry I'm so weak for worldbuilding and plot I swear the other one I have planned will be shorter OTL I have never written a reader before but I am a huge fan of them, especially the DDverse ones I've been binging oop, so I hope this is a good first attempt! It's been a few years since I've written anything like this and probably a good decade or so since I last posted anything, so here's hoping I post more in the upcoming future~ This is also completely unbetaed so if you see any mistakes please let me know <3 The Manhattan Center is also real but didn't fit my needs entirely so I mashed it together with the theatre I went to as a kid lol

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Carmichael Haig was back in town and you had no idea why you were here.

He had left for what felt like both forever and not nearly long enough for a few months to do his tour, seeing his smug face everywhere you looked between both digital and paper news and making your distaste grow a little more each time. You had been fond of his trickery for a time, but his move from magic man to skeptic had sucked all the fun out of the act, his determination to not only find the real but humiliate the fakes way past annoying to straight up sickening to you by this point. Tonight’s show proved to be another big presentation of the latter you’d decided when it’d been announced officially, promoted by your favourite talk show host - and current celebrity crush - Jack Delroy; his smile was wide for the cameras but it didn’t reach his eyes, you could always tell between them by now and he did not seem to be as pleased as the two talked about it that night.

‘I’m going to show the world something they’ve never seen before,’ Carmichael had said, his usual smug look in place as he hammed it up for the cameras like he could really pull that off, Jack running with it like the patron saint of patience he had to be.

‘Big talk, you sure I can’t convince you to give our wonderful audience a taste tonight?’ he asked, the crowd cheering at the mere thought of getting to experience his new act an entire month early, but if there was even an iota of temptation within him to share he hid it perfectly. He waved the offer away to everyone’s disappointment, Jack pouting on everyone’s behalf and putting those big eyes on display as his own plea; the ratings, you imagined, would be wonderful for a segment like this when his show was already starting to slip down the line, but even that was no use.

‘You’ll all get a chance to see it on the 13th,’ he promised them as he turned to face the audience, the place and date scrolling across the bottom of the screen yet again, they’d been flashing it every single time it was mentioned to the point where you were sure you’d see it in your sleep tonight, rolling across the bottom half of your dream. ‘Or, those of you who’ve been able to get your tickets will, we’re selling out fast,’ he smirked with a tip of his glass, yet another thing that’d been brought up and hammered home; you’d gone to the Manhattan Center to check a couple days ago, just out of curiosity, the ticket price absolutely ridiculous to the point that you were convinced they’d never sell out, but now you guessed your distaste of him wasn’t as widespread as you’d secretly hoped.

Jack slapped his leg in mock disappointment, Carmichael looking back to him at the sound. ‘Guess you’ll have to tell me all about it the next time you’re back in town, I had asked Gus to pick one up for me but it seems he missed that call,’ he joked, Gus’ surprise at the blame of his absence being placed on him getting a big laugh as his face fell and he tried to explain himself.

Carmichael placed an understanding hand on Jack’s shoulder and leaned in closer, the other man leaning in in return as if to receive some kind of secret. ‘Well then, it’s a good thing my date canceled on me,’ he retorted, and when he pulled his hand back he revealed a ticket, Jack’s eyes going wide as he accepted the gift with a big smile, pointing to it before shaking Carmichael’s hand with a thanks.

Ah, so that was why you were here again.

You knew you’d never be able to get a seat on Night Owls because the thought of Jack seeing you in the crowd made you blush all the way to your shoulders, even on your bravest of nights you hadn’t been able to even call and see if there were any tickets left, but to maybe share an audience with him? To sit in the same room as him where you could steal glances if you were able to find him, with no risk whatsoever of him catching the way your eyes lit up when you looked at that handsome face, that dangerously attractive body? That was doable.

It had cost an arm and a leg to convince that scalper to hand over one of the tickets he was parading around outside the Center, but it was worth it as you stepped inside, your heart racing because, unless he wanted to risk the aftermath of Carmichael calling him out for not going, he was here; somewhere in this building was the man you’d been dreaming about since his debut a few years ago, the one you watched nearly every night without fail just for that hour where he looked at you, talked to you, noticed you even if it was through a camera, and that was all you’d needed until tonight.

You’d gotten a pretty shitty seat despite the price but you didn’t mind, it actually worked out for you considering you weren’t actually there to see the show but to look for someone in the seats in front of you, and you hoped that you’d be able to spot him from where you were in the far back corner. As long as he wasn’t, say, the exact opposite of you then you probably stood a chance of at least a glance, since his ticket came from Carmichael himself you guessed that it was probably close to the front if not front row center just to mess with him and prove that he’d come, and you felt all the hair rise on your arms and neck when Carmichael walked on stage early to very loudly greet someone who’d just walked in.

There he was, leaving his seat to meet the other man in the middle, and he was so much further than you expected but it was still him, big smile in place, hair perfectly combed, his crisp suit being wrinkled by Carmichael’s hands as he gave him a showy hug, and he was beautiful. You froze in the middle of the row, unable to finish the walk as your eyes stayed on him, the people trying to get by you not as starstruck as they attempted to squeeze past when you ignored their presence.

‘Sorry,’ you murmured as you sat as fast as you could, eyes still trained on him as he waved to the crowd to prove that yes, he did honour the gift and was there to see this big new act he’d been promised. You let out an embarrassingly needy whine when he sat back down and you became unable to see him again, the mass of bodies behind him obscuring all but a sliver of the back of his head from this angle, and you’d be damned if you had to spend the next 2 hours stuck like this at a Carmichael Haig show of all things. The person at the end of the row finally arrived and you made your move, hurrying down and taking one last glance before getting ready to make this whole thing a little more bearable. ‘Excuse me,’ you nearly stuttered as the person, a man older than yourself who definitely gave off the air of being a Carmichael fan, looked up at you, ‘would you want to trade seats with me? I was really looking forward to the show but I was too late to grab an aisle seat.’

It’s a blatant lie but the quick glance from before proved that you could see him better from there, and the chance of getting to look at him for the next two hours was worth the look the man gave you at the request.

‘Which one are you?’ he asked, looking down to the few empty spaces still waiting for their owners, and you pulled out your ticket to double check, seeing that it was R51; wow, you didn’t realize how far away R was from A until you saw it firsthand. He looked back down to your seat and considered it, looking you over midthought when he thought you weren’t looking, and he almost got away with it if not for the fact that you felt his eyes on you. ‘$100,’ he decided, the offer knocking the wind right out of you.

‘What? The seat was already $350,’ you choke, giving away the fact that you were really, really late to the party.

‘Take it or leave it, I had the sense to order on time,’ is all he says to that, and you looked back at your possible view before sighing heavily and reaching for your wallet; goddamnit, Jack, if only he knew how worth it he was. You hand over the money and step aside, the man pocketing his fee and leaving the seat for you as promised, and the view is just barely better but there he is again, perfectly in view due to what can only be a miracle, the hole in your wallet feeling a little less big as you watched him turn his head to talk to someone, giving you a perfect side view.

He really was handsome, captivating even from this distance, and you swoon a little as the audience finished filling out, the lights dimming and obscuring your view a little more save the grace of the stage lights that illuminate him from the front as Carmichael walked back out on stage and started the show. You’d never been one for spacing out but you couldn’t take your eyes off him, the $450 price tag of this shitty aisle seat all for him and not feeling so bad even as Carmichael charms everyone around you. He didn’t look to the side that often, you guessed he didn’t actually know his neighbour since the seat was a gift, but the times that he did, where he laughed or sighed at the theatrics or even put his face in his hand because he wasn’t having too much fun, were all cataloged away in your head forever, the perfect souvenirs to last you a lifetime of home viewing after this.

At about an hour in according to your old watch, Jack looked about ready to get up and find any reason to leave, which you couldn’t blame him for, the acts themselves were pretty damn good you realized in the times you actually paid attention, but it was getting so tiring to see Carmichael explain away all of their tricks, to see the joy leave their faces at being called a fraud or having all their mysteries revealed, and it was clear Jack felt the same down in row A. After a particularly rough walk-off from a woman who was trying very desperately to convince Carmichael that she could really read his mind and ending up with the humiliating reality that everything he answered to was false to get her to out herself, you noticed that when you looked back to his seat that Jack isn’t there, and you were in the middle of wondering where he went when the person coming up the aisle came into view so suddenly that it took your breath away.

It was Jack, his brow twitching slightly to keep a neutral face, his footsteps heavy as he tried not to stomp and draw attention to the fact that that last one really pissed him off, his hands already reaching into his suit pocket for something. You tried not to stare the closer he got but it was hard, years of being able to look all you want training your brain to look look look as he approached, and you forced yourself to stare straight ahead at the stage as he reached you. Your hands were clenched tight in your lap as he went to pass row R, and you were in the middle of thinking you were going to make it when he fumbled the small box in his pocket and dropped it with a low curse, the cigarettes he apparently smoked bouncing to the side and coming to a stop between your recently shined shoes.

Your head snapped down so fast you felt it in your neck as he came to a stop beside you, the two of you locating the box at the same time, and you stiffened as he reached for it before realizing how rude that would be despite his own sour mood. ‘I’m sorry, could I bother you for a second,’ he asked, his smile back in place despite being a bit tense, and you stuttered out a confirmation as you leaned down to pick them up.

‘I didn’t know you smoked,’ you blurted out before you could stop yourself, Jack’s hand frozen in midair as he reached for the box, his smile relaxing a little as he looked from your hand to your face.

‘Did I find myself a Night Owl in this sea of skeptics?’ he wondered aloud, your cheeks brightening in a way that really made you pray it was dark enough not to notice.

‘I wanted to see what all the fuss was about,’ you lie, and he crouched down so he could hear your whispers as the crowd reacted to the next act.

‘I take it you’re also not very impressed,’ he figured, hitting the nail on the head based on your expression alone. He chuckled at your silent confirmation and looked back down to the cigarettes, his fingertips just barely touching yours as you both held it, you didn’t even know when he’d grabbed it and you let go before it got awkward, but he didn’t seem to notice. ‘Well, if you don’t tell my producer that I’m smoking again, then I won’t tell Haig that you didn’t like his show, deal?’

You sucked in a breath as he moved the box to his left hand, offering up his right for a handshake this time to seal the deal, your heart pounding as you shook on it, his smile more genuine than you’d seen all night, you could always tell. He stood back up as the act finished and Carmichael went back to his disproving, his mood dropping again as his need to escape rearose. You both offered a look of disdain at the stage before he stood back up to move again, something stopping him midstep before he turned on his heel and leaned back down to you, a shiver running down your spine at how close he was so he could be heard.

‘Have you ever been to one of my shows?’ he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice, his warm breath accidentally hitting your neck and rendering you unable to do anything but glance at him and shake your head no. ‘You’d have a much better time, I’ve got some great stuff coming up,’ he pitched, either completely unaware of your predicament or just used to people acting like this around him, either way he didn’t react when your eyes couldn’t help but flicker down to watch him lick his lips so fast you almost missed it. ‘The next one’s already booked up but if you go down to the studio and give them this card, you should be able to get a spot for a night you’re free, I'd like to see you there.’

He pulled out his wallet and grabbed a business card, flipping it around to the blank side on the back before resting it on the arm of the chair. A pen was found next, and he scribbled a quick note to the ticket seller on it on your behalf, signing it and handing it over with that big showman smile of his. You took it and placed it in your own wallet, the previous hole instantly filled with its presence, his mood clearly raised by the interaction as he wished you a quick goodbye and resumed his journey outside, oblivious to the fact that you were about to disrupt the entire theater if you didn’t find a place to scream and fast.

You gave him a few minutes to reach the doors before jumping to your feet and making for the bathroom, your heels clickclacking on the tile the entire way until you found the correct door. The place was empty, which was great because once you caught sight of yourself you knew that it was bad enough he saw you this way, no one else should get the pleasure; your face was redder than you’d ever seen it, your pupils blown from the exchange and you could’ve sworn you could actually see yourself shaking you were buzzing so hard, your grin so wide anyone else would’ve assumed that Santa had just given you the toy you’d always wanted for Christmas early.

You tried to calm yourself as you ripped off some paper towels and dampened them, patting them against your cheeks and neck to bring your body temperature back down to a normal person’s, carefully avoiding your makeup that you were thankful you spent the time putting on just on the ultra rare off chance you’d run into him. When you were ready to go back - and after a quick internal debate on whether you should try and meet him outside for another, less hushed conversation already - you made sure to calm your breathing before heading back out there, taking a quick moment to look for him before making the trek back to your seat.

When you got back you noticed that no new act was on, Carmichael already talking to the audience and projecting himself up on the screens for all to see, you rolling your eyes as you collapsed into the rich red velvet and preparing for more of his bullshit until Jack returned, if he felt like it that was. Everyone around you was concentrating on his words, staring right ahead as the theater fell silent save for his voice and the sound of a ticking clock; ah, he was trying to hypnotize everyone, that must’ve been his big final act that he’d promised his audience. You weren’t impressed, you’d tried to be hypnotized before at a party in your youth, it hadn’t worked then so it wasn’t going to work now you knew, so you sat back and prepared to at least enjoy whatever he was going to make the audience do.

Your thoughts went back to Jack as Carmichael’s voice slowly got drowned out, the ticking a bit louder in your ears despite the distance, but you didn’t mind because it was nonsense anyway, ‘Now who’s the skeptic,’ you think to yourself as you sink deeper into your chair. You vaguely heard the words, ‘Your greatest desire,’ in your ear before you felt a hand on your shoulder, your eyes leaving the stage to travel up until you saw Jack standing just behind you in the aisle, his smile from before now more like a smirk as he motioned towards the doors like he wanted you to follow him.

You looked back at the stage as Carmichael invited someone from the audience up to stand with him, some poor hypnotized fool who was bound to be humiliated along with everyone else who stood with him tonight, and you decided that you’d rather not see that again before standing and following Jack. There was a small hallway between the theater and the doors on that side of the back wall, the two of you out of view from everyone else but Carmichael’s voice still reaching, and you were about to wonder if he was leading you outside to just leave or talk when he turned and pushed you against the wall with a muffled thud. Your back met cold paint as your chest met with his, your eyes locking as he cornered you where no one could see, a confidence he saved for the cameras now focused solely on you as he looked you over the same way you’d done to him a thousand times over.

‘I couldn’t wait for you to come to my show,’ he whispered, his voice impossibly low as he held you in place, a knee parting yours and making you gasp, ‘you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.’

‘You’re just telling me what I wanna hear,’ you managed to get out, his eyes closing as he leaned in to grin against your cheek.

‘Is it working?’

You didn’t dare answer but you might as well have because your silence was enough to spur him into action, your head falling back against the wall as he started to kiss your neck, your hands grasping at anything because this was crazy. The man you’d wanted for years was kissing you not even 30ft away from a room full of people, anyone could come around the corner at any second and catch you, and you bit your lip at the thrill of it all. You’d had dreams like this before, ones that left you panting into your pillow when you awoke, but the real thing was so much better as he sucked a mark into your soft skin, your hand leaving his arm to cover your mouth lest you alert anyone within hearing distance to your current predicament.

You let him do as he pleased, let him ran his hands over your sides and down to the edge of where your lifted skirt was resting against his thigh, your legs shaking as your body tried not to grind against him; it was only due to him holding you that kept you standing as a matter of fact and he seemed fully aware of it as his nails scratched softly against your bare leg. He seemed to love all your reactions to what he did, he was in the entertainment business after all, every noise of approval that slipped through your fingers must’ve been like music to his ears but you had to hold back no matter how much you wanted to indulge him. Being denied what he wanted only made him work harder for it, the assault on your neck moving to your shoulder and collarbone instead of your covered lips, your mouth watering for just a taste as he started to move against you, one hand pulling your waist away from the wall by your lower back as the other moved up and under your skirt.

The first grind of his body against yours was decadent, you swore you could feel it in your soul the way he wanted you just as much as you’d wanted him, like he’d been watching you back through the screen for years and also craved this very moment, and now that he was getting it he wasn’t going to stop, you didn’t want him to stop. You’d never seen him act anything like this before in all his years on TV, a greedy flash of excitement running through you at getting to see such a new side of him quickly overcome by pleasure as he cupped your ass and pulled you even closer. You knew you couldn’t get undressed here, if you’d made it to the bathroom then maybe he’d be doing more but he hadn��t lasted even that long, but even with that desire being restrained you still wanted him here and now. Never in your life had you been this desperate for release but he was bringing out a demon inside of you that desired and needed and wanted so much that you were willing to throw your modesty out the fucking window for just a second of his hot skin pressed against your own, but this would have to do while the show still went on.

‘Jack…’ you moaned as your hand, moist from your panting, gripped his arm once again, Carmichael’s voice getting louder in the distance as you grew closer to your release.

‘Come home with me,’ he begged into your ear, his movements getting rougher as he also grew close, you knew you’d both have to leave before everyone saw you but it was worth it, god it was so worth it. ‘I want to have you all to myself, I need to taste you-’

You bit your lip and led his face away from your neck so you could look into his eyes, his mouth parted as he tried to control his own panting, he was coming apart at the seams for you right here in the hallway, the ticking in your ears either your heartbeat or a clock far away. You moaned his name again as you felt the heat build in your stomach, your back arching and pushing your body into him even more as the door to your right opened.

‘Dreamer, here, awake!’

All at once your knees gave out and you collapsed to the floor before that final wave could push you over the edge, your head heavy and your vision swimming as the body against yours vanished into nothing. ‘Are you okay? What happened?’ Jack’s voice from above asked as his worried expression came into view, the smell of rain and cigarette smoke invading your senses; the sound of the audience in a similar state of confusion drifted around the corner as Jack crouched down next to you, just back inside from his break from the show, the realization that you weren’t as immune to hypnosis as you’d thought hitting you like a bucket of cold water. You just panted in shock, surprise, and waning lust as Jack looked you over in concern, your hands moving to pull the bottom of your skirt down to cover your exposed legs in embarrassment, the scratches you were so certain he’d left behind not there, because he hadn’t been there.

‘I’m fine,’ you force yourself to say after you’d caught your breath, Jack believing you but still helping you to your feet like a gentleman, of course he would never act that way, that was only how you’d wanted him to act, you’d had dreams like that for god’s sake, the real Jack would never-

‘Is the show over?’ he asked as the roar of people applauding overtook the chatter, Carmichael now silent, and you avoided his eye as you started to edge towards the way out.

‘I think so.’

‘What was the big mind-blowing act?’

You put a little distance between yourself and him but he didn’t notice, Jack heading for the corner so he could look at the stage as he waited for your reply. ‘He hypnotized everyone,’ you answered curtly, his reaction big and full of surprise as he looked over the size of the crowd in an awe that wasn’t present for the first hour and a half.

‘Everyone? You should’ve come found me, I would’ve loved to see that.’ He was still looking at the room beyond, your eyes on him as he watched everyone else.

‘I got a little overwhelmed,’ you mumble, and he finally looked at you with that same concerned expression again, and it’s too much after what you’d just thought you’d seen, your eyes finding the floor.

‘What did he make you see?’ he asked, his curiosity quiet but still there under the concern, but you couldn’t answer him. ‘Do you need a ride home, or are you okay to drive?’

He’s too kind, he would never act that way, he would never say that to you.

‘I took a cab, I’ll be fine,’ you tried to say, but still you quickly found yourself being led to the front door as the audience swarmed around you, his hand on your back to make sure you stayed standing, a true gentleman. It had started raining while you were inside which explained the scent pairing with the smoke that covered up his cologne, and you just stood under the marquee as he hailed a cab for you as the sea of skeptics washed around you like rushing water. You hopped inside but he didn’t shut the door right away, leaning down in the rain once you were seated, and for a moment you wondered if he was going to get in when he spoke.

‘I do hope you come to my show, preferably Friday’s, it’s gunna be a good one, I promise,’ he said with that big genuine smile again, your heart pounding as your cheeks glowed red for a reason other than embarrassment as you gave him a small nod.

‘I’ll be there,’ you promised back, and he tapped the roof of the cab before shutting the door and letting you go. You looked out the back window as you drove away, the both of you waving as he ducked back inside and out of the rain, and as soon as you turned back around to face forward you found yourself reaching for your wallet. His card was in your hands as you looked it over, all in all it was an uninspiring, plain business card, and you flipped it over to read what he wrote for the ticketmaster on the back.

Wait for me by the back entrance at 11:00 Phil will let you in JD

Your cheeks turned red again as you put the card away, the cab driver giving you a look in the rearview mirror as you held your nearly empty wallet, now with one business card, to your thumping chest. Oh yeah, it definitely was all worth it after all.

#Ray's Readers #david dastmalchian #jack delroy #jack delroy x reader #would you believe I wrote this over a few hours listening to a dramatic cover of Dear God cause I loved the vibes lmao #completely wrong vibes but it's SUCH a good cover guys #it's pretty tame for this one but yeah full disclosure there's probably gunna be lots of hands focus in my writings #his are Beautiful and Perfect and Very Attractive and I am W E A K okay

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sgtmickeyslaughter · 8 months

Note

68 + 96?

68 Husbands In Love + 96 “Take That” Kiss/“Shut Up” Kiss

Hello!! Thank you for sending, I know the prompt was husbands in love, but I've been writing husbands non stop and was feeling nostalgic for boys in love (and denial) and thought i'd have a little fix it fun

as always my fics exist in my own cinematic universe where the cta is not a centrally organized transit system and is actually the most convenient form of public transit to use

“Did you just kiss me to shut me up?” Ian asked suddenly.

“Jesus Gallagher, keep asking pussy fucking questions like that and you’re going to get us kicked out for being underage,” Mickey huffed lightly, picking at his beer bottle.

Ian flushed with anger and indignation. Mickey was the one being a fucking pussy, he kissed Ian before robbing Ned’s house, he ran back to the van and kissed Ian like he fucking meant it and for a few minutes while they robbed Ned’s sleeping wife blind, Ian’s mind spun out of control with the possibilities that kiss opened up.

He’d ridden that high the whole drive back to the Milkovich house, running home like he promised to help dig up the body in his backyard. He even avoided a near disaster with the CPS workers waiting innocuously on the sidewalk, turning the misnamed Gallagher charm up to ten and convincing them to come back later in the week.

“It’s just that the county is doing rolling water shutoffs this week-and I know it will be a demerit if we don’t have water. But it’s unfair to put us at risk for something entirely under the county’s jurisdiction.” Ian reasoned easily, trying to make sure they don’t walk onto the property as soon as someone unearthed Aunt Gingers rotted corpse.

They agreed to come back after Friday, because Ian could be incredibly persuasive when he needed to be. And thank god for it because the scene he walked into was a fucking horror show, and that was before Fiona walked in with a femur in her hand.

They’d all hustled to make the house presentable and keep it that way, and his whole family left to find Frank, so he would actually show his ugly fuckin’ face when they called to talk with the social worker, so Ian was the only one home when he heard a knock at the door.

The last person he expected to see was Mickey Milkovich waiting wide-eyed on his porch. He was wearing jeans and a clean teeshirt with he sleeves in tact. They stared at each other for a moment before Ian finally opened his mouth to ask if Mickey wanted to come in.

Mickey just scowled and nodded his head towards the street to say come on, Gallagher. Like it was obvious and Ian was the one being difficult, but Ian was just shocked to see Mickey on his porch. Not trying to blend in with the shadows on the street, but standing under the flickering porch light, so he just followed the shorter boy.

Mickey led him up the stairs to the L, then over the turnstiles and onto the train, they leaned on the pair of train doors and got two stops before Ian worked up the nerve to ask where they were going.

His question was met with a non-committal shrug, “already pawned a couple of the overpriced trinkets we stole from naughty grandpa, figured I could buy you a beer for bringing us into the deal.”

From the way Mickey was looking up at him through focused eyes, rocking from the wobbling train car, his answer was a long winded way to say I’m taking you out to a bar, please be cool about it for once in your fucking life, Gallagher.

Ian grinned, ducking his head and trying to play it as cool as he possibly could. They got to the bar okay, it was divey little place on the Westside that Ian couldn’t believe Mickey would ever set foot in. Sure, it wasn’t very nice, but Ian wasn’t emitrely sure Mickey knew there was a whole city beyond Chicago’s southside.

The bartender tried to give Ian a funny look but Mickey just stood in front of him with a nasty glare until she handed over a couple of Old Styles.

The question came when they sat down at a table tucked cozily in one of the corners, Mickey grunted and mumbled at Ian when he tried to coax him into a normal fucking conversation, like they usually did when they hung out at the convenience store. His eyes were bouncing around, scanning the room anxiously, or boring into Ian in a way that made him want to squirm in his seat.

He seemed cagey, uncomfortable in the bar and in Ian’s presence, so the question was: “Did you just kiss me to shut me up?”

Mickey’s eyes snapped back to his face, searching and evaluating. “If I wanted to shut you up, kissing wouldn’t be my first option.”

Ian rolled his eyes, “whatever, I just don’t really get what we’re doing here. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you kissed me because you’re jealous and you brought me out here on a date.”

He watched Mickey’s face twitch as the word date fell out of his mouth, so he sighed and continued after a sip of his beer “but I do know better, you kissed me to shut me up and I don’t know why the fuck we’re here. You don’t need to worry about me fucking off completely just ‘cause I like going out with Ned, you’ve got a great ass and we have fun. If that’s all you’ve got for me, I can live with that, but don’t jerk me around like you’ve been doing today.”

Ian finished his beer and moved to get up. He was playing it a lot cooler than he felt and knew he would probably crumple when he got home, but in that moment he didn’t really care.

“Gallagher, wait- just sit down” Ian looked at where Mickey was staring up at him with a hand outstretched on the table, finally he added a quiet “please.”

And because Mickey was wearing his hair in that slicked back, pretty boy way Ian liked, looking up at him with pretty blue eyes and worrying his pretty bottom lip, Ian sat back down hesitantly. He tried to stare him down from across the table, but doubted he could pull off threatening to someone like Mickey. To his surprise, Mickey’s bitchy, nonchalant expression crumbled into something sad.

“I don't want to shut you up or anything, you’ve got it all wrong. I did want to… go out with you tonight, like that” Mickey admitted. “But I’ve never really - I don’t date. I don’t have a lot of friends, or hobbies. I’m not very smart, or funny and I think that as sad as it is, my life is going downhill from here, so I’m not really sure what we’re doing here either.”

“I’m a fucking asshole” Mickey looked up at him finally, daring him to disagree “and this, this thing we’re doing is stupid, and dangerous but I kissed you because I wanted to.”

Ian sat in shock, his mind spinning. Of all the things Mickey could have said, that was nowhere near what he was expecting.

“I think you’re really funny” was the first thing he could think to blurt out “and probably pretty smart, if you actually tried to use your head for anything.”

Mickey stared at him with a blank expression and the air turned awkward around them, Ian exhaled a quiet sigh “Can you just be normal with me? I like you, a lot. I would want to be your friend even if we weren’t hooking up, so let’s just hang out. Can we do that?”

That earned Ian a grin, finally. Mickey was easy to talk to when he wasn’t so deep in his own head spinning himself into agitated circles. He was surprisingly non-judgmental of Ian’s blunt, stupid humor and unusual moralistic view of the world, as much as he had a worldview at sixteen years old.

Ian got buzzed off three beers and they left when the bar closed down. The streets were pretty empty since it was a weeknight, and Ian boldly grabbed his wrist in a hard grip and pulled him into a darkened ally.

Mickey pushed a little but mostly allowed himself to get backed against the warm bricks of a nearby building by two of Ian’s strong hands snaking down his sides to settle on his hips. It felt like he’d wanted to do this a hundred times before, so Ian took just a second to grin, joyful and a bit gloating, before leaning in.

Hope you had fun!! :)

#gallavich #shameless #mickey milkovich #sgt says #ian gallagher #gallavich fanfic #prompt game

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ask-ikevamp-charles · 9 days

Text

Sweetest Company: Part II

With plans that fill the entire day, the duo set off on their journey. The unaware scientist already begins to receive more than he expected.

Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV

CW: None :)

Length is not consistent between parts. The amount I write is just what feels right to convey what I want. Every conversation has a reason though, I promise it all comes together once all the parts are done. This is my first time writing in this style/format so I apologize if it's lacking in quality. I've been testing shorter versions of this in previous post. I hope to improve as I write more. Although if it's really bad I'll try something else all together 😂

Faust / Charles / random people - *sounds/emojis(if they come before words)/actions* - < narration > - 💭 inner thoughts 💭 - { 🌙 comments }

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

< Early into the fun and already, it seems there’s a slight bump in the road. To drive or not to drive that is… not even a question apparently when Faust happens to be your travel companion >

…

So… Tell me again why I’m not driving? 🙃

This isn’t your vehicle, you aren’t a bus driver.

… 🤦🏻‍♂️ Fau-

I already told you not to call me that in public.

*😤-😮‍💨-🙂*

JAN, I meant why do we have to use public transportation when I can drive?!

Do you have a problem with it?

Do you have a problem with me driving???

I hate dealing with drivers because the vast majority are unable to properly use their vehicle. Law enforcement should revoke licenses.

… But… You weren’t going to be the one driving 😑🙃

Passenger seat perspective has the same effect.

*😐🤦🏻‍♂️*

My anger would've ruined your mood, I didn't want to deal with you when you’re upset. My conclusion was that this is best course of action.

*😟… 🤔… 🙂‍↕️* 💭 awwww 🥰 Why can’t he just be honest 😅 he doesn’t have to hide behind a cold front… I’ll make sure he has the best time today!! 😁 he’ll be so happy that next time he’ll only refuse me once instead of 3 times 😌 💭 *🤭👏🏻*

Why are you clapping?

No reason 😊

*🤨🙄😒*

< As they sit back and enjoy the ride, Charles begins to give Faust the run down of all the cafes they'll visit today. He may be excited but Faust begins to doze off. >

Wake me up when we arrive.

Awww you're gonna fall asleep on me?? 🥺 But I wanna show you the places we're going...

There's no need to show me pictures beforehand. I will see them when we get there.

Fau- I mean.. Jaaaaaaannnnn Come on 🥺

I'll be in a sociable mood later if you let me sleep now. Keep me awake and you'll regret it.

Fine 🙂‍↕️

Oh don't be discouraged sweetie 😊

Hm??

My husband is the same way 😅 It's the source of our little disagreements when we're out. It's lessened with time, growing old together has it's benefits 😂

You've been with your husband for a long time??

Yes, together for 30 years married for 25 of those years. I still remember what he said when he proposed to me

what was it?

'I see no point in prolonging this. There is no other woman patient and foolish enough to tolerate me. We're getting married'

That's not a question!! 😂

You're right but that's just how he is, always has been. Had I rejected the proposal, he would've respected my decision. I was happy with it because it was the perfect reflection of who he is, and I love him, flaws and all. I would've been disappointed with a flowery proposal.

That sounds lovely 😊 If you don't mind me asking.. what is love?

My dear that question has as many answers as there are people in the world. There are also many different forms of love. There is no one right answer, however there are many wrong answers, or rather, many misinterpretations.

Oh I see 😞

Not the response you wanted hm? How about this... though there are many different kinds of love I believe at their core, they're all warm.

Warm?

It's hard to explain, but it's the kind of warmth you never get tired of even on bad days, it's a warmth that feels like home, it makes you smile and then you feel all fuzzy... That's rather abstract, I'm sorry.

No no, it's okay! Thank you for answering my question 😊

Of course dear 😊 Oh! This is my stop. Don't worry so much about love, it's not something you should look for. It'll find you, and who knows, maybe you're surrounded by love and you just haven't noticed. Take care and have a wonderful day!

Thank you! You too! 😄 ... Faust did you hear all that? Faust? Ahh you're still asleep... I'll have to wake you soon 😊

< Faust had indeed heard the entire conversation, but he wasn't sure how to respond to any questions Charles may have. Feigning sleep, he continues to ponder the lady's words as well as Charles's continuous search... It's been so many years, yet Charles remains trapped in the same cycle, not yet accepting how cold and hallow it is. All he can do is continue to be there for his lost companion. >

💭 Ahhh hypocrisy... 💭

< The final thoughts of the man before deep sleep swallowed him whole... Both in their own world, they wait for their stop >

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We’re here!! 😁👏🏻

Where’s the place?

Well there’s several within the area, all walking distance so we should be good 😊

Fine with me. Is that one first?

Hm? Starbucks? Well… it wasn’t on my list, you can find one on basically every corner… but if you’re interested we can go in!

I see 🤔 is the quality not good?

Ehhh depends on the location 🤔 but that’s not the reason I don’t have it. From what I’ve gathered it’s nothing special. Apparently the desserts there are-

Excuse me! *young woman shyly approaches*

Hm?

Yes?

I have a question…

Sure! 😄

Oh🤨 No no, obviously not you, I meant for him.

Ahhh… right I’m sorry 🙂

* 🤨🙄😒 *

So I was just wondering, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

… 😶😧🤯🫣

… 😑🙄 did it hurt when you tripped?

I’m sorry?

When you crossed the street, you tripped, did you injure yourself?

What??

Do you lack comprehension skills? 🙄

What’s wrong with you?? It’s just a pick up line! So rude! 😠

It's my natural state of being. 😌

Go to hell!

I own a private residence there. 😈

Screw you! *walks away pissed off*

… 👀🤯👏🏻😁 Wow! That was funny! But don’t you think you were a little harsh.

She was rude.

She was? I don’t know, she came up to us pretty nicely 🤔 and she tried to put on her best cute face when using the pick up line 😂

💭 She was rude to you 😒 💭 … 😐🤦🏻‍♂️🙄 Let’s keep going Charles

Okie! 😄

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So.. mochas, macchiatos, lattes, flat whites, shaken espresso, iced coffee, americano, cold brews, cappuccinos, frappuccinos...?

Mmmm that's good enough 😅 pick a drink!

Coffee

Oh come on!! 🤦🏻‍♂️

Iced coffee

Just get this...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome! May I take your order?

Yes, I'll have a medium caramel frappuccino

Grande caramel frapp, anything else?

Medium

Yes I got it

You-

Ahhh yeahhhh and I'll get your... *finishes ordering*

< Of the many things to be explained from Starbucks, the entire menu may not have been the most important for first timer Faust... >

*follows Faust to sit outside* I'm sorry!!! Please accept my apology 🥺

You took 20 minutes to show me the entire menu yet never managed to glaze over their size system.

Why does it matter?? She knew what you meant

*😑😒* ...

Please don't ignore me 🥺 Food doesn't taste as good when you're upset or alone

... too sweet...

What?

The drink you suggested is too sweet. Paired with the sweet desserts I don't think I can tolerate more.

Ohhh 😕... Here, switch with me 😊 mine's not as sweet

What's this?

Matcha creme frapp 😁 I heard someone inside say it was good. Do you like it?

It's certainly less sweet

Good! 😊

I can't eat anymore desserts though, they're all too sweet and heavy.

I thought you might say that... here, I ordered this just for you. Ham and cheese croissant!

Take half, we both need something to remove this taste.

Thanks! ... By the way, you've been feeding Marshmallow right?

Why are you bringing that up?

Well I haven't seen the little guy since Lord Vlad left

... I'm sure he's fine

Ohhh you haven't fed him at all have you?? 🫢 Wait!! Of course not! You didn't remember Lord Vlad wasn't home until I told you today... He's going to be really upset if something happened to Marshie

He's a fox, hunting should come naturally

... 😐 Marshie hasn't had to hunt for years, he's a pet fox, not a wild one

Vlad shouldn't have told me when I was asleep, poor pet parenting.

Faust... 😕

* thump 🫀 thump * Let's go back to the castle.

What?!

I'm going to be killed for this anyway but I should at least die with a clean conscience.

I don't think that's possible for you... Ah!! WAIT!! STOP!! I... There's something I have to say..

What? 🤨

I... Well... Lord Vlad also asked me to feed Marshmallow... He noticed you were still half asleep and knew you wouldn't remember the conversation... I've been taking care of him...

...

I'm sorry!! I just wanted to see how you'd react 😔 I shouldn't have done that...

* 😐🙄😒 ... starts walking down the street *

* 🥺😞... *

What are you waiting for?

Wha..?

I don't know the location of the next cafe you wanted to see.

But what about-

I'm not going to repeat myself.

Ahhh 😧 ... I'm coming! 😄

💭 Faust... you're the best 🥹🥰 I'll have to text Lord Vlad 😂 💭

💭 I should ignore this... Hmm... Ah, I have several new concoctions to test out... Thank you for volunteering Charles. Next week is going to be productive 😌 💭

< Faust always underestimates Charles's willingness to help his experiments, it may not come off as punishment. And why does Charles need to text Vlad? They say patience is a virtue, how will the rest of the day test that? >

{ Part III will be on Faust blog - All 4 parts will be linked when done }

{ Taglist: @candied-boys }

#ikevamp charles #ikemen vampire #ikevamp faust #ikemen rp #ikevamp rp #ikemen role play #ikemen vampire rp #ikemen series

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valkyrieblogs · 6 months

Text

doing a concurrent reread in both english and japanese! i wanted to do some more character analysis this time around since i've read everything that's out, and i also wanted to look a little closer at the japanese (since i originally just read this in english). posting about chapters 1-5 here. (also interpretations of characters definitely aren't fixed yet, so i'm still figuring them out.)

"even so, out of my own will... i loved someone i should not have."

in japanese the verb that satoko uses for "loved" is 愛してしまいました. しまう as auxiliary to indicate that her having loved someone is something regretful, which at least to me i read as being in deference to the reader of her letter. i'm also curious about the usage of past tense here rather than using something like ている to indicate that she still loves this person. i've seen some theories floating around about her letter at the beginning here, but my personal theory that i subscribe to is that she's writing this on her deathbed, and the past tense is due to her likely death upon the letter being received. the only other scenario i can picture is one where shinpei was killed and she really did get his heart in the end.

lsjkdglkjlj the way that we see her already relating to things w shorter lifespans!!

also thinking about the way that shinpei is so casually chatty... why offer food to the person you're about to kill? it's like the planned act of killing satoko is separated from interacting with satoko at this moment. to me it really shows this... detachment? he's being kind by offering food, but he'll still kill her when the time comes. he's seemingly curious about why she's getting killed, but i don't think he has any attachment to her answer either way. it comes across as casually social while being incredibly detached from the person he's actually interacting with. it's probably an extension of his lack of empathy at this point. it just makes me wonder what motivates his interactions with others at this point.

god, satoko... the way that even being faced w sexual assault, her first thought is still on how it impacts her marriage prospects... it's awful the way that it's become her priority over all else in life.

thinking about what it does to a person to be raised on that island and how it impacts socialization. also the way that he sees his value as primarily being what he is able to do... how he is a tool and a weapon. i was talking a little about this on the hny discord where i think about shinpei and his lack of understanding of love as a concept, and how on the island love = sex = commodity = transaction, and how that has to influence his (lack of) understanding of it. his mother being a prostitute (and being killed when he was so young), too...

lsjkdgljsklgj i love that it's not enough to suggest marriage of convenience for access to what she has through her family, but she decides that she has to convince shinpei she's in love with him. which makes sense! if she's trying to cultivate a reason for him not to kill her! he's established that he'll be bought out with money, but he doesn't believe her declaration lksjgdlj so the assets somehow lose out to the promise of the marriage itself, which means there is something about a relationship he might actually want? at this time...

actually okay yeah the fact that money = priority up until she proposes and then he seems genuinely more interested in the concept of getting married to her and her interest in him than anything else. he ignores her comments about nobility in favour of asking what exactly she likes about him.

yeah god he seems like. genuinely into it when she's answering him desperately about things she likes about him.

i know satoko gets hurt by him later on when she realizes that he would be happy with anyone that accepts him for who he is (and i do think part of the reason he's interested here is because she's making these declarations after knowing what he does and seeing him maim people) but i do genuinely think that's part of his thought process right now. someone who accepts him... to me it's entirely about that and not about attraction. (until it is something he is attracted to, anyway, but i feel like that hasn't clicked for him at this point.)

YEAH okay so the fact that he even clearly loses interest once he clarifies that it's a loveless marriage that she's proposing...

i do also think it's really interesting that after that, she asks him if there's anything else that's useful to him, but he's not interested in things that are useful to him! which....... man. to me it says a lot about the way that satoko thinks about her own value in that her connections are the only thing OF value (not satoko herself). i wonder how aware shinpei is of himself being a tool, too.

thinking about this line (when she's objecting to kissing shinpei initially) now in light of chapter 35... she really does keep having these boundaries of what she considers acceptable pushed. obviously kissing =/= sex here, and she just doesn't want to kiss him in this scene... but.

goddd thinking about the negotiation that's going on here. "it's fine if you don't want to." "and if i refuse?" "then i'll just kill you when i'm supposed to." all the really dubious consent that ends up happening particularly early on, especially because of the circumstances that satoko's trapped in... the situation with her autonomy is really fascinating to me. in so many ways she's had little-to-no control over her own life, starting already with her disability. then dedicating her life to repaying her father (and viewing it as her personal desire) rather than considering if she may have wants outside of that, because she can't act greedy. the way that she downplays her illness for others (and to give herself a little more freedom than she has), too. and then she gets into this situation. it's interesting in that there are strong limitations on any choices she makes right now, and while entering into this arrangement with shinpei could be seen as coercion when she's threatened with death otherwise, he also doesn't... force her? he isn't going out of his way to save her if she doesn't agree, but it is ultimately up to her, and these are all choices that satoko is making. even if her scope for making decisions right now is, again, incredibly limited under these circumstances.

it also reveals a lot about shinpei's wants that other than money, this is the only term he'll accept for saving her instead of completing his job. (and he quickly prizes the concept of marrying her and her feelings towards him over anything else that comes with that marriage, so money is definitely not the ultimate priority for him, anyway.)

god and the way he gets cruel to her when he thinks it's a lie. but how that just ends up bolstering her resolve when he mocks her, saying that she has no worries about the future...

the way we see light in his eyes for the first time when she wipes his mouth and he realizes she is not refusing him after all. aaaaaAAA

AND the way it's revealed he really was testing her!! that he's surprised she would still kiss him after he killed all those people!!

he's playful and childish, but he's also savvy, too... especially in these early chapters.

GOD the way he seems to like the mirroring of how both of them have uncertain lifespans and he isn't... too concerned w the idea that she'll die soon (bc she doesn't seem ill right now). the way that he even plays with it, thanking her illness, asking if she'll go to hell with him... commenting on her proximity to death and how that must be why she can be okay with him.

lkjsdglksjglkj god him mocking her when she starts saying "oh my dad might not agree to this". the way that he's just...... playing a game with her right now. toying with her. like this just seems fun to him.

"the kiss and the bath were the same. even though he knows i can't refuse, he keeps making me decide."

yeah like this!!! it's so interesting. it really does feel like a game when he's watching her responses here, knowing that she can't afford to say no, but forcing her make the choice nonetheless. "like he's confirming my affection for him." yeah. it's a test. a test and a game. he genuinely wants her to say yes, to play along, to keep confirming those affections—but it's a test every time to prove her affections to him. but it is what he wants from her, ultimately. that's his motivation. he has to keep Testing.

"please save me. you're the only one i can rely on."

thinking a lot about how this early phase of the relationship is entirely transactional and relies on what shinpei can do for satoko. and that it is entirely appealing to his strength and ability to protect her.

hmm and flipping it so now that she's decided his comment about how his life isn't enjoyable IS actually about him and not her. does he actually not enjoy his life? it's difficult to tell just because of how manipulative he's being in these early chapters, but. outwardly his life doesn't exactly seem great. part of what i'm missing about shinpei right now is an understanding of his inner life, and that's why i feel like i'm mostly grappling for an understanding of him rather than satoko. (although i feel like i'll definitely do another read-through where i do focus almost exclusively on satoko, because i adore her.)

god her comment about the heart is so interesting at this point and the gall of saying it to him.

and then ANOTHER test when he leaves w the prostitutes, making that comment about how it seems like he has to die after he gets out of here. so finally she gets her response to the comment about the heart... in the english translation she starts to say, "i never said you'd die!" but in the japanese she's just asking him to wait. so i feel like his reaction makes more sense in light of what was written originally—it's why he isn't placated.

it's also interesting that when he tests her and leaves her here, she does anything BUT continue to try and appeal to shinpei, instead trying to get attention from literally anyone else. which probably makes him feel useless, also! that she has the will to keep trying and planning and figuring things out without him! the way this backfires on him, particularly when she gets all this attention from people with her dance, and they start crowding her... so he has to drop it and relent. but like. i think he's genuinely captivated by the look she gives him in this scene and it makes him stop testing her (at this moment).

the way that it just feels like this look of, "i'll get by without you if i have to." but he doesn't want that.

"why did you go with them?" "i just wanted to stand and chat a bit." "lies. weren't you just enjoying my reaction?" in jpn -> comments on how he's enjoying her reaction AGAIN, acknowledging the previous tests out loud "you're right." so it's interesting he agrees to it.

her declaration of, "i'm fine if you're not the one who saves me"!!!! god i love the way she feels so independent here.

THE WAY HE ACKNOWLEDGES HIS FAULT FOR TESTING HER/PLAYING WITH HER!!!! like. i really do feel like the dance scene is where he pivots a bit. for her proving she can get by without him, and also (i think) for it making him actually attracted to her. i think he prob also appreciates her cunning about it? that she can play at this game, too.

like!!! satoko isn't just passively going along with things.

god the way that in jpn he doesn't say "forgive me" but "I WANT YOU TO FORGIVE ME" it feels so direct and impolite.

okay yeah i'm not just making this up because even satoko notices the change in demeanor where he isn't just blatantly messing with her anymore. he's decided he is actually attracted to her and doesn't want her going off with other men or relying on anyone but him.

i'm using "attracted" but i'm really only thinking about it in a physiological sense; i still don't think he has the capacity to understand his relationship with her beyond that at this point.

i also wonder if this scene just activated his jealousy a bit for the first time, too.

reading the (outdoor) firefly scene and thinking a lot about how they've both had constraints on their lives in different ways. shinpei unable to leave the island; satoko barely being able to leave the estate in general, and only when accompanied. i love how being here is, in some ways, a chance for her to experience so many things she was never able to before as nobility? (particularly disabled nobility.)

chewing on glass. the english line is "my body is yours to treat as roughly as you please" BUT THE JAPANESE LINE "consider my body as your tool. so it doesn't matter if you use it roughly." there was a game i was into years ago where the english kept removing the (very intentional) repetition of 道具/tool and i see that's happened here too lksjgdlj (i understand why! i know it's because in english it's more unnatural to repeat things all the time!) anyway i really like that he really does refer to his body as a tool. it's good. love that thematically.

godddd the part where she apologizes to him and it shows the way he was going to try and help her in the bath and also wanting to join her in her futon. he really does get obsessed with her after that dance scene, huh.

aaaAAAAAA i love shinpei talking about her being in constant danger would make him indispensable to her. like!!!!! the way he needs to be needed. he knows how to be a weapon and nothing else and he wants to be used (by her).

HE'S SUCH!!!! a sulky brat here. i love him. that way that he pulls this every time satoko starts being avoidant in any way about actually marrying him. i love her 100% not indulging him in this moment, though. it's so good. like!!! i just appreciate so much the way that she's still so strong-headed in her interactions with him. particularly despite how dangerous he can be, and the way that she knows she has to rely on him. she still feels, in many ways, so true to herself?? it's a really interesting dynamic, particularly with the way he's so manipulative, too. i love that she doesn't just submit to it. (and even when she does, she knows what she's doing.) it just!! makes her feel like she has more agency even if that's not necessarily true. and makes their dynamic really good to me.

okay trying to split this up by volume as i reread so these posts don't get too long. anyway. um. IF PEOPLE WANNA DISCUSS STUFF, PLEASE, i am so open to chatting about things

#firefly wedding #hotaru no yomeiri #valkyrie reads firefly wedding

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theoceantot · 2 months

Text

Chapter 9

Since the moment Y/n was born she was already rejected by thr world. She had two loving parents that worked good paying jobs and spoiled her to death. That was until the diagnosis. When Y/n was two she all of a sudden wouldn't respond to her name whenever her parents were talking to her, started biting them, and had tantrums when things were too loud.

Worried about her daughter they took her to a doctor where they figured out she was on thre autism spectrum. Both her parents were disappointed and started treating her differently since then. There was no more warm hugs and "I love yous" just angry glances and quick snotty responses. School was no different. The bullying was awful and the teacher did nothing about it. By the time she was 11, Y/n would start to act younger to cope with not having a childhood. Sometimes voluntary others involuntarily. She didn't know why she did this until she was in the library reading a psychology book and the term "age regression" was mentioned.

Since then you'd steal some adult pacifiers, coloring books, and stuffed animals to hide in your room. This helped with your school and home life becasue you finally had a way to cope with the abuse. Then the night the demon attacked and ripped your mother and father to shreds. You sat in the corner of your room holding your stuffy close while you cried.

Muzan heard you and slammed the door open. He's never seen any of his victims act like this. He was intrigued. Not intrigued enough to let you go though. He kneeled down to you and you started hitting your head against the wall. Muzan chuckled and stuck his finger in your stomach releasing his blood into you. He left as you screamed in pain. You would have died if a spirit with hanafuda earrings didn't help. He held you in his lap as he petted your hair.

You were confused becasue you couldn't physically feel him but spiritually you could. You haven't seen him since but every night you wished he'd come back. Instead of seeing your savior again you've been getting night terrors that would result in panic attacks. Shinobu knew the other girls needed sleep so she asked the other hashira if she could stay with them for a week to try and solve your night terrors.

To her shock and disbelief Sanemi said you two could stay with him. When she asked why he just said.

"Its my way of apologizing"

That was enough for her so she took you two to Sanemis estate. She knocked on the door until Sanemi opened the door. Shinobu was wearing her usual attire while you were wearing the demon slayer uniform with a matching harori. Mitsuri had it custom made for you saying how it would be so cute for you two to match.

'Fuck she's cute' Sanemi thought.

"Salami!"

'Nevermind..'

Y/n quickly embraced Sanemi in a hug. She was so much shorter than him so the embrace was barely at his waist. Shinobu had to cover her laugh with her hand while Sanemi glared at his fellow hashira. Eventually, Y/n let go and went to explore the house leaving the two colleagues to chat.

"Are you sure about this? I can't promise you're going to get a good night's rest"

"I figures as much. Let me take care of her while you rest. Your eye bags say it all"

Shinobu twitched her eye. How rude! But he was right. She was exhausted and needed sleep if she was gonna keep caring for her baby.

"Are you sure about this? If you need me don't be afraid to wake me up"

"I've got this just get your ass to bed"

Shinobu nodded and headed off to a guest bedroom. Now that left you. Sanemi knew he was way over his head but he needed to earn Shinobus forgiveness. He grumbled and walked around trying to look for the regressor. After some time Sanemi found her sitting in the shade outside looking up at the butterflies. Her eyes seemed like she was thinking about something sad.

"Why am I such a freak" Y/n whispered and then cried into her teddy

Sanemi wasn't sure how to comfort you. You'd probably freak out if he touched her so he tried a different approach instead. He quickly went to the kitchen and made some ohagi. As he finished up he turned around to see your purple tear stained eyes clutching your stuffie. Sanemi awkwardly handed her some ohahi which she took with her hand and shoved in her mouth quickly eating.

"Nummy!"

Y/n eyes glowed brightly when suddenly a pair of purple butterfly wings appeared on her back. Sanemi just stood there mouth open trying to process what he was seeing.

A little that could fly...

A lot of trouble

"No fucking way.."

"Fuck?"

Oh god, now he was really fucked

"Brat, you can't say that?"

Y/n cocked her head to the side in confusion not understanding what she did wrong. All she said was a word that uncle Sanemi said. How was that bad?

“It’s a bad word that you’re not aloud to say just leave it at that”

Y/n nodded her hand and kept eating the ohagi. After eating the five more that were on the tray Sanemi offered to take her on a walk around his estate which you happily agreed to. On the condition that he carried you which led to a long sigh but did it regardless. After 10 minutes he felt a small bite in his shoulder. Sanemi then remembered that this is how the little one showed affection and admiration to the people she loved.

“I’ll let it slide just this once”

Y/n giggled and hugged his neck. Sanemi stopped walking and froze. When his little siblings were still alive they’d cling onto his neck when their father would beat his mother. He’d hold them close and tell them everything would be okay and that’d he’d protect them.

Y/n thought something was wrong so she put her hand on his cheek and was about to cry. Sanemi snapped out of it when he heard her sniffles.

“I’m okay brat calm down” Sanemi softly said and started to bounce her on his hip. This caused Y/n to start laughing and start swinging her legs. Sanemi smiled at this since nobody was around to see him. Not only that but Sanemi was actually happy. It was like being with his little siblings all over again.

“Wanna fly kid!”

“Yaa”

Sanemi threw Y/n high in the air and then catches her. The third time Sanemi throws the baby in the air butterfly wings come out of her back and she starts flying.

“Kid come down” Sanemi orders

Y/n tries too but she keeps going further higher and higher in the air. At this point she’s freaking out and crying. Sanemi uses one of his wind breathing techniques to launch himself in the air so he can grab her and return her safely to the ground.

Y/n was shaking in his hold trying hard not to cry but some tears managed to escape.

“It’s okay kid you’re safe” Sanemi softly said and rocked her back and forth. Right now you just wanted Shinobu. Of course you loved Sanemi but he wasn’t your caretaker.

“Mama!”

‘She has been sleeping for awhile now hopefully she’s well rested now because I don’t know how to deal with this’

Sanemi carried you back into his estate being shocked to see Shinobu sitting on the couch.

“Oh my poor baby! What’s wrong?” Shinobu worryingly asked.

Y/n reached her arms out to her and Sanemi sat you next to Shinobu.

“We were playing and when I threw her in the air those damn wings came out”

“What wings?” Shinobu asked curiously

“The brat has butterfly wings and can fly on top of having all those damn insects around. Pretty annoying if you ask me”

Shinobu was secretly dreading you now having wings. Flying around her estate crashing into things and knocking stuff over. She prayed to the gods none of that would happen. Sanemi continued to chat with Shinobu about things mostly about missions and how her poison was developed while you were falling asleep with a small smile on your face.

#fandom agere #little space #agere #agerereader #little!reader #age regression #agere caregiver #age regressor #agere reader #knyagere #demon slayer agere

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takingchences · 10 months

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𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐩𝐭. 𝟓

A descendant of a legendary quirk longs to separate herself from her family name, but first she'll have to confront villains, ghosts from the past, and her growing attraction for Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight.

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x OP!fem!oc

Warnings: mature language

Let me know if you would like to be added to the ultraviolet taglist! A big thank you to everyone for reading!

series masterlist + my masterlist

"What the hell is going on?" Sana was frozen in the middle of the sidewalk, staring uncomprehendingly at the mob of reporters loitering outside of the school gates. How are we supposed to get through?!

Any other time, she would simply boost herself over them like she did during the quirk assessment. However, since her school uniform required her to wear a skirt, flying was out of the question. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if her underwear was broadcast across every news station.

Through the sea of people, the solar-powered girl spotted a few familiar faces. It seems that a number of her classmates had braved the crowd, but none of them seemed to be making any progress in getting to the gates. Sana would've preferred to wait it out, but classes were starting soon, and she couldn't risk being late. Who knew what sort of soul-crushing punishment Aizawa had in store for such an occasion. The thought alone made a chill run down her spine.

The pastel girl carefully moved towards the crowd, trying to maneuver through the warm bodies. She narrowly avoided an elbow to the temple, only for a microphone to be shoved in her face.

"Hey, you! You sure look familiar. Are you a pro's kid or something?"

"No, sorry." the girl politely answered, trying to step around the woman. A manicured hand grabbed onto her arm, pulling her back.

The reporter, a tall woman with cropped brown hair and a beauty mark by her lip, tilted her head, lilac eyes narrowed in concentration. "No, I've definitely seen you somewhere-"

"If you'll excuse me, I need to get to class-" Sana twisted her arm out of the woman's tight grip, attempting to push past her and towards the gate, only to be stopped once more. "Let me go."

"Wait a minute! We need to interview All Might's students- Hey, kid! You're blocking the shot!" The woman yelled in a shrill voice, like a child on the verge of a tantrum. Sana turned back, only to have her view blocked by a muscular back. Bakugou now stood between her and the woman. His head was turned to the side, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets like always.

"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Bakugou asked in a low drawl, sounding surprisingly calm for, well, him. "She already answered your shitty question."

"B-but-"

"Excuse me, kid!" A shorter, bald man stepped forward, eyeing the blonde up and down with a shaky smile. "Are you in All Might's class?" The man's eyes grew large, as though he'd just realized something important. "Oh? Wait, aren't you that Sludge Villain kid?"

Sludge villain? Her plum irises trailed across the profile of the blonde, whose entire body seemed to stiffen under the man's curious gaze before he forced himself to relax.

The wild, untamed hair that had looked oh so familiar on their first day. His appearance, combined with his explosive quirk... it all fit. The student's name was never released to the public, but there was no doubt in her mind that the reporter was right. Bakugou was the kid from the news all those months ago.

"Walk away." The explosive teen hissed through clenched teeth, his sharp gaze promising a slow, agonizing death to anyone that dared to question him again.

"Bakugou," Sana murmured, gently tugging on the fabric of his blazer to direct his attention away from the nosey press. "Let's go, yeah?" She went to yank him towards her, but his feet were firmly planted, fists out and clenched at his side.

"Bakugou, Sakano." A voice called their names in a tone that could only be described as done with the world. "You're going to be late." Sana's heart nearly stopped at the warning. He won't punish us, right? It's not our fault we can't get through--unless this is another one of his tests?

"Yes, sensei." Sana bowed her head as she passed Aizawa, forcefully dragging an angry boom boom boi behind her.

If those reporters had discovered her identity, the press would've had a field day. Her father would've been annoyed with the amount of attention focused on her "silly passions." Any publicity that wasn't about him or his campaign was considered negative in his eyes. Whether he realized it or not, Bakugou had saved her.

It was only fair to return the favor.

"LET GO OF ME, DAMMIT!"

Sana rolled her eyes, releasing her iron-like grip on his collar before turning on her heel to face him. "Do you have to be so dramatic all the time?"

"HUH?!"

The girl cocked an eyebrow at him pointedly, as if to say see what I mean? Most students were already in their classrooms, so the hallway was pretty much empty. Sana brushed a stray hair behind her ear, her arms crossed over her chest in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"Thank you," she mumbled. She could feel his vibrant eyes burning through her, but she refused to meet his gaze, instead choosing to stare down the deserted corrider they'd just came from. She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "For helping me out back there."

"I didn't do shit, dumbass." he replied, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "You were blocking my way."

Sana couldn't help it.

She laughed.

Of course he would say something like that! It was stupid to expect anything other than an insult to come flying out of his mouth. It didn't matter that a horde of reporters were parked outside, blocking students from entering the gates. No, according to him, she was the problem. Sana rubbed her left temple, but it did nothing to soothe the irritation that always seemed to accompany her interactions with the ash blonde. "You're a real pain, you know that?" The boy didn't bother replying. It was a rhetorical question they both knew to be true.

"What was that garbage she was spewing? About you being a pro's kid?"

Sana sucked in a breath. She was shocked, to be honest. She didn't think Bakugou would care much for small talk, or gossip, or really anything that didn't involve beating people to a pulp. She composed herself before replying. "There are no heroes in my family."

"But they're something, right? I overheard 'em talking about it in class the other day. Said your dad was on TV or some shit."

Something indeed.

The Sakanos were the closest thing to royalty their society had, followed closely by All Might. They were regarded as the founding family of quirks. Her great ancestor, the first person to ever receive a quirk, was born glowing in a small hospital in China.

Unlike today, where about 80% of the population possesses a unique ability, back then, a glowing baby was not considered normal. People were outraged, rioting against those they considered different, even when they knew it was out of their control. Her family was forced to flea the country in fear of being persecuted, which is how they'd ended up in Japan.

"You could say that," she begrudgingly admitted. "So," she carefully redirected the conversation. "About what that guy said..."

"He was confused." The words were clipped, final. Like he was ending the conversation before it had even begun.

"Bakugou," she sighed. "It's okay-"

"Shut the hell up, would you?" Bakugou's jaw was clenched tightly, his vermilion eyes burning through her. "I said it wasn't me!"

His hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides, the muscles shaking. Popping filled the air as sparks flew from his hands. He looked heated and ready for battle, but under all the anger and bravado he exuded, she could see what he was trying so desperately to hide.

Fear. Shame. Vulnerability.

Katsuki Bakugou, one of the strongest in their class, was the victim of a villain attack. The boy who fought like no other, who could control his quirk and body with perfect precision, had been unable to fight back at the most crucial time. Fire and explosions didn't stand a chance against a villain with no physical body. She remembered watching the live feed as it was broadcast. How the blonde had clawed at the gunk around his mouth and nose, only for his fingers to slip right through his attacker. She'd witnessed the boy before her slowly dying as heroes stood by and watched, unable to help.

Trauma leaves marks on people. Some may be visible, while others or more well-hidden. But they exist, and make themselves known in time.

This was one of those moments.

"Bakugou," she whispered, reaching out a comforting hand, but he was already moving. Hands tucked into his pockets, feet stomping down the hall with his head hung low.

¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*

After such an eventful morning, one would think the universe would give the students of 1-A a break, but no.

Bakugou had been strangely subdued in class, though Sana contributed his out of character behavior to their uh, strained conversation in the hallway. The blonde had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since. Not that they were best buds to begin with, but the strawberry blonde had grown used to their petty arguments and banter, and she found herself missing it the longer the day went on.

She even went so far as tugging on one of his spiked locks when Present Mic wasn't looking, but Bakugou remained firm in his decision to ignore her.

¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*･ﾟ¸☾⋆*

Mina and the gang were already seated at their usual table when Sana stepped out of the lunch line with her tray in hand. She could see Bakugou slouched in his seat like always, a deep frown on his lips. On his right was Kirishima, who was talking to him with his brows knit in concern. On his other side were Sero and Kaminari, who were bent over the lightning boy's phone most likely watching a Minecraft video. On the other side of the table, Mina was clutching her stomach in laughter, while Jirou quietly nodding along to the beat from her headphones. An empty seat was left open between them.

The seat across from Bakugou.

It was hard enough having to sit behind him in class, but having to face him? She could still see his tortured expression from earlier as he refused to admit that anything had happened to him ten months ago. The soft plea in his stare begging her to drop it.

No, she couldn't face him. Not yet.

She knew Midoriya wouldn't mind her sitting with him for the day, but Sana had a sneaking suspicion that doing so would only cause Bakugou to retreat from her even further. Sitting with Shoto wasn't an option. Looking around, she couldn't even spot his unusual hair through all of the bodies filling the cafeteria. Even if she did somehow find him and convince him to eat with her, things were still so awkward between them. Though she wasn't sure where exactly things had gone wrong between them, it would take more than a thirty minute break and two bowls of cold soba to rekindle their friendship.

Which left her with only one option; flying solo.

They'd only been attending U.A for a short period of time, so the peach-haired girl wasn't well acquainted with most of her classmates yet, let alone students from other courses. Sana wasn't sure how great she was at making friends. She'd only ever had two before arriving at U.A, and compared to Shoto, anyone could look social.

Here goes nothing.

Holding her head high, she confidently made her way over to a small table near the corner, placing her tray down diagonally across from a guy with one of the coolest hairstyles she's ever seen.

"Uh... hi?"

"Hey," she smiled sheepishly with a visible blush on her cheeks. The boy looked so confused and almost frustrated by her presence that she nearly crawled under the table in embarrassment.

"Are you lost?" He asked, head tilted slightly as he analyzed her with hooded lavender eyes.

"No."

"Are you sure?" He leaned forward in his seat, resting his crossed arms on the table.

"Positive," she replied, raising her chopsticks to her mouth and taking a bite. Cold soba was something she'd been introduced to at a young age by Rei Todoroki. It quickly became one of her favorite dishes, and she looked forward to eating it each time the woman made it. She missed Rei, almost as much as she missed her own mother.

At least Rei's family knew where she was, and why she had to leave.

Some people were just left to wonder forever.

"Look, I don't mind sharing a table. I know this place is packed." The purple-haired boy reached back to scratch the nape of his neck. "But if you're just sitting here because you're curious, then kindly fuck off."

"I'm sorry, what?" There must be some mistake. There's no way he actually said that... right? Why would a complete stranger tell her to fuck off?

"Why else would you chose this table?" He scoffed, a smile with no humor behind it curling his lips. "Am I supposed to believe it was only a coincidence?"

Sana shook her head, blinking rapidly to try and make sense of the situation. "Look, I don't know what the big deal about me sitting here is, but I don't appreciate you shooing me off like I'm some annoying gnat buzzing around your head." The bored expression he'd worn since she sat down fell away as he grinned lazily.

Bastard, she grit her teeth. You think this is funny?

Sana sighed heavily, her eyes falling shut. "I'm not great at this, okay? This approaching people, making-new-friends-thing is still new to me. But I hate eating alone." During her last few months of middle school, Sana had been forced to eat lunch by herself. Shoto refused to speak with her or acknowledge her presence unless absolutely necessary. With her father never around, and Umi busy working around the house, Sana had no choice but to eat most of her meals alone.

"I figured you wouldn't mind the company, but obviously I was wrong." She stood, grabbing her tray, but a voice stopped her from walking away.

"... wait."

She eyed the boy warily. His gravity-defying hair seemed to droop a little as he released a full body sigh. He rubbed a hand across his tired eyes before meeting her gaze. "Sit down," he gestured to the seat she'd just vacated. Sana looked at the chair before turning her attention back at him, not moving an inch. He sighed again. "I would like you to sit with me. Please."

The solar girl hesitantly sat back down. "It does get a little lonely sometimes." He smirked, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. He offered his hand. "I'm Hitoshi Shinso."

Sana placed her hand in his larger one, used to the warm tingle physical contact brought to her. "Sana Sakano."

The two shook hands before returning to their meals. Not much was said between the two, but neither of them minded the silence. Even if they'd just met, they understood one another. For a moment, there were two less lonely people in the world.

Then all Hell broke loose.

Alarms blared and red lights flashed overhead. A voice came over the intercom to announce that there'd been a Level 3 security breach. Students from all grades and courses began to race for the doors.

"What's going on?" Sana yelled, her hands cupped protectively over her ears. She wasn't even sure if he was able to hear her over the roar of sirens and panicked voices. Shinso shook his head, watching the chaos unfold around them with an uneasy expression. The solar girl rose from her seat, turned to her companion and motioned towards the door. "Come on!"

The two ran for the exit, quickly getting separated as they entered the crowded hallway. She was vaguely aware of Shinso shouting her name before his purple hair was blocked from view by a wall of bodies. Shoves came from every direction, frantic hands pushing and pulling at her hair and clothes in a desperate attempt to move forward. They were packed into the small space like sardines, a mass of warm bodies pressing against one another.

Suddenly, a firm, unrelenting grip seized the back of her blazer collar and yanked.

"OI, DUMBASS!" Sana released a sigh of relief at the familiar gruff voice. She was pulled back into a firm chest and guided towards the wall. The muscles against her back were tense, his arms reaching out to brace themselves against the wall on either side of her head. "Don't just stand there like an idiot. You'll get trampled!" She could feel the vibrations in his chest as he continued to grumble under his breath about her stupidity. His hot breath tickled her ear, stirring her hair. She could hear him just fine even with all of the noise surrounding them.

Sana turned away from the wall and froze. He scowled down at her, his lips pulled down in their usual grimace. Now that she was so close, she could count every eyelash. His eyes were bathed in shadows, but the occasional flash of light made them glitter like rubies. His hair, although sticking out in every direction in spiky tufts, looked soft to the touch. She was so close. How she wished to just reach out and-

"The hell are you looking at, Glow Stick?"

His pale brows were furrowed, his ears quickly turning red. God, how long had she been staring at him? Her own face warmed in embarrassment.

"What happened to 'Flashlight?'" She scrambled to ask, struggling to maintain what was left of her dignity. He shrugged, moving closer as the wave of frightened students jostled them roughly. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Seriously, is the name Sana really so difficult to remember?" His frown deepened.

"I can't be bothered to remember the names of extras."

"Let's get one thing clear, shall we? I am not one of your extras." She sneered. "And you'd do well to remember that."

Over his shoulder, she noticed quick flashes of red and yellow hair. The ketchup and mustard duo were together and nearby, but where were the rest of their friends? She asked Bakugou as much and his eyes rolled into the back of his skull. "Those shitty extras are your friends, not mine. I can't help that you losers follow me around all the fuckin' time."

"Is it so wrong for people to like you and want to be around you?" She wondered, genuinely curious about his answer.

His strong competitive drive, cocky personality, and sharp tongue had probably ruined more relationships than anything, but Sana had a feeling it went deeper than that. He didn't seem like the type to share his deepest thoughts and feelings with anyone in fear of making himself look weak. She was sure that there was more to Bakugou than a kickass quirk and punk rock attitude.

She'd seen a glimpse of a more vulnerable side of him this morning, and she wanted nothing more than to peel back each layer one by one until there was nothing left to hide, no matter how long it took.

He scoffed, a muscle ticking in his jaw, but otherwise remained quiet. But before she could question him further, the sirens cut off.

Distantly, she could hear Iida explaining that the reporters were the cause of the lockdown. He went on to reprimand the crowd for losing their composure during a time of crisis, before dismissing them. The crowd slowly dispersed. Bakugou pushed off of the wall without a word, once again leaving the peach-haired girl with nothing but more questions.

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #bnha bakugou #katsuki bakugo my hero academia #bnha eijiro kirishima #mina ashido #bnha shoto todoroki #bnha fluff #bnha angst #aizawa shōta #bnha bakugo katsuki #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou

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gumpistol · 4 months

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:: SEMI-HIATUS NOTICE ::

as some may have already seen when i said something about it a few days back, due to some other health concerns, i am being taken off of my adhd medication for at least the next 1-2 months until i can get other health issues at a better place. i have no idea the full scope of how this will affect me, as this will be the first time in about five years that i'm not on any sort of medication. i.e. i could be in for a WILD ride folks.

i am certain of one thing though, writing, especially long-form, is going to be so much harder, and as a result slower, and possibly even non-existent. i struggled keeping up with rp writing A LOT prior to getting placed on meds, to the point of nearly giving up on it because i genuinely thought i could not do it.

that being said, until the end of June, my activity is going to be very low, and things i reply to are going to be purely based on where the dopamine wants to go. i don't want to try and force any writing, i don't want to fall back into the mindset of writing being something i dislike. i LOVE writing Luffy, i love writing my other OP muses, and i love that i've been able to feel excited about writing again for the first time in a long time. i really don't want to lose that, but i also understand that my health is struggling right now and it needs to be prioritized.

i have no doubt that my moots here will be understanding and patient with me, it's just a matter of me being patient with myself. but regardless, i just ask for some extra patience as more typos potentially happen, if my grammar gets a bit muddled, and if my writing is generally shorter since i won't be able to focus on the same threads for more than 15 minutes or so at a time. or i just have a sleep attack at my desk and pass out mid-writing. it's gonna be high school biology all over again lol.

on that note, any replies i do have written up to now will get typed up and added to the queue to trickle out over however long. i will still be present on the dash and engaging in shenanigans as much as possible, and i will also still be available in DMs for chatting and plotting, but i can't definitively say how well i will do with responding when my brain is being a spazz. who knows, maybe i'll actually do better at it! aha, no promises

#❝ adhd thought dump ❞ — ooc #irl stuff cw #health tw #health issues tw #long post cw #sorry for not being here the last couple days #i've been on my multi or hunkered in drafts #anywho putting this here for now #and it will be queued up a couple times too

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oboetemasuka · 5 months

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Order of Attack, part 16

I was going to have a bunch of conversations in a single part, but this first conversation is as long as some of the older, shorter chapters.

So here.

Fuuta and Amane. Just in time before Fuuta's birthday ends in my part of the world.

Does this mean I'm going to have to write yet another conclusion chapter? A "proper" one? We'll see.

(Cw cults, suicide)

“Fuuta-san, how are you feeling?”

Waking up to a hovering green blob was one of the constants of this prison.

“Like crap. But… better.” Fuuta took Amane’s outstretched hands and pulled himself to a seated position. After lying down for who-knows-how-long, sitting up felt so weird these first few times.

“Better… I am glad.” Amane settled into the chair next to him. “Do you really mean it?”

“Of course… Might take a while to…” To recover. “But it’s something. Why…” Why do you ask?

“The last time you said you were fine…” She sounded choked. “Why did you…”

“...Didn’t want anyone to worry.”

“D-did you not think… we would be more worried if… if…” Amane stopped trying to hold back tears.

Fuuta held out his right arm, and Amane accepted the wordless invitation for a hug.

“Promise me you won’t die…” she whispered.

“I’ll try. At least… I won’t do… that again.”

“You had better not.” Amane patted Fuuta’s shoulder before pulling away and sitting back in her chair.

“Y’know… I've been told… I could recover fully if I make it out of here and get to a-” Get to a hospital.

Amane stared at the floor silently.

“Oh. Sorry. Shouldn't have-”

“It is fine. Given that we are stuck here, getting to a hospital would be a trial all on its own.”

Is she bending her beliefs?

“It sucks that your eye’s gone, though.”

Amane shrugged. “It was just part of God's plan.”

“After everything, you still hold onto that?” It wasn’t surprising. This “everything”, this life-changing event… even this would not completely undo a lifetime of faith.

“This pain brought us closer together, did it not?”

Fuuta grunted in agreement. “S’pose so… But you’re so young… to have a permanent…”

“Even if this is forever, so are the bonds we forged. I would not have it any other way.”

“So cheesy…”

But it got a chuckle out of both of them, even though they needed a moment to catch their breaths after.

“Gotta hand it to you…” Fuuta said after a bit. “Living without regrets…”

“There is not enough time in the world for regrets,” Amane responded plainly. “I wish things could have turned out differently, but I would not change my own actions if I went back.”

“Can’t say the same… I’ll never make the same mistake again.” Fuuta sighed. “But… going forward, would you do it again?”

Amane averted her eye. “I hope I would not have to.” She paused for a moment. “At least the voices understand now. A little bit.”

“Glad they stopped the baseless accusations.”

“Still, I would rather they not pity me. But it is fine. It is easier to ignore.”

Fuuta shrugged. “Guess it could be worse.”

“Voices aside, do you think a lot about the next trial?”

“Haven't really…. Thought it was already over for me.”

“Of course it is not over. There is always hope for change.” Her tone fell. “Though I worry that the warden's sympathy is so arbitrary.”

“I'll make sure they don't regret their choice. Second chances… Hope they believe in that…”

“I am sure they do. That is why we have three trials, no?”

“But third chances… then…”

Amane seemed to be studying Fuuta’s expression. “You are worried about Sakurai Haruka.”

Fuuta nodded. “Him and Muu.”

“You made it through this trial. They can too. We can help them.”

“So comforting.” He rolled his eyes.

“I mean it,” Amane said sincerely. “If anyone can get through to them, it is you.”

Fuuta dropped the sarcastic tone. “You really think so?”

“I do. We can visit them right now if you want.” Amane walked over to a wall where a folded wheelchair was leaning, waiting to be used. “I’ll get… um, I’ll get Kirisaki Shidou to help.”

#milgram #amane momose #fuuta kajiyama #bad things happen to amane #cw cults #cw suicide #order of attack

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charliedawn · 16 days

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The Squib Witch:

A Surprising Conversation ! (Shorter episode)

Severus stood before the ghost of Dumbledore and hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to address the situation without showing his growing concern for the young Miss Pacino.

But, he had no choice.

"Headmaster Dumbledore. I would like to talk to you about one of our students. Miss Alethea Pacino."

Dumbledore closed his book and set it aside, his full attention now wholly focused on Severus. He leaned back in his chair, his expression one of interest as he wondered why Professor Snape wanted to talk about her. "Yes. What about Miss Pacino, Severus ?"

Severus’ jaw twitched in annoyance at that familiar innocent and clueless act of Dumbledore. Even after death, the old wizard kept playing the old same tune…

"I just spoke with her in the courtyard," Severus began, his voice stoic but betraying a hint of unease. "She was attempting to fly on a broom."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, his expression turning slightly amused. "Was she now ? And was she successful ?"

Severus' lip curled slightly downward.

That smug old bastard.

"No, she was not. But I guess you were already expecting it. She has not yet succeeded in any of her attempts to fly, nor has she been able to show any magical abilities thus far."

Dumbledore nodded, his expression becoming solemn as he thought back to the little girl who he had decided to take a chance on by allowing her to attend Hogwarts.

"I was and am aware of her...predicament," he confessed after a while—choosing his words carefully. "I've tried to help her access her magical abilities numerous times, unfortunately with no success."

Severus' brow furrowed as he listened to Dumbledore. He had expected as much, but hearing it confirmed only heightened his curiosity.

"What do you make of her situation then, Headmaster Dumbledore ?"

Dumbledore sighed, a thoughtful look on his face. "Miss Pacino's condition is quite perplexing. Her magical energy is there, lurking beneath the surface, but it remains out of her reach. It's as if something is obstructing it, preventing her from fully wielding her powers."

Severus frowned, his mind going through different possibilities. "Have you been able to determine what is blocking her magic ?"

Dumbledore shook his head, his expression turning somber and concerned. "Unfortunately, I have not. I have looked through many ancient tomes and even consulted with other magical experts, but the source of her predicament remains a mystery."

Severus clenched his jaw, his irritation growing at the lack of understanding. The fact that Dumbledore—the most knowledgeable wizard he knew—could not explain Al’s predicament only added to his frustration.

He let out a quiet sigh and spoke again. "And what do you suggest the next steps are, Headmaster ?"

Dumbledore considered the question for a moment before responding with a slight shrug. "I am dead, Severus. Her case is no longer of my responsibility. But, I believe the best course of action would be to continue observing and trying to help Miss Pacino. Though her condition is perplexing, I am confident that she will find a way to unlock her magic—sooner or later."

Severus frowned. That old man seemed almost happy to have death as an excuse for his incompetence…But, Severus only nodded, though he couldn't help but feel an underlying doubt in Dumbledore's words.

"I have promised her," he said, his voice a quiet whisper. "That I would help her."

Dumbledore looked up at Severus once more, a small knowing smile on his face. "I have a feeling you will be a great help to Miss Pacino, Severus," he said—his tone cryptic.

Severus huffed in response, his expression slightly annoyed. He hated when Dumbledore spoke in riddles like this. As if he always knew more than anyone else, when he could be the biggest ignorant of them all.

"What do I do then, Albus ?" he asked, his voice a mix of annoyance and resignation. "How am I supposed to help her when even you did not succeed in finding out what is wrong with her ?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly at Severus' impatient tone, but then his expression became serious. "You know, Severus," he said, his voice quiet yet firm. "Sometimes the greatest help we can offer is simply being there for someone, listening to them, and believing in them. Even in the face of uncertainty."

Severus felt a pang of frustration at Dumbledore's ambiguous words, but a part of him knew that the old Headmaster had a point. He let out a quiet sigh. He had never been one to offer any kind of support, but he had made a promise to help her and he would see it through.

He nodded reluctantly. "Very well," he said, his voice now resigned. "I will keep an eye on Miss Pacino and do what I can to assist her."

Dumbledore smiled softly, satisfied that Severus had agreed to help her. "I trust you will do a fine job, Severus," he said, his voice filled with confidence. "Miss Pacino is in good hands, indeed."

Severus tried to ignore the slight pang of worry in his stomach at Dumbledore’s words, and he simply nodded in response. Even though he knew that the Headmaster had yet again managed to somehow manipulate him. He glanced back at the fireplace—ready to leave—when Dumbledore spoke again.

"One more thing, Severus."

Severus looked back at Dumbledore.

"Yes ?" he asked shortly.

Dumbledore looked at him with a knowing expression and spoke quietly. "Must I remind you to be as patient and sensitive as possible with Miss Pacino ? She is already struggling enough with her situation, and I would not like for her to have further emotional strain."

Severus raised an eyebrow, his irritation giving way to surprise. Was Dumbledore really cautioning him about being patient and sensitive when he knew who he was ? What he had done ? How could that old fool ever ask something so foolish of him ?

But, he schooled his features into his usual expressionless mask and spoke shortly. "I'll keep that in mind," he finally said.

Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I am sure you will," he said, his tone now light again. "Good night, Severus. And good luck."

Severus could have sworn he saw a slight twinkle of mischief in Dumbledore's eye at his response but chose to ignore it. Severus' gaze lingered on Dumbledore for a moment before he nodded curtly. "Good night, Headmaster," he replied before turning around and walking towards the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it in the hearth before stepping inside.

The green flames blazed up, and he felt the familiar feeling of being squeezed through a tight passageway until he found himself back in his own office. He stepped out of the fireplace and dusted some of the ash off his robes, his mind still swirling with thoughts about Dumbledore's words.

He walked back to his desk and sat down, his eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of him.

He had never been one to worry about students' lives or emotional well-being. But there was something about Miss Pacino that stirred his interest. He couldn't figure out what it was. He leant back in his chair and closed his eyes, thinking about the stupid promise he had made her. He had promised to help her—whatever that may entail. He had also promised Dumbledore to be sensitive.

Bloody hell, he thought to himself. How on earth was he supposed to do that ?

Severus Snape was not known for his understanding or compassion. He rarely offered comfort, let alone emotional support. He let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was in uncharted waters here, and he had no idea what to expect.

But despite his usual indifference, he felt a strange sense of responsibility towards Miss Pacino. Perhaps it was because he had promised Dumbledore, or perhaps it was because her situation intrigued him.

Either way, he knew that he couldn’t ignore her any longer.

He clenched his jaw, his mind still racing with thoughts. He was not used to dealing with students on a personal level. He was a teacher—not a bloody therapist. His role was to impart knowledge and maintain discipline, not to offer emotional guidance. But here he was, tasked with assisting and helping her.

He scowled at the thought. It was all Dumbledore’s fault for putting him in this predicament to begin with. And then to ask him to be sensitive—as if he knew what that even meant.

He sighed and shook his head.

But it was no use dwelling on that now…He stood up, extinguishing the candles on his desk with a flick of his wand.

#fandoms #imagine #fanfic #harry potter oc #harry potter #severus snape

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ticklish-n-stuff · 11 months

Text

Profile Tag Game

Hello: I'm Sakura! No offense, but umm... why do you want to talk to me? Haha! That was awkward... but jokes aside, let's strive to have a pleasant chat!~

Chat: Tickling - Do I like tickling? Well... yeah. It's been one of my "special" interests for as long as I can remember. W-why are you looking at me like that...?

Chat: Psychology - I don't get passionate about many things, but this, this is something I'm sure of.

Chat: Music - When my emotions can't get put into words, listening to music helps gather my thoughts.

When it Rains: I never understood how nature sounds can be relaxing. I just automatically tune out the noise.

After the Rain: Ugh, it's gonna get real cold tonight. Make sure to bundle up well, don't want our joints hurting now, haha!

When Thunder Strikes: *gasp* S-sorry, I get easily startled...

When it Snows: Snow...? I've never seen it myself. Although, I doubt my body could handle it.

When the Sun is Out: Hngh... my eyes are weak to such intense light...

When the Wind is Blowing: Even when I cut my hair shorter, it still brushes against my ears and neck! It tickles so bad... Don't laugh at me, haha!

Good Morning: Morning already...? Ugh... How do I get out of bed?

Good Afternoon: Can I nap already, pleaseeeee? I promise I'll do my work later.

Good Evening: It's evening, y'know what that means... Time to suddenly feel somewhat energetic and cram everything I didn't do during my day!

Good Night: Every night without fail, I'll daydream about my interests until I fall asleep.

About Sakura: Physical affection - I'm not the most touchy person out there, but that doesn't mean I'm against receiving it!

About Sakura: Relationships - I recently learned that I value my friendships more over romantic relationships, although I'm still a sucker for crappy romcoms.

About Sakura: Perception - It always baffles me when people describe me diferently as to how I view myself. It probably comes off as attention seeking, but I genuinly don't get it.

Something to Share: Language - My main language is actually spanish! Although I prefer to speak english, much easier hehe.

Interesting things: Growing up - Growing up is much less scarier than what other people make it out to be. Could've saved me the extra anxiety, haha!

Sakura's Hobbies: I don't open up about my hobbies much because of past judgement. But essentially, I like to play videogames and write. Sometimes I'll read or watch shows if I'm not too tired.

Sakura's Troubles: What troubles me...? Haha! Hahahaha! Where do I even begin?

Favorite Food: I could eat pasta every day of my life and die happy.

Least Favorite Food: I'm not really sure. I tend to dislike most foods based on texture more than taste.

About @xsezzie : Sezzie is such a sweet and caring person, I'm so glad I get to call her my friend. I wouldn't trade all those talks about MEN for anything, hehe~

About @nervousswitch : At first, I wasn't too fond of being viewed as a big sister, but Ariy has made me enjoy it, not gonna lie.

About @kairoscler : It's kinda crazy to think that Kairo showed up randomly one day in my ask box talking about lee Rui, and now we have such a strong bond.

About @lovinglyroses : Lucy is my platonic soulmate!~ But in all seriousness, I'm so glad to be friends with such a ray of sunshine.

About @practickles : Those thoughtful conversations I've had with Catet will forever reign in my heart.

About @jackytickles : With Jack, there's never a dull moment. He's one of the few people I'd go out of my way to hug.

About @azureyemberzz : Being friends with Amber is a rollercoaster of emotions. I don't like rollercoasters, but reaching the end makes it all worth it.

Ty Sezzie for tagging me, this was fun to do (^○^)💖

Tagging: @kittyfluffies @jackytickles @duckymcdoorknob @kaerichan-yatta @kairoscler @lovinglyroses @practickles @azureyemberzz and anyone who wants to do it!

#tag game #genshin profile #profile tag game #random shitpost

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gemsofthegalaxy · 2 years

Note

Have you done any kanej pregnancy fics or could you 🥺

Sorry this is literally like 2 years too late but I've been watching the SnB show and finally it got me to revisit this prompt!!!! I included the fankid I already wrote for them, an adoptive daughter named Iman.

it's only around 690 words but I hope you enjoy :> I can't promise i'll write any more on the subject, but who knows where my fickle whims will take me.

They aren’t sure how it happened.

Well, that's a lie. There is, after all, only one way for something like this to happen.

It's just, given their very… sporadic intimate life, they had not expected it to happen.

Five years ago, it would have been a horrifying prospect, but now.... Inej is excited, even if it's happened so quickly.

They don't tell people right away. There is a holiday coming up, so the family will all be together, and Kaz figures they can tell them all then. In fact, it will probably be obvious by the look of Inej's belly, especially with her rather slight frame.

On the day that they found out, Kaz placed a gloved hand on Inej's stomach without hesitation.

She laughed, just a bit.

"You know it's too early to feel anything."

"Still. Something is there already," he said, and Inej let out a sigh of content.

One week later, they told their eldest daughter, Iman. She was bouncing off the walls with excitement to have a sibling again.

She got used to having other kids around during her time at the orphanage, and while she sees Wylan and Jesper's lot almost every day, she can't wait to have a baby in the house. To be an older sister, even!

That also means Mama won't be traveling for the time being- Inej has gone on shorter, less frequent trips since Iman came into their lives, but she won't be going out until after she’s given birth. It's not that she thinks she's incapable, but.... she doesn't want to press her luck, you know?

And there's the tiny sigh of relief from Kaz when she tells him she's staying home to think about, too.

For his part, Kaz is glad Inej will be home. People who don't know him might be surprised how much family means to him, but those who do know it's everything. He believes in Inej's mission and would never hold her back but, well- every moment with her, his life is better for it.

When the Holiday comes around, as expected, Inej has swelled. They thought, for a moment, about sending a letter ahead to Nina but it was deemed too risky- select few people know that Inej and Kaz have a child already, and only the people they decide to tell will know about them having a second one.

When she sees her, Nina picks Inej up and swings her around and the two of them laugh joyfully. Kaz sits in a chair and sips a drink as Jesper shakes his head beside him.

The three kids between them are already running around, hellbent on scuffing up their nice shoes, and Wylan is bringing out a plate of food for everyone to pick at. He places it in a spot that hopefully won't be knocked over by children or animals.

Nina refuses to shut up, about how beautiful a thing it is. To create new life, for a belly to grow with another being. Kaz has to step away for a minute with her descriptions, but Inej is rapt and finds herself in agreement.

She’d never much thought about it before- had not planned to be a mother until Iman waltzed into her life. But it is a bit beautiful, isn’t it?

Inej and Kaz are wonderful parents, if you ask their friends. Conventional? No. But devoted to their child, and the one on the way? Absolutely.

Nina nearly shrieks when the baby kicks, and everyone catches Inej’s eye before their hands fly to her belly. Wylen gives her a shy grin, and his eldest child is over the moon to feel such magic under his hand, having not felt it before.

“Iman, do you want to feel the baby too?”

“No, Mama, give uncle Jesper a chance, I’ll feel it at home.”

They’re raising a sweet girl. A kind girl, if a bit rambunctious.

Kaz trails over, once the cooing and fawing from their family has stopped, and touches Inej lightly to feel the baby’s last strong kick of the evening.

Inej smiles and leans up for a light brush of the lips, before her partner sits next to her and receives their daughter in his lap carefully.

No, they never expected Inej to become pregnant, not her, not Kaz, not their family or friends. But they're all happy, overjoyed, even, that it turned out this way after all.

#kanej #my fic #my writing #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #my au

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taros · 1 year

Note

(Sorry these take so long. I over estimated my writing capabilities. I'm going to write dialogue for this section, but if you'd rather I just put "You talked about blah blah" for future asks to keep them shorter, lmk.)

You go over to the bar where the Elven woman is and sit two seats over before ordering a drink. When she glances your way, you take the opportunity to introduce yourself.

"I'm Lys," (LEE-s) she says as she gives you a firm handshake. "You look a little familiar, have I seen you around before?" She gives you a knowing look, but lets you decide if you want to admit to your status or not. Before you can answer, she calmly turns to you with a smile, "Is there any trouble you need help with? Either to solve or to make?" You explain that you want to get out a bit, filled with the need to do something. Nothing in particular, but definitely something. Still smiling, she turns back to her drink, "I know that feeling. I can help guide you if you need. I'll be done in this this by around 7. Meet me at the gates if you don't mind the wait." You agree, then turn around to look at the other two you noticed earlier.

You look at the man by the window and decide to approach. He seems startled when you say hello and ask if anyone else is sitting there. "No, I'm alone." (Think kinda thick Russian accent that I don't know how to type without being offensive) You slowly take the seat across from him as he watches you confused, but doesn't object. You introduce yourself. He takes a moment to do the same. "I'm Nuolan," (Similar to how You'd say Nolan, but a slight oo sound after the N.) "nice to meet you..." You ask him what he's writing, but he quickly closes his notebook. He seems shy and unsure of your intentions. You explain that he looks like he'd fare well on the road. "Thank you. I do well, yes." You ask him what he's doing around here. "I'm traveling. I'm in a place, I see things, then I go to a new place." You ask him if he goes places with others, or if he's alone. "I'm by myself." You ask if he would want to help you travel a bit, with the promise of gold. He thinks a bit, then shakes his head, "Okay, I will be leaving soon, we can meet at the gate if that's okay?" You shake on it, then turn to look over at the young woman in the corner.

You approach the table she's at. She doesn't look up at you, but does pull her open binder standing on the table closer, mostly blocking the view of the pages she looking at. From what you can see, they're in a language you might know with sigils you don't recognize, but can't see well enough to try to read. "I've already ordered," she says as she points to her drink. You explain that you're not a waiter. "Then why are you speaking with me?" You ask if she knows her way around. "Well enough. Why?" You explain you plan on going traveling and thought she seemed like she'd have experience with that. "Yes." You offer her gold to help guide and guard you if need be. "Money buys food and shelter, so fine. Meet me at the gate in an hour. I expect you'll be providing transportation."

You'll be leaving when the last person is ready. As nobility, you have your pick of transportation, but choose wisely. Will you be going by foot, on horseback, a horse and cart, or by carriage?

thanks in advance aha, i appreciate that these take a lot of time <3, I’m going with horseback

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sunshine-vx · 1 year

Text

Across Space, Time and Dreams (ASTaD) (Ch. 18)

(Blankshippers DNI)

(Please refer to beginning of chapter 1 post for complete list of CWs/TWs)

(Extra notes: Woo, a new chapter out already! Glad I could get another chapter out sooner than later like I said! :] That being said, though, I'm gonna let yall know that, unfortunately, the next chapter will probably take a while to be posted. I've already gotten it written, but basically ever since the idea for that chapter came into my head, I've told myself I'd make an animation for it. It's going to be about 1 minute and 10 seconds long, and if I get help, it will only be from one person. I'm out for summer break, so hopefully I'll be able to get it done faster, but I can't promise it will be as fast as I'd hope. I hope yall can understand, and I sincerely hope that whatever the result is will be worth it! I've been challenging myself with this fic ever since I started it, and I'm glad to tackle a new challenge! That aside, I hope yall enjoy! This one's a bit shorter compared to the previous two, hahah.)

(This chapter's illustrations done by @moonlightalpha666 !)

(Read it on Ao3 here! (Not yet uploaded to Ao3, link will be here when it is!))

(Reblogs are appreciated!)

Emmet woke up before Ingo did. That was expected, although it made Emmet happy, as well as slightly amused him, that Ingo's sleeping habits seemed to not change much, even in a place like this. Emmet got up to look at the old-fashioned clock on the windowsill- The time read 7:30 AM; An hour and a half to prepare and get to the Temple.

Emmet went back over to the pallet and sat down by his brother, shaking him gently by the shoulders a few times.

"Ingo. Ingo, come on." Emmet stated, "It is time to get up."

After a few shakes, Ingo mumbled something incomprehensible before his eyes opened. "Huh..? Emmet..?"

"Ingo, brother, it is three-thirty in the morning." Emmet explained, "We must be at the Temple of Sinnoh around nine so that I can summon Dialga and Palkia."

Ingo was silent for a moment, seeming delirious, before he jumped and his eyes opened wide.

"Oh, right!" Ingo exclaimed, quickly, standing up, followed by Emmet, "Yes, let us begin preparing at once!"

Now that they were both awake, the twins quickly got dressed into their uniforms, beginning the gather what they needed for the trip and a possible trip to their origin world after that.

"Ingo. Dialga and Palkia may bring us home, so make sure not to forget anything you will need." Emmet stated, putting his Pokéballs into his coat.

Ingo was also gathering his Pokéballs into his coat as well, "Regarding items, I have everything; I just need to bid my farewells to those I feel it's necessary to do so, first."

Emmet nodded, "Yup. Of course."

Emmet and Ingo exited the house, Ingo spotting Zisu making her way for the village's gates. Ingo jogged up to her, Emmet following suit.

"Lady Zisu! Are you headed for the Temple of Sinnoh?" Ingo questioned, "Do you know where Akari and Rei are? They told us they'd be waiting at the village gates for us."

Zisu nodded, carrying a bag with one of her arms, "I sure am! And Akari and Rei are right where they said they'd be, so we can just walk together."

Ingo responded, "Thank you."

"That is good." Emmet commented.

Zisu gave a friendly smile, and the three made haste for the village gates. Akari and Rei stood some ways outside them, just as was promised.

Zisu waved as she continued walking past Akari and Rei, heading for the Temple on her own, the others returning the gesture, before Ingo and Emmet turned to face Akari and Rei.

"So, you will be helping us to the Temple of Sinnoh, and our stops before that?" Emmet asked.

Akari nodded, "Indeed, we thought you guys would benefit from a bit of help."

"Besides, safety in numbers, right?" Rei added.

Emmet voiced, "Yes. Thank you verrry much."

"Excellent! You both have our thanks!" Ingo exclaimed, "I planned on making way for the Coronet Highlands first, to meet with Hectar and Lady Sneasler. How is that?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Akari replied, "Ingo, you lead the way and I'll be right at your side if you need help. Emmet and Rei must also be on the look-out, of course."

"I will stay by you. And keep watch." Emmet spoke to Ingo.

Ingo nodded and smiled, then stepped forward, the others preparing to follow, "Bravo! Yes, we will stay and work together! Now then- full speed ahead!"

After some trecking, the group made their way to the Coronet Highlands. Thanks to Akari's vast collection of Pokémon and the group's combined knowledge, they were able to get there quicker than a usual trip between the lands.

While Akari had become accustomed to the ins and outs of the Highlands, Ingo knew the Highlands like the back of his hand; He knew just what shortcuts to use, when and how to use them, and most importantly, where Lady Sneasler's seat was located.

As Ingo led the quartet up the path to Lady Sneasler's seat, they were suddenly met with Lady Sneasler herself hopping down in the middle of the path in front of them, Hectar emerging from a turn close behind the Noble.

The group stopped in their tracks, taken aback.

"Woah!" Rei vocalized.

Lady Sneasler made a hissing sound that almost sounded like laughter, flicking her feather away with her claw.

Ingo chuckled and waved to Sneasler, "Good morning, my Lady!"

Hectar approached the group, laughing a bit as well.

"Lady Sneasler has been waiting to see you, Ingo." Hectar explained "She wants to go to the Temple with us."

"Oh, really?" Ingo responded, "Well, let us get to her seat first. We can discuss things there."

Hectar nodded, Sneasler making a purring noise, Ingo initiating the rest of the walk to Lady Sneasler's seat.

"So you want to come to the Temple?" Ingo spoke to Sneasler, Hectar standing by the Noble.

Sneasler made some clicking and trilling sounds. She did. She wanted to be there for whatever happened.

"Alright. I have nothing against that idea!" Ingo conveyed, "But will your kits be safe?"

Sneasler made more clicking noises, Hectar piping in.

"I've been training my team in preparation for situations like these! They'll stay here to protect the kits- and I'll bring my Alakazam with me, in case they need to call for help!"

Ingo nodded, showing approval of Hectar's plan. "That sounds great!"

"Well, then I see no reason why you can't come!" Ingo said as he turned back to his Lord, raising his arm to give the Noble some pets. Sneasler purred, a silly looking grin on her face.

Ingo lowered his hand and spoke again, "Well, we've got some time to spare, lucky for us, as I hoped to be able to do a few things before heading to the Temple, first."

"What would that be?" Hectar wondered. Sneasler cocked her head to the side, also curious.

Ingo took a bag out from one of his coat's large pockets

"My Lady, we made your favorite again; But with a twist!" Ingo exclaimed.

Sneasler made a curious clicking noise.

"I helped," Emmet added, "I hope that is okay…my Lady."

Ingo approached the bowl at the seat and poured the contents of the bag inside, "Yes, Emmet helped me make your dish for this morning, my Lady! He did his best and I'm sure it'll be excellent! Is that okay?"

Lady Sneasler approached the bowl and looked at the food. It was still very recognizable as her favorite dish Ingo had perfected, but it certainly was different this time.

Sneasler sniffed the bowl and hesitantly took a bite of the food. Then, her eyes lit up, and she began eating quicker while purring could be heard coming from her.

Hectar smiled and Emmet sighed with relief, Ingo clapping his hands.

"Bravo, Emmet! She loves it!"

Emmet smiled and turned to Sneasler,

"I am glad I was able to make an enjoyable dish for you."

Lady Sneasler made a trilling noise before taking another bite.

"My Lady, I don't mean to bother you, but I would like to see the kits and eggs before we leave to the Temple," Ingo stated, "could Emmet see the eggs with us? He is very gentle and loving to little ones."

Lady Sneasler, almost done with her food, thought for a moment. Then, she made a content hissing noise, nodding. She was sure Ingo would take care of Emmet if he did anything, and Emmet had proved to be nothing but friendly so far.

"Excellent! You have our thanks, Lady Sneasler!" Ingo replied.

Emmet nodded, "Thank you, Lady Sneasler. I appreciate it a lot."

Sneasler replied with trills and clicks. She would follow them soon.

Ingo turned to Hectar, "Hectar, would you like to come with us?"

Hectar nodded, "Of course!"

Ingo, Emmet, Akari, Rei and Hectar made their way into the den. Emmet seemed struck by adorableness by the sight of the kits.

"They are so cute!"

"I know, right?" Rei agreed.

"Indeed, they are!" Ingo chuckled, and even though the eggs may not have been able to hear them, Ingo spoke, "Little ones! You may have heard news of a new person here! He is my brother, and he is very kind! He's here to see you all with me, so don't be afraid to say hi!"

Emmet smiled. The group took some more steps in the cave.

"Look, Ingo, this is the egg I told you about!" Hectar commented suddenly, walking towards an egg snuggled in a bed made of some grass and other soft materials. It was almost the same as the other eggs, but looked a tiny bit different.

Emmet and Ingo followed Hectar, Akari and Rei looking from a few paces away.

"Is this the egg you told me Lady Sneasler had recently?"

"Yes, sir! It seems healthy overall, but it seems just a bit different from the others."

Ingo thought for a moment. Then, he got an idea!

"Well! I think I'd be able to tell just fine, but my brother here is especially knowledgeable in care of baby Pokémon!" Ingo exclaimed, "Emmet, how about you help me take a look at this egg?"

Emmet seemed surprised, but was glad to take the offer. "Of course I can do that."

With that, the twins examined the egg for some moments, before speaking to each other for another.

"So?" Hectar asked.

"It is hard to tell; It may be a bit more fragile than the others, or be a little weaker, but we would only really be able to tell when it is born." Emmet explained.

"Lady Sneasler will probably be able to tell when the egg is a bit more developed." Ingo added.

"But it's not bad?"

"No, nothing necessarily bad."

Hectar nodded, "That's good"

"Well, I'm going to say my farewells to the other little ones." Ingo commented. He smiled and gave the egg a few pats, "I'll see you again, little one!"

Emmet laughed a little and also gave the egg a few pats. Ingo stood up, Emmet following.

As promised, Ingo walked around the cave, giving each egg and kit some pets and kind words. Emmet followed suite, wanting to let the little ones know he meant no harm- plus, they were pretty cute! He gave them a few pets and a few nice words. Some kits were a bit hesitant to let Emmet pet them, but he at least got one or two pets, and he made sure not to push their comfort levels.

A lot of them didn't have nearly as much trust in him as Ingo, but he thought he was doing well.

Soon, it was time to go.

"It's about time to get going now." Ingo stated.

Ingo, Emmet, Akari, Rei and Hectar walked to the exit of the den, where Lady Sneasler had been standing for a bit now.

Irida vocalized, "When we get to the Pearl Clan, we should perform a short ceremony to set Hectar's new role in stone. Is that alright with you all?"

Ingo nodded, Sneasler making a trilling sound of agreement. Hectar seemed shocked at first, but encouraged by the approval of the other two, he beamed, giving Irida a small bow, "I would be forever blessed."

The others only nodded- they were not part of the Pearl Clan, and they had no reason to object.

Irida smiled at Hectar's enthusiasm, "Then it is settled."

With that, Hectar and the others then turned back to look into the den.

"Goodbye, little ones! I'll be back soon, and Hectar will do his very best to take care of you all!" Ingo announced, "Don't worry, he is a great warden!"

"Goodbye! Thank you for meeting me!" Emmet added.

"I'll be back later today!" Hectar said.

"See you all some other time!" Akari exclaimed.

"Byyee!" Rei chimed in.

"Do keep an eye on that egg." Ingo told Lady Sneasler and Hectar as they left. Sneasler made some clicking noises in response, as she understood. Hectar nodded.

Once they were outside, they stopped at the exit of Sneasler's seat.

"So, you're coming with us to the Temple? For sure?" Ingo asked the Noble.

Sneasler made a trilling noise. She was sure.

Ingo smiled and nodded, "Alright then! We need to visit clan grounds in the Alabaster Icelands first, and then we will make haste for the Temple? Everyone on board?"

Sneasler trilled.

"Yes, sir!" Hectar answered.

"Absolutely!" Akari replied

"Of course!" Rei responded.

"Yup!" Emmet said simply.

"Good!" Ingo stated, "Let's go!"

Soon, the group made it to the Pearl Settlement in the Alabaster Icelands. Sneasler was certainly helpful in getting them there faster.

Irida was waiting at the entrance of the Settlement. She waved at Ingo and the others when they gave into view, the group returning the gesture.

"Good morning, Lady Irida. Thank you for waiting for us!" Ingo spoke.

"No need to thank me," Irida replied, "I have the people gathered if you wish to make any announcements. I'll at least be making a few."

"That's great, actually! I would like to make a few announcements, as well." Ingo turned to the others.

"Is it okay if you all accompany us in the announcements? If needed?"

All of them seemed to respond in the affirmative.

Ingo nodded, before turning back to Irida.

"We're ready."

Irida nodded and walked into the Settlement. Ingo and the others heard mumbling and whispering as they followed Irida towards the hot springs, where the announcements would be held.

Irida stepped onto one of the rocks by the hotsprings, Ingo, Emmet, Akari, Rei and Hectar standing to the side.

"Attention! Thank you all for gathering here today." Irida spoke, "We're here this morning because I have important news, and there are things you must hear from a few others as well."

"As you all know, Warden Ingo appeared here mysteriously one day. Warden Ingo has been looking into his origins more lately. As you may also know, his brother, Emmet, appeared here just yesterday by similar means." Irida continued, "Emmet has made claims that he got help from Dialga and Palkia to come here, and wishes to bring Ingo to their origin world. Ingo has agreed to go temporarily. Emmet will soon be tested when we leave for the Temple of Sinnoh. Warden Ingo will now make an announcement regarding these important manners and their details."

Irida stepped down, Ingo stepping up after her. Ingo waved up Emmet, Hectar and Lady Sneasler, who stepped up beside him. Ingo faced the crowd before him.

"Greetings, everyone! Thank you for coming to listen to me today. As Irida said, I have a few important things to say." Ingo explained, gesturing to Emmet, "As you all have been told, this is my twin brother, Emmet. He wishes to bring me home to my origin world, and I wish to go for a while. My trip will not be permanent– if change occurs, I will do my best to make sure it goes smoothly! In my origin world, I will be recovering my memories and learning about my origin world and myself."

Ingo glanced at Hectar and Lady Sneasler. He continued.

"It may also be known that I have been training a successor to my role as Lady Sneasler's Warden. As far as I have planned, I will not be giving up my role as Warden any time soon, but I need someone to help me in situations like this- and there's no harm in preparing for things early, right?"

Ingo turned and nodded at Hectar, who nodded back and turned to the crowd.

"Thank you all. It is an honor to be Warden Ingo's predecessor, and one of Lady Sneasler's caretakers."

Lady Sneasler made content trilling and clicking noises, flicking her feather away.

Ingo once again faced the crowd. He began speaking once more.

"I will say, that I believe that this announcement is the last time I will be here at the clan for a while. I believe Emmet is telling the truth. And if not..then I will face the consequences of my actions." Ingo stated, "But! I will treat the end of this announcement true to my beliefs. Everything will be well; I hope you can trust me and my words. So I end this announcement with a farewell until I return and take care. All of you have our thanks!"

"Emmet, can you step down for a few moments? We are about to perform the ceremony." Ingo said

"Of course." Emmet replied with a nod before stepping down and off of the rocks, Irida stepping back up onto them.

"With that, let us perform a short ceremony to celebrate Hectar's newfound status as Warden Ingo's successor."

Ingo, Hectar and Lady Sneasler stepped onto the rocks with Irida. The crowd, along with Emmet, watched intently as the ceremony was performed. It consisted of a few small rituals, mostly symbolic vows important to the completion of the ceremony.

At the very end, Ingo placed a small bracelet on Hectar's wrist. It wasn't as patterned or large as Ingo's, but it definitely served as an indicator of Hectar's new role.

And with that, Hectar, Irida, Ingo, and even Lady Sneasler all took a bow.

"It is done. We all welcome Hectar as Ingo's successor, and our dear Noble Sneasler's future Warden." Irida stated.

After another exchange of words– including Hectar's thanks– him, Ingo and Sneasler dispersed back off the rocks.

Irida turned to once again face the crowd,

"And there you have it. Warden Ingo will be leaving now, and I must accompany him. I will not be gone for long." Irida stated, "Do not worry. You can trust us, as Warden and Leader. Take care of yourselves. You may all go now."

The crowd murmured again, but seemed mostly content. They slowly dispersed from the hot springs.

Irida stepped down and faced the others.

"Thank you for letting me say what I wanted, even if you didn't necessarily like it." Ingo spoke to Irida.

"I am not mad, or disappointed," Irida replied, "I suppose I'm just..worried."

"You don't have to worry. I know I have no proof of that but..I'll say it anyway."

"I appreciate that. Truly, I do."

"I would like to thank you, as well, Miss Irida." Emmet stated.

Irida gave Emmet a smile and simply nodded.

Rei commented, "Do we have anything else to do? Or should we finally make our way to the Temple of Sinnoh?"

Nobody objected to the idea.

"Alright then, we should get going." Irida said, "Akari, why don't you lead the way?"

Akari smiled and nodded, "To the Temple of Sinnoh we go! Is everybody ready?"

The others all answered in the positive.

With that, Akari turned to face the direction they would walk, then announced;

"Let's go!"

Eventually, the group finally got to the Temple of Sinnoh. It was high up on the mountains, the structure broken and worn after the arrival of Palkia and Dialga while they were frenzied.

Now, it was a silent place, its pillars piercing the sky.

Everyone else was already waiting; Adaman, Zisu and Cyllene.

They stood near the center, Akari and the others approaching them.

"So, shall we begin? There's not much to say." Cyllene remarked, "We all know why we're here."

Irida conveyed, "Hectar, Lady Sneasler, follow me, please."

Hectar and Lady Sneasler did as they were told, walking with Irida to stand near a broken pillar opposite of where Adaman stood, Cyllene and Zisu near yet another.

Rei and Akari decided to approach Zisu and Cyllene; They were more used to Jubilife Village, after all.

"I'm going to stay near Emmet." Ingo proclaimed. No one objected, although Ingo felt as if they weren't the fondest of his decision.

"Emmet needs the Orbs to summon Dialga and Palkia." Rei exclaimed.

"Right." Akari replied, facing Adaman and Irida, who nodded in approval. Akari nodded back and approached Emmet, reaching in her satchel and taking out the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs. Emmet's heart began racing upon the sight of them; This was it.

"Here. Now it's time to let Dialga and Palkia decide what should happen next." Akari spoke as she handed the Orbs to Emmet.

Emmet nodded and took the Orbs, "Yup. Thank you verrry much."

Akari stepped back and returned to the pillar she had been standing at before.

Ingo stuck to his word and stood beside Emmet, although making sure to take a few steps back, as he was unsure what would happen.

"I will begin now." Emmet stated. No one objected.

In response to that, Emmet carefully placed the Orbs on the ground in front of the center, to the left and the right. He then returned to the center.

Emmet then spoke, loud and clear.

"Dialga and Palkia! I have arrived in Hisui, just as I said I would, and as you sent me to! Not only that, I have found my brother, Ingo! Not everything is as I thought it would be; Some good, some bad." Emmet exclaimed, "Ingo and I wish to go home, for a temporary amount of time. The people of Hisui are skeptical of me and my claims of your aid to me- and so I am summoning you here, both to prove myself and ask something of you!"

Emmet's speech echoed through the air before vanishing. His heart rate went up. Ingo stiffened. For a moment, they both felt fear; What if they didn't show up at all?

Then, the ground and sky began to rumble. Yelps and other sounds of surprise came from everyone standing at the Temple. Then, two massive portals formed in front of the Orbs, which now began to vanish. Emmet smiled wide and Ingo's eyes sparkled.

And then, the gods of Space and Time stepped through the portals, making their appearance onto the Temple. The portals closed behind them.

Everyone stared in awe. Adaman, Irida, and Hectar got on their knees, bowing to their lords.

"..Humans." The voices of Palkia and Dialga echoed in Emmet and everyone else's heads.

"You have summoned the Gods of Space and Time to this Temple."

Before anyone could speak, the legends' voices boomed again.

"Emmet. You have summoned us here."

"Yes. I told you why, but I ask that you allow some of the others to speak."

Emmet faced Ingo, who blinked, surprised. But then he nodded, seemingly knowing what he would say.

Ingo stepped forward, beside Emmet.

"Dialga, Palkia. My brother summoned you here for two reasons; But first things first…" Ingo continued, "Emmet has claimed to all of us that he had your aid to come here and search for me. I believe him with all my heart and soul, but others want your confirmation of his truth. Please, I ask you to give us your answer."

Dialga and Palkia were quiet for a moment, scanning the people who stood upon the Temple. Ingo became nervous, but tried to shake it off. Surely, they were thinking of what to say.

Then, they heard their voices again.

"..The truth he speaks indeed. And it seems his determination has not wavered between different spaces and times."

Emmet and Ingo felt multiple tons of weights lift off their shoulders. The others looked shocked.

"So it's true!" Rei exclaimed, "I knew I could believe in you guys!"

Ingo smiled at Emmet, who smiled back at him. They were both immensely happy.

"You have summoned us here," Dialga and Palkia spoke again, "you said, for two reasons. You have spoken one- what is the other?"

"Dialga and Palkia, much of my memory is missing, but my heart still remembers; Even without the memories, I know that Emmet is my brother, and I know I have a home from where and when he came." Ingo explained, "He wants to bring me there, and I wish to go, for a temporary amount of time. After that time is over, we both wish to return here."

Finally, Irida spoke up, "..Can that be arranged?"

"It can," Dialga and Palkia answered, "we can bring Emmet and Ingo to their world of origin, and when their amount of time is over, we will pull them back here. How much time do they request?"

"Two months and a half." Cyllene answered.

"That can be done."

Suddenly, the Temple shook again, and a single portal opened in front of Ingo and Emmet.

"This is your way home."

"It's that easy, huh…?" Irida articulated, "So I guess you won't be having to go back."

Ingo shook his head, "No. But…before I go forward; Thank you, all of you. Some people would be cruel, and not let me go at all…I thank you for giving Emmet and I a chance."

"Yup, yup!" Emmet exclaimed, "Thank you all so, so verrry much!"

He sounded genuine.

The others replied with their affirmations in response to the brothers' gratefulness.

Akari and Rei ran up to Ingo and hugged him, Ingo laughing. He returned the gesture, glancing at Lady Sneasler and Irida, smiling. Sneasler trilled, Irida smiling in return as they walked over to Ingo, Akari and Rei stepping back. Ingo and Irida shared a hug, Irida stepping away after a moment, before Lady Sneasler licked Ingo on his forehead and patted him with her claws, Ingo laughing and giving her a hug as well, along with some pats on her head.

Ingo and Sneasler ended their gestures to each other before stepping back.

"I will be going now. Once again, thank you all so much. We're both eternally grateful."

"The trip through the portal will cause unconsciousness." Dialga and Palkia spoke to Ingo and Emmet alone, "Do not worry. You will awaken in a familiar place, and no damage will occur. Do you both still wish to go?"

Ingo then turned to Emmet. They both nodded at each other, then at the legendary Pokémon.

"Then, take your step."

Ingo turned to Emmet again, who turned back to Ingo.

"Ready?" Ingo asked.

"Ready as I will ever be!" Emmet replied.

Emmet reached out his hand. Ingo smiled and took it.

Emmet started, "On one.."

"Two.." Ingo continued,

"Three!"

In sync, the twin brothers jumped into the portal that would lead them to home, which closed behind them. And as they drifted off into unconsciousness almost immediately, for some reason they wondered.

What would the realm of dreams offer them this time?

Chapter 17 (part 2 of 2)

Chapter 19 (part 1 of 2)

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confetti-cupcake · 2 years

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Do you have any updates on your reality show AUs? I love your descriptions and the shows you chose. Patient waiting for when you drop updates or even the whole fics.

Hi there! 😊 First of all, it makes me so happy that you're interested and asking about my fics. It means more than you know to know that someone is actually interested in the reality TV premises and are excited to read something that I wrote.

To get a little personal, I haven't written much lately, or been very active on here for a while. We had a death in my family about a month ago, and then a friend of mine suddenly passed away at the beginning of October. So essentially I've spent this month in various states of grief, which as you can imagine, is not the best for fic writing, or engaging in 9-1-1 content in general. I have been slowly getting back into it though, trying to write a little at a time until I get my motivation back.

For more specific updates about each of the fics I'm working on:

🔪 Whodunnit — I'm taking a break from this one until death becomes a little less... topical in my life lol. I'm definitely going to come back to it at some point (I've actually been thinking up ways to change it so I don't have to make it include deaths of characters we all love), but I'm turning my focus toward other fics for now.

✈ Amazing Race — I don't want to promise anything since I don't know what my workload is going to be for the next few months, but I'm fairly certain that I will have this done by the end of the year, or end of January at the latest. This fic is either going to be a one-shot or a two-chapter fic, so much shorter than the others. I already have a lot of the meat drafted out, so most of what's left is writing up the last few legs and building out the connections between the "big" scenes. (I'm really, really excited about this one)

💖 Are You The One? — This one is a little tricky. I'm almost halfway done with this one (7 chapters written out of a projected 15). Problem is, I'm not super happy with chapter 7 and I've kind of been putting off editing it for that reason. I think I'll feel better once I just sit down and confront the issues I've been having with it head-on, but just finding the motivation to do it has been tough. I've been writing it in strict sequential order up until this point, but I have a really detailed outline for the rest, so I might just jump around to the scenes I've been wanting to write to get the creativity flowing and worry about the rest later.

🌴 Survivor — Ah, my beloved that also simultaneously makes me want to bang my head against the wall. I wrote about this in another ask, but there are a few reasons why this one has been taking a while and they pretty much just stem from the fact that I just want it to be really, really good. The first being that I've slowly kind of fallen out of love with Lone Star over time — I still plan on watching it and I don't think it's bad or anything, but it was getting really hard to find the motivation to write from the POV of those characters. So I changed the cast to all OG characters, which has been really exciting for me. It just feels better and it helps the story a LOT that not everyone in the cast is a character we're supposed to like. However, the downside to this change is I had 100k words worth of the fic with the old cast drafted out, so now I have to completely re-write a lot of the scenes and change storylines to get them to fit with the new cast.

Also, unlike my other fics, the Survivor one isn't completely focused on Buddie. It has scenes from everyone's POV, and each person in the cast has their own story arc throughout the game. Buddie will definitely be a big part of it, but there's also a fair amount that has nothing to do with them. I just love all the OG 9-1-1 characters and wanted to write something that gave everyone their time to shine — I also thought the actual Survivor game would be more fun and interesting if we hear what everyone's thinking along the way, rather than from just two people.

Full disclosure, I am in the middle of editing chapter 2 of this fic, so still a ways to go on that, but as the number of characters voted out increases, the chapters will become faster to write and edit. Also as I start finishing up stuff on my other fics, it'll open up more time for me to work on this 😄 I'm very committed to getting it done, regardless of how long it takes!

And now, off to work on some of these! 😉

#ask box #anon ask #fic update

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ay0nha · 3 years

Text

Long Days | Peter Parker (Blurb)

Pairing: Andrew Garfiled!Spider-Man x POC!reader

Request: “idk if ur still taking request but I just saw no way home and that refueled my Andrew phase so I was wondering if u could write something abt him w a darker toned reader?? Idc what it’s abt I just don’t see a lot of these w darker readers :))”

*GENDER NEUTRAL CHARACTER* (No pronouns mentioned, tried my best to make it as neutral as possible)

Word Count: 1.5K (ish) -

A/N: On the shorter side, but I enjoyed writing this SO MUCH. Thank you so much to the anon who requested this. I know I wrote something more specific for someone who is black, so do NOT hesitate to reach out if you'd like me to write something different/similar. ALSO. This was inspired by the incredibly amazing Dede Lovelace and Moonbear from the show Betty.

Tagging @angelcritterz because you seemed interested! Thank you :))))

"Long day?"

"The longest."

He let out a hefty, long sigh once his mask was off. The action told me it hadn't been an exactly rewarding night, but it was still something. I scooted more toward the edge of the bed as he climbed through the window to receive my routine peck on the lips. He lingered on my lips a little longer than usual, taking in my warmth before pulling away to continue the routine. Walking to the other side of the room, he pulled off his suit, ready to be away from it for the night. My hands were occupied so I didn't step in like I normally did, but I watched as he opened the closet door that revealed the numerous photos of me that littered the frame.

Peter was always good at finding the tiny details in things and that was no different when it came to me. As my eyes raked over the numerous photos they detailed his favorite parts about me, helping it become my favorite parts too. He took pride in his photos but these showed me he took pride in me. He knew how to capture me as no one had before. His knowledge of photography knew how to capture and highlight my lovely warm, deep-colored skin without drowning me out or letting me disappear into the background. He captured my joy, my frustrations, my bliss. He simply captured me.

While my fingers continue to work on my hair, I could help but let my eyes linger on the oldest photo on the door. I barely recognized myself. My hair was much shorter, picked out as far as I could get it. I looked upset and focused. It was during a time I was still trying to figure myself out. A time where my guard was up all the time. A time before Peter became more than just the boy who approached me at the skate park. The first time I had let him in even if it was only a foot in the door.

"Hi-hello," I watched a boy approach me waving shyly at me to get my attention. I had seen him, but I thought he'd take the hint that I'd rather be left alone. Even if he was asking for the time of day, I didn't see myself giving it to him.

"I was here first," I all but grunted, not in the mood for another guy looking to push me out of the space I was using, belonged in. He stood above me slightly as I crouched down to my back looking for the steel skateboard tool I had in my bag. By the time he spoke again, I had already moved back to my skateboard to adjust it to my liking.

"No-no," He continued to stutter slightly that paired with a sweet, but nervous smile on his lips, "I was curious if-... I mean-... if you don't mind, I've been trying to land the trick you just did for-I mean, awhile now, I-Could you show me how?"

I continued fixing the trucks of my wheels, ignoring him. It wouldn't be the first time someone had come up to me with false wishes, conversations, and promises when in turn they only hoped I was easy, someone they could spend a night with, or show off to and belittle. It was the name of the game, the expectations of the male-dominated environment. By now, like the others, I thought he'd had left, but he was being patient, looking for a response. I glanced up slightly when I finished what I needed to fix, "Yeah, no thanks."

He held a smile despite being disappointed underneath it before letting out a soft sigh, "Yeah, yeah no worries. I get it."

I refused to be pushed from the space I had made for myself as I was taking in the last hour of sunlight before the skate park closed. It was the only time I got to myself and I was going to savor every minute of it. Or, well, at least try. I tried to focus. I tried to concentrate. But everything I did, every push, every flick of my ankle was copied by the boy with the camera strap around his neck. I couldn't call it mirroring exactly as when he tried to land the trick his board would escape his feet and his eyes would look to see if mine had witnessed it. I had seen everything and I could feel insults creeping up my throat, I wanted to bark at him to stop and to leave me alone.

But a few copied moves later, when I was ready to snap, I saw how genuine he was in his effort to replicate what I had just done. He wanted to learn. He held the same determination in his face and I struggled to find any ulterior motives that I presumed he had. I was projecting onto him my frustrations from the day onto him, someone seemingly harmless.

"Hey!" I called over to him only for a blush to creep up his neck at being caught.

He kicked up his skateboard in an instant, ready for my scolding even at a moment's notice. He knew the risk he took with the actions he chose to mime, "Sorry, I was just-"

"You need to follow through," I advised him, leaving the space I was hogging to join him in his smaller corner, his posture relaxing as I dropped my skateboard down to show him, "Commit to the movement, because then the momentum will make it easier to land it."

"Hi, baby," Peter's voice was as soft as his gaze on me as the blanket was pulled to his chin. In my short daydream, I missed how Peter moved to the bed and waited patiently for me to join, "You almost done?"

I was used to him being out later and coming home a bit more bruised than he was tonight. I assumed I'd have enough time to finish my hair. But now, after working on it throughout the day, I was getting near the end, but not quite crossing the finish line. Peter was patient though, watching me with loving eyes as I twisted my hair in just the right spots to create the ends of my braids just the way I liked them.

"Almost," I hummed, holding the next bundle between my lips before moving it to between my fingers, "On the last few, then I just need to dip the ends."

Before I could protest, his tired body was up and on the way to the other room as he said, "I'll heat the water."

My body was on autopilot continuing the repetitive motions on my hair, the twisting and turning were like second nature. However, my insides warmed at the routine he quickly adapted. He never shied away from stepping in to help me. He could be bruised, sore, or broken and yet he would still want me off my feet while he took care of everything. He couldn't be content until I was. Even now, exhausted, he helped me seal the ends of my hair and used his height to both of our advantages as he helped me wrap it for the night.

It was also a ruse I fell for nearly every time. Once his hands left my bonnet, they slowly trailed down my sides to wrap around my waist from behind. His head practically collapsed into my crook between my shoulder and chin as he took a deep breath in to mumble on my neck, "Ready for bed now?"

"Yes," I said a bit breathlessly through a small laugh as he replaced his words with soft-nibbling kisses.

Without wasting any more time, Peter pulled the two of us to the soft sheets of the bed. I hugged him carefully from behind, kissing around some bruises he had recently acquired on his shoulder blades. He only relaxed further into me as his arms searched for mine to pull me impossibly closer. I couldn't help but smile to myself as my hands trailed up and down his chest with light touches to help him find sleep.

"Peter?" I called out softly before he had a chance to completely fall asleep.

"Hmm?" He hummed, turning in my arms to face me while his eyes peeled open only a little, enough to show me that he was paying attention. I took a moment to appreciate and memorized everything I could in the split second of his face.

"Wanna skate this weekend?" I asked thoughtfully, holding onto the sweet memory of how we had first met, "We haven't been in ages."

"For you," His gentle tone almost made me melt, "Anything."

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