#imagine what it'd be like to grow up under his roof.

[rustedleopard]

12. for the can of coke!

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I headcanon that there's no difference between Pepsi and Coke and everyone who insists there is is just making it up.

Joke aside, I headcanon that Kanako did discriminate against humans, even before Integrity. Since Chujin doesn't like humans at all, and humans are bound to come up in conversation at some point, I imagine that Chujin used any line of questioning about humans to be like "Humans are dangerous and incapable of decency and you should never ever trust them, they're all evil. Blah blah blah." And Kanako, being a young and impressionable child who has no reason to doubt her parents was like "Okay Daddy, whatever you say!" And then the Snowdin Incident happens and whatever goes on between her and Integrity helps to solidify those views.

(Yes, I know the Wild East is a thing and Kanako loves to play over there and watch movies with Starlo, but seeing humans on TV doesn't mean that it's impossible for her to not hold any sort of negative views on them. Those humans are characters on a screen, not actual people you meet. Kinda like how if you see a werewolf in a movie, you can think that they're super cool. But if you were suddenly put in a room with a werewolf, you'd likely be terrified. Also Chujin (and Ceroba, who would just roll with whatever Chujin says) have far more influence in her life and upbringing than Starlo does.)

The good news is that since she is still so young and impressionable, there's still a chance for her to grow past it if she meets some kind-hearted human(s) and learns that humans are just as diverse as monsters in terms of personality and behaviors and life experience and such.

From this ask game

[glennrheesworld]

please please please write a Rick and a female reader fic!!! the reader kisses Rick and she gets all shy but also feels like she read Rick wrong after it btw Rick isn’t with anyone and the reader is just a few years younger than him maybe he confesses if you want to

𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞~

genre: fluff pairing: Rick Grimes x f!reader summary: Reader can't hold back anymore but show Rick what she feels for him. warning: age gap(reader is in her early 20s)

a/n: this was a bit rushed... and im still working on other requests, they're just taking some time.

The barn was quiet, just the sound of birds chirping, and flies buzzing could be heard. It was almost sunset, and you were out feeding the horses.

You held the green bucket filled with fruits and vegetables that Beth and you had cut up that evening. The horse snorts as it leans towards the bucket, consuming its dinner.

Staying at the farm with the Greene's and the rest of the group was everything you could wish for. You were sleeping under a roof, sharing a room with Beth, which was fine. There was also a lot of land and trees where you would often spend time reading.

It was perfect.

The sound of footsteps behind you startles you, snapping you out of your thoughts.

When you turn around, you find Rick standing there, a hand on his belt.

You offer a small smile, growing a little shy that Rick is here. "Hey." You greet him before turning to glance at the horse as it moves its snout from the bucket.

"Need something?" You ask, finally facing Rick, hands a bit sticky with the juice of the fruit and dirt. You stand inside the horse pen, the fence between you both, the horse snorting in the background.

A hint of a smile grows on Rick's face as he looks at you. It's rare for him to smile these days, with all the recent events in the group.

Poor Carol.

"Just wanted to check on the horses..." Rick says before trailing off for a moment.

You nod slowly, eyes on the ground. You bite the inside of your cheek as you glance back at the horses, who are now walking toward their stall.

"Horse is fine." You point with your thumb. Was he really here to check on the horse?

Rick smiles again, this time more genuine, as he watches the horse walk away before returning his gaze to you. "Yeah, I can see that now.”

It’s silent for a while. The birds could be heard chirping as they flew by. It was still surprising to see and hear the sounds of animals out in the wild. Especially since the outbreak had begun.

“So…?” You try to initiate a conversation to ease the nervousness in you.

“Needed an excuse to come see you.” Rick eventually says after a few seconds, turning his head to look away from you.

Surprise is evident on your face. "An excuse to come see me...?" You murmur under your breath, eyes searching his side profile for a few seconds before darting away a bit timid.

He looks back at you, taking a step forward and placing his hand on the fence between you. He lets out a faint sigh and scratches the back of his head.

"Yeah. An excuse. I just wanted to come see you and talk." His voice now sounded vulnerable and somewhat tense. You never imagined Rick sounding like this. He was the complete opposite.

A faint giggle leaves you, “I didn't expect you to be this straightforward." You tell him, tucking your hair behind your ear, a habit of yours when shy or nervous. You let my fingers trail down to your ear lobe, touching it as you look up at him.

Rick lets out a small chuckle at your slight joke before taking notice of your hand, noticing how you always tend to touch your ear when you get shy.

With a gentle look in his eyes, he reaches forward and grabs your hand with his own, gently squeezing it as he brings it down.

"I thought it'd be better to be straightforward." He says his voice was sweet while staring into your eyes as the sun sets behind you. You could feel the warmth of the sun’s rays hitting your back and it just made you feel alive.

Your heart begins to race when you feel the warmth of his hand, taking your hand away from your ear. Your hand and his rested above the almost chest-high wooden fence dividing you both.

Your eyes meet once more, the action causing your lips to form into a sheepish smile. Rick has always been someone you admired greatly for his leadership role in the group and for being able to resolve almost anything quickly. But not only did you admire him, you also loved him more than a leader.

"I wanted to come see you because...." he speaks, his voice trailing off for a few seconds as he glimpses down at your lips, noticing your shy smile.

He continues, his voice becoming even more nervous, but at the same time, more sincere. He stops, struggling to assemble his words and thoughts.

"I wanted to ask if... perhaps..."

Seeing him like this made you feel something. You left him speechless and… nervous? You were probably the only one to have that effect on Rick.

This weird feeling bore over you and so without thinking it through, you stand on the end of your toes to come to level with his face, leaning your other hand on the fence to maintain balance.

You press a chaste kiss on his lips, touching the softness of his on yours as you do. Just getting a sense of what it could be before pulling away. It was short and innocent. Nothing else.

Rick's brain shuts off for a moment as you tiptoe up towards him, giving him a quick peck on the lips. He can't think of anything, except that this has to be the best moment of his life.

The feeling of your hand in his, the smell of the fresh hay lying around, the soft touch of your lips, and just you standing in front of him.

It's all he could ever ask for.

A sense of calm washes over him, silence falling once more. His gaze softens as if admiring you and wanting more.

Taking note of how quiet he was made you start to regret kissing him. You blink several times, lashes fluttering with dread and shame.

Maybe you read his intentions wrong. He probably didn't come here to reveal his love or something.

What if he came here for something else?

What if he was just being nice because you’re younger and inexperienced with this whole survival thing?

At this point, you were just overthinking.

“I'm so sorry, I took it too far. I read it all wrong and, and… I'm so sorry." You open your mouth, letting out a shaky breath before beginning to rant, eyes glossy up a little from the slight panic you felt inside. Your stare falls to the fence and then to your hand still in his.

"No, no," Rick replies quickly, shaking his head and trying to reassure you. He puts his other hand up and cups the side of your face, his thumb brushing over your burning cheek.

Rick’s gentle caring voice seems to ease you. “Don’t,” he says slowly, grabbing your chin to stop you from looking away, "Don't be sorry, sweetheart... I liked it."

You feel butterflies burst in you when he confesses to enjoying the short kiss. You’ve had boyfriends in the past, but Rick is different. He may be older by a couple of years, but he makes you feel seen and important. Something your exes failed to do.

The sun sets on the horizon, the breeze now warm but still refreshing against your skin.

"You have no idea how long... how incredibly long I've wanted to tell you," He clarifies to you, his voice clear with devotion. “I want to share the rest of my life with you. I want to protect you from what the world has become. I want you.” His brows knit together, a worried expression on his face as he waits for you to say something.

You beam at his words and give his hand a slight squeeze, showing him that you saw him. “I do too, Rick.”

[youlikefanficdontyousquidward]

RECOMe again?

The reader must navigate interacting with their fellow recoms despite having betrayed them as a human! Does anyone know their secret?

Chapter 1, 2 3

Notes: Y/N (Your name), Y/LN (Your last name), na'vi dialogue in bold, fic will contain swearing, violence, IN THIS CHAPTER body horror imagery, smut

If there are any specific triggers people would like warned for let me know (^・ω・^ )

Eventual miles x reader, with some lyle x reader and a lil zdog x reader

Cannon divergence time (⌐■_■)

Tag list: @buzzing-honeybee @lazyassmermaid @secretflowerobservation @hihhasotherfixations @perseny @ratchetprime211 @symptoms-of-moonlight @totesnothere04

Chapter 4

You took the last watch, ears perking and swiveling to every noise of the slowly rising forest around you. It was peaceful, watching everyone's chests rise and fall. It lulled you into a state of relaxation only broken with the twigs snapping around you. You spied large beetles climbing the trees, iridescent bodies reminding you of the patterns on the belt of a na'vi child you met with Grace. Perhaps that's what it'd been made of? You remembered the meeting fondly, the child was as tall as you and wanted to talk. You'd spoken far less na'vi at the time and could barely understand the gist of what they'd said but it'd been sweet. They'd taken your hand in there's touching things and naming them with you. You'd repeated best you could but they'd ended up getting frustrated and they'd braided a section of your hair to pass the time instead. Lyle had disapproved when you'd made your way back to the chopper, saying it looked stupid. You'd kept their beads, somewhere now rotting in the corpse of the old RDA base. You hoped you could collect them one day.

When the sun rose you woke the others. Before long you were trekking out again into the dense forest. Spider had taken a spot next to you bounding along with far more energy than you could ever muster. How he managed to keep stride with everyone was incredible, years of practice you imagined.

His attitude surprised you. Jake had always struck you as a deeply caring man and the idea that this child had felt lacking under his roof bothered you. Maybe he'd been raised by someone else? He raced forward to your Colonel now, looking agitated by something.

Quaritch remained strange towards you. You hadn't spoken since the chopper out but he'd started watching you again. Mainly when Spider was with you, something unreadable in his expression. You'd have thought it was suspicion due to Spider's sudden closeness but his gaze still returned to you when the kid was beside him.

It hadn't been this way before you'd been copied. You'd been getting along famously, despite your secret allegiance swap. He'd smile at you and greet you in the halls, even brought you a coffee when you'd been working later together. None of the current tension that seemed to burn between you now.

You tried not to dwell on it, nostalgia for your past with him would do neither of you any good long term. You'd been thinking of ways out of this since you'd landed. Spider's air mask contained a tracker so any escape attempt would be quickly foiled. So you'd need to find a way to get another mask and swap them before any attempt. You'd hoped you'd swing past the shack again but the trail Quaritch was taking seemed to veer away from it. You'd scanned the maps for abandoned mining locations, there were a few dotted around the area but none close enough to the route planned.

The trail seemed to abruptly end. The forest floor suddenly growing thick with turquoise lichen, all other plant life suffocated by it. The trees too were different, not the brown ragged bark littered with vines and small flowering plants. Ahead the trees were pale, almost smooth, thin ridges climbing up and up into a canopy so far above you could barely make it out. All you could tell was it was thick, blocking almost all the sun light of the day. Even so the tell tale bioluminescence was absent. Only thin beams of light seemed to cut through in almost uniform circular shapes, like the light cast at the bottom of a pool but dead still. As you shifted from foot to foot you could see the 'trees' followed the same uniform structure. They were equally distant from each other, forming what looked more like massive columns of some huge forgotten temple.

Just looking into the gloom made the hair stand up on the back of your head. The others seemed to feel the same trepidation, tails flicking back and forth, ears flattening, a sting of anxiety burned your nose. Mansk particularly seemed on edge, almost growling at the sight ahead.

Despite this Quaritch ordered you all to continue forward. Spider still urging you all to turn back. You placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder before walking in with him. The mossy ground beneath you felt spongy and was hard to walk across. It did light up with each footstep, casting a sickly green light into the gloom. The air in here smelt foul, stale, almost like rot. A fermenting smell, more beer than bread.

The deeper you all went the stranger you felt. Apart from your groups movements there was no other sound. The fauna of Pandora seemed not to dwell in here. More and more you felt you should follow their lead.

You stepped carefully around orange growths, that sprouted from the ground at even intervals. You remembered Grace talking about mega flora on Pandora. She'd mainly spoke of the immense 'home tree' but you were beginning to think this place might be something similar. The shapes and colours around you had put you in mind of something you'd read before about Pandora mushrooms.

Ahead Mansk tripped over the soft lichen planting face first into those orange plants. In an instant a puff of yellowish spores flew up into the air. You ears perked hearing the plant beside you expel the same substance right into your face. You coughed and sputtered backing away from the thing. All around every visible orange plant was doing the same, filling the air with a yellow fog of spores. The lessons on Pandora's connectivity flooded you, mushrooms more than any other plant shared a huge connective structure under the soil.

"Masks!?" You shouted, pulling the clothe of your jacket over your nose and mouth. You knew you didn't have anything, Prager and Zdog had pulled bandanas off and began fastening them to their faces. Mansk got up screaming and began scrambling away, sprinting off into the gloom. Lyle shouted after him following, with Quaritch and the rest not far behind.

You head swam as you tried to keep up with them. Figures doubling in your vision and swaying heavily. Their limbs distorting like fun house mirrors as you tried to focus your eyes. You felt bile rise and stopped hunching over gripping into the giving texture of the mushroom stalk.

When you lifted your head you were alone. The sound of boots gone, your own breathing sounding too loud in the sudden vacuum. You turned around in circles, trying to decide what way you'd come from and then what way the rest had headed. In your dizziness the swirling uniform columns gave nothing away, the only certainty being the mark of your hand in the 'trunk' next to you.

You held up a compass but were unable to focus on its spinning dial. Eventually you decided to just follow the direction your hand print pointed in and stumbled forward. The spongy lichen making running difficult, you swayed, swerving in a zig zag pattern,

You kept walking, yellow fog swirling around you. You tried desperately to keep your nose and mouth covered but your arms felt like lead and now hung uselessly from your shoulders. You turned, stumbling and reaching a hand out to stalk to support yourself. You hand slipping into a groove, you took your hand away staring in horror as its double stayed indented in the stalks flesh. You'd gone in a circle some how, you cried out for the others, begging someone to come to you.

"Ain't this a bitch" You head swiveled to the voice. A human form blurry and waving though your clouded eyes. As they came closer you could make more out. Your hair, your clothes, your face. It was you. A human you. You fumbled over heavy lips trying to question them.

"I did all that just for you to end up back with them. Worst part is you like it don't you." You shook your head at yourself, nauseous feeling rising in your throat again. They laughed loudly, cruelly, you felt ashamed, curling away from them.

"Don't lie you little slut! You liked fooling around with them before and you like it now. Anything for the cause right? Pathetic. I wonder if Jake and Grace knew, think they ever wondered how you got the Colonel to be so easy on you. Bet they had you figured out from day one, you little whore. Bet they were playing us like you were playing your friends"

You kept coming closer. Bones began to crack, joints popping, skin stretching beyond its limit and splitting, blood dripping down other you's face. Their elongated limbs limping their way towards you, getting bigger and bigger, until their bent broken body matched your own size. Reddened by blood their hands reached up, bones poking through like claws. Their lips split as they smiled an entirely pointy toothed smile.

"They're going to figure you out idiot! They're gonna find out and when they do... well I guess we'll be seeing one another soon." Their fangs tore their lips as they spoke, eyes leaking from their sockets as you screamed pulling away from them. You didn't know when it started, maybe you'd been screaming the whole time but you couldn't stop now.

"Go away you're not real! They won't they won't they won't" You repeated backing up until you bumped against something hard. You turned suddenly, looking up at Quaritch. His face distant, jaw slack, he looked down to meet your gaze. You swiveled back but you were gone. You whimpered, still feeling tears falling down your cheeks.

"Colonel we have to get the others and get out of here, there's something in the..." You were cut off as he grabbed your flailing hands.

"Colonel?" You sputtered out, his grip painfully tight around your wrists. His hands shifted, grabbing your shoulders, then your head, pulling you closer. His pupils were wide and his nostrils flared.

"Colonel, please that hurts!" You pleaded, his grip so tight of either side of your face it felt like your skull was going to crack. You stared into his wild eyes, a low growl escaping his throat as he leaned forward. A light musk filled your nostrils as he opened his mouth, exposing rows and rows of fanged teeth. You screamed pulling away suddenly, his grip lost, you tripped over your feet and landed on your back on the moss.

He followed you down, body hunched over yours on all fours. He stared down with intense eyes, tailing thrashing behind him. You heard the same growl rise up his throat again. Panicking you scrambled back a little, eyes never leaving his. Each shuffle back you took he matched crawling forward, keeping you close, a feverish heat radiating from him. You heard cracking behind you, fear surging and refocusing on the other you. A painful urge to check behind you surged, you couldn't risk taking your eyes off him.

"Don't..." His voice strained out of him, head lolling weakly into the crook of your neck. His thick arms caged you in on either side, his hips pinning yours, his knife jabbing into your navel. You whimpered, feeling his tongue dart out to lick the skin from your throat up to your ear. He growled into your skin, you could feel his fangs gently pushing against you, images of the rows of them from before flashing in your mind. In a sudden rush of adrenaline you swung an elbow up, connecting with his jaw. He pulled back and with the new space you scrambled up. He stayed painfully still on the ground for a second, eyes burning into yours and a little blood dripping out from between his lips. Then he was roaring and you were running.

You sprinted off into the gloom, hearing Quaritch close behind. You'd spent more time as a human in the forest and the advantage of that was only barely keeping him off you. You felt his fingers graze your queue and tail a few times, hearing your own laughter echo through the stalks. You rolled quickly round the side of a mushroom stalk, doubling back and running the way you'd came. Weaving around the stalks he seemed as disorientated as you, maybe more so. After taking a quick left you dived down, nestling yourself as tightly as you could in the stringy base of the stalk. Quaritch came sprinting past, not even looking to where you'd hidden. You held your breath, hands over your mouth as he flew further into the stalks, screaming your name as he went. He sounded mournful, losing his prey.

You stayed there a long time. You head gradually feeling clearer and clearer. There was no yellow fog of spores here and even if the air wasn't as clean smelling it was certainly not toxic. You'd never heard Grace talk about anything like this, maybe they'd discovered the area and avoided it entirely. If it did this to na'vi you could only imagine the effect on humans. SPIDER! You didn't remember where he'd ended up when everyone started running. Had he been faster and stuck with the group? You spied glowing dots making their way towards you. Suddenly fearful that the Colonel had returned still ready to kill you huddled further into the 'roots' of the stalk.

They felt odd against your bare skin, tingling slightly. Looking down you could see tiny pin like fibers jabbing into your skin. You turned your head and almost screamed. The body of hexapede, a deer like creature, was most of the way sunk into the stalk next to you. The same needles had grown against the now exposed bone as the animals skin seemed to have sloughed off in patches. You pulled away, skin stinging as you did. Slapping a hand over your mouth you watched as the deer turned and opened it's jaw in a silent scream. You scuttled behind the stalk as the murmur and lights drew closer, examining the beads of blood on your arms.

As they neared you saw Spider, Zdog and Prager with a nearly unconcious Mansk between them. Their bodies still and solid, with no hints of extra teeth. You breathed a sigh of relief, but thought twice about revealing youself just yet. What if they weren't real or if they'd turn violent. You could hear them now too, calling out for yourself and Quaritch. They all stopped suddenly, guns raising then falling. Lyle and Quaritch ran into view, sweaty and out of breath.

"I don't know where she is. I... I saw her and something was wrong. She was terrified and ran, didn't catch her." Quaritch spoke between gulping breaths. Had he been mostly an illusion? Like the other you, just something you're mind made up to frighten you? "Found this one" Lyle nodded to the group, still catching his own breath.

"She got a face full of it, if she's worse than the Colonel was..." Lyle drifted off as Quaritch shot him a glare.

"I told you it was dangerous! I told you we shouldn't..." Spider cut himself off when Quaritch turned his head to him.

"It's a toxic plant, pretty sure Mansk, y/n and yourself got the worst of it. Y/n's notes on the data pad actually have a bit from Dr Augustine's book on them. She's probably hallucinating pretty bad if she's not like this one right now" Zdog spoke, hoisting Mansk up a little. His face was pale and sweating, drool pooling out and down his chin. He looked like he needed your help now.

You came round stalk to approach, guns training on you before dropping once you came into the light.

"Christ y/n! How long were you there!" Zdog dropped Mansk's arm leaving Prager fumbling to take his full weight. She approached swiftly stopping ahead of you with raised hands. You must still look a mess, tear stained, bloodied and eyes still like saucers. A full weight of fear and adrenaline passed from you then, lunging forward into her arms you sobbed openly. She stiffened like you'd stung her before relaxing and wrapping her arms around you.

"Shhh shhh, your safe okay, whatever was out there's gone now." She soothed, rubbing circles on your back. "We've got you." You pulled back still holding her arms gently, the fuzzy feeling still with you. Her star like freckles seemed to shift and twinkle as you looked at her face. Feeling a little giddy you reached out to try catch one, they seemed to swirl under your fingers. You giggled to yourself, wondering if her tattoos were as friendly.

"Okay she's still not doing great, where'd you say that post was?" Zdog guided you over to the group, holding your shoulders as you watching the colourful patterns shift and move on her strong arms.

Prager led the group forward towards an abandoned mining post. Mansk between him and Lyle occasionally muttering to himself. The scraps of material harvested in the ground here had not been worth the dangers of the mushroom forest. This post was abandoned by the RDA and scientists a long while before you'd ever stepped off a drop shift here.

Quaritch walked closer to you for a moment, causing you to pull into Zdog's arms further. He caught this, ears drooping as he quickly walked on ahead. Zdog pulled you in closer, rubbing you shoulders as you walked together.

Spider approached too, cautiously. You reached out to smooth his hair, he smiled to you from under his mask. You'd bet it'd offered a lot more protection than your shirt had, he'd probably been the only level headed one out there. You wished he'd have taken the opportunity, headed to the post alone and escaped.

..............................................................................................................................

The garish yellow building sat in a scar on the land, large wounds stretched out in different directions. Huge quarries started but never finished. You could see the earth beneath held far more of those orange plants, connected by pulsing veins that spider webbed across the exposed dirt and stone. Several rickety rusting metal bridges reached out to the suspended building, a couple had given way and hung limply into the chasm bellow. The metal groaned as you walked across it one at a time. With the bridges jutting out and the fibrous mushroom plant tho whole place had taken on an arachnid quality that set a shiver up your spine.

There was no power, old generators rusted beyond use or needing solar to use them. The door was pulled open by Quaritch, breaking it in the process but it hardly mattered. With the amount of broken windows inside it was hardly needed to secure the place. The spores still played with your mind, making the jagged entrance look fanged and the bridges twitch like legs. Zdog's hands in yours as she walked you through the threshold, teasing that she'd carry you in if she had too.

She set you up in a medical lab with Mansk. You accessed him but other than a bloodied nose he was physically no worse for wear. Lyle stayed for a bit, helping check you and bandage your arms before wandering off to find Quaritch and Prager. Both of which seemed to dart off as soon as they'd entered the building. Mansk now slept, skin still feverish but according to the information you had there was little you could do but let him rest it off. Same for yourself, you drank great gulps of water and ate a little at Zdogs insistence.

She sat with you now as you rested in the room opposite Mansk. If he took a turn you'd hear but you felt too shell shocked to sleep just yet. Zdog seemed to understand this implicitly not leaving your side but not pushing you to speak. Instead telling stories from your RDA days. She was great like that, you'd valued her friendship in your human years and relished getting to relive it now. You'd gently probed her early on, seeing if she could be an ally to Grace and Jake but she had no love for this world, nor it's inhabitants. Damn near broke your heart at the time, still ached to think about it now.

It was nice to spend time with her again now, though your horrific doppelgangers words echoed 'you like it'. They were right, you were enjoying spending time with them all again. Worse they were right about other things, you were a slut. Zdog had been here all this time comforting you and you couldn't help but dwell on her muscular arms, her swell of breast when it'd been pressed to your side whilst she helped you walk. Worse still you smelt that musk on her now, same as with Lyle. She wanted you too.

You were stuck with what to do. In your right mind it would be a bad idea, here you were close as ever to escape so would it not be best to cut ties now. Your head still felt fuzzy though and you were lost watching her lips move as she spoke. She paused now, you let your eyes follow up to hers. She was a little flushed, a light blush reaching her ears, cute you thought to yourself. Although by her reaction maybe it'd been shared with the room.

"Uh Y/n... You sure you're good?" She reached up placing a palm to your forehead, you hummed leaning into the contact. A fresh wave of her musk hitting you, you tail swaying as you stewed it.

"You smell nice." Was all you could think to say, thoughts still swimming. Your skin felt like it was buzzing, you fidgeted in your clothes, pulling at the fabric. It felt too close, constricting.

"Y/n... Now's just not a good time okay, I'm pretty sure you're basically drunk right now. Also I'm pretty sure Lyle would be pissed right?" Zdog pulled your hands in hers stopping you from taking anything off. You grumbled, but wouldn't go further.

"Lyle and I have an understanding, it's like before, just some fun. Can I just hold you?" You whined wanting to be closer, to feel her strong arms holding you again.

"Okay but just a cuddle okay, at least till your... you again." You smiled, letting her lead you to where she was comfortable. Your head resting up in her neck, body curled against her side. Beyond the musk was Zdinarsk, her own base smell. It relaxed you now, drifting you to sleep as her long fingers scraped against your scalp.

..............................................................................................................................

You awoke to her hands still playing in your hair. You felt heat rising in your cheeks, embarrassed for having come onto her in that state.

"You up?" She questioned softly, tucking hair behind your ears to see your face better.

"Uh yeah, hi!" You smiled, propping yourself up slightly on your elbow. You felt bashful now, not quiet willing to look directly at her. You did though and she was staring back, smirking. She took your chin in between her fingers, tilting your face to her.

"How we feeling?" She said in a sing song voice.

"Like I still want to kiss you." She hummed her response, closing the distance and placing her lips to yours. She tasted sweet, like bubblegum and she kissed like you had all the time in the world to explore one another. Her soft lips molding to fit against your own, nipping your lip to get closer.

You hoped no one would come looking for you both, you didn't want this moment with her to end. She pulled you up and into her lap, her hands moving to pull your shirt off. You obliged, taking hers next. You traced the tattoos on her collar bones, leaning forward to follow them down her chest with your mouth.

She signed above you, fingers pulling in your hair. You knew all her little secrets, you knew how she liked her partners to suck at her nipples, to gently roll them between their teeth. You were careful with your sharp fangs, they'd not re pierced her na'vi body but you doubted she'd want you to now.

She moaned more, pushing a hand down between you to touch you. You gasped as she played with you, long fingers drawing moans from your lips. You pulled your head up, her vibrant eyes hooded as she smirked at you. You kissed her, running your hands down her faux hawk and tugging her head back by her queue. She hissed before catching your mouth again. She was bringing you higher and higher with expert hands. You continued best you could, nibbling at her ear, kissing her neck, lips, all between wanton moans. She wasn't a talker, her other hand tugging your hair and grabbing your hips the closest she came to encouraging you. Still you felt the familiar build up, gripping her shoulders.

"Zdinarsk!" Was all you managed before the waves of pleasure washed over you. She kissed your jaw as your muscles shook before she brought her hand up to your mouth, having you lick her fingers clean. You stared back at her, eyes locked as you slipped each digit into your mouth.

"I wanna..." Your eyes shifted down, tugging at her belt.

"Please." She understood you, laying further back and shuffling her own pants off. You knelt between her legs, running you hands down to her knee, bringing it up to begin placing little kisses leading down. The closer to her core the more open mouthed they became, before your tongue swiped the length of her. She shuddered, hand flying down to tangled in your hair again.

Roughly she pushed you to her and you began to suck and lick at her clit. Bringing a hand up to tease her entrance. She fluttered around nothing as you drew shapes onto her. Her hand eagerly pushed you further, gripping your hair. You dipped your tongue into her core, tasting her more fully. You groaned sending rumbled across her, she mewled deliciously above you. You bumped her clit with your nose, before pulling up to take her back into your mouth. You slid a finger gently inside, feeling her grip and pull you closer in. Pumping gently you added another, then a third, all the while never letting up on her.

Zdinarsk's moans got louder, her hands tugging and gripping your head. You kept the motion up, she was so close. Your fanged teeth lightly grazed her and she fell apart under you, writhing through an orgasm as you continued.

She pulled you up then, grinning at your glistening face. Kissing each cheek before pulling your forehead to hers.

"You taste good too." You smirked, she scoffed slumping her head against your shoulder and holding you closer.

"Don't make this embarrassing." She rolled her head into your shoulder. You looked up, spying Mansk now frozen in the doorway. His mouth bobbing open and shut, hands pulling up from his obvious erection to gesture wildly. Oh that bastard! Your burned, how long had he been watching? A devious smirk crossed your lips as he mouthed pleas.

"More embarrassing than having an audience?" You tease, body still hidden against Zdinarsk. Her head snapped up turning to see Mansk, who in turn chirped and ran off.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Zdinarsk screamed, scrambling to pull her top over her and chase after him. You could hear him screaming down the hall as she pursued hurling curse words and maybe her boots?

Sat alone in the after glow you laughed to yourself, but it felt shallow. A hollow feeling returning to your chest, your own voice echoing insults in your mind. The humor left you quickly as you sat alone. Human you was right, you were letting yourself be swayed by them. You'd come close to quitting before, frustrated and upset with lying to everyone you'd cared about. You'd seen what RDA would do and things were no different now, maybe worse. No sweet words from your Colonel, Zdog or Lyle could sway you, not then and not now.

On the wall air masks dangled. You eyed them, resolve crystalizing.

[rjschoicesstuff]

1, 3, 6, B

For Rex, Eli, and AU!Rippy

Thank uuu (link to the ask game)

(For Ripley I'll b writing about the au where she's a vampire and could somehow have a baby, unless said otherwise)

Also mb good to know:

As of now Rex will have 2 kids (I might make it more idk still on the fence, ik Rex likes the idea of a big family tho): Ruby (she/her, orc) and Firven (he/him, half orc half elf) also I'm writing about them as if they're close in age, but I have been considering giving Ruby and Firven a 14 year age gap or something

Eli and Kieran have one changeling child, still unnamed, goes by they/them.

Ripley has one daughter in the au, she's named River, she's a witch but not a vampire. I also imagine she calls Ripley and Gabe some variation of 'mom' while Cas is just Cas.

Answers under the cut cuz it got long

1. Who do the kids enjoy playing with the most?

Rex x Tyril x Imtura:

I think Rex usually, because she's just more playful than Tyril. But whenever she's staying over, the kids gravitate most towards Imtura bc I think she'd just allow a lot more than Rex and Tyril and in general is more like the fun cool aunt than their mom u know? And they only see her every few months so I think that just makes her more interesting to them lol. I think she'd be a bit rowdy for Firven sometimes though lol. Rex too tho tbh, tho Rex immediately starts fussing over him when she's been a bit rough with him and he starts crying. While I think Imtura just kinda laughs it off like 'Come on, you're fine.' (He is fine)

Eli x Kieran:

A part of me is like omg am I mischaracterizing her, but I just like the idea of otherwise more put together and serious characters that are way different and more silly and playful with their kids, so I'm gonna say Kieran!! I also think Eli just tires out more easily because when they have their kid he's in his late 40s/early 50s, like he loves playing with them but he definitely doesn't have the energy and stuff he had in his 20s and 30s lol, whenever it's something more rowdy/active at least.

Ripley x Cas x Gabe:

I imagine it depends on what she wants to do, but I do think Gabe is like the parent she can do the like more stereotypical girly stuff with that Cas and Ripley aren't usually super into lol. I always imagine Cas is the one 'parent' who doesn't rly hold back on the vampire stuff around her, like he's super protective but doesn't rly baby her much, trusts that if she falls off something he can catch her. Makes her feel like a Big Girl lol. Like I think he'd take her to the roof of big buildings and stuff like that and if especially Gabe saw that she'd get a heart attack probably. I think Ripley is just rly fun to play with because she's just like Silly and Funny and just like rly clearly always enjoys spending time with River, I think in a way it feels the most like playing with another kid lol.

3. Who does the baby follow around more?

Rex x Tyril x Imtura:

Ruby gravitates a lil more towards Tyril while Firven is really clingy with both of them, but especially Rex when he's small. He also just really clings to Ruby a lot and wants to tag along a lot wherever she goes. When Imtura comes over Ruby always wants to spend a lot of time with/around her. I think when he's younger Firven is a bit shy towards Imtura but as he gets older and more familiar with her that goes away.

Eli x Kieran:

I think they cling to Eli a bit more, though they get more independent as they grow up and stop doing that as much, like as they get older they also need time alone more often.

Ripley x Cas x Gabe:

I feel like River is rly drawn to Cas when she's very little because he just has a lot of like shiny, dangling accessories nd chains like theres a lot going on there LOL. Ripley for a while rly tones down on all that + in general wears very simple outfits because she doesn't really have time to worry about her looks/clothes much (and just doesnt rly care either tbh) and it'd just be in the way whenever she has to feed River + it's likely gonna get dirty anyway.

6. Who has their kids’ favorite movie nearly memorized on account on how frequently they request to watch it?

Rex x Tyril x Imtura:

They don't have movies obv but they definitely have their favourite books and I imagine Tyril is the best reader so, him. But also let's be honest, Kade is The Storyteller so whenever he's over he's the one being begged to tell them their favourite stories again. Rex also loves telling stories but she always makes them up on the spot and lets them decide what's gonna happen next, I think sometimes the kids ask if she can tell a certain story again but she already forgot.

Eli x Kieran:

Eli loves reading and as an extension of that also loves reading to his kid, it's definitely gotten to the point where he can just tell some of them without needing the book at all.

Ripley x Cas x Gabe:

Ripley and Gabe, I don't think River could get Cas to watch any kids movies with her and if he caves he's doing something else the whole time. I do think when she's like 12 he's gonna try to watch a 'tame' horror movie with her and cover her eyes any time there's gonna be any gore because He has the whole thing memorized from watching it so often. She does like that tho because she likes creepy stuff and horror film plots but she's very squeamish when it comes to blood.

B. What was their first night as new parents like?

Rex x Tyril x Imtura:

Ruby was born after a cryptic pregnancy, so Rex did not know she was pregnant until she went into labor, so like Ruby's birth was terrifying, like I think Rex genuinely thought she was dying.

But ok, considering that, her thoughts are just racing that night whenever Ruby doesn't need her and she gets a moment to Think, with her feeling guilty and scared and honestly also just feeling really stupid and embarassed. It'd take her a few days before she starts talking about that.. She's been acting like everything's good and chill and no big dealll, everything will be okay.. She really is happy with Ruby though and felt a bond with her right away, so she just latches onto those feelings, in a way it feels wrong to her to start a new life on a negative note? I dunno it's just a Lot and she's feeling a lot lol, I think she hates that she didn't know, because then she'd have had all those months to process some of those feelings I guess?

That said, I think she handles actually taking care of Ruby pretty well + I think Tyril would also just (attempt to) be rly helpful n not like tht kinda partner tht just leaves her to tend to Ruby because she's the mom and the person in charge of keeping her fed and stuff, like if she's up he's up too. Though in the beginning he's still very clumsy with a lot of it because I imagine he has like no experience with babies lol. I do think after like a week of sleepless nights the whole reality of it all does actually kick in more though.

No Imtura mention because she's at sea when Ruby is born. And only finds out a few weeks later.

Eli x Kieran:

Right after his kid is born Eli is like the happiest man alive, absolutely elated, super excited. Feels like he has everything he ever wanted. I like to think that Fae and Changeling children are less fussy and need to eat less often than human babies so everything also seems like a breeze, he expects to be super busy, overwhelmed and get no sleep, but it's not that bad. I think instead of that he'd just watch them while they sleep like he can't believe he got to become a dad for real after all. I think he also starts to worry a bit for the first time about his age and like, if he and the baby will age at the same pace? Like I think he's scared he might not be there for some of their milestones, especially because his own parents died when he was still young. Like he's a lot older than both of his parents were when they passed away and that night is the first time that realisation kicks in and it scares him. Like he's just feeling a bit angsty lol. He doesn't sleep and it's not because the baby keeps him up.

Ripley x Cas x Gabe:

Ripley's mom has been really supportive the whole time, like I don't think she really thought it was a good idea for Ripley to keep the baby, but also felt like ultimately that's Ripley's choice and she would be there to support her, because that's what you do as a mom. And so she also stays with her that first night to help out, along with Gabriela and Cas. So Ripley feels really lucky to have the support, because she DOES get a bit of a wake-up call for how much a baby needs to be fed and changed, how much work it is and not just like snuggles with cute lil baby lol. I think it helps that vampires don't need to sleep though, so like after a few hours they send her mom away so she can go sleep.

I feel like Ripley and Gabe are just in awe and I think Ripley is really happy because Cas also was there with her even tho she knows the whole situation is really weird and uncomfortable to him. I think Cas wld rly warm up to River once she's born anyway, just the idea that he's her dad is weird to him lol. I do think he'd leave at some point in the night because he needs to be alone and Think. I do there's like an air of melancholy too because everyone realises that things have changed now and will never be the same.

I think in any non-vampire au, Ripley at least always really has an 'oh shit what did I get myself into'-moment that first night because the lack of sleep and being woken up constantly would very quickly get to her lol. So like funny enough even tho this is the au where it's not a great idea, she's not exactly ready for a baby and she's only 19, she does cope best because she doesn't need to try and get all the sleep she can get + walk around during daytime feeling like a zombie.

[mad-hunts]

11. what would your muse consider their worst failing?

hello, @absensia, and happy sunday! thank you so much for the ask :D i just want y'all know that i appreciate every single one of these!! but alright, well... to tell you why barton views this particular thing as being his worst failing, i'm going to have to give you some backstory first. so please bear with me while i explain! so, as you may or may not know, barton currently has four kids. two of which are biologically related to him and the other two being adopted. though, back whenever he was first starting off as the dollmaker, barton actually had five kids. and this fifth child he had was named julien.

julien was different from the rest of his siblings, like jack is, in the way that he seemed to have experienced some form of trauma before barton had even adopted him that caused him to be very sensitive in relation to other people's emotions and actually made him act a bit jumpy. but this didn't change the fact that julien was kind of affectionately regarded as ' the best of all of them ' by barton's other kids whenever he was still around; and that was because julien would often try to protect his siblings, even in situations where he could get severely hurt, and he seemed to have this sort - of mellowing affect on barton because of just how likeable of a person he was.

the best way that i could describe what made him so special is that he was SUCH a good listener and had a way of making people feel welcome around him, which may be a bit surprising to hear considering the often dark + terribly gory reputation of the mathis family, but julien also really didn't like what he had to do while he was a part of their family sometimes. so you can imagine that whenever barton lost him to someone as sadistic as the joker... he was beyond devastated. not only because julien was like a figure of light in a family that could be the epitome of overwhelming despair, but because barton was the one who told him to go assist the joker with one of his ' schemes, ' as the man had contracted his help to do a rather grisly act to him — which would be to cut off his face — and julien had never come back from that meeting with him.

and although one could make the argument that barton couldn't have possibly known that that would happen, especially considering that he didn't know the full extent of just how bad the joker was at the time, he still very much blames himself for it. because barton believed that he should've known better in the end and gone there himself instead of treating this job like it'd be like any other one that they'd done, when it really wasn't. now just to give you some more context before i go on; if there's one thing you should know about barton, it's that his relationship with his children are probably his most complicated, so i do believe he does hold some kind of genuine love for them... but it's not a love that anyone can easily understand and one that likely isn't healthy at least half the time either.

but he felt legitimately torn up inside about it even a year later, and today, it's still isn't something that he likes to talk about. it was by far his greatest failure both as a father and as a person in his eyes. plus, knowing the fact that julien died alone and probably in a lot of pain, too? it was so painful for him that barton would swear up and down that it felt akin to someone shooting him right through the heart. so, if you were to ask him what he would do if he could go back in time and change one thing about his past, barton's answer wouldn't be that he would save himself from the cruelty of having to grow up under wesley's roof, or to make it so that his mom didn't have to leave him and he'd actually get to know her, or even to spend more a little more time with marcy... though, trust me, he has thought about all of those things.

it would be that he'd save julien. because he deserved so much better, in his eyes, than to be killed at the age of seventeen whenever he still had his whole life ahead of him and to have his comments about him being scared to go confront the joker completely dismissed. and this is also something that barton hates himself for. how to feels to have your feelings disregarded is something that barton is shocking familiar with, after all, and it's not a good feeling at all. but the fact remains that he can't do anything about his death now. all barton can do is grieve him at night, whenever he has no choice but to be alone with his thoughts, and he looks at past photographs of their entire family that have long since faded. of julien.

[echantedtoon]

Dragon's Treasure Ch7 The Date P2

(Error143 references might be made. Will contain my own headcannons about Raihan's backstory. Just picture the scene above/linked as the scene in the story just imagine the pond a bit bigger and the old cottage as the second picture/link just with a modern roof.  In case anyone forgot what Shiny pokemon reader has-

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In case anyone forgot what Shiny pokemon reader has-

Riolu(boy): Gold. Zorua(girl): Loki. Pikachu(boy): Harvest. Zigzagoon(boy): Piers Jr. or P.J. Sylveon(girl): Blueberry. Drizzile(boy): Silver Veil. Gengar(boy): Eclipse. And later Goodra(girl): Slug.)

You can't believe you were doing this. There was still butterflies in your stomach and even if you had Silver right next to you for comfort, you were still on edge as you followed Raihan out of one of the exits from Hammerlocke and around the side of the giant wall following him until you paused noticing he was walking away from the dirt path leading into Hammerlocke and instead started towards one of the many open fields surrounding the town of Hammerlocke which lead towards some woods on the very edge of the field behind the town. You hadn't given the woods far behind the town much thought til now and trudging through the high grassy field after him didn't sound appealing either. He stopped after a bit not hearing your footsteps behind him anymore and noticed you and Silver were gazing after him still on the dirt path near the entrance back into the town.

With another smile his arm beckoned you to follow him once again. "C'mon! You don't want to miss this! Trust me!"

Well...It was just a stroll through the woods. At most the only dangerous thing was a wild pokemon chasing you but Raihan was, admittedly, a really good trainer and you did have Silver who also had enough battle experience to defend himself and you if needed, and this admittedly sounded better than anything you initially thought would happen while out with Raihan. Well if you were walking through the woods then there'll be plenty of things to look at so you wouldn't have to engage with him so much. It just might make being with him all the more tolerable. So you slowly followed again and Silver like a loyal dog followed after you. Through the tall grass the three of you walked in silence. The noon sun beamed down from the middle of the sky lighting up the entire field around you and if it wasn't windy today, you were sure you'd be sweating bullets. The cooler winds blew the grass making them sway and move around your legs as you walked, the grass making soft sounds from your feet stepping across them, your hand reaching up every so often to remove strands of hair the wind blew in your face every so often. The faint smell of flowers were present as there was a few patches of wild flowers growing here and there and if you strained your eyes against the sunlight, you could vaguely make out butterfree and combees buzzing around said patches. Overall a pretty sight to behold so far. You both continued to walk and walk until you met the treeline and Raihan turned to you holding a finger up in the universal 'Shh' sign.

"We're nearly there but it'd be best if you were quiet so they won't be scared away."

"They?" Your brow rose. "They who?''

"You'll see,'' was his only response before he smiled again, turned, and continued on now through the brush.

You sighed but still followed after him again. The forest was admittedly pretty with the fresh scent of grass and flowers in the air, and different shades of green everywhere. As you both continued to walk, you'd once and a while see a random wild pokemon or two scurrying around the flora and flowering bushes and flowers alike. You weren't expecting such a pretty scene like this behind a town as popular as Hammerlocke much less for it to remain untouched. Maybe people were so preoccupied with the gym and Raihan's famous presence that they really didn't know what they had here right under their noses. Too bad for them because they were missing out on a beautiful sight. ....Huh. Your head turned back to stare at the back of Raihan's head still following him past bushes and trees. Maybe...Maybe he knew? Was this his entire reason for bringing you here? If so-...If so then you'd have to give him some credit for this. It's not what you were expecting at all from him. So...Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't what you thought-

"Ack-"

You hadn't realized he stopped and ended up bumping into him before back peddling and looking up at him as he looked surprised over his shoulder at you. After a second he held up another 'shush' sign to you before pointing in front of you all. You had to lean sideways and crane your neck to look around him and noticed that in front of him was a couple bushes about his height and blocking any view from what was behind him. Your brow rose and your f/c eyes looked at him in question. Dragon Boy gave a small smile before reaching his hand out and grabbing a decent sized fistful of leaves and branches, before pulling it back and finally allowing you to see the other side. Your eyes widened and jaw dropped-

A gentle breeze blew across leaves kissing against the trees and filling the air with sweet scents. Fresh cut grass and wild flower scents filled the moving finds as if giving the leaving winds one last good bye before they leave forever. The sounds of the leaves moving together were accompanied by the chorus of a babbling brook as they both sang in harmony. There was a small clearing surrounded by a ring of trees smack dab in the middle of the woods. A small stream glistened, sparkled with sunlight reflection as it came into the small clearing and ended in a decent sized pond complete with a small waterfall where the stream trickled into the pond. But it wasn't the stream that was just breathtaking. It was the little splashes made by the happy pokemon splashing around in the sparkling water without a care in the world. There wasn't a lot. Only a few small ones like a couple mudkips and a different wild pokemon or two who weren't a water type drinking from the clear water. But that wasn't initially what caught your attention for too long. It was what was just behind the pond that caught your attention away from the cute pokemon playing in the water and directly behind it closest to the tree line.

"Oh. My. Arceus."

IT WAS A COTTAGE!!! Like- ...LIKE ONE OUT OF A FAIRYTALE!! It looked similar to Mrs. G's house only slightly smaller. The wooden roof, brick walls, and chimney was covered in bright green vines that bloomed with bright white flowers making it look like one with the many wildflowers surrounding it, and surrounding it still was many small trees you instantly recognized. Berry trees! Like the kind of trees that you and the guys encountered when traveling around Galar. All different kinds of colorful berries poked out from their branches like a rainbow was hidden just beneath all their leaves. If you looked hard enough, you could faintly see more pokemon like aipom and grookey climbing the branches to reach them. The cottage itself was a sight of it's own. It didn't look worn and abandoned per say but it did look old and like no one lived in it at the moment. Did a berry farmer live here or something?

Raihan remained silence, looking at your wide eyed and jaw dropped express with amusement at the pure wonder spread over your features. Like a kid in the candy store. He couldn't help but chuckle making you blink and snap your head towards him.

"So," he asked casually putting his hands behind his head and smiling widely down at you. "How do you like the scenery?"

It took you a few seconds moving your jaw and glancing between him and the scene before you again before being able to talk to him properly. "This-..." Your hands moved gesturing at it, nothing, him, everything, yourself and nothing again at once. Before settling on throwing your arms out at the house. "THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!!" Your voice was so loud a couple of pokemon looked up in your direction. "How did you even find this place?"

"Sometimes I come out here to train or just unwind,'' he answered nonchalantly with a shrug, "I come across this every so often. My sandaconda likes the wild charti berries that grow here." You watched as he turned and pushed through the bush to enter this person's yard, a few small green leaves falling off the plant and falling to the ground. "C'mon. This looks like a good place to stop for a bit and let our pokemon have a ball."

You watched after him as he stepped into the small clearing raising a brow. "Hey. Wait a sec!" He turned to you in question and you pointed at him. "Wouldn't this be trespassing? I mean.." You gestured to the cottage ahead of you. "Someone obviously lives here right?"

He shook his head no to your surprise. "Nah. Not really."

"Wait...Seriously?''

"Yeah! I mean-...It has been on the housing market for a couple years now, but no one's shown interest in it."

...You looked between him and the house again unbelieving as you slowly stepped through the bush yourself. "...You really expect me to believe that? A person would be crazy in order to not take this place for themselves!" It was true. Plenty of space. A free food source. Beautiful scenery. And there was a town just next door if you really needed anything. Plus there was a sense of security knowing THE most powerful gym leader in Galar lived less than a mile away. Not that you'd be happy to see him every single day but you were more than capable of admitting he was a capable trainer for sure. "This is something right out of a fairytale!"

He shrugged again. "I guess it has something to do with all the regulations about this particular area outside Hammerlocke."

"Regulations?," you asked coming to a stop to stand right next to him. You had to crane your neck to properly look him in the eyes. Yeesh. This guy was even taller than Piers! And Hot Pink was a good foot and a half taller than yourself!

"Yeah." A hand of his released itself from behind his head and pointed back over back in the direction towards the cabin. "This house is sittin' directly on the nature reserve. The only property that you can buy and own in the house and the small clearing here, otherwise all the woods surrounding it belongs to the Galar Preservation Of Wild Pokemon Society managed by the Chairwoman. Heck. What we just walked through was the nature reserve." Your eyes turned to him wide eyed. Hammerlocke had a nature reserve!? "It's illegal to capture, distribute, or even shiny hunt pokemon in this part of Hammerlocke. All those rules make it less appealing to folks who'd rather not have to deal with all the hassle."

".....Why would someone build a house on a nature reserve then? Isn't that also illegal!?"

"Actually the house was here way before this place was even declared as a reserve. I think that's why the last person who lived here was a pokemon ranger but that was a long time ago."

Ah...Well that made a whole lot of sense then. No matter how pretty the view was, that seemed like a deal breaker a lot of people would refuse the house for. However you thought it was a perfect location. You surely weren't planning on catching anymore pokemon. Not after rediscovering that little herd you and Gloria had forgotten about that had then clung onto you for dear life. ....Hmm. Interesting. Gave you a tiny idea you tucked into the back on your mind later with the Hammerlcoke real-estate office but for now you'd focus on getting one thing done at a time. Which meant getting this date over-....With....

Wait-

WAIT WAIT WAIT A ARCEUS DARNED SECOND-

Your head snapped back to him faster than a running rapidash's quick attack making Raihan flinch at your suddenly look. "This isn't the first time you've mentioned a nature reserve to me." Eyes narrowed, your hand reached up and poked his chest. "You told me about this place before. When you took in those trainers."

There was silence again between the two of you. Nothing sounding off except for the sound of wind rustling the leaves, the babbling brook, and the distant sounds of wild pokemon around you. Raihan remained shocked into silence. For once, any real emotion that could've covered up the true feelings on his face was long forgotten, allowing you to see the real and raw thing he was feeling before you, and it was...almost scary seeing that kind of emotion on someone who shouldn't have that kind of emotion. This was RAIHAN you were talking about! The one who constantly battled Leon for the Champion title and carved a name for himself with his own bare hands and skills alone! Why would he be shocked about someone just casually asking something about something he himself talked about himself?

His jaw moved like a magikarp, opening and closing. "I-...Ahehe." A strained, nervous smile speared across his nervous, almost scared face. "We-Well wasn't expecting that out of you, Sassy."

"I'm serious," you pressed, "You're the one who brought it up being a nature reserve. I just put two and two together." Your eyes again scanned back around the area, spotting Silver having wondered away from you and now lazily laying in the water. So much for his help. Shaking your head you looked back at you. "I don't get you. Like at all. Especially when it comes to how you've been acting so weird lately. You're not acting-"

"Like you expected me too?" You flinched at the sudden deep voice cutting in and you stopped. Stopped at the sad smile on his face and the even duller look in his eyes staring at nothing. "No. It's ok. *sigh* I get that a lot. More than you would expect actually."

"....Raihan, this might be overstepping, but are you ok?" The amount of time for those duller eyes to go from shocked to saddened to surprised was impressive as they directly looked back at you. That single question weighing a lot more than meaning too but carrying a lot more meaning than you knew in that moment. "If you're seriously not feeling well we can stop and-"

"NO!!" A couple pokemon fled and you leaned back blinking at the sudden panicked yell erupting from Raihan's mouth. "....Uh-..I-I mean n-no!" He coughed and held up his hands. "No it's alright. I'm not sick or anything. I swear! I'm just-...W-Well I- Hmph!"

He stopped talking. Not by his own choice. But because someone decided to place a hand over his mouth gently to get him to stop talking. Raihan paused....before his dark ocean blue eyes looked cross eyed at your hand (which you would've laughed at if it weren't so serious right now) and then slowly up to you. Your expression concerned.

"Hey...Calm down. Don't push yourself so hard alright," you calmly spoke before slowly removing your hand away from his and lowering it now that you got his full attention, "You've been acting more fidgity than a wet cat dunked in ice water."

".....Cat?"

"Uh-...Purrloin! I meant purrloin! *ahem* The point being that I think you've think stressed over things lately with everything going on. That's why you've been acting like this, right?"

"I-...Well I-..." He sighed, leaning up away from your reach and again placing his hands behind his head in some pose, must've been a habit of his. "Yeah. That's part of it. Didn't take you for a sleuth too."

"Well when you've seen things I have it becomes easier to put two and two together. But..what else has been bugging you?"

...His eyes became half lidded. "Oh...Are you sure you really want to know?" You weren't sure what he was getting at but you nodded and he regarded you for a solid moment before looking back away from you for a moment. "Honestly...I was kinda worried about making a good first impression on you."

"Me?" You nearly scoffed but held back. "You shouldn't have to go through all this trouble worrying over me. I'm not someone you have to worry over."

"...Maybe not but I do care about what you think about me." That certainly caught you offguard as you stared at him but he continued. "It's...not often I find myself attracted to someone so different from other women I've dated. You're...someone I wanted to make a good impression on so maybe- I dunno." His hands rubbed his neck and all of a sudden it became a lot more tense as he stared at a random piece of grass on the ground. "Maybe you'd at least wouldn't think badly of me at the very least.....Or at least wo-Wouldn't sick your pokemon on me anymore. Hehe...aaahh."

"....How am I different from any other girl?," you pointed out shocked he'd say something like that, "I'm no different than any other girl. You have tons of fans who'd love to be with you so I'm sure you'd find someone you'd like just as much or even better-"

"That's the problem!," he snapped looking back at you with a look, "They're NOT like you-...AH! W-What I mean is.." His hands were held up suddenly at your surprised look. "No other lady has ever taken time out to t-talk to me like you d-do. Li-Like a person instead o-of someone you put on a pedestal or an obsessed fan..." His eyes looked down. "Or the ones who're just interested i-in my status. I-...I-I appreciate that. It's not everyday someone disregards that fact about me."

"Well...yeah. You shouldn't define a person by their situation. You judge them based on their actions and word. You're not the worse person I've met-"

"That's what I'm talking about."...He slowly looked back to you. "That didn't stop you from rejecting me based on status or just talking to me." A small smile speared across his face. "Or pulling the hood over my face?"

You groaned. "You're really never going to let me live that down are you?"

"Haha! Nope! In fact that was probably one of your more classier moments!" His hands clasped together in a 'dramatic swoon' as he leaned over you slightly as if 'lovestruck' by cupid himself. "Such strong reflexes!~ It's enough to make a man swoon-"

"I CHANGED MY MIND!!," you yelled out face exploded red and leaned back away from him scowling, "YOU ARE DEFINITELY THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD!!"

"GAH!!" The sudden yell ripped from his lungs certainly wasn't what you were expecting from him and it did make you jump back on instinct. Watching in shock as Raihan leaned backwards, face twisted into a painful expression. Hands rushing to clutch at his chest, over where his heart beats. "AH! Y-YOUR WORDS!! It's like a sword went through me! I'm done for-" With a cough noise his hand shot up towards the heavens the farther he leaned back. "Ah! No! I'm ddyyiiinnggg- BLEH!"

With that Raihan finally let gravity claim him. Letting his body fall back until with a thud sound, he landed backwards right onto the ground kicking up a few blades of grass and flower petals up from his 'faint'. Leaving you to stand there and stare at him wide eyed for a second as your brain processed what just the frick happened.

"...Did you just pretend to die on me?"

From the ground his eyes opened and a familiar smiled turned up to you, "Yeah. I did. Did you laugh?"

"Psh." You rolled your eyes but smiled. "You're so full of yourself."

"Am I now? Or am I just confident?~", he asked finally leaning up to sit up.

"The first one,'' you answered plopping yourself on the ground next to him, "But I might have to change my opinions on you."

Again he seemed to be caught off guard with his wide eyes but this time he managed to keep smiling. "Oh really?" He asked with genuine interest. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

...You shrugged. "Honestly?" He nodded and you sighed, going back to watching Silver paddle around in the water without a care in the world. "Well...You've surprised me a bit today, and you're not...what I expected. I guess what I'm trying to say is that-..." You gestured your hands around guilt creeping up on you before sighing and just plopping your arms back down into your lap. "What am I doing? Fine! I admit it. I was a real jerk to you before." The more you thought about it, the more you did feel kinda guilty thinking badly of him even when he didn't really do anything wrong per say. "That part was on me." Your head turned back to him. "So maybe we-" ....You blinked. A half lidded look and smile was what you were met with. "...What?"

"Oh nothing. You're just really beautiful when you're being sincere.~"

...Your face exploded red as you scowled again. "HEY! I'm trying to be serious here!"

"So am I! I like a person who can be honest with me." Now placing his head in his hands. "Especially someone who was the first ever person who told me I didn't have to apologize for anything."

A confused expression made him smile more. "Me? When did I say something like that."

"Back in Wyndon. That night you were in the hospital. ...You don't..remember?"

Back at the hospital? What was he talking about now- A giant glass breaking noise went off in your head when a memory came out of no where and slapped you in the face. Of you in the hospital after the Eternatus incident. And Raihan coming to visit you shaking more nervous than a blind mouse in a tornado-

"Come in."

The door opened and it wasn't Leon or Piers who decided to visit you again. And it wasn't anyone from the hospital staff either. The doorknob turned. The door opened wide. And a person with dark blue eyes and an orange bandanna walked right in. And you paused staring in confusion as none other than Raihan stepped through the door. The man also froze seeing you in the doorway hand still on the doorknob as silence passed between the two of you. You stared at him blinking...before finally speaking.

"Raihan? What are you doing here?"

Your voice seemed to snap him outta his daze because he shook his head and forced a smile at you. "Hey! I-If it isn't Ms. Sassy herself!" Did he just stutter- "How are you?" He quickly stepped in and closed the door behind him before forcing his hands back into his pockets. "I was just in the neighborhood so I thought I'd stop by and see how the sass master herself was doing this evening?"

"....It's noon."

He paused for a moment smile straining before one hand found itself mimicking Leon and rubbing his neck. "Well...Ahaha! Y-You're right. M-My bad. Guess I should've known better-"

"Dude. Relax. I was just joking."

"Huh- OH! R-Right! Haha. F-Funny joke. *ahem* So...How are you feeling? From what I heard you got a really good knock on the noggin."

You smiled at him. "I'm fine thanks. I mean I did have a headache for a bit but it's all gone now." As if to prove your point you reached up and patted your head. "I'm right as rain as they say. But I'm surprised you showed up to see me."

He flinched. "O-Oh...Y-Y'know. I mean I've seen Lee and Piers...And those kids ok. And I guess I just wanted to make sure everyone was alright y-y'know?"

....Your brow rose higher and he felt sweat starting to form on his face the longer you stared at him in suspicion. Before his smile became even more strained as you crossed your arms and stared at him.

"You're lying," you stated bluntly catching him off guard.

His mouth dropped opened a lil bit for a few seconds before another forced laugh came out and he mumbled. "W-Wha- Psh! Nah! W-Why would I be lying about t-that-"

"Well firstly-", you interrupted him holding up another finger with each point you made, "-you're not acting like yourself. You're stuttering, you're the last person who'd want to see me considering the last few times we've met and we're not that close, usually you're acting so overly confident so this is new, and you could've just asked someone if I was ok instead of just coming to see me so there's no real reason for you to come all the way to the hospital." Raihan felt his stomach drop and drop and drop with each point you made. The weird feelings in his guts increasing. "And lastly you look like you've seen a ghost. So obviously something's up. So...what's up?"

Raihan didn't move. He even doubted he even breathed for that matter as you still stared at him. He raised his hands moving them around as his mouth opened and closed silently like a magikarp. Your brow rose more...and he sighed letting his arms flop back down to his sides. You now felt your suspicious look turn confused watching him rub his face.

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Yeah. You're a pretty open book."

"Oh come on. Seriously?" he sighed again. "You're worse than Piers. "

"...I'll take that as a compliment."

"...Heh." His hand removed from his face and he gave a weak smile towards you. "It'd be weird if you didn't." Before he sighed and held up a hand, face going back to that almost tired expression. "Alright. You got me. I did come here for a reason."

"Why?"

"I actually was curious about how you were doing." ..You rose a brow again and he held up both hands. "No. Really. I-I heard you were ok but-" His stomach did summersaults like he never imagined before. He never expected to see you of all people hanging limp in Leon's arms wrapped up in his cape as the hurt champion struggled to take you to safety- A shudder wracked his body making him shake his head and finding the floor suddenly interesting as his eyes stared at it. His hands gripping the insides of his pockets. "...That's not...The only reason I wanted to see you."

"Why? It's Silver isn't it? I bet he's tried to spray you down."

"No! I mean yes! He has but that's not the point." He'd rather not try to explain how many times the drizzlie had tried to hose him down while in his care. "I-...Y-You-...Ahaha. W-Well I just figured while I was here I should-..." You blinked confused at him as he stuttered and his hands moved around as he tried to explain. "B-Back at the gym you were I-...GRRRAAAHHHHH!!!" You flinched in surprise when Raihan growled out like an actual dragon and his hands flew up to grip his signature bandanna in frustration. "WHY MUST THIS BE SO DIFFICULT!? THIS WASN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!!"

"Raihan. What are you talking about-"

"I'M SORRY!! OK!?", a voice with the ferocity and desperation of a dying dragon cried out as the dragon leader threw his hands out and gave you the guiltiest most genuinely emotional look you had scene on Raihan ever since you first met him in person back at Hammerlocke. Raihan leaned right and when he thought he would fall over his body followed and he began to pace back and forth. His mind spinning. Hands gesturing at nothing. Eyes blown wide in almost panic. Chest heaving. Lungs feeling as though he was literally breathing fire. Flashes of what happened that night flashed back and forth with his view of the hospital room he was standing in. "I'm SORRY I was there! I'm SORRY I couldn't stop it! I didn't know...I DIDN'T KNOW!! And how come I didn't know! It's my gym right!? I should know! There should've been some way I should've known and I could've done something! I'm supposed to be top gym leader! It was literally under my feet this en-entire time! And I didn't even suspect anything?...GRAH!!" His palms met his face in a double facepalm. "How could I be so blind!? This never should've happened! No wonder I can't even beat Lee! I couldn't even protect my own terf from-"

"RAIHAN! STOP!!"

Something soft grabbed his hands and YANKED them away from his face and downwards, far enough that the pull also pulled the shocked into silence gym leader forward to lean over none other than you. Unbeknownst to him, during his ramblings you had been staring at him in semi shock during his panicked rambling and noticed him spiraling downwards. At one point you had gotten up and gone over and grabbed his hands to make him stop his rant. Which ultimately left you both now in this predicament with you scowling at him and holding his hands as she leaned over you staring like he literally saw you just evaporate into thin air. Jeez. Even leaning over the guy was taller than you. After a moment of silence you sighed and shook your head before holding his hands up to him, clutching them gently in yours.

"Look...You need to calm down. Alright?," you gently spoke to him holding his hands up higher in yours. "None of this..Any of it, was your fault. Ok?" You gave his hands a firm shake. "None of this was your fault. Yeah. You didn't know but neither did Leon and he's the bloody Champion."..Your eyes looked down to the side real quick. "And I can't believe I completely forgot that part of the game."

And he blinked. "....Wh-What?"

"Uh...Nevermind. The point is no one saw him coming and so no one could've really stopped him let alone you. Things happen sometimes but it's all ok in the end." One hand patted the pair of hands bunched up in yours making his blue eyes glance at where you were holding them for a moment. "Arceus look at you. All worried over nothing." Finally at last you let go of his hands but he still held them up. "And you came all the way here to do what? Apologize to me for something you didn't do? That's insane. There's nothing to apologize for. Not where you're concerned."

"But-"

"Shush." Anything else he would've said died on his tongue when something soft pressed again his lips and that soft thing just so happened to be your fingertips as you gave him a firm look. "Raihan, I don't want your apologies." You slowly removed your hand. "Because there's absolutely nothing for you to apologize for. You didn't do anything wrong and if you did I would've sicked Silver on you long ago so we're pretty even." He took a moment to just stare at his hands before one ever SO slowly reached up to touch his lips...And his face heated from the explosion of red blasting across it. Not that you seemed to notice as you continued speaking. "So don't feel bad about anything. If anything just do what you need to and everything will be ok in the end."

....He finally pulled his hand away, stared at it, before he shook his head and allowed his hands to flop to his sides to look at you. "You ..certainly got a way with words, Sassy."

"Well so do you."

SMACK!!

Raihan blinked when you facepalmed yourself along with giving off a loud groan. You swore your memory was worse than a confused spinda's! It took a couple moments to realize Raihan was still looking at you so you coughed.

"Oh. Uh. Y-Yeah. I remember that now. ...My opinion still stands though. You didn't do anything wrong. Seriously. There wasn't anything for you to apologize for." You paused again for a good moment. "Oh. That reminds me. I never got to thank you for taking care of the guys for me while everyone was in the hospital."

His free hand waved you off. "Think nothing of it. Lee's a good friend so I would've done it even if no one asked. If anything I should thank them for helping to introduce me to you."

"Psh. Yeah right." You leaned back against your arms and looked out onto the beautiful scene before you. The sight of Silver splashing around without a care in the world and interacting with the other few pokemon there was a cute sight to behold, especially since he didn't really interact with a lot of pokemon outside your little herd. Both of you remained silent just watching the pokemon play and felt the wind blow over you both. "....This really is a beautiful place." You mumbled to yourself making the man next to you blink. Your f/c eyes slowly turned up to the sky, watching the white fluffy cloud with just a small tint of grey to it go past the blue sky. "I'll give it to you, you picked a good spot for a first date. It's...a lot better than I thought it would be-"

"YES!!" You blinked around to him and caught him in the middle of a fist pump but he paused catching your head turned to him. "...Uh. I mean. *ahem*" He relaxed back again and casually attempted to walk that off. "Yeah. Thanks! I figured this would be a good idea since you don't like big crowds."

"....How do you know that? I never told you anything like that before."

"You didn't have to. I read your body language during the Wyndon celebration last year. You were so stiff and tense around a whole bunch of people you didn't like, and you kinda mentioned before you don't like flying so I kinda went with the next best thing." You stared at him. "What?"

"You...a-actually listened to what I said?" You stared at him wide eyed as he nodded at you. He-...actually listened to what you had said and understood you? Well, THAT was certainly a first. You hadn't expected him to actually listen to you- Even Piers had insisted upon you flying everywhere when you guys were after those hair weirdos even if they made you so uncomfortable and would've rather chased them by train. When was the last time another person actually did that wholeheartedly?

"W-Well I- Uh-" His hand reached up to rub the back of his neck as he looked nervous. "Ye-Yeah. I knew you probably be down to taking flygon for a ride so-...Heh. What better way for us to hang out than a little outing y'know? ...Also I was hoping that maybe I could get my pokemon to bond with your guard pokemon over there-" He nodded in Silver's direction. "-so I wouldn't have to worry about getting hit by a walking water fountain anymore."

"Oh. Uh...Yeah. That's my bad too...And you know I have more than one right?"

He looked at you for a moment before lighting up in a smile again. "Hey! That's great! We should totally have a poke-playdate!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! It's still early. There's plenty of time before we have to go back."

You hesitated. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"My pokemon may look big and bad but they're pretty tame," he assured you, "You don't worry about them harming anyone-"

"No. It's not that. If I let them out you might be biting off more than you can chew."

"Psh. Are you kidding me?" He rolled his eyes like you told him some kind of joke. "I'm the tamer of dragons." Your brow rose as he placed a hand to his chest smiling. "I can handle anything your crew can throw at me."

....

Raihan was not prepared for five tiny pokemon to suddenly dog pile his sitting form out of pure curiosity and as expected went down faster than a rock in water. You busted out laughing as your gengar sighed and just slipped out of the sun and into your shadow away from the light. By the time was finally able to sit up his jacket had a few grass stains rubbed into it and his bandanna was crooked and threatened to be taken away as Loki growled like a small dog and pulled on it with her little teeth trying to get it from his head.

"H-Hey! That's not a chew toy!"

Raihan made weak grabs at her but couldn't fully yank his arm due to the fact that he wouldn't risk accidentally hurting Blueberry. The small sylveon cooed out a pleased purr, surely a sign she liked him, and had her ribbons affectionately wrapped around his arm. Meanwhile he also had to worry about P.J. growling and attempting to viciously bite off one of his shoes, Gold rummaging through one of his jacket pockets curiously, and Harvest being the only one that wasn't causing trouble. In fact the pikachu was the only one even attempting to help in anyway.

"Pika-Pika! PI! KA! CHU!!," Harvest yelled out in frustration at P.J.. The poor electric type was pulling on the zigzagoon's tail attempting to free Raihan's foot from his maw.

You? You were laughing your tail off watching the entire thing. "SASSY!!" He finally managed to push part of the bandanna away from his face to look at you desperately. "A little help here!"

Eventually you obliged him and managed to set him free from your small herd admitting defeat. You didn't think he'd doubt you again after that. The rest of the day was....Alright. Raihan did let out his few pokemon and they true to his word were really tame. Especially his duraludon. It was strange seeing such a fierce beast on the field act like a puppy whenever Raihan pet it. Time slowly mosied by and you were just watching Gold attempt to take on Raihan's Goodra...only for the poor fighting type to yelp back his front half drenched in goo as he shivered. Sigh. That was going to be hard to wash off his fur later- You flinched when something orange was suddenly held up above both you and Raihan and you realized it was a phone. Raihan smiled and held it above you two as if ready to take a picture as he usually did before the dragon tamer suddenly stopped and then looked at you.

"Oh uh-...S-Sorry." He immediately apologized and lowered the hand holding the phone. "I-I usually take pictures so I must've did it without thinking. Should've asked first."

"No. It's alright," you assured. "But...I thought you only did that for battles?"

"Oh. W-Well I used too," he looked off to the side nervously. "I'd...u-usually take them after matches with Leon to never forget what I did wrong and to fix my mistakes in order to beat him...b-b-but nowadays I've been expanding my gallery. Fans seem to like the ones I take when on Flygon."

"Oh...Well I don't mind if you want to take a picture with me."

THAT had him pausing and staring back at you like you had just disappeared into thin air. "I-...W-W-Wait. Really!?"

You nodded. "I've been seen with gym leaders, Leon, and Sonia put me in two books at this point." You shrugged. "And Victor's shown me your photo gallery. You post pictures of yourself with fans all the time. I doubt anyone would care if you posted one with me."

Raihan stared at you thinking for a moment before smiling. "Yeah? That sounds awesome. But are you sure?"

"Absolutely! Besides, I'd like to see the faces of those sword and shield weirdos once it's posted."

That made Raihan laugh. And not that deep rumble chuckle that he did while flirting, but one that was deep, loud, and genuine as he smiled. "That's a good enough reason for me, Sassy! You're really living up to your nickname!" His hand reached up again. Smile back on his face as he leaned towards you a bit. "Say cheese!"

You obliged smiling as he aimed his phone at you. But you had no idea- When the flash went off. When the picture of you two were taken. When it was posted.

It would cause such a stir up in the future.