#i usually walk the long way around the bottom of the hill and up the road and across the field back to the top of the hill

[yummyrevivalfluid]

I Do It For You

Pairing: Yandere Stanley Snyder x GNReader

Request: Stanley with a darling who only feels safe around him and will basically cling to him + Stanley's reaction to his darling getting flirted by someone else.

A/n: This is my first time writing for Stanley! Also my first time writing Yandere content! Hopefully, this lives up to expectations! I also made an effort to make this gender neutral! If I slipped somewhere, please let me know so I can fix it! I also don't know much about Xeno and Stanley besides what is shown in the anime and spoilers that I read. So, let's just pretend that Xeno and Stanley met sometime around high school. You're also Xeno's sibling in here!

SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT SO LONG! 😭@crescentmoonfallen

Warning: Yandere content! Use of smoke! Cigarette Play? (Sort of) Obsessive thoughts!Implications of harm and murder!Mentions of Blood!

---------------------------------------------------------

Stanley wouldn’t say that he obsessed with you. If he were to describe it, he’d say he was intrigued by you and your brother. Mainly by you.  

Classes had just ended, and Stanley was walking his usual route home. Coincidentally, you and Xeno were just up ahead in his path, experimenting at the bottom of a hill that he was approaching. Then he heard it. A faint voice- your voice. Had there been a wind that day, he would’ve missed your quiet shouts of, “Stop!”

Hearing your pleas, he pauses in his path and glances over his shoulder and watches the scene in front of him. You stood shivering in front of a boy with grey hair who was hunched over, and your arms stretched out to protect him. You were glaring at a group of boys in front of you and shouting, “Leave us alone!”

You reminded him of a Chihuahua. Small, shivering, and all bark.

Something compelled him that day to protect you both. He made his way to the bottom of the hill, approaching from behind you stealthily. He had not made any noise, only staring down at the boys in front of him as he approaches closer. You were unaware of Stanley approaching from behind, your concentration to those in front of you. Xeno, however, noticed Stanley’s presence. He pushes the rail gun that he was going to test fire with you over to Stanley’s feet.

Stanley places his hand on your shoulder, lightly tugging you behind him as he aims the rail gun in front of him. A light gasp escapes from you, eliciting a smirk on his face. “Are we going to have a problem?” he asks, taking one step forward, his finger playing with the trigger.

One of the boys in front laughs nervously, puffing his chest as he challenges Stanley. “That’s not even a real gun, can’t shoot shit!” Stanley turns back to look at you and Xeno with an eyebrow raised. Xeno was nodding his head, and you were looking up at him with stars in your eyes, fueling his fascination with you. Was that all it takes? Just needed someone to protect you…

“These losers say it can shoot.” Stanley sneers, taking yet another step closer and placing the barrel of the gun under the leader’s chin. “But hey-we can put it to the test.”

The bully didn’t want to take any chances, especially if the railgun was created by you and Xeno, the nerdy siblings. There was a chance that you two finally figured out how to get it to shoot. The leader huffs, shoving the gun away from himself. Stanley is quick to grip his hair, pulling from the scalp, bringing the leader to his knees. Stanley squats down and spits on his face and snarls to him, “Touch them, and I will kill you.”

Stanley releases his hold and watches as the group of bullies scramble away. He turns around and is caught off guard by you. Surprised by your embrace.

“Thank you,” you mumble to him.

He was intrigued by you. Intrigued how someone can be so small. How can someone lack strength? Intrigued by your need to be protected.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Eventually, the feeling of being intrigued flowered into something else. Amusement. He was simply amused by your being. From the day he met you and your brother, you allowed him into your inner circle. From then on, he was able to watch you.

While you and Xeno blabbered on about calculations being off, he kept his eye on you. Using this valuable time to know more about you. The tiny quirks that you have. Like the way that you bite your lower lip whenever you push at the buttons on your calculator, deep in concentration to avoid hitting the wrong key. Or how you bite the tip of your pencil whenever you’re in deep concentration in a problem, laughing at you whenever you bite too hard and get lead in your mouth.

Or how your eyes naturally gravitate to him whenever you grow bored of Xeno’s lectures. You would roll your eyes dramatically at Stanley, nodding your head in Xeno’s direction. Stanley would respond with a dramatic yawn, indulging at the sound of your laughter.

But what amused him the most was how you naturally latched onto him since that day. He didn’t have to do any work to figure out where you were or what you were doing since you always had a hold on him. He relished the fact that you needed him. You always followed him with your fingers, gripping the edge of his leather jacket.  

“I feel safe with you.” You confess to him, your fingers gripping onto his jacket. He unlatches your hold, and his fingers interwind with yours.

He hopes you don’t question the dried blood on his knuckles.

--------------------------------------------------------------

It was his fault. He got too comfortable. You were too innocent…too trusting. That’s why you needed him. He was no longer amused- he was protective. He was supposed to protect you.

“It’s just a cigarette…” you whimper, cowering under his stare. You can see him breathing heavily as he crushes the cigarette pack in his hand. You’ve never seen him like this. Was he disappointed? Angered? “Like the ones you smoke…”

He hated the fact that he couldn’t always be with you. Your classes aligned except for one period. Was that all it took for you to fall into someone’s trap?

You cry when he hurls the crushed box beside you. He snatches the lit cigarette from your fingers, and he grips your chin roughly, forcing you to stare at him.

“Just a cigarette?” he mocks you. “Darling, don’t you know these can kill you?” You nod your head; a quiet yes leaves your lips. He brings the cigarette to his lips, taking a hit before blowing the smoke in your face. It hurts him to hear you cough in a fit, but he needs to teach you a lesson. He takes another drag and blows the smoke again in your face.

“Stan…” you cry. He takes another drag, pulling you closer, his finger tugging your lips apart, blowing the smoke into your mouth.

“Do you see how a cigarette can harm these pretty lungs?” he whispers darkly to you, his lips brushing against yours.

“…yes,” you reply. Just the brush of his lips against yours, and you were addicted to the feeling of it. You whine, trying to lean towards his lips for a kiss, and he pushes you back. Tilting you so that your neck was exposed to him.   

“I do this to show that I love you.” He whispers against your neck.

 “You love me?” you ask in disbelief.

“Yes.” He presses a faint kiss, his fingers dig deep into your waist. He wants to leave his mark on you however he can. If he needs to bruise you, then so be it. If he needs to burn you, then he will.

He lifts the cigarette again, this time he doesn’t plan to take another drag, he plans to put it out. You clutch to Stanley; your nails dig into his forearm as he digs the cigarette into your skin. He needs everyone to know.

“You’re mine.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

He was protective, not obsessed.

Protective…

He was only protecting what was his.

You’ve been good to him. You never leave his side, always holding onto him. And for the rare moments he can’t be with you, he’s drilled into your head you weren’t allowed to speak to anyone besides Xeno.

“You can’t trust anyone.”

“People use others for their selfish gain.”

“There's dangerous people that want to hurt that pretty brain of yours.”

He’s trained you well. You were obedient, so he knows it isn’t your fault. He didn’t think he had to worry about anyone else. He thought he made it clear that you were his, but there was always a dumbass that didn’t get the hint.

He was on his way to you, bolting from his seat as the bell rang. A class period without you was torture. He was rushing through the hall to get to you, and then he stopped dead in his tracks. You were being pushed up against a wall by another student, leaning close to your face. Your hands attempted to push him away as you called Stanley’s name.

It took everything inside of him not to kill the guy. He can see the fear in your eyes when you see him approaching. He grips the guy’s shoulder, pulling him back and connecting a hit against his face, blood splattering against Stanley’s fist. He was going to kill him, he just had to wait until there weren’t any witnesses around.

He ignores your cries as he intertwines his fingers with yours, and he pulls you through the hallways.

A sick part of him liked tainting your hand with blood.

To remind you that he does this for you.  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. I lied! I'm sorry I didn't add smut! 😭 I have an idea for a part two if you still want to see smut!

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

Aemond on a hot day and going for a swim

This one has been in my wip for so long. Whoever sent this, I am truly sorry

Warnings: 18+, nudity, mention of skinny dipping

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

The weather had been scorching hot in King’s Landing as of lately. It was so hot outside that it was impossible to go in the sun for longer than ten minutes without feeling light-headed. No one knew why it was happening nor when the weather would cool down. You just had to sweat through it.

You were heading out to court in the late morning, fanning yourself as you walked, when a hand caught your arm. 

‘’Where are you going?’’ Aemond's voice cut through the hot air. He wasn't wearing any leather, which was strange to see him without. 

‘’To court. Doreah is waiting for me. She is going to teach me how to thread fans. Would you like one, my love?’’ you asked, offering him a small smile. Your hair was tied back into braids instead of its usual loose waves, helping you stay cool. 

Aemond ignored your question, his jaw tight as he looked up from your dress. ‘’In that attire?’’ 

He never criticized your choice of clothing, letting you dress the way you desired, but he couldn’t let you leave the Red Keep in this dress. Absolutely not. 

‘’I made it myself using an old dress. My handmaiden had taught me to sew.’’ You smiled proudly, giving Aemond a small twirl. ‘’It’s light and breathable. Perfect for hot weather.’’ 

‘’It looks like undergarments,’’ Aemond remarked, his tone tight.

You promised to work on controlling your insolence, but right now Aemond had you rolling your eyes. ‘’It is not.’’ 

‘’I can see your breasts through it, therefore everyone can see them.’’ 

He didn’t want to sound possessive, but your body was for his eye only. Not perverted men at court. It made Aemond sick to even think a man of his court could pleasure himself to the thought of your body. If he ever catches anyone doing so, he wouldn’t hesitate to cut their head — or cock. 

‘’I opted out of a corset today. This heat makes it unbearable to wear.’’

‘’No corset?’’

You shook your head. ‘’No corset. Nothing.’’ 

Aemond raised an eyebrow. ‘’Nothing? As in…no undergarments either?’’ 

You tilted your head, a mischievous glint in your eye. ‘’Exactly, my Prince.’’ 

A group of servants walked by, averting their eyes from you and Aemond.  

‘’I say we walk back to our chambers and you see Doreah tomorrow. It is not appropriate for a lady to walk around dressed so scantily.’’  

‘’I have a better plan.’’ 

*

Aemond thought you had lost your mind when you suggested walking down Aegon’s hill under this heat. You were both sweating and out of breath when you reached the bottom of the hill, but you knew it would be worth it. 

As you were walking, Aemond changed his opinion on your dress. He still thought it was far too revealing to be worn outside your chamber, but when you started swaying your hips while walking, he couldn’t look away. It made his throat dry…and his breeches tight.

A smile curled on your face, seeing your destination in the distance. You pulled Aemond along, his hand sticking with yours from how humid it was. 

‘’We’re there,’’ you declared, standing before a small area of water deriving from the Blackwater Bay. There were a lot of trees around it, which hid it from the ships sailing through the bay. ‘’Let’s go for a swim.’’ 

Swimming sounded nice. He was completely drenched in sweat and the thought of jumping in the water was very tempting. Aemond looked around the secluded area. No one was around to spy on the Prince with his lady. He couldn’t help but notice the sweat dripping down your chest and neck and disappearing into your dress. 

‘’We can’t go swimming. Someone’s going to see us.’’ 

You rolled your eyes. ‘’There's no one here. Ever.’’ You reached a hand out and dragged your finger down the buttons of his linen shirt, slowly unbuttoning them. ‘’Just think of the cool water on your hot skin. Won't that feel nice?’’

Aemond’s breath hitched in his throat as you trailed your finger over his chest. He swallowed. ‘’We shouldn’t… Someone could be watching,’’ he said, his protests were growing weaker and weaker by the second.

‘’Can you quit worrying and just have a swim with me? It's just you and me here. Lose the clothes, my love.’’ You looked up at him, the corner of your lips curled into a mischievous smile. ‘’Besides, the water is deep enough that no one will see your milky white buttocks once you're in.’’

Aemond exhaled deeply through his nose. Your stubbornness knew no bounds.

‘’You’re going to be the death of me,’’ he muttered before finishing unbuttoning his shirt and peeling it off. He began unlacing his trousers, then paused. ‘’And my body does not look like milk,’’ he added dryly.

A giggle left your mouth, amused. You reached for the ties on each shoulder, pulled until they came undone. Your dress fell into a puddle at your feet, exposing you fully. 

Aemond swore his brain stopped working for a moment, his eye drinking in the sight of you completely nude in front of him. Gods, how did he get so lucky? You were a man's dream.

His throat went dry as he took a step forward. He gently placed his hands on your hips, his thumbs moving in small circles. ‘’Are you sure there’s no one here?’’ 

‘’There might be a rabbit or little ducklings...’’ 

It was Aemond’s turn to roll his eye. ‘’Very funny.’’ He finished undressing, pulling his breeches down before stepping out of them. 

You grinned at him. ‘’You love my sense of humor.’’ 

Aemond pulled you flush against him, your clammy skin sticking to his, before tilting your chin up to look him in the eyes. His gaze was dark, almost hungry. ‘’And I love shutting that sarcastic mouth of yours even more.’’ 

His words left you speechless, not expecting that from him. 

To prove his point, he leaned down and captured your lips in a kiss. You grabbed onto his shoulders as it turned deeper, his tongue slipping into your mouth. Heat spread through your body as you kissed, arousal slowly rising, and defeating the purpose of coming down here. 

You pulled away, feeling Aemond’s breath against your lips. ‘’Shall we go in the water before things escalate?’’

—

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[misswynters]

Buddy, the snowman

featuring. s2 jayce x reader

a/n. i want everyone to picture s2 long haired jayce for this (my lil hispanic boy)

Piltover in winter was a different kind of magic. The city’s usual bustle slowed as the snow draped over rooftops, blanketed the cobbled streets, and softened the sharp edges of its mechanical marvels. The air was crisp, filled with the faint scent of pine, and for once, it seemed as if even the gears of progress paused to appreciate the quiet beauty of the holiday season.

You stood on the edge of the park, bundled in a thick coat, scarf, and gloves, waiting for Jayce. Who is always late, as usual. Snow crunched beneath your boots as you shifted your weight, your breath visible in the cold air. When he finally arrived, he was juggling a small box of cookies he’d picked up on the way, a thermos of hot cocoa, and his scarf, which he hadn’t managed to wrap around his neck yet.

“Sorry I’m late,” he called out, flashing you a sheepish grin. “I got held up by Mrs. Halloway. She wanted to tell me all about her snowflake shaped cookie cutters.”

You laughed, reaching out to grab the thermos before it slipped from his hands. “Let me guess, you were too polite to escape?”

“She cornered me at the shop,” he admitted, his breath clouding in the air as he finally wrestled the scarf into place. “But hey, I brought cookies!”

“Then all is forgiven,” you teased, linking your arm with his as you walked into the park.

The snow was untouched, sparkling under the late morning sun. Children’s laughter echoed from the far side of the park where a sledding hill was busy with activity. You and Jayce gravitated toward a quieter spot, where the snow lay pristine and the trees offered some shelter from the wind. “I can’t remember the last time I built a snowman,” you mused, surveying the scene.

“Then we’re fixing that today,” Jayce declared, already kneeling to scoop up a handful of snow. He packed it tightly, forming the beginnings of a snowball. “You start the bottom, I’ll handle the head.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You trust me with the foundation?”

“Of course. You’re the architect here, aren’t you?” he teased, his grin warm and inviting.

With a playful roll of your eyes, you got to work. The snow was perfect, soft enough to mold but firm enough to hold its shape. You began rolling the snowball across the ground, watching it grow larger and larger. Meanwhile, Jayce fashioned the middle and top sections, his gloved hands moving with practiced ease.

“Hey,” he called out after a while, his voice tinged with amusement. “Is this snowman going to rival the height of the council tower? Because it’s looking like you’re aiming for a structural masterpiece.”

You stepped back, admiring your work. The base was enormous, almost up to your waist. “Bigger is better ,” you retorted with a grin, dusting the snow off your gloves. “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right.”

Jayce chuckled, hoisting the midsection of the snowman in his arms. “Fair point. But if this guy topples over, I’m blaming the architect.”

You laughed as he carefully balanced the second snowball on top of the base. “You’re not exactly the most careful engineer I know, Jayce. Remember that time you accidentally launched yourself across the workshop?”

“That was one time!” he shot back, laughing as he adjusted the snowball until it was perfectly centered. “And I still say it was an unintended success.”

“You’re lucky I was there to catch you,” you teased, rolling up the final snowball for the head. Jayce stepped aside to help you lift it, his hands brushing against yours as you both placed it on top. The snowman took shape quickly, its proportions absurdly exaggerated but undeniably charming. Jayce pulled a handful of random gadgets and bolts from his pocket, because of course he carried those everywhere, and started sticking them into the snowman’s torso.

“What are you doing?” you asked, watching in disbelief as he carefully attached a cogwheel where a button might go.

“Improving him,” Jayce said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Every snowman deserves a touch of innovation.”

You snorted. “This is why you can’t leave well enough alone.”

“I prefer to think of it as creativity,” he said, leaning back to admire his work. “What do you think? Too much?” The snowman now looked like a combination between a friendly holiday figure and an early prototype from Jayce’s workshop. His scarf draped around its neck (stolen from Jayce’s coat), the twig arms were bent at jaunty angles, and the “buttons” were a mismatched collection of gears and screws.

“It’s… unique to say the least,” you said, stifling a laugh. “But he needs a name. How about… Buddy?”

Jayce grinned. “I like it. He’s definitely our buddy now.”

The two of you stood back, admiring your creation. The late morning sun glinted off the snow. But then, out of nowhere, a snowball hit you square in the shoulder. “Jayce!” you yelped, spinning around to see him grinning mischievously, another snowball already in his hand.

“Consider it a christening for Buddy,” he said with a wink, launching the second snowball toward you.

You dodged, laughing, and scooped up some snow of your own. “Oh, you’re going to regret that!” The next few minutes devolved into a chaotic snowball fight. You darted behind trees, narrowly avoiding Jayce’s throws while lobbing your own with surprising accuracy. He wasn’t as agile as you, but his aim was scarily good, and more than once you ended up covered in snow.

When you finally called a truce, you were both breathless and laughing, your cheeks pink from the cold and exertion. Jayce flopped onto the snow, spreading his arms and legs to make a snow angel.

“Not bad,” he said between breaths. “But I think I won.”

“You wish,” you said, collapsing beside him. “I hit you way more times than you hit me.”

“Debatable,” he replied, turning his head to look at you. His brown eyes sparkled with warmth, and his smile was softer now, less mischievous. The two of you lay there in the snow, staring up at the pale blue sky. The world felt quiet, the only sounds the distant laughter of children and the occasional rustle of wind through the trees.

“Thanks for dragging me out here,” Jayce said after a while. “I needed this.”

You turned your head to face him, your breath visible in the cold air. “Me too. It’s nice to just... be for a while. No council meetings, experiments, or deadlines.”

“Just you, me, and our little Buddy,” he said with a chuckle, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than usual. You felt your cheeks grow warmer, though whether it was from the cold or something else, you weren’t sure. “And the cookies,” you reminded him, sitting up and reaching for the box he’d brought.

Jayce sat up too, brushing snow from his coat. “Right. Can’t forget about the cookies.” The two of you sat together, sharing cookies and sipping hot cocoa from the thermos. Buddy stood proudly nearby, a testament to your combined (if slightly chaotic) efforts. Pulling off your gloves, cradling the thermos in your hands. The warmth seeped through your fingers as you took a sip, the rich, sweet cocoa melting the chill in your bones. Jayce opened the box of cookies, offering you one before taking one for himself.

"These are so good,” you said, savoring the buttery sweetness.

“Told you Mrs. Halloway knows her stuff,” Jayce replied, his grin boyish as he took a large bite. “Snowball fights and cookies. Best day off ever.”

You leaned back, watching Buddy stand proudly in the distance. “I think we outdid ourselves with that snowman,” you said.

Jayce glanced at it, a playful smile on his face. “He’s definitely got personality. Though next year, I’m thinking we add some light-up features. Maybe a mini hammer.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Of course you are. But fine, as long as I get to handle the design.”

“Deal,” he said, raising his cookie like a toast.

As the two of you sat there, sharing cookies and warm drinks, the soft glow of the setting sun painted the snow in shades of gold and pink. It was a rare, perfect moment of peace, one you knew you’d carry with you through the busier days ahead. And in the quiet of the winter evening, with Jayce’s laughter still echoing in your ears, you realized this was what you loved most about him: his ability to make even the simplest moments unforgettable.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Jayce pulled his scarf from the snowman and wrapped it around your shoulders instead.

“You’re going to freeze,” you protested, but he shook his head.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice gentle. “You’re the one who dragged me out here, so it’s only fair that I make sure you stay warm.”

You rolled your eyes but didn’t argue, leaning into his side as he slung an arm around you. “Same time next year?” he asked, his tone light but hopeful.

“Maybe, as long as you aren't late.” you agreed, smiling as you watched the last light of day fade behind the snow-covered trees.

taglist. @diffusebread @xxblairslairxx @thesevi0lentdelights @writingwisterias

[andreas-river]

I would like to request a Nikto x Reader :)

Nikto overheard a conversation you were having with the other operators on base about how beautiful the nearby flowers are blooming in spring. He has begun a daily ritual of hiking up the hill to find the prettiest and gathering them for you. Secretly leaving little bouquets in places you would find.

ʻʻLingering scentʼʼ

Pairing: Nikto x Fem!Reader

TW: none, mostly fluff.

-

He never meant to eavesdrop on you.

That’s what he repeated to himself every time, watching the space ahead of him but with his ears focused on the tone of your voice, hearing the smile that you had. He never felt it before, nor did he know that you could feel a smile in someone’s voice.

There were small details, the way you pointed at the flowers outside on the way to the base, his eyes travelling all the way around to see the camp at the side of the road.

And to be honest with himself, he never noticed them, until now.

He couldn’t ever be a gentleman, there was no way that he saw himself give a bouquet of flowers to someone. The thought almost made him feel sick from the bottom of his stomach.

That same night, Nikto walked out of the base, a flashlight in his left hand as his boots left imprints on the cold ground. The snow was long gone, the days were becoming longer and longer, feeling like a fish out of water as the temperatures became warmer.

When he dropped down and pointing the light at them, gloved fingers brushing at the stem as he picked it from the ground, he realized that he never observed a flower in his entire life. The petals looked so bright under the artificial light, the center a bright yellow, reminding him of the time he saw you wear a yellow shirt.

He never expected to see you with that color on you, attracting more than a few pair of eyes, yet you walked straight like you weren’t a complete walking headlight.

He collected others from the ground, without even counting them as he held them in his other hand, walking back while trying to figure out a plan to give them to you. That’s when the thought hit him like a train: he was planning to give you a bouquet of flowers.

—

The following day, he stayed more than usual at shooting wooden targets with his rifle, his fingers tingling as if pure electricity was flowing in his veins, trying to keep himself at bay. He still remembers how he found himself searching for anything that could’ve kept the flowers together, finding only a rubber band inside one of his drawers.

He didn’t know what was driving him to such actions, he just felt like it was the right thing to do after hearing what you said.

At one point, he was forced by his teammates to get out from the training area, almost pushing him all the way. He sat with them as they were eating their lunch, his box still closed—he would eat it only in the privacy of his own room.

Still distracted by the flow of his own thoughts, he didn’t acknowledge your presence until you walked by, surprised to see you alone. He listened as you asked for a plastic cup—a bit weird, bottles were most used, until he watched you pouring water inside it as you gently placed flowers inside. Those flowers.

Until you turned in his direction, finally going back to reality and seeing his teammates waving at you, inviting you to sit with them.

He didn’t realize he was staring at you until your eyes watched him back, yet your smile never faltered for a moment, sitting in front of him and placing the flowers on the table.

“And where did those come from?”

He watched you blush at the question, murmuring that you didn’t know, and telling how you found the little bouquet of flowers tied at the handle of your door that same morning.

He held back a groan as Rodion tried to understand who could have been the gentleman behind that gesture, your face becoming redder by the second as his teammate tried to think of any person.

You let out a nervous laugh, distractedly fixing the flowers inside the cup.

His heart skipped a beat when you shifted your gaze on him, even if it was only for a moment.

—

It happened again, and again, your room perfumed from all those flowers that somehow ended up in spots where you always went. Always held by a rubber band, always tucked in a corner—yet you knew exactly what the corner would be.

You were dying of curiosity since that morning you first found them, soon being aware that someone was doing that on purpose, but not leaving any trace behind.

But you knew better than that.

The way he stared at you—someone even said that he was a creep, but there was more than meets the eye. The more you watched him, the more you started to understand that his eyes gave out more about him, or the way his legs shifted when he was sitting, or how he crossed his arms in his chest or if he left them at his sides.

It was a difficult book to read, too many difficult words to understand and concepts hard to grasp at first glance.

But you wanted to know more, to know him more and the reason behind those flowers.

Slowly sticking your head out of your room and closing the door behind you, you stealthily walked out, going straight to your favorite spot in the little yard of the base. You could feel your heart beating loudly in your chest, almost afraid that someone could hear it, even if it was impossible.

At night everything was easier for you. It happened occasionally in the past that you would meet him, the insomnia having the best of you both, ending up talking—you would always do most of the talk, he would just sit and listen at everything, from the gossips that went around the base to personal matters that heaved on you, feeling almost childish to trust him so blindly.

Apart from seeing him in the field, you knew nothing about him, except all the thing other said about him. All the rumors that went around the base, the way everyone dared to talk behind his back but shutting their mouth the moment his shadow appeared closer to them. They were afraid of him, that was obvious.

But that didn’t stop you at all, reasons why you sat under that tree in the middle of the night, waiting for him to appear.

Little did you know that he was observing you from afar, trying to walk his way around but knowing well why you picked that spot—you already knew. And like in that moment, you already managed to put yourself in his way, always stopping him in his tracks at every inopportune—and opportune moment.

The dirt under his boots made enough noise to attract your attention, watching you turn around, your eyes light up the moment you saw him. No one ever watched him that way.

“You should sleep at this hour.”

Your smile widened after his words. “I can say the same about you.”

He didn’t answer your statement, the flowers in his pocket burning like fire, their perfume making his head spin. He noticed the way you breathed in, surely noticing the sweet scent lingering around him. Not saying a word, you just shifted, making space for him on the bench, patting the cold material with your hand and inviting him to sit.

After a moment, he obliges.

For some time, he just imitates what you do, watching the sky above, clouds and stars blending in one big painting, letting all thoughts slip away from his mind, somehow less clouded than ever.

You let the wind do the talk this time, your smile never faltering for a moment, not even when he finally gets up from the bench, the first lights of dawn filling the sky in bright stripes. He cannot help but feel the shadow of a smile forming behind his mask as your lips murmur a ‘thank you’, voice too low to understand—but you both surely didn’t need the voice to understand each other.

You follow him soon after, this time leaving the scent from the chamomile flowers lingering for a bit longer on that bench, their petals flying away with the wind of that new morning.

[cy-cyborg]

Hi, I was wondering what sort of leg prosthetic would work well in a fight? I'm designing a magical girl OC with a prosthetic leg and want to incorporate a rather more pink and sparkly one into her magical girl form. I know you can get blades for running, but would those be better than a normal prosthetic for running and leaping around while bonking monsters with a magic stick?

Hey there, I think I remember seeing your question on my old account right? I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you!

So a blade probably wouldn't be ideal, but a hybrid might.

Blade prosthetics are very good for running, but are absolutely terrible for literally everything else, including standing or walking. Essentially, blade prosthetics are modeled off of digitigrade legs. For the non-furries on my page, digitigrade legs are what cats and dogs have on their back legs where it bends at the knee, then bends back the other way at a second joint before their feet.

[ID 1: A pair of black running blade prosthetics with yellow edges. Their wearer is out of frame but we can see they are running along a track. /end ID] [ID 2: A photo of a cheetah from the side. In the photo we can clearly see the structure of its legs, as described above. /End ID]

This is actually their ankle, and their "foot" is their toes. This arrangement makes these animals really fast and nimble, but it comes at the cost of lower balance. That's not an issue when you have another two legs to help keep you steady, but when you put that onto a human we start having issues. This is why if you watch any races where the competitors are using these prosthetics, they almost always fall over, especially the double leg amputees. Essentially, the shape and springiness of a blade gives you a massive speed advantage (so much so that amputee runner Oscar Pistorius had to be given disadvantages in order to compete in the Olympics with able-bodied runners) but it essentially moves the ankle joint and heel - the one our brains automatically know to weight bare through - up off the ground. The closest an able bodied person could get to the feeling of running on a blade would be to wear a pair of stilleto heels with the heal removed, and a spring on the bottom.

Hybrid feet though are a combination of blade feet and the regular feet amputees usually get. They are like tiny blades, but they usually have a foot-shell on the outside so you don't see it. These hybrid feet give you some of the extra padding and suspension you'd get from a running blade (which makes running/jumping etc more comfortable) as well as a bit of a speed boost, though not as much as the big ones, and they don't come at the cost of your balance, which you'r character will need when fighting.

Ossur's Flex foot range are a good one to look at for refeance, I used them when I was doing martial arts, as do a few friends of mine who are still doing it. This is a link to their website, it's got pictures of what they look like both internally and when people are using them, and I beleive theirs a booklet you can download on the page as well if you want to read into them a bit more. This isn't the only one of course, but it's the one I've used before:

I'm planning to do a breakdown in a little bit more detail about the different types of prosthetic feet and what they're good for eventually, but for what you described, I think this is what would work best.

[midnightmayhem13]

Hii! Could I request the marvel ladies reaction to reader referring to them as her girlfriend for the first time <33

now i see daylight

this is so adorable! and ofc coming rightt up(ultra delayed post)

warning!- some suggestive bits(nothing specifically said)

Carol Danvers

once awhile, u and the girls go to a fancy jazz club. usually it's an excuse for you guys to dress up and get wine drunk and wake up feeling refreshed, albeit a lil hungover. this time, you and your lovely gf Carol go as a together. you wore a stunning navy blue dress and she wore a casual navy suit. Carol was drooling over you and she couldn't stop staring at you but you were also obsessing over ur sexy buff ass gf. you walk in hand in hand and go around the party talking to ur friends. you and carol separate for js a moment. when ur friends head home u sit there sipping ur drink alone and a man comes to sit next to you and start bugging you. "hey beautiful, you here alone?" "no im actually with someone" you answer sternly. thanks to Carols quick reflexes, you don't have to suffer long. she puts a firm hand on ur back and kisses the top of ur head. but thanks to the drinks he doesnt take the hint. "why don't u take me home dove; i'll show you want i can do." you and carol giggle. as she's about to say smt, you interupt. "actually" leaning into Carol, putting ur hand on her stomach as her hand goes over ur shoulder. "i'm gonna be taking my beautiful girlfriend home so you can go now." Gosh you've never looked sexier to carol. she honestly js starts fawning over you and lets out a THATS MY GIRL and hugs you super tight bc her heart js melted. you're so proud about being with her and she cannot contain the blush that's on her cheek. you two walk out (ur lipstick all over Carols face and neck) she's so giddy about the events that happened and cannot stop kissing u all over. it's like ur first date all over again and honestly, she can't wait to call u her wife!!

Darcy Lewis

Darcy is the smartest girl you know. and naturally as an Avenger you introduce her to Tony and safe to say he's very impressed with her and pats you on the back for finding such a brilliant girl. everyone likes Darcy too!! she makes you happy, she's hot, she's loyal, and mf is a Dr and an astrophysicist!! you always flaunt that. well when a big company asks the avengers to come work with them bc some sort of anomaly (think wandavision but no one's dead bc i said so) has accured and they need some brains and brawns. while tony and bruce alone were smarter than all of the companies scientists; they bit off more than they could chew. after a few weeks of all the scientists working at it, they only advance a bit. you go home and darcy comes over and you rant to her about it bc ur fed up. and suggest the idea of bringing her to help and she considers it. she spends the night so she might as well tag along and see what she can do. at first the companies big boss disregards her and even tries to push her away from the monitors. you grab his wrist "don't you touch her. and just so yk my girlfriend is smarter than all ur stupid scientists so i suggest you let her take a look so she can fix wtv ur men can't" Darcy is actually frozen to her spot bc that was so hot. the heat from her cheeks spread all the way down and she's at a loss for words. her face turns bright red and she nudges you too stop cutting the guys circulation off (she's well aware you'll break this guys arm for her). she thanks you and kisses ur cheek as she sits down. give her a few hours and BOOM. she's gotten to the bottom of the problem and has two possible ways to fix it, they both end up working. Darcy bugs about how much you brag about her. you give her a whole speech on why she's the greatest women ever as you hold her. she loves you with her whole heart and has never felt safer in her big bad avengers gfs arms.

Maria Hill

Even though Maria is always incredibly busy with Shield, and you with the avengers, you always find time to be together. but being women of high power has never been easy. that being said, both of you get looked down on even after showing ur skill time and time again. so you arrive at headquarters looking for your bad ass gf, carrying with you a few treats so she doesn't forget to eat. as you make ur way towards everyone they seem to be doing their usual thing. you could spot her from a mile away away. she's the most beautiful women you've ever laid eyes on. you approach her. her eyes land on you and her face immediately lights up. she greats you with a tight hug, a kiss on the head and then the lips. she's gotten more comfortable with being affectionate at work, you notice. "thank you baby" she says sweetly, completely contrasting to the harsh tone she uses with her troops. "i'll be back in a second" she goes to tell her most trusted troop to take charge as she steps out for a second. almost as if she cannot live in peace, a scrawny, insecure guy comes out of nowhere and starts complaining about Maria being off duty (who even is he) he starts causes a scene and honestly makes you laugh a bit. you two go to walk off to ignore him and suddenly the hoe grabs you!! yeahh maria is not gonna let this go. but when she goes to interfere but yank your arm away "my girlfriend has all of this under control so why don't you turn around and get back to work, the nerve of you!" Maria jaw is DROPPED. i mean she knew you could get serious but seeing her adorable gf give commands does something to her body. almost as if she's shy being in ur presence. she's sure she's never smiled bigger. you turn around and grab her had and guide her to the break room. she feels like she has a silly little school girl crush as she giddily follows you around.

sharon carter

(this is power broker sharon bc she's hot but no one's dead BC I SAID SO) To say sharon was kinda nervous about telling you about her job was an understatement. i mean you were an avenger but also the love of her life. it was a long talk but you got it to work. anyways you hung around a lot at her place bc hello?? it's huge and you love seeing ur hot gf do illegal ass things bccc she wasn't an avenger level threat (yet) so by ur logic, we're chilling. and she was on okay terms with steve, bucky and sam. when she hosts her auctions you're always welcome to come to them too! you want to be there just in case the worse happens, even tho she's more than capable of controlling it. but that doesn't mean you're safe from any guys or gals that want to hit on you. if they know who you are, you're okay but if they don't know who you are or have a death note they'll hit on you. usually you hang low or by the bar bc sharon's busy at these events. as you sip your favorite margarita you feel a tap on your shoulder. a security guard? "uhm hi can i help you?" you ask politely. unbeknownst to you sharon's watching (she always is) and heading her way over to you. the guards are specifically told not to speak to you unless u speak to them. she's possessive what can you say. "i'm not sure you're on the list your gonna have to step out" he says roughly grabbing ur arm and tugging you off your stool. sharon is basically bolting at this point. "my girlfriends the owner of this place and is the reason you buy ur meals so get off of me" you say and push him back. he's about to tackle you bc yk ego. until he sees an arm snake around your waist. oh sh*t. "get the hell out my house" sharon says and he gets escorted out. you'll probably never hear from him again. sharon grabs your waist and pulls you impossibly close to her as she places her lips on yours. "that was so sexy baby" she says on ur lips. her stern demeanor almost broke when she heard you calling her your girlfriend so proudly. it made her knees want to buckle and she felt like kicking her feet. she finally got the girl of her dreams and u guys were a match made it heaven. she can't stop thinking of this moment for months to come and definitely shows how proud she is of you later that night.

Nebula

nebula thought she was gonna be a lot of things in life. but never did she think she was gonna be the girlfriend of the most beautiful and kind girl in the galaxy. she seriously never expected to ever be blessed by your presence much rather be loved so deeply by you. although she's been weary of love her whole life, you've completely changed her perspective. you love her so deeply it's almost unfathomable. that being said, anything you guys are in a new planet and go explore you always make sure to stick to her side. who's gonna mess with ur big ass blue gf?? not to mention she's possessive with you and aggressive with anyone but you. she's also so gentle with her sweet girl. so you'd expect any on looker to stay away from you bc nebula likes to walk around with her hand on ur butt while holding you close. but when some weird looking dude approaches nebula immediately become alert but all he does is aggressively bump into her "hey watch where the hell your going u got ur dirty paws on my girlfriend!" you yell as you grab wtv the hell is on top of his (maybe hair??) and he has no other choice but to apologize to nebula. when he leaves nebula is left speechless. why are you so proud that ur dating her?she can't control herself tho and pulls you into an ally to passionately make out with you. that was so hot. she lifts you by ur butt and presses you against a wall. you giggle and pull away as she chases ur lips "what's with this nebby?" "i love you." she says hoarsely. she didn't know how to respond to the whole situation. she couldn't care less about what the guy said or didn't say. but you loved her so much and we're so open about it. she was gonna love you forever.

kate bishop

Kates sure you could do something so simple as breathing and she would get giddy. she's no kidding. she absolutely adores you and you adore her. that's why you two just work. and while not all things come to you guys that simple most things do. you to do have your fights but they can usually be resolved with a good talk followed by a movie marathon with pizza and Lucky cuddles. so that's what you guys are doing right now. don't get me wrong, this happens on a weekly bases not just when you guys are having an argument. it's just a chill saturday afternoon, both you and kate resting from having a hard week in training and working with adults who never seemed to be pleased with any improvement in any skill. but anyways. you kate and lucky are all cuddled up on her couch as you decide what movie to pick out. as if it's a 6th sense kate suddenly gasps "we didn't order pizza!" and even lucky pops his head up, distraught by this horrible news. you have a good laugh but kate is seriously concerned about this. you stroke her hair and kiss it and tell her you'll order it rn. kate js smiles snuggly at lucky (who she high fives) as she leans her head on ur tit and receives head rubs. you call her favorite pizza place and order ur usual order while she finds a few movies to binge. thanks to nyc, ur pizza arrives in no time. and when you hear the bell ring you and lucky go answer the door. kates too busy complaining cuz her pillows gone. as you answer the door luckys right there as ur security. "haha your dogs really cute!" says the delivery guy "thank you my girlfriend found him!" you say simply as you tip him and close the door. kate literally gets up and runs around as she squeals. you thought she was just really hungry but after she picks you up when you put the pizza down she tells you other wise. she spins you around and cannot take the big goofy smile off her face. she's left speechless but her smile speaks for her. when you ask her about it your heart melts at how pure she is. the rest of the night she's has that smile on her face as she's resting on ur favorite pillow, you!!

a/n- so sorry this took so long and it's kinda crappy! i was kinda stuck so they all sound similar but hopefully you guys enjoyed! send requests!!🤍🤍

stay safe hoes🤍

[topazy]

Inside, outside

Pairing: 10k x reader

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of blood and brains

Chapter: 5.06

After bringing the quad bike to a complete stop when you spot a deserted-looking warehouse, 10k jumps off the back first, and immediately you’re missing the warmth of his arm wrapped around your waist. With the sling of his gun over his shoulder, he offers you his hand to help you climb off. If 10K wasn’t a gentleman before, people would probably be catching onto how protective he was being.

You, 10K, Warren, Murphy, and Addy had gone to find the source of bizkit’s and why they seemed to be low rations of it, while Doc and George headed back to Altura to keep an eye on Dante’s trial.

“Is that the bakery? The place looks abandoned.”

“It doesn’t mean nobody is home,” Warren points out.

The five of you stand on the edge of a small hill that leads down to the pathway into the building. The side of the hill was mainly covered in rubble, preventing any vehicles from driving on it.

Murphy looks lost in thought; a look of distress appears on his face. You lightly hit his arm to gain his attention. “Are you okay?”

“I smell brains.”

“This must be the place, then.”

When the five of you started making your way down the path, you were being extra cautious not to trip while walking on such a rocky surface. 10k stays in front of you and continues to glance back, ready to catch you if you do fall.

Murphy walks by you at a normal pace and scoffs, “You two make me feel sick.”

“Just keep walking, Alvin.”

“My biggest fear is losing you. When you were kidnapped, I realized how much I loved you and that there was nothing I wouldn't do to find you,” Murphy says mockingly. “You're my best friend, Tommy, and there's not a line I wouldn't cross to keep you safe.”

10k glares at him and warningly snaps, “Shut the hell up.”

Addy, who’s standing at the bottom, already looks up in confusion. “What is he talking about?”

“Nothing.”

In a high-pitched fake girly voice, Murphy says, “I knew our fates were intertwined.“

“I swear to god!” You knew Murphy was looking for a reaction, and usually you wouldn’t take the bait too easily, but he had been teasing you since you left for this new task.

“Don’t get wound up; he’s not worth the reaction,” 10k says calmly, but as soon as you reach the bottom where the others are waiting, he presses the long side of his rifle against Murphy’s collarbone, pushing him into the wall. “Lay the fuck off Murphy.”

“Jeez, lighten up, kid.”

10k steps back.

Warren clicks her fingers. “All of you, focus.”

Once you checked, nobody else was in sight. You round the corner, and Addy breaks the lock on the door, giving you all access to the building.

—

The inside of the building stinks of rotten meat, which is explained when you find human skulls and parts of rotten brains scattered across various baking trays.

The group had split up, but you could see both Addy and 10k going to check out the same area. It saddened you that they no longer had a close relationship, and you felt partially responsible for it, but then it was your sister who left. Since they last saw each other, Addy had lost an eye, and 10k had lost his hand, and they could have leaned on each other for support.

“Astra, I’m really sorry, but it looks like she left during the night.”

You shake your head, refusing to believe it. “No, no. Something is wrong; Addy wouldn’t just go without telling me. She wouldn’t do that.”

When you awoke in the morning to find Addy gone, you assumed she had gone hunting, but when she never returned, a couple of hours later, you, 10k, and Red went looking for her, but you couldn’t find her. You returned to your home to see if she had returned.

Red links her fingers with yours and gives you a sympathetic look. “All her stuff is gone.”

You squeeze your eyes shut to hold back tears. Addy only found you in the first place while looking for someone else. “She’s gone to find Lucy,” you say, clearing your throat. “We should go and let Tommy know; I don’t want him out there looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found.”

You aim your gun in the direction of something being crushed and slowly make your way over to a large mixer, which appears to have turned on itself. You look inside it and almost gag at seeing more skulls.

“You guys seeing this? This place is gross.”

When you don’t get a reply, you spin around to see Warren staring at something with a concerned look on her face. She notices you looking and waves you over. When you do, you see what the problem is.

“Eh Murphy, are you good? You’re practically drooling over a skull?”

“Yeah,” he quickly shrugs your comment off. “This place just gives me the munchies.”

All of a sudden, a man appears and starts firing at the three of you. Quickly, you jump out of the way to avoid being shot and accidentally scrape your stomach on something sharp. You duck behind one of the metal tables and, taking a few deep breaths, look down to see blood appearing on your top.

No, no, no.

Murphy crawls over beside you and says, “What the hell are you doing? We gotta keep moving.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know I just—fuck.”

“Did you get shot?”

“No, I’ve just cut my stomach.” The cut wasn’t deep, and you were sure it hadn’t harmed the baby, but it gave you one hell of a fright. Between deep breaths, you start mumbling to yourself, “Tommy is going to freak.”

Seeing how afraid you are, something clicks in Murphy, and he gives you a look of understanding. He knows. Quietly, he says, “Stay behind me; we are going to make a run for it.”

You nod, and the two of you manage to run behind a different spot without being shot.

—

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you try anything stupid.” You say, aiming at the man who was previously trying to kill your head.

While he chases Murphy and Warren off from either side, the man seemed to not care that much about weapons being so close to his head. “It looks like we’ve got ourselves a zombie standoff. You have me; I got him, and my brothers got all three of you.”

You glance around the room; it was more than likely that 10k or Addy had gotten to his brother first.

“We are looking for bizkits,” Warren says. “We have starving talkers that are starting to turn.”

“We are just trying to survive ourselves, and it’s crooks like you who have shut down the bakery and turned us into a bunch of dirty dogs. So lower your weapons and kindly waltz out of here, or we’re all going to be crawling brains.”

“Look, I don’t know who you think we are, but we aren’t them.”

“That’s what the last bunch said before they started shooting.”

You didn’t doubt the man’s story for a second; the bakery was covered in a red mist of blood. A door creaks open, and Addy and 10k bring out another man, whom you assume is the brother with a gun at his back.

“Listen,” you lower your weapon slightly, “your brother is still human, and I know you want to keep it that way. Just tell us what we want to know, and nobody else will get hurt.”

The man gulps down, “So, you're in need of some help?”

—

While the older man, Gilly, looks at his younger brother, Skull's nose, which was cut by your sister. 10K pulls you aside and grips a hold of the bottom of your top, “What the hell happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine; it’s just a cut.”

He holds your gaze. “Are you sure?”

“We’ll be fine.”

You return to your group just in time to hear Gilly explain that it was their mom who invited bizkits to save their brother, who had been bitten, but then the brother bit the mom when they ran out. And since the bombing, someone has been attacking the bakery so they won’t continue making them. Their mom had turned two weeks ago, and she was the only one who had the recipe.

You look up at the window of the office overlooking the rest of the bakery and see multiple talkers that have turned.

—

Murphy stands up a table, holds up a radio, and turns the music up to distract the talkers while Skull sneaks inside to get the recipe. The plan was going well until Skull tripped and fell and was bitten by their zombified brother right after their mom ate the recipe.

“I hate to say it, but the only way to keep them from turning might be to feed them actual brains.”

From the doorway at the far side of the room, multiple heavy footsteps can be heard, along with snarling and hissing. All the noise must have attracted the nearby Z’s from outside. Thankfully, only a small number of them came into the building.

You run up behind one of the Z’s and stab it in the head before shooting another two. You notice Addy and 10k working together to take out Z's, which makes you smile.

Warren cuts the head off one and tosses it to Gilly.

You stand behind 10k and bury your face into his back, not wanting to witness Gilly crushing the skull, then cutting up the brains, and then feeding them to the walkers.

When the talkers return to normal, the mom flirts with a creeped-out Murphy, kissing him on the cheek before continuing to help.

—

Sitting with your legs dangling over the edge of a table, you watch as the brothers bag up the last of the bizkits. Hearing a whistling noise, you look over to Murphy, who was trying and failing to be discreet by waving you and 10k over to him, then looking away.

You and 10k stand on either side of him. “What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to say...” he trails off while tracing patterns in the flour scattered across the table with his finger. Murphy's jaw clenches slightly. “I don’t like either of you, but I do think you will be great parents, even lefty over here.”

With that, he turns and quickly walks away. You share a confused look with 10k. “Did you tell him?”

“No, but I think he figured it out.”

Ultimately, you’d need to tell the others the truth sooner than later. 10k smiles and brushes strands of hair out of your face. “Go for it.”

“Uh, guys, we’ve got something we need to tell you.”

Warren and Addy step a little closer, and you try not to laugh, seeing the worried look on their faces.

“Tommy and I are having a baby.”

[fluffypinkpillows]

-slides into your inbox- sup. So I have an idea. So on that m!reader is a clumsy lassie. She wraps her tail around wukong one time when falling over and takes them both down a hill and into a ditch. And he decides right then and there as he's laying in the dirt face down he's gonna teach her how to control the tail.

Welcome back to

Clearing Out my Drafts Folder and Forgotten Asks

A series where I clear out my drafts folder and answer forgotten asks. lol

--

MUST. RUN. WITH. THIS.

M!R is a super clumsy lass when in her monkey form. She is much more used to being human but is set on staying as a monkey for one reason or another, none of (#)the gang really understands why but Sandy is convinced it's because of some hidden feelings towards Sun Wukong.

M!R is completely against this idea, often fighting with the primate. Like how he pitches the tents or the type of foods he brings for dinner. M!R isn't any better though, constantly causing problems for (#)the gang because of her clumsy nature. Usually knocking over items with her tail, tripping over her tail, or just plain loosing balance.

It's at this time when everything all goes wrong because of M!R's clumsy nature.

(#)The gang was in the middle of an intense battle with a demon who, of course, was wanting to eat Tripitaka so they could gain immortality. Everything started great. M!R was making sure that Tripitaka was safe while the rest of (#)the gang fight. Then a few trips started happening, knocking over objects causing Pigsy and Sandy to mess up... And get knocked out by the ensuing attack. Now it's only Sun Wukong left and he's distracted by M!R's usual clumsy shenanigans because now Tripitaka is at risk of danger.

Sun Wukong, now basically fighting alone, stops fighting to chastise M!R for her "stupid clumsiness". We all know that Sun Wukong is too full of himself to think that this is even a real fight. To him, this is just a nuisance. Now the two are bickering in a middle of a fight which the demon decides to make the most of and try to surprise attack the two so he could steal the monk!

This causes Sun Wukong to push M!R out of the way in order to protect her and Tripitaka, but, out of surprise, M!R grabs onto Wukong' ankle with her tail, causing him to drag her with him during his attack and proceed to be smacked right into the oncoming demon's face.

The good thing: The demon now has been defeated! The bad thing: Now M!R is knocked out. Sun Wukong has to catch M!R from crashing into the ground. This is the most annoyed that he's been with her throughout their entire time knowing each other.

Over the ensuing days, M!R and Sun Wukong's fighting has gotten worse. Now they're fighting over even tinier things. M!R knocking over an empty bowl, Sun Wukong slightly bumping into her while walking. but the thing they fight over the most is whenever M!R wraps her tail around Wukong's ankle. Usually this is an idle interaction that M!R does for balance, usually with table legs or tree trunks. Wukong tends to be standing near her for some reason or another and accidentally grabs onto him instead. Well, he is sturdy.

One day, while on the road, (#)the gang is walking through a perilous cliffside. Sun Wukong decides to streatch his legs a bit and hops down from his cloud and starts walking alongside Tripitaka and Ao Lie. Also next to M!R, who is a little too close to the edge of the cliff face. M!R, of course, grabs onto Wukong's ankle with her tail yet again. It's soon after when, again for the 5th time today, M!R trips over her own two feet.

Except this time she falls straight off the edge and right down the cliff, dragging Wukong with her. Oops.

Sandy and Pigsy race to the edge, worried about the two. Though they admit that they're mostly worried about M!R since Sun Wukong is probably fine. The two decide to bet on how long it would take the two to tumble down to the bottom, yelling at each other.

By the time the two finally reached the bottom, which was about 10 or so minutes (to which Sandy proudly won the bet), Sun Wukong found himself on top of M!R. That's when Sun Wukong decided:

"You're gonna learn how to control that tail of yours even if I have to do it for you."

"Do you even hear how dumb that sounds?"

[aliendes]

One More Day (S.Coups) - Teaser #2

Here is teaser #2 for One More Day with S.coups! warnings below the cut. This fic is a WHOPPING 33.3K words (almost 10k more than the original) with an added smut scene! One More Day is scheduled to be posted on Dec. 20 KST!

word count: 33.3k~ (final fic)

warnings (final fic): su*cide attempts and past mentions (DO NOT READ IF THIS TRIGGERS YOU), smoking cigarettes, drinking, cursing, asshole brother Joshua (it gets better I promise), hospitals, smut, p in v unprotected sex, fingering f receiving, oral f receiving, breeding kink (is it a des fic without it, really), creampie, cum play, low-key dirty sex but in a super romantic and loving way lol.

“Holy shit!” you gasped, nearly throwing your cigarette, when you saw a figure walk out from between the trees lining your property and the one next to it. It was a man you didn’t recognize. You squint your eyes slightly to try and see better in the dark. He stepped closer to your with both hands raised in front of him as a way to placate you.

“Sorry! I’m sorry! I -” he started, but trailed off almost like he forgot what he was going to say. You raised a brow at him, still unsure of the stranger. “I’m Choi Seungcheol, I live next door. I promise I’m not a creep or anything, I just noticed you standing out here for a while and wanted to make sure you weren’t locked out or something, I - I, yeah that sounded creepy. I’m sorry.” He rushed out the last words, looking almost sheepish. 

Cute.

You stood there for a second too long, and Seungcheol, as you now knew him, looked almost like he was about to bolt back in the direction he came. “I - I’m sorry, I’ll g-”

“No, it’s ok.” You let out a deep sigh and chuckled darkly, no humor to be found. “You just startled me, is all.” You said with what you hoped was a small smile. It wasn’t, Seungcheol noted, but he didn’t care, just glad you were responding at all.

Another beat passes, “... so are you alright - did you need help?” He drawled, unsure of where the conversation was headed. 

“No, no. This is my par- mine- my house. Well, not my permanent house, but you probably already knew that.” You stuttered. He must’ve realized the house next door to him was vacant 11 months out of the year, right?

 “Ah yeah, I kind of figured that out.” he took a hesitant step forward. When he saw you weren’t running for the hills, he slowly made his way into the illumination provided by the floodlights on the back porch. You took in his features now that you could see them better. He had bleach blonde hair that looked a little fried, but that suited him nicely, large, doe-like brown eyes, and plump, cherry-like lips that were more than a little distracting. Had you not been in a crippling depression, you may have thought he was pretty handsome, you may have shot your shot with this pretty neighbor. He ran his hand through his yellow  locks, “This house is usually empty, I only notice it occupied around this time of year. I’m assuming it’s your vacation house? You said it’s your parents place, right?” He took hesitant steps up to the deck.

So he caught that. Damn. “Was.” You stated simply. “It was my parents place. It’s mine now, I come here alone.” Seungcheol knew that. He’s lived next door for 8 years now, on and off. Every Christmas for the last few years, you’d been alone. He wasn’t a creeper, but he did notice you smoking those nasty cigarettes out on this very deck, alone, every single year. He remembers you used to come here with someone. A boyfriend maybe? It wasn’t his place to ask. 

He’s at the bottom of the steps that lead up to your deck, looking up at you with an unreadable expression. Pity? No, there’s no way he knows what’s going on in your mind. He hesitates a moment before - “Are you ok?” 

The question catches you off guard. Were you ok? You knew the answer was a big, fat no. But was that something you should share with him? A near stranger? Aside from the obvious questions you had, when was the last time someone asked you that? You couldn’t remember anyone caring enough about you in the last few years to even utter those words to you. The only people you interacted with were your coworkers, who didn’t give a shit about your personal life. All your boss cared about was that you got the job done, not about your emotions. You almost wanted to trust this man, share with him how you’re feeling, God knows you need it. You’ve been staring at him for too long, he must think you’re crazy now. You shake your head slightly to rid yourself of the thought. “Yeah. Yeah I’m good.” You mutter, looking anywhere but his eyes. 

[notsocheezy]

Brain Curd #371

Brain Curds are lightly edited daily writing - usually flash fiction and sometimes terrible on purpose.

Part 37 of an experiment in progress. Refer to case logs.

Serenity still wasn’t responding to my texts, and who could blame her? I was such an idiot to do what I did. I was an animal, operating on nothing but raw instinct and irrationality. And I was beginning to look the part.

I hadn’t shaved in… well, I wasn’t entirely sure how long. A week, at least. But it looked more like a month. I didn’t see Tracey in the mirror anymore, thank God, but I didn’t see myself either.

I inhaled. The smoke filled my lungs and my brain retreated into the distance. What a relief to be surrounded by nature, inside and out, in a little clearing of the forest behind the golf course.

My phone buzzed and my heart jumped. Was it Serenity? No. Worse. Dad had good news and bad news.

“Just send the bad news first,” I texted. “I know not to let the promise of good news excite me.”

“Stop being such a wet blanket dude,” he replied. The dots at the bottom of the screen danced. “But fine the bad news is Maria wants me out asap”

I rolled my eyes. “What did you do”

“Y do u always think things are my fault?!?! Asshole” He must have been fuming. “She’s just on her period orsome shit.”

That, at the very least, I knew not to be true.

“Or maybe she’s off her meds. Crazy bithc. Anyway”

I sighed and got up from the ground. I knew he was going to ask for help with something. He always did. My phone buzzed in my hand.

“I got a job interview lined up today.”

There was a quick little jump of excitement before my feet came back to Earth. This was meaningless. An interview didn’t mean he had the job.

“So I can’t get my stuff out of her place and I know she’ll go apeshit if it’s still there tonight when she’s off work so you gotta go grab it for me.”

As usual, everything was my problem. But if he actually got this job, maybe he’d start taking care of himself. I approached the door to the apartment and knocked, but there was no answer. Obviously. I already knew no one was home. Dumbass. I let myself in, since the door was unlocked, and approached the couch. Dad’s duffel bag was packed already - probably only because he knew I’d forget something he held dear if he let me pack.

Something moved in the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but there was nothing there. I shook my head. There was no reason to stick around, I needed to get moving.

I took the duffel and heaved it to the floor. It was heavy and unreasonably huge, full of clothes and charging cables and other detritus he considered more valuable than my spine. A sock stuck out a hole in the bottom. I grumbled, extended the telescopic handle and began my pilgrimage.

To avoid being caught bringing my father’s things into my grandparents’ house - as well as the shame of walking through a populated downtown with a decaying, stinking, sack - I took the back way. A two-mile long slog up and down hills, on narrow roads with no sidewalks to speak of, winding beneath eucalyptus trees whose falling branches had killed men before. It was easy going at first, but when I noticed I was leaving a trail of used handkerchiefs, I stuffed them back in the hole and proceeded to roll the bag at an awkward low angle that wouldn’t jostle more of the contents onto the street.

Cars passed by with no comment. I was invisible to these people - and sure, that was what I wanted, but if someone were to offer help I would have taken it. My toe ached, my back ached, my legs ached, my head ached, my sweat drenched every inch of my body. I wished someone would just hit me with their truck or shoot me, or both. I hadn't had a drop to drink in over an hour by the time the hole ripped open so wide that I could no longer roll the duffel bag at all.

I began carrying it by the straps, in shifts. I’d take a deep breath, pick it up with both hands, and get about ten feet before I had to set it back down. Repeat, repeat, repeat. It was a shallow relief to see home from down the back alley - so close, yet so far. This was the riskiest part. I poked my head in the window of the back door. They weren’t here right now. I unlocked it and quickly lugged the bag inside, stashing it behind my bed where it might not be seen.

I took a number of deep breaths. My bedroom smelled like him now. It made me want to vomit.

Water couldn’t flow out of the refrigerator fast enough. I chugged it so fast that half of it ended up just spilling on my itchy, hairy chest. I got lightheaded and pulled off my t-shirt to wipe my face. It didn’t help.

I went back to try to shove the bag under my bed, but no luck. It was too tall. I unzipped the zipper that still worked and took handfuls of clothes out to shove into my bottom dresser drawer. Then, the bag fit under the bed just fine… Though I think I heard something shatter.

I coughed, ‘hacking up a lung’ as Pops would have put it. I limped over to the bathroom and closed the door behind me before peeling off the rest of my clothes. I looked at the big economy-sized bottle of Ibuprofen on the counter and bit my lip. No, no, I can take it.

He trembled at the sight of the mirror, his appearance therein. He was covered in dirt and grime, his hair matted down on top and slowly growing out on the sides. Spotty wisps of dark, bristly hair covered his face, and his chest too, almost enough to hide the scars from plucking - but not quite. The image was a mockery of manhood and he knew it, but couldn’t admit it even to himself.

He climbed into the shower and turned it on, shuddering at the initial blast of cold. He squeezed his chest and shivered, but couldn’t feel his own touch. It was about this time that he realized: Trevor was looking at himself from the outside.

Please comment, reblog, like, and follow if you enjoyed - I'd love to know what you think! See you again tomorrow.

[thebadphilosopher]

The Hill

Part of the @creators-club 24 days of Christmas writing event.

As Christian reached the top of the snowy hill, he wondered how long it would take for his nose to freeze off. The wind was too strong. It had almost taken his hair off. While he had no gloves or hat or heavy coat for that matter, it was the lack of a scarf that was starting to weigh on his mind - and nose.

At home, Christian had one long, purple wool scarf which was knitted for him by his mother. It was a very nice scarf, and it took her almost a month. Of course, he had claimed he didn't need it when he went out that morning. How stupid could he be?

And the food, oh the food! The warm chicken noodle soup with fresh chicken waiting at home that his father had made in the fancy, stainless steel pot given to his mother for Christmas that was only brought out two months of the year. Warm chicken noodle soup and hot rolls with melted butter.

He covered his red nose with his hand and groaned. If he could just have a taste of that soup, letting the warm liquid run through his body, he could get through the rest of the night. Christian flopped back and closed his eyes, letting the soft snow fall onto his lashes. It had been long enough for him to take a deep breath and shout "Hannah?" to the midnight void.

"Christiannnn!"

Opening one eye, Christian could see Hannah as she climbed the other side of the hill, dragging their wooden sled to the top. The tiny child was also not dressed for the occasion, though based the red glow around her face, she was perfectly content.

"Yeah yeah," Hannah replied. "It's no fun if you don't want to go."

Christian scoffed. "I'm too cold."

"Oh come on, it's one ride. Please?" She pushed the sled towards him, but Christian shoved it back.

"No," Christian muttered back. "I'm hungry and cold and want to go home."

Hannah rolled her eyes and flopped down next to him. "You're no fun."

Their breaths hung in the air longer than usual, dancing amongst the snowfall. If the moon was out it would be a much prettier sight but only the few stars in the sky gave any inkling of life for the two.

Christian stood up and grabbed the end of the rope. "Alright, let's go."

"One more time."

"No."

"Pleaseee?"

"No!"

Hannah huffed and reached into her pocket, pulling out a very tiny headband with reindeer antlers. Shoving it onto Christian's head, she took a step back and smiled. "Fine. I'll be Santa."

Christian rolled his eyes as Hannah hopped onto the sled. The two started to make their way down the hill. It was always a lot harder than he expected. Shoes, no matter how many treads were on the bottom, were no match when you were trekking downhill through powdery snow.

As Hannah shouted with glee and some profanity she definitely picked up from the relatives on Christmas Eve, Christian closed his eyes. The warm soup floated by and if he could just reach out and take some, maybe his body would be less cold.

"Christian?"

"What?"

"I want to go again."

Christian sighed. "We're almost home. Maybe tomorrow."

"Why can't I go again?"

"We're going home this time," Christian muttered. There was no verbal response, just a huff from Hannah.

Christian kept walking as the snow seemed to grow deeper and deeper, almost going up to his knees. He was going faster too now, the weight from dragging getting easier after so many minutes. Or was it hours? He licked his lips, the taste of chicken right on the edge. If he could just have some of that warmth, he wouldn't be so cold now.

"Christiannnnnn!"

Turning around, it took Christian longer than it should've to realize that there was no one in the sled. Actually, there was no sled. He had been pulling nothing. Somehow, Hannah had taken the wooden slats and run back up the large hill. The small, shadowed figure waved from the top.

"I'm going again!"

Christian sighed and watched as she disappeared down the other side. Finally, the moon decided to make an appearance, and he saw the two pairs of tracks running back and forth, back and forth up and down the hill. Despite the snowfall all this time, their footprints hadn't been completely filled in yet. Good. Maybe he didn't have to struggle the way back up this time.

[cynicalone94]

Left For Dead

Read on AO3 here.

Jay walks out of the grocery store.

He and Hailey don’t usually have a lot of time to do their grocery shopping which means that they tend to stick to late night runs on the way home from work.

Tonight’s his turn.

“Hey man.” a guy calls out, and he turns to see a man walking toward him with an uneven gait. “You spare a couple bucks?”

Jay groans internally.

It’s so hard to know when these people legitimately need his help and when they’re just looking for their next fix.

The unsteady gait could be a sign that he’s intoxicated but it could also be a host of medical issues.

He shifts his keys to his left hand with the bags and reaches for his wallet.

The sharp stab of pain in his lower back catches him off guard.

He looks back to see a knife sticking out of his side, the hilt still encased in the man’s hand.

“What…”

A van screeches up next to them, the door flying open and then Jay is being shoved into the back.

He cries out as he hits the floor of the van and the knife shifts.

And then he’s being rolled onto his stomach and the blade is ripped out.

He screams but they just grab his head, slamming his face against the floor.

His arms are jerked up behind his back and secured with a zip tie.

What the hell is going on?

“W-what do… you want?” he chokes out.

“Nothing from you.”

Before he can attempt another question, they press duct tape over his mouth.

Then a knee is pressing into his back, keeping him down.

He’s closed his eyes, trying to tone down the nausea that the movement of the vehicle is uncharacteristically causing him, when he feels the van slow.

And hears the door slide open. And then he’s being moved.

He opens his eyes, looking around in alarm and scrambling to try to find something to hold onto.

Trying to kick their hands away.

But it’s a hard fight in close quarters with his hands tied.

And then he’s airborne.

He hits the ground with force on a slope, crashing and tumbling all the way down to the bottom.

When he finally comes to a stop he can just lie there for a while, gasping for breath.

Everything hurts and it takes a long moment before he can zero in on anything in particular.

Ribs, right shoulder, left leg, lower back, and head. Everything else is minor.

But he’s losing a lot of blood from that stab wound and he needs help, now.

He looks around, seeing nothing but pitch darkness. He knows there’s a hill to his right, knows if he can just get to the top of it, there’s a road.

And if he can get to that road, he can get help, can flag down a car.

But he also remembers how long he’d spent tumbling down that very hill.

And he has to get out of these zip ties before he can even really try.

Every move as he searches for something he can use to cut himself free takes his breath away but he finds something and manages to saw through the plastic.

He rolls onto his back, lifting his shirt to try to feel at the stab wound on his side.

He tries to pull his shirt off, hoping he can bandage it to slow the bleeding but his shoulder won’t cooperate.

Giving up on that, he rolls back onto his stomach and starts crawling up the hill, dragging himself inch by painful inch with only the use of his left arm.

“Jay doesn’t just not answer his phone, Sarge.” Hailey says and he can practically hear her pacing.

“No. He wouldn’t.” he agrees. “How long?”

“He went to the store after work.” she says. “I expected him to be home by eleven, we hit quarter after I started calling.”

It’s just short of midnight now which means Jay has been missing for over an hour, with the possibility of an hour and a half.

“What store?”

“Danny’s market.” she tells him. “It’s the only place close to our drive home that’s open that late. We take turns stopping to restock essentials when days off get farther and farther apart.”

“Well even they’re closed by now.” he tells her. “I can try to drag the owners out of bed to get access to the cameras but we don’t even know if he made it to the store.”

“I can check traffic cams.” Hailey offers. “Maybe get eyes on the truck and see if he did make it that far.”

“And maybe get eyes on any vehicles that were in the area at the time he would have been.” Voight says. “I have a CI I want to check in with. He’s got the pulse on the neighborhood and might know something.”

“Okay.” she says, taking a deep breath. “Okay.”

“We’ll find him.” he promises before ending the call.

But Tanner doesn’t know anything about the abduction of a cop in the neighborhood and Hailey’s search of the cameras doesn’t turn up anything.

She can get a single glimpse of Jay’s truck approaching the store but there wasn’t a single other vehicle that passed the traffic cameras within the thirty minute window afterward.

Without getting access to the store cameras they’re dead in the water and Jay’s already been missing for nearly three hours.

His phone rings and he looks down, expecting to see Hailey’s name on the screen.

But instead he gets Jay’s.

“Halstead?”

“He’s already dead.” a voice says coldly. “But I thought you might like to recover the body before the animals get to it. Get a clear look at the cost of your actions.”

“Where is he?” he demands.

“Old Route 66 where it goes through Douglas Park. Near the tennis courts.”

The call ends and he scrambles back to his car, contemplating whether or not to call Hailey.

If whoever this is is telling the truth and Jay’s already dead, maybe she shouldn’t be there when he finds the body.

He parks next to the tennis courts, drawing his weapon and starting the search.

It’s miles more specific than he’d had an hour ago but its still a lot of ground to cover.

He reaches a hill, spotting disrupted brush and following it down the hill. Halfway down, he sees a glimpse of boots in the beam of his flashlight.

Hurrying toward them, he drops to his knees, pressing his fingers into the side of Jay’s throat.

The pulse isn’t as strong as he would like but it’s still there.

He calls for an ambulance and rolls Jay onto his back.

“Jay?”

To his surprise, eyes flicker open.

He wouldn’t say that Jay is conscious and completely with it but he’s definitely not dead.

“It’s okay, kid.” he says gently, searching for injuries.

He finds the stab wound on Jay’s lower left side and presses his hand over it.

“Just keep breathing.” he urges. “Stay with me, kid.”

Jay is more of less still with him when the ambulance arrives and sticks it out through the ride to Med.

Hailey rushes up to him in the waiting room, staring at Jay as he’s wheeled past him.

“What happened?”

“I got a call.” he says. “With a location.”

“And you didn’t call me?” she demands. “What you didn’t think I should be there?”

“No.” he says, shaking his head. “I didn’t.”

She frowns, eyes narrowing in confusion.

“They said he was already dead.” he tells her. “You didn’t need to be there if that was the case.”

“But he’s still…” she trails off.

“He hung in there the whole way here.” Voight tells her. “And who knows how long out on that hill. Don’t give up on him yet.”

She sinks into a chair.

A few hours later they’re sitting on either side of Jay’s bed, watching him sleep.

The stab wound had come close to serious damage that would have caused him to bleed out long before Voight had arrived but luckily the wielder of the knife had missed their target.

The repair had been easy and once they can replenish his blood volume he should make a full recovery.

He has other injuries, ones that Voight suspects had come from being thrown down that hill.

A broken ankle, dislocated shoulder, broken ribs and a concussion are all painful but also expected to heal.

But that doesn’t mean that Voight won’t be visiting some serious pain on whoever had done this to him.

The suggestion that this was revenge for something that he’d done in the past is the only lead he has right now.

“Don’t worry kid.” he says, leaning down. “I’ll find the bastards who did this to you.”

[links-in-time]

Links in Time : The Beginning of Something

Part 10

"What do you mean he just took off?" Maari asked, flabbergasted by Time's behaviour.

"I mean he just took off!" Wars replied, as they walked back to the little camp. "He said, 'stay here, I won't be long.' And just walked off without another word!"

"Can your friend look after himself?" Gartan asked, following the three youngsters as they approached his camp.

"Time? He can take care of himself just fine usually. But I don't think the fella's thinkin straight right now." Twilight responded, scratching the back of his head as he thought.

"Someone should go and make sure he's alright," Wars decided, as they rejoined the others.

"Good you found them, Time is..." Sky began, a worried expression darkening his face.

"We know." Maari interpreted. "I'll go after him."

"You sure? You and he don't exactly have the best rapport right now," Wars warned.

"I know, but I think that's why I should go. I've been too short tempered with him and he didn't deserve that. I need to make it up to him. Besides, I know a bit more about this place that he might want to know."

It was decided that Warriors and Twilight would accompany Maari to the ruined Temple of Time in case they encountered any trouble. They left most of their gear behind, taking only their weapons before heading off. It didn't take them long to hurry out of the woods and make their way towards the ruins at the bottom of the hill.

The Temple of Time still stood at the top of the small hill, surrounded by ruined buildings, crumbling staircases and smashed statues. A sense of grandure and of a time long past hung around what was left of the buildings. Bones of dead monsters and broken weapons also littered the ground. Nothing recent however, meaning that Time hadn't be assaulted on his way through.

"Come on, he can't be far ahead of us," Maari urged, picking up speed as she began to climb the first steps. The two young men followed, swords drawn and shields up in case of trouble.

At the top of the hill Twi looked back and whistled as he took in the view of Hyrule behind him.

"You don't often get a view like that!"

The others paused to look as well. Maari silently agreed, it was a very good view. She could almost make out the outline of death mountain in the distance. Almost all of Hyrule was spread out before them. The thing she had wanted to explore more than anything. Yet here she was babysitting an ancient hero.

There was no door to the temple and hardly much of a frame either. Much of the walls and ceilings had collapsed and been reclaimed by mother nature many decades ago. At the far end of the long chamber, a goddess statue stood imposingly, towering over everything. Time was standing at the feet of the statue, gazing up into her stone eyes. Maari and the others entered quietly but not silently. They didn't want to spook or surprise their friend. They were halfway towards him when he spoke.

"Have I been gone too long? I didn't mean to worry anyone," he sighed. Time didn't look behind him, he simply stared at the statue with his good eye.

"We just wanted to check you were okay," Twi insisted. Of course his prodigy had come.

"We thought you might have come to see the temple," Maari added. Time was surprised to hear her voice. "I thought you might like to hear what I know about it."

"Ha! What could a green horn child like you know about this place? Other than its afront to our lord and master!" A scratchy voice cackled out of nowhere.

Maari drew her katana while the two men behind her raised their swords and shields. It was at this moment that Maari realised Time was unarmed. He had apparently left his longsword at the camp. Time was still wearing quite a bit of armour but he had nothing to defend himself with. A cackle of laughter drew Maari's attention back to the statue where a Yiga soldier appeared in a swirl of red runes. Wielding a short duplex bow, they aimed at the three by the door. Wars and Twi raised their shields to protect themselves and Maari. In a flash the Yiga was gone again.

"Someone needs to protect Time, he doesn't have a weapon!" Maari stressed, pointing at Time until the others were on the same page.

"I've got him," Twi replied, charging forwards. Ready to throw himself between Time and any oncoming threats.

"You and I can take care of the Yiga," Maari said to Wars.

"I thought they were too tough?" He asked, a little unsure.

The Yiga reappeared close to Time. Before Twilight could reach him the Yiga fired three arrows. A prism of brilliant blue light expanded around Time in the blink of an eye. The arrows bounced off limply, but Twilight wasn't about to trust any shield but his own in that moment.

"Well, maybe you can show me how you earned the title Captain?" Maari teased, even shooting Wars a wink.

Maari and Wars had to trust that Twi would protect himself and Time, as two more Yiga materialised. Stepping out of their portals they slashed their weapons through the air. One held a hideous Deamon cleaver, the other clutched a pair of sickles. Maari scoffed at their unrefined and uncivilised weapons. She would enjoy taking away their toys.

Wars blocked a powerful strike from the cleaver while Maari hooked her katana beneath the sickles. Keeping a good grip she flicked her weapon and sent one of the sickles flying to who knew where. The Yiga looked momentarily stunned and Maari used the hesitation to press her advantage. She thrust forwards, but the Yiga recovered and dashed her sword off course. Maari swerved to avoid colliding with Wars who was battling only a few feet away.

"You good?" He asked.

"Yeah, won't be a minute," she replied, before returning to her enemy.

The Yiga swished their blade in front of them, taunting Maari to make a move. She glanced around, looking for any advantage. Some fallen debris to her left looked promising. She fainted right then dashed left, leaping up the broken maisonary. Slashing once she drew a long strike across the Yiga's back. With a cry of pain they fell face first into the grass. Maari put an end to the noise by plunging her blade into the Yiga's back.

Looking up Maari watched Wars slash a large wound into the Yiga's side. The battle half lost, they summoned a portal and disappeared. At last they both turned to see Time and Twilight fending off the Yiga with the bow. Twi had grown impatient. He couldn't defend Time and attack at the same time when his attacker had range and he did not. Finally he couldn't take it any longer. He waited for the Yiga to reload and chose a new vantage point. Then he pounced forwards, transforming as he lunged through the air and crashed into the Yiga. Twi's enormous jaws encompassed the Yiga's head, ripping off the mask and snapping their neck. Blood ran down his jowls as he turned to look at Time, still safe inside his prism.

"Good boy," Time teased.

The wolf managed to raise an eyebrow at him before turning back into their Rancher.

"Yeah, yeah. Next time you want to go wandering off down memory lane, make sure you take your sword Old Man." Twi berated his mentor.

"I know, I wasn't thinking clearly," Time admitted, sinking to the ground and sitting on the steps of the alter.

His shield dropped around him as the others approached, cleaning and sheathing their weapons.

"You both okay?" Wars asked, giving them both cursory glances to check for wounds.

"We're good. Could have been a lot worse though," Twi insisted. "Someone doesn't usually have to resort to using magic to defend himself."

"I know, I know. Come on give me a break guys," Time pleaded, looking into the eyes of his companions. When they met Maari's he sighed. "Sorry, that was stupid and insensitive of me."

"Maari, I'm sorry put so little trust in you. When you set out on this journey you trusted us to protect you no questions asked. But I couldn't do the same for you. It's taken me a long time to learn to put my faith in other people. These boys helped me see that." Time ruffled Twi's hair as he sat beside his mentor. "But if they've taught me anything it's that friends can be found in the unlikelyest of places. I admire your willingness to help us on this mission Maari. Althoguh I do think you are perhaps a little inexperienced, you have more than shown me your abilities. You have my thanks and my apology." Time bowed his head in her direction and waited.

Time sighed and Maari crossed her arms, waiting.

Maari let a moment pass before she stepped forwards and placed a hand on Time's shoulder. He looked up at her crimson eyes looking down at him.

"I'm greatful. The others all look up to you and I know how much they all respect you. Your faith in me is much appreciated Link." Maari replied, giving him a greatful smile.

Time nodded and smiled in return. He patted Maari's hand and she let go.

"There was something I wanted to show you," she said, moving past Time towards the statue. "Paya showed me a book once filled with tales of the legendary hero of the Age of Time. There was an engraving inside showing the statue and several carvings. I think if we look down here and scrape off this moss..."

Maari used the handle of one of her daggers to scrape back the moss and ivy which clung to the base of the Goddess statue. As she worked she began to reveal an image carved into the base of the statue. A figure was depicted, riding a horse, wielding an enormous trident. Beside this image was another. A smaller figure depicted in a tunic and pointed hat. In one hand he held what was clearly the master sword, but in the other he held a small round object.

"Zelda's ocarina," Time breathed, as he looked at the carving. He reached out and touched it ever so gently with his fingertips. "I wouldn't have thought they would add it in. Most people just talk about the battle."

"But there was so much more to it than that wasn't there. You didn't just defeat Ganondorf with a sword. I'm not sure exactly how the ocarina worked but the tales say it held immense power and helped the hero unite the great sages."

Time nodded, enchanted by the image.

"You were so small," Twi mused. "I'm so used to seeing you the way you are now. I always forget you were so young when you started out."

"I was younger than our young pirate was when he set out on his adventures," Time uttered. His attention moving back to his friends. He looked around the ruined temple, a shade of what it had once been in his time. He thought he might go back and see it if he got back to his era. When he got back to his era. He corrected himself. After all he had a very special someone waiting for him at home.

***

"You found our brave leader then?" Legend observed as the three men and Maari walked back into camp.

Dusk was drawing close and no more Yiga had approached them as they had left the temple grounds. Maari didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one. The fact that they had been attacked at all meant they were still watching these lands. She explained what had happened to her brother and father while the boys chatted together.

"I think I've got something," Wild suddenly announced, drawing everyone's attention.

They gathered around the fire and drew close to listen to Wild. He held the Purah Pad and the Yiga notebook in his hands.

"I figured out how to take pictures of the notebook and send them to Purah and Paya. They received the pictures and managed to decipher some of the code."

This revelation was followed by cheers of 'brilliant', 'amazing', and 'wonders never cease', from the rest of the gang. Wild continued.

"They haven't had time to decode much and I haven't sent them the whole notebook. But from what they could read it said this, 'next trial due on the new moon. All scouts are to report back to base for new orders. The Commander seems sure the experiment will work this time. We've been sent to some old hideout from the upheaval days. Just some supplies the Sargent wants recovered. Sounds like a waste of time and soldiers if you ask me.' It goes on, but the rest of the page they decoded isn't relevant."

"This is someone's diary!" Wind exclaimed, jumping to his feet with excitement.

"Not just anyone's, this was a Yiga soldiers diary!" Karu pointed out.

"There could be weeks worth of secret information in there," Legend chimed in, taking the book from Wild's hands and turning it over in his own slender fingers.

"Could be more ramblings from a disgruntled Yiga soldier," Sky added.

"Possibly," Gartan agreed, nodding sagely, though he sounded more optemistic than he let on. "Can you get more of it translated?" He asked Wild.

"I can keep sending Paya more pages and see if she can decode anything more interesting." He replied with a nod.

"Wouldn't Zelda be able to translate it too?" Wars asked, nudging Wild.

"Well, possibly." Wild hesitated, scratching the back of his neck while he stared at nothing in particular. "I mean she's probably very busy and we're already on our way to ask her about a different problem. We really shouldn't ask too much of her."

Maari thought it was odd the way Wild talked about Zelda. She thought they were good friends. After the calamity she and Wild had visited Kakariko many times and they always seemed to be in the best of spirits. Zelda liked to tease Wild and he would humour her. Maari could barely remember a time when she hadn't seen them together. Something had clearly changed between them if Wild was so apprehensive about going to visit Zelda in Gerudo Town.

Armed with new clues about her mother's whareabouts and some unexpected information about what the Yiga might be planning, Maari laid down to sleep that night with a renewed sense of purpose.

< Part 9 : Part 11 >

[cerisesakurainspring]

Iwaizumi's Route #deux

Tooru smiled sincerely. "Iwa-chan's completely smitten with you. There's no way he will let this moment pass."

He grabbed her hand and walked her to the exit. "Now go. I'll come after you; I just need to change, okay?"

"Promise?"

The captain nodded, excitement and anticipation dancing in his stomach.

His genius plan of making Hajime jealous might just coax the ace into finally confessing.

Tooru gave himself a visual pat on the back, not considering the possibility of his so-called, well thought out plan to backfire.

With a deep breath, Celeste turned around and ran after the man her heart was beating for.

She searched the school, but Hajime was no longer in sight, so she took out her phone to dial his line. The call went unanswered, but she kept calling while looking around frantically.

Once out of the campus, she saw a fading figure walk by the river bank towards the train station.

The olive-eyed ace was deaf to her calling, too lost in his thoughts.

"If only I didn't introduce you." He whispered to himself.

"Wait up, Ha-chi!!" She huffed, pausing to catch her breath. She has never run so fast in her life.

The raven-haired lad ceased walking momentarily and stared at her hands clutching the sleeves of her jacket. The memory of her doing the same to Tooru made his heart ache again, and he continued to walk, his lips in a thin line.

"Why are you ignoring me?" Celeste stood up straight, frustration building in her. She watched as the wing spiker walked further and further away from her.

After a moment, Celeste screamed as she slipped down the hill. Hajime snapped his head back, his eyes widening when he saw her body crouched flat at the bottom of the river bank.

He slid down and rushed to her side, panic coursing through his veins.

"Are you okay?!" He knelt beside her and checked throughout her body for an injury. "Ce-chi, talk to me!"

The blue-eyed girl uncontrollably shook in his arms. "It's okay. You'll be okay. Tell me where you're hurting." He comforted.

No longer able to control herself, the muted giggles turned into hysterical fits.

Hajime sat in shock, unable to comprehend the scene before him.

"I got you!" She said in between laughter.

The wing spiker wasn't the least bit amused because his frown deepened. "You could have hurt yourself severely." His tone was full of worry.

"You wouldn't talk to me, so I had to do something."

"So you jump off the hill to get my attention? That's not very sane."

Celeste wiped the tears of amusement from her eyes and looked up at him with an irresistible smile. "Are you going to talk to me now?"

The olive-eyed lad closed his eyes and groaned. He seems to be sighing a lot more lately than usual.

"Let's dance."

"What?" Hajime opened his eyes, confusion apparent in them. Celeste got up and offered her hand, which the man ignored and got up on his own.

The girl pouted but grabbed his arms to ready them into a waltz position. The sudden touch sent a swirl of tickles in his heart, and warmth spread throughout his body.

He tried to smother the flames of desire raging within him, but the stubborn ember refused to be extinguished.

The soft look in her eyes and her sincere smile tempted him with honeyed visions of what could become of them.

He slowly inched his face closer, testing the waters. Instead of stepping away, Celeste looked down at his lips.

The temptation grew tenfold, and with a longing whisper, Hajime asked what he had been craving to do. "Can I kiss you?"

The ballerina's pupils dilated in response, and she found herself tip-toeing closer to his face.

He wasn't sure where his courage was coming from, but he closed the distance eagerly.

A euphoric feeling rushed in his veins, setting his heart on fire. It blazed away and kept himself warm despite the winter breeze.

The world around them blurred, even the nearby train passing by sounded distant. It was as if the rest of the world perished, and it was just the two of them and their hearts beating as one.

Their lips parted to catch a breath, and Hajime leaned his forehead with hers.

"Wow," he whispered giddily.

Celeste smiled and then giggled at his remark.

Suddenly, the memory of her giggling at Tooru sent a jolt down his spine, and he moved away as if he were electrocuted.

"Ha-chi?" The girl asked in concern.

The olive-eyed man stepped back slowly, his eyes fighting a battle of conflicted emotions. Not knowing what to make of it, he grabbed his school bag on the snowy ground and ran uphill.

"Ha-chi, stop." Celeste's voice trembled, and she bit her lip, tears threatening to spill.

Just when she was braving her heart to steel, just when she was ready to commit, the person she was fascinated with ran away.

She thought he loved her. Did she misunderstand his subtle reactions?

Hajime's heart pounded hard in his chest; her lips' taste still lingered.

Just what the hell am I doing? He mused to himself. He just shared a passionate kiss with the woman he loved, and he ran away?

If she liked Tooru, she wouldn't dare kiss you back, you idiot of a coward man. The lone voice in his head continued to pound at him.

With a steadying breath, he resolved himself to confess. You can do it, he encouraged himself and ran back towards her.

His heart beat in anticipation, and a slight smile crossed his lips. The smile ceased not long after because his eyes met with a scene that broke his heart into fragmented pieces.

A feeling he would never, not in any million years or timeline, want to feel again.

By the river bank, where she left Celeste, where they kissed, now stands Tooru hugging the woman he loves dearly.

Knots formed in the pit of his stomach, and the unforgiving hands of despair gripped his throat with a suffocating hold, rooting him to the spot.

The knife of what he felt was betrayal twisted deep into his broken heart and wounded his dejected soul.

Hajime wanted to look away in an attempt to shield himself from the pain, but his blurry eyes struggled to stay afloat as the harsh waves of rage threatened to drown him in madness.

Memories flooded his mind. The laughter, the secrets shared, and the sweet and bitter moments played in his head like a trailer in a movie. Until it focused on the events of the previous days.

Were his best friend's joking attempts actual? Does Tooru really have feelings for her?

Their friendship meant the world to him. Since they were young, they had always been there for each other, silently protecting no matter what came their way.

They were connected as if their souls were made from the same stars.

He knew that their friendship was a precious gift, a treasure worth more than gold.

He realized, ambivalently, that he was willing to protect it no matter the cost, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness in the process.

A bittersweet smile played on his lips as he looked at his best friends—a smile tinged with sadness, envy, and despair.

With a desolate heart, he pushed aside his desires, burying them deep within the recesses of his soul. With a silent prayer for the gods he didn't believe in, he took a despondent sigh.

"Please let me get through this, even if it's one heartbroken beat at a time."

[erabundus]

@cryoexorcist &&. said... it's raining. it's always raining these days (it's the first time it's rained in over a week, it's LIYUE). the air is thick and heavy, and chongyun is soaked. he's been without food for hours. in reality it's been only an hour but it'd been more of a snack than a meal. so what decides to happen on today of all days? he slips down a small hill. it's not enough to actually hurt him, but enough to damage his pride. so when chongyun stands up, covered in mud, he stands there, staring up at the sky with a mournful expression. he doesn't know anyone is watching. (liyue harbor is literally a five minute walk from where chongyun is standing. he could realistically just walk home. but-) this is agony. oh the HORROR.

the  sky  is  a  dark,  angry  swill  —  as  if  the  CLOUDS  themselves  have  been  doused  with  ink.  they  cover  the  world  in  a  suffocating  blanket,  creating  night  from  afternoon.  drenching  everything  beneath  their  dominion  in  downpour  and  shadow  alike.  lightning  flashes  —  a  searing  light,  cracking  across  the  sky  like  the  strike  of  a  mighty  blade.  in  that  ephemeral  burst  of  violent  luminescence,  there  stands  a  LONELY FIGURE  at  the  top  of  that  hill.  slender.  motionless.  one  would  think  him  a  statue  were  it  not  for  the  too-steady  rise  and  fall  of  his  chest  and  the  delicate sway  of  ornate  fabric  in  the  breeze.  another  flash  sees  him  backlit  by  the  electric  sky,  casting  seraphic  features  in  a  light  that  makes  them  seem  more  eerie  than  beautiful.  one  might  be  forgiven  for  assuming  they  find  themselves  pinned  beneath  the  gaze  of  a  reclusive  god  —  particularly  as  his  eyes  continue  to  glow  long  after  the  world  returns  to  its  usual  gloom.

a  hand  raises,  finger  extended  in  a  point  —  does  this  WRATHFUL  DEITY  mean  to  cast  judgement  upon  the  mud-caked  exorcist  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill?  lips  part.  a  soft  inhale,  inaudible  over  the  roaring  rain.  then ...

he promptly shatters the illusion by bursting into laughter.

❝  CHONGYUN?  ❞  his  cackling  is  grating  in  a  peculiar  way  only  ren  can  ever  truly  hope  to  be. endearing only in very small doses, yet rarely administered as such.  ❝  is  that  you?  with  all  of  that  FILTH  in  the  way,  i  can  hardly  tell.  ❞  more  laughter.  the  wanderer  doubles  over  a  bit,  and  nearly  slips  down  the  literal  slippery  slope  in  the  process.  he  didn't  take  chongyun  for  such  a  trendsetter  —  and  what  a  fashion  statement  it  is!  how  nice  to  see  the  worms  crawling  around  in  the  DIRT  where  they  belong.  ❝  did  you  do  something  different  with  your  hair?  cut it? dye it? that's  a  good  look  for  you!  ❞   he's  thankful  he  doesn't  actually  need  to  breathe; he might die otherwise. oh ... he is so HAPPY he saw that.

it  takes  a  good  few  minutes  before  the  wanderer  manages  to  scrape  together  the  dregs  of  his  COMPOSURE.  he  draws  himself  back  up  to  his  full  (  unimpressive  )  height  and  fakes  a  cough.  ❝  aha ...  hmm.  ❞   right. right. with  the  flick  of  a  wrist,  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  smacks  into  the  human  —  not  to  harm,  but  rather  fling  the  mud  in  the  opposite  direction.  (  though  ren's  relative  inexperience  with  anemo  makes  it  a  bit  more  VIOLENT  than  intended,  regardless.  )  is  it  an  improvement?  he  can't  really  tell.  he's  going  to  pretend  he's  doing  him  some  great  favor,  regardless  —  because  it  wouldn't  be  ren  if  he  didn't  endeavor  to  make  even  the  most  mundane  acts  just  a  bit  more  needlessly  grating  than  they  have  any  right  to  be.

❝ thanks for the laugh.  ❞ and suddenly, he's walking away. he's leaving them there ... in the rain.

[seabreeze2022]

2023 Bahama Cruise, Part 26, May 11 Rock Sound, Eleuthera.

Nancy is trimming sails on our way up the west side of Eleuthera. The Puritans named the island Eleuthera in the 1700’s. Which is a derivative of the Greek word, “Eleutheros”, meaning Free or Freedom.

Saturday, filet mignon night. Thanks Dush and Kelly!

To bring you you up to date. We had arrived outside the Rock Sound Harbor, Eleuthera on Saturday and decided to anchor off of a long beach. Instead of going the last couple of miles to Rock Sound Harbor. Because there was a huge rain storm over the harbor. We had to anchor a ways off shore to find good sand to anchor in. We had good protection from the waves and a cool night with the winds.

Anchoring further away from land usually assures mosquito free nights. Rigged the boat for quick closing with multiple rain showers expected. Since the threat was rain and not mosquitoes, we remove the screens and added a draw string to the hatch handle. No need to go on deck half asleep, to lower the open hatches. Just pull down on the draw string hanging down into the cabin to close the hatch.

But the first day it was too windy for Nancy to paddleboard. I spent 3 hours making water, reading etc.

Sunday Nancy paddled to shore and I met her using the dinghy. We both walked the beach looking for shells. We found several Murex shells. Then snorkeled back to the boat. Very few corals of fans. So we made the decision to go anchor off of the settlement.

As we started walking up Fish Road, we came across some cute art work. There are so many abandoned houses in the Bahamas. Some over a hundred years old. Some only a couple years old, just never finished. This art work really brightened up the city. Using the abandoned house elevated it from being a blight to a beautiful object.

Just up the block, we ran into Warren who is the artist. He is recently retired from being a nurse in Nassau for 42 years. He has a passion for cleaning up his hometown. “Grand Ma’s” was his grandmothers ice cream store, but she has passed on. Now it is his art store. Warren dropped the wet paint brush he was painting with, to talk to us. Giving us a tour of his works. Super nice guy full of energy.

The dark round hole at the bottom of the photo is “Ocean Hole”. Number one tourist destination at Rock Sound. It is confirmed to be over 110 ft. deep. But rumored to be around 700 feet. Warren told us to take bread for the Snapper.

Apparently the Mangrove Snapper and Grouper were stocked in there by local fishermen as well as Parrotfish. The parrot fish died when the trees around the hole were cut down and fell in the water.

Dye was put in the hole at some point and it showed up in the ocean nearby. Proving that it is connected underground to the ocean and a new source of water. We walked around town for an hour and saw most of it, so back to the boat for dinner.

The next morning we walked to “The Boiling Hole” and “Cathedral Cave”. Passing by the beautiful St Luke’s Anglican Church built 1863. For most of the settlements we have seen on Eleuthera the old churches are built at the waters edge and not on top of the hills overlooking the town. Usually they are very prominent and the first thing you see approaching from the sea.

The next biggest tourist attraction is a ten minute walk out of town to the cave and Boiling hole (photo above). The caves are not the ones on the far shore. They are another 5 minute walk through the bush.

Luckily the old wooden ladder was not too rotten. Only a couple of steps had broken. Interestingly many mosquitoes hang just outside the cave. I was thinking the bats were not doing their job. But several species here are actually fruit bats that migrate, and have not acquired a taste for mosquitoes.

We were lucky the bats had apparently migrated back and were flying around in the cave. This cave has many large openings in the ceiling, so plenty of light. Actually no need for carrying flashlights.

On the way back we realized that there was an old cemetery that was completely abandoned and overgrown next to the road and beach. Such a shame. Again the graves are pointed east. Above is the only one with a head stone. Most were just mounds of rock. This one was 1905?

From the caves we walked 30 minutes across the island to the supposedly “pink beach”. Pretty, but no sea shells. Nancy took a quick dip.

Half way back, we stop and talk with Rose. She is feeding stay dogs called “Pot lickers”. She shared some hog plums with us. Nancy had already gone out into the bush and picked half a dozen mangoes.

The fisherman had come in with their gill net full of grunts. Each settlement has a dock with a covered stand for the fisherman to use while cleaning fish. We made multiple trips to the gas station filling jerry jugs with either diesel or gas. Our tanks are full and are carrying 12 gallons of diesel and 12 gallons of gasoline on deck. This may be our last place to fuel up before we make it home.

Cruisers rate the settlements by there grocery stores. Rock Sound has the cheapest grocery store that is fairly large. This was much more industrious then the settlements on Cat Island. Again most of the younger folks have moved away for jobs. When they retire they move back. This leaves a void of workers. That is where we see the Haitians getting a foot hold.

Honestly I must say, if you have never been to Rock Sound you need to go. If you have ever been to Rock Sound, you don’t need to go again.

Now that procuring fuel is going to be tough we are making a point of sailing more and motoring less. So we sail ten miles to the next settlement of Tarpum Bay.

S/V Sea Breeze.