#if Leo gets to have a partner because he’s feeling lonely then where’s mine

[valewritessss]

I wish I could get my Leo Valdez solution too. Like, if I’m feeling left out, I should just get a gf/bf right? Because that definitely solves everything much more than learning to love myself and being okay with who I am. Right, Rick?

[prism-rush]

Road to SSS 7 Event Summary: The Aurora Prince! From the north with love.

(Or at least as much as I know with the card stories I have scouted.)

So by coincidence (or “coincidence”) a lot of the boys are headed to the northern island of Hokkaido. 

Leo is visiting his hometown of Sapporo. Minato has a date with seaweed. Over the Rainbow has a concert in Abashiri. Joji and The Shuffle are headed to a non-specific event. Shin is on vacation with his family. 

Sensing Shin’s whereabouts, Louis quickly comes up with the first excuse he can think of in order to get himself to Hokkaido, which means telling Jin that he wants to help out with Joji’s event. Although Jin reluctantly agrees, somehow Louis boards the wrong plane and ends up in Kyoto. Not sure how that worked out (it’s in his SR story) but he ends up missing the event. (Although whether he actually intended to show up at all is questionable.)

Joji is elated that he gets to hog all the attention to himself at the event without Louis, and gleefully take the stage to find the audience is... empty. It’s been cancelled. 

However, despite this, one lone fan happened to show up anyway hoping to see Joji. So Joji decides to give her a special show. Impressed with how Joji treats his fan, for once Ace doesn’t mind signing for him. 

(I think this is maybe... the first heartwarming scene with Joji that has ever happened.....)

Up in the northern coast of Rausu somewhere Minato has decided farming for seaweed is the best way to train for the duo tournament. When all of a sudden, who should show up but Kouji. The two stand on a cold beach in northern Hokkaido as Kouji gleefully rambles on and on about seaweed when suddenly out of the blue (or rather because of perceived inferior knowledge of seaweed) Minato blurts out that he doesn’t think he’s worthy of being Kouji’s partner. But Kouji quickly assures him that he didn’t agree to be Minato’s partner just because Minato asked him, but because he himself wanted to be with Minato.  Minato regains his confidence.

Meanwhile Hiro and Kazuki are visiting Mashu lake where they use a prism show to battle a fog monster (....honestly your guess is as good as mine.......) and Hiro suddenly realizes he had a lot of fun battling with Kazuki just then. 

Leo’s goal in coming to Hokkaido is to clear his head and take lots of beautiful pictures to show his friends. He’s been feeling down lately since Yukinojo is busy training with Kakeru, and he’s still the only one who wants to be in the tournament but hasn’t been able to find a partner. But Leo has decided that even if he’s still feeling sad and conflicted on the inside, he’s going to stay positive... at least on the outside. 

That works for a while until he happens to see Shin and Louis on their Hokkaido date (Louis does eventually make it to Hokkaido somehow, where he “coincidentally” runs into Shin) and all of a sudden all of Leo’s loneliness just comes rushing back. Again, his smile crumbles.

But this doesn’t last for long, as it just happens to be this exact moment (by actual coincidence) that he’s spotted by a particular character: Revontulet Nikkanen! The mysterious foreigner that Leo helped find his way in Kyoto in the last event. He’s found himself lost again. Both recognize each other and realize that neither had learned the other’s name. After a bit of back and forth, Nikkanen introduces himself and asks to be called by his first name as a symbol of closeness. When Leo can’t quite handle that they eventually agree on “Nikkanen-kun” and Nikkanen calls him “Saionji-kun” to match. 

(Note: In the game, above the dialogue box usually both the first and last name of every character is always shown. But not Revontulet Nikkanen. He’s just “Nikkanen”. Even the dialogue box can’t handle it.)

Nikkanen and Leo visit various tourist spots in Sapporo. Nikkanen is dazzled by how Leo seems to know everything, but Leo explains Sapporo is his hometown. Leo suddenly realizes that since he’s been spending time with Nikkanen, he’s been smiling again and the gloomy mood he was in only a few hours ago has completely evaporated.

After they start talking about prism shows (which Nikkanen has been interested in since he saw them in Kyoto), Leo invites Nikkanen to a skating rink where he shows him a prism jump. Nikkanen is entranced. Leo offers to teach him and to Leo’s complete shock Nikkanen is able to perform a prism jump on his first try. Just then they notice the KIZUNA BEAT CLIMAX day 1 competition playing on TV. Leo hadn’t even realized it was going on in Sapporo.

All Leo does is casually remark that it seems they are still accepting new entries, but that’s all it takes to make up Nikkanen’s mind. Without any sort of prior consultation he’s already decided: Leo is his partner and they are entering tomorrow. 

Nikkanen thinks he must have said something terrible in Japanese when Leo burst into tears, but Leo explains he’s actually overjoyed and happily agrees. 

They arrive at the competition the next day in the costumes Leo hurriedly made the night before. Shin, Louis, Minato, Kouji, Hiro, and Kazuki are all both shocked to see Leo (as they had no idea he’d be entering), and thoroughly impressed with the pair’s show. Louis sees the prism sparkle in them. Joji wishes he could have a cute partner like Leo. 

Despite only learning how to perform a prism show yesterday, this is no handicap for Nikkanen and the two win the Sapporo KIZUNA BEAT CLIMAX. Leo and Nikkanen exclaim how happy they are to have become partners. 

Joji catches a cold and has fever dreams about dating Leo. 

The end. 

Mysteries: Joji acts like he’s already familiar with Leo when he sees him at the tournament, but where they met before I don’t know. It’s possible they met in the last event but I missed it. 

Nikkanen says something about how he wants to enjoy the competition before going back to Finland, but I’m not sure if he’s actually going back to Finland really soon and that’s it or if he’s sticking around for the finals or what. It does seem like he may join Edel Rose in the end like the twins. 

Whether Shin’s parents were just a few seats over or not when Louis was trying to hold Shin’s hand at the duo tournament.

Uhh.... fog monsters....?

[jovialyouthmusic]

Two’s Company, Three’s Allowed

If you had a hard time choosing between Liam (Brad here) and Drake, you can have your cake and eat it! MC is called Lucy Valois 

Part One Confessions

Lucy looked out over the green pastures and beyond to the mountains, her horse patiently waiting for her to move again. Next to her, Hana’s steed was restless.

‘Penny for your thoughts Lucy?’ she asked.

‘I’m not sure I can put it into words.’ she said sadly.

‘Now come on, you can tell me, we’re best friends.’ she said, turning toward her as the horse fidgeted. ‘Or is it something top secret that only Royalty can deal with?’

‘No, it’s more personal than that.’ she said, tight lipped ‘But it’s eating me up.’

‘It must be important then – you should be happy right now. You’re Queen of Cordonia, and you just married Brad, who adores you.’ Lucy’s face fell at her friend’s assessment.

‘I know, I should be grateful, so many people must be envious – but there’s something on my mind that I can’t let go of.’

‘Well, we came out here to have a picnic, so let’s stop here and you can tell me all about it.’ Hana’s tone was gentle and Lucy almost cried straight away.

‘Okay, maybe it would help to share – but maybe it will just upset you too.  You might think less of me.’

‘You’re my best friend and we’ve been though some very frightening times, Lucy. I couldn’t bear to see you unhappy. A problem shared is a problem halved, and maybe I can bring a new perspective to it.’

Lucy dismounted and put down the rucksack she had been carrying. Hana did the same, and they set up camp by the stream, leaving the horses to graze on the lush summer grass. Hana spread out a blanket and they sat, unpacking the lunchboxes and flasks they had brought. It was simple fare, a relief from the elaborate meals that were served at the Palace. It was good to be back at the Lodge at Valtoria where things were a little more down to earth. They sat munching sandwiches and crisps, smiling at the simplicity of it all.

‘So come on Lucy, what’s bothering you?’ asked Hana. Lucy drew a deep breath.

‘Well, you have to know that before Brad proposed, and when we were trying to track down Tariq, I spent a lot of time with Drake.’ she started, and Hana nodded. ‘It was Drake who came to my rescue when Tariq came to my room.’ She put down her sandwich and took a sip of the coffee they had brought.

‘As you know, I couldn’t be seen with Brad. Even before that, he had to spend time with the other suitors, to be fair to them although he told me he’d fallen for me big time. He asked Drake to look out for me, and he did.’ She smoothed the blanket out in front of her, sighing.

‘I remember it well. You were amazing Lucy, you took to it as if you were born to be here’ said Hana consolingly.

‘That’s as maybe, but the problem was that I spent so much time with him that I started to fall for Drake.’ Hana’s eyes widened, but she said nothing. Lucy swallowed.

‘I slept with Drake – more than once. In fact, I had sex with both of them before Brad proposed. At first, I reckoned that it was all just an adventure, that I would be back in New York after the social season ended. I never thought I’d fall in love – with Brad, with Drake - and with Cordonia. When Constantine sabotaged me, it changed everything.  By the time I’d cleared my name there was no way in hell I was leaving Cordonia.’ She smoothed out the blanket in contemplation before going on.

‘When Brad proposed, I said yes, because by then I cared for him very much, and I knew he adored me. I suppose I told myself that Drake had just been a distraction. I knew that he cared for me too. But the look on his face when I told him that Brad had proposed made me feel so bad. I was happy with Brad, but a part of me was sad that I couldn’t be with Drake anymore.’ Hana’s eyes were wide, but she still didn’t speak.

‘In Vegas, I told Brad I wanted a last fling, and he agreed. I thought if I went with Drake one last time I could lay it all to rest.’ she sighed ‘But it didn’t work. When we were kidnapped by Justin and he was hurt, I was beside myself. I don’t know what I’ve have done if I’d lost Drake then. I pushed it down as we got ready for the wedding – it was too late to change my mind.  Hana - Drake and I have something between us – something sparky and passionate that’s different from what I have with Brad. He’s loving and gentle and strong, but it’s like there’s something missing without Drake.’ After a long pause, at last Hana spoke.

‘I could see that you had chemistry with Drake.’ she said, looking at her hands. ‘But you have it with Brad too, and you make a wonderful couple. But it must be a terrible secret to keep from Brad. You should really tell him how you feel. You have to be honest in your relationship.’

‘But I don’t want to hurt him...’

‘Well, look at it like this, Lucy. We all cling to the idea that ‘the one’ is out there for us – but what if there’s more than one? What if we meet two who are right for us at the same time, or close to each other?  What if like you say, one is not exactly right, but two together make up ‘the one’? Who’s to say that there should only be one specific person who will make us feel happy?’

‘I’d never really thought of it that way.’ said Lucy pensively.

‘I think you should tell Brad. He’s very perceptive – he may already have realised things aren’t quite right. You have to be honest, to be fair to him – and to Drake. It’s your decision of course, but that’s my advice. You may find a solution together.’ Lucy leaned across to her friend and squeezed her hand.

‘Thanks Hana, you’ve given me a lot to think about. I’ll let you know how I get on. Thank you for helping me get a fresh perspective.’

-------

A couple of days later, Brad and Lucy sat on the balcony of the Master suite at the Manor, a table laid out with coffee and toast for their breakfast. It was late summer, and the air was still but cool. Lucy gazed out over the steep river banks to the hills, wondering how to bring up the subject that she couldn’t ignore any more. Brad broke into her reverie, speaking gently.

‘Lucy, I can tell something’s troubling you. I hate to see you unhappy. You’re just not yourself’ Lucy put down the piece of toast she was half-heartedly trying to eat, her stomach knotting up in anticipation. It was now or – well, she had to do it now, or leaving it longer could be worse.

‘I’m sorry Brad, there is something, but I’m afraid to tell you. You’re right, I need to clear the air.’ He reached over and placed his hand on hers.

‘Whatever it is, please tell me. I promise to do my very best to make you happy, no matter what. You know that was in our wedding vows, and I meant it, every word.’ Lucy smiled weakly, tears stinging her eyes, but she blinked them away and gazed back at him.

‘Do you remember my bachelorette party in Vegas?’

‘Of course I do Lucy, it was very memorable. Who could forget the tiger…’ he stopped talking, an odd expression crossing his handsome features. ‘Ah’ he said ‘is it to do with you having one last fling? Are you regretting asking for that?’ Lucy bowed her head.

‘Yes – and no.’ she said quietly. ‘I was glad I did it, but it didn’t bring me any closure.’ Brad sat back and took a deep breath, looking out over the river.

‘I’ve been wondering about that, but I meant what I said that night – I don’t own you, and personally I think marriage is an odd arrangement. Expecting two people to be exclusive for the rest of their lives is often unrealistic, and many marriages fail under that stress. Of course it gives stability to any children, but discord between parents can also be very destabilising. I’ve often thought about it, though I feel that I’ll always love you, no matter what.  Who knows what the future might bring.’ Lucy leaned closer to him.

‘Brad, I still love you and care for you deeply, and I don’t want to leave you, don’t think that. But I don’t feel complete, and I don’t think having children will change that.’

‘You’ll be surprised to hear me say I understand. Did you know my father was married to mine and Leo’s mothers at the same time?’ Lucy’s eyes widened in surprise an shock. ‘In Cordonia, it used to be permissible, not just for royalty, but for any of the citizens to have an extra partner in a marriage arrangement. It’s known as a Cordonian or ‘threeway’ marriage or partnership. It may be two women and one man, or the other way round. My father was so devastated when he lost both his first wives that he forbade anyone to speak of it again.’

‘I didn’t realise, Brad - why didn’t you tell me before?’

‘I only found out myself when my father passed away. It’s something that I think  may solve our problem, and could work for many others.  If I make the practice acceptable again, it will be a good thing for all of Cordonia, not just us.’ Lucy sat back in her chair, mind whirling.

‘Do you know who it was I spent the night with that time in Vegas?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know for certain and I said I would never ask you, but I have a strong suspicion, and one of my other friends has been unhappy of late.’ He siled ruefully and waited for Lucy to speak again.

‘Would you be happy to have someone else in our relationship? Wouldn’t it cause problems with the Royal Succession? What would the people think?’

‘Well, there is a precedent, as I said. And I’d far rather share you with someone I respect than have you unhappy just with me.’ Lucy put her hand over her eyes and screwed them shut, heart beating fast.

‘Do you want me to tell you who it is?’

‘Of course I do.’ he said gently ‘Please don’t be afraid of hurting me. I’ve always thought I was lucky to have you to myself, that it was too good to be true, so I’ve always had that thought in the back of my mind that something like this might happen. You know my Royal duties mean I’m often not here - and having someone else around would mean you’d not be lonely. What would be far worse is that you decide to run off with someone else without telling me how you feel.’ Lucy let her hand drop from her eyes and looked at Brad intently.

‘You won’t be angry?’

‘I promise I won’t – please Lucy, tell me and we can sort it all out.  It will be like ripping a plaster off – it will sting for a short while, but ultimately the result will be healthy.’

‘Very well – it’s Drake.’ she let the name hang in the silence that followed. Brad only briefly looked sad, then smiled broadly, letting his breath out in a long sigh.

‘I suspected so.  How could I be unhappy that you love someone so close to me, who I know so well and owe so much to? It would be ungenerous of me to shut him out if he cares for you too.’ Lucy felt a rush of relief, but was still cautious.

‘How would it work though? Would I spend some time with you and some with him? How long…’ Brad interrupted.

‘We can work all that out later. The first thing we should do is tell Drake and take it from there. There are arrangements that can be made, but as we know and trust him so well, I’m sure we can make a loose agreement. With today’s methods of birth control and DNA tests, I don’t think the Royal succession will be a problem either. I’ll tell you all about my Father, so you know the facts.’

[stopforamoment]

Part Nine: Don’t Leave Me  (Series 12, Part 9 of 16)

Series Twelve: Putting the Children First (16 Parts) Part Nine: Don’t Leave Me  (Series 12, Part 9 of 16)

Masterlist

Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three)

Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OC Rinda Parks Word Count: 2,043 Rating: R for Language, a Child’s Violent Reaction while Dealing with Grief, and Mention of an Unwanted Sexual Advance TRIGGERS: The next few chapters will have discussions about the loss of a parent, a child acting out violently because of grief and fear, and some physical violence. There’s also a description of an unwelcome sexual advance and fallout that comes from rape culture (specifically, blaming a woman for a man coming on to her).

A/N: I know this kind of resolution between a child and the parent’s new partner doesn’t come this easily. My personal experience is that I made my stepdad’s life a living hell for years because I had a chip on my shoulder. Please know that Bastien, Drake, and Rinda continue to work with Henry to put his needs first. It isn’t always smooth sailing, but he does have people in his life who always support him.

Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. OFC with all of her quirks is all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this. The keep reading link shows up on my laptop but not my phone. Ugh.

Thank you @asherella-is-a-dork-3​ for always being my sounding board! Thank you @liam-rhys-deactivated20180927​ @silviasutton1989 @bobasheebaby for still being a part of the journey!

Series Summary: We’re wrapping up week six and moving into week seven, the week of October 21st. Putting children first is the priority in this series. Rinda and Laura advocate for more social workers and psychologists in Cordonian schools, and the Cordonian Safety Response Program keeps moving forward. Vivian Trakas still isn’t prioritizing her own children, and Henry deals with his own struggles with losing his dad.  

Chapter Summary: Henry takes out all of his anger on Bastien, and Rinda tries to mediate. Henry also brings up something from their past, something that Rinda thought he was unaware of.

Don’t Leave Me

Rinda looked at her son. “Henry, are you upset because we aren’t friends with the Robinsons anymore?” He nodded. Rinda shook her head and looked at Bastien. “The Robinsons were friends of our family. Mr. Robinson and Henry’s dad worked together. His wife and I became really good friends. I think we were best friends. And our families had it worked out that if anything happened to any of us, the other family would be there to help if . . .” Rinda shook her head.  “When. When Jameson died, Mr. Robinson was the one to find Henry in the secured area and tell him that I was fine, but I couldn’t come out yet. His wife was the one who picked Henry up from school that day and stayed with him until I could pull myself together and come home. We spent the first few nights at their house, just so we wouldn’t be alone. That’s how close to us they were.” “Henry, I know it hurt you when we stopped seeing the Robinsons, but it was just too hard for them to see us after Dadders died. It’s different with Bastien because he got to know us after your dad died.” “Mom, stop lying to me. You’re always protecting me. Stop. Fucking. Lying. I know it’s my fault.” Rinda gave Henry a tight hug. “Doodle Bug, what do you think is your fault?” “I heard you yelling at Mr. Robinson, mom. I know.” “When was I yelling at him? When was that, and what do you know?” “I was asleep, but I woke up when I heard you screaming at Mr. Robinson and throwing things. I’ve never heard you so mad before. You were screaming that he was dad’s best friend and Mrs. Robinson was your best friend, and he had to leave because I was in the house. And when he left, he never came back.” Rinda started shaking, but she kept reassuring Henry that it was okay. It wasn’t his fault. And she was so, so sorry he heard that. She didn’t know. Henry saw how sad his mom was, and Bastien the only other person in the room. He was the one to receive Henry’s wrath. “Why does everyone keep hurting her? Stay. Away. From. My. Mom!” Rinda had enough. She didn’t shout, but it was obvious from her tone that she was done. “Henry Jameson Parks, genug! Enough! He’s not hurting me. Bastien, please don’t leave. Henry, give yourself some time and then we’ll talk about this.” But Henry suddenly lunged at Bastien and punched him in the stomach. Then again. And again. He was screaming at Bastien, pounding him with his fists, telling him to go back to Stephan. Bastien just calmly stood there and let Henry punch him, and scream at him, and accuse him. Rinda was terrified. She could barely handle raised voices when her family members were upset, but this level of physical violence was too much for her. “Henry! Stop it! Now! Please! We don’t hit people. We don’t hurt the people we love . . .” Bastien shook his head at Rinda, letting her know it was okay. But she covered her face with her hands and started to cry. She couldn’t bear to see what was happening between the two people she loved the most. How did things get so fucked up so quickly? But suddenly Henry began screaming different words. “Don’t go back to Stephan. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.” Henry was finally done punching, and Bastien wrapped his arms around Henry as he continued to scream, and then sob, that he didn’t want Bastien to leave him. “I won’t, Henry. I won’t leave you. I promise I won’t.” Bastien knelt down to Henry and wiped his face. “Why do you stay with me and my mom? We’re totally opposite of them. Stephan is a good football player and I’m not. Ms. Trakas is ready for a new dad and my mom makes it clear that no one will replace my dad, but we have room in our hearts to love other people, like you. Why do you stay?” “Because I love you. And I love your mom. Henry, your mom and I know that your dad can never be replaced. And I knew that your mom wasn’t ready to date anyone right away because she wanted to be sure you’re ready, and she wanted to be sure you like the person she’s dating. And it was so worth it to wait, because I love both of you so much. It’s good that your mom is the opposite of Ms. Trakas and that she took her time to get to know me. That we still take our time so no one feels rushed. That you don’t feel rushed either.” Bastien rubbed his forehead and looked at Rinda, then Henry. “Henry, my parents divorced when my sister and I were little, and my mom remarried too soon. My sister and I hated him, but my mom just thought it was because we didn’t want a new dad. That was part of it. We wished that she would have cared more about our feelings, because no one would replace our dad. But it was more than that. My stepdad wasn’t very nice to us, especially when my mom wasn’t around. I know my mom was lonely, but she should have gotten to know him better before marrying him. “I have so much respect for your mom because she puts you first and because she protects you like that. Henry, you can’t tell anyone else this please, and I know that I can trust you. I don’t respect Ms. Trakas. I don’t even like her. Because she doesn’t care about her children the way your mom cares about you. And I know Ms. Trakas would never be able to love me the way your mom does. And I could never care about Stephan the way I love you.

Bastien looked over at Rinda to see her reaction. Her head was still buried in hands and Bastien wasn’t even sure if she heard what he said. Henry saw that Bastien had set a glass of water on his dresser. “Mom, Mr. Lykel has a glass of water for you. Do you want me to get you a towel?” Rinda nodded. She took a drink of water and wiped her face with the towel Henry handed her.

Rinda looked like shit. She looked utterly defeated, and Bastien’s heart went out to her. He looked at Henry. “Henry. I know you’re mad at me, but please. Let me sit on the couch with you until your mom can come back out. I promise I will never leave you or your mom like that, but I need you to come with me right now.” Henry nodded, too afraid to disobey or do anything to further upset his mom.

Bastien wanted more than anything to comfort Rinda, but he knew Henry needed to come first. So he got Henry’s favorite blanket and wrapped it around him, and leaned Henry against him. And he started rubbing soft circles on his back, softly whistling the first soothing tune that came to his head.

“Debussy.”

“What, Henry?”

“That’s Debussy. That’s one of my favorites. ‘The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.’” He snuggled back into Bastien’s side. “I know it’s short, but mom plays it over and over on our piano or her violin back home when I can’t sleep. And ‘Rêverie.’”

Queen Évelyne.

That’s where Bastien knew the tune. She would play it for Liam and Leo when they had trouble sleeping. And Rinda played it for Henry.

Bastien kept rubbing gentle circles on Henry’s back as he whistled the tune over and over, then hummed it over and over, again and again, as many times as it took for Rinda to pull herself together.

When Rinda came out of the bedroom she sat on the couch so she could face Bastien and Henry. She leaned her head on the back of the couch and smiled. “Debussy is one of our favorites. Did Henry tell you?”

“No, mom. He guessed. He started whistling ‘Girl with the Flaxen Hair’ and I didn’t even ask.” Rinda nodded. She was too emotionally drained to be surprised or to over-analyze the serendipity.

Bastien had stopped humming, but Henry didn’t move away from him. He just shifted so he could see his mom better.

“Henry, Mr. Robinson did leave that night because you were there, but that was a good thing. You being home helped me. And I do miss being friends with Mrs. Robinson very, very much. But that was her husband’s fault. Not mine, and definitely not yours. Everything was his fault.”

“Why?”

Rinda sighed. She looked at Bastien and smiled. “Because he isn’t a good man like Bastien is. After your dad died the Robinsons did a lot to help us, and I don’t know what we would have done without them in the beginning. But that night when you were asleep Mr. Robinson came over and he offered to give me help that I didn’t want, and he was mad when I said no thank you.”

“Like I told Mr. Lykel that we didn’t need his help?”

“Shit, no.” Rinda took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. That was a good question and I’m glad you asked. It wasn’t like that at all. Mr. Robinson knew I was lonely and missed Dadders, but he thought that meant he could kiss me. And he couldn’t, because I didn’t want him to. He couldn’t because I loved your dad too much and I only missed his kisses. He couldn’t because he was dad’s best friend, and that was betraying him. And he couldn’t because he was married, and because Mrs. Robinson was my best friend. That was betraying her too. So that’s the stuff I was screaming at him. And he didn’t leave until I started throwing things at him and screaming that you were in the house. I didn’t know that I woke you up, and I didn’t know you’ve been worried about that for all this time. I’m so sorry.”

“Mom, did you tell Mrs. Robinson what happened?”

Rinda shook her head. “Remember how you didn’t want to tell me or Bastien about what Stephan said? Why didn’t you want to tell us?”

Henry blushed. “I don’t know. It was embarrassing, and I didn’t want to say it. And I didn’t want to embarrass both of you or hurt you.”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t want to tell Mrs. Robinson. I was so shocked at what happened, and I didn’t want to say anything at all. I just wanted to pretend it didn’t happen. But she was my friend, and that would have been a hard secret to keep. Not telling her would have betrayed her too. So I went to sleep that night and I was going to figure it out the next day. But Mr. Robinson told his wife, and that’s why we don’t talk anymore, and that’s why some of the other families don’t talk to me anymore.”

“So she was mad at you because Mr. Robinson tried to kiss you?”

“Well, Mr. Robinson lied and said I tried to kiss him.” Rinda could see Henry starting to get worked up. “Henry, hold on. I know. I was mad too. But I was still so hurt from Dadders dying, and so embarrassed by what Mr. Robinson did. I couldn’t have faced him or his wife anyways or kept pretending everything was fine, because nothing was fine anymore. And Mrs. Robinson was such a good friend that I’d rather have her hate me for that lie, rather than for her to know the truth, because that would hurt her more. So I made that choice for all of us, Henry. Because it’s better that they aren’t in our lives anymore. But you can’t compare Bastien to them. Bastien would never, ever hurt or betray me like that. And he’d never do anything to hurt or betray you like that, either. We all screw up and make mistakes that sometimes hurt each other. But not like that.”

[deviant404angel]

His and Hers: A Dance in the Vampire Bun Fic Part 4

“Hoo?” Mina was fascinated and she didn’t even know she was carrying his scent already. It will be faint for others but for wolves and other weres and possibly vampires who paid enough attention, they will smell it on her. “How does this smell transference happen? If they–"she blushed. Oh crap.

"Hime-san, what did you want to talk to me about? We can go outside for it. The guys here smells like sweat, I want to smeel the fresh air outside. Shall we go?” He attempted to divert her attention.

To no avail.

“Akira, this is interesting. I would want to know more about this werewolves culture.” She turned to Leo again. “So? Pray tell.”

“It’s actually pretty simple.” Leo grinned. “He just have to bite her somewhere, anywhere at all. ”

“Really? There are no other conditions?”

“There is. He must bring her to come during the, ” refusing to speak anything rude to her highness, Leo refrained fron saying sex instead, “when they do the deed and strike.”

“Ahh. I see… ” Then she blushed tomato red.

Oh f*ck. Everyone’s eyes turned on me. That’s it.

“Let’s go, Hime-san.” She didn’t even protested when I grabbed her wrists and dragges her out of the room.

With my hearing senses, I heard their laughter. “Man! That was a long time coming! Seriously, I bet her highness started everything before that lone wolf made his move. He just couldn’t win against her highness.”

“Man! I wanna get laid too!”

“Our highness is already a grown up.” Was that a sob he heard?

When finally they were away from the crowd he released the princess. It was suddenly awkard. He scratched the tip of his nose. “Hime-san… ”

It was a moment before she turned to him. “W-what were they talking about?”

He almost smiled at her innocence. “It’s a biological thing. Like a marking. Because bite marks fade, the wolves ensures their territories by marking their mates with their scent. But it never works with a vampire before because of biological incompatibility. But since the change, we’re already linked so your DNA recognizes mine and vice versa.”

“S-so. I’ll be wearing your marking always? It will never fade?” She blushed crimson it was adorable.

“In this instance, it will. In a few days. ” He could almost hear her next question and prepared himself to answer.

“What!? Why!? ” She sounded scandalized at the idea and he almost laughed. But therein also lies the problem. Because she will never be his.

He looked at her eyes, so beautiful. “Because the marking is incomplete. It will never be permanent if I don’t do it again.”

“What? But you bit me when I- when I… ” she trailed.

“Hime-san… ” his eyes caught on the mark he left on her neck. It still hasn’t healed yet. Not completely. And everything came flashing back with intensity it almost knocked him on his knees.

Ah f*ck. If this is how she always affects him, it’ll be his death one day. That is if ever he dies.

He wanted to mark her again. The scent is still strong but given a few more days it will slowly fade if he doesn’t do something about it. His terriotial instincts kicked in and he caged her in locking her back to the wall. They were on the rooftop enjoying the high wind breeze. He’s been avoiding being alone with her for a time now for fear he might finally lose his mind. It was a reprieve she fell asleep on him or else he would have taken her then and there regardless of consequences. But now that she’s here, the wolf in him jumped happily at the idea of her wearing his scent now and forever.

“Akira?”

“You wanna know how to make it permanent, Hime-san?” Her scent is crowding him making it hard to think rationally. He wanted to take her it was a magnetic pull he couldn’t control. It had always been there simmering in the surface but now it was too overwhelming it threatened to make him lose his damn mind unless he claims her.

And not just any claiming.

Claim her like a werewolf does.

Almost like a vampire, he tugged at her collar to bare her neck to him. His mark was still there. He brought his lips closer and kissed her neck then licked.

“Aki-”

He balled his hands to fists and pulled himself away.

“To answer your question, that was just half-marking. The marking take full effect only when I’m so deep inside you, you’d feel me everywhere, and as you come on me, squeezing me tight, I’d bite you, mark you. It’s not pretty, it’s not romantic. It’s messy and painful. We have bigger canines to sink into your flesh. I could tear you part with it. ”

Then Mina understood why he was avoiding her.

“Akira.” She touched his face gently. “You would never hurt me.” She tiptoed because even if she’d grown he was still taller, and pressed her lips to his tight ones

The poor boy was afraid he’d lose control and tear her to pieces. He could come up with excuses that he’s bounded by duty, that she’s a vampire and he’s a werewolf and they never should be and could be. But all of those failed in comparison to his self-doubt that he would hurt her. Mina knows of the tradition of the werewolf when they meet their partners and mate them.

She had talked to Akira’s mother and saw first hand what werewolf mating could do to a human woman. But she was a vampire more flexible than any human. Besides, it wasn’t that Akira’s mother hated Wolf. She never notices it but she speaks fondly of him and misses him. Except Wolf who had seen what happened to his wife and could not bear to come near her and be with her again. Wolf is sometimes like Akira, more so than he could ever imagine.

She pulled away. “Who is there to stop us? I want to be yours, Akira. Forever.” She brought his forehead to hears.

She could see that he was still battling with himself so she let the matter pass but without any teasing. She let him go and reached for the door before looking back and saying, “if ever you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

***

Akira saw his father while was walking aimlessly in the castle. He was talking to someone on the phone, alone ina dimly lit corridor.A woman’s voice? No, not just anyone. His mother.

There was a longing in his mother’s voice and his father’s voice was tight as if holding himself back. He’d never seen his father that way. He also had an expression he’d never seen. They were talking about Yuuhi and him but it’s like they aren’t. Like they were reaching but to what he wasn’t sure. He stood there until his father hang up the phone.

That’s when Wolf noticed him and Akira found out his father could also be focused on one thing he forgets everything else. He hadn’t noticed that before. Granted, he refused to notice his father because of what he did to his mother but he may have been looking at it at a wrong angle.

Wolf broke the silence first going back to his stoic expression. “Your mother misses you. You should visit her if you have time.” That’s all and Wolf passed him by.

He stopped without turning, he asked. “Do you regret marrying mother?”

Wolf didn’t answer immediately. “Why would I? Your mother is not someone I would regret.”

Akita turned harshly thinking of his mother in a wheelchair. “Even if she’s like that!? ”

“Akira! Don’t talk about your mother like that. She is a brave woman who gave birth to Yuuhi and You and never regretted it. Do not belittle her.” Wolf’s voice rang in the hallway.

Then Wolf walked away.

Shit. His emotions were everywhere. He needed to breathe. Or maybe not.

His phone rang and saw that it was his mother calling him. Just what did his father and mother talked about?

“Hey, mom.” He lightened his tone.

“Akira?” She sounded cheerful. “I heard about you and Mina-hime.” Oh.

He blushed. “Well about that… ”

“You should bring her home sometime. I miss that dear girl. I’ve always wanted you two together even before this change though before would have been a little bit difficult. But now seems fine. Anyways, you’re bonded by blood. If that doesn’t sound romantic then maybe its thaf your scent is all over her? ” His mother laughed.

“Mom, seriously.” He blushed and scrubbed his face the went outside for some air.

“I figured you’d be having trouble. You’ve always loved her but she’s always far away so now that she’s within reach it probably seems surreal. ” His mom chuckled. Yeah that’s about right.

“I feel like, if I get my hands on her, she’ll disappear. ” He admitted.

“Hmm. I know what you mean.” She chuckled.

“Mom…why’d you marry dad?” He breathed.

“What kind of question is that? Isn’t it obvious? Akira, I’m Japanese, not anywhere near a clan to be married to your father. Why do you think I married him? And why do you think I’m staying?”

“Well, because dad doesn’t allow you to? Werewolves are proud so they wouldn’t want their wives to leave them even when the marriage is failing.” He reasoned.

“Well, that too. ” She chuckled. “But who says our marriage is failing? Wolf is not the type to be open to people but I know him. I’m sure you do, too. Besides, he gave me Yuuhi and you, my two werewolf babies. Did you know I had a hard time chasing your dad? Why would I let him go now? I’m bound to a wheelchair but I haven’t lost my mind. I’m keeping my Wolf. ”

“You did? ” That was a surprise to Akira. When he was old enough at seven he left home so he could serve Hime-san and so that he couldn’t see his mother that way after giving birth to Yuuhi. He never asked.

“It was hard. Our relationship weren’t always smooth especially when I learned what he was but in the end I decided that he’s the one so I grabbed him with my invisible claws. Not one relationship is easy sailing, Akira. But if there’s love and trust, and acceptance and you work together, there’s no mountain too high, no ocean too deep, oh I think this is a song.” His mom laughed.

“Geez mom.” He scratched his head.

“What are you waiting for? I don’t regret a single thing, Akira. Everything is just as I want them to be.” Her voice was gentle. “Why don’t you ask your heart what you really want?”

Akira started at the words spoken by his mother, it was almost the same words spoken to him by his father once. And he resigned his case.

“Haha. You sounded like dad.”

“Really? I need to ask him for copyright fee.”

“How are you,mom?”

***

Akira didn’t bother knocking on the chamber of Mina. He knows she’s asleep based on her breathing pattern. She was giving him space. He sat down by her side and looked at her.

It was getting harder and harder to tear himself away from her. He’s not sure he even wants to.

[littlefanscribbles-blog]

Fandom: TMNT Characters: Raphael x Human!Reader TW: Slut Shaming 

Jealousy

You have known the Turtles for about a year now, Raphael saved you from goons and a very tall building all those months ago. You were always close to Leo and Raph, one teaching you self-defense the other being a spar partner and the one that keeps your fire cracker attitude calm (shocker right?). Mikey was like your little brother and Donnie was like your big brother.

The day started out normally, you and Leo where in the dojo practicing your self-defense, laughing when you tripped him and he tripped you right on top of him. You didn’t see Raph watching from the dojo door. He was mumbling to himself angrily. “Raph, what are you doing?” Donnie asked, walking next to his brother. He spotted where Raph was watching. “Raph if you like her, tell her.”

“What ya gettin’ at Don?” He asked giving a look to his brother. “I don’t like [y/n].” He growled, Donnie would have rolled his eyes if Raph wasn’t so close to hit him. Donnie knew how you felt, you thought Raph and Casey had a thing going on (which Donnie found hilarious) and Leo didn’t make you feel so alone but you didn’t like like Leo. Raph turned to see Leo holding you close, you were blushing but only because you felt nervous. You didn’t want to hurt Leo’s feelings.

“Good thing you don’t like her,” Mikey said passing by his brothers with pop corn. Donnie on the other hand felt bad, plus, he saw how uncomfortable you where being.

“Hey guys,” Donnie called, putting attention on him and Raph at the door. You quickly removed yourself from Leo’s arms, silently thanking Donnie for the save. “We’re watching the new X-Men movie, you up for it?” Leo went to decline but you quickly agreed and practically ran to the couch.

Raph and Leo both watched you, thinking the same thing. They moved, each taking a side of you before Donnie could save you again. Leo put an arm on the back of the couch, close enough to put around you and it was like something snapped in Raph. He got up and went to his room, you could hear muffled yelling as he hit his punching bag. “Raph?” You said softly and got up, walking after him before Leo could say anything.

You walked in on Raph, he was angry. Mumbling to himself, “You okay?” He stopped and turned to you.

“No! I am not fucking okay [y/n]!” He ran his hand over the top of his head. “Look, you into Leo thats fine. Just don’t make me bare witness to it. You’re a fucking slut for flirting with both of us!” Before he and you knew it you walked over and slapped him. He realized what he said. “I didn’t mean that. I was just mad.” He said apologetically, rubbing his cheek.

“Fuck you Raph,” you said calmly. Usually you would scream and throw shit but it hurt so deeply you where numb. “I have never been into your brother. Never. Even if I was, how dare you call me a slut. How fucking dare you! I am here every day because I want to be around you. You were the fucking one that told me I needed to learn to fight to be near you guys.” He remembered that, you wanted to stay around but he said there was too much danger and you didn’t know how to fight. Later that week you asked Leo to teach you.

Raph wanted to argue, but, he knew from the calmness in your voice how upset you where he was the same way. “Your right,” he admitted. “I didn’t think it would get you and Leo so close.” He stated clearing his throat. “What I just witnessed just… it pissed me off.”

“Well, you just pissed me off. I like you, Raphael. I cannot help it that Leo got the wrong impression but I assure you, I was not hitting on him.” You stepped away from him, “But now.. I don’t want you near me either.” You said walking away and out of the lair as he called your name. When he turned around he seen his brothers shaking their head.

It’s been a week since you been around. Donnie’s been checking on you, Mikey sends you Memes to make you feel better, and Leo only texted to apologize for getting the wrong signals. Raphael left you alone, you been feeling lonely. Your back alone, but, you know Raph has been following you around. You live in a beat up apartment where your living room, kitchen, and bedroom are in the same area so naturally he is worried someone will hurt you. At first it annoyed you now it feels nice to know he still cares in his own way.

Its late one night, Leo goes to see you. You never answered him so he let it be until days has passed. “[Y/n], you okay? You been ignoring everyone.”

“Leo, I don’t mean to ignore everyone I just don’t want near him.” She pointed towards her window. Anyone that wasn’t trained in ninjitsu couldn’t tell there was a giant turtle on the roof.

“You know he wasn’t thinking when he said that.”

“I do.. That doesn’t change the fact he said it.”

“Your right, but ignoring all of us is doing no good. I know Donnie and Mikey don’t deserve this.” He said, watching her as she sighed and nodded. Leo grinned and opened the window. “Come on you have Turtles to see.” With a roll of your eyes you climbed on his shell as he took off.

You thought he was taking you to the lair but he dropped you off at the building Raph was. “Leo..” You growled. He gave a shrug and ran off. Raph came out of the shadows and sighed. “Was that your idea Raph?” You asked, he shook his head.

“No, but listen to me.” He watched as you looked over the building. You had a fear of heights so they knew you wouldn’t get down without help, Raph was your only help. He walked over, taking you in his arms and jumping down to the alley. He wasn’t going to not give you a choice. When you didn’t walk away he spoke. “I was jealous, and I should have just kissed you instead of saying what I did.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have slapped you for a kiss.” You said crossing your arms stubbornly. He sighed, it was hard to talk to someone as equally stubborn. He opted out, pushing you against the wall and kissed you deeply. You kissed back, putting your arms around his neck.

“Just a warning, Leo better not touch you again. “Your mine.”

End      

[thisisthewayitis2021]

The snail's progress.

I'm sorry it has been so long. There are no dates on here I have noticed so I can't remember when I last posted. It has been over a week though.

So much fatigue last week. Trying to schedule anything is impossible.

It is August 16th 2021 today. Just a brief summary; last week I was out for the count Monday until Wednesday. Staring at the sky again, not even able to listen to the radio or watch tv on Monday. And I had had an optical migraine on Sunday night. I had tried to do some brain training on Sunday morning. I had downloaded some apps including Lumosity and Cognifit. 5 in all. I have now deleted all but Cognifit and will only do 3 x 10 minute sessions a week. Not do three ten minute sessions from multiple apps one after the other to try to build up my skills in a crash course. Such a stupid idea but I am so wanting to get better. It won't happen if I try and do that though. I just seize up so can't anyway. I am hoping Cognifit will help, in baby steps. At the moment I'm fine for the first 5 minutes then I fall apart and I can't do anything. My score was 158 out of 1000 the first time. It's pretty depressing but I will stick with it. It's interesting though as I can feel the different layers/areas of my brain that don't work. For instance I'm much better now again at listening to a story, can hear and understand. And I can express myself in writing again pretty easily which is brilliant. So happy about that . Much better than verbally. But reading about processes and following a story is more difficult. I can't remember a sequence of shapes if it is presented to me, for me to repeat a few seconds later. And lots of other processes which I can't remember to tell you! The app is so clever, being able to target specific areas. It was developed by neuro scientists, that's why I chose that one, rather than the others. I'm taking Gingko bilobo and CO Q10 too which are supposed to help. This morning it was about the same.

I spoke to a manager at work last week. My fit note runs out on the 24th, in a week's time but the fatigue and the lack of concentration and thinking processes mean that I won't be able to go back to work. I just can't do anything and I am not going to recover by next week. They are brilliant and have said that I must only go back when I am fully better. I do think the fatigue is a little better though. But that is because I am not taking my dog out now. I have walkers so am not exhausting myself so much and can potter about at home in short bursts.

I was excited that my son Leo was coming to visit on Friday. He was coming for the weekend, one night at mine and one at his dad's. With me all day Saturday, then his dad Mark came to pick us up on Sunday evening and and we went out for a meal, Mark, Dad's partner Melanie and Leo. Really lovely (we all get on well). Then he stayed the night at M&M's. Mark had picked me up on Sunday at midday. I went for lunch with them before Mark dropped Leo off at the train station and took me home. I was really flagging by then, was conscious of my eyes wanting to close at lunch. I was in bed by 8.30 but it was so worth it. I'd been really conscious of resting and sleeping between activities. And so far today I've been ok. Well, I slept for two hours during the morning but that's normal. No extra effects I mean so that's great.

Back to being on my own all week and trying to keep positive. It's so dull and I can feel very lonely. I am missing some of my friends. I can completely appreciate that some are very bound up in their busy lives and their own relationships. I have some brilliant friends who ring me up and pop round, and I meet one every Friday in a pub garden for a bit (or inside now as it is cooler). Some have drifted though. I feel sad about that. I need people at the moment and to feel that they care. It must be really hard if you have long covid and are in a house full of other people though. I couldn't cope with that. I know I'm not great company and I can only manage about 1 1/2 hours max of conversation. Just being with someone is lovely for a short time though, I don't need to talk. it just so helps with my mood and that contact is so essential. I do have lovely proactive friends who are very caring though and I know that some people just aren't that proactive and haven't got the capacity emotionally. Perhaps people just don't want to be around someone whose dad died recently and is not well. I have still got my sense of humour though and am outward looking at the world, and care about them. I think I'm pretty good company still actually lol. But it's ok. Anyway. I mustn't let it get me down.

Life will be back to normal one day. I don't cope with crowds well... too much sensory stimulation. But I need to try every now and again or I will have such trouble with getting back to normal. I want to go to busy pubs and gigs and go to town at a weekend. On Saturday we went to town to a restaurant and I had to hold Leo's hand walking from the carpark to the restaurant as there were so many people and it was making me so anxious. A crazy Saturday night. It was only 6 pm but the pubs and bars were full and it was like a massive hen party in town! I had been on my own with my dad during lockdown in a rural setting, and once back home after he passed away, on my own. Not being able to go out or to work because of the long covid...or even into town on a quiet afternoon as I have been too exhausted to get there.... well it hasn't helped. I like my own company.. need it really, at least half the time. I have always said that I couldn't be in a 24/7 relationship where you are together all the time as I am very independent. But it doesn't mean being on my own so much is what I want.

But hey, I'm very resilient and practise mindfulness and go outside when I feel low. The fatigue is so restrictive though. And my crazy spaniel makes me laugh. Anyway, that's enough for today. A bit of a kip then I will watch another episode of Beck. I find a drama and get into the story. I need to try and book another eye test. The seventh as I keep cancelling. Melanie has said she will take me as I can't go on my own. It's just too much to try and do. Crazy. I have got the large print Jack Reacher that my son bought my dad for Christmas. So will try that.

[spectrumscribe]

trust fall.

@lgbtmntweek thank you for giving me the excuse to write a soppy hurt/comfort fic for capritello, after that nasty rib cracking incident in Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady. 

#ProtectThePuckboy2017

(slightly mature jokes told inside, but nothing even close to graphic.)

Casey probably should have expected it to happen, and should have been completely used to it by now. He decides he could just blame getting startled by tapping on his window on the painkillers.

Two shadowy figures crouch outside his bedroom window, somehow hidden perfectly, despite the sun still being in the process of sinking below the city buildings. Ninjas, honestly. They never seemed to let go of the dramatic flair with their appearances.

Then again, who is Casey to talk about drama?

He pops the window lock, and sits gingerly back down on his bed as April and Donnie climb inside. His ribs ache like nothing else, and he very acutely feels the rampant bruising across the front of his chest. Casey isn’t too broken up about it though; it could’ve been punctured lungs or possibly straight up kabob-Jones instead if he hadn’t had his gear on. And with the fights he’s been in, that they’ve all been in over the years, a few broken ribs is small turkey.

Well. Mostly. They still hurt a whole lot and make even getting to the bathroom a pain in the ass.

“You two are out early,” Casey comments, leaning back against his mound of pillows, courtesy of his dad and sister. They’d even brought him dinner in bed, which had been awesome, except also a little lonely in his room with just his laptop and Netflix. Casey doubts he’ll be lonely much longer, now that his partners are here.

“Would have come sooner, but we got held up by Leo,” Donnie says, and what’s that? Casey’s boyfriend looks embarrassed about something. Consider his interest piqued.

“We got the Talk,” April says without a stutter, earning a miserably embarrassed groan from Donnie. She always was the boldest of them with this sort of thing, once she got past the initial three-way romance issues. “He felt it was his leaderly duty to remind us to use protection.”

“We’re eighteen, for god’s sake,” Donnie mutters, dropping his bo staff off the side of the bed. “We know what protection is. And you have broken ribs anyways. We’re not. Doing that for a while.”

Casey grins at Donnie, who avoids his eyes and looks both peeved and shy at the same time and aw, still embarrassed about discussing sex things after all these months? Fucking adorable.

“I told Leo as much,” April adds on, kicking off her shoes and dropping her sword and fan with Donnie’s bo. “Also where he could stick his invasive opinions about our bedroom life.”

Casey snorts, trying to not laugh for the sake of his poor ribs. “Is that why I got a bunch of all caps texts and snapchats from Mike and Raph?”

“Probably speaking. What were they about?”

“Mostly Leo looking like he’s lost his desire to exist.”

“Then yeah, that’s what they were about. I might’ve gotten a little… strong, towards the end.”

Donnie snorts. “Try strong at the beginning and devastating towards the end.”

April shrugs and seems to regret nothing. Casey laughs and does regret it as everything hurts. “Ow, ow, ow, fuuuck this. Hey Don, can I trade you a foot massage for some mutagen? You can just change me back once my ribs are healed and stuff.”

“Uh, no, because that’s an even stupider way to heal faster than Raph’s method. Which is power drinks and in protein smoothies and even more exercise than usual,” Donnie sniffs disgustedly in the way only a medic can. He starts shoving stray pillows out of the way and moving up the bed. “Now strip. I need to look at your chest.”

April makes an interested sound, and Casey pretends to be shocked. “Oh, already? Thought you said-”

“Casey.”

Casey grins unrepentantly, and April giggles into her hands. Donnie gives them both frustrated looks he doesn’t really mean.

“You’re both terrible,” Donnie grumbles.

“That’s Donnie for ‘I love you’,” Casey says in a stage whisper to April, who laughs harder as Donnie cuffs Casey’s ear. “Ow. I thought we were treating me nicely, I’m injured after all-”

“You’re an idiot, that’s what you are,” Donnie snips. Casey sticks out his tongue, but starts to gently pull up his shirt.

April watches with her knees curled at the end of the bed, while Donnie starts examining the wide, dark bruises on Casey’s chest. Casey whines when a stethoscope comes out, frigid on his very tender skin, but breathes when asked as Donnie listens.

“Any coughing? Odd pains?”

“Uh, I feel like a walking bruise? Does that count?”

“Casey.”

“I’m fine, Donnie. The doctor checked me out, said they’d heal up before I knew it.”

Donnie frowns. His worry obviously decreases an astounding 0%. Typical.

“That was really close,” April says softly, looking very intently at the big rhino horn shaped bruise. “Too close.” Donnie looks even more frustrated and worried as she does, and Casey wants to sigh in a way his current lung capacity won’t allow. April continues, “Casey, can you promise me you’ll be more careful next time? Please? This is the second time in just a few months you’ve had to go to the hospital.”

Casey squirms a little, regrets the movement as his ribs and core muscles complain, and settles on pushing Donnie’s hands away from his chest. He pulls down his shirt as he talks. “I’m not doing this stuff on purpose, Apes, I swear. I’d avoid it if I could.”

That’s not the answer April is looking for, judging from the tight, unhappy expression she has. Donnie looks no better as he slides his stethoscope back into his belt pouches. Casey tries to lighten the mood. “Hey, come on you two. No one and nothing can kill Casey Jones- this is but a flesh wound. I’ll be on my feet and kickin’ ass again before you even realize.”

April snorts. “You would say that, even if you lost every limb you had.”

Casey grins. “You know me so well, Red.”

“I know,” April says, fond and sad. “and that’s why I know you won’t promise me to stop getting hurt all the time.”

Casey shrugs. He can’t help it. If there’s danger, if they’ve got enemies, if anyone is looking to hurt him and his- he’ll keep on fighting until it’s over, one way or another. He knows the two overly but justifiably worried people sitting on his bed are similar in that; they’d all keep standing in the line of fire if it meant if it meant protecting someone of their family behind them.

Grim thoughts like that are just a fact for them, even now that Shredder is gone. Sucks, but what can you do? It’s just life for Donnie, and to an extent, it’s just life for April.

Even if April could hide her powers and Kraang DNA the rest of her life, Donnie is a giant mutant turtle, and won’t ever have an easy time with anything. Neither of them will ever have an easy life, really. Casey’s nearly normal next to them, and he knows and accepts the fact that he’ll keep on having to meet crazy dangerous situations head on to stay with them both. He’ll get hurt, it’ll suck, and then he’ll get back up and keep on going. And that’s as much a fact as the other ones are.

Besides, he trusts them to not let him die, even when he gets in over his head. Donnie saved Leo from the brink of death once, with little more than a medical kit and determination, and April literally pulled Donnie’s molecules back out of the atmosphere. Honestly, Casey doesn’t think he couldn’t be safer than with April and Donnie, all things considering.

“I got you two to back me up, so it’s all good,” Casey says, because it’s true. “If I ever got seriously hurt, I know you guys would figure something out.”

“And broken ribs aren’t being seriously hurt?” April asks incredulously.

“Tis but a flesh wound, remember?”

April sighs. “What are we even going to do with you?”

Casey grins at her. “Hopefully things involving kisses.”

“Casey,” Donnie says, exasperated. April chuckles quietly, but stops as Donnie draws himself up; looking at Casey seriously. The mood turns as such again for a moment, and Casey sobers from his teasing.

“Just… try to stay closer to us from now on, okay?” Donnie asks, twisting his hands together. There’s that sort of desperation in his fidgeting, the kind he developed after master Splinter died. About losing people. “This happened because we got too spread out.”

Casey privately thinks that if it hadn’t been him, it would have just been someone else of their group. Someone who could have gotten hurt even worse, possibly killed. But, he doesn’t voice that thought, because it would just make the anxiety in Donnie’s eyes all the worse.

“Now that is something I can promise,” He says instead, grinning more so for Donnie and April’s benefit than his own. “Getting up close and personal with you two happens to be a favorite pastime of mine.”

He waggles his eyebrows a bit, and is pleased to see the tension break between them all. Donnie rolls his eyes, announces Casey will probably be just fine after all, and seems to let go of at least a little of his worry. April keeps smiling, fond and sad, and Casey tries to keep his private emotions in check while his psychic girlfriend is in the room. She can probably tell his slight bluffs anyways.

“So… you guys busy tonight?” Casey asks in the lull. “’cause I think I know a guy who’s looking for a movie date right around now.”

“Are you lonely, Jones?” April asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“I might be something close to that, yes.”

“Leo said we should be back for evening training, but I doubt he actually thought we’d show up,” Donnie says. He kicks Casey’s legs, though with obvious care. “Shove over. I’m putting dents in your wall like this.”

“Not like it wasn’t dented before,” Casey points out, because considering how many trials and errors they’ve done on his creaky old queen sized mattress, the amount of dents and scrapes in his wall are actually fewer than there could have been. Three people is tricky, even just with cuddling and goofing off.

April starts crawling up the bed, picking carefully around Casey’s limbs, unlike Donnie. “I think there’s been enough denting of things for a while,” She says, coming up Casey’s right side and pecking him gently on the cheek. “Let’s just watch something inane and pointless and trash-talk it the whole time.”

“Fair enough,” Casey admits. He’s more than amiable to the situation if it involves being sandwiched by his two favorite people. “I just got a new season of Master Chef and Forged in Fire. How about one of those?”

“Perfect.”

“How about we vacillate between the two?” Donnie suggests, retrieving Casey’s laptop off the floor. He does so by leaning over the edge, craning himself to avoid squishing April and Casey’s legs. Neither Casey nor April is particularly helpful- poking his cartilage hard belly with their toes the whole time, making Donnie squeak and glare at them.

He still gives Casey a kiss, and then April, even though they keep purposefully bugging him as he sets up their shows. They can’t help it; Donnie is just too much fun to make squeak with well-aimed toe pokes.

“Terrible,” Donnie repeats to them both, but the scolding effect is lost because it’s between kisses.

In the end, Casey is laid comfortable against a thin pillow between his bruise ribs and Donnie’s chest, with April’s compact furnace of a body pressed up against him. April’s ponytail musses as she lays her head on Casey’s shoulder, and Donnie’s cheek rests on the side of Casey’s head. The laptop rests mostly on Casey’s lap, though it gets jostled a little now and then as their legs tangle together.

The three of them groan and snark as a bladesmith dunks his knife too soon into the oil, probably putting fissures in the blade and screwing himself over for getting into the next round- and Casey barely feels a single throb from his ribs, surrounded the way he is by protective care.

Maybe he’s not as indestructible as he likes to portray, but Casey doesn’t even spare a second thought to worrying about future injuries.

After all, when he’d been flying through the air without any left inside him, April had caught him, and held him close while Casey tried and failed to breathe right. Furiously shielding him from anything else that might’ve tried to hurt him, ferocious enough no one had so much as considered it twice. And after that, Donnie had picked Casey up like he was something too fragile to even touch, and carried him safely out of danger. Not stopping until they were on a rooftop far from the action, and then launching straight into doctor’s mode.

Casey is safe and warm now, tucked between Donnie and April both, and he’d been safe then, on a roof with the two of them looking at him with so much concern and care it’d stuttered his heart.

[keepyourpantsongohan]

Ayesha Liveblogs Fairy Tail S2

It seems like Gray was too pretty so they decided to dress him down a bit

“Are you and Loke going out?” I mean in a manner of speaking they are bonded for life

Don’t stand him up Lucy that’s not very nice - I stand corrected he apparently doesn’t care 

DON’T BE CREEPY JUVIA LET GRAY LIVE 

“Would you get OUT OF HERE?” Lucy’s reaction to thinking other people like her is the same as mine

“What is this strange sensation I’m feeling?” rohypnol

Fgdfjghdkfjghkjfdkjhg IT’S A RIVALRY POTION THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER

GRAY’S GONNA TRY TO FLY OH MY GOD

“And so Lucy’s bad luck with men has crossed into a second consecutive episode” 

THAT’S RIGHT YOU FIGHT THAT ARROGANT HORIZON BABY

Those boat boys are so nice constantly looking out for Lucy

Lucy.... you are a wizard.... you have spirits who can help you stave off attackers

Papa Heartlessfilia returns to be a dick to his daughter once more

“You loooove her” “Watch it or I’ll punch your face in, Cat!” that is not a no Gray

Every time Lucy is remotely in danger Gray, Natsu and Erza run like the wind to be with her she is so adored

“The uniforms aren’t all that bad if you ask me,” said Gray, in a bowtie and underpants 

I can’t believe that they’re teaming up with One Direction

They didn’t exactly send the most diplomatic members of the guild 

“DO NOT TOUCH” same Lucy same leave the underage girl alone Hibiki

“I’m so over the posing” “I think they’re starting to grow on me” Lucy and Gray’s snarky asides about the Backstreet Boys are giving me life 

Maiden of the Sky sounds like a celestial spirit name but it seems pretty soon after the whole Loke thing to do another wizard-is-really-an-otherworldly-being and also Virgo is technically the maiden

Wendy is kind of young to have become a dragon slayer more than seven years ago how old was she when that happened like 5?

At this point it’s just like blue hair = related to Jellal

Lyon, upon seeing a bunch of adorable cartoon squirrels: What are they, Goblins?

“I’m the fastest man alive” is that so Toucan Sam

I can’t believe Jellal stopped to rob Erigor of his clothing lmao 

“You’re a ventreeloquist?” Gfgkfdjhjfdkdkjghfkgl Natsu pls 

Lucy has chemistry with literally everyone I mean she’s probably gonna marry Natsu but everyone she interacts with would marry her

Don’t use the enemy’s vehicle Gray he’s probably gonna take your magic away

Gray @ Lyon: Be my riding bitch

“That’s weird, why are they taking off their clothes?” Because they are ridiculous

I guess Racer isn’t so quick with monologues 

What the fuck when all’s said and done Lyon wasn’t even that bad he hasn’t really hurt anyone he did not deserve to be Goku’d in Racer’s Cell attack

I gotta say though, the fact Lyon sacrified himself specifically for Gray was also very Extra like bruh you were just talking shit about how you’re not friends

“No matter the era, the ones who triumph are the rich” He’s a literal capitalist puppet

I am expecting Karen to come up based on the images of Aries and Leo in this intro so right now my best guess is that Hibiki knew Karen and when he sees Lucy’s spirits Nirvana will affect him

“I guess Evil Natsu wouldn’t be much different than Normal Natsu” Natsu is chaotic good

“He’s got plenty of info on Lucy, a newcomer to Fairy Tail, definitely easy on the eyes. He likes the whole package” GRAY’S ATTRACTION TO LUCY HAS BEEN #EXPOSED

Since Angel is a celestial wizard she probably has Aries 

Oh wow my theory about Hibiki was actually very accurate I’m almost surprised

My darling girl Lucy offering her life for her spirits and giving all the Zodiac hope for a better future <33333333333

YASSSS LUCY GETS A POWER-UP I AM LOVING THIS GO HIBIKI

“Why does she look like she fought a tornado head-on?” Hate to break it to you Lucy but ur the tornado

I knew Lyon wouldn’t be gone for long that death scene was too ambiguous

“Wow Natsu, where’d you find that get-up?” said the shirtless man with patterned skinny jeans

That was a beautiful speech Jellal but why does everyone thinking killing themselves is the solution to everything like calm down for a minute

Erza is so strong she just hoisted herself and a full grown man from the edge of the tower she was dangling on

“Now, the world is doomed,” Jellal still retained his penchant for dramatics I guess

I know Jellal has made Erza’s life a living hell but also now that he’s an amnesiac I kind of want them to make out

“Stupid hot-head nearly gave me a heart attack” You’re giving him Gray hairs Natsu

Props to Fairy Tail for actually having different members win different battles like a lot of anime prefer to have most battles eventually finished off by the Chosen One but they actually do a good job of letting Natsu save his strength and usually only fight once or twice depending on the situation

 I’m very concerned about why the babes are crying in the intro who is hurting them 

I just want an in-character season commentary of Lucy and Gray making snarky comments about everyone they know

Is Dragon Slaying really a lost magic if Natsu knows like five dragonslayer at this point

Cobra: I’m not lonely look my best friend is with me it’s this snake

Lmao @ Natsu biting his enemies

Omg have my character commentary dreams come true Gray and Lucy have not stopped their asides

“I think it’s just cause that’s the kind of thing villains do” Gray doesn’t have any time for villainous tragic backstories

“I can’t wait to see your face as I twist your body apart” calm down Edward Speculum Hands

I LOVE IT WHEN PROTAGONISTS LIST THE FLAWS IN ENEMY ATTACKS GO ERZA

I like how Erza’s artificial eye (for all intents and purposes, a disability) is continuously portrayed as a strength rather than a weakness

So it’s sort of like Zero is to Brain as Voldemort is to Tom Riddle like neither one is good but one was perceived as charismatic and had goals and the other was like “my crazy lifeforce magic has induced albinism also I’m here to murder everyone”

IS HE SERIOUSLY GOING TO MURDER ALL THOSE PEOPLE

“What happened?” Divine intervention??

HIBIKI MY SMART BEAUTIFUL SLUTTY MESS

REN, SHERRY, LYON, HIBIKI, EVE I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU

They weren’t crying they were rising from the ashes my babies I’m gonna physically weep 

Happy looks like he’s seen into hell jfc

Jellal, swaying from side to side as he tries to walk: I’m perfectly fine

How dare you Jellal I was rooting for you

“Although I have no recollection of acting like a vile cretin, it seems that was the case” I don’t know what I love more this psyche out, Jellal holding himself accountable for actions he can’t remember, or the fact he calls himself a ‘vile cretin’

I’m proud of Jellal for sending a replacement not all characters have such foresight

“Know that whatever happens, I, Igneel, will always be proud of you” why is this dragon a better dad than Lucy’s actual dad

Amazing Gray popped out of that collapsing building like a firework

“Who’s that, another pretty boy from Blue Pegasus?” lmao I guess Lucy and Gray have never seen Jellal’s actual face

Erza confessing quietly confessing to her feelings to Jellal while pink squirrels mime their inner affection is my jam

BLOCKHEAD IS BROTHERS WITH THE CAPITALIST PUPPET THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE

I can’t believe Jellal’s last name is Fernandes

On one hand it makes sense that Richard and Jellal pay for their crimes but on the other hand Jellal literally can’t remember doing anything wrong and they’ve both since reformed

Gdfgjhdfkjghkfjdhg every single member of the alliance would risk their freedom not only for Jellal but for Erza’s happiness 

Just OTP things: When one of them doesn’t have a name and the one goes “yes you do” and gives them one

Blue Pegasus and Fairy Tail are so ridiculous it’s great

This is deeply traumatizing for Wendy all she’s ever known was a lie

But if they were all illusions how did they make real clothing for the girls 

“Sherry!” “Ren!” Does this imply not only the Lyon reciprocated Sherry’s feelings but that EVE AND REN WERE A THING

“Snakes aren’t manly enough to fly” Elfman pls

GAJEEL “I’m a dragon slayer too, when do I get my flyin’ kitty-kat, huh?” I CNA’T BREATHE

I hope Gajeel wants to be her partner I will fucking weep

Gray seems so sombre and sinister as he talks about the dragons I don’t trust this

“I’m through with Fairy Tail and I’m through with all of you” Gray is going full Sasuke what is going on

I’m crying the way they measure Gray’s realness is by how often he strips

I love Erza:

Elfman: You’re gonna need a man with you

Erza: No

Um?? Why would Gray do this??? Where is he really?? What is going on

I’m very upset about all this if Gray was going to go dark he would need the length of an entire arc to justify instead of this random garbage betrayal which is probably filler

“You can’t have Fairy Tail without Natsu. That’s not even a possibility!” That’s gay

Natsu’s inner voice: [Gray] can’t help that he’s awesome

Honestly this filler is 1/10 if they are going to have Gray and Natsu properly at odds in the future I need it to be at least 500% more homoerotic

[littlelioneyes]

Regarding the future;

To all the 14 people who are following me (bless you !!), pls read this

I want to start by saying that the roleplay community has changed so much from when I started, and I’ve loved watching it grow. One thing hasn’t changed, however, is my absolute love and adoration for Louis/Leo – my actual son. I’ve been a part of roleplay for four and a half years, but Leo was only active for the first year of that. I’ve had other blogs – characters I’ve loved dearly – but Leo was the one that was always always in the back of my mind. 

Something i’ve realized is that Leo isn’t just a character to me. He’s a part of me. My time with him holds both some of my absolute best memories and some of my worst. When I started, I wasn’t in a good mindspace, but Leo genuinely helped me. I owe him my teen years, basically. 

And the friends!!! I made!!! When I was writing him!!! Holy shit, you guys. You don’t understand. I remember each and every one of you. I remember all the nicknames, all the weird Skype statues, all the long nights, all the small things – I remember. To date, I don’t believe I’ve had as much fun as I did when I was in the height of my rp career, writing with all you guys. I wouldn’t trade those memories for the absolute world.

And that brings me to that word – memories. That’s what I’ve had the hardest time coming to terms with. Nearly all of my original partners have left rp. I’ll never have those times again. I can’t go back. I don’t even know how to get in touch with most of them, and it hurts like hell because there’s no closure in that. Please please believe me when I say I feel terrible for ever leaving. I should’ve stayed, I should’ve worked things out, but at that time, where my mind was, I honestly don’t think I could have. But I do feel awful about the whole situation.

While I’ve be gone, ya girl’s been doing some soul searching. That’s one of the reasons I’m making this post. Leo is my character, my baby, the one who I’ve invested time and emotion into. And for the longest time, I wasn’t writing for myself. I based my being here on how others felt and if others wanted me. That’s shit. The first time I left because I didn’t belong anymore. I felt like nobody wanted me around for some reason or another. In the back of my mind, I knew that wasn’t true, but at the time, that’s all I could think about. It overwhelmed me. (And also someone had stolen my character nearly word for word. I didn’t know what to do, and I felt useless in the whole ordeal. I’m the definition of “running away from your problems” ... There was actually a lot that was happening at that time, now that I think about it, but I won’t bore you with it here.) The second time I left (this blog, like a year ago) was because I felt terribly out of place. I knew like three people, and I hate being an outcast. It got to the point where I was so intimidated by my dash, so scared by it, that I couldn’t bring myself to log on. 

When I started Leo, it wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a cute ask blog. But it grew. It grew into so much more, and Lord, I didn’t expect it. But it changed my life so much. I just literally can’t put it into words. For the longest time, I thought of Leo as The One That Got Away™. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t come back before now. But last week, by some small fate and inkling, I realized that it didn’t have to be that way. The only thing keeping it that way was my own stupid mind.

SO HERE GOES LEO V3

This is stil going to be a rp blog, but a private one. That means if we follow each other, cool, LET’S P L O T. But also, I want meaningful storylines. I don’t want just one liners that don’t go anywhere (even though I may be okay with them sometimes because it can be hard to para). I want something where we’re always coming up with ideas – even if they’re never written.

I will reblog and make things for Leo. Yeah, this is a normalcy in the rp community, but I mean like, even if I don’t have any threads, I’m still going to use this blog when I see something that reminds me of Leo. I’m also going to write drabbles or short stories that I can imagine happening in Leo’s life.

I may not update like 20 times a day due to my carrying a full college schedule, a job, and irl responsibilities, but I’m not coming back to feel rushed or anything like that. I want to enjoy Leo on my own time, and I think that’s how every rp blog is. It just took me a billion years to figure that out and accept it.

The thing is, I don’t want to abandon Leo on such a sour note. He hasn’t lived out his potential, I don’t believe. And when that fateful day comes, that day when I leave, I want him to have a legacy of sorts. I want to feel like he’s lived his life, because he gave me mine when I needed it the most. 

I love you so much, my kitten. Even though I can’t relive old memories, I’m so ready to make some new ones!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If we had threads you want to continue, I WANT TO CONTINUE THEM TOO HOLY SHIT PLS HMU I’M STILL LONELY AF AND I STILL LOVE YOU GUYS SO FREAKIN MUCH

[hawkingbishop]

cancer, leo, libra, venus, neptune, lilith, ceres, 3rd house, 9th house, and 12th house :)

THANK YOU!

cancer: if you could choose your child’s zodiac sign, what would it be?—/I wouldn’t care at all. But I think maybe I’d like their birthday to be in the spring? Mine’s in winter and it’s awful.

leo: name something you love about yourself.—/My clavicle. It’s crooked but I don’t know I like it. I like that you can actually see it.

libra: describe your dream partner.—/Smart. Funny. Responsible. Confident. Loving. Cuddly. Keeps things neat. Musically inclined. Creative. Loves a lot of the same things as me: my fave shows, movies, bands, comics. I’m shallow so it’d be good if they were pretty. As you may have guessed, I like prominent clavicles. I think I’m partial to sharp features in the face. But I don’t know. I find SO MANY PEOPLE ATTRACTIVE. So I can’t really pin down physicalities.

venus: what’s your aesthetic?—/Gay androgynous pastel hipster chic?

neptune: share one of your dreams.—/Like a dream I have by sleeping or dream of what I want to do with my life?—/Sleep dream: I dream about Blockbuster a lot…—/Future dream: I’d love to be a filmmaker. To write, direct, act, curate the soundtrack, etc…

lilith: do you have any guilty pleasures?—/I don’t think so? I like the things I like. 🤷🏼‍♀️

ceres: are you a momfriend?—/Maybe? I like to take care of people.

3rd house: do you like to read?—/YEEEESSS! Books and comics. For books it’s usually LGBTQ teen fiction, sci-fi, fantasy. I love all kinds of comics across all publishers.

9th house: what’s your favorite quote?—/I have a few.—/“I’m the same, I’m just the same in a different direction, now.” - Tracy, “Mistress America”–/—/“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And, the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering; these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love; these are what we stay alive for.” - Dead Poets Society–/—/“I am wiser than this man: neither of us knows anything that is really worth knowing, but he thinks that he has knowledge when he has not, while I, having no knowledge, do not think that I have. I seem, at any rate, to be a little wiser than he is on this point: I do not think that I know what I do not know.” - Socrates.–/—/“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates.–/—/“Being is unrecognizable unless it succeeds in seeming, and seeming is weak unless it succeeds in being.” - Gorgias.–/—/“Despair can ravage you if you turn your head around to look down the path that’s led you here, ‘cause what can you change?” - Saves the Day, “This Is Not An Exit”–/—/“It’s too late to talk to youand it’s too soon to say good-bye.Listen where ever you may beyou still live inside my mind.–/Something tells me that you are free againin a place that feels like home.–/It’s never easy to understand;why memories hold our hand,but people let go.” - No Use For a Name, “Feels Like Home”–/—/“We get seduced so easy.” - The Faint, “Get Seduced”–/—/“What was there before the bang?How did nothing come to end at once?” - The Faint, “Machine in the Ghost”

12th house: do you like to be alone—/Yes and no. I’m socially awkward and have social anxiety, so being around people is not always good. But I’m alone to much. I’m always very lonely.