#i saw hecking Train in there and i was like O THAT'S N'S LINK!!!!!

[forestsomnus]

RUSSIAN CLASSICS AESTHETIC!

bold whatever applies to / attracts your muse. tagged by: @annjiru​ thank u sm!! ur the loveliest person im crying everywhere not only in The Club tagging: @identitatend​ @deitc​ i’d hurl myself into space for u two fuknuts + anyone who reads this just steal it and tag le moi ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

BROTHERS KARAMAZOV : orthodox monasteries, DEEP WOODS, STARRY NIGHTS, the sound of paper being torn, DIMLY LIT ROOMS, withered roses, AN UNFINISHED LETTER, piles of books, THE SOUND OF SHATTERING GLASS, TICKING OF CLOCKS IN A SILENT HOUSE, heavy wooden furniture, THE AIR BEFORE A STORM, THE SMELL OF EARTH, a crowd of people dressed in black, DISTANT MURMURS, EMPTIED STREETS, the fear of walking alone in dusk.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT : COLDNESS OF THE SKIN AGAINST A BLADE, slender pale fingers and slightly shaking hands, A RED STAIN BLOOMING ON WHITE FABRIC, LONELY STEPS IN A CORRIDOR, the slow dripping of water, looking out of the window into the thickening darkness, a single dying candle on the table, LISTENING TO ONE’S BREATH AND COUNTING HEARTBEATS, TOO MANY STAIRS, the desire to be invisible, A SUBTLE MEMORY OF A KIND WORD.

THE IDIOT : CLASSICAL STATUES, wealth covered with dust, a dark house tainted with inherited madness, AN UNSETTLING FEELING, long walks in a park, useless chatter,  a silken ribbon forgotten on a bench, A MELANCHOLIC FACE, AN UNEXPECTED SPRING RAIN, the joy of reading one’s favorite book, the clarity of mind after fully perceiving the world around, LOOKING AT A CLOUDLESS SKY.

ANNA KARENINA : fields of crops, FLOWERS BROUGHT FROM AN EARLY MORNING WALK, the wind caressing a girl’s hair, A BOWL OF FRUIT, THE SMELL OF RIPE PEARS, the clatter of a spoon against porcelain when stirring tea, CHILDREN’S LAUGHTER COMING FROM THE GARDEN, soft sunlight and white curtains, the sensation of velvet against skin, pearls from a ripped necklace spilling on marble floor, A SUDDEN SILENCE IN A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE.

WAR AND PEACE : a glass of wine, the brightness of a crystal chandelier, white lace, a raging snow storm, THE SOUND OF A DOOR BEING GENTLY CLOSED, the moment of holding one’s breath before walking in a ball room, indulging in looking at a beautiful earring against light, closing one’s eyes for a moment while dancing, THE SWEET SMELL OF STRAWBERRIES, a pair of gloves left on an armchair, LIGHT SCENT OF POWDER.

THE MASTER AND MARGARITA : the chaos of a lively city, ambient jazz in expensive restaurants, jumping on a moving tram, the sight of Moscow from the roof of a house, yellow flowers in a vase, LEANING OUT OF THE WINDOW, SHELVES STACKED WITH BOOKS, a small tin box with old photographs, strange shapes in the night sky, laughing in the middle of the night on a balcony, colorful posters for a surreptitious magician’s show floating in the wind.

EUGENE ONEGIN : a lonely mansion, reading a book in the parlor, faint piano melody lingering in falling silence, long evenings, PASSING SEASONS, discussing french novels of the moment, UNSPOKEN THOUGHTS, LEANING AGAINST THE DOOR FRAME, quickly averted glance, EATING A PEACH ABSENT-MINDED, BRIGHT MORNINGS, FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW, a loud gun-shot terrifying a flock of birds nearby.

FATHERS AND SONS : BIRCH GROVES, MORNING MIST, MOSS-COVERED STONES NEAR A MOOR, scientific books, white roses, cheap champagne, shabby pocket-watch, LIGHT-HEARTED IRONY, a maladroit cello sonata, freshly mowed grass, leaving thoughts come and go, A SLOW YAWN, picturesque plates and bowls filled with traditional dishes, drinking tea on the porch.

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO : A STRANGE FEELING OF LOSS, writing poems in a diary, traveling by train, THE HESITATION BEFORE TOUCHING SOMEONE’S HAND, THE GAZE OF ONE LOST IN THOUGHT, the warmth of cinnamon, a scarf brightly embellished with flowers, A GLASS OF WATER, a threadbare jacket, the tempting void, THE EVANESCENT SERENITY OF YESTERDAY.

CHERRY ORCHARD : a lone chair in an empty room, falling blossoms, old samovar, THE UNSETTLING NEED FOR CHANGE, a mirror reflecting full moon, THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF A GLOSSY OBJECT TURNING WORTHLESS AFTER SECOND GLANCE, a piano out of tune.

[bakugou-jpg]

9.36 pm || Tanaka x reader

Summary: Tanaka has a crush on his best friend who’s a closeted lesbian.

Warnings: none

Words: 2596

Note: @queenmira29​ came up with this wonderful idea so creds to her for motivating my brain in some sort of way ! Ly mira!! Also this isn’t the best thing i’ve written but i did write it so bon a pe fucking tea

______________________________________________________

Tanaka Ryuunosuke was a simp. A big one at that.

If this man laid his eyes on a girl and she was cute? Boom, simp army unite.

Was this same cute girl, kind? Boom, head over heels.

Did she laugh at his jokes AND had the same type of humor as him? Boom, he was looking at wedding rings, planning how many children he was gonna have with her and think about what type of dog breed they'd adopt.

So when he met you? And you always asked him if he wore sunscreen when it was a hot day? And you always helped him with whatever problem he was having? AND you laughed at his jokes and made an even BETTER joke in return? He wanted to get on his knees right that instant and propose to you with the cheeto ringling he was eating.

The two of you were close, you really enjoying hanging out with both him and Nishinoya. He'd tell his worries to you, if it were something small or big he would always feel listened to whenever he talked to you. Tanaka loved how you'd hold his elbow whenever he'd walk to fast for you and how you'd be the one cheering him on the loudest when he was playing in a match.

Tanaka was head over heels for you.

It came to the point he had even build up some kind of courage to drop hints or ask you to go and 'catch a movie at the cinema' while Nishinoya very coincidentally couldn't make it. He'd very accidentally bump into your hand when reaching for some popcorn and whisper jokes into your ear about the movie which made you giggle softly to try and not to disturb the others there. He had grown several shades of red when on the way back home with the train you leaned your head onto his arm while linking his arm with your own as you slowly dozed off into sleep.

He could talk about you to Nishinoya for hours. About the way you'd squint your eyes and smile whenever he'd say something nice to you, how you'd wheeze whenever he said something quite stupid or how your voice softened when talking to him because he felt a little under the weather that day. How you'd act all motherly whenever you scolded them for bothering Kiyoko and how you'd join their conversation about her.

You were quite close, Tanaka genuinely was confident in how things were gonna develop between you and him.

October 23rd was the day Tanaka took you to out to a trampoline park, something which the two of you very much enjoyed. You'd topple over in laughter when he tried to do a salto only to fail miserably when his face hit the hard surface instead of the pit filled with foam blocks. The two of you would do a little competition of who could jump higher, Tanaka winning due the fact the muscle in his legs were much bigger than the one you had.

It was just another one of your hangouts, yet, Tanaka noticed something off about your behavior. Though you still laughed the same way you always did and made the same jokes you used to make, he noticed how your eyes were emptier. They didn't hold their usual happy glow. He'd catch you looking to a corner of the room with your eyebrows slightly sunken down and your teeth nibbling at your bottom lip.

"Earth to (Y/n)~..Are you alright?"

You'd snap out of your thought train, immediately smiling up at him and bumping his arm with your fist. "Yeah, yeah sorry. Just spaced off there for a bit" You'd say before catching him off guard by pushing him back into the pit filled with foam cubes.

He'd quickly forgotten about the event after having quickly pulled you into the pit too by grabbing you by your ankles and dragging you in. Once he heard that angelic laughter he loved so much his mind eased again, not thinking back about how you looked so lost just a few seconds ago.

It wasn't until a little later on, after you two had left the trampoline park that Tanaka caught you spacing off again. You were holding onto his elbow again, something you always did when the two of you walked together. It gave you some sort of feeling of security knowing you could always hold onto him and Tanaka certainly didn't mind either.

Right before he was about to ask what was wrong, you peered up at him and caught him staring at you with confusion. A smile had made its way onto your face, your eyes squinting and Tanaka immediately forgot about it again and his face flushed. He smiled back at you and you softly squeezed his arm, something which made him blush even more.

"Those lights look pretty" You commented while looking up at the big christmas tree in the middle of the square. It was a christmas tree purely made out of lights, all connecting at the top in a peak while spreading out as it got closer to the bottom creating the illusion of it looking like a christmas tree.

Tanaka poked up his eyebrow and looked the lights up and down. He looked back to you and grinned. "It hasn't even been halloween yet" He said, earning a pinch to his side. He slightly yelped and took a small jump away from you, rubbing his side while looking offended.

You started laughing and rolled your eyes. "Oh come on, jackass! Its still pretty. Sets a comforting soft mood.." You said, your voice trailing off as you turned back towards the lights.

There weren't many people there, for it was already so late. The two of you were able to squeeze yourself in at the last hour the trampoline park was still open and afterwards you had grabbed a quick bite at a crepe shop. The taste of strawberries still lingered in your mouth, your tongue savoring the moment.

The lights dimly lit the empty streets, only a hand full of people were still there. A businessman calling with who knows full, a little sprint in his walks for he had to catch one of the last metros going to his hometown. Not too far away from him was a trio of guys laughing together while bumping into each other, old college buddies catching up. There was also a woman running, earbuds secured into her ears as she unconciously ran to the beat of the song she was listening to.

The lights of the christmas tree were quite dim, no other lights on that were near. All of the little lights reflected in the nearby fountain, creating its own little nightsky on the inside of the water.

Tanaka had moved closer to you again, sighing in content as he watched your eyes light up a bit again while looking at the pretty christmas tree. Because yes, it was pretty, but the way the light reflected into your eyes while making it look like there was a whole universe trapped into it made his heart throb in his chest.

9.34 pm.

October 23rd, 9.34 pm was when something in Tanaka snapped and filled him with a confidence boost. He didn't shy away, he didn't feel panicked. He wanted you and you only, so bad it made his chest hurt.

"H-hey? Er, i..i-i need to tell you s-something. Well, atleast i want to"

And boom went down his confidence.  He dug himself a hole, a deep great hole but had forgotten to bring a ladder or rope. There was no way Tanaka could get himself out of that hole he dug.

His palms were sweaty, trying to wipe them off on his pants didn't work. His stomach churned and immediately reminded him off how big that crepe with nutella and banana actually was and how heavy it fell on his throat. He was sweating, oh god when did he start sweating??

It were just a few words, a simple sentence. As simple as that, just a second of his time.

"I know.."

Tanaka's eyes widened and he looked at your face, his heart sinking to his feet immediately.

You looked sad, oh so sad. Your (e/c) were settled on the fountain, the lights of the christmas tree still reflecting in your eyes but it was different. He saw how your teeth bit down on your bottom lip almost drawing blood as your skin turned white.

Tanaka bit his lip and looked the other way quickly, his hand reaching to hold onto his neck. "O-oh.." He mumbled as he felt the need to pull out his imaginary hair grow stronger by the minute. God how he felt like a fool, he felt like a whole circus. How uncomfortable wouldn't you feel right now? Oh no he fucked up, what if you didn't want to be frie-

A choked sob escaped through your mouth and you quickly moved your hand to cover your mouth. Tanaka's eyes switched back to your form and he could see how thick tears rolled down your cheeks and how you tried to stop them by squinting your eyes shut. Your bottom lip was trembling and he saw how you slowly started crying more and more.

He felt himself panic and how the hate for himself at that moment. God, he had know their was a possibility it wouldn't go as planned, but for your to break down in tears was something he had not planned on. "I-i'm so sorry oh god, i'm so sorry, (Y/n)" Tanaka said while quickly moving closer to you, wanting to comfort you but knowing if you'd hate him if he touched you.

You shook your head and furiously wiped at your eyes, trying to stop the tears from continuing. "I-i'm sorry" You whimpered, sniffling while squeezing your eyes shut once more.

What? Why were you the one apologizing? God what was he supposed to do now, what was he supposed to say?

Tanaka hesitantly put his hand on your shoulder and let you to a nearby bench, kneeling down in front of you after you sat down. God, did seeing you like this hurt his feelings. He didn't mean to make you sad heck he couldn't care less about you not returning his feelings but the fact he made you sad killed him.

He took of his backpack and opened the zipper, quickly looking through his stuff before taking out a water bottle and held it out for you. "..here" Tanaka said while handing it to you, waiting for you to take a few sips before you handed it back to him.

He watched as you sniffled a few times before wiping your eyes again. There was a moment of silence, a moment where your sobbing had stopped but there were still some stray tears that trickled down your face.

The streets were now completely empty, except for the two of you. The business man had already gotten onto his way home, the college buddies already hopped into a bar and the lady who was running had already disappeared out of sight. The only thing accompanying you two was a black stray cat drinking out of the fountain.

Tanaka sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. He pressed his lips together into a thin line and looked to his sight, feeling too ashamed to look you in the eye. There was a small blush on his face and he cleared his throat. "Look, i-i'm really sorry. I shouldn't of have said it and kept it to myself i'm really stupid..Please don't be mad at me"

"Ryo no, i'm not mad at you! I could never be, you're so incredibly funny and caring and fun to be around you and noya are my bestest of friends.. Its just-.."

Your voice trailed off and you felt your heart sink to your feet. Tanaka deserved better, so much better. It wasn't his fault, the fact that he thought it was made your heart ache. Of course you knew about Tanaka's feelings for you, but you ignored them nor wanted to treat him differently because of it..would he treat you differently if you told him?

Tanaka looked at you from the corner of his eye and saw how you looked anxious. He kneeled down in front of you again and put his hands on your knees. "Hey its okay, you don't have to feel bad you kn-"

"I like girls"

...

...

"W-what?"

Your eyes snapped towards him and you swallowed the lump in your throat, your fist clenching on top of your knees. "..i like girls..I-i'm gay, Ryuunosuke." You said with a high pitched voice. God, it felt good saying it out loud yet the fact you weren't able to determine what type of emotion Tanaka was currently feeling killed you.

Tanaka blinked a few times and he fell down onto his butt, tilting his head slightly. "So..you want to like- kiss girls instead of guys?" He questioned a little dumbfounded.

You shrugged and nodded, puckering your lips slightly. "I mean, yeah. I'd think that'd be pretty neat"

Tanaka slowly nodded, looking down at your feet. His eyes squinted a little and he peered up at you. He scooched a little closer and folded his arms, resting them on top of your legs which was something that made you feel at ease. "So..you..When you were talking with us, about Kiyoko..It was really just you admiring her the way we admire her?" He asked, his lips pressing together right aftterwards.

Your face immediately got set aflame, several different shades of pink and red covering your face which didn't get unnoticed by Tanaka who immediately grinned. "W-wha! N-no! You and Noya are simps, i am not a simp Ryo!" You said as Tanaka started laughing, getting up and sitting next to you on the bench.

He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, a sigh leaving his nose. The puff of white smoke ascended into the air and Tanaka threw his head back. "Cool." He said, folding his hands behind his head while peering up at the night sky.

Honestly, he felt really relieved at that moment. He didn't blame himself, nor did he blame you. It felt weird to him, his feelings for u taking a very quick u turn in that moment and he felt himself getting closer to you and closer as he felt your eyes stare into the back of his head.

"We can simp for Kiyoko together now, ya' know"

Tears started spilling out of your eyes again, but this time you didn't even know why you were crying. You were relieved, happy and felt the fear you had slowly leave your body. All of those emotion overwhelmed you and you felt yourself tremble yet a smile made its way onto your face. "Y-yea."

Tanaka had been nothing but supportive, actually being more invested in trying to be your wingman this time instead of the other way around. He'd patiently wait for you to come out to Nishinoya and the rest of the world and if you did, he you and nishinoya would be the Kiyoko protection squad. Though, u weren't as extreme as the other two were and were more the type to hype Kiyoko up.

So now, with two thick rainbow flags painted on his cheeks and a shirt that said "Homophobia is gay", Tanaka held onto your legs as you sat on top of his shoulder while screaming at the top of his lungs as the two of you attended your first pride together for there were many more to come.

[tiggyloo]

Five Months Later

Also up on AO3, linked in my description!

~~~~

Jesse's parents had been shockingly open to the idea of Lake staying with them, even if they were a little...taken aback by the whole "made of metal" thing. Though, if their son could suddenly vanish without a trace and then reappear several weeks later perfectly unharmed, then what the heck. Sure. Metal girl.

Lake had adjusted pretty well to normal life (well, as normal as it could be given her "complexion") and she was happily settled into her own room. She'd been given the guest room a few days in, after it had been cleaned up. Of course, it wasn't for another week and a half that she actually used it consistently. She'd be disturbed by terrors about the train and the Flecks every few nights and would then end up sulking over to Jesse's room, as being next to him would be the only way for her to get back to sleep. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind.

And now it was December, five months later. Lake had a new haircut (an undercut--and it took FOREVER to find something that could actually give it to her), new clothes, and a phone, which Jesse's parents were generous enough to buy for her. She was truly part of the family now. Lake couldn't have been happier as she played out in the snow.

She and Jesse had helped Nate with building a snow fort that morning, which turned into a snowball fight after lunch (with Jesse and Nate acting as a team, of course. Not exactly fair, but still fun). Nate wanted to build a snowman after that; they ended up making four.

When they were finally done for the day, it was 11:23 PM. Mrs. Cosay had made everyone hot chocolate, and Jesse's empty mug now rested on the floor, while Lake held hers in her lap. Nate had gone to bed two hours earlier, and Jesse's parents had turned in about thirty minutes ago with a "don't stay up too late!" as they left Jesse and Lake on the couch in their pajamas, watching some old holiday stop motion movie.

"How old is this movie?" Lake asked. "The animation is clunky and...unsettling."

Jesse laughed at that. "I guess so. I'm not really sure when it was made, though. A while ago."

"Well, yeah, obviously."

Lake yawned a moment later and leaned against Jesse--a heavy weight, but one he could manage.

The movie prattled on for a while longer, with Lake making offhanded comments every so often until it was over.

“That movie wasn’t worth staying awake for,” Lake said and Jesse chuckled.

"I guess we should go to bed now," he said and turned the TV off. Lake sat up and stretched before hopping off the couch. 

"Sounds good to me," she said as she walked off to the dark kitchen. Jesse retrieved his mug from the floor and left the remote on the coffee table before following. 

When he entered the kitchen, he found Lake sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the glass door to the backyard. Jesse left his mug by the sink and walked over to her.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked, sitting down beside his friend.

"Just looking," was her answer, and Jesse gave a nod.

"I never found anything like this on the train," she continued, not moving her gaze from the snow outside. It was a clear night, with the stars and moon shining across the cold blanket of snow and lighting everything up in a sparkling, beautiful blue. It was bright enough to leak inside, casting a glow over the tiles that mixed with the lamp light from the living room.

"I didn't get to see the snow very much when I was stuck in the mirror realm, either. I'd get a lucky glance if Tulip walked past an icicle or something, but… Well, there's not a lot to reflect when everything is covered in snow, ice, and frost."

Jesse looked at her and saw that she was still staring outside, seemingly lost in the view. He expected her to look angry or upset, as she usually does when she talks about the train, but he only saw content on her face, the snow sparkling off her metallic skin.

Lake caught his gaze and he smiled at her.

She rolled her eyes and looked back outside. It was back to silence for a few minutes as the two watched the twinkling snow.

Then Lake silently grabbed Jesse's hand and he turned to her once more. This time, he saw her looking in the opposite direction; enough of her face was still visible that he could see her blushing.

He decided to look away and not bother her.

Soon after, he felt eyes on him and he glanced at Lake, who was watching him quietly. She looked embarrassed and almost... shy , though Jesse couldn't begin to understand why. Lake wasn't exactly the shy type . Not by a long shot.

She held a little tighter onto his hand.

"...Hey, are you okay? Is something bothering you?" Jesse finally asked, starting to look concerned over her silence.

Lake jolted and quickly looked away, eyes wide. Oh, geez, had she zoned out? How long was she staring?

“Uh, Lake-?”

"Nothing!” she cut in and immediately made a mental note to kick herself later.

She cleared her throat. 

“S-sorry. I’m fine.”

The fingers of her free hand drummed against the tiled floor. She could feel Jesse’s gaze on her.

She just walked herself into a corner. Great. Well, now she had to turn around and answer to the concerned eyes boring into her head. She sighed.

“Jesse, can I...ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Uh...c-can I...um-”

She tried to get the words out, failed, and eventually groaned, running her free hand down her face. Why’d she have to start on this? This was a mistake.

"...Can you what?" Jesse pressed and Lake gave him a sidelong glance before dropping her hand and taking a deep breath .

"Can I, ah��um...can I…k-kiss you…?"

The last part was so quiet that Jesse almost didn't hear it. Almost .

Instantly he felt his ears burning with a blush, which got a disapproving look from Lake. She took her hand away from Jesse's and shoved both in her lap as she scowled at her feet.

"I-I shouldn't have said anything, just. Just forget it," she grumbled. "It was a stupid thing to ask."

"N-no! No, I'm sorry-" Jesse said, rubbing his burning cheeks. "I just wasn't... expecting something like that, is all. I mean--I wasn't expecting something like that from you . That's not to say it's a bad thing, coming from you! Uh-" 

He stopped rubbing at his cheeks, dropped his hands, and let out a long sigh to allow him some time to get his thoughts together.

"Yes."

Lake flinched up a little straighter and dared to look up at her friend. He had an amazingly stupid look of embarrassment on his face, one that was worse than her own.

"...Yes?"

He nodded.

"Are...are you sure?" she asked. "I know I, kind of came out of nowhere with that...I didn't mean to put you on the spot--"

"I'm sure," Jesse interrupted. Lake looked at him and saw one of the sweetest, most genuine smiles she'd ever seen on his face. That, of course, only made her blush worse (if that was even possible at this point).

“...O-Okay.”

She squeezed Jesse's hand and, after a few seconds of hyping herself up ( it was far too late to back out now , she told herself), started to move closer.

Jesse met her halfway, and the touch caused a squeak to escape her. God , this whole ordeal was so embarrassing. Absolutely horrible .

A few moments more and the two separated. Lake blinked a couple times and looked at Jesse, who seemed to be thinking.

"...You kind of taste like iron," he eventually concluded.

Lake let out a scoff and gave him a hard shove.

"What did you expect? I'm metal !" she said, crossing her arms in mock offense.

Jesse just laughed and leaned back on his hands.

"It was nice, though."

Lake snorted. "What, that's it? That's all I get? 'Oh, that was nice. But it could've been better’," she said in a mocking tone, followed by a smirk as she added, “Well, I didn’t have the benefit of practicing in a mirror.”

Jesse pouted at her teasing, which was replaced by a grin when Lake playfully punched his shoulder.

“Uh--okay, we should go to bed,” Lake said, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t wanna risk getting caught by your mom. She’d have a fit if she knew we were still up.”

Jesse stifled a laugh and said, “Good idea. I’m pretty tired anyway,” before standing up. He offered his hand to Lake and she gave him a look in return, which caused him to retract his hand.

“Right, right. You’re heavy,” he said as Lake got up.

“Too heavy for someone that’s apparently half asleep ,” she corrected, stretching her arms above her head.

Jesse went and turned the light off in the living room, while Lake leaned on the wall beside his bedroom door with her phone’s flashlight illuminating the hallway.

“You know you don’t have to wait for me,” Jesse whispered as he came up and opened his door. He reached around the frame and flipped the light switch before turning back to Lake, who’d pocketed her phone.

“I just wanted to say ‘good night’,” she said, then paused. Another second and she pulled Jesse into a hug, the suddenness of which getting a grunt out of him.

“W-what’s this for?” he asked as he freed one of his arms.

“I don’t want you seeing the stupid look on my face,” Lake stated plainly, her voice muffled by his shirt. “Give me a minute.”

Jesse grinned and did as he was told, tapping his index finger on his friend’s back.

“Can I tell you something?” he said and Lake made a sound of acknowledgment. “I... probably would’ve asked if you didn’t.”

Lake groaned and hit her fist between Jesse’s shoulder blades. He assumed that meant “not helping”.

After a few more seconds he felt Lake start to rock back and forth a little before finally pushing off of him.

“Okay, I’m good. Don’t--mention this to Nate or your parents.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Yeah, you better not,” Lake said before turning around. “Okay, see ya’ in the morning.”

“Good night!” Jesse yell-whispered, which got a half-wave from Lake as she entered her room.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against the painted wood. “You’re an idiot,” she grumbled to herself, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but smile.

Okay, maybe the movie was worth staying awake for after all.

[vitalpen]

Redesign

(Yo.  Its been almost a year, Chapter 5 came out a couple weeks back, Squiggly was lookin’ for some stuff to read, and I missed this AU.  So have a little thing just talking about how scary change can be, but how necessary it is.  Not specific to Toon Henry, but using it as a setting becuase I’m (ironically) and creature of habit.  Here’s a link to a visual aid

https://squigglydigg.tumblr.com/post/166168062821/so-whatisthisnonsense-and-i-were-talking-a-little)

“Morning,” a tired man groaned his way down the stairs, still in mint green pajamas and rabbit slippers..

“Mornin’”, the cartoon character sitting on his couch, flipping through channels at a comedic speed, groaned in a similar fashion.

Henry Ross stretched a little, working out the kinks in his back and trying to wake himself up a little more.  “Where’s Alice and Boris?”

“Morning walk, the lunatics,” Bendy replied.

“Mmm,” was Henry’s only reply.  He wasn’t surprised.  Those two always did have an easier time getting up in the morning.  He was old and Bendy was… Bendy.  “How’d you sleep?”

“Dang storm kept me up.” The toon jerked a thumb upward, “Must be one heck of a bowling tournament goin’ on up there.”  In his groggy state, it took Henry a moment to realize Bendy was talking about Heaven.

“Yeah, must be,” he walked into the kitchen and looked in the fridge.  After a moment, he called back, “You eat yet?”

“Nope,” came the answer. Another thing that wasn’t surprising.

“I was thinking eggs and toast, sound good?”

“Ooh!  Can I help?”  The reply came from just on the other side of the fridge door.   Henry closed it just a little to find the toon with enormous, glistening eyes, and his hands folded next to his cheek, “Pleeeeease?”

“Sure, you can do the toast,” he replied bluntly.

Immediately the toon deflated… literally.  He just as quickly re-inflated with a nonplussed expression and an indignant puffing of his chest.  “The toast? What kind of amateur errand-boy do you take me for?”

“The kind that might still find a way to set something on fire.”  The toon’s track record in the kitchen was anything but spotless.

“You’ve got insurance,” Bendy verbally handwaved.

“And a fire extinguisher now on standby,” Henry countered.  It hadn’t been there two months ago.

With a final puff and dramatic sigh, the toon relented.  “Fine, I’ll do the stinkin’ toast.”  He grumbled his way past Henry to the breadbox and yanked the bag out.  

With a chuckle, Henry took out the egg carton and looked at the time.  “When did they leave?”

“Around half past 7.” Bendy climbed up onto the counter and sat at the ready next to the toaster.

It was about 7:50 now, which meant they would probably be back soon.  “Did they eat?”  He looked over to Bendy, who shrugged.  Henry pursed his lips for a moment, then decided against making something for them just yet.  The eggs didn’t take long to make.  If they hadn’t, he could just make some when they got home.  With that decided, he put two frying pans on the stove and grabbed a mixing bowl.  A little bit of milk, four eggs, and some mixing later, the scrambled eggs were ready to be cooked.  He melted butter in the bottom of both pans and poured the egg and milk mix into one, then cracked the last two into the other.  “Alright, put the toast in.”

“Oui, mon capitaine,” Bendy saluted and pressed the lever down on the toaster.

Henry pursed his lips again, debating something for a moment, then nodded to himself.  “Hey, can you head to my office?  In the top drawer, there’s a folder with a couple sheets I want you to grab and bring back here.”

“Sure.”  Bendy hopped off and left the room.

“Don’t look at them until you’re back in here, alright?”

“Sure, sure, keepin’ yer secrets, I getcha,” Bendy called back.  In less than two minutes, he was back, carrying a folder full of papers. He set them on the kitchen table and waited patiently.  “Sure you’re not worried about getting’ grease on’em?”

“It’s fine, we’ll be careful.” He flipped his eggs and continued moving around the slowly solidifying batter for Bendy’s.  “Open it and look at the first sheet, tell me what you think.”

With a curious raise of the eyebrow, Bendy did as he was told.  What he saw caught him entirely off guard.  The first sheet was full of sketches, designs, even a fully colored image.  He, Boris, and Alice, all looking a far cry from themselves.  He was probably the most untouched.  His solid black form, head shape, and gloves were all intact, but his limbs were a bit thicker, his proportions a bit less stretchy, face less rounded, and his bowtie was yellow.  Boris and Alice had gotten a much more thorough treatment.  Boris was sporting dark brown fur, blue overalls, and a brand new ascot.  Alice was by far the most striking.  The black had been traded for white on the dress, red on her gloves and boots, and blonde in her hair.  “What’s all this?”  He finally asked.  “You applyin’ to Hanna-Barbera?”

Henry chuckled, flipping his eggs one more time and starting to scoop Bendy’s onto a plate.  “No, just throwing some things at the wall, seeing what sticks.”  The toast popped and Bendy took the opportunity to get a rest from the new designs.

“Why?”  He asked cautiously as he climbed up and plucked the slices from their hot cradles.

Henry handed Bendy the plate of scrambled eggs and started getting his onto a plate.  “Well, the designs for you three have been around for decades.  Black and white, massive pupils, it’s something a lot of other studios have moved away from.”

“You thinkin’ of doin’ that too?”  Bendy set his plate down and held a hand out for Henry’s, still sorting out the feelings as they arose.

“Not yet,” the old man replied, offering the plate for his toast.  “But if we do, I want to make sure I have some idea on where we’d be going with it.”  He sensed the toon’s worry and offered a reassuring smile. “After all, I’ve got three very important opinions to take into account.”  They both took their plates to the table, and Henry retrieved the salt and pepper.  “Now, you’ve clearly got some feedback for me.”

“Is it that obvious?” Bendy grabbed the silverware for them and a carton of orange juice.  Henry just replied with a smirk as he set a couple glasses out.  “Well, if you’re up for a critique.”

“You don’t get by in the industry without it,” Henry replied as he sat down.  Bendy joined him, having grabbed some jam for his toast.

“Well, I don’t hate the splash o’ color, but I’m not sure how I feel about havin’ cheek bones,” the toon took a moment to tear into his eggs.  “However,” he continued with his mouth full, “I think the limbs are what looked the weirdest.  I’m used to these noodles,” he displayed his spaghetti thin arms to demonstrate, “not normal lookin’ arms and legs, you know?”

Henry nodded, the toon had been reflecting a lot of his own thoughts on the designs.  He liked them, and he knew that the three could do with some updating, but drawing them in such a starkly different way than he’d been doing his whole career, it would definitely take getting used to.  “What about Boris and Alice?”

“Well,” Bendy rubbed his chin, giving his thoughts time to form into words.  “Boris is the easier one to swallow.  He still just looks like plain ol’ Boris.  He’d probably like the ascot, when I think about it.”  He cast his eyes to Alice’s new look.  “That one gets me.”

“Thought I’d try something daring,” Henry explained.

“It’s daring, alright. Switching out the black for all this bright n’ vibrant stuff.  She looks a bit more angelic, that’s for sure,” he paused with his eyes squinted.

“But…” Henry urged.

“But it doesn’t look like her,” Bendy blurted out like he’d been holding his breath.  “You know me, I’m a ‘glory days’ kinda guy.  I like how we look, and seein’ that change is kinda hurts, you know?”  He stopped and stood up and started pacing, “But things gotta change, right?  Clinging to the past ain’t healthy,” he looked meaningfully at Henry, “we both know a thing or two about that.”  His circuit back and forth continued.  “And change ain’t always a bad thing, sometimes ya need it.  Most places are doin color shows by now, even the mouse put some red in his shorts years ago.  Most of the cartoons we make these days are in color, we’re the holdouts on that one.”  

Henry waited quietly as the toon debated himself, more than a little amused by how similar the train of thought was to his.

“But does that mean we gotta start lookin’ like the Jetsons?  Do we all gotta start wearing shit collars so talkin’s easier to animate?”  He stopped pacing and started tapping his foot with his arms crossed and his stare boring into the floor, after a moment he looked back at Henry.  “Am I overreacting?  I think I might be overreacting.  Maybe I’m just too much of an old man, scared by these new-fangled cartoons.”  He slowly made his way back to his seat, taking a bite out of his toast.  “But I don’t want us to do it too much, and lose all the great stuff we had in the first place.”  He looked at Henry again, a little lost.  “Am I making sense?”

That was when Henry finally had to laugh.  It was like was hearing his own thoughts acted out in front of him.  “More than you realize.”  He brushed the crumbs off his hands and turned to the next page.  “How about this?”

What was meant to be a glance at the sheet devolved easily into staring.  His eyes were glued to the paper, completely silent as he looked over every line, every detail.  As he looked, the toon’s lost expression changed to intrigue, then to wonder and a wide smile broke out on his face.  “Well, helloooo there, handsome.  Have we met?”  The page was filled with a second set of designs.  The first attempt had been such a tumultuous thought process afterward, he’d decided to try again.  It was always a good idea to have multiple takes on an idea anyway.  

Like before, Bendy was the most unchanged.  Instead of yellow, Henry had gone with red, changing his bowtie and the soles of his shoes. Boris was also mostly the same, with tan overalls colored different from his white face now and there was a bit of blush in the cheeks to accent the black and white.  Alice had the most done to her; like the first attempt, she’d been given a real skin tone, but instead of white and red, he’d kept the black and added some blue.  These designs also kept the more prominent eyes, just giving them whites to frame the pupils.

When he got his fill, Bendy looked up at Henry with a questioning look.  “You had these the entire time?’  With a knowing grin, Henry nodded.  “And you decided to let me have an existential crisis before you broke’em out?”

“I had some doubts and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just me,” Henry defended.  “I didn’t expect you to get that far into it, though. Besides, I had a feeling you’d like these ones more.”  With that, he stood up and took Bendy’s empty plate, stacking it on his own.  “What do you think?”

“You’re right, I do like’em more,” Bendy grabbed their glasses and followed him, feeling oddly optimistic.  “They feel more like us, you know?  It’s not tryin’ to make us into something we’re not, we still look like we could stretch a little bit, like we belong in a slapstick show, not a cartoon family sitcom.”

Henry laughed; the comparison was fairly apt, he had to admit.  “So is that a green light from you?”

“Bright n’ shiny,” Bendy confirmed with a nod.  Henry took the glasses from him and he went to retrieve their silverware from the table too.  As they cleaned the kitchen up, the toon felt a thought nudge its way into his noggin.  It was only by the time they were done that he’d finally worked it into a question, “Change is a good thing, right?”

Henry smiled down at the toon and nodded. “It’s gonna happen anyway, so it might as well be.”

They walked to the couch Bendy had been occupying before and sat down.  “Then,” Bendy started, but stopped, forming the question a bit more before he tried to ask it.  “Why’s it gotta scare the heck outta everybody everytime it comes ‘round?”

“Because it’s usually not gonna wait for you to be ready,” Henry sat down and Bendy hopped up.  “Sometimes the only thing you can do is roll with it, try to keep up, and,” without warning, an arm hooked around Bendy and pulled him in close to the man, forcing a grunt and a chew toy squeak from the little imp, “make sure you’ve got a pal nearby to keep you going.”

Being allowed room to breathe, the toon cast a pair of annoyed, squinting eyes at the old man, then laughed.  “Yeah, well, lucky for you, I’m here, ya jerk.”

“Yeah,” Henry agreed, probably more sincerely than the imp was prepared for, “lucky me.”

[raleigh-ocean]

| Karina Sväre & Lana Winters Alphabet |

A - AU (My favorite AU for them) 

Cops/Detectives AU! They truly are the greatest and the worst team ever, because they have the deepest conection but at the same time their personalities are too strong so they crash more often than not.

Also I would like to see them in a Chef AU, like both having their restaurants in the same street but in front of each other and being competitive as fuck + Mary Eunice and Kit trying to mediate between them.

B - Baby (Do they want a family?)

Ahm tricky subject, they indeed talked about this several times over the years when they thought they could become something more especially. Karina knows and saw Lana’s trauma and dealt with it, not leaving her side at any moment, so putting her through something like that again even if was wanted, is something she doesn’t have the heart to do. But also Lana knows how much grief and guilt Karina has inside, and she didn’t have the heart either to actually pursue that.

When Karina started to take care of those kids and teens in need in the neigbourhood and beyond, she proved to Lana that it was the right choice all along that they never decided to have a kid because she knew she couldn’t give the other woman what she needed emotionally.

However as they got old together, it wasn’t something strange to find themselves talking about these imaginary twins, smart as heck and strong as both of them, kicking asses with their wits.

C - Cuddle (Cuddler? How would they cuddle?)

It was always awkward but they managed to be comfortable with small cuddles, like resting their heads in their shoulders or in their laps. Karina was always afraid to actually initiate contact with Lana, so it’s always the journalist who is the one doing The Cuddles. 

It took them 25 years to get to the point that being more cuddly in each other presence came naturally. Still, their favourite cuddles are sat side by side, linking arms and Lana’s head in Karina’s shoulder and Karina resting her head on top of Lana’s.

D - Dates (What are dates like?)

Going to libraries and cafés! They love talking over books and coffee, so it’s pretty much the one type of date they always repeat. It’s also meaningful because every time they got together Lana took Karina to their favourite library, let her pick a few books and then talk about them before jumping in devouring each other in Lana’s couch.

They are also fond of having indoor dates, Karina showing Lana new recipes she has learnt and enjoy them together, mostly because she knows Lana’s cooking skills are shit and wants to help her. 

E - Everything (You are my ______? Life, world, etc)

They have the same for each other: You’re my lovely and everlasting pain in the ass.

F - Feelings (When did they first realize they had feelings for the other?)

Karina and Lana have spent a good chunk of their lives together and their feelings did develop slowly, so it wasn’t something life changing but more like something they already knew it was coming. They love each other to pieces but at the same both know they would be a mess in something long-term.

It was the first time they talked about being together for real, instead of this on and off thing, when they ‘realized’ their feelings train arrived. It was the most heartfelt conversation they ever had; the two of them in Karina’s bed, sharing a cigarette and Karina’s arms wrapping Lana tightly and caressing her back as if she could get all her love reach her by doing that.

G - Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Is hard for them to be more gentle, mostly because they are used to speak straightforward. So both settle by showing they care for each during tiny moments like cooking together (Lana handing Karina stuff/ingredients) or reading to each other information while writing for an article and such. They do try to speak softer, as awkward at it is, but they feel out of character.

H - Holding Hands (Do they like it? How often?)

They only did at home for the most part of their lives or in special occasions outside. It holds a special meaning, because is their silent way of telling each other that they are there, that they are listening, that they are understanding. Now that they both are cranky grandmas, it still has that meaning...but they do it almost all the time they are together.

I - Impression (What was their first impression of one another?)

Lana thought that Karina was really brave at first, she admired how stubborn and strong she was, but also despise how reckless was because Lana got herself stuck in Briarcliff for pulling something similar and was afraid that it happened the same to Karina.

Karina first impression of Lana was...well, she thought Lana was a total bitch for a few days and then it turned to admiration, because as much she put herself in that situation for ‘love’, Lana did it for her job and that was having an enormous stupid energy that she liked it.

J - Jealous (Would they ever get jealous? How would they act if they were jealous?)

Yes. They are the type of bottling everything up until they are away from the rest, most likely in the safety of Lana’s home because Karina lived in apartment with thin walls (until her mid-30′s). Their arguments are pretty heavy though, and they pretty much know the other is jealous because they got deadly silent while the whole thing is happening.

K - Kisses (How do they kiss?)

Oh they both like it slow. Lana feels that it’s more personal and she can actually feel herself closer to Karina, because sometimes she feels they grow apart due to both being similar and having such strong personalities. Karina loves kissing Lana slow because it gives her the freedom of holding her close and giving her love through that.

L - Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

Neither! Over 50 years, they didn’t say ‘I love you’ to each other, not even in a friendly way. They have this thing in which they look into each other eyes for a few seconds longer than the usual and that’s enough for them. They’ll probably keep it like that till the end of times.

M - Memory (What’s their favorite memory of the relationship?)

Christmas, 1990. Snowstorm outside, they were at Karina’s apartment spending some quality time together after a really difficult interview at Lana’s show. They’ve been together for six months already, after going back to each other’s arms at the beginning of summer. They were cuddling in the couch reading when Lana told her that she was still really sorry about Mary Eunice and that she hoped she had been brave enough to be what Karina needed instead of them having this on and off thing for so long.

Karina never heard Lana talking like that but at the same time it made her think that maybe if both they had met in other circumstances, they could’ve been something more stable and maybe everlasting. She voiced that to Lana, kissing her softly afterwards, and just telling her that they were always what each other needed somehow, that whatever Lana had to offer was indeed enough for her and it would always be.

Afterwards they kept talking about the times they were together over the years, bringing those twins, those proud mamas’ boys, they could had had. It always put them at ease talking about that for some reason. 

N - Nicknames (What do they call each other?)

They go with honey and dear most of the time. Lana’s name is already short enough and Karina likes that because she finds it sweet. In exchange, Lana have a like to call Karina Nina, full knowing in which cases she can use it to get to Karina (as when she wants to Karina to agree with her, when she knows she is about to jump on her and start making out, when she knows Karina is about to lose her temper or even when she is sincering herself to the younger woman).

O - Orange (What color reminds them of each other?)

Everytime Karina sees something green it reminds her of Lana, while for Lana it’s actually black the color that reminds her of Karina. Both held those colours close and always try to wear them (clothes, accessories, etc), when they meet for tea or a book date. 

P - Proposal (Who proposes and how?)

They never proposed to each other. I like to think if they ever did it would be Lana the one doing this in the privacy of their bedroom, probably after sex, asking the big question by telling Karina how much she meant for her and I bet my ass they were one of the first couples to marry when gay marriage got legalized in the States.

Q - Quiet (Do they like to talk, or are they more of an actions type of person?)

Actions, to be completely sincere. They both work in things that need them to talk a lot and sometimes being like that strain them really bad. Also they have the plus of having similar strong personalities and that turns really fast in an argument, as they both know so well, so they settle with actions more often than not to show each other what their are feeling.

However they can maintain a civilized conversation when things get serious, but in settings where both are under control of the situation. 

R - Rich (Do they spoil one another?)

Karina’s bookshelves are full thanks to Lana buying her every single book she might be interested in or that can help her in her researches. Also likes to buy pretty things for Karina, since she opted to live a life without much luxuries (she doesn’t like fancy stuff and such, that’s what I refer to). 

Karina likes to buy Lana office supplies and nice notebooks, but her way of spoiling is through handmade things as cooking for her or knit stuff and things like that.

S - Sleep (What are their sleep habits?)

Karina and Lana have the habit of working till late, but once they touch they pillow, they sleep like absolute babies. After Briarcliff it took them a decade to reach that point, however. Karina is a heavy sleeper and Lana is a light one, so they compliment each other.

T - Touch (Their favorite place to touch?)

Lana’s favorite thing was and always has been Karina’s hair. It relaxed her brushing it with her fingers or when it got really long around the 80′s, help her brushing and untangle it. Still nowadays when Karina keeps it short, she loves to pass her fingers through short hair and massaging her scalp lightly. She also loves caressing Karina’s cheeks thanks to all the freckles.

Karina in exchange loves to touch Lana’s hands and kiss them. Also taking care of them, since they are Lana’s main tool for her job. Other place she loves is Lana’s shoulders for some reason, maybe because her figure is more ‘femenine’ than hers and also loves all the little moles spread there.

U - Unencumbered (What do they do to relax?)

Taking long walks or going for a drive! Having some fresh always helps them to ease their busy minds and enjoy some quiet time together for a chance. Being outside the house makes them feel better for sure.

Individually, Karina loves cooking the most so she always bakes when she wants to truly relax and Lana is happy to take whatever she bakes; while Lana likes to quietly lie down in the couch, even napping sometimes, because doing a lot of stuff during the day sometimes overwhelms her and she needs to do nothing at all to shake the feeling off.

V - Virgin (What’s the sex like?)

Pretty classic, to be honest, but is the good ol’ making love thing. Both are each other rock, the one person they always come back too, so when they are together they pour everything they have into it. They experiment with their other partners, but together? Lana and Karina know each other too well and both love to feel loved by the other.

W - Wedding (What’s the wedding like? Big, small?)

As in proposal, they never got married. But probably would be a quiet and small ceremony, Kit’s kids and their families probably and a bunch of good friends. As much as their lives seem to be big and chaotic, they both like the quietness and their privacy uninterrupted.

X - Xylophone (What’s their song?)

This two reminds me of their relationship!

Rise Up by Andra Day 

Sweet Creature by Harry Styles

This is the song only them can actually dance to and it holds special meaning.

The Winner Takes It All by ABBA 

Y - Yearn (How do they cope with being away from the other?)

Calls. They love to call each other and talk about their day, usually after dinner because is the moment they have a time to relax. Even when they are off in that moment, they doesn’t stop from calling each other. If they spend more time than usual without seeing or calling each other, the one doing the call has the right of make fun of their age. 

Z - Zoo (What kind of pet would they have, if any?)

Being Karina kind of a ‘foster mom’/social worker, she always had animals around the house because it helped the girls/kids she took in to feel safer, so Lana is used to be in the presence of different animals.

But there is this particular cat Karina let her choose once, the fattest orange cat they ever saw, that Lana grew attached with. It was their fur child and even Karina cried when Jonah died from old age. Jonah only let Karina or Lana touch him and cuddle him and it was only in their presence that the animal let others touch him a little.