#i think it counts as fluff

[kakushino]

Haganezuka's apprentice - Fem!Reader

You'd heard about his temper, or rather, you heard his temper, long before you first saw him. The need for new swordsmiths went beyond personal wants and so, you found yourself as one of the would-be apprentices under masters of their trade. Your master though? Haganezuka Hotaru

Since you would be entering the Swordsmiths' village proper, as a citizen and not a visitor, you had received your own hyottoko mask, as ugly as the rest of them, yet crucial for its anonymity. You were grateful to it though, because it hid your scowl during your first few weeks under Master Haganezuka's dubious tutelage.

"Not like that, you stupid shithead!"

"This is shoddy as hell. Again."

"Useless brat."

"If Kamado got a sword like this, he'd be coming back for another in a day."

It was all you could do to not blow up on him. As it was, you just shut your mouth and tried to keep up. You weren't even sure if he knew you weren't a man; after all, the masks did distort even voices.

You understood though, really. He was forbidden from touching the forge until he healed up and just tried to focus his energy on you, but he went about it completely wrong. 

Every insult and snide comment fueled your wrath. It was time to show him what you were made of, what you learned and what you could do. 

With bandage-covered hands from the blisters and rawness of overworking, you did what you did best as of late - forge.

The day you presented your first 'passable' wakizashi (passable for him, very good for others) was the day his comment felt less offensive and more… like a compliment?

"Hmpf, guess you aren't that incompetent, brat."

With time, the heat of his words went out of the window, his vulgarity dwindling as you improved in leaps and bounds. Despite his harshness and unpolished way of teaching, you'd become a swordsmith who could stand on her own two feet. Your apprenticeship would last for years more though, giving you plenty of time to really get to know your master.

"You didn't buy yourself any dango? Idiot. Here, take one. Don't tell a soul or you're dead."

"Here… What do you think it is? I didn't know you were so stupid you couldn't recognize tea. You like this type, don't you? So shut up and take it."

"Tsk. Brat. As if you could distract me from my- is that Gyomaru's dango? Hand it over."

Haganezuka Hotaru was just abrasive on the outside, but a big softie on the inside. 

A big softie who couldn't take care of himself properly at times. 

"Master Haganezuka, you need to eat. You've been in here for over a day." You cautiously touched his shoulder, hoping beyond hope he would snap out of the Zone. You'd brought dango and tea, hoping to entice him with the smell at first. It wasn't working, obviously.

He said nothing, just continued to hammer away at his latest work. 

“Master Haganezuka?” you shook his shoulder a little, making him pause for a moment before he continued. Your patience wore thin. You scowled. You’d be surprised if the ugly expression wasn’t permanently fixed into your face with how often you wore it when dealing with him. 

Maybe taking off his mask would make him pay attention to me?

Spoiler alert: It did not.

But it did make your face feel hot when you saw how handsome he was under it. A few shiny scars from the not-so-recent village attack still stood out against his pale skin, making him even more attractive.

Sweat made his dark hair stick to his skin, and suddenly, you were curious about the whole picture; you untied his scarf - it wasn’t like he was going to un-Zone anytime soon, you reasoned. You were not ready for the dark wavy tresses spilling over his shoulders. It was not fair how much of a looker he was. Was this man really single?

You continued to study him, memorizing his features for long lonely nights in your accommodation. Soon enough, you realized you were being a creep and should stop at once; you needed to finish what you started after all.

“Master Haganezuka!” you reached for his other shoulder to shake it. What you didn’t account for was the fact it was his blind side. Instead of an insult or even a scathing remark, you were nearly slashed with a red-hot blade in the face. You took a quick step back and it thankfully only knocked off your hyottoko mask to the ground, the wood smoking a little where the iron made contact with it. You stared at it with wide eyes, your heart in your throat and terror pulsing in your veins. “...”

“...you’re a woman?” 

Your eyes met his, both of you staring at each other in disbelief. “You didn’t know?” 

A flush rose to his cheeks, before his expression turned to white ash. “The old man is gonna kill me.”

"How did you not know I was a woman? The Chief told you when he was introducing me."

"I wasn't listening," he huffed, looking away. 

"More importantly, you just tried to kill me!" 

"Not my fault you were being stupid, brat!"

"You were being stupid. You didn't get out of here for over a day! You have to eat! And sleep!"

"Sleep is for the weak! I need to finish this project-" Haganezuka turned back to his bench, reaching for his hammer.

You snatched the tool before he could touch it. "No, you don't-" You high-tailed it out of his forge, clutching his favorite hammer as if your life depended on it.

"Wait-! You useless wench!"

Your master swore up a storm, hurling insults, screaming at you and chasing you with his half-finished blade. 

Kanamori even ran out into the street in his pajamas, mask askew, a katana of his own in hand, thinking there was an attack again. Seeing Haganezuka, he huffed and went back to sleep, too tired to deal with this right now.

A few days later, the Chief came to officially scold your master. You had a kick out of it, thankful your mask hid your smirk.

[mistress-riddle]

thinking about cuteness aggression but with james and sirius.

james adores cute things. he's the type to see a cute plushie and immediately buy it because he likes it and he likes having something soft and nice to hold. so surely it's no surprise that he takes a likeness to your cuteness except what you should've realised beforehand was that he was most definitely a squeezer. and with his toned arms from all his athleticism, it was sure to knock the breath out of you every time you succumbed to one of his attacks. luckily, there is a pattern, his cuteness aggression strikes when you're in oversized (his) clothes and if your cheeks are full of a sweet treat. he just thinks it's so cute how soft you look and before he knows it, he's captured you, mid speech, in his arms and giving you an affectionate squeeze as he rubs his cheek against your own, cooing softly about how you're the sweetest and most adorable person to ever exist. he doesn't release you until the next morning when you need to go to the washroom, although very reluctantly because he enjoys being cuddled up in bed.

sirius has a different way of displaying his cuteness aggression and you're quite sure it has everything to do with his spirit animal. he gets random urges to nip at you when he thinks you're looking extra cute. his favourite places to leave a little bite are on your cheeks and thighs, your most supple areas that he adores. he just can't resist it, and it surely doesn't help your case that when he's in one of his episodes of gently nipping at you, you let out the most adorable and delightful giggles he's ever heard that just spurs him on to continue his ticklish attacks. he's obsessed with you and just loves leaving little marks to show how you grab a hold of his heart. (although he's absolutely on board if you reverse it on him and start biting him instead)

[marypsue]

Man, it's cool and all if you see a metaphor for marginalisation in the monstrous, and if you want the power fantasy of 'what if you could just eat anybody who threatened you/pissed you off'. Me too.

However, as soon as you start saying 'no, these monsters are a 1:1 on Specific Marginalised Group, and you have to treat them in the fiction like they are directly representative of real human members of the marginalised group', BUT you also, in the fiction, make them hurt/kill/eat humans? And then try to shame me, your audience, for noticing or engaging with the bit where they kill people, because you made them directly representative of a real-world marginalised group? You have lost me, and also, I think, the plot.

[omi-boshi]

thinking of little omi wanting a dog but his parents tell him he has to earn it because it's a big responsibility for someone as young as he is. so, he sets up a piggy bank to save up for adoption fees. he doesn't tell his parents about it because he wants to show them when he's saved up enough money.

surely if he has the money that means he's responsible enough right?

in the following months, omi sets aside a fraction of his daily allowance to put into his piggy bank.

it's slow-going until his siblings find the piggy bank labeled with "dog savings" in omi's messy scrawl. they're so charmed by their baby brother's antics that they slip in their own spare change behind omi's back.

they never tell him of course because knowing their brother —their sweet and earnest little brother — he would want to do this on his own.

by the time omi's 10th birthday comes, his piggy bank is practically bursting at the seams. he holds it tightly in his little hands as his family sings him a happy birthday.

when it's time to blow out the candles and he has to make a wish, he lifts up the piggy bank and tells his parents how he's been saving up the past few months. that he has enough to pay for the adoption fees. that he's 10, and he's a big boy now, ready for big boy responsibilities.

"i'm responsible enough for a dog now, right?" he would then ask, eyes bright with earnest hope he tries so hard to tamp down just in case they say no. his parents would exchange surprised looks followed immediately by shaking heads and laughter. lots of laughter. omi is rightfully confused. he frowns.

are they laughing at him? the thought makes him flush in embarrassment. his dad leaves the room, still laughing. when he comes back, it's with a box that's almost a little too big for omi. the birthday cake lays forgotten, candles melted, as omi looks curiously at the box in front of him, then to his parents, and then his siblings, and then back to the box.

his older brother nudges him to open it and when he does, omi doesn't know what to do with himself. the akita puppy yipping at him in the box was too much for 10-year-old omi to bear that he starts bawling.

he's hugging the puppy to hide his tears, and in the background he hears cooing and more birthday wishes from his family.

see, his parents had always intended to give omi a dog the moment he asked. omi rarely asked for anything so whenever he did, his parents were always more than ready and excited to give it to him. however, this time, they waited until his birthday because, admittedly, they had a hard time thinking of what to get him.

it seems they made the right decision watching their son pet the akita in quiet awe. they're happy that their little boy loved his birthday present but when they see his dejected little pout a little while later followed by a sad, "i saved for nothing then..." they knew they had to make right with him (not really but what is omi if not their precious youngest).

and that's how omi ends up with not one but two puppies for his 10th birthday.

[etoiile]

boys who are known as talkative and loud but go completely silent the minute a word falls out of your mouth. they hang onto every word you say and listen completely and carefully while his friends are just sitting there shocked at his quietness.

"huh? yeah, he's pretty quiet! he's a good listener."

"girl. NO HE'S NOT"

itadori, bachira, hinata, bokuto, and ur other energetic favs <3

©etoiile

[jadewritesficshere]

Bathroom

Eddie Munson x female!reader

An unserious moment becomes serious talking about love.

Warnings: peeing (NOT watersports, you quite literally just pee in front of each other), fluff

The trailer door slams open as you rush inside. You and Eddie had been stuck in traffic- thanks construction. What normally would have been an hour drive back from Indy took three.

And you had to pee. There was no place to stop after the last city, and you didn't have to go then. The usually empty roads to Hawkins were flooded with people going on detours. You couldn't even pull over and just go in the country due to the amount of people.

You rushed to the bathroom and shut the door. Your bladder was screaming at you. The chill of the toilet seat didn't even bother you as you sat down.

You were about to go when the door popped open and Eddie strolled in. "Move your legs i gotta go too," Eddie said unzipping his jeans. Your mouth dropped in shock for a second," What? No!" Eddie scoffed," I won't pee on you. I've got great aim."

You crossed your arms," Eddie, my thighs are too big. This bathroom is so tiny, I wouldn't even be able to spread my legs enough."

Eddie opens his mouth to argue but you speak again," Just go in the shower." Eddie gasps and throws a hand against his chest," Weren't you the one who said not to go in the shower? The hypocrisy!"

You roll your eyes," We aren't currently showering Eds, the shower is to get clean-" "You can pee and then get clean! You're in the shower and cleaning already!"

Your bladder screams in protest again," Eddie just wait for me to pee and then you can. Or you can use the shower."

Eddie grumbles but turns towards the shower. Theres a moment of silence between you both before you both start going. Eddie is the only person you would feel comfortable going in front of.

The relief your bladder feels is immediate. You hang your head for a second as you sigh, your hands clasped in front of you. The feeling of a hand on your head causes you to glance up. Eddie's eyes lock with yours as you both continue to go.

"What?" You narrow your eyes at him. "Just was thinking," Eddie starts but you cut him off," Eyes on the stream!" Eddie's vision darts back to where his stream had inched closer to the edge of the tub. "Whoops." "Great aim huh?" You chuckle, grabbing his hand off your head and holding it in yours.

Eddie smiled slightly," You thought i had good aim last night." You both chuckle as he squeezes your hand slightly," Nah I was just thinking. For better or worse yeah? Sickness and in health? We should add those who pee together stay together or something."

Both of your streams come to an end as you stare at Eddie. Your heart beats faster suddenly. Eddie tucks himself back in his jeans as you clear your throat. "You wanna marry me?" You ask quietly. You had hoped but...

Eddie's head snaps over to you," You didn't know?" You shrug as you grab toilet paper. "Hold on- shit!" Eddie stubs his toe against the sink as he quickly turns it on to wash his hands. You clean up as he scrubs soap quickly over his hands. He rinses it off as you stand back up, pulling your pants up. He haphazardly dries his hands on a towel and grabs your face in his hands.

You can still feel some water and soap on his hands drip down your cheeks. "Baby," Eddie's brown eyes stare into yours, " I love you. So much. I thought I made that clear, but if you have a single doubt then I havent done my job well. I. Love. You."

Eddie nods once before kissing your forehead," I would do anything. Even the gross things. Like letting you pop my pimples. Or rubbing your back as you throw up. Or holding your hand while you poop."

You wrinkle your nose," Ew. You've never held my hand while I pooped before." Eddie nods gravely," I would be willing to suffer thro-" you slap his arm in mock offense as he breaks down in laughter, causing you to join in.

Eddie grins at you," Yeah, no seriously. I would do anything for you. I would fight Vecna again- which was probably the worst thing I've been through. But I would do it again, willingly, for you. In the worst of times to the best of times, I want to be with you. You already own my heart and I would carve it out of my chest and hand it to you. My heart beats for you."

You smile at Eddie and pull him in for a hug," And I love you. I love you with my whole heart, mind, and soul. Every fiber of my being screams my love for you. "

You lean into his hold, swaying slightly as he hugs you. "I love you so much," Eddie mumbles. You pull back to look at him," Did we just say our vows in a bathroom?" Eddie barks out a laugh," I think we did."

Eddie grins at you and removes a ring from his hand," I'll get you a real one later, but uh since we already said our vows. Figure i should ask if ya wanna marry me." "Yeah, I guess I'll marry you," you feign nonchalance as you excitedly grab the ring and slide it on your hand.

You both laugh slightly, the love radiating from you two. You shake your head and grin, because only Eddie Munson would propose in a bathroom. And only you would say yes.

[emelinstriker]

Macaque ♡ Bath Time

First of all, this is all still SFW, but would be leading into NSFW with the ending implication. So this still counts as Fluff. Also I personally would call him Mac-Mac, so that shall now be implemented into my fics.

That being said...

CW: slight suggestive vibe, nudity, mild gore(? had to hold back a lot from making it full on detailed descriptions), maybe faint yandere behavior if you squint

♡ ~ Fluff ~ ♡

"I've told you before. Hands off my territory... No one to blame but yourself."

The dark-furred simian dropped the demon's corpse onto the pavement with a dark grin. It's been a while since he really got to do this to another demon. He's been holding back his true strength ever since he met you, in hopes of not scaring you off... Well, at least he didn't usually attack demons with you around. That didn't mean he would kill them even when you weren't present.

However... this particular demon crossed the line. Not only did this demon return to the apartment complex, the Six-Eared Macaque's territory, despite having been warned... But this demon also threatened to kill him, as well as you and your neighbors right after.

Little did he know that your husband was a lot more capable than any other ordinary demon this guy had ever faced before, by far. Despite his size compared to the intruder, he could easily fold him.

And of course, Macaque didn't take this random demon's threats lightly. Killing off a threat to you and your home once in a while wouldn't be so bad, no? Surely a little bit of self-defense in the name of your safety should be fine.

So he did what he seemed most fit. Getting rid of the pest that spoke of those threats. After all, endangering you in any way, shape or form was off-limits. Anyone attempting to break this one simple rule had to deal with the consequences and would be punished by your loving husband...

Violence may not always be the answer, but life is multiple choice.

And death was just one of the options.

A quite merciful one at that.

Macaque glanced down at the blood that now stained not only his clothes, but his fur too. He rolled his eyes, grumbling about needing to take a bath. After all, he wouldn't want his beloved to be stained by another demon's blood when he hugged them. And thus, he disposed of the body by engulfing it in a shadow portal. He was torn between letting it fall into lava or the ocean, but he decided that lava would be the quickest solution. If the corpse somehow managed to not be gone by the time the Demon Bull Family saw something floating on the surface of one of their lava pits, then they could simply see it as a nice aesthetic gift to their home.

He used another shadow portal to return to your shared apartment's living room. Everything was quiet, so much so that he had no problems hearing all your neighbors without even trying, which the shadow monkey already anticipated. Usually it was him that would come home later than you, but not today since his plays were scheduled for only half of the week. And it was a good thing he had the day off. Who knows what would've happened if you came home first and encountered the demon he got rid of instead!

After making his way past your bedroom door, he let a shadow clone enter and pick some fresh clothes for him. Meanwhile, he prepared his bath. The dark-furred simian noticed the lack of a shampoo bottle near the bathtub, so he ended up picking the plum-scented shampoo from the cabinet beneath the sink. Macaque was considering using body wash as well, but decided against it as most of what the blood got on was pure fur anyway. His shadow clone then walked in with fresh clothes, placing them on the closed toilet seat before vanishing back into his shadow.

However, before he could undress, his ears caught the sound of keys clashing by the front door. He smiled to himself at the implication- Only you had keys to the apartment since he didn't need keys to enter. And his assumption was indeed correct.

"Mac-Mac, I'm home!" Your lovely voiced called out from down the hallway as you entered.

"Heya, sugarplum! I'll be right with you, just gonna take a bath first!" He called back through he closed door. It did take a while until the tub was actually filled with warm water, so in the meantime he inspected his nude, scarred form in the mirror. He sighed to himself as he tried getting some blood off manually with his fingers, but to no avail. It would be difficult to clean up some spots, for sure. Especially those splatters that ended up on his back...

Another thing he did while waiting for the bathtub to fill up was to listen in on what you were doing. From what he could still hear past the noises coming from the faucet and your neighbors, apparently you were eating dinner. Presumably leftovers from the fridge as he did not recall you cooking anything earlier that day.

Once the tub was full, he turned off the faucet, then climbed inside and began to clean himself up. Macaque started off by washing all his fur on and around his head, at least that was easy to do. There wasn't even all that much blood stuck in there in the first place... Well, except for maybe the front.

He was so busy rubbing the blood off his arms that he didn't hear you walking towards the bathroom. At least until you lightly knocked on the door, pulling him back into reality.

"May I come in? I need a dry towel for the kitchen", you asked. Your husband told you that you may enter, so you did.

It was far from the first time you saw him without clothes, so it wasn't exactly awkward when you came in and picked one of the thinner towels. After choosing a fitting one, your eyes glanced over at the dark-furred simian. Honestly, he was already handsome by default. Him without a shirt was even better. But his wet, shiny fur glistening in the light of the bathroom made him look a lot more appealing on top of it all.

Suddenly, his own gaze landed on you. He seemed a bit confused, but this little bit of confusion was quickly wiped away as his smug grin took over.

Shit. He probably heard your heartbeat increase... Curse his intense hearing!

"What's the matter, sugarplum? Like what you see~?"

You were about to respond in a flustered, passive aggressive manner... Until you noticed the amount of red that was still very much present on his fur. You paused for a second before becoming concerned. "What happened? Did you get into a fight? Is that your blood?!" You asked frantically.

Macaque's grin left just as quickly as it came. "No, no! Well... I mean yes, I did get into a fight. B- But this isn't my blood!" That statement only eased your concerns a bit.  You simply stood there in thought with the folded towel in hand... Until he seemed to try wash off some blood his back, but to no avail.

"Do you need help getting it off?" You asked as you slowly put the towel onto the sink.

He raised an eyebrow at you before waving his hand dismissively. "I wouldn't mind the company."

You hummed in amusement as you made your way over to the bathtub, getting onto your knees next to it. Macaque handed you the bottle of shampoo and you put a portion of it onto your hand, putting the bottle next to you on the ground. You then scooped up a bit of water with your other hand and mixed both liquids together. Afterwards your hands were free to roam around your husband's back, trying to get rid of the red colors and the faint stench...

Honestly, you couldn't tell if it was just the blood because his fur seemed to stink on its own.

Suddenly, the dark-furred simian started to purr as you started gently cleaning blood around his tail. You actually had a somewhat hard time cleaning it... Macaque's joy over you handling his tail so gently only made it move around more. That in of itself wouldn't have been much of a problem, but we have to take his extra strength into consideration. He may be holding back by a lot, but his tail was still able to casually pick you up if he wanted to. So trying to keep it still enough to properly get rid of stains was a challenge.

You grinned at his tail's excitement, "Do you want me to wash the rest of your body too or what?"

The shadow monkey halted before fake-thinking with a hum. "Only if you get in here with me."

You gave him a blank look for a few seconds. Macaque thought this suggestion was a bit too much for you today. You barely got off work after all. Thus he was about to apologize... until he heard you take off your own clothes.

He paused as his tail's tip flicked back above the water in anticipation. His head whipped to the side to see you put your clothes onto his own pile or dirty clothes. With your body now in the nude, you approached the bathtub before demanding him to scoot over so you could sit behind him. You then positioned yourself so he was sitting between your legs, practically having been captured so he could never escape. (He wouldn't have minded to be honest.)

And without another word, you proceeded to continue washing him. Mainly his back and sides due to his fur's locations, but you occasionally would brush over part of his chest. Most of his fur in the back wasn't even bloody, but it was still nice to help clean him. At one point his tail wrapped around your waist as he leaned back into your hold, purring while slightly rubbing himself against you. You cooed at him being adorable and tried countering him by pushing your body firmly against his, trying to reach at least part of his legs better.

However, the moment you got to his hips towards his abdomen, he chuckled. "Not low enough, sugarplum~"

You rolled your eyes at his words with a flustered smile, "Mac-Mac, you can clean that area yourself. I can barely even clean your legs from here." He pouted as his head turned to face you, just so you could see his disappointment. You grinned at him in return.

"Do I at least get a reward for cleaning up the rest myself?" He asked with a knowing smirk as his gaze lowered towards your body below the water. That cheeky little bastard... You raised an eyebrow at the monkey's suggestion. The fact that his tail seemed to slowly make its way towards your thigh didn't help the situation.

You sighed in defeat as you nuzzled into your husband's furry back. "Okay fine. But, only one round, got it? I still have work tomorrow, and you know how much our stamina differs."

Macaque chuckled, using his hands to position your arms around his torso, your hands against his chest. "I can't promise anything, sugarplum~" He swiftly turned around more until he was able to give you a quick kiss on the lips, his hands holding your head for better access. "I love you."

In return, you leaned in as well for a kiss that would last a little longer. "I love you too..."

"Well, guess I better get to cleaning now, just so we have more time for my reward~", he said in his low voice as he pulled away. It didn't take long for Macaque to completely clean himself, especially with this new motivation literally sitting behind him with a flushed, yet amused look.

Maybe you should offer him this type of reward for doing house chores, just to motivate him into actually doing those more often.

> Masterlist <

[fishhateme]

okay fine let's address the elephant in the room i've abandoned this blog BUT i needed to cope after singapore yall after a good two months of no contact with any media of my pookie danny and the subsequent exposure to THE maxiel paddel date (ft. temporarily adopted paddel prodigy??) i'm ready to be back on my bullshit

this time? angsty introspective danny and max comforting him, aka ao3 hasn't been hitting and im in crisis

if it sucks it's because i haven't written fanfic in ages (started uni and it kicked me in the teeth, the only reason i can justify spending time on this is because at this point it's a Coping Mechanism™)

also i know the whole part things is a pain in the ass but tumblr wont let me write posts as long as i want them to idk i hate technology i was born in the wrong century (id rather die of the black death at 20 than have to deal with hyperlinks again thanks for asking)

read it here

[spiderin-space]

Next chapter up!! And sketches down below!!

[hiphopcherrrypop]

Would you draw some Jabashiri x Hagure fluff? Idk, just something where they are softies for each other ❤️

The brainrot is brainrotting

meoww

[l-in-the-light]

(Mis)adventures of Law with the Strawhats [fanfiction snippet, part 2]

"God Usopp's turn now!" says the guy as he snaps the die, holds it with both hands like in a prayer. "Give me six, give me six, give me multiple six!" and then he throws it on the table where it makes a lot of loud noise. The die spins and spins, till it finally stops.

There's one dot visible on top.

Usopp's jaw drops so low Law starts to think it might have dislocated. Their eyes suddenly meet when Usopp turns his attention on him. "YOU! That die must be a fake or you tampered with it somehow! Maybe using your powers. Admit it! I won't be mad, God Usopp is forgiving, as long as you admit to your wrongdoing!"

"Hey, Usopp, you actually land on the ladder!" Chopper shouts before Law has the time to answer to the allegations.

"Seriously?? My luck is perfect today as well! Not that it's anything special, I have perfect luck everyday!" Usopp laughs while Chopper moves his friend's pawn all the way up the ladder, smiling all the time while doing that.

"My turn!" Luffy already kidnaps the die and rolls it, and not even Yamato can stop him in time.

"Wait, it's not your turn yet!"

"It's not??" Luffy makes a face. "How long do I have to wait? I don't like waiting! I liked it better when I just played alone with Torao, I could roll the die all the time"

"I bet you could steal turns even if it's just two people playing" Usopp comments.

"You bet!" Luffy snickers.

"That wasn't a compliment, you know…"

Yamato in the meantime just rolls the die and moves his own orange pawn and hands the turn to Brook. Brook's die just falls to the floor, escaping his boney grip and they all decide to just use the number they found on it when they picked it up again. Brook's black pawn is way ahead of the others, because of constant sixes he somehow ended up getting at the beginning of the game.

"Your turn!" Yamato tries to hand over the die to Luffy who almost jumps on his seat, before they get interrupted.

"Your breakfast" Sanji says as he attempts to place the plate on Luffy's head. It doesn't stay there for long, Luffy's stretchy hands make sure of that. "You better eat all of it, it's the leftovers from the breakfast. I was thinking I would kick your ass and lock you in our aquarium with the sharks if I had to throw it all away, so I guess it's your lucky day"

"Thanks Sanji. That actually sounds pretty fun, we could try that someday" Luffy says as he stuffs his mouth full, for the second time in the last hour.

"Hey, you're interrupting our game!" Usopp complains. "Don't you have some ladies to please with your desserts or something?"

Sanji takes a look at the board as he slowly exhales some smoke from his cigarrete. That feels somewhat nostalgic.

"I'm on it. It's actually you all who are getting in my way. Why did you have to play in the kitchen? This is a place to eat, not play around, mama didn't teach you?" Sanji's eyes land on Law.

"This is literally the only table on the ship that can fit six people at the same time" Law explains.

"Next time just play on the deck. You all are distracting me" he points with his cigarette at him, and then goes back to his counter.

"Oi, Sanji, make us some snacks!" Usopp calls after him.

"No way in hell" Sanji calls back. Law takes the opportunity to look at Luffy's plate. It's literally just food scraps, probably not only from today's breakfast, and yet the captain gulps it up one after another. He's trying to eat and roll the die at the same time, and spits food as he shouts "A six!"

"It's actually a five, Luffy" Yamato corrects him.

"Oh" Luffy pauses. "But it's almost a six, so that's also great!" and then he moves his red pawn forward by six fields, but no one notices at first. Not before Usopp takes a look at the board again.

"Wait, aren't you too close to my pawn now?" he asks, scrutinizing the board like it hides some sort of secret from him, but finally gives up.

"Finally, my turn!" Chopper extends his short arms to reach the die, because he's sitting on opposite side of the table from Luffy, but the square remains just short out of his reach no matter what he does. Yamato finally notices and helps him.

"Thank you!" Chopper says as he sits back in his seat. Then he tries to roll the die, but it sticks to his fur for some reason. "Huh?" he huffs and then suddenly turns to look at Luffy "Luffy!! You made it all sticky with food!!"

Luffy just laughs and throws a halfhearted sorry in his direction.

"If you understand it, then it's fine" Chopper concludes and throws the die, shouts which number he got outloud, then quickly proceeds to move his pink pawn forward. It lands on a snake's head and Chopper ends up almost all the way back at the beginning as the result. "WHAT!! How is that possible?!"

Everyone laughs besides Brook and Law.

"I have such bad luck!" Chopper complains right after scolding people for laughing at his misery. He attempts to pass the die to Law, his small hoof reaching to the middle of the table. Law doesn't take it.

"You can throw it for me" he simply says. Chopper's eyes seem to light up.

"I really can?? Can I move your pawn as well??" and upon getting a short confirmation, Chopper throws the die again, it bounces off almost all the way to Luffy again, thankfully Yamato catches it before it can land in Luffy's plate. "Maybe try again?" he proposes, attempting to give it back.

And so Chopper does, it was a six, and then another six and a five, and his little hooves are trembling as he moves Law's blue pawn all across the board. "That was amazing!" he comments.

"It was all thanks to you" Law tosses back and Chopper snaps back at him, claiming it didn't make him happy, all while doing some pirouette.

"So it's my turn now!" Luffy says as he attempts to grab the die, his arm stretching all over the table, but it gets smacked by Usopp. "It's God Usopp's turn now, you peasant!"

Usopp's die this time lands also on the floor and Usopp tries to sell to them that he got a six and that they have to believe him, it's true, but they all just make him roll it again. "Four" he grumbles under his long nose and turns away from the table, so Chopper has to move his pawn for him again. Before he's done Yamato and Brook already played their turns as well.

"Finally!!" says Luffy, his breakfast already long gone, but his still greasy fingers wrap themselves all around the die. He clasps it in his fist, then he rolls his arm a few times till his skin literally wraps around itself like a twisted tissue. Once he releases it, his arm unwinds like helicopter blades and at that moment he throws the die that bounces all over the walls, causing everyone besides Sanji and Law to scream and cover their heads, before it finally lands on Law's hat, bouncing off of it.

"Oh no I'm sorry Torao!!!" Luffy is quick to apologize, shouting super loud and right next to Usopp's ear, which causes the latter to complain.

Law doesn't say anything, just flips his finger and the die magically lands on the table.

"How are you so calm?" Chopper can't help but wonder outloud, still covering his head with his hooves, even though Luffy's attack was over.

"He did the same thing yesterday night as well" Law answers simply. "Roll again. Normally, this time, if you can help it"

Luffy grabs the die while apologizing to Law one more time, and actually rolls it somewhat uneventfully. Usopp, who sits the closest to him, still hides under the table just in case. "Another almost-six!" Luffy declares and moves his pawn. It lands on same field as Law's one and Luffy turns to him, meeting his eyes. "OH. It's like we're on same team! Shishishi!"

On next turn the die lands somehow in a glass of water and as the result of the ruckus it caused they all forget Law's turn and it gets skipped. A couple of turns later it's finally Luffy's time to shine again. He gets two six and a one, and the red and blue pawns end up seperated by a decent amount of fields now.

"No good, you almost caught up to me again!" Usopp says with wide eyes.

"Uhum" Luffy answers and passes the die to Chopper, who seems a bit confused and tilts his head. "Are you still hungry Luffy? You suddenly seem out of energy"

"Right, what about our snacks, Sanji?!" Usopp uses the occassion to shout towards their cook. "I said I'm not doing any for you!" comes the answer that causes a small banter between the two for a bit and Chopper's question remains forgotten.

On Law's next turn he lands on a bottom of the snake, Brook is nearly at the finish line, Yamato got up the ladder which only gave him like five fields of extra progress, and Chopper finally caught up a little more to others, sighing out of relief as he passed yet another tricky field which could cause him to fall down to the bottom.

Luffy's pawn stops at the head of a red-white snake and he looks at it for a moment.

"Hey, Torao, we're meeting up again!" he flashes a smile once his pawn takes a dive down two lanes to join the blue one on the bottom. Brook just sips his tea. "Hm, this snake reminds me of Hancock's snake… how was it called again?…"

Usopp's pawn finally catches up to Brook, but in the next two turns the latter actually reaches the finish line.

"What? That's it?!" Usopp complains. "The game just ended while I was so close to the goal??"

"So boring!" Luffy complains as well, and few other voices join in with their disappointment. Brook apologizes.

"We can continue to see who will be the second and who will be the last" Law offers mercifully.

"That sounds like some half-assed pity" Usopp comments.

"So boring!"

"But I still want to play!" Chopper cries out. "I only made it halfway to the goal!"

"Not my problem" Law snaps finally. "I'm out anyway, you do whatever you want" and he attempts to get up, but sits down again, narrowly escaping outstretched rubber limbs heading his way. "Stop that!!"

"But you promised to play!!"

"I never said I will play more than one time"

Luffy's mouth gapes open, then he looks around the table with wide eyes and sends a voiceless SOS signal, hoping someone, anyone will pick it up.

"I can start over?" Brook proposes, putting his pawn at the beginning again. "I don't have eyes anyway, so I don't know if I reached the goal or not, yohohoho!"

"I still want to play!" Chopper is hitting the table with his little hooves. Yamato mimicks him as well, which makes the whole table jump in the air. "Ooops!" he grabs the board and pawns just in time so they won't scatter around.

Usopp looks at Luffy, then at Law, while poking his nose with his finger again, and seems to contemplate the board.

"Technically, you didn't finish playing yet, your pawn didn't reach the goal, did it?" he points out finally. "So you can't leave before that"

Law sends him a glare. "Fine, let's get it over with" He gives in and sighs. After all, he did propose that option himself, he would lose his face if he went back on that now.

Luffy's lips stretch from ear to ear. "I love you, Usopp!!" he says as he glomps him.

Usopp smiles at first, but then looks to the other side of the table, starts sweating a bit and tries to push Luffy away. "It's okay, okay, I get it, let's get back to it"

"Thank you, Torao!" says Luffy as he settles back in his own seat.

"Here you go, Yamato-chan!" Sanji chirps as he interrupts them again and sets down a plate with some chocolate delight right in front of Yamato. "And you, scruffy guys, can have this" says Sanji as he's passing by the table and drops off some bowls, already on his way to the ladies no doubt, seeing as he carries two more plates of a dessert that could be on the menu of most expensive Grand Line restaurants.

"Snacks arrived, thanks Sanji!!" Usopp approves and is already stuffing his mouth with two fistfuls of salty crackers. Sanji only makes a wave gesture back with his free hand, or well, not exactly since it's holding a lit cigarette, balancing the two plates with ease with another.

Just when Law snatches himself a cocoa cookie that tastes like sweet fairy dust and dissolves on his tongue like seafoam on a sunny shore, Usopp rolls up his sleeves. "Okay, time to spice things up, guys!"

"What do you mean? Those crackers aren't really spicy?" Chopper asks, already nimbling on some.

"That's not what I mean. I mean the game! Time to add new rules!"

"Like what?" asks Yamato.

"For example, penalty games!" Usopp smirks. "If two people land on same field, one of them gets blown up! And let's say ladders can go both ways, up or down! And if you land on the snake it eats you and you have to go back to the start. Also, let's draw some warp and mine fields as well!"

"Eh, that's too complicated, I'm not gonna remember all that" Luffy frowns.

"It's not that difficult!" says Usopp, but as he attempts to explain his ideas, everyone only ends up having more questions. "You're all no fun!"

Law just looks at the board the whole time. Finally, he says "Okay, let's do it this way. If someone lands on top of a snake while another person is on the bottom, they switch places. And the person standing on top of the ladder can kick it off temporarily so for the next few rounds it's unusable, but to make up for it that person has to queue one round" he looks up at them and adds, just in case. "That means they won't roll a die for their next turn"

Everyone blinks (besides Brook, he can't blink because he doesn't have eyes, yohohoho) and then look down on the board, and even Usopp listens and nods slowly.

"That sounds fun!" Luffy giggles.

"God Usopp approves" Usopp finally says, crunching his cracker loudly. "Well done, you can be my disciple from now on! What, you thought you could be my equal? Only if you add mines and warps as well, I'm not giving up on that!"

Law smirks. "Only if you call me commander-in-chief"

"Sure" Usopp agrees easily, his brows furrowing. "But can you actually cook?"

"AH!" Luffy cries out. Everyone suddenly turn to look at him. "I know! It was Slalom!!"

"What was?" Yamato asks.

"The name of Hancock's snake!" he declares with certainity. "Or wait, maybe that's not it…"

Law sighs and shambles another cookie. "When two people land on the same field, they have to battle it out, the loser goes back to the start"

"EH I don't like that!" Luffy frowns, but then reconsiders. "Or actually, that sounds fun. Can we decide it by having a sumo match??"

"No, it will distract you and we will never finish the game" Usopp answers instead of Law.

"Eh, fine, then how about finger sumo wrestling instead?" Luffy proposes and looks expectantly at Law. Soon all of them do.

He doesn't answer for a while. Luffy is about to ask again, when Law finally breaks through. "No."

Luffy's face fell.

"If two people land on same field, they will do an alliance instead"

tbc.

[love-marimo]

just a kaveh drabble bc my head is so full of him… (fem!reader)

(kaveh stops by reader's house after the whole event of interdarshan championship and laments and then they share a sweet and spicy moment~)

"Congratulations." You set your cup of tea on the table to greet Kaveh as he enters your home. He sighs as you take off his red shawl, setting it by the edge of the sofa.

"For someone who seldom leaves the house, you always seem to know everything." He says, placing a kiss on your cheek. He sits down and makes himself comfortable, you also do the same after fetching your cup of tea.

"My place isn't that far from the contest proper. It got crowded pretty easily and everyone was speaking your name in conversation." You smile, rubbing circles on his hands.

Kaveh runs his hand through his hair, brows furrowed. Time and time again he seemed to have so much on his mind.

"What's the matter? Are you not happy about it? With the prize, you can finally move out of Alhaitham's place." You ask.

"I donated it. I also destroyed the diadem because of its curse. I just… ah… sometimes I wish my thoughts don't plague my mind all the time. I wonder if the diadem didn't exist… if there was another trophy for the Interdarshan Championship… maybe things would be different… maybe… my father would still be alive…" He says, resting his head on your shoulder.

The cold summer night's breeze comforted the both of you as you cradled each other in your arms.

"You did your best. At least, in a way, your father can rest easy now. I'm sure he's proud of you." You reply, stroking his hair.

"I… know that. I feel quite relieved that I have people who I can turn to and celebrate with regardless, and that includes you. But still… I guess I'm still dwelling on it."

You turn to look at him and find him with teary eyes and quivering lips.

"Kaveh…" You wipe a stray tear and kiss the corner of his eye.

With bated breath, he finds your lips and kisses them, seeking your comfort and ardor. You kiss back as your hands travel all over his body, seating yourself on his lap.

He pulls back to kiss and suck on the crook of your neck, and you grind yourself on his clothed erection, whispering sweet nothings to his ear, doing all that you can to lull his tears.

"It's okay sweetheart. I'm here for you. I will always be." You hush him in his broken cries for your name.

You position yourself in between his thighs and you unbutton his pants. Kissing the tip, you lick a line on his shaft. He bites the back of his hand, suppressing a moan.

"D-do we really- ah- have to do this?" He asks as you start to suck him off.

"It's okay. Let me take care of you." You reply, giving him a reassuring smile before you resume your ministrations.

Lewd sounds and his saccharine moans echoed in your living room. Kaveh cries in overwhelm, in comfort and relief to have you by his side. He wonders where his loneliness would take him if he had no one, but his thoughts soon fade away as pleasure takes over, his eyes filled with haze and his lips chanting your name over and over again, in gratitude and admiration.

"I- I'm close…!" He whines, and you slow down, letting his load fill your mouth as you swallow every last drop of his cum.

You stand up to sit on him again, cockwarming him as he tastes himself on your lips. He kisses you all over, his soft voice telling you that he loves you again and again.

His cheeks are flushed and there are still stray tears, but you seem to have fulfilled your mission successfully as he smiles at you with lidded eyes.

"I love you. You're the sweetest thing that has ever happened to me."

Kissing his tear stained cheek, again, you reply.

"I know, darling, I know."

ー Lolita

[minty-mumbles]

Life Goes On

Summary: When the chain stumbled into Lonlon Ranch, Time thought he would have more time to spend with his wife. The portal that appeared on the Ranch's property line the next morning didn't care what he though, though, and he was sucked away from his wife once again, right after learning some very important news.

The Chain ends up in the Kakariko of Wild's era, and Impa gives Time some advice. Meanwhile, life continues on.

Author Note: This is an unfinished fic that's been sitting in my folders for nearly four years, and I wanted to just post it because I know I'll never finish it. The missing parts are indicated with the bracket+ an explanation of what's missing

(Read on AO3)

~~~

The group of heroes had stumbled into LonLon ranch late last night. They had made enough noise to wake Malon and her father from their rest, even with the rain that pounded on the windows and roof, drowning out most of their ruckus. They had been miserable, soaking wet, and with more injuries than they knew what to do with, so the ranch had been an extremely welcome sight. 

Since then, they had healed up nicely and gotten a good meal in them. After a night of good rest and liberally applied potions, most of the injuries were healed enough that they were past the point of possible infection. Hyrule still had a laceration going all the way up his forearm that they would need to watch carefully, but that couldn't be helped. 

While most of them could drink up to four red potions without any trouble, the more magical of them sometimes had trouble with them. Their bodies' natural magic fought against the healing potions’ magic. Too much of it at once could harm more than help. 

Hyrule was one such case. After Wild had forced two of those strange red portions of his- elixirs, he called them- down Hyrule’s throat, Legend stepped in, preventing the cook from giving the traveler any more. Instead, the cook whipped up a salve to help prevent infection with some of the medicinal herbs he had stored in his slate. After the wound was tightly bandaged, the entire group had crashed. 

Energy seeped out of them as the adrenaline from one of them being wounded left them. The group fell into a pile in the guest room, not even bothering to set up bed rolls, and barely remembered to lay down blankets. Hyrule and Legend shared the singular bed. Hyrule because he was injured, and Legend because he was the only one who bothered to drag himself onto the mattress. 

The entire group had dropped off to sleep before Time had even left the room. 

He himself had similarly fallen asleep nearly the instant his head hit the pillow.

Needless to say, they were all extremely thankful for the break from traveling. If they had had to set up camp somewhere in the forest, Time didn’t know who would’ve even had the energy to keep watch. 

Which was why Time resisted the urge to groan loudly when Wind had come racing into the house the very next morning, shouting about the portal he’d spotted on the edge of the forest.

The rest of the boys didn’t show the same restraint, some voicing their complaints loudly. They all stood from their chairs slowly, muscles still sore. They moved slowly, some still rubbing sleep from their eyes. Time knew that, when needed, all of this bunch could be out of bed and ready to fight in less than ten seconds. But here, in a safe space, it became clear who was an early bird and who most certainly was not.

Time felt a pang of regret that the boys didn’t get more time to recoup. He had known, of course, that their respite would not last long, but a single day wasn’t too much to ask for, was it?

They had a mission to fulfill, and their enemy would not let them rest for long. Since it had realized that it was being hunted, it had started trying to lead them astray, leading them on wild google chases that never amounted to anything, while it no doubt wrecked havoc somewhere in some era far away from them. It was trying to shake them off its tail.

The group of heroes had suspected for a while that it had been keeping track of them somehow, and purposefully leading them to dead ends to distract them. Now they had their proof. Just as they had settled into a safe place, they had yet another portal pop up. 

Time winced at the thought of this strange shadow dragging them away from any respite they found until they were all so exhausted and worn out, it would have no trouble picking them off. 

The thought that the shadow had gotten close enough to the ranch to make a portal that was visible from the front door also chilled him to his bones. It had been here. Right here. 

Thinking of the shadow even laying eyes on Malon made him irrationally angry, although he didn’t show it. To him, Malon was the pinnacle of this life that he had built for himself. She was the small amount of normal in the strangeness that came with being a hero. She was his rock in this sea of chaos.

There wasn’t anything dragging him through the portal, of course. He could simply stay on this side of it until it closed. He knew the other heroes would not begrudge him if he chose to do so. 

All of them seem to be slightly in awe that he was able to build such a life for himself. They all had internalized, on some level, that people like them could not lead a normal life. They would not scorn him if he chose to stay with his wife, and protect her from this very real threat to her.

To her, and the tiny life she had growing inside of her. 

Had it just been Malon and her father at the ranch, Time wouldn’t hesitate even a moment to leave. Malon was incredibly strong, and smart. If anything were to happen, he had no doubt that she would get both her and her father to  Castle Town alive. Now though, after the news that she delivered to him early this morning, he hesitated at the thought of leaving, just for a moment. 

Malon wasn’t even really showing yet and he knew, just like Malon's mother before her, she would work in the fields and ply her wares at market until the day the babe came. Then, she would be back at it in a week, the child slung on her back. (Nothing too strenuous, of course. Malon could be obstinate at times, but she wouldn’t put the babe in danger. But there was little time for rest on a farm.)

He knew he would likely be back well before it was time for the child to be born, but it was one more thing to worry about. What kind of man was he, to leave his pregnant wife here alone, possibly in danger?

Despite the urge to stay, he knew that he couldn't. The boys were leaving, with or without him. While he knew that Twilight and Warriors would be good leaders in his stead, he wouldn’t be able to bear it. These boys, although he would never admit it out loud, were his. (Though he had never voiced it to her, he suspected that Malon knew this too.) 

Besides that, even if he stayed here, there was no guarantee that the shadow they chased would be dealt with. There would be no guarantee that Malon would be safe, just because Time stayed. He was only one man. Fighting the shadow as a group was much more likely to work than confronting it separately. Better to nip at the bud of the problem before it blossomed. 

He stood from his chair at the head of the table, joining the boys who were going to collect their still dirty traveling equipment. They haven't even gotten the chance to wash the mud off their boots. 

He sighed, moving towards his and Malon’s bedroom, suddenly feeling the weight of all his years pressing on him. There was still so much they needed to do before they left, which all suddenly needed to be done in a few minutes.

They needed to restock. They needed more bandages… Many more, if this trend of endless battles continued. They would have to dip into the ranch’s store of preserved food. Jerky, and some hardtack. (Maybe, if they were lucky, Malon had some honey cakes laying around that they could snag to eat as breakfast on the road, but Time suspected they would be eating apples from Wild’s slate instead.)

Hardtack and jerky weren’t pleasant foods to eat, but it was a necessary back up. They did not want to be caught with all their food inside Wild’s slate again. Although the technology kept food from rotting, they had no way to access that food without Wild. Apparently the slate was keyed to him, and would therefore only work for him. And if he was unconscious, well...

They had found that out the hard way. After that incident, they all carried some provisions on them, which, Time acknowledged, they should have been doing from the start. What if they had gotten separated?

Time would need to get one of the boys to run out and fill their water skins at the pump. One of them would need to go get Twilight's Epona ready to travel.

He needed to check how many rupees they had, and if they were lacking, he would need to ask Malon to borrow some of the ranch’s funds. He squirmed unhappily at the thought. Normally, the heroes would be able to sustain themselves, selling things they found and scavenged from monsters for a rupee or two. (The Champion and the Veteran were especially good at this.) They hadn’t had any time to do this recently, though, and needs must. He was sure Malon would agree.

They needed to rebandage Hyrule’s arm, and check it for infection. The traveler’s tunic had been torn, so they also needed to make sure that someone had thread to patch it up.

They needed- 

Time sighed, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed, purposefully cutting off his train of thought. He would give himself a migraine if he kept worrying. He was sure that the captain and the pup were getting everyone ready to go even as he thought. He needed to stop worrying about these boys so much. He groaned, burying his face in his hands. 

Time would have startled at the hand that was placed on his shoulder, had he not known it so well. 

He looked up to meet his wife’s understanding eyes. He allowed her to pull him up, and the two started to repack his belongings in silence. 

Malon’s understanding and her unspoken support nearly made him feel worse, somehow.

As Time stepped out of the portal, he had to blink against the sudden sunlight. In his own Hyrule, it had been an overcast day. It hadn’t quite been raining, but the air was heavy, warning of incoming storms and making the scars that littered the heroes ache. 

On the other side of the portal, however, the weather couldn't be more different. It was early morning here as well, which Time was eternally thankful for. It was difficult to suddenly adjust to a different time of day. The sun was shining brightly, and those of the group which had preemptively pulled out their rain cloaks sighed in relief, packing them away again. The air was balmy and warm, signaling that it was spring in this Hyrule. If they were even in Hyrule. Time certainly didn’t recognize this place.

The group stood in the middle of a small bridge that stretched over a lazy river. The bridge was rather rickety, and Time worried slightly that the combined weight of the entire group along with Epona might make it collapse. Warriors seemed to share his thoughts, as he started herding the younger heroes towards the northern shore. 

Behind them, the portal snapped closed with finality. 

~~~

[The group find themselves standing on a rickety old bridge over a river]

When they had all made it off the bridge, they mingled together, pulling themselves back together after having to come through the portal. They stood on a well worn path that Time thought it would be rather generous to call a road. Up ahead, the path split into two, one fork going on straight, and the other taking a sharp turn toward the left. There were a few trees scattered about, but no true forest. Mostly, it was open plains and gently rolling hills. 

After making sure that they were safe, at least for now, Time ran an observing eye over the group.

Four was pressing a hand to his forehead, scowling slightly. He often got crippling headaches after coming through the portal, but it seemed like it wasn’t so bad this time around since he was sitting up and looking around. 

Hyrule’s completion had turned slightly green, and he was leaning heavily against Sky. Time frowned. The traveler was always the worst off after they went through portals. He had said that the dark magic they were made of threw his own magic out of balance. Time could understand that. Legend also looked slightly green around the gills, and was snapping at Warriors irritably. The captain clearly decided to give Legend a respite, knowing how irritable the man got after portals, and left him alone. Thankfully, other than that, everyone looked mostly fine. They would have to keep an eye on the traveler, though. Not only did he handle portals the worst, he was still injured.

For the sake of the Traveler, the veteran, and the smithy, Time turned to the rest of the group. “We’ll stay here for a while, eat some breakfast, and talk about our next move.” There were relieved groans from the whole group. They moved off the path, sitting on the grassy slope nearby.

Wild started pulling out food from his slate. There were the apples that Time had expected, but also wildberries, slices of hydromelon, and roasted nuts. Taking a handful of roasted nuts for himself, Time took another look at the champion. He looked suspiciously happy, and was being rather generous with the food.

His question was quickly answered once Wild finished passing out food, by the champion shining light on the mystery of where they had ended up. “This is Horwell Bridge.” 

Ah. that would explain the happy expression. This was Wild’s era. “We’re really close to the Riverside stable, so we can head there after we finish eating, and ask around for any information. The stables here are in constant communication with each other, so if you want to hear gossip or rumors about pretty much anything, asking around at a stable is a good bet. We’ll probably be able to get information about any black blooded monsters there.”

“And if we can’t? Where to after that?” Time asked. It felt a little weird to be asking Wild for directions on what to do next. The cook wasn't exactly a leader type, and usually did anything he could to avoid being in a leadership role. 

Unfortunately for him, this was Wild’s Hyrule, and he knew the land the best. What he said, went.

“Well, whether or not we find information, I think our next stop should be Kakariko village. It’s the closest settlement. The elder there, Impa, should be able to give us some advice. Zelda’s also likely to be there, if she isn’t in Hateno.” Time noticed Wild’s cheeks redden slightly at his mention of Zelda, and mentally grinned. He would have to keep an eye on those two to see what was going on between them. 

Although Sky and Time were the only ones who openly talked about any relationship they were in, Time knew that some of the other heroes also had significant others. Hyrule flushed whenever he talked about one of his princesses, Dawn, Twilight always shut down completely whenever he was questioned on the topic, and Time was pretty sure that Legend and Ravio were engaged. (At least, he didn’t think that the ring situated on the veteran's ring finger was magical. Although, knowing him, Legend wouldn’t hesitate to make his own engagement ring magic in some way. Not that Time could judge, as he had done the same thing himself, placing a protective spell on Malon's wedding ring.)

Wild hadn’t really mentioned anything when the topic was brought up, other than saying he had been in a rather serious relationship with a Zora princess before he died. Time knew that she had been killed somehow during the intervening years, though, so it wasn’t beyond possibility that Wild was involved with his princess.

Wild continued, “So, once we get to the stables, we can take some of my horses to make the journey faster. But after that, we have a couple options. The fastest way to Kakariko is that way,” he gestured back across the bridge, “but the road ends pretty quickly, the terrain is pretty rough, and it's a steep climb.”

Here Wild paused, pulling out his slate, moving closer to Time to show him the screen. Warriors and Twilight moved closer as well, while the rest of the group listened in. “But look here, the easier route is to keep going south west until we hit the plateau, then double back, see here? And follow the road through Dueling Peaks to Kakariko. We’d still make it before the end of the day, at least if we pick up horses. If not, we’ll still make Dueling Peaks stable.”

Time nodded. “You know the lands better than us. If that’s what you suggest, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Wild seemed startled by that, seeming to have forgotten that he was calling the shots now. “Alright. Then we’ll go by way of the peaks.”

Twilight grinned, ruffling Wilds hair, who cried out indignantly at Twilight messing up his long locks. “Sounds good, cub.” Time and Warriors nodded at that, and their course was set. 

~~~

[The group makes it to Kakariko, and they all go to speak with Impa. TIme is quiet the entire time, still upset about having to leave his wife so soon. Impa can tell something’s wrong, and asks to speak with him alone. Time ends up telling her what’s wrong. Impa offers him some good advice that comes from her years raising Paya after he daughter and son-in-law died]

“Life will continue on whether or not you are present for it. So, if you want my advice, I would suggest being present for what you can be present for.”

~~~

Considering the woman’s words, Time wandered back outside, and down the steps. Since he had last been outside, the town center seemed to have been transformed. The small fire had been expanded. It was a huge blaze now, merrily crackling away. It was big enough to fit what looked like half the population of Kakariko around it, and indeed, half of Kakariko seemed to have turned out for the festivities.

The atmosphere was merry. Children ran around, carefree. A vendor had seized the opportunity and set up a small stall, selling roasted meat and baked apples from the fire, along with flasks of spiced ale. People were chattering away with each other, mingling easily. No one seemed to be left out of the merry-making. 

There seemed to be no trouble to be had, and even the most tense heroes, like Legend and Warriors, looked like they were relaxing. Time could also feel himself relaxing into the atmosphere. 

There would be the same worries tomorrow. Worries about shadows, and infected beasts, and Malon, but for now, Time figured that Impa was right. Time could finally feel the weight of those thoughts fall away. He could enjoy himself for the night. 

He walked closer to the fire, looking for a nice place to sit that was near the others. As he approached, a couple of the teens sprang to their feet. They gestured for him to take their seat, laughing as he tried to politely refuse. They sped away, jostling each other, and yelling for their friends. 

Time smiled at their energy, remembering a time when he could act the same way, and not wake up sore in the morning. (He knew that if he ever voiced those thoughts, the boys would nag him about it for days.) 

He took the vacant seat, settling in next to an elderly woman who seemed to be working on a piece of embroidery. The skin around her eyes wrinkled as she squinted at her work, paying no attention to Time. He left her to her work, content to sit in silence. 

Time accepted a flask handed to him by a passing gentleman. He sipped slowly, savoring the alcohol. He gazed around, taking all the sights and sounds of the merry gathering. He didn’t think it was any sort of festival, or at least Wild hadn’t mentioned one. Perhaps the arrival of such a large group of travelers instigated enough excitement that it had simply snowballed.

Or, perhaps such a thing was common in this town, for the people to gather together at night, to share food and drink over a roaring fire. Time would have never thought such a thing this morning, when he had first laid eyes on Wild’s land. It had seemed barren, for all the flora and fauna there had been. It had been devoid of Hylian life, ruins scattered everywhere they looked. 

The Champion had shared the story of his adventure, complete with the utter destruction wrought on the land by Gannon, or The Calamity, as Wild had called it. Time had expected to see a desolate landscape, so that was what he had seen this morning. 

This night was forcibly opening his eyes, however. Of course, the land was not as full of life as some of the others’ were, but it wasn’t barren. The land and the people were healing. Kakariko was small, and would not be considered more than a hamlet in Time’s era, but the people here were not downtrodden. They were flourishing. They shared smiles with one another, and shared food just as easily. 

They had children and teenagers, though thinking of it now, Time couldn’t spot the lively bunch of teens anymore. All those gathered around the fire were older men and women. Time would reckon there was no one under the age of forty around the fire, besides the other heroes.

As he gazed away from the fire to attempt to find where everyone else had gone, (and the group of hero’s two youngest members, who seemed to have wandered off,) his eyes slowly adjusted to the lower light. 

With the improved vision, he could tell that the younger folk of the village were gathered just outside the light of the fire. Time could see a young couple stealing a moment with each other, sitting on nearby the bridge that leads to a small island with the goddess statue. The sight brought a sharp pang of longing for Malon into his heart, which he did his best to shove away. 

There was no space for homesickness here. Not tonight. 

Even further from the fire, the young children played, chasing each other and playing tag. He still couldn’t see the teens anywhere, but now that he was listening he could hear them, so any worries were assuaged. Pricking his ears towards the noise, Time could even make out the familiar sounds of the smithy and the sailor joining in the yelling. 

It seemed that the town had organized itself into age groups. The honored elders got the prime spots by the fire, while the adults were left to mix in the surrounding areas. The children were let loose to play, as long as they stayed in sight of their parents, and the teens were free to explore and do their own thing. 

Wild’s time was full of monsters, but even the most brave bokoblin wouldn’t dare enter an established settlement, filled with Sheikah who were still trained in the ancient fighting techniques. That safety meant that the teens were able to get some space from the adults, and interact with each other without the oppressive gaze of their minders.

Time was glad that Four and Wind were getting some time away from the older heroes as well. It would be good for them to spend some time around those their own age. It would also give them some time to unwind without having to live up to the expectations they set for themselves in the presence of their older counterparts. 

Besides those two, the entire rest of the group of heroes was resting in the fire light. Wild was talking animatedly to Flora, a bigger smile on his face than Time had seen in a while. Time was suddenly glad that it was Wild’s Hyrule they had come to. They had been to every other land except Wild’s, and had even gone to Time’s era twice. This was the first time they had come to see Wild’s homeland since the journey started and Time realized that the young man must have been feeling homesick. 

Warriors and Legend were leaning against the only tree in the town center, sharing a flask with a couple of older Sheikah men. He could hear Warriors telling a tale of some battle to Legend and the men they sat with. (Time had noticed that despite how much the two argued and snapped at one another, they actually got along quite well when they thought no one was looking. They seemed to have grown close.)  

Sky was dozing off across the fire, leaning against an old woman who seemed entirely unfazed by the situation. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself as she encouraged a couple of the younger kids, who Time suspected to be her grandchildren, to draw on his face with sticks of charcoal. Time snorted quietly to himself. He imagined that Sky wouldn’t be too mad when he woke up with butterflies scribbled all over his cheeks. 

Hyrule and Twilight were the last of the group that Time spotted. They were sitting a little ways away from him, barely within the reach of the firelight, listening to a middle aged man spout off facts about cucco farming. Hyrule looked to be more interested in gazing at the fire than listening, but Twilight seemed to actually be engaged, remarking on his own passion, goat farming. 

As he looked for longer, Time could tell that the rule of ‘Elders on the inside, getting younger as you get further from fire’ was not hard and fast. Several younger adults were situated near the blaze, and it seemed that as long as they stayed far from the dangerous flames, the younger children were welcome to mingle as they pleased. And yet, Time watched as a young woman looked around for a spot to sit, completely ignoring the empty space on the log near her, which was shortly taken by an elderly man.

Perhaps it had more to do with status, then? Impa’s granddaughter was one of the ones in the inner circle, after all, sitting next to Flora and Wild. And all of the heroes were welcome as well, offered prime seats. The teens from earlier had even gotten up so Time could sit. 

Time marveled at the intricacies of etiquette in Wild’s Hyrule. In Time’s Hyrule, it would have been first come first serve, although a kind hearted soul might give up their seat for a particularly aged person. The differences between their lands never ceased to amaze Time, and not just the obvious ones. The less obvious things, like seating arrangements, also stood out. Little things, like Wind and Sky both having no idea what horse was, or Hyrule never having seen a town as big as Time’s castle town. 

Like he said, he marveled at it.  

[Later that night, Time witnesses Wild proposing to Flora. He uses a tradition from his own time to do so, where the one who wants to propose has to master the craft of whoever they’re proposing too. So if their partner is a baker, they would bake a pie. If their partner is a woodcarver, they would have to carve something, ect. For the most part it doesn't have to be perfect, It’s just to show that the one proposing is invested enough in their partner’s life to take time to learn something new to understand more about their partner. 

In this AU, Flora is a mixture between a scholar/storyteller/teacher. Since her craft isn’t really physical, Wild proposes by beating her in a game of riddles. (Flora may or may not catch on to what he’s doing halfway through, and lets him win, but shhhh no one needs to point that out.) That scene was going to be heavily inspired by the riddle scene in the Hobbit, but when Wild asks the “riddle” of “What’s in my pockets?” and Flora can't guess the answer, he pulls out an engagement ring

The chain doesn't know exactly what’s happening at forst, but they can tell something important is happening, especially at the end when everyone breaks into cheers. Time realizes that he is missing one aspect of his life, but he can still be involved in what’s happening here and now instead of mentally being stuck back at the ranch.]

[alienaiver]

"that's it. i'm removing you from the roster until you've stopped by the doctor."

you look at midoriya in disbelief. unable to keep yourself poised at his final decision, your shoulders slump and the exhaustion washes over you like a wave. he's seen through you.

it's been a year since your near-death experience with an all-too-powerful villain and while shinsou took great care of you during your recovery, something's been off ever since - you haven't been able to put a finger on it, though, so you decided to do what every self-sacrificing hero does: you powered through. until there was no power left to muscle your way out of it. and now it's become visible to others too. you have a feeling shinsou might've ratted you out, but you don't blame him. you'd done the same if it were him.

you get home in a daze and fall face first onto the bed. you don't wake up until you feel the weight shift and the warmth of shinsou's lips touches your cheek. but you don't have the energy to react with more than a hum. your eyelids are so heavy. there's a ringing in your ears but it's so constant that it just feels like a persistent buzz. shinsou says something as he settles behind you, arms wrapping themselves around you. for a while, you think there's silence but he says your name sternly in a voice he only uses when he knows you're not entirely listening to him. huh. you're mostly used to hearing it on the battlefield.

"i'm worried about you."

you sigh and hum, pushing yourself weakly back onto him, "'ve got a doc's appointment..... tomorrow."

he kisses the crown of your head, "okay... okay, good."

he's drawing soft circles into your arm and you drift away again. he wakes you when there's dinner and you perk up again slightly, but not enough to make him stop worrying his lip between his teeth. you fall asleep fifteen minutes into a movie later that night.

you put on your shoes and lock the door behind you, putting the keys in your pocket as you turn for the stairs at the end of the hall. you really wish there'd been an elevator in your building right now. as you walk down the steps, your feet feels heavier but you chalk it up to be your shoes. it's the sneakers you don't wear that often, but it's too cold for sandals today. you shrug it off and just concentrate more on walking.

the doctor goes through your symptoms with you but there's hardly any, you reassure her. you're just so exhausted no matter how many hours you sleep. she warns you that you may be sleeping too much. you agree with a laugh - you don't remember ever sleeping so many hours, having been an insomniac your entire youth. she does some blood tests and sends you home, saying you'll be called in when the answers are back.

the days that pass are all a blur. without your shifts at the agency, time becomes fuzzy around the edges. you don't have to get up, so you just stay in bed, since you've been told you need to rest anyways. on the third day you wake up to several notes on the bedside table, the bathroom mirror and the kitchen counter and fridge from shinsou with various reminders about eating and drinking properly and where he's stocked some snacks and prepped some food for you to reheat easily. you chuckle and shake your head at his antics. you're just tired, is all. the headaches comes with the job, you remind yourself as you try to gently massage out the tension in your neck to relieve your pounding head. he might be right about the water intake - you grab the cold bottle he's put in the fridge for you and brings it with you to the bed.

"i think you should call and ask if they've gotten the answers yet." shinsou says matter-of-factly and you nod, "yeah, it has been a few days. but it's the weekend, right? i'll call on monday." and that ends the conversation.

monday comes but you forget to call, even if you've been determined to do so. by the time you remember, the office is closed for the day. you sigh heavily and fall back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. you prepare the apology for shinsou on your tongue before you drift off.

tuesday morning your phone rings - several times. you finally reach out and pick up, thinking it's shinsou.

"i do apologize for the wait. the doctor unfortunately had to take some time off last week, but we have your results. will you be able to come in today?"

you agree, dragging yourself up. there's more energy in you today, but it should've been way more given the intense rest you've been having. you put on one of shinsou's hoodies and a pair of sweats before you drag yourself to the kitchen to grab a bite.

turns out, you suffer from anemia. an intense, prolonged form and need medication as soon as possible. shinsou's livid when he comes home and gets the news, angry that it has been missed when the agency periodically keeps an eye on their heroes' health. you sit on the chair with your hands folded like a child being scolded and try to laugh it off, "come on now, hito. i just need to take some medication and i'll be fine. the usual blood tests the past year haven't covered that - even if they should, i know," you hurry to add, "but i'll be fine, i promise."

shinsou sighs and his whole body slumps, leaning against the table you're sitting by. you take his hand, "i'm okay."

he visibly relaxes but there's something he's holding back. you've been together since high school, so you can read him like a book. you squeeze his hand, "open up."

he clicks his tongue with furrowed brows before he opens his mouth, "you've had these symptoms for months. why didn't you tell me?"

you look at the ground, guilt written on your face. mostly, because you don't have a proper answer to give him. you don't know why you didn't - the symptoms had all been sneaking up on you, snaking their way into your body quietly and suddenly it'd just become so chronic that you'd normalized it. you let out an apology and he squeeze your hand back, "it's okay to not have an answer. but please, can we be mindful of things like this in the future?"

you smile at him, "only if you continue to make the little post-it notes. they're adorable - especially your small doodles of dogs."

shinsou hides his face in his hands with a groan, "they were cats."

[idontknowmyownmind]

RokCale Soulmate AU

Everyone have a red string attached to thier pinky finger that will lead to their soulmate

Only themself who can see their own string that manifested when they were 4

Red means that your soulmate still alive;

White means that your soulmate cut your string; and

Black means your soulmate is dead

Even though your string spread out to the horizon, you can still be able to see them

And each soulmates have different ways to communicated with their other half, from sharing wounds, sharing emotions, meeting in a dream, and so on

Cale's string, since he first got his string, it's only 7 cm long and seems to be connected to thin air

He was confused for a long time and thought that he doesn't actually have a soulmate until he got a weird writing engraved on his arm

Apparently, his way to communicated with his soulmate is through writing on their skin

Since then, they always communicated with each other, telling each other their deepest secrets and insecurities

At first, they have difficulties to communicate because of their different language but they somehow manage to teach each other

But they never really tell each other name

At his end of life, Cale's last words to his soulmate is 'I Love You'

Both of them never trully tell each other that because they know that although their souls are tied, they aren't meant to be together

For the deal to be made he need to die first

Kim Rok Soo doesn't trully have anyone other his soulmate

When everyone he adores leave one by one, only his soulmate always remained in his life

Until one day, out of nowhere, his soulmate told him that he loves him

Right before his string turn black

They never trully tell each other about their feeling for each other, but they know it without telling

His heart feels tight and it's hard to breath

He fall asleep after reading a novel with tears silently streaming down his eyes

He wake up inside the novel, and instead of panicking, the first thing he checked was his string

His eyes widden when he found it vibrant red again

He bring his hand close to his heart as a single tear escaped his eye

He is speechlees when he see familiar language before he laugh incredulity

'Does that mean my soulmate is alive in this world?'

That's what he thought but his string still connected to thin air so it's unlikely

During his endeavor, he also try to find something about his soulmate but got zero result

For some reason they can't communicate with each other again

Until he met the original Cale Henituse in that space

For the first time in their life, their string connected to something to someone

They look at their connected string for a solid minute before they laugh breathlessly

They don't exchange words for a long time and found themselves in each other embrace

They embrace each other tightly and just stay there

But they have to part away

It may be better for them to cut their string, but they can't bring themselves to do that

Their first and last kiss happened before they have to leave for their world, their new home

[averlym]

,,, sun-dappled sheets...