#instead of flipping of my co-workers I put on fresh sheets

[lale-txt]

deadlines and to-do’s so bad, my flat has never been cleaner

[rachaelswrites]

Mission:AU

Prologue

Peter Parker x Barnes!reader

 Ever since Thanos happened, your life changed forever. Two of the people you most admired left you. Natasha sacrificed herself and Steve left for Peggy. You were heartbroken but grateful you had your dad back. Fury didn’t let you have much time for grief before he tried to make you and Peter (who was grieving Tony still) the new Avengers. Bucky chewed Fury out for trying to get you back to missions. He gave you a month and then you were back in a briefing room; Sitting across from Peter. You always had taken a liking to him and not just because he was your age. You admired how he protected the people he loved and stood up for himself. You wished you were closer friends instead of co-workers. You would actually prefer if you were dating, but you kept that a secret. 

Fury announced that you and Peter would be going on a mission together. Your goal was to stop a tech dealer and his was to intercept the delivery. You were leaving the next day so you decided to visit Steve before you left. He was the only person who knew about your crush on Peter. He swore to not tell anyone. Not even Bucky. You went to Steve a lot for either asking advice or just talking. You told him everything that you didn’t tell Bucky. He was one of the only people you trusted. 

You knocked on the door to his apartment and he greeted you with a smile and a hug. You set your school bag down on the couch and went into the kitchen. You grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the table. 

“Steve. You’ll never guess what happened!” you exclaimed. 

Steve looked up from his newspaper he was reading, "What happened Y/n?” he hummed. 

You took a swig of water and slammed it back down on the table, startling him. 

“Fury assigned me and Peter on this mission. But it’s just us. Number one, I’m surprised that my dad didn't object to that and number two, what am I supposed to do Steve. You know. Because of the… you know.” you rambled. 

Steve put his paper down and looked you in the eyes, "You’ve been able to hide it for so long. Why can’t you hide it for another few days?”

“It’s different this time,” you explained, “this time it’s just us and no one else. It’s awkward.” 

“You know, I had my first kiss with Peggy on a mission. You never know what’s going to happen,” he shrugged. 

“Eww. I didn’t need or want to hear that,” you checked the time and realized you should get home to your dad, “I gotta go Steve. I’ll be sure to keep you up to date.”

Steve nodded and you got your bag and left. 

The next morning your dad went into your room and woke you up. 

“Y/n doll, Peter’s here. You gotta leave in 10 minutes,” he said, shaking you softly. 

You opened your eyes and rolled over. Your dad smiled at you and your eyes moved to the door. You shot up, when you saw Peter looking at you sheepishly. You looked at your alarm clock and saw that you overslept by an hour. 

“Can you two leave so I can get dressed or do you wanna stay?” you asked. 

Both of them nodded and left, Bucky closed the door behind him. You quickly got changed and grabbed the duffle bag you packed the night before. “Thank God I packed it last night” you thought. In the kitchen, Bucky was drinking coffee and talking to Peter. 

You grabbed a package of pop tarts and turned to Peter, “Are you ready?” 

Peter looked to you and then to Bucky, who had his eyebrows raised. Concerned for your poor choice of breakfast.

 “Do you want to eat something else? We still have some time to spare,” Peter asked. 

You shook your head and walked to Bucky. You gave him a hug and told him goodbye. Peter followed you out the door and into the hallway and down that stairs. 

“Sorry I overslept. Normally I’m very punctual,” you explained. 

“It’s fine Y/n. I don’t mind,” he said. 

The rest of the way to HQ was silent and awkward. Every other time you were with him, there were other people around so no pressure on you to hold conversation. Peter had just gotten rejected by MJ, so asking him out now wouldn’t work. At some point you would have to confess before it all got too much for you. Your Hydra training helped you keep in your emotions and not show anything. Until you got to Wakanda that strategy worked well. Part of your recovery was to get in check with your emotions. You used journals, like your dad to write feelings and memories from your life. You kept them all in a small box under your bed. Bucky knew about the journals and their location but didn’t dare read them. He knew you were still dealing with your past. While under Hydra’s control, you didn’t have the option to be mind wiped so everything that happened was still fresh in your mind. Nobody outside of the doctors in Wakanda asked about your past; too afraid that you would get upset or angry with them. It was quite the opposite. You wanted to tell someone, but didn’t know how. You just hoped and prayed that someone else would break the ice for you. 

You and Peter arrived at the hangar where the jet you would take was parked. A guard took both of your bags and set them onboard. Another guard walked up to Peter and handed him a folder, most likely containing info on the mission. You stood on your tiptoes and peered over his shoulder. (you were a bit short for your age). He noticed you hovering and lowered the folder to your eye level. You shot him a smile and continued to read it. You learned that the piece of tech was some sort of machine that could alter space/time. You internally groaned. You had enough of weird sciencey stuff. You wish it was just normal, base infiltration like some of your older missions. 

“Times are changing doll,” is what your dad always told you. 

Both of you got on the jet and sat across from each other. Peter wanted to be your friend, it was just that he was intimidated by you. The first time he met you, you were only nine and you nearly kicked his butt in Germany. He would've tried to talk to you later, but Thanos happened. 

“So uh. Are you excited to get back out there?” Peter asked you. 

You looked up and shrugged your shoulders, "I dunno. I guess. I’m glad it’s not with my dad and Sam. I’m tired of hearing them bicker,” you said. 

Peter chuckled and you made small talk the rest of the way. 

Once you touched down, you took a cab and checked into the hotel. There was only one room booked for you two. Luckily enough there were two beds. You set your things on the bed while Peter went into the bathroom. You unzipped your bag and pulled out one of your journals. You always kept one with you. Just in case. You pulled the sheet off of the corner of the bed and placed the journal there. You placed one of the pillows over it to hide it. You grabbed a change of clothes and put it on the edge of the bed. You walked over to the window and drew the curtains open. You looked out into the night sky. You were only on the second floor, but the view was still breathtaking for you. You were on the edge of the city. You saw the silhouettes of all the buildings and looked up into the sky. You saw only a few stars because of the light pollution. You loved the stars and the night sky. One of your favorite things in Wakanda was the planetarium. Once Bucky was out of cryo-freeze, he would take you there every chance he could. 

Peter walked out of the bathroom wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. You moved from the window and grabbed your clothes and went into the bathroom. You took a quick shower and changed. You walked out and saw Peter sitting crisscross on his bed, doing some school work. 

“Even on missions, you still do school work. That’s what I call dedication,” you teased. 

He looked up from his textbook and smiled. 

“School’s a bit different than it was in the forties,” he joked back. 

You grabbed your hair brush and brushed through your wet hair. 

Peter watched you intently, “Do you wanna join me?” he asked, patting the spot in front of him. 

You set the brush down and jumped on the bed. You were now sitting across from each other. Every time Peter looked down at his book, you managed to study his face. You saw the way his eyebrows furrowed when something confused him and you saw the way his whole face relaxed when he got through something quickly. You quickly snapped out of your daydream when your phone started ringing. You got up from Peter's bed and checked it. It was your dad. You excused yourself from the room and his gaze followed you out the door. 

“Hey dad what’s up?” you asked.

 Bucky was sitting on the couch with his phone propped on the table. You heard Sam yelling something in the background. 

“I’m doing good. I just wanted to make sure you got there ok. I already miss you,” he said. 

“I miss you too and it’s only been less than a day.”

Bucky chuckled. “I just wanted to remind you to get a goodnight sleep. And to tell Parker to keep his hands to himself.”

“Daddd,” you groaned, “we have more important things to focus on than that,” You said goodbye and hung up. 

You went back into the room, Peter was now flipping through channels on the tv. “Hey y/n do you wanna watch a movie?” 

You really wanted to but, you knew that something was going to happen. Just like in the movies Shuri made you watch.

 “I probably shouldn’t. We have a long day tomorrow. I’m going to go to bed but feel free to watch one,” you tried to sound sincere and it must’ve worked. 

Peter turned the lamp off and you crawled into bed. You fell asleep within minutes. 

You woke up early the next morning before Peter. He must’ve been up late, since the TV was still on from whatever he was watching. You quietly grabbed the journal and jotted down a few notes from a dream you had last night.

 It was you, Bucky, and Steve at the beach. Right before they both decided to enlist. You remember the smell of the salty air and the breeze brushing on your skin. Your dad had wrapped you in a blanket, making sure you wouldn’t get sick. You watched as Bucky and Steve played a short game of toss. Keeping your three year old self entertained. 

You finished writing and put it back in it’s hiding place. You got out of bed and rummaged through your bag to find your suit. You tiptoed past Peter’s sleeping form and into the bathroom to get ready. 

After about another hour you had to wake Peter up. You shook his shoulder gently, “Hey Peter we gotta go or else we’re gonna miss it.” 

Peter slowly opened his eyes. You moved away and started to gather up your things. Peter made his way into the bathroom and came back out in his suit. You always thought he looked good in it. You did think about confessing your feelings but were unsure of how he would react. You were technically way older than him, since your birthday was in 1939 but when you first saw each other, you were nine and he was fifteen. Then he got snapped two years later and you aged five years, which now made you only about a year apart. Did he still view you as the little girl at the airport or did he see you as the girl who fought Thanos twice? You didn’t know. 

You both threw on jackets and headed back down to the lobby. Outside, you waited for a cab. Peter was still too sleepy to talk on the ride over but woke up as soon as you had to walk a block in the cold morning air. 

“How’d you sleep?” he asked. 

“I slept like a baby. I had a really good dream too so that helped,” you said. 

You guys reached the warehouse and Peter went inside and hid in the rafters. You ducked behind a huge storage unit and waited for the dealer to arrive. After a few hours, a black car pulled up to the door of the warehouse. You shifted to a position you could quickly spring up from. A tall man stepped out of the car and opened the trunk. He pulled out what you assumed was the space/time machine thingy Peter was supposed to take. You inched along the container, trying to get closer. The man set up the machine right outside the door. You realized the deal was taking place outside and Peter would have to join you here.

 “Hey Peter,” you whispered in the comms, “The deal is out here. I have to distract him for you.” 

Before he could answer you pulled one of the knives you had and used the handle to create a loud noise. The man turned his attention away from the doorway and in your direction. It was only enough time for Peter to web the door and pull it open from the rafters. The man was startled and looked around for any signs of other people. You had to step up your game. You took a deep breath and stood up. You dragged the handle of the knife along the edge of the container while walking into plain view. The man looked at you and smirked. 

“What are you doing here little girl?” he sneered. 

You looked offended before responding. “Do I really look young enough to be called a little girl? I’m shocked.” 

Peter took this as his cue to swing down and try and take the weapon. The man was faster and zapped Peter with it. Peter fell to the ground and you shrieked.

 “Peter!” you tried to run to his side but you found yourself on the ground and blacked out. 

[yourkeeperoftherunners]

All Treats No Tricks

Plot: AU Instead of going to your friend’s party, you decided to compile a stash of candy to share with your merman friend. He’s not too familiar with human candies, so it’s a real hoot watching him try different things and react accordingly.

Rating: PG (Mention of grandparent falling)

Characters: Merman!Baekhyun x Reader (Any gender), plus mention of other characters.

Notes: I know many hoped I’d write more for merman!Baekhyun, but I didn’t want to write something where I wasn’t happy with the end result or the concept didn’t fit. This idea came to me after celebrating Halloween yesterday and I finally had a chance to sit and type it out. This is the same universe as the original two part series I wrote for Baekhyun some years ago – this is more of a slice of life story.

Tagging @shesdreaminginoverdose and @myeoning-call who wanted me to share any updates or additions to this storyline.

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

“Done already?” a co-worker asked as you slung your bag over your shoulder.

You nodded and tapped your watch, explaining that you had come in early today, so you could get home at a decent hour.

“Halloween party?” she guessed.

“No,” you answered. Although it was funny she mentioned a party, as an old friend from high school had invited you to their house for a huge Halloween bash. Everyone had to wear a costume and bring something, whether it be drinks, food, or something Halloween-inspired. But you opted to decline the invitation, remembering that you weren’t as close as you used to be. Plus you weren’t in the mood to dress up in a cliche or sexy costume tonight.

“Handing out candy?” your co-worker guessed.

“Yeah and stay in with Mom,” you offered. You took this moment to bid her goodbye as you headed home to change clothes and grab your skateboard. 

Once you got back, you called out for your mom, looking from room to room to see if she was there. You paused by the kitchen and frowned when you saw a note laying on the counter that you hadn’t seen there this morning. You put your keys down and picked up the sheet.

Y/N,

I know we planned to order takeout and hand out candy to the kids, but I got an emergency call from your grandpa – he took a nasty fall this morning and no one else can take care of him. I’ve got my cell with me if you need to reach me for anything. I left money for takeout and you can either hand the candy to the kids, or leave a bowl out with a note.

I’m really sorry about this – I’ll make it up to you!

Love,

Mom

You put down the note and noticed the neat stack of crisp bills lying on the counter with a paper clip. Part of you felt bummed that the plans changed, but you knew that grandpa lived alone and he refused to have a caretaker, arguing it was too expensive.

Your eyes drifted to the colorful bags of candy you and mom bought from the drugstore with a coupon, all mixed with different types of candy. Next to the bags was the Halloween themed bowl your mom made when she was pregnant with you. That became the designated candy bowl you used every year you handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters.

Your eyes drifted to the staircase and you decided to put your stuff down so could change out of your work clothes, then make a decision about your plans. Once in your room, you glanced at the shell, given to you by a merman you met a few summers ago. You tried keeping in contact with him when possible, but both of you got busy, you with university and work, him with his duties as a royal prince in his realm.

You reached for the shell, then hesitated. Would it be rude to bug him on a night like this? Surely he had to be busy, right? You stared at the shell for a few minutes and decided to give it a try.

“Ah what? Who is this? Did I know a human by the name of Y/N?” a familiar voice teased once you connected.

“Very funny,” you remarked. “Sorry about the radio silence, school has been kicking my butt. How are you?”

He shifted his shell to the other ear and smiled. “Oh fine really. I finally managed to convince my parents to stop planning a marriage for me. It took a while to persuade them, but I did it!”

You smiled as you remembered meeting him when he was escaping the talk about an arranged marriage to a princess he didn’t like. It seemed surprising his parents would change their minds on something like this, but you guessed that they finally concluded that their son was old enough to make his own decisions.

“I’m really happy for you, really I mean it,” you replied. “Um hey, if this isn’t too last minute, would you by any chance like to hang out tonight? My mom said I’m on my own tonight, and I don’t wanna sit at home and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters.”

The merman paused and tilted his head at the mention of your offer. He was excited to see you again after so long, but he wasn’t super familiar with all of the human customs and behaviors, seeing as his school skipped that bit of information growing up.

“What do you mean by ‘trick-or-treaters’? What’s candy?” he asked.

You glanced over at the door and an idea popped into your head. “If I’m taking this to mean you’re free tonight, then why don’t I bring some candy and show you? Oh and by the way, I was gonna order a pizza – did you want me to order half for you?”

“Pizza?!” the merman declared with a giddy smile. “I missed pizza! Oh yes, you know what I like – thank you!”

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

It was quite a challenge juggling a pizza box and trying to move fluidly on your skateboard. A couple of times you heard some people crack jokes about this being the new wave of delivery transportation, but you ignored them as you made your way to the beach. Napkins were stuffed in one pocket and a bag of candy was in the other. You slowed down as you neared the area of the beach that split between the sands and the dock where boats were tied up.

Your eyes scanned the area and you whipped your head around when you heard someone softly call your name. You scanned the dock and saw a guy in a bucket hat waving to you.

Your brows creased as you tried to get a better look at the guy. You rolled closer to the entrance to the dock and saw it was Baekhyun. In addition to the bucket hat, he was wearing a vest with multiple pockets down the front, the zipper tugged 3/4 of the way up.

“What’s with the outfit?” you asked as you put the pizza box down and caught your skateboard before it rolled to his arm.

He grinned and spread his arms out proudly. “Ta-dah! Chanyeol-ah told me I should wear a costume, because I guess you humans do that tonight. Also, it’s a good disguise, no?”

You laughed as you shook your head and took a seat on the dock next to him. You removed the napkins from your pockets and unclipped your water bottle from your belt loop, placing it on the dock beside you.

“Hot and fresh out of the oven. Should be perfect temperature by now and you won’t burn your tongue like the last time,” you said as you flipped open the pizza box.

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

The merman almost reached for another slice and you held up a free hand to stop him. With the other, you removed your zip bag of candy from the other pocket and placed it between the two of you.

“You asked what candy was, so I brought you some,” you explained. “There’s different types, but they are mostly made with sugar and other ingredients, which make it taste sweet. Tonight, you give it out to children in costume. Don’t worry, the kids back home will have enough – I grabbed a couple of pieces to share with you.”

Baekhyun beamed and closed the pizza box lid. He picked up the bag and took a closer look at the contents with a curious look.

“There’s a lot,” he mused. He looked at you and asked if there were any that tasted like that chocolate nutty dip he had once with pancakes.

You bit your lip and shook your head. “I don’t think there’s anything with chocolate and hazelnuts in there, but there are chocolate candies in there. What do you want to try first?”

Baekhyun shook the bag and noticed a slender roll of circular candies in pastel colors stacked in their cellophane wrapper. He pointed to it and you helped him open the bag. He reached in and plucked the roll out, turning it in his fingers.

“Smarties,” he read. “Will they make me smarter?”

“They didn’t work on me,” you shrugged.

“Ah but you’re already really smart!” he insisted as he twisted the cellophane wrapper to open it. He blinked as the cellphone crackled, amused by the noise it made. The cellophane loosened and the rounded candies began to tumble out of alignment. He quickly caught a few and popped them in mouth. His eyes went to his fingers, which were coated with a light powdery dust.

He squinted and pouted as the candies dissolved in his mouth. “These are...kind of weird and they’re a little tart?”

You held your hand out for the rest and he dumped them into your hand. You dug around in the zip bag and selected an individually wrapped red licorice rope.

“Try a Twizzler,” you said once he swallowed the Smarties. You tore the top of the wrapper for him and he thanked you as he took it from your hand.

“Do I need to untangle it, or can I bite it?” he asked as he looked at you.

“Whatever you want, there’s no right or wrong way,” you replied with a shrug.

Baekhyun hummed and dove in, chomping off a good-sized bite and chewing it thoughtfully. He hummed and waved his hand side to side.

“I like the texture, but this is kind of sweet,” he commented.

“I have lots of candy,” you told him as you held up the bag. “We’ll find one you like best.”

He grinned and flashed you a thumbs-up.

“I can’t wait – what’s next?”

[shaydeoffical]

Bright as a Diamond. Hitoshi Shinsou x Fem Reader: Chapter Three

Summary: When (Y/N)’s co-worker decided to send a picture of her making a diamond to the paper, her life was over. Gemstone based quirks weren’t all that rare, but being able to make a diamond put a target on her back. After years of hiding in the city, it’s time to hide in the countryside with her Uncle Shota Aizawa and his more than ‘roommate’ Hizashi Yamada. With the promise of training her to be self-sufficient, she’s ready to learn.

Settled

Chapter Four: 

https://ambershaydeoffical.tumblr.com/post/611717748218904576/bright-as-a-diamond-hitoshi-shinsou-x-fem-reader

Chapter Two: 

https://ambershaydeoffical.tumblr.com/post/190831750029/bright-as-a-diamond-hitoshi-shinsou-x-fem-reader

   Just as the day before, I woke up to screams. Again I didn’t hesitate and busted out of my room, spiriting to where Hizashi was rattling the house. This time a few pictures had shattered, and I had run right through the danger zone.

   Busting open the door, I saw the spider from before, and Hizashi atop the bed. Jumping up with him, I kept my eye trained on the eight-legged eyesore. Hizashi started screaming again when it jumped on the bedpost, and I covered my ears in pain.

   “We just gotta jump again,” I reasoned, trying to speak over him. I noticed the sheets were turning red,  blood oozing from my feet. “Hizashi, stop it.” I sunk lower into the bed, grabbing a pillow to cover my ears.

   When Hizashi took a breath, I covered his mouth and stopped the racket. “We are getting out of here, no- fuck fuck-“ When Hizashi shifted, I lost balance and tumbled into the floor by the spider. A flip flop clad foot squashed it before it came any closer to Hizashi or me.

   “What are you two doing?” Shinsou was half asleep. He removed his foot, and I could see the body twitching. My vision blurred, and bile tried to crawl up my throat.

   “Shota was supposed to kill it yesterday,” Hizashi whined, then looked at his bed.

   It was then I realized I didn’t have a bra on and covered my chest with a fallen pillow.  Having a spider in the same room was bad enough without feeling so exposed. It didn’t help that Shinsou was staring down at me like I was an idiot.

   “Am I bleeding?” Hizashi looked himself over.

   “(y/n) is,” Shinsou stiffened, looking at the puddle forming at my feet. What a jerk, acting all weirded out over my blood. Like he’s never seen blood before. Pfht.

   “My baby.” Hizashi flew from the bed and kneeled on the floor. “I caused this.”  

   “No I just- I just knocked over a glass on the way to your room. It’s fine.” I comforted him, running my fingers through his hair. “It’s just a little glass.”

   “I’ll get the first aid kit.” Shinsou hurried out of the room. Good riddance.

   “Can we get out of here?” I asked, ogling the carcass beside me.

   “Sure, hold on.” Hizashi helped me up and supported me as I walked on my toes.

   Once on the sofa, I kept the pillow tight to my chest and waited for the medical kit. It was sat on the coffee table, followed by Shinsou toting a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

   “I can get it,” I took my foot in my lap, but his pale hand took it from me and stretched it out.

   “It looks deep. Just let me.” He asked me a question as he probed the area. “Do you want to remember having glass dug out of your foot?” It was an odd question.

   “Not really, I’d rather not. But I can-“

   The shock of having glass removed with a spider encounter had knocked my ass out. Not only was it midafternoon now, but I had missed breakfast. Both of my feet were wrapped in gauze and propped above my heart. A blanket had been tossed over me and tucked in, and my pillow was under my head.

   “Shota, Hizashi?” I called sitting up, head spinning. It hadn’t been a very restful nap, but it had lasted long enough for the pain to dull.

   “They went out for breakfast.” Perking up and peering over the couch, Shinsou was in black shorts and a loose t-shirt. Did he stay the night? “It’s just us. How insufferable.”  He turned back to the kitchen.

   “It’s no cakewalk for me either,” I huffed, standing abruptly and yelping. That’s right, my feet were cut to hell and back.

   “You forget already?” He peered back into the living room, spatula in his hand. That damned smirk… I’m going to get so strong he’s gonna regret ever knowing me.

   “Of course not,” I quipped, crossing my arms and using the blanket to cover my chest. “Now if you will excuse me, I’m going to make breakfast.” Turning my nose up, I tiptoed past him and saw that he was done cooking his meal.

   “Don’t let me get in the way, Kitten.” He took the chair I had sat at for dinner the night before, working on his omelets.

   Cracking my neck, I started the rice cooker, mixed a few pieces of fish in with veggies. It wasn’t a secret I couldn’t cook to save my life, but I wasn’t about to let this flop in front of Shinsou. Minutes passed, meticulously eyeing my food, and turning it every so often. It hadn’t changed color yet, but I knew it took time. Still, I kept vigilant eye over the meal.

   “This is painful to watch.” Shinsou snuck up on me and reached around my waist, turning the stove on. All the color drained from my face, and then he plugged the rice cooker into the wall.

   Words failed me. So instead, I just put my head down and kept working. I figured the prick would push on teasing me, but he went back to his meal, getting a fresh cup of coffee.

   What a prick, I could have figured that out. Maybe I wanted to coat it all with oil before starting it up. Or I was waiting till he was gone form the table? Why was he watching me anyway? God, he was so- just.    

   Burnt fish filled the air, and when I glanced back down at my meal, it was scorched. “Oh crap,” I mumbled, pulling it off the stove and pouring it onto my plate. My fish fell apart, my vegies were shriveled and charred.  I checked the rice, it was soggy.  When I looked back, Shinsou was still at the table, going through his phone.

   Glowering, I took my plate, and juggled a glace of water, sitting on the opposite end of the table. Chin held high, I sat like a lady and brought the first bite of wet rice to my lips. I was waiting for Shinsou to say something. Insults had to be rattling in his head, surely he’d say something.

   Popping a piece of fish into my mouth, I swallowed without much thought and started to choke.  Playing it cool, I scoffed. Nothing came up. I could feel the bone sliding down the back of my throat, and I coughed harder, catching the dumb assess attention.

   “You’re turning red,” Shinsou stated, jogging to my side of the table. I held my hand up to keep him away. Hacking my lungs out, I gave up on playing it cool. Napkin in hand, I finally hacked up the bone. Drool rolling down my lips. If this wasn’t embarrassing, I don’t know what would be.

   “I’m good, just a bone,” I sighed, pushing my plate aside and laying my head on the table. “What a shit morning.”

   “If you say so,” he took my plate and his to the kitchen, and I heard the tap turn on. Why would he be doing my dishes? Did he plan to brag to Shota later about how helpful he is? Or how incompetent I am?

   Setting aside my worries, I realized that I still didn’t’ have a bra on, and my blanket had fallen during my coughing fit. My face burned as I darted down the hall, ignoring his calls of curiosity as I skidded into my room. We didn’t wear shoes in the home, so I put on some thick socks, and noticed my training outfit had been washed and put back in the box. I slide it under my bed and put on a pair of yoga pants and a loose coral tee shirt. I tied the bottom of the shirt into a knot, then pulled the top part of my hair up onto my head and to the side. Rocking an 80’s vibe.  

   Deciding to work on the boxes I had to unpack. I tripped onto my bicycle. Sure, I hadn’t ridden in years, but I was going to need a way to get to work. I was lucky that the jewelry store I worked for had serval smaller branches. Of course, I wouldn’t be designing rings anymore, but acting as a retailer. It would put a little money in my pocket and give me a reason to get out of the house during the week. Plus, since I would have daytime hours, I could focus on studying at the store.

   My bike was mostly together, so I just put it aside and sat it against the wall. A sad smile graced my lips. The last time I had ridden my bike, it was with dad. He had taken me down a beautiful trail just before sunrise. He told me that one day when I was older, we would do a sunset ride. He taught me the importance of chasing after mundane but beautiful things.  

   “(y/n), the world is full of diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. People spend their entire life trying to accumulate as much as they can, but this. The sunrise is just as beautiful, free, fleeting, and accessible to all. Don’t be blinded by material things, my love. Find your own sunrise, and don’t let it go.”

   I didn’t know what he meant back then. But now that I know I have his quirk…I understand. Making a small ruby in my skin, it came out in my palm, splitting the skin before sealing it back tight. The stone was perfect in every way. Flawless. Gripping my hand around it, I crushed it to dust with my quirk and walked over to a jar that was sitting by my futon. I piled the dust in with the rest and sighed. Even if I didn’t like my quirk, I had to keep it in tip-top shape. Practice was key.    

   My stomach growled, and I felt the trauma in my throat. I didn’t have to like it, but I needed to eat something. Trudging out of my room, I had a clear path to the kitchen. Sneaking through quickly, I made it to the fruit bowl and plucked an apple from the dish. Munching happily, I made quick timing getting to the core.  Shuffling in the other room alerted me to Shinsou.

   The purple-haired ass was in a get-up similar to Shota’s hero costume. Only with his scarf, he had on a mask of some sort. It reminded me of Hizashi’s amplifier. He was by the door, doing up his shoes before heading to work, I presumed.

   He left without a word, and I scoffed. Of course, he wouldn’t announce his departure. Shinsou was a senseless scoundrel. I had no clue what Shota saw in him, hell maybe uncle Sho made him like that. But it didn’t matter, I hopefully wouldn’t be seeing him again anytime soon.

   Hizashi was the only one that returned, toting several boxes and a mattress. It was my furniture. We spent the next few hours trying to assemble all the pieces.  

   “Um, put peg C into board X, then connect to port D, making sure that the front of board X faces peg N.” I read the instructions aloud, it was the third time we had tried to put my desk together. The bed was reasonably straightforward. Just a metal sleigh bed with a decorative sticker for the top panel. The nightstand had been a pain, but after two attempts, it was sturdy enough to call done. The desk, on the other hand, was taking forever.

   “(y/n), which is piece X?” his blonde hair was dragging the floor, his head bobbing as he forced pieces together.

   “Umm, it looks like peg G but with another connector point.” I fumbled through the leaflet, finding the picture of the piece.

   “I think I used that for the drawer.” He opened the door, and even I could see the random peg hanging out the top. Hizashi held his breath, and shut the door, laying back on the ground.

   “We know what makes you go speechless.” Uncle Sho leaned against the open bedroom door, take out in hand.

   “We’ve been at this for hours. He stopped screaming after we finished the bedside table.” I reported, focusing on the diagram, trying to rework how we could change out the piece without taking it all apart.

   “Let’s eat, and I’ll help afterward.”

   “Really?” We both perked up, stars falling from our eyes.

   “Yes, the foods getting cold. Come on.” Instead of going to the kitchen, he passed our meals and sat on the floor with us. He took the manual from my hand and began to go through the steps.  

   “This has been more exhausting than my biology homework,” I grumbled, twirling noodles around my chopsticks and shoving them into my mouth.      

   “How are classes going? You’re closer to the university, now, right?” Hizashi passed me a packet of soy sauce, and I nodded.

   “Yea, I’m doing well. Nothing too crazy so far, but classes did just start back. I could take in-person classes now, but I think I’m going to play that by ear.” Shota raised his brow, then turned the page, taking a bite of his meal without looking down.

   “You’re smart. I always knew that I was going to be Hero, so I never thought about furthering my education. Now I’m teaching, I’ve earned a few certificates, but I really admire your gumption to get your hero license and your degree.”

   Forcing a bite down my dry throat, I nodded. “Yea, I got that using mom’s coal quirk. Even then, I was being secretive…” I forced a bitter smile. “But I wasn’t cut out of hero cloth. It was just an option at my school, and I got it for the experience. Mom said agencies are more likely to hire someone with a hero license for personal protection. It’s why I got a job at a jewelry store. They liked I was allowed to do security work.”

   “I never thought of it like that,” Hizashi nodded, “that’s a solid plan. Where do you get your brains from.”

   “My side clearly,” Shota hummed, sipping his tea.

   “Yea, my dad is a total airhead.” I laughed before my stomach flipped. “Or he was. But he was really creative like he created designs for watch companies and car interiors. What mom made up for in smarts, Dad made up in fun. They balanced each other out for sure.”

   “Your father was a great man.” Shota agreed with me.

   “He sounds it,” Hizashi perked up the tone. “Now, how about that desk.”

   “Yea, you got it worked out Sho?”

   Another three hours and the room was all set. Shota had figured out that we had to completely reassemble the desk, but the second time went faster.  Then we all pitched in, dusted, mopped, and organized my room. All the furniture was a peachy white, and all the bedding and curtains were a soft lavender and blue mix, with pops of pink. My clothes were tucked into the closet, and the boxes in the garage outside for when I had to move out.

   “Hey I have a little surprise,” Hizashi came in holding a stereo. “It’s my old boombox, I figure you could annoy Shota with it.”

   “Oh, thank you.” He sat it on my nightstand and patted the top.

   “This brought me a lot of joy as a child, I hope you can get some good use out of it.” Hizashi sauntered to the door. “Dinner will ready in a few. Just hang out till then. Maybe explore a bit.”  

   “Okay, I will.” I glanced outside, Hisoka the cat was bathing on my window sill. Taking this as an excellent opportunity to introduce myself, I slipped on a sweater and tiptoed to the front door.

   Once my shoes were on, my feet didn’t hurt nearly as bad, so I was able to jog to the window.  Hisoka gave me a curious glance, tucking his tail to the side to get a better look at me. His fur a beautiful grey color, nice and sleek, with big green eyes, like a wisp of smoke in the night.

   “Meow mo mow,” I mimicked a cat, closing my eyes and putting my hand out. I read once that cats saw eye contact as a direct threat. Hisoka let a long mewl, then I could grasp his slick fur. Grinning like a fool, I contently listened to his verbal displays of pleasure as my hands slide all over his little body.  

   “(y/n), dinner!” Hizashi used his quirk to catch my attention, and Hisoka ran off into the forest.

   “Next time, little buddy.” I smiled, standing up. “Coming.”

[fillogree]

Coffee Beans and Scripted Sheets

I opened myself up for commissions but don't really have a whole lot of writing on my blog so I figured I should share this WIP. Any of my other pieces can be found under the tag mine.txt or addon.txt

Word Count: 1,290 Pairings: Logince, Moxiety, Prinxiety, Sleep Paralysis {Sleep and Deceit} Insomnia {Remy and Virgil} (implied) Anxceit (implied)

"What are you so worked up about?"

So.. That's all I have really. I want to do a lot more, touch on the relationship with the others. But.. For now there's an example? Anything I am commissioned for would probably be this length or shorter while I'm looking for work and a place to stay.

[shannonsearson]

May 14 2020

Sometimes, life is crazy. No matter what plan you may envision for yourself, you just wake up the next day and everything is different. How did I go from being a successful young adult who was responsible for other people’s money, to gluing rocks to paper in my basement? Yeah- you read that right.​​​​​​​​​​​​​

If you don’t know what “pebble art” is, just do a quick google image search. I saw these for sale one time, about a month before my job ended. I thought, man I could do that! I bought all my supplies at the dollar store and started charging $20 a frame, making me around $17 profit per frame.

I started making them in my sister’s old room in the basement hoping to just sell a few and see how things go. Next thing I know, I’m buying the whole shelf of frames and pebbles from the dollar store (literally) to keep up with all Christmas orders I had coming in! I had a work station built in my sisters room, an excel sheet to organize orders and people coming and going for pickups. It was for real, craziness. I made like $700 in profit for gluing rocks to paper.

There’s this quote, “if you don’t tell your money where to go, you won’t know where it went.” This is the truest thing ever.​​​​​​I guess being away from the credit union, really made me not care about how much I had saved, or how much I owed. I had a care-free mind set and felt like I deserved a break from being so strict with myself. I wasn’t paying extra on my OSAP nor was I saving. I was going out shopping! Do I regret it? I don’t know, laid off Shan was a little bit happier being stress-free and not thinking about money.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Luckily, that whole year I had been putting $10 a week or something into a savings account labeled ‘Christmas’ so I had a stash of money for gifts. This was great to have, but I still spent over that amount because I really can’t help myself when it comes to spoiling my family! I recommend you try this out for yourself, any amount a week you want! That way you don’t really miss $10, and it adds up to something you can justify spending, without blowing a hole in your chequing account, or racking up your VISA bill during December. ​​​​​​​​​​

I saw an ad for a bank teller position at another credit union, and was hesitant at first. I was such a loyal member at my own credit union and had just represented them with my whole heart for a year. How could I switch up and play for another competitor? It took a lot of convincing from my parents for me to apply for the position. I tried to remind myself to think of the big picture, and that my old co-workers would be happy for me no matter what. This time around, unlike all my past job experiences, I would actually have a clue as to what I’d be stepping into which was the first time I’d ever felt that type of relief.

In January, I felt even more relieved, when I found out I started in two weeks!​​​​This was a permanent, full-time with benefits, great paying, position. I was happy that I waited it out, to find this awesome of a job. I knew that my first pay cheque in 3 months, had to go towards my OSAP. All of it.

You see, I was a big ‘Go big or go home” person. If it wasn’t a hefty chunk that made a big dent than there was no point in my eyes. It was time for a fresh start, perfect for the New Year ahead of me, to really get the ball rolling on paying it back. What was even a bigger motivator for me, was knowing that I wanted to have a down payment for a home in the next couple years. Which meant the earlier I paid back my loan, the earlier I could be putting those payments towards my savings instead. So, if you’re ever having a hard time getting something done, try and open your eyes to your future goals you can’t get to if you don’t finish that hard and annoying one first! ​​​​​​​​​Just as I was on a roll and had things figured out, someone somewhere ate a bat and got sick… And the next day the whole world flipped upside down.​

Until next time,

Shan :)