#insert pun about window dressing here

[gravitasmalfunction]

I think I read the article that was recycled from that news story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-04/retrofitting-australian-homes-for-winter-to-cut-costs-emissions/104044086

The expert tip for renters was bubble wrap on single-glazed windows.

News is running a bit on how to make your house warmer in winter here, and starts with a bloke inspecting a house and it literally goes, "this house has no insulin in the walls, floor, and the ceiling insulation is full of gaps. The windows are single glazed and have poor coverings. There are nearly inch wide gaps at the base of every door including the external ones. Is very breezy inside."

Like. I know that's normal here, I live here, but sweet jesus.

News ended up advising that people put blinds in and get solar power. How tf are poor people gonna do that? Renters? Stupid advice. It's getting below zero at night rn and barely scratching 10°C in the day, which means it's the same damn temp indoors

I've improved my home by putting furniture against external walls as insulation. I've got fleece safety pinned to the inside of my curtains ($10 for a half sheet of fleece at spotlight rn!). I've taped the balcony door shut. I've committed to only heating two rooms and I've door snaked the doors to the rest of the house to save money. Do this even if you dont have a heater, your body heat is doing something. I chose bedroom and living room, some people might include kitchen to use heat from the oven but my house doesn't lay out for that to work.

Also, wear lots of clothes and blankets. It's 1pm, I have three shirts, a jumper, and three blankets on rn. Drink tea to keep hands warm. Try cleaning something with hot water instead of turning the heater on in the day, helps get your fingers warm and is slightly active. It's okay to sleep in gloves and a beenie. A hot shower to get your temp back up is good if you prep clothes and don't wet your hair.

If the world were better these houses would have been built well, but that's not where we are. There are tricks to use, use them

[nerdyvocals]

Wow, it's been like two months since I posted the Descendants 2 quotes list, and its been a month since @look-at-those-niceass-rocks and I watched D3. We're planning on watching Rise of Red tonight, so it feels like an apt time to give you the unhinged things we had to say about Descendants 3. As always, the dumbassery is under the cut. Please enjoy!

Me: They have a bigger budget but somehow everything is Worse

Bee: Her wig is worse Me: ... I don't know who you're talking about, but you're right

Mal: Not a tentacle in sight Me: That is the opposite of kinky

Honorable Mention: A much too long interlude of us trying to figure out what the timeline here is, because at times it feels like they're all much older, but others it seems like D2 *just* happened.

Bee: DOUG WHAT IS YOUR HAIR Me: Bad!

Ben: *proposing* Me: You are seventeen (I think???) Bee: You are in high school (probably???)

Me: That ring is hideous Bee: What is that leaf thing on the side???

Insert various squealing over how cute the twins are

Me: Ben, how many times do we need to have this discussion about your suits? 1. Buttons, 2. If you're not wearing a tie, you don't do the buttons that high.

Ben and Mal: *discussing closing the Isle permanently* Bee: This argument makes no sense! It would make more sense the other way around Me: Its so out of character for the both of them

Audrey: *turns Mal into a hag* Me: I feel like we need to drink for that Mal: *speaks* Bee: I feel like we need to chug for that

Audrey: *singing Happy Birthday in cursive* Bee: Oh god, she's a theatre kid

Mal (returned to normal on the Isle): Evil magic doesn't work here! Me: See, they can never decide if they're gonna stick with that Bee: Follow your own fucking rules, I beg of you

Us noting how weird the movie is, like they're trying to be grittier but the script is the most "Disney Channel" the franchise had been at that point

Mal: How big is that dog? Bee: CAN I PET THAT DAAAWG

Bee: I think I am just the right amount of drunk to appreciate this movie for what it is

Bee: *about Hades* He is so hot Me: I would do ungodly things to that man- pun unintended

Me: Also, are we just gonna gloss over the fact that Mal is a fucking demigod???

Me: So the canon up until this point (implied in the movies and explicit in the books) is that none of the Villain kids know who their other parents are, and all Mal knew was that her father was human and Maleficent was ashamed of that

Me, two seconds later: Hades had two fairy demigod children; Mal Bertha and Nico Di Angelo Bee: *chokes on drink*

Bee: Now I know there's a dramatic song here because I vaguely remember a dramatic song- oh there it is

Bee: What. The fuck. Is happening? Me: Something I'm still way too sober for

Hades: If it gets wet, it's game over! Us, simultaneously: Me too- *wheezing laughter*

Audrey: Sleep is too good for you! Ben: *drops like a sack of potatoes* Bee: Oh shit, she killed him!

Octo-Uma: *exists* Bee: Oh the budget is back!

Uma: Guarantee me that every single villain kid that wants to can get off the Island Mal: I can't do that Me: You literally can? Bee: You're the queen??

Me: Harry's costume is the only one in this scene that I like Bee: You're right Me: He should be more tits out Bee: He should have a boob window!

Bee: She (Evie) would make a great preschool teacher

Audrey: *pets Chad* Bee: He's gonna have some interesting kinks to figure out when he's older

*In the hallway* Uma: Hold up! What's this? Bee: Bad set dressing?

Mal: I wonder what fried octopus tastes like? Bee: Like you haven't eaten her before Me: *chokes on drink*

Bee: Evie is literally just sitting there looking pretty and I respect the fuck out of her for that

*During Night Falls* Me: Did they say "bitch, splat?" Bee: I think they said "pitch black", but I also heard "bitch, splat" Me: That's a better lyric

Bee: Evie actually invented gentle parenting. I'd call her mommy Me:

Uma: *talking about Audrey after reading her diary* Bee: Oh, they're in love. Like I know they haven't met, but they're in love

Bee: Oh no, my lesbian! (note: I cannot for the life of me remember what the fucking context for this was)

*In Evie's sewing room* Me: PAUSE Bee: Oh, she's (Evie) so cute! Me: Oh, I was trying to see what kind of sewing machine that is, I think it's a pfaff Bee: ...Does that count as costuming? Me: Enough for a drink, yes- Oh actually, that might be a Bernina

Me (about Evie and Doug): "I miss Bee and [Husband]" "We have Bee and [Husband] at home" The Bee and [Husband] at home

*During the introduction of Beast!Ben* Bee: *incoherent screeching* Me: I think we need a chug for that Bee: I need to drink to forget, when will he go away?

Bee: ...I wasn't gonna say anything, but that's a butt plug tail

Jane: *appears* Me: My babygirl! Bee: She gets cuter every movie.

*@ Carlos* Bee: Puh-lease give her a little smooch Me: He's so smitten, it's disgusting

Harry: Hey Jay, uh, thanks for saving me, gorgeous face~ Me: HELLO??? Bee: GAY Me: I don't remember that, that might've been something that was cut from the Disney Channel release?

Harry: *smacks Jay's shoulder* Me: It only could've been better if he smacked his ass Bee: Oh, he definitely smacked his ass. I saw him smack his shoulder, but he smacked his ass

Bee: Through the power of lesbians and rhyming couplets!

Honorable mention: Us losing it over the VISIBLE LACE of Ben's shitty fake beard

Bee: Chad was a better character in the first movie where he was kinda dumb but conniving, but now he's just dumb

(About My Once Upon a Time) Me: This song is from a better movie Bee: Right like holy shit??? This is a mid-act-two power ballad on Broadway. The way I would scream this in my car.

(Side note: the verses of the song felt out of order to me. Turns out it's sung in a different order in the movie than it is on the soundtrack)

Bee: There's something really gross about this dragon model and I can't put my finger on it Me: It looks wet Bee: Yeah! It- oh. Oh it, uh. It looks like a "bad dragon". If you catch my drift. Me: ...I'd like to go home now

Audrey: *comatose* Me: WHAT is that cover??? Bee: Is that a shroud??? Me: They changed her! They put in the effort to put her in pjs but turning her covers down was too much? Was that too inappropriate??? Bee: They left her feet uncovered!!! Dogs out for free on the Disney Channel!

Me: Another fit in which Ben needs a tie

Me (@ Hades): Dad, more like- no. Bee: Dad, more like daddy!!! I'll say it, I have enough daddy issues to Me: Bee, no

Bee: Why do they (Hades and Mal) love each other now? This relationship is unearned

Bee: (@ Beast) You gave the kingdom to a sixteen year-old, you can shut the fuck up

Jay: *making very romantic-sounding plans with Gil* Me: Which ear is the gay ear? Bee: I think it's the left??? (after Googling) No, it's the right Me: Jay has had an earring in the gay ear and only the gay ear this whole movie Bee: *screeching*

Me: In a better version of this movie, Lonnie has been here teasing the fuck out of him (Jay) about Gil the whole movie and then she eggs him to ask him out now.

Bad note for costumes, Uma is wearing a repainted Amazon corset in the final number. So much for Disney money and this movie having a bigger budget

Hades: Am I invited to the wedding? Bee: No, go away

Speaking of the wedding, we took a brief interlude there before Rise of Red

[ihearthes]

Golden Rod

(inspired by Golden MV)

Author: @ihearthes Pairing: Harry x Reader Insert (2nd person) Rating: Smut (18+ only) Word Count: 2829

“Thanks for the ride, Ryan!” you call, waving at Lambert’s assistant as he drives away to the garages on the Vesta. “Ciao!” 

Excited to show Harry your new lingerie, you enter the villa where the team has been staying. “Is he done for the day, Ben?” The words are muffled behind the cloth mask you’ve insisted is essential despite the drop in Italy’s coronavirus cases. 

The Fulwell 73 producer points upstairs without a word before bending over the video footage he’s scouring with the director. The opulent surroundings have been modernized, and you grin while mounting the stairs to the top floor where the master suite consumes the entire space. From the expansive open windows, you view the Tyrrhenian Sea, causing you to literally pinch yourself. How had life blessed you in such a way? Giddy, you continue up the stone steps.

Kicking off your sandals, you curl your toes into the cool, smooth tile. Fuck. This had been the perfect day. Swimming in the infinity pool during the morning with endless fresh fruits at your fingertips whenever you stepped out of the water to feel the warm sun on your skin. A socially distanced lunch of Insalata Di Mare Campanese (Seafood Salad) with Molly in a local restaurant. A trip to the stores with the adorable stylist Ryan -- where he’d introduced you to a new designer of gloriously sexy lingerie! 

You’d bought four pieces. 

Harry was going to love all of them, and you couldn’t wait to showcase them in your own private fashion show on the secure top floor of the Italian villa. 

Stopping in the marbled bathroom, you draw in a deep breath at the chill on your heated feet. Quickly, you wash your hands, singing “Happy Birthday” twice like you’d been taught to ensure 20 seconds has elapsed. No way were you going to be responsible for inadvertently passing along the virus to your boyfriend during the Golden music video shoot. He’d end up missing out on filming the music video and the upcoming Don’t Worry Darling if he tested positive. Carefully removing your mask, you toss it into the laundry hamper before washing your hands a second time. 

Tiptoeing out of the bath, you wonder where the man of the hour might be. Napping? Nope. Not in the bed. On the loggia, you spy Harry settled in a chair, staring into space. 

“Can’t blame you, Styles. That’s one hell of a view.” Gazing over the colorful boats moored in the sea near the coast, your eyes feast on the sky with its tints of reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges as the sun begins to sink into the water. Honestly, you expect to hear a sizzle as the bright ball of gases descends into the blue serenity of the sea. 

“Indeed.” His quiet voice doesn’t sound normal for Harry, and you approach slowly, like one might a wounded deer. Wouldn’t want to frighten him away. 

“Harry!” The gasp leaves your throat, and you press your hand to your mouth to capture the sound too late as it has already escaped. “What the hell happened to your knee?”

He shrugs, finally glancing in your direction. “Skinned it. Hi, love. Did you have a good day?”

“I had a beautiful day, but what the fuck did you do to your knee?” Crouching down, you examine the spot where blood is flowing. It’s not an overwhelming amount, but enough that you want to clean it. “My poor baby,” you coo, “Let me clean that for you.”

Rising, you glide to the bathroom again. 

“Bring some ice too, love,” he requests, tacking on a “please” at the last minute. 

Stopping in the suite’s tiny kitchen, you search the small freezer for ice as requested. Ransacking the cabinets in the bathroom, you manage to locate cotton balls, an antiseptic, and a bandage. Returning to Harry, you kneel at his feet. “This might sting a bit.” Cautiously, you cover the cotton ball with the antiseptic and press it to his wound. 

He winces, but the only sound he releases is a mild hiss. 

“Sorry, baby.”

“It’s not a big deal, love.”

As the blood vanishes with its absorption into the cotton ball, you agree with him. The wound is relatively minor. Should form a scab in the next day or so. Carefully, you remove the adhesive from the bandage and press it over the small scratch. 

“Don’t worry, darling,” you tease, “you’ll heal soon enough.”

“Gonna run that one into the ground, aren’t you?” he jokes. 

“Might as well,” your shrug, grinning. “Don’t worry, H. You’re so golden.” His smile gives away his mirth at the pun. “Soon enough, you’ll be done filming, and moving on to something else. And I’ll give you hell about whatever the next thing is too.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” he confesses with intense eye contact, and your insides start to flutter. 

As an afterthought, you hold up a bag of frozen peas. “No ice, H. I’m so American that I forgot Europeans don’t do much ice. Will this do?”

“Sure.” Grabbing the bag of peas, he smirks before placing it on his crotch. 

You raise an eyebrow. “Your dick needs ice?”

His eyes rake over you. “Kind of went running without an athletic supporter today.” 

Planting your hands on your hips, you glare at him. “Why would you damage the goods like that?”

Raising his shoulders, he grins, “The fans will love it.”

Your lower lip juts out as you pout at him. “Does that mean it’s off limits to me?”

“It’s sore, love. Not broken.” Harry emphasizes, but that doesn’t make you feel any better. 

“But I’ve got lingerie,” you state clearly. 

He sits up quickly, shifting the bag of frozen peas on his crotch. “You do?”

“Yep.” You allow the ‘P’ to pop. “Ryan introduced me to a new designer. I bought four sets.”

“Fuck,” he breathes. 

“Not with your dick wounded,” you remind him with a tiny hitch in your breathy voice. 

“Fuck,” he repeats. 

“Should I model the first one or wait until tomorrow?” You’re definitely pushing the envelope here, yet how dare he give fans priority to his most precious bits?!

Eyes darkening, he sweeps his gaze over your light trousers and loose shirt. “Ummmm...now please.”

“Are you sure? Wouldn’t want you to hurt your dick more.”

The exasperated roll of his eyes makes you smile. “I wanna see, love.” 

Examining him, you come to the conclusion that he’s an adult and knows what he wants. With a nod, you grasp the handle of the bag from the designer. “Be right back!” Hurrying to the bedroom, you set the bag down before rummaging in it for the most sedate look: a white lacy baby doll bit that hits mid-thigh and comes with a long peignoir. Putting on frilly high heeled slipper with it, you strut in front of him with the robe tightly covering your body, watching as his eyes darken. 

“Like this one?”

“Shit, love. It’s…” 

When you part the edges to reveal the concoction underneath, Harry has to catch his breath, shifting in the seat as he adjusts the frozen peas. 

“Hot?” you taunt.

“Mhm. Come here, and check my temperature.” His voice is throaty, and you recognize the signs quite easily. 

“Nope. Three more to go before I get within touching distance, H. Sorry.”

“Dammit,” He mockingly shakes his head. “You know I could easily see all of them on separate nights. Let’s just start with this one.”

Purposely, you push your lip out in a pout. “But then the other lingerie would get jealous, and Ryan went to a lot of effort to get me a private viewing. After all, this stuff isn’t available to the general public.”

“No?” He sighs, and you catch the hitch in his comment. “Bring on the second one then.”

Confidently, you swagger from the room. With shaky hands, you withdraw the bright red lace camisole and boy short. Is this the appropriate one to wear next? The red might just push him over the edge. Best to stay out of his reach then. Smirking, you pull the outfit on and waltz onto the balcony with a twirl, your hair on pointe as its curls bounced with you. 

“Holy fuck. That’s the second one?” His strangled cry makes you laugh in joy. 

“How’s that cock feeling now?” you gesture in the direction of his crotch. 

“The peas have melted I believe.”

“Mhm. Maybe you should go get something else from the freezer then.”

“Nah. I’d rather you come get this bag for me. I might be too injured to walk inside.”

“Oh, you’re so funny. I know this game. I get close to you, and the other two lingerie outfits never see the light of day. Nope. You want more frozen food for your genitals, you can get it yourself.” Laughing, you smack your rounded ass as you amble into the bedroom again. 

“Fuck!” Harry yells behind you. 

The dialogue combined with the strutting has your pussy feeling damp as the waves of arousal rush over you. Sure you’d fucked last night, but today was a new day, and you wanted to feel that dick inside you -- regardless of the damage he did by jogging in the city for the video. 

The third one is pink -- and you’re well aware from experience how much Harry loves pink. The baby doll dress is silk and lands just at the top of your thighs with a black lace bodice that laces in the middle. Kind of laces anyway. Plenty of boob still visible. Or barely hidden. Whichever you prefer.

“Oh my god. You’re killing me!” Harry whines as you parade just out of his reach. When he starts to rise, you shake a finger at him. 

“No, no, H. You need to recuperate from running today. Better stay seated.”

He chokes as you twist around to show him all sides, including the g-string with its bare backside. 

“You’re evil!” he calls as you dance back into the bedroom. 

This is the final one, and you prepare carefully. It takes extra time to put on, and you smile as you observe your image in the room’s mirror. Deftly, you slip a couple of condoms in the bodice of the bralette. 

You find a playlist of romantic Italian music and set it to play on the Bluetooth speaker in the bedroom, ensuring the volume is high enough to be heard on the loggia. 

Harry gasps the moment he sees you. “You’re not wearing anything under that!”

Playfully you glance down at the last lingerie set. “Oh, damn. I guess when I put the garter skirt and stockings on, I must have forgotten the panties. Forgive me?”

His head bobs up and down as he gulps. 

“Now,” you murmur, approaching him. Grasping a pillow from a nearby chair, you plop it on the floor in front of him, settling on your knees there. “I think the best thing is if I take a look at this dick to make sure you didn’t do too much damage.”

Removing the no-longer-frozen peas, you toss the bag to the side. No one will be eating those. Ever. Silently, Harry waits while you carefully peel down the top of his elasticized shorts and remove his cock. You have to catch your breath every time you get to glimpse it, and today is no exception. 

Your mouth waters, and you lick your lips as you hold his rigid length in your hand, your eyes flickering up to his where he’s staring intently at you. Maintaining eye contact, you run your tongue over the tip of his cock, paying extra attention to the slit there. 

“Mmmm,” you murmur. “The tip seems to be okay. Let me check the length.”

Using your saliva as lubrication, you run your hands down his shaft to his balls. “Doesn’t appear to be broken,” you smirk, “In fact, seems pretty solid and firm to me.”

Harry raises an eyebrow, “Might want to apply some suction there, love, just in case.”

You don’t really care what he means by that last phrase. You’re more than happy to test out the equipment to ensure that it’s in full working order. Spreading his legs more firmly, you lean in, sliding his entire dick into your mouth until the tip hits the back of your throat. Harry grasps the hair at the back of your hand, bunching it in his hand as he guides you along his length. You hear him sigh, and you’re confident he’s tilted his head back and closed his eyes, but when you glance at him, you find that his eyes are still on your lips. 

Fuck. It turns you on even more, and you can feel your pussy dripping onto the pillow. You make a mental note to remove the cover and wash it before leaving the villa. 

As your lips glide along him, you’re frustrated at not having full access to him. As you apply suction to his tip, you pop off him with an audible sound. Both of your hands reach for the waistband of his shorts, and you gently encourage him -- “Lift your bum, H” -- so you can fully remove the garment, throwing it over your shoulder and hoping it doesn’t sail into the pool below. Harry smiles, adjusting his stance into the biggest man spread you’ve ever seen. 

Before you return to your ministrations on his cock, you grasps your chin, drawing your face forward and upwards until he can lock lips with you. 

“Not much longer, love, or I’ll explode.”

“I don’t mind,” you purr. 

“Mhm. But if we’re fully going to test the equipment, then that should include more than a bj.”

“Ah, I see,” you grin. “But of course. We want to be thorough.” 

First, though, you are compelled to play with his balls, so you take him into your mouth again, adding one hand to his length while the fingers on the other play with the balls underneath. Fuck. You could do this all day. Breathing through your nose, you deepthroat him and suck for a solid ten seconds before you release him completely. 

With a grin, you stand, kicking aside the pillow. “Hmmmmm...trying to decide the best way to do this.” Your voice has a catch in it, and you wipe your mouth before bending over and capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Tongue darting forward, you taste him, allowing him to suckle your tongue briefly. 

As you come up for air, Harry moves his legs together while slipping his hand between yours and nudging your legs apart. With one finger he teases your clit, flicking it from side to side as he watches your face and eases another digit inside you. Oh hell. This feels…

“Fuck, H.”

“You’re so tight, baby. Come sit here. Let’s test out the equipment. Make sure everything works properly.”

At his invitation, you step forward as he shifts his bum down on the chair a bit. 

“Shit. I forgot…”

With his words, you remove the first condom from your bralette where it has conveniently been nuzzling your nipple, the hard corner of the foil packet hardening your nip. 

Grasping his dick, he uses the tip to slap at your pussy a few times before using your internal juices to lubricate himself. Your eyes roll back into your head as the two of you work together so you can slide onto him without any additional moments wasted. 

When you’re fully seated on his dick, you grind just for a moment. 

“Hmmmm...seems sturdy enough,” you pant. 

“Oh, you’re so funny,” he drawls, but his eyes roll back in his head when you glide along his length, your stockinged thighs surrounded by his large hands. “Fuck, love.”

“Working on it,” you laugh breathlessly as the rhythm becomes easier. His hands move to your arse as he assists you in riding him. 

Draping your arms over his shoulders, you shake your tits in his face, and he grins as he bends his head to press a kiss at the juncture of your boobs. 

As your climax begins to arrive, your movements become less steady and more sporadic. Harry, knowing you as he does, reaches between your bodies to tease your clit as you throw your head back and cry out two thrusts before his seed spurts into the condom and his eyes roll back into his head. Spent, you collapse on his chest, still joined. 

“I think,” you whisper as you kiss his neck while playing with the curls at the nape of your neck, “we can agree that the equipment still works just fine. No damage here.” Picking up your head, you glare at him. “But no more, H! What’s mine is mine. The fans get enough of you.”

He laughs as his arms surround you, and he buries his head in your shoulder. 

“Of course, love. Whatever you say.”

A/N:  Reblogs are love, my readers.  If you liked this even just a little tiny bit, please take a second to reblog so that others might find it.  Getting likes is nice, but it doesn’t help me grow my readership.  Thanks for your consideration!

[jooniperhun]

The End of the Rainbow | ot7 (1)

pairing: tall!black!reader x bts, poc!reader x bts, woc!reader x bts, black!reader x bts

genre: fluff, strangers to friends to (maybe) lovers [later], romance [later], comedy, misunderstandings [later], (slight) angst [later], smut (maybe??) [later], idol!au

rating: PG-14

wc: 2.3k

warnings: swearing

notes: the boys won’t make an appearance until chapter 2 but there is some foreshadowing in there (hint hint); pretend that corona never happened; most of the geographical locations/distances will either be made up or not named because I’ve never been to Korea lol whoops; this reads more like a reader-insert sorry that’s my default writing setting; and the boys’ backstories and such won’t be all that accurate because I’m the author and I say so teehee :)

“Text like this is spoken in Korean.”

“Text like this is spoken in English.”

summary: Your current job as a travelling housesitter has taken you to many places, some strange and many wonderful. When the acquisition of a new client takes you to Korea for three months, you wonder if your self-esteem can survive being around so many other-worldly looking people. Also, not to be paranoid or anything, but maybeperhaps you’re being stalked by the same seven strangers? They’re pretty loud and always surrounded by a tonne of people, so you write it off the first few times.

But this shit is getting excessive, chile. And annoying…

Rhetorical question, but what lies at the end of a rainbow? You hope that it’s a pot of gold, but with the way that your luck has soured, it might just be seven short(er than you), rowdy leprechauns ready to flip your world sideways…

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Usually, when it came to social outings, ___ would go out of her way to make sure that she looked her best. Her wild mane would be tamed, her makeup would be carefully, painstakingly applied, and her clothes wouldn’t hold a single wrinkle. This, however, isn’t ‘usually’— this is an airport, and ___ currently couldn’t find it within herself to give a single, flying fuck about her appearance after the flight that she had just had. 

That isn’t to say that it was terrible— she was flying first class, for Christ’s sake! Not to mention that she didn’t have to spend a single dime on it (excluding the multiple new outfits and lashes that she purchased for herself because if she was anything, it was slightly vain). But a roughly 18 hour flight, combined with slight motion sickness? It doesn’t matter how comfortably she had dressed, or how attentive the flight attendants were, or how delicious the food was— ___ walked off of the landing strip probably looking exactly as she felt (read: terrible). 

Luckily, the good thing about airports was that she wasn’t the only one. No one paid her any mind, too worried about themselves and finding their respective luggages and families to be giving some rando more than a passing glance. 

She was officially in Seoul, South Korea, and she couldn’t read a damn thing.

Okay— slight exaggeration. Most of the signs had English (and Spanish, and Chinese, and Japanese) translations beneath the larger blocks of Korean, but her damn near-blind ass missed that the first time around. 

The airport looked as airports tended to look— large, modern, and clean. There was a beautiful netting of glass in the ceiling that let gentle rays of sunlight in. The walls were similarly comprised of the netting design and slanted outwards, away from all of the passengers. Statues and abstract constructions divided the masses. People from all walks of life milled around, looking for their luggage or anxiously waiting for their plane to arrive.

Incheon International Airport, Terminal One, Flight DL27. ___ reminded herself over and over of the number of where she would go for Baggage Claim, scanning the area and mumbling slightly to herself. She adjusted her dark shades and hefted her purse (her only carry-on) higher onto her shoulders, following the crush of fellow passengers into the depths of the fragile looking place. 

There were a lot of people walking around with black facemasks and shades on, so she was glad that she wasn’t the only shady-looking sista walking around. Inwardly snorting at her own pun, ___ nearly walked past her destination. 

It was honestly this part of each trip that gave her the most anxiety— that is, waiting for her suitcase to come around on the conveyor belt.

She had heard and read multiple horror stories about too many passengers never recovering their luggage. Either stolen, lost, or dropped from the airplane itself— if it could go wrong, it went wrong. But it’s not like hers’ is particularly interesting to look at. It was a simple, standard black. Only a red, knotted ribbon tied around the handle marked it as her own.

Ten minutes of fretful bag checking later, ___ finally found it. She gave a silent sigh of relief and turned towards the exit. Then, her anxiety flared right back up when she realized that she would have to hail a taxi to get to her destination. 

Honestly, her people-meter was getting a little bit too full for her to actually be initiating direct human interaction right now. 

But she would persevere! Even if her persistence could use a bit of work, she’s faked confidence enough times to make it. 

Getting a taxi to stop for her was like pulling teeth. By the time that she had stuffed her menial baggage into the trunk and clambered into the front seat, her temper had risen a few notches. She’s had a long two days. The flight wasn’t kind on her stomach or her sleep schedule— not to mention the fact that she felt disgusting. A shower sounded so nice right now… She didn’t want to be on the streets any longer than she had to be, dammit!

Donning her ‘Customer Service’ voice (as she liked to call it), she politely rattled off her destination to the driver in Korean. He was on the younger side for the profession (at least, from what she’s seen), with neatly laid dark hair and slightly tanned skin. His dark eyes constantly shifted from the road to her when they were stopped for traffic, but he luckily seemed to sense her mood as he did not say anything more than the polite initial greeting. 

All in all, it was a 30 minute drive filled with determinedly unawkward silence. ___ sent a quick text to her employer to inform them that she would be at the house in a bit, then sent another to her mother to let her know that she touched down safely. Almost immediately, her phone began to buzz.

Rolling her eyes, ___ answered. “Good morning to you too, Ma.” She said as her full lips tilted up in amusement. Upon hearing the English, the driver sent another glance in her direction.

“Hey, baby! It’s night time for us right now (we just got finished eating dinner). How was your flight?” Her mother’s voice gave a slightly tinny echo as she spoke, and the sound of shifting fabric clued ___ in to the fact that she, indeed, was probably on the toilet.

“Tiring. I forgot to buy Dramamine, so it was a fun time for me.” She switched hands with her phone so that she could look out of her window more comfortably. Little snatches of the city flashed by before they turned into a slightly more residential area. The houses here were large and gated, yet closely located. “How is everyone doing? No-one dead yet, right?”

Her mother snorted. “Yet is correct. Turns out, ya’ sister got herself a lil boyfriend—” ___ had to stifle her laugh before she gave herself away, “— and ya’ daddy wasn’t too happy when he found out. Her fast ass is sitting in her room right now, phone taken and everything. Woulda’ gotten an ass whoopin if we found anything triflin’ in it, but she’s clean.” Yeah, only because of her advice. No sending nudes back and forth, no secret folders dedicated to trifling shit, and no conversations going further than normal teen-girl gossip. Those were her three cardinal rules to sneaking around with a boy, and it seems that her little sister had done well to heed them.

“And the lil’ boy? Anyone we know?” ___ asked, playing along. If her parents found out she already knew about him, her ass would be grass, too. 

“Yes!” Ma exclaimed frustratedly. The driver jumped at the sudden loud sound in the otherwise silent car. “That nigga, Devin. Lives a block down from us? You know the one.” She gave the appropriate gasp at the news while rolling her eyes. Devin was a sweet boy who had a good future ahead of himself. There was no goddamn way she would waste her painstakingly gathered advice on someone who wasn’t good for her sister.

“Dam— I mean, wow. You think you know the people you live around...” She caught herself quickly before she cursed. Even halfway across the world, her fear of her ma’s wrath was still very, very healthy.

“I heard that, but I’ll let it slide this time.” Her mother’s tone was amused despite her previous outrage. 

“Anyways, as I was saying… I don’t see anything wrong with Devin. He was a nice boy, last time I talked to him.” From the cover of her shades, ___ watched the driver watch her from the corner of his eye. The car began to slow.

“Tell that to ya’ daddy. He—” Ma began to rant as ___ pulled the phone away from her ear. 

“How much do I owe you?” She asked quietly, hands dropping to rummage through her purse for her wallet as she cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder. “—Alright, Ma. Imma have to call you back. We just pulled up to the house and I gotta get situated.”

Handing the driver the appropriate amount of Won, they both left the car to remove her luggage from his trunk. “Okay, sweetie. Love you! Call me again when you get settled in.” Her mother echoed as she mouthed a quick ‘Thank you,’ with a shallow bow.

“Gotcha. Love you, too! Bye.” She hung up and grabbed the handle of her suitcase, making it extend before dragging it behind her towards the house that they had stopped in front of.

She couldn’t really see anything past the high, brick walls and iron gate. Spotting an intercom, she quickly checked her reflection in her phone’s camera before she could press the button to call her employer.

Removing her silk head-scarf, she found that her high puff had held up reliably under it. She quickly stuffed it into her purse and pulled out her glasses case to place her shades in. Shoving that back in, too, she smoothed out her black jeans and checked for stains on her yellow top. It was only after assuring that her face was, indeed, clean that she rang the buzzer.

A red light blinked on before a voice answered. So there was a security camera for surveillance? Good. “Good morning! You must be ___, right?” Her voice was smooth and low, like velvet. It hinted towards an older age, especially when compared to the commonly high pitched tones of the youth.

“Yes, good morning.” ____ stepped back slightly to bow. The gate unlocked with a soft click, and she made her way up the driveway. She could only see one car at the moment, but from the size of the house— no, mansion—, she was sure that a lot more were probably in the garages (yes, plural).

The mansion was a modern white with a lot of windows to let in natural light. The lawn was cleanly cut and the rich, emerald grass shined with small droplets of morning dew. There was actually a surprising amount of yard space, which was ideal for pets and children. The only thing that she would be needing to worry about this trip was a dog and some plants, though.

Little solar-powered lights lined the walkway that ___ walked down. They looked nothing like the one-dollar versions from the Dollar Store, and definitely cost a lot more, too. She climbed a few stone steps to reach the porch. On either side of a dark-wooded door, two gold vases stood guard. They were almost as tall as her and intricately carved with little, delicate flowers. The welcome mat that she stood upon was a sensible dark brown and had a looping Welcome swirled across the front in white. 

She rang the doorbell and patiently waited.

A few moments passed before the door sprung open. The lady that answered was small and adorable in her old age. Her dark hair was sprinkled with white streaks, and her large, dark eyes were creased with laugh lines. The same lines were also wrinkled around her mouth, but they did not take away from the traditional beauty that she still held. Her cheeks were rounded and scattered with pink, and her skin was the color of milk. She was dressed in a fashionable black pantsuit and wore black pumps that boosted her height. 

“Good morning!” ___ bowed lowly with a sweet smile. Her eyes, large and slightly too round to truly be almond shaped, disappeared into crescents. With her face transformed so cutely by just a single smile, one would find it hard to believe that ___ had a mean, mean resting bitch face that, when combined with her not inconsiderable height, gave her a naturally intimidating demeanor.

Endeared, the woman bowed back. “Please, come in.” She invited, stepping aside and letting ___ and her suitcase drag in. 

***

She was still getting situated in the guest room when the door slowly creaked open.

Though she couldn’t see anything from where she was seated on the bed, the tell-tale pattern of claws clicking against the hardwood floor cued her in to who was entering— Mickey, a cute, little Shih-Tzu breed with floppy ears and a brown and white coloring. Despite the fact that he was male, Mickey had two tiny, powder-blue bows woven around his ears. His matching sweater creased slightly as he padded towards her.

“Hi, sweetie!” ___ cooed, reaching down to give him a gentle pat on the head, “Are you looking for some company now that Grandma isn’t in?” 

Mickey had been (surprisingly) very calm upon his introduction towards ___. He barely reacted (outside of a few weak wags of his fluffy tail) to her squealings of how cute he was. Perhaps it was behavior that he was used to.

He settled down onto the carpet next to her bed, the ideal spot for her to reach down and pet him if she wanted to. It was a good move on his part, because that was exactly what she wanted to do. 

___ was a huge dog lover— in fact, she just loved cute, fluffy animals in general. Cats, llamas, sheep— you name it. She tolerated reptiles, and if she had to handle insects, it was usually with gloves and a healthy bit of distance. 

The moral of the story is that she adored fur-babies, and until Mickey’s owner came to pick him up or his Grandma came back home, Mickey was her dog.

a/n: Thank you all for reading the first chapter! I really hope you liked it. The fun stuff starts next chapter, so please stay tuned! I have so much planned *evil laughter*

[gen-z-student-quotes]

Heres a ton of quotes from my high school

Student 1: “I had a leg up on her but you saw how that turned out…” Student 2: “How did you have a leg up?”


S1: “She knew my great grandpa.” S2: “And how old is he?” S1: “He’s dead.” S2: “Oh…” Student: I thought I just took a human life. S1: “I need one that’ll hold all eight of my children.” S2: “I thought you had like twenty?” S1: “…I killed them.” S1: “Click it real fast!” S2: “NO! Thats illegal in the state of the United States!” Science Teacher: It’s time for Duggie to get frisky. Band Director: “Who has the Kubasa?” Student: “Im a kubasa!” BD: “You’re not a sausage.” Science Teacher: “Third rock from the sun.” S1: “Jupiter…right?” S2: “….NO!” Librarian: Maybe its possessed by satan. BD: Tuba or not tuba. Student: Tuesday is the best day of the week for some unknown reason other than the fact that it’s Tuesday. Science Teacher: My head is very foggy today and the drugs haven’t helped. Don’t quote me on that. Student: “How should parents handle a bad report card?”


Spanish Teacher: “Death.” Student: Aaron, move your penis out of the way. I need to get water. Student: Do I really want to go to medical school or am I subconsciously trying to impress my parents? Thats a secret I don’t even know. Im always having a crisis. XOXO, Family Disappointment S1: “Something fun to hit.” S2: “On.” S1: “That was stupidly smooth and I hate you for it.” Student: “Called the Scuds.” Spanish Teacher: “Hah. This gets worse the more you talk.” Student: I got through middle school via sleep deprivation and self deprecation. Student: I’m high bi and ready to die but I’m single and too focused on getting into a good university to mingle so cross cross applesauce do me a favour and just get lost Student: Im here Im queer and i'm full of existential fear. Student: Im single but I’m too afraid of rejection to mingle. Student: Im not a jellyfish… (quietly) I’m a human. Student: I went to bed at 9:30 last night. I am THRIVING! Student: I don’t know why but I have a weird fear of Catholics. Student: This band is the beginning of a porno I swear. X15 Student: Tea is just leaf juice and its gross. Student: Coffee is just bean juice so- S1: “Whats wrong with murder?” S2: “A lot of things Emilee- Theres a lot of thing wrong with murder.” Student: You called me a ginger yesterday. I will give you gingivitis. Student: “How do you do it?” English Teacher: “Most of us are medicated” S1: *barks and growls* S2: Silence you furry. Science Teacher: “Potassium.” Student: “Bananas” Student: Quit! You got fry dust in my eye! Student: See if your Armor of God protects you now. Science Teacher: I hit 190 pounds and I felt like a toad. Science Teacher: “It was really a cool feeling.” Student: “Was that a pun?” Science Teacher: “…Frosty.” S1: “Moment.” S2: “I’ve been singing that wrong my entire life! I thought it was woman!” S1: *Turning around in rolling chair* “Wait- repeat what you just said.” Student: Why did you draw a burning Elmo? Creative Writing Teacher: “The ‘H’ word” Student: “Hell?” CW Teacher: “nO!” S1: “Who said I ruined the peanut butter sandwich? It is now a cockroach peanut butter sandwich.” S2: “Ewww” S1: “Crunchity munchity.” Student: *while walking out of class* See you all in therapy. Student: *while walking back in* Hello guys, its just your neighborhood disappointment. Science Teacher: “Are you talking to your stomach?” Student: “Yeah..” Science Teacher: “Thats weird.” Student: “What are you dressed up as?” Spanish Teacher: “The bitch that I am.” Student: Im gonna name my kids gonorrhea. No, Crabs Brown. Student: Suck my strap on. Student: Its pronounced DIK DIK! Student: I’m gonna drink lead. Student: Mrs. Bustle, do you know what gonorrhea feels like? Science Teacher: Thats the stupid molecule at work again! Vice Principle: No reason to go outside today. Its cold… rainy….. I don’t want you to get sick. You can go outside during the bonfire. Where it will be cold and rainy! Student: I walk around the house with a non-binary flag on my ass. Student: This tea would taste a lot better if I was on a deserted island. Student: Our generation are the ones who ate tide pods. Natural Selection is coming for us. Student: It all started with Harambe. Student: Its my turn on the brain cell!   Math Teacher: I had no expectations but you still disappointed me. Science Teacher: The cool thing about rocks is that you can throw them at your friends. Animal Care Teacher: Remember! Don’t flush the hamsters! Student: The toothbrush water isn’t the same. Band Director: I will tear out your liver! Student: *In spanish* You’re a whorehey. Student: I’m a complement to have in your life. *Seconds later* Can I jump out the window now? Student: *Walks in the room* I think my phone just shit itself. Student; Half of them were in serious relationships- wait, that makes me sound like a hoe. S1: “It was something you used to be obsessed with.” S2: “Oh…..Depression.” S1: “Are these eyeballs?”


S2: “Uhhh duh.” S1: “Why were they in the microwave?” S2: “I was doing an experiment!”


Student: I WILL beat your ass. Student: I’d probably go out and stand in the middle of the hallway, mocking them. Student while pushing themselves across the floor: Slither slither… *louder* Slither slither.. *louder* I’m a snake. Slither slither SSSssssSShksssks Student: I want to turn my finger nails into potato chips. I want to dip them in hot grease and flavor them barbecue. Student: *In a terrible Russian accent.* Close the door! I don’t want my toes to be turned into popsicles! Vice Principle: Today we are having food…I’m not sure what it is but it’s food. S1: “Ok boomer.”


S2: “I’m not a boomer I’m a Leo!” Student: Are you looking at Reindeer privates? Student: The shit you see at 4am in *Insert Town Name* is very interesting.

- I think it's really cool when you guys send us these 🖕

[haileybwilliams-blog-blog]

April 9, 2021

Jonas,

  I laugh to myself when first opening your letter email because it feels like somehow we've unintentionally joined a 7,371 mile-away book club. I ordered When Things Fall Apart shortly after you told me about it and dove in a few weeks ago. This concept of hope precedes me and I'm curious how this idea and your thoughts on it continue to take form. I'm also curious what your days look like, the kinds of people you've met and the different perspectives you've probably been building and rebuilding since you left. That being said, I can't wait to hear more about the tidbits when you have the time and space to share them.

As for this hope debacle, my initial reaction is to agree. Yes, hoping for one's self alludes to their own unsatiated place of discontent in where they reside... but it makes me wonder if hope (or even a wish) for another could be a different debacle all together. It makes me wonder if this wish would instead hold positivity and ambition for someone else. Maybe hoping for another makes sense because you don't know the inner workings of their current state of mind so holding a space of hope for someone else, even if it's only a wish that their current state is present and well, could be inherently good. Pema Chodron doesn't talk about that (or maybe she does and I haven't gotten there yet), but I'm curious as to what her stance on having hope for someone else would be.

I keep seeing these gosh dang red cardinals. And when I say keep seeing I mean KEEP SEEING. You won't believe this but as I'm sitting in my bed writing this, feeling the warmth of the sun as it starts to sprinkle light onto the trees outside my window, a small, chirpy guy has landed right within my line of sight. I just laugh to myself again because at this point that's the only reaction that will suffice. Could it be that there's just a fuckton of cardinals around at the beginning of spring? Absolutely. But hey, this is my world to interpret.

A few weeks ago, but more specifically a week before the dress-like-a-dad birthday barbecue, I found myself continually reaching for meaning in these cardinals. Which reminds me of the Tibetan word re-dok, a combination of the words meaning hope and fear. Chodron writes "In the world of hope and fear, we always have to change the channel, change the temperature, change the music, because something is getting uneasy, something is getting restless, something is beginning to hurt, and we keep looking for alternatives." And I realized... this searching, or hoping rather,  to find meaning in one of these little red encounters all came down to restlessness. It all came down to a combination of hope for better and fear of not enough that led me to search for alternatives in the life I was living. It sent me on a mental quest for some kind of reason to make a call that I already knew my intuitive self wanted to make. I'll spare the details, but in short – I ended things with Alec. I'm not sure if I'd shared this previously but we were on that whole official, 7th-gradeesque boyfriend/girlfriend terms thing. Oof. There were cardinals left and right (one landed at my dang feet as I walked down 36th street one day I almost squeeshed the little bugger!). All the while there might not be meaning to any of it. But I think the curiosity for it, the drawing in, the reflection, the time spent pondering and all that comes with it is what makes it worth the time. In the end, all that humbo jumbo of signs and interpreting them aside, it was just me asking for my intuition to come forward. Even as I'm writing this though, I'm starting to see that hearing my intuition isn't the hardest part anymore. It's actually listening and choosing to act from it.

Since then it feels like the flood gates have opened. Or maybe they've only begun to crack at the edges, spilling water over the sides of the walls my conditioning has built around me. I guess I'll never be able to gauge the amount that feels to be transforming at the time because there always seems to be more to uncover. Either way, it looks like your birthday wish made its way here. Maybe it attached to your email and traveled through however the heck emails travel through the emailverse, but that's exactly how I spent my day – just allowing for what is. Being that it was Easter, the world around me seemed both happy and quiet all at once as folks spent time with their families and it seemed like the outside world melted away for a bit. I intentionally spent the majority of my day alone, but not lonely (because we all know those are two different concepts), walked to a park to read at sunset, then cooked my first fun meal in ages, all sparking what feels like the beginning of an internal forest fire. As simple as this day was, I hope it was an indicator of how 26 looks. I'm questioning everything these days, engulfed in a state of bringing forth new ways and letting go of old. It's exhausting or ye tang che to strip oneself of bits of an identity that my defensive parts have clung so longingly to. But it's also exciting. My yoga instructor recently said "Fear is excitement without the breath." And so I've decided to step into this next unknown chapter with excitement while gently reminding myself to breathe. I laugh in the face of danger mwahahaHA (an image of little Simba in lion king that I seldom forget).

I've laughed a lot writing this. Not in the "haha" way but in a way that feels funny in it's own right (and not only because of all the run-on sentences). Chodron has me thinking a lot about words and their definitions (because let's be honest, the English vocabulary isn't very creative) which has me thinking a lot about inventing new words. I'm searching for a word that means "to laugh at something with appreciation for materializing in spot-on alignment" This is how I laughed when I opened up Ashley's book of knots, rope dangling in hand and eager to somehow soak up the pages and regurgitate their forms with a quick over-under maneuver. In conclusion - knots are freakin hard. But I'm knot gonna stop trying (ey ey, you know the drill). Thank you for my birthday wish and thank you for my books and rope kit, I (insert new word here) at their timing and intention. You just wait, ya hear – I'm gonna be king-of-tying-knots, you-want-your-knots-tied-you-go-to-him good by the time you get back.

P.s. I attached the meditation (along with a photo of Mooji's happy lil caterpillar face) that I listened to this morning when I woke up. I'm not sure what kind of audio you have access to or if this clip will even load but heck I thought I'd give it a shot to sharing. In this mediation, Mooji talks about starting your day at 0 before you start "counting' or "bringing in the thoughts and places and others of the world. First, be with yourself and who you are before the rest rushes in." I realized that this is why I've enjoyed the mornings more than the nights these days, soaking up every ounce of the time I have before the rest of the world rushes and bringing with it waves of unknown (there's a sailing pun out there for everything isn't there?).

Sending you hugs often. I know that all of us Tom Hanks folks back home are sending our love in addition to the cheery "You've Got Mail" dings accompanied by words of support for your journey. They might get to you faster if only you were running the old bookshop across the street. Speaking of streets, if you somehow get an address let us know.

Love,

  Hailey B.

[staywhelmedbatfam]

Impromptu Valentine

~Dick Grayson/OC~

Summary: No one should be ditched on Valentine’s Day. Written for the 2019 Valentine’s Contest on Wattpad.

First of all, credit to @evinist​ for the picture shown above. Second of all, I only used an OC because I submitted this into the Wattpad contest listed in the summary. I fully encourage you to ignore the name and insert your own! Third of all, I wrote this based on the two pages of DC Comic’s Young Romance: The New 52 Valentine’s Day Special shown below.

Also, I’m sorry for the amount of pictures mixed in with this... lol.

“Whether we deserve this or not, whether these turn out to be the darkest days of our lives or the brightest happiness, we’ve been guided by love. How can we go wrong when we’re guided by love.”

– Morgan Parker

Before she’d gone to work that morning, Delia laid out the outfit she was going to wear for her date tonight. She picked out a merlot colored dress with black lace that stopped around near the knee and paired it with some black heels that had a bow. Her date was supposed to pick her up at seven, but she’d managed to finish getting ready a little early. When the time rolled around, he hadn’t shown up yet.

“He’s just running late,” she told herself and sat down on the couch to wait.

Digging her phone out of her purse, she played a game and went through emails while watching the clock. Ten minutes passed, then another ten. At that point, her shoulders drooped and she slumped into the couch.

“I’ve just been stood up… on Valentine’s Day of all days.” She paused a moment before declaring, “What a jerk!” The guy who was supposed to be her date had been the one to ask her out. Unfortunately, the two of them worked in the same office building, albeit on different floors. Although, it was a small building so she wouldn’t be surprised if she saw him in passing.

Pushing herself off the couch, she shrugged on her peacoat and left her apartment. Delia climbed up the stairs to the roof of the building and roughly shoved open the door, fuming enough that the freezing cold temperature against her bare legs didn’t even faze her. Upon reaching the ledge, she cleared a spot of snow to place her hands on it and released a sigh.

This spot had a great vantage point to look out at the city, especially when the sun was setting. Seeing the lights of the city at night was a close second though and what she’d have to settle for tonight. Either way, it always had a way of calming her down. Someone cleared their throat, causing her to jump and make Delia aware of their presence behind her.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone would be up here,” she said, warily as she took in the masked figure after turning to face him.

He waved the apology off. “No reason to apologize. I’m sure you live here. I was just using the rooftop to wait on someone who never showed.”

“You too?” The man raised an eyebrow as she let out a brief laugh and turned back to face the skyline. “I was supposed to be out on a date right now… Well, you can see how that ended.”

A sour smile graced her lips which soon disappeared when a gloved hand stretched out towards her. She hesitantly reached out to shake it.

“Nightwing.” This guy was Nightwing? Delia had heard of the vigilante before but had never seen him until now.

“Delia Kolter.”

He grinned. “Since neither of us has valentines, would you like a pizza my heart?” She gave him a confused look until he kneeled to pick up a pizza box and opened it up to reveal a heart-shaped pizza.

Laughing and shaking her head at the ridiculous pun, she replied with one of her own. “That pun was really cheesy, but why not?”

“And she makes puns! Something else we have in common!” Nightwing stood from his kneeling position and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “This looks like the beginning of a very punny friendship.”

“It’s pretty cold out, do you want to come in?” she offered.

Even though his suit was insulated and the cold wasn’t bothering him, he remembered seeing her bare legs earlier when she walked onto the roof and agreed. She had to be freezing. If he had a blanket or something, he would have given it to her by now.

By the time the two pizzas were diminished down to a couple slices, the clock read 10:30. The two of them enjoyed each other’s company and could’ve let the night drag on if Nightwing didn’t have to get back to his patrol.

“We should do this again sometime. See you later, Delia,” he called out right before he used one of the windows to leave her apartment.

“Bye!” she shouted after him as she stood at the window, hoping he could still hear her. Delia watched him swing out to the next rooftop before he disappeared from her line of sight. The man was fast on his feet, that’s for sure.

Thinking back to the conversation on the roof, she remembered one thing that he said. This looks like the beginning of a very punny friendship. It bothered her. At the time when he said it, it didn’t matter all that much. In the three hours that she’d spent with him, she realized that she wanted more than just a friendship. He was sweet, charming, and made her laugh a lot. He was everything she looked for in a guy and more.

Suddenly, she saw him return and stop right outside the still open window. In a split second, he took her face into his hands and kissed her. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss. Nightwing pulled away.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Delia.” He smiled at her and then took off into the night again, leaving her dazed and wondering what the heck just happened.

***

That day stood out in her memory as if it had just happened yesterday. It’s been exactly a year since then. What surprised her the most during that time was how often Nightwing stopped by to see her. It didn’t matter where she was either. He always knew where he could find her. Although, the visits to anywhere other than her apartment were usually short due to a lack of assured privacy.

The two of them had grown very close over the course of that year. Neither one of them put a label on their relationship, too nervous to bring it up to the other. So, yes, this was one of those times when she had to tell people ‘it’s complicated’ if they asked about the man she’s always gushing about. Her closest friends finally gave up when month three came along and also stopped asking for his name. They wouldn’t have believed her if she told them anyway.

Despite the fact that they hadn’t officially defined their relationship yet and Delia had no clue who Nightwing was under the mask – and wonderfully form-fitting suit – the time they spent together felt like they were dates. Who kisses their friend hello, goodbye, and just because? They’d get cozy together, huddled up on her couch while watching TV. When her birthday came around, he even bought her jewelry. No, not the kind that sits on a shelf or in the middle of an aisle at a department store. The kind that gets put in a locked display case and all sorts of alarms go off if someone were to break the glass of said display case.

A knock on her door brought her out of reminiscing about the past year, urging her to stop folding laundry and go see who it was. After pulling the door open, a man she didn’t recognize stood before her with flowers in one hand and the other curled into a fist.

“Hi, can I help you?” Delia was on the defense. There was no telling what he could have been hiding in his fist. Her mind ran wild with different possibilities of things that could be concealed in a fist that could potentially harm her – a paring knife, a razor blade, a… ring? What? The man held a ring between his forefinger and thumb while bending down on one knee.

“Delia,” he started off. This freaked her out even more. How did this guy know her name? “Love will take us where we’re supposed to go, good or bad. I know we’ll be okay either way because it’s the path meant for us. I love you and that’s why I’m making this promise to one day kneel in front of you again, my Flamebird.” That nickname made her freeze.

One night, she’d asked Nightwing how he’d chosen his name and he told her the Kryptonian tale of Nightwing and Flamebird. Following that conversation, he started calling her his ‘Flamebird.’ It all made sense now and this person in front of Delia was no longer some creepy guy that showed up at her door.

Eyes widening, she pulled him into her apartment and shut the door. “Okay, first of all, not the best conversation to have in the middle of the hallway when my neighbors like to be nosy and second,” she stopped talking in favor of grabbing his face and connecting her lips to his. “It’s nice to know the face behind the mask, but may I have a name?”

He grinned at the response and answered, “Richard Grayson. Although, most people just call me Dick.”

“Well, Dick Grayson… I love you too.” A twinkle abruptly appeared in her eyes. “Does this mean we can finally go on dates outside of my apartment?”

“Absolutely. I actually have a family dinner coming up this weekend, would you want to go… as my girlfriend?”

“Of course!”

***

The day of the dinner arrived and Dick parked the car in front of a mansion. Her jaw dropped at the sheer size and exterior elegance of the home.

Dick rang the doorbell and when the door opened, a butler greeted them, “Welcome back, Master Dick. Miss Delia, it’s lovely to meet you. We’ve heard so much about you.”

“Delia, this is Alfred.” She gave a quick hello before Alfred ushered them both inside out of the cold. He led them towards the kitchen, a heavenly scent filling the space and ingredients laid out on the marble countertop.

Her boyfriend took a seat at the island, encouraging her to follow suit, and then inquired, “Where’s Bruce?”

While answering, Alfred never looked up from the cutting board where he was dicing vegetables. “Master Wayne had to answer an important business call just before you arrived.”

She snapped her head in Dick’s direction. “You didn’t tell me your dad was Bruce Wayne,” Delia whispered harshly, nerves rapidly kicking in. He’d only told her first names on the way here and when Alfred said ‘Master Wayne,’ she put two and two together.

“You’ll be fine, trust me,” he reassured. Sure enough, he was right and the evening ended on a good note.

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[ichigopanhpff]

BNHA Fic: Blink! Ch. 24

Read Ch. 23 | Masterlist

Hope everyone had a good holiday season and a great New Year! The next few chapters will be posted sporadically. I need to concentrate on finding a new job the next few months.

As fun as it is to write “Blink!”, I’ve been finding the lack of motivation to post since it’s not getting much reads. This was to be expected considering it’s not a reader insert and it takes place in S4.

The grandiose ball room was brightly lit with a crystal chandelier at the center, with decorative sconces symmetrically placed on every wall that wasn’t a full on window with breathtaking views of the Tokyo nightscape. Waiters dressed in white jackets and black vests served glasses of champagne, cocktail and hors d'oeuvres to the self-important adults chatting away incessantly with some top tier heroes and other ambassadors. A live 3-piece jazz band could be heard playing to give the party some ambiance. Ren spotted her mom talking with Aizawa and two other unknown faces.

“I guess I should go say hi,” Ren sighed. “Let’s meet back at this spot in an hour, then we dip. I really want that ramen.”

“It’s a plan.” Seri gave her a thumbs up and all the luck, watching her friend walk off.

“Kubo-senpai...” Todoroki softly called. “About what we were talking about before...”

She looked up at the red and white haired boy, her gaze falling more on the cautious side.

“While it’s true I need to sort out how I feel about Ren-senpai, please know I intend to be honest and the last thing I want to do is hurt her in any way. And… I really do care about her. It’s not much, but that’s the most reassurance I can give you at this time.”

Seri softened her expression at Todoroki and sighed, closing her eyes in understanding. “You two really are alike. She’s doing the same with you.”

“Is… she?”

Seri watched Ren’s side profile in the group of adults, looking attentive to their conversation. “So, does she know your story?”

“The timing was never there,” Todoroki said. “But I get the feeling she knows some parts already based on what I could tell her.”

“It should come from you, not from her assumptions.”

“Seri. There you are,” a man’s deep voice called, making her let out a soft, tired breath from her lips.

“The shackles are here in the form of my father,” the owl-faced girl lamented. “See you in an hour, Todoroki-kun.”

And then there was one.

Casually walking around, he grabbed an hors d'oeuvre from a moving platter and took a small bite, immediately grimacing at the sudden taste of freezer burn. Quickly finding a napkin, he vacated the vile item from his mouth onto it and balled it up in his fist. He now understood why both his upperclassmen were looking forward to ramen. Looking around the room, he recognized a few heroes, even though they weren’t in costume.

Was this what being a pro hero is?

Rubbing elbows with powerful people who do nothing but desk work and mindless chatter?

No wonder his father didn’t like coming to these events.

Having other important government people and heroes approach him in the span of half an hour, he politely excused himself and made his way out to the restroom to center himself.

He is representing Endeavor, the number one hero of Japan, after all; he’ll have to be at these events again when he’s older. As annoyed as he was to be here, at least he’s able to get some form of experience from this. Plus, the company helped.

After a series of extremely mind-numbing adult conversations about the current state of government policies on heroes and such, Ren was able to recuse herself to get some air. The moment the door gently slammed shut, she walked a few steps and let out a huge breath while taking off her draped blazer and slid down the wall.

Were she to do this for another second, she’d literally suffocate. She was mentally reminding herself she’s doing this for the ramen

 And it was damn well worth it.

“Senpai?”

She looked up to see Todoroki.

“Are you okay?”

“Just taking a breather.” She patted the carpeted floor to get him to sit next to her, to which he did. “How are you doing?”

“The food is horrible and these shoes pinch my toes,” the bi-colored haired boy groaned out.

“Tell me about it.” She lifted her right foot up to show her 3-inch pumps.

The two chuckled listlessly and sighed, letting the serene silence sit. The two closed their eyes.

“Ren-senpai?” “Hm?”

“If you’re not too tired tonight, do you have some time… to talk?”

Ren slowly opened her eyes to turn her head to Todoroki, who still has his closed.

“Um… sure.”

A short beat soon after, he slowly stood back up and patted his backside off from any possible dirt from the carpet.

“I guess we should head back in.”

“Do we have to?” she whined and slowly made moves to stand. The duo-quirk wielding boy held his hand out for her to grab for support, to which she accepted.

“Unfortunately, yes. They’ll notice we’re missing.”

Standing back up with a short grunt and feeling the pressure on the balls of her feet, she dusted herself off before thanking him. As they turned to go back in, a deep voice called out to Ren.

“Shit...” she mumbled out and furrowed her brows with drooped shoulders before turning to meet three tall and sharply dressed boys who looked older than her.

“You know them?”

“That’s… one way of putting it.”

“Thought that fine ass was you, Takahiro,” the boy with messy black hair and glasses arrogantly belted out and looked her up and down with lecherous desire. “Damn, you filled out nicely.”

“And hello to you too, Edogawa,” the pink haired girl greeted in a terse, monotone voice.

Behind him stood two more boys; one was tall and boxy with his brown hair done up in a pompadour, the other a slender build with his blue hair in a swooping quiff. They were all wearing expensively tailored black suits with their own accessories. “Goto, Hattori. You two look well.”

Hate is often a very strong word she would never use other than on Chisaki Kai; but she hated these three boys with a passion.

Edogawa Ken. Goto Daiki. Hattori Kyosuke. The sons of three high-ranking embassy officials. Having been childhood friends, they were thick as thieves by the time they could walk, talk and quirk. Some would say they were the male counterparts of her, Seri and Tomoe; only difference was they were extremely rich assholes.

Todoroki was quick to catch on as to who they were: The Preppy Posse.

“Heard you got into U.A., Takahiro,” Hattori remarked with a snobbish tone. “Tryin’ to be a hero with that weak ass quirk of yours?”

“She’s already one,” Todoroki stepped in to defend her honor. “She has her provisional license.”

“Oh, my apologies then, Miss Taka-hero,” the blue-haired boy mocked with a bow and chuckled at his own pun.

“Wow, they really give that shit out to anyone nowadays,” Goto sneered and crossed his arms. “The pro heroes must be desperate since All-Might retired, huh.”

Ren quickly gripped Todoroki’s forearm as he tried to lunge at them. He quickly turned to look at her lightly shaking her head, reminding him to not engage.

“You… Two-tone boy.” Edogawa took three steps toward him, analyzing his face. He put his hand up to cover up his right side and focused on his left only.

“Holy shit,” he chuckled out in disbelief and took two steps back. “You’re Endeavor’s kid.”

“And if I am?” His voice was deep and rough through gritted teeth. The gentle hetero-chromatic eyes Ren was used to seeing were now intensely harsh and cold, glaring at the ring leader.

“Bro, no disrespect.” The black-haired boy held his hands up in neutral. “Just an honor to meet the son of the number one hero, is all. No need for the fire, my dude.”

He held his hand out to shake as a friendly gesture, only to come up empty from the dual-quirk wielding boy.

“If you have no more business with us,” Ren quickly stepped in to diffuse the situation, keeping up with the curt act. “We really should be getting back to the party.”

As she spun and grabbed Todoroki by his wrist to make their escape, Akahiro immediately stretched his arm and grabbed her waist, yanking her away from the bi-colored haired boy. She forgot his quirk was Nobi Nobi* and inwardly cursed at herself for it.

This was going to be troublesome.

“Ah-ah,” the messy jet-black haired boy tutted with a menacing grin on his thin lips. “Actually, we have business with you. Personal. Business.”

He leaned in close enough to Ren to shy away to gain what little personal space she could get, catching a whiff of her sweet perfume.

“Ooh hoo, you even smell nice,” he growled out and flashed a toothy grin at her.

He hungrily licked his lips as his free hand stretched around and caressed her backside, forcing her closer to his body and felt something halfway hard press against her thigh. Todoroki was seething with rage.

“Let go of her!” he growled out and summoned ice in his right palm.

“Todoroki, stop,” Ren commanded. “Just stay calm.”

She made solid eye contact with him, mentally projecting him to trust her.

“Yeah, Todoroki. You should listen to her,” the boy jeered with venomous elation. “We’re in the Embassy building at the heart of Tokyo. You let your quirk loose here, your hero career will end faster than you can apologize. Not even your dear ol’ dad can help you out.”

Clicking his tongue in anger, his logical side kicking in to assess the situation, released the ice in his hand.

“What a good boy you are,” Edogawa commended in a vindictive manner before turning back to Ren, leering at her through half-lidded hungry eyes. His gaze then went further down and leered at her breasts, imagining all the things he was going to do with them.

He tilted her chin up at him and spoke softly in his deep voice. “Now, if you don’t want your mom to get in trouble with, say, having your asylum status revoked, you’ll be a good little kitten and come with us.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” she arrogantly stated with a matching smirk.

“Oh?” His interest was peaked. “And what makes you so sure?”

She leaned in and whispered, “Because I know about ‘Remedy.’”

The boy’s grin immediately dropped to a scowl. The hand wrapped around her back slipped to the front and roughly slammed her onto a nearby wall by her neck, knocking the wind out of her lungs and grunted.

“Senpai!” Todoroki exclaimed. As he made moves toward her, Goto and Hattori stood in between.

“Not so fast, lover boy,” Hattori tutted.

“You fucking bitch,” he growled out with dark, angry eyes. “How the fuck you find out ‘bout that?”

“Oh, I have my sources,” she laughed wryly through strained breath. Her rebellious hazel-green eyes didn’t leave his and saw panic flicker in his irises for a second. “You’ll let me go right now if you don’t want it leaked by accident at, say, an important event where mommy and daddy are at tonight.”

Growling with dissatisfaction at the fact this nobody damaged his pride, Edogawa crudely released his grip.

“We’re leaving,” the boy hastily barked. “They’re a waste of our time.”

Edogawa stomped off angrily, with Goto and Hattori following not too far behind. Todoroki immediately ran up and held onto her for support as she placed a hand on her chest and gasped out loud, lightly wretch coughing.

“That was reckless,” he scolded. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” she wheezed out and rubbed her neck. “Guys like that… You gotta use your brain rather than your quirk to beat ‘em.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I know something that’ll get him into a lot of trouble. Call it insurance.”

“Senpai… I’m glad you’re on our side,” he blurted out. “You’d be a pain to deal with as a villain.”

“I almost get choked out and that’s what you say?”

Ren could only chuckle as Todoroki huffed a sigh of relief from his lips and slowly drew her into a one armed hug. Her limbs stiffened up at his touch, stunned by his action.

“I couldn’t do anything to help...” he spoke into her shoulder, feeling his hot breath cascade down her arm. “I’m sorry...”

“But you did.” Ren relaxed and reached her right hand up to pet the back of his head, consoling him. “You trusted me.”

Before they could continue with their conversation, they were interrupted with someone clearing their throat. The two turned to see Seri staring intently at them with her yellow and black owl-like eyes with her hands on her hips. She was clearly unamused.

“This isn’t a love hotel, you know,” she flatly pointed out. Realizing how close they were to each other, Todoroki suddenly released her and looked away shyly, remembering their talk earlier. The owl-faced girl then noticed the now formed bruise on her right forearm and red marks around her neck.

“I-I’m gonna use the toilet real quick,” the pink haired girl muttered and sped walked into the bathroom.

“Todoroki...” Seri spoke in a growing dark voice. “What did you do?”

He inwardly panicked as her eyes started glowing and felt his body going numb.

“It’s not what you think,” he calmly explained. “The posse approached us.”

The girl immediately stopped and asked him to explain while Ren was fixing herself up to look presentable again.

“Those bastards...” she angrily hissed out as their friend emerged from the lavatory. “Ren, let’s go fuck ‘em up.”

“We don’t need to,” she calmly replied and went to pick her blazer up off of the floor to dust it off before draping it back on her shoulders. “I got collateral on one of them.”

“What kind?”

“I think I heard her say something called ‘Remedy’?” Todoroki spoke up.

Her eyes grew went wide when Ren’s train of thought quickly hit Seri.

“I hope you took extra precautions, you idiot,” her snow owl friend scolded.

“Of course I did,” Ren defensively huffed out as a matter of factly. “Who do you take me for?”

“I’m sorry.” The red and white haired boy interjected in confusion. “What are you two talking about?”

“Ren-Ren used the Dark Net to obtain her information,” Seri revealed and crossed her arms. The boy quickly glanced over at his upperclassman in shock. “Talk about high risk.”

“It was a calculated risk and it paid off,” she briskly corrected. “Would you rather have me end up being their plaything and calling ‘em ‘master’? I sure as hell don’t.”

“So what is ‘Remedy’ exactly?” Todoroki asked. “And why was Edogawa so scared by it?”

“Our lovely stretchy worm has been secretly investing in overseas quirk-boosters and playing the black market,” Ren explained in a hushed voice. “And here’s the kicker: the money’s partially from his inheritance to which he laundered through ill-gotten gains in other drugs and firearms. I’d say the only smart thing he did was doing it through an alias, but little did he realize the money trail he poorly covered up.”

“So why can’t we report him now and have him arrested?”

“Diplomatic immunity. That’s why,” Seri bitterly spat out and crossed her arms. “We need substantial physical evidence to catch him.”

“Gotta love government loopholes,” Ren irritably lamented and sighed. “You’ll learn quickly not everything’s black and white in their eyes, Todo-kun. As much as heroes think they’re in the right in dealing with villains and doing a service to law-abiding citizens, there are situations that call for dirtier tactics to justify the means. I’m sure Uncle All-Might and even your dad’s got stories to tell you about.”

“And this is the stuff school tries to shelter us from to prevent cynicism from spreading in the budding hero community,” the owl-girl mentioned. “It was inevitable for us due to our upbringing.”

“So why tell me about this?” the bi-coloured haired boy finally asked.

“Because you’re capable,” they both said in unison.

“You’re the type who calmly analyzes a situation in order to decide the best course of action,” Ren praised. “Like you did before with the posse.”

“And you’re well aware of your status so you don’t act brashly,” Seri added.

“You speak too highly of me.”

“You have two of your senpais acknowledging your intelligence, Todoroki-kun,” the snow owl girl firmly stated with a small smile. “Now’s not the time to be humble.”

“Anyway, we should head back in,” Ren finalized. “I’m sure our respective parents would’ve noticed we’re gone by now.”

“Hurray,” Seri unceremoniously cheered and rolled her eyes.

The boy stood by himself for a moment to collect himself from their words of encouragement, watching the two girls walk back to the ballroom entrance. Ren stopped in her steps and turned back to him.

“You coming?”

Rejoining the group, the three re-entered the ballroom without fanfare.

“Ren! There you are,” her mom called and walked up to her daughter, noticing the marks on her neck. “What happened there?”

“Huh? Oh! I think I may be allergic to the perfume I’m wearing,” she quickly fibbed. “Couldn’t stop scratching.”

“Be sure to get that checked out tomorrow okay?”

“’Course mom.”

“Seri,” Ren’s mom warmly greeted and drew the girl into a hug. “You doing well in U.A.?”

“Of course, Aunt Victoria,” the owl girl responded with a small smile after releasing. “Who else will keep Ren-Ren out of trouble?”

“I’m actually offended you see me as a problem child,” Ren feigned betrayal by splaying her right hand over her chest and fluttered her eyelashes.

“Oh and who may you be?” Victoria turned to Todoroki and asked. “I didn’t see you on the video call last time.”

“I’m Todoroki Shouto, ma’am,” he politely introduced himself with a light bow. “I’m here in representation of my father Endeavor tonight as he’s still recovering from his injuries. Very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Takahiro.”

“No need to be so formal, Shouto-kun,” Ren’s mom disregarded with a wave of her hand. “Victoria’s just fine.”

“T-Then I will greet you as you wish.”

“How is your father by the way? The injuries he sustained looked pretty serious,” she asked with genuine care in her tone. “I do hope he’s not pushing himself too hard.”

“Thank you for your kind words, but my father will be fine,” he reassured in an almost robotic manner. “He’s gone through worse scrapes.”

“While that’s true, I still do worry about all the pros out there...” The elder Takahiro trailed off and looked at her daughter. “You all put your lives on the line everyday and anything can happen that’ll turn a minor situation into a major one.”

“It’s an occupational hazard, mom,” Ren stated and rolled her eyes. “We’ve talked about this before.”

“I know but I still worry,” Victoria firmly stated and drew her kid by her waist to hug her.

All her daughter could do is sigh, knowing anything she’d say wouldn’t quell her doubts. As conversations continued, Ren noticed something amiss from her peripheral. Hattori came in stumbling about like he drank too much whisky; he was sweating profusely and tugged at his tie to get air, his eyes bloodshot. She quickly scanned the room and the other two were no where to be found. To prevent making a scene, Ren excused herself and stealthily approached him from the side.

“Hattori,” she called softly to catch his attention. “You okay there?”

All he could hear was gagging and she looked down to see his form hunched over and foaming at the mouth. She pulled his collar down to see a reddened puncture wound at his jugular and pulled him up to support his heavy frame.

“What did you take?” she whispered. “Get it together, man.”

“I-It’s a-a-all your fa-fault, Taka...hiro,” he stuttered out and slowly turned to meet her shocked expression. His eyes started gradually glowed red and charged up.

Oh shit.

She pushed him away in time as his eyes shot out lasers that hit the hangar loop of the chandelier. The decorative centerpiece snapped and made its way down, drawing party goers to run for cover as it crashed down with scattered crystals flying across the marble floor.

“This… is your doing, Takahiro!” Hattori huffed out and stared at her with glowing red eyes and shot at her again, not caring about the patrons around. The moment she dodged, Todoroki quickly created an ice wall in between the startled guests to absorb the laser attack. The slender boy roughly gripped his now messy blue hair and screamed, peeking the tip of his now blackened tongue.

She tapped her bangles to transform into T-clubs on instinct.

Seri immediately jumped to her left side and asked, “Hattori, is he...”

“He’s boosted,” she huffed out, watching the boy’s form wreath in pain and clawed at his chest.

“Leave this to us,” Aizawa came up from behind them and prepared his Capture Device. “Help with the evacuations.”

“He’s after me,” Ren stated. “I should take respon–”

“That doesn’t mean you ignore your other duties as a hero,” the ebony haired man firmly lectured and walked past her to shield the three U.A. students. “We’re the pros here, not you.”

Before the pink haired girl could even move, Hattori charged at full speed toward her, only to be intercepted by one of Fourth Kind’s brutish strength from two of his four arms.

“You’re not goin’ anywhere, young’un,” the four-armed hero gruffly spoke and rebounded his body back.

“Be careful of his quirk,” Ren warned. “His ability is to absorb attacks and recoil it in the form of kinetic energy through his eyes.”

“You kids and your troublesome quirks,” Aizawa blurted out and clicked his tongue. “Thanks for the intel. Now go.”

Ren knew they could handle it and gritted her teeth. Both Seri’s and Todoroki’s voices brought her back as they ran to assist Gang Orca and Kamui Woods with clearing the building before it went on lockdown. Within the maelstrom of panicked party goers, Ren found the back of her mom’s head.

She was safe.

One less thing to worry about.

Moments later, they were all out in the main driveway of the embassy building, all looking up in hopes of seeing what’s going on. Ren could only wait with baited breath and scanned the growing crowd for two certain boys.

“Ren,” Seri called with a hushed voice by her side. “Goto. Four o’clock.”

God bless Seri’s owl quirk. The pink haired girl gingerly moved backwards to not attract attention and immediately teleported behind the person of interest. He let out a light gasp upon feeling her locking his left wrist.

“Move and I snap it,” Ren spoke in the shell of his ear in a low voice. “You will answer my questions in the form of head nods. We clear?”

Goto swallowed thickly and nodded, with beads of perspiration rolling down his temple.

“Is there a booster in Hattori’s system?”

Goto nodded once.

“Did he inject it in himself?”

The stocky boy shook his head furiously.

“Is Edogawa still here?”

He hesitated to answer and saw his shoulders visibly shake.

“Is Edogawa responsible for this?”

The brown haired boy bit his lower lip and clenched his free hand into a fist, fighting crocodile tears. They were both his friends. He couldn’t possibly out them! A sudden thought crossed her mind: Could Hattori be involved with Remedy and this was a fallout situation?

“Goto, you need to tell me now,” Ren’s growled out. Her patience was running very thin. “The longer you hesitate, the more danger Hattori’s life will be in; he can die.”

The boy finally conceded and choked out, “After we left you, Ken… checked something on his phone. He was pissed about something he read and popped some kinda pills before getting into it with Kyo,” Goto whimpered. “Said something about being snitched on.”

“So he thought Hattori betrayed him.”

“Kyo didn’t know what he was talking about and next thing we knew, Ken...” He stifled his words and softly dry sobbed. “I’ve never seen him this angry before. The drugs he’s been taking’s been making him more paranoid than usual.”

“Do you know the booster dosage that’s in Hattori’s system?”

Goto furiously shook his head no.

“L-Look,” he stammered out. “I-I’m sorry for all the shit we said about you, but please...” The boy desperately pleaded. “Save Kyo. Because I can’t. Not with my quirk.”

Goto Daiki’s quirk is Machina, where he can communicate with and fix anything machine-based. As much as he hated it, it’s been proven useful in becoming the go-to I.T. person in his circle of friends and family, albeit annoying and tiresome. However, he can only activate this only if there’s something wrong with its functions and can’t hack.

Releasing his wrist, Ren said nothing more and zipped away from him to regroup with Seri and Todoroki. She didn’t like the boy, but you can’t fake that kind of desolation.

“Did you get anything out of Goto?” Seri hurriedly asked.

“Hattori and Edogawa had a fallout. Stabbed a booster in him, so we’re on borrowed time,” Ren summarized.

The penthouse windows immediately shattered, raining glass down below. Todoroki summoned a giant iceberg to shield the people from being hurt as they ran further away from the entrance. They saw a small dot jump out with the debris; it was Hattori.

“How are you at using your flames, Todo-kun?” Ren quickly asked.

“Not good enough to propel us mid-air to catch him.”

“But you can get into air?” Seri chimed in.

“Halfway.”

“Good enough. Let’s go.”

“Seri! You will stay here,” a booming voice rang out. The three turned to see a tall, portly man glowering down at them. It was her father.

“I don’t care what you think of my choices, father, but there’s a life that needs saving right now,” the owl-faced girl angrily snapped. “I need to be a hero.”

“Where you need to be right now is safe and away from harm,” he firmly demanded.

“Mr. Kubo, with all due respect, I need Seri,” Ren cut in. “Time’s of the essence and she’s essential to our plan.”

“Ren, let’s go,” Seri dismissed her father’s request and sped walked away to Todoroki’s side. “He’s too stubborn to understand.”

Her pink-haired friend stood stationary for a beat, facing her friend’s dad.

“Ren?” she called.

“She’s not as weak or fragile as you think she is, Mr. Kubo,” she softly spoke within an earshot, firmly meeting the man’s aged brown eyes with determination. “Watch her.”

Seri’s heart swelled with pride and purpose hearing her best friend’s praise. Rejoining the group, they made their way to the curved frozen structure the two-tone hair colored by created before. The two grabbed onto Ren’s shoulders and teleported them halfway up the ice.

The grayish white-haired girl closed her eyes and took a breath, spreading her arms out as they transformed into white spotted owl wings; her hands morphed into sharp, black talons. Reopening her yellow tinted eyes, they were focused and ready to go.

“That never gets boring to watch,” Ren gushed with a smirk. “Let’s go, Hedwig.”

“The name’s Athena, zippy,” she blurted out and flapped her wings a few times to prepare for take off. “So what’s the plan here?”

“Todo-kun’ll use his ice to restrain his movements and eyes while I try to knock him out cold. Your job’s to bring him down safely,” Ren briefed and tapped her bangles to transform them into T-clubs again.

“How will you get down?” she asked with concern.

“I’ll figure something out. He’ll be with me.”

Seri took a running start and flew up at an incredible speed, causing blow back from her wings. Ren shivered slightly only to feel something warm immediately envelop her.

“Your lag will get bad if you’re too cold right?” Todoroki held his flame engulfed left hand out to her. Ren hastily rubbed her hands and hovered over it.

“I’m good now, thanks.”

“Hold on tight,” he instructed as he turned his hand back. She gripped onto his torso, with his right arm snaked around hers. “I can’t do it like Bakugou or my old man, but I’m gonna try.”

Torquing his fire to near maximum output, Ren and Todoroki blasted up into the air at an awkward angle and neared Seri’s flying form. As planned, he cut his fire as Ren zipped across the sky like a zig-zagging shooting star to get close to Hattori’s falling figure. The dual-quirk user immediately gripped his shirt and encased his body in ice and let out a white breath from his lips. Ren released her grip and struck the laser eye boy at the base of his neck, knocking him unconscious. Seri then swooped on by and caught him with her back with a soft grunt before making her way down to the ground.

The spectators screamed as they watched Ren and Todoroki free fall at an alarming speed. The two strained to grab each other’s hands before succeeding seconds later. Unable to see where she could teleport them to safety due to the blistering cold G-force winds blinding her, the dual-haired colored boy angled his right hand down and conjured ice from his palms, creating a makeshift bumpy slide. They roughly landed on the slippery surface and descended at an alarming velocity. The boy then created an ice cushion at the bottom and grabbed Ren to shield her with his body from the collision. They hit the ice wall with a thud and knocked the wind out of his lungs.

The two heavily panted and felt their hearts pound out of their chest from the adrenaline; their hair a disheveled mess from the wind and fall.

“You okay?” Ren finally spoke between breaths.

“Yes...” Todoroki swallowed hard and gulped up air, releasing a large white breath from his lips. Parts of his arms and face had remnants of ice lingering. “You should plan better next time.”

“Noted.”

They gingerly got off of the ice and back up on their feet to make their way to Seri, who was with an unconscious Hattori by her side. Todoroki walked up to him and shielded his eyes with ice in case he woke up and went berserk again. Moments later, Aizawa and Fourth Kind emerged from the crowd to take care of the rest with the now arrived authorities. Goto could be seen with his parents and talking to detectives. Todoroki melted the ice he used to restrain Hattori before he was slapped with a pair of cuffs and goggles on the gurney before tending to the other structures he made. Edogawa was still no where to be found.

“Ren!” her mom cried and ran at her to tightly embrace her daughter. “Are you hurt anywhere?!”

She released and looked at her mom with a small smile of reassurance. “I’m fine. Todo-kun used his ice to cushion our fall.”

“Never scare me like that again, you hear me?!” Tears were flowing freely from her aged green eyes and drew her back into a tight hug before making her way to the bi-coloured haired boy.

“Todoroki-kun, thank you.” She firmly gripped both his hands into hers. “You were brilliant.”

He shyly looked down with a matching blush and softly smiled.

“It was Ren-senpai who came up with the plan–”

“But you saved her,” Victoria added. “Knowing my daughter, I’m sure she didn’t think that far ahead.”

“Wow, you guys are just on it with the insults tonight,” Ren blurted out with exasperation and crossed her arms.

Their celebration was short lived and sensed something launching in their general direction. Ren immediately tackled her mom to the ground to shield her. Todoroki ducked below and was on high alert. The police and other pro heroes jumped out and aimed their weapons at the hidden assailant.

“You… You fucking told them didn’t you?!” a hoarse voice shouted from the shadows and out emerged a disheveled looking Edogawa. His hair was a mess and his once neatly tied tie disappeared. The boy obsessively clawed at his own throat and smiled manically.

“You bitch, you did this...” he muttered out and dryly laughed to himself. “You’ve ruined me!”

“Stand down, Edogawa,” Aizawa told him and prepared his device in his hands. “You’re surrounded by cops and heroes. There’s no where for you to run.”

“Oh, that’s where you got things wrong, hero,” he tittered out in frenzy.

The boy took out a vile of black substance from his jacket pocket and aimed to stab it into his neck. Ren teleported over just in time to hold his wrist back by force and twisted it far enough for him to loose his grip on the booster. Aizawa timed her moments perfectly and used his quirk to disable the boy from using his.

“Whatever’s happened, it’s not worth your life.” Ren tightened her grip on his wrist, her eyes focused only on his bloodshot ones. “Not like this.”

Edogawa could do nothing but whimper and collapse on his knees, completely breaking down. As the authorities closed in on him, she held out a hand to stop them in their steps. This wasn’t what he needed right now. She released her grip on his wrist and knelt down beside him. Fourth Kind slowly approached her and placed one of his hands on her shoulder, allowing him to take over.

“He’s… fragile right now,” she softly spoke to the four-armed man. “Take care of him.”

“Friend of yours?”

“Not particularly,” she flatly blurted and took a few steps away. “But he still deserves some kind of sympathy.”

Slowly making her way back to her mom and friends, Ren suddenly got hit with an overwhelming sense of vertigo and staggered. Unable to control her motor functions, she fell into Seri’s feathery arms, who rushed in on time to catch her. Victoria and Todoroki followed not too far behind.

“Ren!” The owl girl gripped her friend tightly. “Did he do something to you?!”

“Think I… “She swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, letting out a light, shaky breath. “I overused… my quirk...”

“My God, woman. You’re more trouble than you’re worth.” Seri let out a sigh of relief and gently set her arm around her shoulders for support.

“But did I die?” she lightly scoffed.

“Part of me thinks you’re only alive for the ramen.”

“Damn right.”

[thehollowprince]

Why The Vampire Diaries and it’s spin-offs suck.

... pun intended.

Before we get started, I just want to let anyone who stumbles across this that I will be ripping into not only the writers and showrunners, but at least one of the actors and quite a few of the characters, namely Damon and Klaus, so save yourself the trouble and just pass this right on by if you like those characters or this franchise.

This is also probably going to get a little long, so here

So I was browsing through a blog, and the blogger made a post about TVD, about how they never got really far into the series because it wasn’t really their thing, but they apparently just discovered that one of the characters, who sexually assaulted/raped one of the female mains, got a happy ending when the show finally died.

It set off some kind of trip wire in my head that I didn’t know I had placed there, because all of a sudden all of these things that I thought I’d put behind me started flooding my head.  Apparently I wasn’t willing to just let go of all the bullshit that these shows, despite making a rant about all of this before, so here’s another one that I’m going to try and condense for the sake of space.

Unlike that other blogger, I stuck with TVD for quite a while, until the lead actress left at the end of the sixth season, and I even got into it’s first spin-off (THE ORIGINALS) despite my lack of enthusiasm in the plot point they were basing it all around.  The real downside with each passing season is that I realized more and more that the first two seasons (of both shows) were really their peaks and I stuck around for nothing more than the sake of completion and the faint whiff of hope that they might actually treat one of the few minor characters that I actually tuned in for some screen time.

One of the things that became so apparent as the shows went on was how the writers and showrunners favored one or two characters above all of the others.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that some stories revolve around only one or two characters, but then both of these shows (and I’m sure LEGACIES as well) are marketed as ensembles.  Like most shows on The CW, they try to reel in viewers and hook them with the promise of representation, with the hope that this ensemble cast that contains one black character and one gay character on the main cast means that, since they’re mains, maybe we’ll get some actual screen time out of them.  That maybe, just maybe, they’ll actually use the ensemble cast to their full potential.  But alas, that’s never the case.  It’s one of the reasons I abandoned the CW as a network, because that’s the same way all of their shows are - they bait us with the promise of representation, but then focus the entirety of their story around two characters, and usually the dysfunctional romance that is their only actual story.

And that’s another thing that The CW does with all of its shows, but with TVD in particular.  Their shows are based on one thing and one thing only: 

Relationship. Drama.

That’s it.  That is the foundation, the bedrock, of every single show on The CW network, and I can say that with absolute certainty knowing that I haven’t even watched half of their shows.

Sure, on the surface, TVD (and TO) looks like a show about vampires living in a small town, but that’s not the case.  No, both of these shows are entirely about whether Elena will chose Stefan or Damon.  That’s the main plot through all eight seasons, even after Nina left the show, it was just about how Damon could get her back and have his happy ending (like he deserved one).  All of the vampires and witches and werewolves was just window dressing to pull people in who don’t normally watch these clichéd love-triangle shows that seem to permeate the entire YA genre.  (Makes me wonder if any of the writers ever actually attended high school, but I digress).

Now, the thing that started this whole rant, is that I just suddenly remembered after reading that other person’s post that Damon fuckin’ Salvatore, serial killer and all around douche-bag, got a happy ending while so many of it’s other characters who sacrificed their own happiness over and over and over (Bonnie Bennett, Matt Donovan, Jeremy Gilbert) got shafted so hard in the finale.  Hell, Tyler was actually killed off by Damon to “further the latter’s redemption arc”, but that redemption arc never happened.  

Damon Salvatore, who raped Caroline repeatedly back in season one (and yes, that’s what that was, no matter how much you try to dress it up - he took away her choice to say no and then proceeded to have sex with her and feed on her), who murdered people indiscriminately out of sheer boredom and, as the show progressed, killed off people for spite because Elena wasn’t there “to hold him back”.  For a show written and run by women, with a large female fanbase, you’d think the fact that they pushing the trope that the woman has to be the conscience for the man wouldn’t play that well, but here we are.

I mean, I could sit here and list all of the people that Damon killed for fun, or to save his own ass after causing the problem in the first place, but then we’d be here all day and this post would be so much longer than it already is.

So, instead we’ll move on to Klaus Mikaelson, who, yes, ended up dead by the end of his own show, but he ended up dead by his own choice on his own terms, something he repeatedly denied everyone else he killed over the years for much the same reasons that Damon did, and yet he got to have his romance with Caroline before that happened.

I don’t know what it was about Caroline that Julie Plec latched onto as a sort of self-insert once Nina left the show, but it’s very apparent, because in what world would Caroline, the most outspoken of the few women on these shows, allow herself to have any kind of romantic relationship with the man who murdered her friend’s aunt, who drove the love of her life out of his own home out of sheer jealousy, who attempted to kill her... twice!

I seriously don’t know what it was with Plec and Dries and McKenzie and this fandom, with their ability to forgive attempted murder and see it as some sort of romantic act, but it was disgusting to watch, especially when I look at myself and realize I stuck with these shows for as long as I did.

I could rant a lot longer about the way these shows treated their black fans (because I don’t recall any Latine characters, and only one or two Asian characters) as well as their gay fans abysmally, but I wont because this is long enough.  I may make a separate post, but then again, I may not, so I’ll just stop here because I’m sure the person I started this for doesn’t want to read a college thesis about why these shows sucked and how they damaged modern television with their embracing of classic abuse tropes.

In conclusion, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and THE ORIGINALS (and I’m sure LEGACIES) suck ass because they always push the idea that a man has a “good reason” for whenever he does some horrible thing, and for completely ignoring all of those horrible things to give them a happy ending, while making the other characters suffer for it.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

A Flame For A Cabbage (Part 4)

Azula squints, her body aches from head to toe and she still hasn’t had her fill of pan-fried noodles. She had already paid for the meal too. She forces herself upright with a pained huff. It is dark, the only light she sees comes from the slant of a window on the door.

She realizes that she is alone.

Alone and in a place that has nothing but a cot, a toilet, and a copy of Fifty Shades Of Grey--she isn’t sure if this is for leisure or for toilet paper. 

It takes her a moment to realize where she is. A cell. A dreary and dank, musky smelling Earth Kingdom cell. 

There comes a screech of metal as the slant on her door slides open. A small shaft of light pours in. 

A gruff voice greets her, “good evening, princess.” 

“She’s a cabbage merchant.” Corrects a distant, feminine voice. 

“Oh right!” The man calls back. “We haven’t caught the princess yet, thanks for reminding me Long Feng.”

“You’re welcome!” Long Feng answers in that same high-pitched tone. Azula can’t even begin to fathom why the man is talking like that. 

“You’re probably wondering why you are here.” The man says.

She wishes that he wouldn’t make assumptions. The things she actually wonders about are if she will ever get her pan-fried noodles (or, at least, her money back) and how good the stock market is as far as cabbages are concerned. 

“You probably have a lot of questions, don’t you?” He continues. “ So I will allow you to ask one question and I will answer honestly. You can ask more than one but I might lie about those.” 

Now he sounds like her old history teacher; she still isn’t sure if the first avatar actually was a 400 foot tall platypus bear with purple horns and silver wings. Azula perks up, she has found the perfect mascot for her cabbage company! 

The Dai Li agent coughs, bringing her back to attention.  “Can I ask two?” She asks. A nervous sweat breaks on her forehead and she abruptly adds, “no wait! That’s not my question!” 

“You have one more question left out of two.”

Azula folds her arms over her chest and gives an indignant sniff. There are a great many things she could ask; she could inquire about why she is here, about where here is, about whether the book is for reading or for ass wiping. She could ask if they would be willing to bargain with her for her freedom, could ask who is in charge. 

She could ask if he wants to buy a cabbage…

The possibilities are endless. Endless and full of opportunity. But there is an itch that she needs to scratch, one that is irresistible thanks to her inclination for logic and perfection. She knows that it is hardly important in comparison to her other questions, the ones that can actually move the plot forward. But the one she actually asks is already out of her mouth, “why did you open another slant to talk to me if one was already open?” 

.oOo.

“My, my, you're easy to find. It's really astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet.” Sie greets. 

The bison growls at him, or maybe that was a sneeze, he can’t be sure.What he is certian of is that the Kyoshi warriors have all drawn their fans and shields. 

“What do you want with us?” Suki asks.

He very well could answer her question, let her know that he needs a disguise. But he can also make a pun. Yes a pun. Puns are good. “Who are you?” He asks, already wriggling his eyes in anticipation for the punchline. “The Avatar's fan girls?”

“Wo-ow.” Mai grumbles. “Goo-od one.” And more to herself she adds, “I bet that the cabbage merchant wouldn’t have made such a stupid joke.” 

Sie frowns, “says you.”  Great, now he is acting like the teens that he is surrounded by.

“If you're looking for the Avatar, you're out of luck.” Suki says. 

“What if we’re looking for Waldo?” TyLee taps her finger on her chin. “Or Carmen SanDieago? Where in the world, is she?”

“Then you’re still out of luck, I’ve been looking for ages!” Exclaims one of the other kyoshi warriors. 

“I knew this was a waste of time.” Mai says with a dramatic sigh.

“No Avatar, huh?” Sie asks. “Well, that's okay…” he trails off as he slides off of his mongoose-lizard. He never had figured out how to unmount these things. He stumbles gracelessly to the floor. “That’s a really cute dress and I’d love to borrow it!” He finally finishes. 

Suki’s eyes go wide, “no way, this dress is Kyoshi!” She declares. “The Autumn, 100 AG line.”

Sie sends a blast of fire at the girl. He needs that dress! 

It goes so well with his eyes! 

And it makes a great disguise. 

Miles away Iroh eats some fries. 

Mai takes this as her cue to toss a few shurikens. She doesn’t particularly pay attention to where she throws them, which is probably why they all hit a tree instead of any of the warriors. “You're so colorful, it's making me nauseous.” She remarks before actually putting some real effort into her attack.

“You're not prettier than we are.” TyLee says as the author squints at the episode’s transcript and decides ultimately that this is random enough on its own to be left as is. She quickly chi blocks her more unsightly combatant. 

Sie shakes his head a coaxes a green flame into his palm he tosses it at Suki and Appa. The bison lets out a terrified groan. “Afraid of fire, I see. That's good. You should be.” He too is afraid of fire and yet here he is, a firebender. He is, in fact, afraid of most things. 

The air around Suki seems to glitch, a staticy haze silhouettes her. Through the static it is hard to make out her voice, “go, Appa! Fly away from here!” There is something else layered on top of it...a yellow sponge wearing pants of the square variety shouting, “just get out of here you stupid dumb animal.” The image and audio overlaps Suki in such a way that they both occupy the same exact spot in space and time at the same time. Sie covers his ears and squeezes his eyes shut. When he opens them again the world is as it should be. He is growing tired of these nightmarish glitches. 

Appa is still not gone though, he squeezes his eyes shut again. And when he opens them, there is no more Appa. Sie’s stomach lurches, spirits, what kind of power has he acquired.? And why has the author chosen to leave that period in there instead of just deleting it!? 

Suki opens her fan once more. 

“Don't you know fans just make flames stronger?” Sie asks. Agni, some people lack basic common sense. He runs into a jump and brings a halo of green fire to his feet. Suki’s eyes widen...

*Insert really bitchin’ scene break here*

Azula sighs, maybe if authors actually knew how to write, she wouldn’t be in this situation right now. As it were she is forced to listen to the fussy, extremely sexy, but really loud and obnoxious man she had been dragged here with.

“You have to believe me, they're firebenders! They won't stop until they win the War!” He declares. 

She cannot see what is happening but she can hear it. 

“Calm down, you're safe now.”

Maybe she should open her eyes. 

But it is so late at night, she needs her rest if she is going to have the wit to sell cabbages to shady organizations. Curiosity gets the better of her. She peers into Jet’s cell. The boy is surrounded by a metal track. There is a lantern rotating around the track. 

“Our economy would be ruined, our peaceful way of life – our traditions – would disappear. There's no war in Ba Sing Se.” 

Azula chuckles to herself, but otherwise remains quiet. She doesn’t want to give them a reason to strap her to that chair. 

“You might as well say what you wish, cabbage merchant.” The man frowns, “you’ll be in this chair soon enough.”

Well in that case… “There is clearly a war and you know it. In fact, I sold many cabbages to many soldiers who were trying to stop the walls from being breached. I’ve been all over the world trying to sell these cabbages, I’ve witnessed the fall of Omashu; sales were dreadfully down during that. Have you ever tired to sell a cabbage to people who are pretending to have pentapox? By all means, I think that I have heard of that, but they clearly weren’t sick.” She takes a breath. “I’ve seen decrepit cities, crumbling because a dreadful wartime economy and I’ve seen Fire Nation banners arise all over the Earth Kingdoms. There was also this particularly dull-headed man who decided to destroy the moon. One minute I was writing a letter to my father, the next I am in the dark, unable to see my letter, and wondering where the moon went.” She takes another breath. “Only a fool would destroy the moon.Do you know what other nation needs the moon?” She doesn’t let him answer. “The Fire Nation. They need the moon too but someone decided that the moon is not important. How did you hide that from your citizens?” This time she leaves room for an answer. One that does not come (because logically, such a tremendous feat cannot be covered up). “Both water tribes have fallen, and your hat is on crooked and makes your forehead look comically large.”

“Yeah, you over-grown butt hair!” Jet adds. 

Azula frowns, he has just made a mess of her insult. “Please shut up, you beautiful man.” 

“Sorry.” He mutters. 

The agent blinks. “Long Feng, we’re going to need a more powerful lantern!” But Long Feng is not there. His presence is required in another scene; “Ba Sing Se remains a peaceful, orderly utopia, the last one on Earth.” He says to the Avatar. The arrowed boy and his friends look at him with horror, at the implication of just how in the dark the people of Ba Sing Se are. “Myself and the rest of the Dailluminati are making sure that everyone knows that.” 

But Azula has no knowledge of this, she only sees the lantern continuing its rotation around Jet’s head. “Spirits, that must be annoying.” She mutters to herself. 

The Dailluminati agent pinches the bridge of his nose. “Do you know how hard it is to hypnotize someone with all of this side commentary?”

“About as hard as it is to sell a cabbage to rouge bison-stealing sandbenders who claim that are trying to flee the scene of the crime?” 

The Dailluminati agent blinks again. “Yeeeeah...sure.” He turns to his companion. “Hey, Kiko, can you put this one back in her cell?”

“I’ll put myself back in the cell if you buy a cabbage.” 

He tosses a handful of coins at her. She doesn’t have her cabbage stall, but a true cabbage merchant can create a cabbage from nothing. She closes her eyes,takes a deep breath, and wills a cabbage into her hand. She hands it to the Dailluminati agent and makes her way back into her cell before the cabbage can disappear and he can demand his money back. One day, she will be a true cabbagebender.

She lays upon her bed and listens to the ambiance of Lake Laogai. 

“There is no war within the walls. Here we are safe. Here, we are free.”

[sweetdeathwrites]

Sapphic, Savvy?

Summary: Sometimes, coming out is harder for some people than others. Kyoko is one of those people.

Warnings: sexual suggestiveness, fears about coming out

~[Kyoko/Fem!Reader]~

(original author’s note, sorry, it’s long–– 

WOW I LOVE KYOKO, MY GIRLFRIEND!!!! #LetKyokoBeMyWife2k17 i love her!! alright, in all seriousness, if there were a lot of wlw reader-inserts, or even girl/gender neutral fits, i probably would've realized I liked girls a lot sooner. And if there were more gender neutral fics I probably would've realized I'm nonbinary sooner too... haha, well, I hope this helps someone! Or is just entertaining! Either is great, haha! I want more Kyoko/reader fics... I love my gf and I'm pretty sure I've only seen one more Kyoko/reader fic here on Luna....if you write any, send them to me, alright? I love Kyoko so much, she's so good and sweet!!! also, that pun in the title? When i first thought of it I snorted out loud. Like that was a thing I actually did because I thought it was just the best pun ever. I actually snorted. also, Bianchi totally has had same gendered lovers. There is no way she hasn't— i mean, she works in the mafia and there HAS to be some situations where she's needed to be a seductress for a woman. Also my head canon for her is that she's not straight. She's definitely had a girlfriend before, before Reborn probably. She's so iconic, the butch and femme ideal, the best of both worlds.... i love her.... ok, shoutout to GuardianAngel07! not for anything in particular (ok there's always reason, but this is just a casual shout out!!1!) but she's a huge inspiration to me and she's so kind, sweet, and supportive, that I think she deserves a shoutout! She deserves more than one, but this will have to do for now! Thanks for everything~)

–––––––––––––––––––––––––

The peaceful calm of dawn is broken by the rustling of bedsheets and a duvet over a too-small bed. Your mouth stretched wide in a yawn and you roll over to face your beautiful girlfriend. She smiled, cheeks rosy and her long lashes cast even longer shadows over her cherubic face. You smiled. ‘Sasagawa Kyoko,' you mused, ‘My very own goddess.’ She stirred in her sleep- just the smallest bit- but it was enough for you to freeze and wait for her to settle back down again. Through her window, you could see faint sunbeams cover the horizon and you knew you should be getting up soon, or else you both would be late to school. What a bother. “Kyoko-chan,” you whispered, breath soft and warm in the crook of her neck. A hand gently rubbing the side of her ribcage that was accessible from your awkward angle. Kyoko laid comfortably curled up against you with her hands splayed over your stomach and tangled in your hair. Your leg was tossed over her hip and your toes curled when Kyoko hummed, dreaming sweetly. You called for her again and brought a hand up to caress her face, skimming a thumb over her plump lips. “Baby…” She whined in her sleep, a long, airy noise. You bit your lip. A devious, delicious idea comes to mind and you figure you have just enough time to carry through with it before you have to get ready to go to school- or at least you have time to start it. You leaned over and kissed Kyoko’s shoulder, bare from the thin straps of her silky pink slip, and nipped on it delicately. Kyoko’s breath hitched and you grinned. Slowly, you brought your hands up to brush the hair out of her face and to stroke her with. “Honey…” She still didn’t wake up. Honestly, this girl will be the death of you. With a heavy sigh, you went back to your plan of giving her unrelenting, adoring affection until she wakes. You planted soft, ticklish kisses all up her neck and when you got to her jawline you grazed her soft skin with your teeth. Kyoko made another sound in her sleep, though this time, just a little less innocent. She’s just too good. You curled a strand of her hair behind her ear and out of your way for you to breathe hotly, “Princess…” and she giggled. “Ah,” you said, “I knew you were just pretending.” Kyoko rolled over to face you completely, one hand hiked your leg higher up her hip, up to her waist, and the other hand brushed your own flyaways out of your eyes to she could see you better. “Of course I was. I wanted you to wake me up, like Sleeping Beauty!” “But you’re already my princess, Kyo-chan!” Her laughs and the sound of her joy light up the room. A stealthy arm wrapped around her waist to pull her closer. “You know what, baby?” She smiled. “What?” “When I marry you, on our wedding night, I just can’t wait to get into bed with you. Wait—I-I mean,” You stutter, not at all meaning to make an innuendo but making the best of it, “I already have you in my bed,” Kyoko rolls her eyes, “But I can’t wait to be married to you. It’ll be so sweet. We can wake up and kiss and make breakfast together, eat it on our porch, eat it in our garden. We can be so… domestic, y’know?” Birds sang in the distance and you could feel the refreshing breeze that came through the window on your back. Kyoko’s face, bathed in honey-golden sunlight with her eyes sparkling, was just enough to show that she was just as excited as you were about your future wedding. “I’ll make sure to grow lots of vegetables. You need to keep healthy, honey, I won’t tolerate you getting sick on me!” She scolded you teasingly, punctuating her words with a playful kiss on your nose. “And I,” you retorted, “will make sure that you eat all the cakes I bake for you. I gotta keep you sweet and soft somehow, right?” A delighted laugh meets your ears in response. “Yeah,” she said, “you better do that.” You sighed in content. You never got over how beautiful she was, no matter how long you gazed at her, no matter how many times you get lost in those orange-blossom eyes of hers, no matter how many times you kissed those cherry lips of hers, no matter how many times- “Hey!” She caught your attention. “What’re you doing?” Smirking, you yanked her closer with your leg wrapped around her waist until your hips meet and she gasped. “What aren’t I doing?” Before you had time to make another move, she held you by the nape of your neck and kissed you. Unlike most of her delicate kisses, this one is hotter, needier. It surprised you. No, it’s not even that needy- she’s just trying to prove to you that she can make the first move! Your heart swells with love at her dedication to make you happy, to make things...more interesting, in your relationship. You hummed happily into the kiss. That’s when Kyoko really took charge. Her hands traveled to the front of your sleep shirt and she started unbuttoning it. Wow. This was bold and you were enjoying this new side of Kyoko very much. She slid a well-manicured hand in the opening of your shirt and pressed her palm flat on your stomach. You jumped a little and yelped into the kiss- her hands were cold! As expected, she giggled a little as well, the little minx! Not willing to give up just yet, you squeezed her rear firmly and she bit your lip gently. Your hand- warm- slides up the back of her pretty pink slip and— “Kyoko-chan! Wake up! It’s time to get extremely ready for school!” Ryohei, Kyoko’s older brother with no sense of personal space, barged in the room and you had to pretend like you weren’t just swapping spit and getting hot and heavy with his little sister. “B-Big brother!” she shouted, yanking the fluffy duvet over the two of you until the only visible parts of you were from the chin up. “We’re in our pajamas! My best friend is in her pajamas!” “So?” Ryohei tilted his head in confusion. “So you can’t see her like this! She can’t get married if you do!” Kyoko yelled and threw a stuffed animal at the door. Ryohei shouted back how extremely sorry he is and that he will not affect your chances of getting married, for sure, so not to worry about that. You buried your head in Kyoko’s chest and screamed quietly in embarrassment. After that fiasco, Kyoko made sure to lock the door the next time you come over. You leaned on the sink in her bathroom, brushing your teeth with the toothbrush that you both decided would stay at her house since you sleep over so often. Next to you stands your girlfriend, already dressed in her school uniform and brushing out her short, caramel hair. She caught your eye in the mirror and bumps you with her hip; you bump her right back. You rinsed out your mouth and gave Kyoko a minty kiss on the lips. “Sorry I kissed you with my gross morning breath,” you said and straightened out the bow around her neck, “and sorry for making out with you and, like, grinding on you when your brother came in.” Those caramel locks of hers flew as she shook her head passionately. “No! It’s not your fault that happened. And I had gross morning breath too, so we’re even.” She grinned and playfully unbuttons your pajama shirt again. You raised an eyebrow; was she really going to go through with this? Right now? Well, you wouldn’t complain anyway. It would be worth coming to school late. You were a senior already anyway, so the school wouldn’t give you too much grief about being tardy. A pile of clothes smacked against your face, waking you from your daydreams. Kyoko was already walking out of the bathroom, a teasing sway in her hips as she closed the door behind her, leaving you alone to get dressed for the day. You grinned. What a minx. “I’ll see you later, Ryohei. Thanks for letting me stay over!” You bowed slightly to Ryohei. Sure, you’ve known him for years, but you can at least be polite if he was going to nearly catch you making out with his dearly beloved little sister. “I hope you two have an extremely good day!” he shouted and waved enthusiastically. Around his waist was a frilly pink apron that read “KISS THE COOK”. The door shut with an audible click. Ever since he graduated, he’s been staying at home during the day, doing domestic house chores and exercising. At night he took college classes which allowed you and Kyoko enough time to finish homework and cuddle up in front of the television without interruptions. Also it gave you more time to kiss. “Come on, let’s get going!” Kyoko started walking quickly, leaving you behind. “We can’t be late for school! Tsu-kun is probably waiting!” “Oh, he’ll be late anyway, Kyo-chan, what’s the rush?” You pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and slapped her behind lightly, turning her laugh to a gasp. “Oh!” she whispered, scandalously glancing around to make sure no neighbors saw that. “Don’t do that! We’re in public!” Her cheeks were burning brightly. Contrary to her scolding tongue, a smile graced her lips. Just when you were about to kiss those smiling lips, the door behind you slammed open again and a certain white-haired brother tumbled out of it, shouting. “Hey! You two!” Kyoko whipped around with a look of shock painted on her face. Ryohei held up two pretty boxes. “You forgot your lunches!” Ryohei shoved a bento into your arms and reeled a bit when he saw Kyoko’s face. With scrunched brows, he placed a hand over Kyoko’s forehead. “Sis, are you feeling alright? You’re pretty warm. You’re not…” he gasped, “extremely sick, are you?” “Aah, no, I’m...I’m fine,” Kyoko assured him. You smile faintly at her. Wind buffeted your hair and Kyoko reached down to make sure her skirt didn’t lift in the breeze. Another beautiful day in Namimori. If it wasn’t for school, you probably would be taking a walk in a park with Kyoko, or maybe even a trip to the zoo. She really loved watching the otters swim around. “Hey...Kyoko?” “Hmm?” “Do you not want people to know we’re dating?” Kyoko slowed her walking until she stood still. Her soft hair covered her eyes so you couldn’t judge her expression very well but her demeanor was frozen. “No,” she said, “it’s not that… It’s…” Kyoko trailed off and let her sentence be carried off by the wind. You slowly made your way to where she stood on the road and slid an arm around her neck, dropping your bag to the ground. “Hey,” you touch your forehead to hers, startling Kyoko so her eyes drifted up to yours. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Don’t feel pressured or anything… If you’re not ready to tell everyone just yet, I can wait. I’ll wait forever if it’s for you, Kyo-chan,” you bumped your nose with hers and she giggled quietly. “I just want everyone to know that you’re mine~” She laughed again, “Don’t be ridiculous!” and shook her head. “There’s nobody that wants to steal me away from you, silly!” The two of you decided that it was time to start walking to school again. “Of course people want to date you! You’re cute, sweet, and really smart! Don’t you know you’re, like, the prettiest girl in school?!” You gawked at Kyoko’s humbleness, but what she was saying just wasn’t true! “Haven’t you seen how Tsuna looks at you?!” “Tsu-kun?” Kyoko put a finger to her chin in thought. “Hmm… No, I think you’re just imagining things!” You squinted at Kyoko’s inability to see how blatant Tsuna’s love for her was. Kyoko took your hand in hers and when you glanced over at her her face was beet-red. You smiled and started to swing your hands together. “Thank you…” she said. “For what?” “Just thanks…” You laughed. She could be so strange sometimes! “Hey!” A thin voice called out. When you turned around, you were greeted by the sight of Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Hayato jogging towards you and Kyoko. You felt her grip loosen until she let go of your hand completely. You didn’t realize how cold your hands were until you weren’t holding hers. “Hi, guys!” Kyoko chirped, voice as chipper as ever. They all responded with a greeting of their own and it didn’t take long for bickering between the boys to begin, and it took even less time for Tsuna to begin getting chatty with Kyoko. You smiled. Poor boy didn’t know your girlfriend was a lesbian. You didn’t realize the fighting between Gokudera and Yamamoto had ended until Gokudera was very close to your side and already speaking. You didn’t catch a word of his sentence. “Sorry, what?” “I said, ‘You and Kyoko are pretty close, aren’t you?’” Green eyes slyly met your own. “I don’t have a single clue, Gokudera-kun.” Despite your denial, you couldn’t keep your mouth from splitting in a wide, toothy grin. Gokudera snorted at your terrible acting. The sounds of the rest of the group turned to background noise. “You and Kyoko are dating, aren’t you?” Gokudera had a smug grin of his own on his face. It took everything you had to not break out in laughter where you were and collapse to the ground in stitches. “What do I look like,” you began, “a person that would date super cute girls and love them with all my heart?” Gokudera seemed to choke a bit at that but when he collected himself he agreed vehemently. You sighed in relief when the lunch bell rang— finally, a break from your classes. The halls were busy with students rushing out to buy food and drinks from the vending machines on the school’s perimeter while your own little group rushed up to the roof to eat in peace. Opening the door, you were temporarily blinded by the sun and heard Gokudera swear somewhere behind you. Yamamoto laughed and was promptly told to shut his trap while Tsuna tried (fruitlessly) to disband the two’s bickering. As you sat down between Yamamoto and Tsuna, you didn’t realize Kyoko wasn’t with you until you had already began to eat the bento Ryohei had packed for the two of you. Surprisingly, his food was quite good. You’d expect it to be burnt, with how fiery Ryohei’s personality was and how easily he was distracted, but his cooking skills had vastly improved from how they were the year before. He’d get a wife easily if he kept up that work. You told the gang you’d go looking for Kyoko real quick and Tsuna nodded, asking if he should come as well. “No,” you replied, “I’ll be just fine.” You didn’t miss Gokudera’s raised eyebrow and had to bite your tongue hard to keep from snickering. “Kyo-chan?” You weaved your way in and out of climbing vines with nearly ripe fruit hanging off, begging to be stolen, and did your best to not dirty your shoes in the soft dirt underfoot. The gardening club had been granted a pretty little space behind the school to do their activities, since the sports clubs used the front of the school grounds. Almost no one except the gardening club came back here. Almost. A lot of couples, you and Kyoko included, would come to make out by the tomatoes and sunflowers; the gardens were a very romantic place for teenagers to get hot and heavy with their lovers. “Kyo-chan? Are you here?” You spotted a head of ginger hair crouched on the cool cement under the shade of an old tree that bordered the gardens. Poor Kyo-chan. “Honey?” Kyoko lifted her head at your call and her lips were pouty and red from gnawing on them. You felt your brow furrow and you came to sit next to her, bringing an arm around her neck to tuck the hair behind her ear and to draw her in closer to you. “Hey,” You whisper. Kyoko leaned into your reclined body, “what’s going on?” She sighed and buried her face in the crook of your neck. You prodded her tummy with wriggling fingers and felt her laugh. “Don’t tickle me!” “I’ll stop when you tell me what’s bothering you!” “You’re so silly!” Kyoko beamed. Then her cheeriness faded and she let her head rest on your shoulder again. “I…” she whispered, “I want to tell people about us…about me and you… But I don’t know what to say… What if they don’t like us?” “Hey.” “…” “Hey,” you grabbed her gently by the shoulder and made her face you. Holding her chin with your fingers and brushing stray strands of hair out of her eyes, you could see the watery sheen they held. “Kyo-chan… There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re not ashamed of me… are you?” At your timid question, Kyoko reeled back like she had been electrocuted. “Of course I’m not ashamed of you!” she nearly yelled. Her eyes widened when she heard just how loud she was and she leaned in and said quietly, “I’ll never be ashamed of you… I just wish it wasn’t so hard to—” “—come out?” Kyoko laughed, voice tired, and hummed in agreement. Her hand creeped into yours and she softly squeezed your palm and played with your fingers. “Don’t worry, princess, you don’t have to do a thing if you don’t want to. It takes time, y’know? You can’t just decide to tell everyone you know something so personal in a day. It can take a long time… some people never do it. Just—” you coughed, not used to saying such emotionally-wrought things so early in the morning. Heck, at any time of day— Kyoko was always the one that was good with emotions in your relationship. “—just know that everyone loves you. If you’re worried about something changing with the guys, or with your family, don’t be. What’s this, the sixties? Everyone’s a little gay, Kyoko—” Kyoko burst out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter at your comment. “—okay, fine, not everyone, but a lot of people are! Including me and you~” you nuzzled your nose on Kyoko’s rosy cheeks and nipped her ear when she turned away from your ticklish affections. “I think you mean especially us- and not just a little bit, a lot!” Kyoko swished her finger in the air like he was making a point— and she was, a very, very valid one. She turned around and held your face firmly in her small hands as she planted lots of kisses over your face until you were in happy tears, begging her to stop and let you catch a breath! She rolled off you onto the ground, seemingly uncaring of the whiteness shirt or maybe she just forgot how dusty the concrete by the gardens were. “Baby, we should be heading back to the boys now, what do you think? You don’t want them to suspect anything, right? Actually,” you snorted in a way that Kyoko found cute (it was really wasn’t, though), “Gokudera already knows.” “What?” Kyoko gasped. “Yeah. I guess he knows from growing up with his sister. She’s so hot, I don’t doubt she had a lot of lovers, same gendered or not.” Rolling your eyes, you tried to imagine Bianchi with a woman. It was extremely easy to imagine her having a woman as a lover. You giggled, feeling like you had a secret that no one else knew. “Hey!” Kyoko whined, “Are you imagining other women? I’m right here!” Kyoko pouted. Just as you were going to apologize and explain to her what you found so funny when Kyoko surprised you yet again. “You don’t even have to imagine with me! Just do it!” And Kyoko kissed you hard on the mouth. With a little more teeth than you were used to, but Kyoko seemed to really enjoy taking charge recently. It was nice. She carded her hands through your hair and tilted your head back by your hair so she could get a better angle. You kissed her back with tenderness, content in having her in your arms. Kyoko had something else in mind, though. Crawling into your lap, her weight on you was also a bonus of her trying to pry a better kiss out of you. You lost yourself in the softness of her lips and the nip of her teeth when she changed the angle of her neck, and just the slightest hint of her smooth tongue skimming your bottom lip and— “K-Kyoko-chan?!” You pull away from Kyoko with tousled hair and swollen lips to see Tsuna standing— well, fallen, really, on the ground a few feet away from the two of you. Kyoko still perched on your lap, your mind drew a blank when you tried to think of an escape plan and an explanation, short of throwing Kyoko into the garden and pretending like nothing happened. Tsuna’s face was red as hot iron and he was probably as heated as it too as he stammered, “W-We were wondering if something happened to you two, s-since you were gone so long and Gokudera-kun said to go looking for you but… I-I can go, actually, right n-now—” “Wait!” Kyoko yelled, her face buried in your chest. You could feel an awkward bead of sweat rolling down the side of your neck… Why was she telling him to stay with her head shoved in your chest? Truly, it was a strange turn of events and Kyoko wasn’t making your situation look any more innocent… “I’m in love, Tsu-kun!” “E-Eh?” “That’s right!” Kyoko picked up your hands and held them tightly in hers, “I’m in love with a girl! I don’t care what you think either; we are absolutely perfect together and I love her very much! Our love is pure, organic, and beautiful!” Kyoko’s eyes burned with a passion you could only assume to be prevalent throughout the Sasagawa family as she announced her love for you to your dear friend. Your lip quivered and tears began to fog your vision. Happy they were, but you blinked hard to clear them. An event as important as this meant you couldn’t miss a single second of it. “Um,” Tsuna began, keeping his eyes level with Kyoko’s gaze even as his face burned, “That’s not a problem at all? I mean, I’m happy for both of you, but you didn’t have to hide it or anything… I’m just… surprised, that’s all.” Kyoko took a second to process that and during the awkward silence that followed, Tsuna shuffled his feet. Kyoko still hadn’t moved from your lap… Really, it was making this situation more trying than it needed to be… “C-Can I go now?” Tsuna sheepishly asked for permission. Kyoko nodded slowly and Tsuna practically sprinted away from the sight of his long-time crush making out with her best friend. You couldn’t blame him. The look on Kyoko’s face gave you a clear view to all the machinery working in her mind, every gear and cog rotating, still trying to understand what just happened. “Oh,” she finally said. “That was a little easier than I thought.” “You girls are such terrible actors,” Gokudera said with a cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth, his hands upturned in a show of dramatic disappointment. “Really? I had no idea! I think you could make it to Hollywood! Haha, invite me to lots of award shows, I want to meet famous celebrities~” Yamamoto laughed and opposed Gokudera’s opinion. He smiled and went on about how he was just going to help a friend ask the both of you on a date. Good thing he didn’t, Yamamoto chimed. “Shut up, baseball freak,” grumbled Gokudera, already drained of Yamamoto’s presence in your friend group. “Whaaat? Ah, you’re so mean, Gokudera-kun!” Yamamoto teased and playfully hit Gokudera’s shoulder, resulting in another fight between the two opposites. Kyoko leaned into you as the five of you walked home, going through a nearby shopping mall to get a bite to eat first. Your arm was wrapped around her waist and pulling her in close. Both of your hips bumped with each step but it was only a mild annoyance—a trade off in exchange for being able to openly adore your girlfriend. “How do you like this?” “I love it,” Kyoko smiled and nuzzled into your neck, causing you to jump and smack her lightly with your schoolbag. A loud commotion sounded from a grocery store to your left. A young man in a white apron yelled into a crowd about the store’s outrageously cheap deals of the month and flocks of mothers held crumpled coupons in their waving fists. The air smelled like grilled meat and the small food stands outside the grocery store must have been making a fortune off of the hungry shoppers. Suddenly, a familiar turf top came into view, much more weary than he was this morning and carrying a ridiculous amount of brown paper bags, overflowing with his purchases. “Big brother!” Kyoko said in surprise. Ryohei made a similar greeting when he noticed how close you two were, and Kyoko took notice of it as well— she didn’t shy away but you could feel heat creeping up her neck. Ryohei’s eyes widened for a second before he broke out in a grin that reached his ears. “Aah, you’re finally together? I’m extremely happy for you!” Ryohei’s explosive personality returned and he beamed brightly, murmurs of agreement echoing faintly within your friend group as well. “E-eh?” Reeling back in confusion, Kyoko blinked and tilted her head, “You knew?” Of course Kyoko was shocked; she went through every precaution to make sure that her romantic relationship with her best friend was a secret! The bags in Ryohei’s arms crinkled as he shook his head at Kyoko’s naivety. “Do you think I really wouldn’t be able to tell when my precious baby sister was in love? I’m not that dull, Kyoko-chan!” he guffawed. Laughter bubbled up in your stomach, growing and growing until you were in peels of laughter, wiping happy tears from your eyes. The two of you never needed to hide anyway! While you were busy laughing until your stomach hurt, you didn’t notice that Kyoko had dropped her school bag until she spun you by the shoulders and kissed you. All of her fear melted away like ice and her overflowing joy infected you, breaking the kiss through your ecstatic giggles. Her pretty honey eyes were shining with mirthful tears and she rested her forehead on yours, smiling softly all the while she told you, “I love you.” Faintly, you heard the loud voice of a certain boxer who did a terrible job of hiding his fondness for the two of you yell, “Hey, you two should extremely get a room!”

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2019 Megaman Valentine’s Day (Talent) Contest Results!

Part two of results day, even though I always label the Talent category as Cat. 1, these results are in reverse. Oh well.  Again, raffle prize winners will be contained in both posts, so keep an eye out after my commentary on your art. Not all raffle prize winner are contained in this post. I’ll be contacting all winners soon enough, so sit tight!

To see the Humor category results, please head to THIS POST.

Will any of our Iron Chef contestants be able to create an artsy meal with these ingredients?:

To find out, along with your Talent category winners and full gallery of entries, click here after the break:

Category 1 (Talent) - The Way To A Mega Man’s Heart Is Through His Stomach

This category had the larger amount of participants, and was honestly a lot harder to judge. I really was going back and forth on where to place people, because I love so much about all of them! Your delicious culinary character combos were all delectable in their own right, whether they were actually edible pieces of art or not. I did leave this category up to interpretation a bit more, despite the initial description wording it as a food-themed pinup. As long as it contained some sort of food with a character, it technically fit the theme. 

Thank you once again to all who participated. You all make holding these events fun year after year!

I know imgbox gallery gave people some issues before, so as always, let me know if images or links appear broken. Crossing my fingers this works smoothly this year! XD

After each entrant’s name, there will be a link in the character description to the entry, too, just in case the external inserted images don’t load for you.

[Full Talent Gallery]

1.) @prar-draws​ - Zero and Ciel

While most entries focused on sugary sweets, such as pastries or candies, prar thought outside of the box just enough to stand out against the rest. Taking Zero and Ciel’s already long hair and turning it into ramen and soba noodles, the pair are relaxing together in an overflowing hot tub bowl of their pasta-y strands, broth, veggies and then some, while they enjoy their own bowls of noodles. Despite being heavily layered in clothing, *warning* this is one steamy, saucy pic! XD

*For coming in 1st (in back-to-back years, no doubt), prar has won $100 via Paypal, or a prize of their choice up to that value.*

2.) @digitallyfanged​ - Tron Bonne and Megaman Volnutt

Ever the tease, Tabby’s Tron is wooing Volnutt with a sugary-sweet sensory overload at the hands of both her, and her Servbots. Or maybe at the head, too, based on that 2-tier strawberry cake that doubles as a hat on happy Servbot. While including so many treats were definitely eye candy in this piece, so too is Tron in that dress, causing Volnutt to deeply blush. 

The soft glow of the lighter transparency background, along with the usual shine of your lighting on the pair in the foreground, help them stand out. Even if my mouth is watering more at all the Servbot’s treats. Hahaha.

*For coming in 2nd, Tabby has won $50 via Paypal, or a prize of their choice up to that value.*

3.) @irischroma​ - Nana

Nana is ready to split her banana split sundae with you. I see what you did there. Your mission is to follow her every command as she feeds you, in her bonus rpg/sim screencap. I really liked the use of multiple halftones to accent the shading on both her and the background of the full image. The background itself is really cool, to incorporate the ice cream mounds, syrup and sprinkles, which also actually align nicely with the sprinkles on her apron. Truly adorbs.

*For coming in 3rd, Iris has won $25 via Paypal, or a prize of their choice up to that value*

And the remaining wonderful entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

@bracedshark​ - Marino

The first entry to embrace food-themed clothing, Marino is the living embodiment of the chocolate peppermint sundae she is holding. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream, so Marino’s green hair and clothing accents fit that ice cream color perfectly. Also while tying in your traditional peppermints as accessories on her, as well as the sort of melty pinkish mascara dripping down the side of her cheeks. 

*Bracedshark is the winner of Raffle Prize #1 - The cel of Duo*

@drewblossom​ - Ice Man and Roll

Another great use of food-styled clothing, Drew made a precious cinnamon roll dress for Roll, and an ice cream cone vest with a more whipped topping trim for Ice Man. Ice’s hair also adds to that whipped cream feel, yet despite dancing around, does a good job keeping that cherry from falling off the top of his head. XD This is a super cute scene, and has even better apparel style. 

*Drew is also the winner of Raffle Prize #4 - The Tamashii Nations Zero figure and Zero emblem wristband*

@hyperbole1729​ - Tundra Man, Top Man, Snow Robbit and Eye Ice

The first of two yummy cookie entries, which I’ll assume were baked around the same time, feature both real world treats, and 2D ones. I give Hyperbole big props for making the Snow Robbit and Eye Ice enemies into cookie shape form. They look super delicious, and I’m a guy who loves cookies with tons of frosting. XD Taking the pic on a wintry snowflake plate makes them stand out even more, so I totally loved your creativity with that. 

That baking didn’t only take place in Hyperbole’s kitchen, as Tundra and Top also spent the day making the same treats. I think their cookie cutter shapes have given me a clue to how you made yours. LOL Very cute!

*Hyperbole is the winner of Raffle Prize #3 - The Zero plush and framed X 3D sprite art*

@larytello​ - Zero and Ciel

Strawberry cake seemed to be the most popular choice of romantic treats, and here lary has Zero feeding Ciel her slice. Your digital airbrush shading has really improved, and it shows in this piece! It really gives a nice depth and definition to their arms and legs, not to mention the folds in Ciel’s dress, or the shine off of their helmets. Even with the heavily pink background, with all the hearts, they both still stand out nicely against it, despite their color schemes. Super cute!

@papillonthepirate​ - Roll.EXE

Our other real world food entry is a sugar frosted Roll.EXE cookie, complete with rosy cheek sprinkles and lemon-flavored ribbon candy antennae attached to her. Again, like Hyperbole’s submission, Papillon had the perfect heart decal plate design to help accentuate her creation, along with the doily it’s sitting on. I’m sure she was delicious! I appreciate the extra creativity taking the theme of the contest literally and making an actual tasty Mega Man character treat!

@peach35​ - X and Zero

A very cute scene of X and Zero sharing desert and a drink with swirly-shape sippy straws at a quaint little bistro off the shores of Dopple Town. And I’d imagine the pair of strawberries left snuggling on the table also sort of symbolize the hunter couple cuddling up after their cake and conversation, too. Pardon the pun, but I like the slice of life feel to the scene, that sort of gives it this Norman Rockwell-styled feel. The detail on your strawberries and lemon slices really turned out quite great; they look pretty real!

SockMonkii - Ashe

Ashe is so busy devouring that chocolate/strawberry filled cake slice, I don’t know if she fully realizes how much she has missed on her face. XD In fact, I think she’s likely eyeing the rest of the whole cake as the booty she’s after, rather than of any admirer. LOL The ribbon and bow background, along with all the hearts, help emphasize the cake as a romantic gift. Again, I see a lot of growth and improvement in your art style after a year’s time, and I think this pic turned out great!

@star-crossed-swords​ - Blues and Tempo

While definitely a sweet and romantic drawing, this entry felt like it fit in more with last year’s humor category theme, Beauty and the Beastman.EXE, that I almost wondered if you got mixed up with an older contest post. ^^; So I decided to go with the assumption that Quake Woman/Tempo had something delicious leftover on her hand that Blues was kissing off of her, to fit it within the content requirements. :D Their formalwear looks very nice on both of them. I like the sparkles on her dress coordinating with the starry sky outside the window. 

SubZeroIceSkater - Tundra Man

I totally read that tagline in Tundra Man’s voice. And the more bittersweet, the more pure chocolate, so it sounds good to me! Containing most of his stage enemies in cacao form, this box of chocolates is like a your chances at an extra life in item roulette. You never know what you’re gonna get. That’s sort of reverse Forrest Gump logic...right? I love how the box is designed just like his helmet’s rupee with icicles protruding, along with all the beautiful sparkling snowflakes and hearts in the background. I want a box, badly!

[thegreatlibraryfangirl]

Kink and Bone readthrough - Paper and Fire

do I still call this Kink and Bone?? despite the fact that it’s P&F? yes dammit. why waste an awful pun when you can milk it for much, much more than it’s actually worth. 

Skipping all the extremely good stuff early on because there’s no Khalila and Dario - are you sad? I’m sad. Never mind. Proper reread some other time.

Starting at chapter 4

Khalila’s office is on the twenty-second floor.

She was just as he remembered, as if the months had never passed: pretty, composed, modestly dressed in a loose floral patterned dress beneath her sweeping Scholar’s robe. Her pale pink hijab lay neat and perfect and framed her face to accentuate her large brown eyes.

So ... I would like to draw parallels here to Dario’s first appearance:

… an impossibly good-looking young man in a crimson robe said, Quien diablos es usted? Who the devil are you?” The maroon of the robe went well with his bronzed skin and his eyes were almost as dark as his hair.

Jess’ ogling formula: fuck you’re attractive, notice clothes, notice eyes.

(Morgan’s first entrance is quite different, interestingly)

After that shocked, frozen stare, Khalila let out a girlish squeal and launched herself around the desk and into his arms, hugging him with a ferocity that was surprising for a girl her size.

jess you have seen her shoot a man through the chest at point-blank range why are you surprised she HUGS HARD ugh the badly integrated ‘second book character reintroductions’

There is “a pair of chairs near the window” I am 700% headcanoning that’s where she and Dario often sit.

I shouldn’t do this, he thought. I’ll ruin everything for her. Everything.

But he knew Khalila well enough to know that she’d find out, and when she did, she wouldn’t thank him for that protection.

Damn right. Can you imagine her fury? Glain would have had nothing on her.

They don’t monitor Khalila’s conversations. That means she’s checked. 1) how?? 2) good to know she’s still a little wary. She’s got her fairytale ending but she doesn’t trust it, thanks to Wolfe and Oxford.

YES THERE’S A PRIVACY SIGNAL OPTION my ‘Khalila masturbating in her office fic’ can continue!!!

OFFICE SEX FOR EVERYONE.

*Jess tells her about Thomas*

Her voice sounded completely normal, as if he'd told that there might be rain in the afternoon, or the price of saffron could go up in the markets. “I would ask  how you are taking this, but I think I can guess.”

“You seem very calm,” Jess said.

Khalila turned to face him. Tears glittered in her eyes, on the verge of falling. “Do I?”

Insert my usual “Khalila goes calm in crisis-mode” rant here. Come ON Jess you KNOW she reacts like this, don’t insult her by querying her emotional response.

I mean look at this beautiful hard-edged Emotions Are Weakness moment:

A few blinks and the tears vanished, leaving behind a hard, luminous shine. “And you believe this? You’re sure?”

She was asking him to be logical, not emotional.

“Such a tragedy. The Library was meant to be a light lifted against the darkness,” she said. “But we’ve lost our way. We’re wandering in the shadows. That has to change.”

i am screaming send help this is so good

Description of her office:

It was a plain affair, with a desk, shelves, Blanks. A few precious originals  carefully shelved behind a panel of glass.

OK HERE WE GO.

“How’s Dario? Are you two still ... friendly?”

She shrugged. “Dario is an arrogant ass.”

“So you’re still seeing him, then.”

That made her laugh outright, and he liked seeing happiness on her face. “We understand each other.”

First of all, Jess, please, for the sake of my shipper’s heart could you please be less awkward in asking whether she’s single or not? You’ve already compared her to a diamond for the second time in two books. Don’t do this to me.

Secondly, my brain is struggling to wrap a joking “arrogant ass” comment into Khalila and Dario’s relationship. Is she deliberately down-playing? In front of Jess? Because .. Jess? Because Jess and Dario only just ended the last book on speaking terms? Because she’s not stupid and knows Jess wants her and is enjoying fucking with him?

Or has Dario recently pissed her off?

“We understand each other.” Oh, for fuck’s sake Caine. Give me more than that. Particularly since we find out in Smoke and Iron that Dario’s not shared his relationships to the king with her. Ugh.

“You’re going to see him [Dario]?”

“Does that surprise you?”

“A little. I admit, I never thought you two would pay each other visits like reasonable adults. Tell him. He’ll want to help as much as I do.” She patted his cheek in an almost motherly way.

There’s more here but I just have to split it and laugh for about ten years at “an almost motherly way” do you know how I’m reading that? Of course you do. Domme Khalila is very pleased with her boys.

I also find the “reasonable adults” line interesting and heart-breaking - ages are a fucking shitshow here, who knows, but Jess himself is certainly no older than 17 here. She thinks they’re adults now, because they’ve got their jobs. But she won’t have hers for much longer. It’s just, a sense of the stability there even though she’s disillusioned about the Library. Ugh.

“The two of you are so alike.”

Oh, so now I’m an arrogant ass too?”

Of course,” she said, and her smile grew deep enough to reveal that [mocking] dimple again. “A fiercely smart, ridiculously brave one. My favourite kind.”

I ask. you. I beg of you, dear reader, how can I not ship these two when they give me shit like that?

Also, more importantly, this idea of Jess and Dario being similar is a new thing for this book, I believe? feel free to correct me? so it’s clearly something Khalila and Dario have discussed during the preceding 6 months - something which I would argue is integral to Dario fucking up with the book smuggling attempt and which Khalila believes is the reason he goes off to the embassy later on (more on that when it happens).

I reckon Dario’s admiration/jealousy regarding Jess was already clear and Khalila started talking about comparing the two to try and make Dario feel better. This of course would have compounded all his feelings about it.

The other option is that Khalila started comparing the two of her own accord and Dario gritted his teeth and silently vowed to become better than Jess so that she’d stop. Both good, both possible.

Dario/Prakesh’s office is three floors down, so, floor nineteen.

Prakesh summons Dario by clapping, I find this slightly hilarious and genuinely interesting as an indicator of their relationship.

Assuming Prakesh is roughly the same age as the Archivist ... Jess has no fucking handle on age. Just pointing out for the hell of it that she’s lip-reading.

“my exasperated young assistant.” Dario laughed. “She means me.”

...

“You might have to dig him free of the work I’ve piled on him this morning. Try not to listen to his complaints.”

Um fuck you Caine, fuck you, how dare you give me hints of an adorable teasing grandmother/grandson mentor type relationship fir my poor boy who hates his actual family and then fucking destroy it. *plans to write some Gaps in Canon about this*

Dario has his own office and desk, seems pretty good.

The usual. Jess is like You Have Bulked Up. put your tongue back in.

“My baby sister was born deaf,” Dario said, which surprised Jess to the bone. First, that Dario had a baby sister and second, that he’d be considerate enough to go out of his way to communicate with her.

If you missed my post on this the other day, ‘baby sister’ here makes me think that either she’s a LOT younger than Dario or that he has a number of other sisters. Or both. We’ll see what Sword and Pen gives me, if anything. (Unlikely, I know.)

Now, at first I was a little outraged on Dario’s behalf here - of course he’d want to communicate with his sister! He’s a twat, not a monster! - but then I did some Googling and discovered that many families don’t learn to sign. Some don’t teach their kids to sign at all, and then they end up with language deprivation. This is all completely new to me and I am shocked. So, ok, Jess, fair enough, I guess Dario learning a whole new language to talk with his sister is quite impressive after all.

“As well as I could have dreamt. The Scholar’s a wonder. I learn so much every day.”

*tears out hair* SARCASM OR NOT SARCASM?? I’m going with not sarcasm. Maybe. I don’t know. Sarcasm would fit their banter at this point. MARK. TONE. CAINE.

“Dario’s face took on a blank mask-like expression while [Jess] spoke and his eyes went narrow and very dark.”

This is a thing we have seen before, Dario’s eyes described as going dark when he’s angry, or ... whatever he is here.

Interesting to note, briefly, the differences between K&D’s response to the news, and Glain’s. Glain lashes out directly at Jess, whereas the others absolutely accept that he’s the messenger, he's the keeper of secrets. Idk.

“Stay in touch with Khalila - I’ll send word through her. Help her with her research.”

Now, please bear in mind here that according to Glain, Dario has already started his own research on the Black Archives regarding Thomas - I’m really not surprised that he starts to try and take matters into his own hands later on, with the failed smuggling and telling Prakesh. He needs to prove he’s more than just an assistant.

“This is for Thomas.”

“I didn’t think you-”

“Liked him?” Dario waved that away impatiently. “He’s one of us.”  

Dario, dear child, that’s not actually a small thing to wave away. But I know what he means. Glain called Thomas “one of our own” when she found out. Oxford trauma-bonded them all.

Dario pulled a piece of paper closer and picked up a pen. His fingers were shaking. He put the pen down again and flexed them, as if they troubled him.

This is just me recording some canon upset!Dario reaction, rather than my made-up bullshit.

[whenisitnottimeforbed]

Tricks Before Treats (Ichabbie Fanfic)

Well, I haven't done this in a while... I'm kind of excited, I guess- I finally have a new trope that I want to incorporate and I haven't been able to think of one till literally this night. I hope everyone can read this and think kindly back upon something from the show fondly.

**********                               ****************                                 **************

It had been as far back as June when Abbie and Crane had gone out drinking with Jenny and the young Master Corbin, let the revelry take them and became more focused on the moment than the future, but Abbie was beginning to suspect Jenny hadn't been quite as inebriated as she'd made it seem. At some point during the night they'd made a bet on a game, she couldn't quite recall which one, but the prize had been to pick a costume for the loser come halloween. It had seemed like a drunk rambling kind of wager, the kind that made no sense before or after and would probably fade away with the memory of the night, and yet, without missing a beat, Jenny had showed up at Abbie's house with two hangers covered in travel bags giving both the the house's residents their task for the night.

Not only did they have to wear them, Jenny had further explained, but they had to go out and be seen in them. Not at a bar either- they always went to a bar or bowling, or a fright fest movie marathon of the old classics. This year, they were going to a Halloween fair, complete with a corn maze, apple bobbing, haunted houses, hayrides, pumpkin patches, and costume contests. Jenny also informed them they'd been entered in the couples division of such an event and she had money on their success.

Face heavy with makeup, Abbie could hardly stop smiling- a begrudging and duplicitous kind of smile- as she strode through the night in the field between all the other fairgoers in her large glittering pink dress with so many skirt layers that if puffed up a bit just below her knees. It had all the glittering satin overlay, puffy chiffon-like sleeves that bulged like orbs around her bicepts and a strapless corset bodice with magenta-purple ribbon and detail work. Her face was nearly bereft of visible skin, instead covered in eye shadow that went up to her eyebrows and out to her temples, and cheek contours all in glitter filled shades of pinkish or purplish with a few tiny glued on rhinestone assets at the corners of each eye, and dangling pink stoned earrings with multiple pieces. The only thing about the outfit she'd been allowed to use of her own choice were her boots, and only because Jenny had gotten the heel size wrong and there wasn't time to go out and get another pair. Ichabod thought she looked quite cute, but he'd thought twice about using those words and instead complimented her as looking delightful when they'd left.

Compared to her, Ichabod's couple of lines down the corner of his mouth and light 'wood' looking detail work down his face was nothing. He also wore... well, he actually wore something he was quite familiar with in style, though not color. While she'd been dubbed The Sugar Plum Fairy, Crane had been dressed as the red jacketed Nutcracker himself, complete with giant drum major hat and a real, working sword that he'd really bought off the internet some time ago when he'd learned such things could be done. Abbie always thought he looked good in uniform- and he filled it out well. Even if he didn't like the coat, she made sure he knew he was pulling it off. There was this look she'd give him, this one that he liked, and it had quelled all complaints about his implied patriotism.

"Jenny says the contest isn't till near the end of the night, so we just have to hang around till then." Abbie told him as they walked through throngs of witches, zombies, sexy "insert  prosaic noun here"s, Trump satire, wearable puns, and t-shirts that read "this IS my costume". A small group of teenagers came shoving by dressed in their best, most costume-less trappings and in such a rush that they neglected an 'excuse me' as they headed past the glaring fairy cop in their backpacks.

"If you'll excuse my ignorance," Crane began, redirecting her attention, "as I haven't seen the play these costumes seemed to be based on in any capacity more than televised advertisements and references within other works-"

"-I'll take you come Christmastime."

"-Appreciated- but, isn't the character whom I am portraying in love with a ballerina?"

"It's a ballet- everyone in it is a ballerina."

"Of course, but isn't my love interest some sort of music box statuette or toy?"

"Nope. She's a 10 year old girl, Crane."

"-...?"

"Yeah."

"And your Sugar Plum Fairy?"

"Just a benevolent character with a popular song."

"This doesn't seem to be a particularly well thought out 'couples' costume."

"Did I pick it out?"

"You're right, we're in this together."

"Always."

"Hey there, you two-" A man not unlike a carnival barker called to them, "The haunted hay ride's about to leave and we've got two spots just waiting for you, come on over- we promise a 'Frightfully' fun time!" The two of them stood for a moment, figuring whether or not they'd go, but what was the harm, it was still a while before the contest, and what else were they gonna do?

"Shall we, Ms. Fairy?" Ichabod asked, extending his arm with a teasing smile.

"Why, of course, Mr. Nut." She responded in kind, taking the offering.

"That's Mr. Cracke-"

"I'm not saying that."

The two of them were led back through the lane of stalls and to the edge where a few pumpkins had been arranged to create a line holding pattern, which they stepped over as no one was in line. Well, he 'had' needed to come out and grab people for it. When they arrived at the vehicle, though, it wasn't empty.

"Hahaha!" Jenny immediately began to laugh, "Man, you'd think I'd be done laughing about this by now."

"Yes- I would." Abbie agreed with a snide smile while Crane assisted her up on the lifted vehicle.

"Are you the Nutcracker and the Sugar Plum fairy?" A woman asked, she was was doing one of those sexy vaudevillian cigarette girl style costumes, "You guys look so cute together- way to play up the height difference."

"Oh, we got this contest in the bag." Jenny smiled, reaching up to compel a high five from the woman before leaning back with her arms over the back of the wooden railing holding in the hay on which they could sit.

"Alright, everybody, strap in for the most haunted hayride this side of Salem!" The man called from the truck, and then into a walkie "Cue it up, Dewey."

All at once lights flashed once at them, and some metal music blasted from speakers Abbie now noticed were attached to the sides of the truck. Up ahead, the sounds of screams rang out. The man inside laughed into a mic attached to the speakers, which did not cut out the music to let him speak,

"Listen to that? That's the sound of any who get taken away by the 'real' frights of our genuine haunted hayride! There have been some REAL mysterious happenings in our little town these last few years, and it's all for tonight!"

"Profiteering off of our work-" Ichabod leaned in to muse into his companion's ear as quietly as he could over the motor, the mic, and the music. As they rounded a curve, a spring loaded zombie jumped at the vehicle complete with it's own speaker sound effect, an orchestral screech, and a weird moan-scream. The only scream in the vehicle came from the vaudevillian woman who also reacted by ducking toward and clasping onto Ichabod's arm. Abbie glanced across Ichabod at the woman, and though she couldn't bring herself to say anything, as she had no real place to, it was clear she was upset. She harrumphed quietly, biting her bottom lip and sitting back with this posture and face that just begged what gave vaudeville the gall? There was a small bubble of nervousness from Ichabod, but it was easily overtaken with bemusement. He reached over with the offending arm, and tucked some of Abbie's neatly ringleted hair back behind her ear and gave her a smile. Glancing up at him, she immediately softened, relaxing again. She leaned into him and the woman on the otherside easily scooted a bit over, a light blush on her cheeks, but a little grin as she watched them.

"The undead walk our world tonight," The man in the truck began again, "led by denizens of the damned demons who torture them behind the gates of hell every other day of the year to come and drag down souls to take their place-"

Just then a giant pillar of fire exploded from up ahead, lighting the faces of everyone in the vehicle as they stared up into the sky at it.

"Who-ho-hoa-" Jenny smiled in awe.

"Impressive-" breathed Crane.

"Yeah, that's the best effects I've ever seen- Pyrotechnics went all out, huh?" Abbie agreed as the whole vehicle began to clap.

"Uh-" The mic cut out before the man talked into his walkie, barely audible beyond the music, "Godd*mnit, Dewey! Didn't I tell you to stay away from the 4th of July stuff!... Dewey-.... Dewey!" Crane turned to look at Abbie- his instincts were flaring up and if the look on her face was any indication, her's were too.

"Hey, is everything-" It was a good thing the lieutenant had gotten up to lean over the railing and speak to the man because if she'd stayed where she was, the super sped projectile that burst through his windshield and out the back window would have smashed right through her too, instead of just slamming the man's head into his door, exploding the sludgiest black mess on the windshield, the seat, and splattering it all over the bed of hay they rode on. The events managed to set the truck to speed forward with their driver's dead foot on the gas.

"Abbie!" Jenny called as soon as they lurched forward, having to catch the vaudevillian woman who was clearly terrified, her face splashed in the foul smelling liquid, and her eyes dilated in the kind of horror that you only see in movies.

"He's done!" She shouted back, reaching for him to try and wake him up, pull or knock him over and get him off the gas but she couldn't get the right force of strength from this angle and with the bouncy jostling of the unsteered vehicle, and they were headed right toward a stack of hay that'd been made into wall. A witch toy jumped out as they approached and was quickly smashed to bits over the broken windshield, rolling up over the top. The apparatus would have clipped Abbie if Crane had not yanked her back into the bed of the truck. Long arms wrapped around the purple-pink bodice of his partner leaning over to protect her from the stacks of hay that exploded against the chevy's grill, rolling over the top or under the wheels. The woman screamed from where she ducked and covered on the small floor drowning in the sounds still blasting from the speakers.

"I got him!" Jenny called out once they were around- they were headed for a hill. While she climbed onto the side of the runaway vehicle, thrusting herself in feet first through the passenger's window, Abbie and Ichabod quickly scanned their surroundings and as she swivelled around to the front, they crested the hill. Down below, right where the pillar would have been, there was a searing black spot in the ground, like the edges of a paper burned by a cigarette, and out from it flew ugly, black as ink winged gargoyle looking things and jostled ugly, melted, fleshy human forms.

"It's never been so dramatic before!" Abbie called.

"You heard the man! The only place we've ever opened was purgatory- That was supposed to be hell!" Just as she answered back, Jenny got the door open and safely rolled the man out, and their ride, going somewhere over 60 mph to be sure, ran up the hill and sailed high into the air. The group was left without gravity just long enough for the scene of madness below to be burned into all of their eyes. Familiar uncostumed teenagers screaming and running, things flying like bats or pterodactyls after them in dives, and ghouls tackling the living to the ground in a cacophony of screams, inhuman screeches, and gurgling snarls.

The vaudevillian woman wheezed, clearly dealing with an attack, and sprang from the bed in panic, disappearing in all her black into the night behind them. Something overhead circled back that direction, though it didn't seem to be able to find her once she made it into the corn.

"Abbie!" the car slammed back down onto the earth with a squeal of chassis and suspension.

"Lieutenant! We need to get down there!"

"Agreed! Jenny-"

"Oh, we're going whether we want to or not- we got no brakes, guys! But we do have this-" And she pushed the nozzle of a hunting rifle back through the hole in the window to her sister. Abbie pulled open the lever to check and found it loaded and ready.

"Well, alright-"

"I believe this just turned into a business event." Crane noted, relieving his scabbard of its cargo, the unused metal glinting in the moonlight.

"I guess so." Abbie agreed, "Jenny! Let's go to work!"

The engine revved hard, the younger Mills sister flooring the gas pedal and kicking up dirt behind them and all at once it was the music, a change in song after a brief pause, that filled Abbie's ears. The growing feedback and hard crashing drum beat adding to the channelled adrenaline of the moment. The car swerved in the loose dirt and grass, but Abbie, standing on a hay bale, lifted her leg and steadied herself on the roof of the black truck, zeroing in down the sights of the firearm at the winged demons above and began to fire. Behind her, Crane moved from one end of the bed to the other, clinging to railings while he thrust his blade out at any and all ghouls and undead husks that were not mowed down with fleshy smacks and underwheel thuds by the road warrior in the driver's seat.

Though they might be in the middle of battle, there was a quiet kind of tension among the people underneath the blanket of screams and electric guitars. In fact, Abbie and Ichabod fell into step so quickly and comfortably that somewhere under the drive and focus, there was a glimmer of fun. When she spun around, he was right at her back with no warning or word, spinning too, out of her way and her out of his, delivering fatal blows one after another. When she swiveled, he ducked under, and when she leaned, he slid around. Each step she took in this contained space, he matched  with ease and grace, as hay continued to be thrown out of their way. A hand reached out at her hair, from a being that had managed to grab onto the vehicle and yet Abbie felt no fear. The limb was separated from it's body no less than an inch from her and it's owner was impaled while Abbie's boot planted firmly into the face of another and she used it to thrust herself into the air and use the gun's butt to smash another enemy from the sky.

The truck swerved, and Abbie landed on the edge of the roof, the metal sliding out from under her, but when her hand thrust out in instinct, another grabbed it just as thoughtlessly, fingers curling around each other's thumbs. For a moment, Abbie and Ichabod stared into each other's eyes while the dichotomy of fear for each other, and yet the utter trust that nothing could ever happen to them because they would always be there to protect each other washed over them. She lifted her gun though and unloaded a round into a demon that thought it'd get the drop on her partner from behind, and the feeling broke with smiles.

Abbie did not lack confidence, not for quite some time, but fighting side by side with Crane bolstered it. What she would have avoided, viewing as 'reckless' or 'dangerous' when she was alone, she could do without hesitation with him. Ichabod knew she could take care of herself, and it was because of that that he could fight so freely- he did not have to constantly be worried or leading his Lieutenant around. She did not require coddling but instead room to do her job, and that was something he could do with, not for, her.

"It's kinda like a dance isn't it?" Abbie chuckled, pulling ammo from where her sister thrust it back at her to reload her weapon while the bumps tried to unsteady them.

"Not the music I would have chosen, but-" Ichabod began, but in concentrating on the pass, Jenny now needed to quickly course correct and threw the truck into a hard turn, and Abbie slammed into Ichabod, her face pressed into his shirt. She peeled herself off him and though they both smiled, clearly about to say something, the truck made it evident that it was not meant to handle a corner in this manner and began to tip up onto two tires.

"Gimme a boost!" Abbie called grabbing his hand and turning around. Ichabod planted a food on the floor of the now empty truck bed, and without releasing hands, Abbie used it as a springboard to go jump onto the edge of the fence with only him to steady her while she leaned herself out as counterweight, and he planted his own foot on the inside of the wooden bars to accommodate her weight and press on the side.

Floating on a wicked guitar solo that poured from their speakers like a crashing storm, time slowed as the adrenaline coursing in their bloodstream heightened their every sense. Abbie's dress sparkled in the moonlight and her face glittered like a diamond. Her dress, dirty and torn, fluttered like a flag of her own independence and ability, a reminder to Ichabod of what he fought for, and who he cared about; what really mattered in times like these. Her hand clasped his with admirable strength and he gripped her so that she would never sail away even as she was slanted dangerously off the high, precarious edge of the border against the wind with ripped satin overlay fluttering behind her like the Winged Nike of Samothrace. She was beautiful. Even as her face curled into a snarl and she shot one handed with her rifle braced against her shoulder at the oncoming threats.

He had seemed to be distracted, but when Abbie glanced back down she saw his long fingers wrapped around her wrist, and his strong arm reaching out the other way to swipe his gleaming, silver sword down the face of one nearby ghoul, spin the blade around and push it back through the gut of one that tried to climb their ride. It was in moments like these she was absolutely sure she could not do this without him. Who else could she trust so completely? Who else could be an asset as opposed to a liability? Who else knew her in battle so well? No one. There was only him. She smirked, and turned back around as Jenny took the truck back the way they'd come apparently, using the hill to help them get back onto four wheels.

With another squeal, the heavy vehicle came back down and Ichabod pulled Abbie back into the bed, where she snapped around. There out in front, just above the reach of the headlights, was the last of their problems.

"Keep me steady!" Abbie called and the truck straightened itself out once again climbing this hill, but now the passengers realized what they were headed for. Crane's hands gripped Abbie's hips and as the truck lifted off once more her feet remained planted to the floor and in one shot, the monster exploded it's black sludge from the head and fell like a stone where they landed on it and headed back into the fairground. There was still no pedal brakes, but plowing through crowd ahead was not an option. Jenny reached down and quickly clicked up the emergency brakes as high as they would go and braced as the truck's tires stopped spinning but the momentum carried them forward, crashing to a final stop in a tailspin while they clung to each other, against one of the other vehicles, destroying the sound system to end the ride.

"Are you alright? Abbie, are you harmed?" She was practically in his lap now, at the end of it, and he lifted her face to look quickly for injuries.

"I'm fine, I'm fine- it didn't even hurt- what about you?" She shook her head, feeling around his sides. He winced once, and took her hand. He'd managed to put as much of his body as possible between her and the collision, and the look her eyes were giving him were telling him that she recognized it. He had not lost her yet, and he would not tonight. She stared at him, her hand reaching up to his cheek, but there was a bit of a ruckus starting up behind them.

"I'm fine, but we should check on Jenny and the others-"

"You're right."

Abbie and Crane quickly jumped out of the truck, and after being waved on by Jenny- fine after the impact- ran around to the people who'd all gathered together in the middle of the fairground. The two of them hopped up on some boards laid across some hay for a higher vantage point with attention grabbing thuds of their boots,

"Is everyone alright?!" Abbie shouted over the crowd who had watched their crashing stop in fear.

"Are there any more of them among you?!" Ichabod demanded after her, his sword at the ready. Several dozen wide eyed and injured faces stared back up at them, now with no music from the smashed speakers on the truck, in the silent kind of confusion that follows a group trauma. Then a sound broke the silence- the sound of clapping. It was singular at first, but soon joined by a partner, and then a couple more, and it became clear among the applause and whistles, that the trouble was over.

People threw themselves at the pair's feet on stage with thanks and waves and shouts of pride and compliment, and someone thrust a trophy at them. Ichabod tried to deny it but Abbie took it up from the crowd with a thanks and a laugh. The relief and the sound of her laughter lightened his heart, and before the group of them, he leaned down and placed a peck on her cheek- the best he could do considering he felt fairly giddy right now, but thought better of kissing her outright in front of all these people. Seemed he didn't need to worry though- she'd been surprised at first, but turned back, pulled him down by his neck and pressed her lips to his joyously, smiling widely when she released him and staring into his sparkling, laughing eyes. In their tattered and black splattered costumes, messed hair and weapons wielded in hand, the held each other, and Abbie lifted the trophy up for the both of them among the second crashing  wave of cheers.

[halewynslady]

WE’RE TAKING THE DUCHESS TO DISNEYLAND…

​Tremontaine S3 Challenge #7

Getting there: By train is easiest from where I live or I can enlist the aid and company of a friend of family member and we can go by car. I don’t know how far Disneyland would be from the City. I am talking Disneyland Paris for the simple reason that is the one Disneyland I know. I trust we won’t need a ship or private plane to get her there and if so, I am certain she has one. I suppose we can travel by carriage if she wants to, this should be novel for me, also useful for when we are in the park and need transport along the main roads, I guess we are taking servants with us then. That will take some getting used to.

We are of course notifying the park of our arrival. I expect to be greeted by… not the mouse… Maleficent would be nice. She is in charge of the park during the Halloween period. I would prefer to go then. I love that atmosphere best and the Tremontaine version of Halloween (see S3E4 Night of the Flames) completely enchanted me so I hope we can nicely blend the two. Oh and we expect, hope for, that is, a gorgeous swan sculpture in the Duchess’ honour. For the introductions, well, I am not very talented at French. We would look pretty foolish both sporting such French names and … I bet she is fluent!

Now, some improvements will have to be made to the park.

Item 1: the FOOD

Tackling the big one first. It is the first thing that comes to mind. I tend to survive on apples when I go to Disneyland. Then I am immensely grateful to the outside world when I ‘escape’ to where food has taste again. My food standards are high, so are Diane’s and the entire Tremontaine world’s, Disneyland will have to up their game. We want the finest chocolate and a much better version of their mouse-eared tomato pies! I also want a sugar coated apple, those I do like there. I also hope the Fantasia ice cream shop is open.

The Duchess can naturally take her pick of the restaurants in and around the park. I don’t know them that well, a side effect of not having found great food there yet. The places usually do look very pretty. I guess we can pick whichever one refers to a Disney film she likes. Which brings me to another topic my brother enjoyed addressing… what if we have a different taste in Disney films? This could test our friendship. I like to think we are adults and can handle that. Has she seen Disney films before? Will this be a culture shock for her? In what kind of a reality are we anyway *insert existential crisis here*.

We will be staying at the fanciest hotel of course, The Pink Place, it is lovely if a bit… very pink but so is almost everything at Disneyland, look at their castle, too pink yet beautiful. I am certain this should trouble her far less than it bothers me, Miss Pastel Fashion Launcher. Oh, and I love the Snow White mirrors in those rooms. I hope she is patient with me when I skip about and ramble on about mirrors, apples and fairytales (film versions, book versions and fangirl theories). I get very skippy and twirly when happy. I like to think we are friends.

Entering the park: I want to dress up! :D We are taking lacy fans along, a lady can’t survive without her fan. :p I am sometimes worried they will send me away for not dressing “normally” at the entrance. Of course with Diane there this shouldn’t be a problem and we can wear whatever we like in the park. If the staff has to tell us to “keep our frilly dresses inside the vehicle” then so be it and I will thank them for it.

We can explore. I will show her my favourite places. The dragon, the castle, the stained glass windows, … In the Halloween period I could watch that gigantic thorn dragon endlessly lay siege to the castle and change colours in its thorns. It is so perfectly beautiful. I could stay in the fairytale land for whole days, I hope she won’t mind. What I like best about theme parks is the walking around, sitting and taking in the surroundings while drinking tea or chocolate (we bring our own if it is not up to standard). I am very dull. She’ll love it. Let us often sit down and talk about … bad puns?, … anything silly, serious or otherwise that crosses our minds. At other times maybe take her hand and run around being happy and avoid the too crowded places. There are some very pretty crows hopping around for food scraps, you know what, let’s forget about the crows… What a privilege that she will be there. I imagine her presence will draw crowds too, people will want pictures of her, well, she is better at social graces than I am.

The characters, I can’t know who we will run into. I can’t predict everything.  I will want to take pictures with characters. I could sweetly suggest things like “shall we take a picture with the giant penguin, yes or no?” It would be a shame not to get to ask her that. I would enjoy talking about dresses and feminism with the characters. Disney character players are brilliant and I admire them immensely.

As for the rides, she can go on anything she wants of course. I won’t always join her. I die on rollercoasters, I would go on one for her, but nothing too extreme. If I stop breathing or if I start screaming my final will, please pay close attention. If I decide I will chance going to the Haunted  Mansion or scary Pirates then I trust her to help me hold my ears and eyes shut.

I hope we get to see some Stormtrooper march by and Darth Vader. I dearly want to get us lightsabers. ^^ So we can duel all over the park. Live out her fantasies. :p And we can talk of her swordsmen. –Vincent, waer bestu bleven … arm losing is popular in Star Wars too, you can still be the greatest jedi. - We can look for Kaab on the pirate ship.

We will check the program for shows, parades, lightshows, characters dancing, fireworks, stunt shows and what else they may have. :D We can admire and discuss it all, perhaps these will inspire her for her own events.

Oh and then there is… souvenirs. ^^

I will probably buy some notebooks, I can never resist those, and some silly fluffy creature or an elegant glittery princess or Tinkerbell music box or something like that. I am going to be very curious to what she would pick. I should get us these t-shirts: :p  https://www.large.be/p/i%27m-a-lady/344893.html https://www.large.be/p/marie—ladies-don%27t-start-fights/356951.html

We can find gifts for friends and family (this includes Micah and my cat), lovers, rivals, allies, frenemies, enemies, the list is endless…

The Ball: I kid you not, I looked this up, there is traditionally a masquerade Halloween ball on October 31st in Disneyland, in the castle itself if I am not mistaken. This time this ball will be specially dedicated to our beloved guest Diane Duchess Tremontaine. This also means more dressing up! I love excitedly preparing for a party, outfits, make-up,… probably more than I like parties themselves. Asking her if I may do her hair is definitely present on my list of things I won’t possibly dare do. I hope there will be fancy Alice in Wonderland porcelain, that would be appreciated. No creepy living plates, please, that would go several steps too far. I will love hanging out with the characters and dressed up interesting people. I will be admiring it all. This will be a perfect night.

Affair, you say? As in kiss the Duchess? (Dear challenge giving people…  don’t tease …) I love her very much. I won’t be counting on it. I very rarely risk kissing. We’ll see. It is completely up to her. This is a wonderful vacation anyway.

Feel free to add your own Duchess Disney ideas and theories.

Madness ahead:  wait… Tremontaine as a Disney film? Lord Davenant gets his own Gaston-like song? Where it is emphasized what the hunt does for his physical allure and how he would love that forest getaway. And all the ladies who slept with him are just not interested?

[themaddynocon]

Dario the Bachelor

I’m sure you have a few questions: Who is Dario? Why was he the Bachelor? What does this have to do with you, Madison?

Let me explain.

So, I listen to a radio show based in San Diego, CA called “Rock 105.3”. Their international phone screener (Dario) has been single for a while, so they decided to host, “Dario the Bachelor” at the local Dave & Busters.

Now, how this works is ladies 21+ applied via their website to compete for his “love”. You had to write a little about yourself, why you would want to date Dario, and submit a picture. If you were one of the ladies selected (they chose 10 total), you would have to take a nerd test, compete in a game, and also answer a “Dario Scenario”. This is all intermixed with one on ones, rose ceremonies, and a fantasy suite for one lucky gal. Did I mention that this is all very public and in front of hundreds of people? (Besides the fantasy suite, hey-o!)

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Participating is a ballsy move! And, it was. It took a lot of convincing from friends and coworkers to actually sign up. I bet you’re also wondering, is Dario worth ALL that!? Guess you’ll have to keep reading to find that out (insert suspense here!)

Fast forward to a week or so after applying; It’s the night before. I get a call from the station that I was selected to be a part of the event. My first thoughts are “they must have run out of women and I was like the last one they called” and “holy crap, $#!+ just got real”. The only information I was given at this time was to “wear a cute cocktail dress”. Fun fact, I went and bought my dress that night!

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a tendency to overthink things. I can be spontaneous, but knowing details and having plans is my comfort zone. I like to know what I am walking into, and I basically walked into this blind. I had 24 hours to prepare, and had no clue how to prepare for any of it! 

Then in what felt like the blink of an eye, it was time to head over. I had gotten off work, did my hair (toss), checked my nails; How was I feeling? Feeling good as hell! But also, nervous as hell!

I ended up getting to the venue a little early. As soon as I walked in, I felt eyes on me. You know how you can just tell when people are staring at you? There were already a bunch of P1′s (what they call fans of the show) there scoping out the contestants. I quickly checked in and realized it was also still too early to enter the venue room, so I decided to hang out in the bathroom (I was told that’s where the other girls that had arrived early had gone too). 

I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I wanted to make friends from the get-go. Let’s be honest; Bitches can be cray. I did not want to be on anyone’s bad side. Luckily, every girl that I talked to ended up being super sweet! I was relieved that it was nothing like the actually show, The Bachelor. All of the ladies that competed were awesome, and I even made a few new friends! 

Then, it was actually time for all the contestants to go on stage. Here’s where things got more interesting. They had us line up in a specific order (random side note, I noticed that I was set as the 7th lady in line, which is my lucky number!) and then we would walk up on stage, introduce ourselves to Dario, and then line up on the other side. Clearly I was not paying attention, because when it was my turn, I said my hello and quickly tried to clear the stage for the other girl to have her chance to say hello. I ran past my spot where I was supposed to line up and the host started yelling at me to come back! Naturally this became one of the running jokes of the night (pun intended). For those of you who know me personally, we all saw this coming. We all knew I was going to do something awkard and embarrassing; It’s just who I am. 

Then, the first event started. This was the “Nerd Test”. I am happy to report that I actually knew most of the answers to the questions he asked (they were pretty high-level nerd questions though). It’s funny how you can know the answer to something and then when you’re put on the spot in front of a crowd, everything you thought you knew goes out the window. He asked me what Spider-Man’s Aunt’s name is, and for the life of me I could not remember it at first. I ended up getting the answer right, but he chose another girl for the first one-on-one. They went off and we had our first break. 

During this first break was when I realized that not only did friends come, but a good grip of my family came too! I was NOT expecting this at all (More on this later). Then after a few minutes, it was time for the first rose ceremony. 

The girl who got the one on one was obviously safe, so he had to choose 6 more girls to keep, meaning 3 were sent home. I was chosen, and then we went right into the next part of the event: Ski Ball!

Ski Ball did not go so well for me, and I actually think that I might have done second worst of the entire group (LOL). One of the girls that was towards the back of the line ended up killing it though! It was super fun to cheer her on. She literally crushed everyone, and naturally, was given the second one on one. After that, he had to choose 3 other girls, and I somehow managed to make it to the next round (clearly not based on my ski ball skills lol).

Things got a little interesting during this next break though. A girl that recieved an invitation to be a contestant apparently didn’t see it until the event had already started, so she rushed over to the venue and asked if she could still compete. This is where my family comes back into the story. Throughout the evening, my dad had been yelling stuff like “You can do it” and other embarrassing things about me (luckily this was not all heard on stage lol). But, when Dario was asked if he should give this girl a chance, my dad kept yelling “She’s a person too” Let her in!” which I thought was hilarious. But! Dario quizzed her and she did not pass, so she was not allowed to join the contest.

After this, the 3 other remaining contestants and I were brought back to the stage for “Dario Scenarios”. This are situations that might arise if we were dating Dario; He wanted to know how we would handle them. I was up first, and he asked me about costumes for Halloween. More specifically, if I wanted to be a character from Star Wars and he wanted to be a character from the MCU, how would we compromise? Of course in the moment, I was like it really depends on which character from the MCU because I love both franchises. He said he would be Captain America, and I said I would be Lady Thor. Thinking about it after my turn, I would have asked him if he would considered dressing as Star Wars if I dressed as Slave Leia, but again, in the moment with hundreds of people watching, it can be hard to think on your toes. 

Well, apparently he liked my Lady Thor answer, becasuse I was whisked away to the Fantasy Suite! AKA a photo booth with chairs in it at the back of Dave & Busters.

So, I will not disclose what happened in the Fantasy Suite, but I will say that we got to know each other a little better, and that I did think that there was a connection! We were in there for about 10 minutes and then they came and grabbed us.

After the Fantasy Suite, Dario had to choose one other girl to keep, and then it was just a choice between that girl and myself. After he chose the other girl, he was given more time to process his final selection. 

Then, he came back to the stage, rose in hand. I was in the back of the room, so it took me a while to make my way back to the stage (awkwardly the other girl was already up there so they made another joke about me running away again lol). After a lot of talking, rambling, and jokes, he asked me if I would accept the final rose! 

Everyone (well, a lot of people) started cheering and chanting. Then, I realized they were chanting something... but what was it? Mesos? Pesos? I had to ask him, and they were chanting BESOS (mi español es malo jaja) So, after contemplating that for a second, we ended up kissing on stage in front of everyone (LOL). After that we took some pictures, and I was told to wait on the side of the room for him to come and talk to me. I thought this was awkward cause everyone was flooding the stage, but, the promotions team insisted I wait there. 

After this, he met my friends, some of my family, and then I met his siblings. We ended up hanging out for a few hours after the event, playing games, getting to know each other, etc. We ended up winning enough tickets to be able to both take home a commemorative shot glass. All in all, I thought it had gone really well! 

A lot of people are asking me what happens from here, and the honest answer is I am really not sure. I think the ball is in his court now!

It is surprising to say, but I had the best time. My family and friends are still raving about how much fun that night was! Even if nothing ever comes of it, I am grateful for the opportunity to do something out of my usual; Something that made me step out of my comfort zone. I put myself out there, and it worked out for me. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take! This is such a good reminder to shoot your shot! Life is too short!

Here are a couple pictures from the event: