#it's really amusing to go back through old tag/ask games

[vivitalks]

not to be like "dreams do come true" on the Jaded Cynics Dot Com website but when i look back at tag/ask games i answered from my high school days every question of "dream trip/vacation" is always "new york city" and. fuckin here i am less than a year out of college living and working in new york city. so like. dreams do come true

[zepskies]

Imagine: Soldier Boy Getting Jealous...

Pairing: Soldier Boy (Ben) x F. Reader || (past Frenchie x F. Reader)

Request: Soldier Boy finding out you had something with Frenchie, years before meeting him.

Word Count: 1K

Tags/Warnings: Jealousy lol (With a hint of spice.~)

Imagine: Ben getting jealous over your past relationship with Frenchie.

He doesn't care.

Because he doesn't care...

When you sit him down in the living room of your apartment and tell him you used to date Frenchie, Ben's reaction is mild at best. To the point where it kind of concerns you.

Ben raises a brow and gives a deep hum.

"Oh, really? That limey bastard?" he remarks. He takes a sip from his tumbler of whiskey. You give him a weary sigh.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call him that," you reply. You and Frenchie are still friends. Your "entanglement" was years ago, before he even started hooking up with Cherie.

But you still want to be honest with Ben. You two have been dating for a few months now, and it's actually serious. No one's more surprised than you by that fact, but...you're happy. You think he is too.

At your response, however, Ben rolls his eyes and continues drinking. You tilt your head in suspicion.

"So you're chill?" you ask.

"Chill?" he quirks a brow at you. Your lips form a smile.

"You're okay with this," you amend.

Ben shrugs and turns on the TV, trying to navigate the streaming apps. You’d put him on to Game of Thrones. Even three seasons into his binge-watching, he doesn’t want to admit that he’s hooked.

"You're fucking a real man now, sweetheart. No skin off my nose," he says.

It's your turn to roll your eyes, despite a warm blush stinging your cheeks.

But the next time you all go out together to a club in the city, Ben watches you leave his side to say hello to your friends: Annie, Hughie, Frenchie and Kimiko. Frenchie takes your hands and makes a show of looking you up and down.

"Well, well. She shoots to kill tonight, eh?" Frenchie says. When he leans in to kiss your cheek, he whispers, "Ah, black leather. My old favorite."

"Stop," you warn with a smile, hitting his shoulder. He's absolutely shameless. "You're too much."

"And you are just enough," Frenchie returns. He whistles playfully as he raises your hand to twirl you around, showing you off in your little black dress and red-bottom heels.

You laugh, but you bump into Ben when you twirl for the second time. Your laughter cuts off abruptly when you see the flinty look on his face, though he's clinging to stoicism.

Frenchie’s eyes widen as he seems to realize the very real danger he's put himself in. He wisely lets go of your hand, pivots on his heel and goes with Kimiko over to the dance floor.

Meanwhile, you move back to Ben's side and try to placate him by looping your arm through his. He responds by wrapping a strong arm around your waist. His eyes bore into the back of Frenchie's head so hard, you almost expect laser beams to come out of them.

"Come on, let's get a drink," you suggest, patting a hand on Ben's chest. He looks good tonight in a burgundy button-down shirt tucked into his slacks.

Ben wordlessly agrees to your suggestion, but he grabs a stool and drags it close to his own seat. He does help you by the hand onto the stool, but then his arm wraps back around your waist, pulling you in snugly, possessively to his side.

You try not to smile in amusement. It's a caveman's display, but at least you know the root cause this time.

...Okay, maybe you feel the tiniest bit complicit, but really, you think Ben's overreacting.

After he flags down the bartender and orders his bourbon and your martini, you tap against his bearded cheek, earning his green-eyed attention.

"You okay?" you ask knowingly.

"Just fine," he deadpans.

"Oh, well that's convincing," you say with a smile. "Do I need to remind you that I'm here with you?"

Ben's gaze hardens. "I don't know. You were pretty happy to let that French whore put his fucking hands all over you—"

"All right. Calm down, Rambo," you say, trying not to laugh as you rub his arm. "Sorry, baby. That's just how we've always cut up. It doesn't mean anything."

Ben scoffs in derision. "Yeah? Fuck if I care."

You frown at that, sparking with annoyance. Somehow, now you actually do feel guilty. You and Frenchie have bounced off each other like Derek and Garcia for so long, you didn't even realize how it might look...or how it might make your boyfriend feel.

Because even with all that ego and injured pride, you have a feeling there's a real sting of hurt under there.

"Hey," you say, squeezing Ben's wrist. His gaze remains stubbornly on the bartender making your drinks.

You decide to take matters more firmly into your hands.

Reaching up for his chin, you guide Ben's face toward yours and press a kiss to his lips. It's slow at first, but it soon gains in passion. His teeth graze your bottom lip, before his tongue demands entrance into your mouth with claiming purpose.

It elicits a hint of a moan from you, your fingers clenching in his hair. Your nails drag against his scalp, almost making him shudder.

Your supple lips eventually pull away from his, nice and slow.

"Your hands are the only hands I care about touching me," you say. Your expression twinkles with mischief as you toy with the zipper on the side of your dress.

"As a matter of fact, I need your help," you add. "This zipper keeps catching on something. I think it's stuck."

Quite possibly because someone got a little handsy in the cab on the way here.

Ben smirks, though he claims your lips in one more slightly rough kiss before he answers.

"Well that is a problem," he says. His eyes roam down your face, taking in your thoroughly kissed lips, and the cleavage peeking out at him from the neckline of your dress.

"Think I can give you a hand," he says, as his actual hand slips down your leg. His fingers brush along the inside of your thigh, tingling across your skin. His half-lidded gaze once again meeting yours. "Better take you out back and fix you up."

You laugh, despite the return of your blush. You cling to his shoulders, while his fingers burn a tantalizing trail upwards.

"Oh, yeah. Save me, Soldier Boy!" you tease.

He snorts in response, but he helps guide you out of your seat.

Moments later, all your friends find at the bar are two forgotten drinks and a couple of empty stools.

AN: Ah, jealous Ben. It's fun to imagine. 😂

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Soldier Boy Masterlist

Main Masterlist

SB Tag List (Part 1):

@melancholictearz @spnwoman @sleepyqueerenergy @wayward-lost-and-never-found @thewritersaddictions

@samanddeaninatrenchcoat @deanwanddamons @anticxrrupt @adoringanakin @theonlymaninthesky

@teehxk @midnightmadwoman @iprobablyshipit91 @agalliasi @venicesem

@deans-spinster-witch @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78 @solariklees

@xsophianicolex @deansbbyx @mimaria420 @candy-coated-misery0731 @curlycarley

@sarahgracej @bagpussjocken @deanfreakingwinchester @skyesthebomb @this-is-me19

@kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007

@wincastifer @emily-winchester @tearsfortheyouth @solo-pitstop-vibes @dope-trope-105

@liuope @beautyvaliant @xxlaynaxx @chernayawidow @tmb510

@iamsapphine @roseblue373 @lacilou @fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like @waynes-multiverse

[springtyme]

𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐭 ♡

Joel Miller x fem!reader || Main masterlist || Spotify

summary: You, Sarah and Joel spends a lovely day together and get ready for your first Halloween as a family.

word count: 1.3k

tags: No/pre outbreak. Stepmom!reader. Pre outbreak Joel is so special to me. Can be read as either game version or hbo version, depending on preference.

𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞: 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑) 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

The sun hangs high in the sky over Austin, its gentle warmth spilling over the neighborhood. It is one of those perfect October afternoons, where the weather is a perfect blend of mild breezes and golden Texan sunlight, casting dappled shadows on the ground with the distant hum of lawnmowers and kids playing in the streets. You stand in the backyard of the Miller house, a glass of lemonade in your hand, while Joel and Sarah work on a makeshift soccer goal.

“Dad, can you pass me the other chair?” Sarah chirps, her voice light and playful.

Joel grunts in response, stepping away from the task at hand to grab the lawn chair propped against the fence. You chuckle at the sight of him, brow furrowed in concentration.

“Here you go, baby girl,” Joel says, handing the chair to Sarah, who expertly balances it on one leg before planting it firmly into the ground.

“Thanks, old man,” she teases, a grin lighting up her face. Joel rolls his eyes but can’t hide the smile creeping onto his lips.

As Sarah sets up the chairs, you feel a sense of warmth watching the dynamic between father and daughter. It is a sunny day filled with simplicity, laughter, and unbreakable bonds—the kind of day that will later be sweetly remembered.

Joel turns his focus back to you, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “You wanna give it a try?” he asks, motioning toward the soccer ball resting on the grass.

You laugh, shaking your head. “You really think I can keep up with you two?”

“C’mon, don’t sell yourself short.” 

“Yeah, don’t sell yourself short!” Sarah echoes her father’s words encouragingly, bouncing on her toes and looking at you with wide, eager eyes. There is no way you can deny her anything. 

With the competition beckoning, you take a deep breath and step forward, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Joel flicks an eyebrow at you, setting the stage for the light-hearted battle to come. He isn’t one to let things go easy—at least, not without a little teasing.

“Alright, but fair warning: I’m ruthless,” you joke, taking a position on the makeshift field.

The three of you begin a small-scale game of soccer, the energy infectious. Joel’s competitive spirit shines through as he expertly weaves between you and Sarah, showcasing the skills that come from years of hard labor and resilience. Laughter erupts as the inevitable trips and fumbles play on repeat, each mistake accompanied by an exaggerated fall or mock pleas for mercy.

You can hear the bell of the ice cream truck echoing throughout the neighborhood, which prompts a perfect pause in your game.

“Okay, okay! Time out!” Joel calls, raising his hands in surrender. “How about we take an ice cream break, and then we can get those decorations up after?”

Sarah’s eyes light up at the mention of ice cream and halloween decor, her previous determination momentarily forgotten. “Yes! I want a rainbow sherbet!” she chirps, hopping on her toes.

You and Joel exchange amused glances, both knowing how quickly she can switch from athlete to ice cream enthusiast. Joel dusts off his hands, feigning exhaustion. “A rainbow sherbet, huh?” he mumbles, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

With a triumphant grin, Sarah races ahead, her bare feet barely making a sound on the grass as she darts towards the street where the sound of the ice cream truck continues to ring out like a siren call. You and Joel follow at a more measured pace, your laughter trailing behind.

After your sweet treat, the three of you make your way back to the house, invigorated by the sugar rush. Sarah’s pink-stained grin is a testament to her delight, while Joel can’t help but tease her about the sticky evidence on her face. “Looks like someone went a little heavy on the sherbet,” he laughs, knowing full well that Sarah is a mix of sweet and mischievous.

“Hey! It’s called enjoying life!” she defends, puffing up her chest like a little warrior. She marches ahead with exaggerated bravado, her arms swinging confidently earning a heartfelt laugh from both you and Joel. 

As you enter the Miller house, the air is filled with the warm, sweet scent of cinnamon and apples from the kitchen. The sun, now starting to descend, casts a cozy glow through the windows, beckoning the impending festivities of Halloween. Sarah, filled with energy, bounces around the living room, her brows furrowed in deep concentration as she speaks about the decorations still waiting to be hung.

“Let’s make this place the spookiest on the block! I want ghosts hanging from the trees, cobwebs everywhere, and definitely the best pumpkins! We have to go to the pumpkin patch soon and get the biggest one they have,” she exclaims, her excitement palpable.

“Right, right, the bigger the better,” Joel chuckles and begins pulling out boxes from the storage closet, each labeled with scribbled black letters saying ‘Halloween.’

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here,” he says, dumping the contents of the boxes onto the living room floor. A whirlwind of colors emerges: orange and black streamers, plastic spiders, strings of twinkling lights, and various types of skeletons, witches and pumpkins. 

You can’t help but smile at the chaos as Sarah jumps into the pile of decorations, her laughter combining with Joel’s lighthearted comments. It feels like moments stretch into eternity, wrapped in joy and the love of family. There’s something so enchanting about the very air around you, thick with the scent of impending Halloween mingled with the faint sweetness of the ice cream still lingering on your tongue.

In the midst of Sarah’s enthusiastic chatter and Joel’s playful teasing, you catch him glancing your way, a soft glimmer of warmth in his eyes. As Sarah busies herself collecting decor items, sprinkling them throughout the room, you and Joel find yourselves sharing a fleeting moment of quiet intimacy. The world outside fades, and it’s just the two of you in this tiny cozy haven.

“You know,” he starts, his voice low, “you’re pretty good at this whole family thing.”

You laugh softly, feeling heat rise in your cheeks. “It’s pretty easy when it is with you two.”

He smirks, a soft look in his eyes as he steps just a bit closer, the playful teasing on his lips giving way to something deeper.

You take the opportunity to step closer too, feeling the familiar spark between you. He catches your eye and, when Sarah isn’t looking, you share a silent moment—a dance of emotions passing quickly yet deliberately. It feels like the world has shrunk to just the two of you, even amidst the flurry of twinkling lights and glittering ghost decorations.

Unable to resist, Joel leans in, and before you can register it fully, he steals a delicate kiss, soft and sweet. It feels as natural as breathing. The surprise of the moment dances like fireworks in your chest, filling you with delight.But just as quickly as it began, the spell is broken by Sarah’s enthusiastic shout from across the room. “Hey! Are you two going to help or just stand there looking goofy?”

You both turn to her, laughter spilling out unexpectedly as you playfully adopt exaggerated guilty expressions. “We were just… plotting the next decoration strategy!” you say, your voice teasing.

“Yeah, that!” Joel jumps in, shooting you a conspiratorial grin, the moment still tingling in the air between you.

As you join Sarah on the living room floor, the warmth of the afternoon continues to wrap around you, a tapestry of laughter, love, and little moments that turn into cherished memories. The sun casts its final golden rays through the window, washing everything in a gentle glow.

[rosetyler42]

Here's a mixed bag of some crossovers I found while looking through my Sorting folder that I don't think I ever posted here!

1. Bendy meets Bendy! I did this gag after watching Everyone Knows It's Bendy and thinking it'd be funny if Fosters Bendy tried to frame Bendy for a crime yeah didn't commit (considering what else Bendy's been through.) Possible WIR-Verse or an AU where Bendy and friends ended up at Fosters after the studio's closure. As @lovelylivelyv said, Bendy's definitely gonna give the guy the scare of his life for this.

(Side note: While Foster's Bendy is a terrible lil shit as a character, Animation-wise I LOVE how he can go from very malicious to over-the-top innocence.)

2. Reuben and Jackie Khones! Two somewhat lazy, wise-cracking, sandwich-loving cartoon characters I could definitely see getting along. (Outside of their treatment of Wilt. Unlike Jackie, Reuben would see no reason to pick on a nice guy like Wilt, that's like kicking puppies.)

3. XD A hilarious WIR-Verse bit inspired by The Big Cheese. Somehow, Cheese wandered into Bendy and the Ink Machine without getting killed and most likely only got spooked by Sammy singing about Sheep. Don't ask how he made it in there, but Alice will definitely return him back to Fosters unharmed.

(Though...maybe tied up gagged to stop the annoying constant screams and running off. XD Alice might be a mom, nicer and far less murderous than Susan, but...she's a toon with some skewed thinking and would still find Cheese annoying. Even of she doesn't want to KILL him.)

4. Another in the "Don't ask how this happened" column: Bugs offering to help fellow hounded underdog Boris the Wolf deal with his "Angel Dame" problem.

5. This one came from the similarities and contrasts between Coraline and Destination: Imagination. Considering Coraline's experience was with a child-eating demon and The World was just a child looking for a friend (and the Beldam luring her in and spying on her with a doll) I thought it'd be interesting to have these two meet.

6. Some Coraline v Vanellope argument about Vanny leaving Sugar Rush for Slaughter Race. Both girls are in some ways important to their games and very adventurous, clever, and rebellious. But Coraline's learned what running off to live in a fantasy world and leaving family and responsibility behind can mean, what disasters that can bring, and doesn't want Vanny to make the same mistake. Whereas Vanny sees herself as just another racer, bullied her whole life and thought if as just a mistake, who doesn't really fit in there and feels meant for other things.

9. XD Here's an amusing AU: What if Coraline met Pinky and the Brain in the Other World somehow, thinking they were Other World mice since they could talk like she first mistakes the cat? Brain and Pinky most likely were on some take over the world scheme but I could see them trying to help this girl not get eaten by an obvious predator. Bonus, added by a question from @lovelylivelyv : Coraline actually wouldn't be thrown much by Brain's obvious spelling out of his identity and intentions. It's not the weirdest thing she's heard that day, and she might assume he either means THIS world or Her real world, whichever one she doesn't like more when he says it. Which...might bother him a bit, even as much as he appreciates the child's intellect.

7+8 I love the idea of Ki from "Mars Needs Moms" and @lovelylivelyv and I's version of Alice meeting. Two old-timey style characters somewhat unfamiliar with contemporary human culture but with a fascination with color and plants though growing up in a barren mono-color world. 7 shows Ki modified her color tags for the Cycle as a gift for Alice, while Alice shows an excited Ki a flower she grew herself.

10. Some messing around with Pinky and the Brain and my Drakgo shipchild OC, Lily Lipsky! Inspired by Two Mice and a Baby and the History song. I know Brain's not really good with kids normally, but with Lily being a evil genius child prodigy with intentions for World Domination who actually seems to LIKE him and UNDERSTAND his lessons...I feel they'd get along pretty well. Bonus: Pinky as usual, not paying attention and staring at a picture of Pharphignewton as a shout out to @lovelylivelyv 's ship.

@chytag @candyheartedchy (Ok, I know you're not into Reuben anymore and Jackie's an enemy, but I did draw Reuben and Bugs here.) @black-ak9 @hotelt-resurrection @serial-serializednovelreader @heartsong1994 @sammy-lawrence-my-beloved @gothicthundra @midnightcaptions @sweet-or-sarcastic @flowery-laser-blasts @inkiedraws @inkhyaena @inkspottie @inkwelldevil @thedopedemon @thedobermutt @thedemonsurfer @themangolover724 @blo0st4r

[kcwriter-blog]

WIP tag game <3

tagged by @broodwolf221 thank you <3 I actually have something to share :-)

@arlathvhenan @kierarhawke @rosieofcorona @freesidexjunkie

Varric eyed her over his tankard. "You had to go for the broody elf."

"I thought we weren't talking about that," Theneras said testily, running an index finger through the drops of wine she had spilled. 

"Fair enough." Varric held his hands up in mock surrender. "I didn't invite you here to re-open old wounds." 

Changing the subject he asked, "Have you heard anything from Dorian, lately?"

Theneras scoffed. "Two days ago, he sent me another interminable tome about the Veil, written by some long-dead and probably deluded Tevinter Magister.” She sighed in exasperation.

“By special messenger, I assume.” Varric was aware of the mage's predilection for playing matchmaker where she was concerned. 

She rolled her eyes. “If you mean a pretty boy in fashionable clothes with bedroom eyes, then, yes. I politely told him to take himself back to Tevinter." Her smile turned predatory. "Well, I might not have been quite so polite.”

“He means well," Varric said, shaking his head in amusement. "Solas never deserved you. It's time you realized that, found someone worthy of you. Someone not planning to remake the world. You have to get on with your life.”

“By taking someone else into my bed? Just like that?” She frowned in annoyance. “It's not that simple. Besides, all of Dorian's 'messengers' are humans.”

“Well, he can hardly send you elven slaves," Varric pointed out. "What do you have against humans, anyway?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

“Well, no. You are Dalish to the core." Varric set his tankard down, placed a gentle hand over hers. "But you've made some human friends. They could be more than friends, if you know what I mean. I’m pretty sure Cullen or Rainer would be more than happy to help you get over him."

She shuddered. “I have no problem with humans as friends. I just don’t want one in my bed.”

“Not even for the experience?”

“What experience?" she said, her tone mocking. "If I want to fuck a carpet, there’s a perfectly good rug in my sitting room.”

“Ouch. That’s harsh.” He ran a hand over his own magnificent pelt.

“Why?" she said irritably. "Just because humans think elven women are exotic doesn't mean we return the favor. In addition to an excess of body hair, their ears are all wrong.”

“Is that really a problem?”

“In the bedroom? She gave Varric a mischievous glance full of innuendo. "Absolutely.” 

[pinkykats-place]

BakuDeku being childhood friends

AO3 Fanfic Recommendations

Disclaimers!

None of the stories linked on titles are mine.

Some contain mature content.

Read Tags. Check Ratings.

Art work not mine.

Note: If you read any of these stories and like them please let the author know with a kudos and/or comment!

Summer Days by MajestyTime

Summary: Five of the summer memories Kacchan has of Deku plus the one summer memory that defines their future together.

(In which Kacchan can't stop himself from gravitating towards Izuku.)

✧ ✧ ✧

"Why did you call me?" Izuku asks. It feels like they're teetering on the precipice of something that could be greater than the sum of their parts. Kacchan breathes in slowly, then takes the dive.

"Because I wanted to."

"You...wanted to?" Izuku repeats, like he's tasting the words on Kacchan's tongue to understand him better.

"Yeah." Kacchan presses his cheek into his pillow, sinking into the softness. "I miss you."

One Shot | Post UA Graduation

Rated - Teen & Up

Kiss Me? by beans2000

Summary: Years after Katsuki left Izuku in the dust as a kid he's reminded of the gesture of affection that had his palms sweating and heart pounding when Izuku used to do it for him when they'd get scuffed up on the playground: kissing his band aids after patching him up.

Fast forward to the present and the dumb nerd is just going around offering up kisses to any old extra in their class except Katsuki and it's driving him insane. Despite him pushing these feelings within himself as deep as possible, it stings deeper than he could've ever imagined.

-

aka: izuku's love language is kisses

{One Shot}

Rated - Teen & Up

turn my bed into a sacred oasis by nikkiRA

Summary: Three times bakugou katsuki sneaks into midoriya izuku's bed.

— — —

"Go to sleep, stupid Deku."

{One Shot}

Rated - Teen & Up

jump then fall by nikkiRA / @aravenlikeawritingdesk

Summary: During a storm, Class 3-A end up playing a version of the newlywed game, except Deku and Katsuki get roped into playing, even though they're not dating.

They're really good at it.

“It’s cute that you know so much about each other,” Ashido says. Bakugou curls his lip; he locks eyes with Deku, and he feels his cheeks heat up at the happy smile he gives him.

{One Shot}

Rated - General Audiences

the union of king explosion murder and all might junior by menulis

Summary: “Now, you know what we gotta do?”

Izuku sniffled, bottom lip quivering. He shook his head from side to side, tousling green curls. He really didn’t have a clue what they had to do.

“What—what do we have to do, Kacchan?”

Kacchan rolled his eyes, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. He returned his gaze to Izuku, and opened his mouth.

“We have to get married, duh.”

— — —

Izuku’s special-est person—Kacchan—demands to marry him one sunny afternoon in preschool. Izuku is more than happy to!

{One Shot}

Rated - General Audiences

Oh, He’s Back by TheMoonIs

Summary: It was a normal day for Izuku Midoryia. Everyone went through their usual classes and nothing was out of order. His birthday was only a few days away. Everything was happy and he was content. Until of course, he got a call from an unknown number.

……..

He decided it’d be the perfect time to piss his friend off.

“Hello?”, he asked, smiling as Katsuki turned to glare at him.

“Izuku”, the voice said, dark and low. Izuku? Did he know this person?

His once smiling face turned into a confused frown and his eyebrows knit together. Katsuki watched his changing expression and made everyone shut up with only a fierce look.

“Um, I’m sorry. May I ask who’s speaking?”

“It’s me, my boy”.

Complete | 4 Chapters

Mature Content

First Crush by @silverynight

Summary: “You’ll like our home, Deku.”

Before Mitsuki can correct her son and tell him Izuku is not going to sleep over, little Katsuki turns around, looking very serious and determined before bowing in front of a confused, but amused Inko.

“Thanks. This wasn’t a shitty gift at all,” the blond kid says, pointing at Izuku. “This is maybe even a cool gift. I like him and I’ll keep him.”

One Shot | SFW

Coupon for a free kiss by ikratkaya

Summary: When Bakugou had his 6th birthday, his mother invited Izuku to his small party. This is when Izuku gifted him a bunch of coupons for free wishes.

{One Shot}

Rated - General Audiences

together by gabstar

Summary: katsuki surprises izuku with a bag of heroes chips from their childhood; izuku surprises him back with something even better.

{One Shot}

Rated - General Audiences

Sweet Green by timelessthings

Summary: "Do you find mom pretty?" A bit taken aback by the sudden voice and the unexpected question, he takes a moment to reply. "Yes, of course I do. Your mom is gorgeous,"

Katsuki speaks again, "Am I?"

Quickly, and without giving another moment to think about what to say, Masura responds, "You’re beautiful."

Katsuki’s expression doesn't change, looking like he's in thought. With a few beats of silence, katsuki replies. “ Izuku is too,”

Mitsuki is out grocery shopping, and Masaru is cleaning the kitchen to prepare to cook while he asks young Katsuki about his adventures with sweet Izuku. Katsuki has a lot to say.

One Shot | SFW

[bogboyfig]

Chapter 6, 'Going Steddie'

Eddie hadn't moved all morning. He sat, crossed legged, on the sofabed - staring across the room at the dent in the pillow where Steve's head had been a couple of hours earlier. The longer he camped out in the Harrington house, the more Steve seemed to relax around him; having made himself a permanent bed in the living room, Eddie was starting to see more and more of the unpolished version of Steve Harrington. The recollection of him, bundled in an old blanket, laid with a head of unkempt and damp hair, whispering into the dark, felt intimate in a way Eddie couldn't really put name to. Their shared routine taking shape, that promise of companionship settling into the dust of his newly-imploded life, was starting to feel like a new constant. 

He bit at the skin of his thumb once more. If Eddie really put his mind to it, he could reason his little crush away. Nights alone in an empty house, then a cabin, then the woods - it was enough to make anyone starved for connection. He could choose to see it that way. To interpret the recently acknowledged fuzzy feeling in his stomach as nothing more than a craving to be seen, to be known. In the back of his mind, though, Eddie didn't fully buy what he was trying to sell. Sure, the remnants of an old schoolboy's crush and nights spent cooking dinner, chopping carrots in companionable silence, and hushed laughter in the dark - they were all good enough excuses for how he was feeling. And yet, from the moment he'd locked eyes with Steve over a half-broken bottle pressed into his neck, Eddie had been slowly peeling away the layers of someone he could dangerously, desperately like.

Then there was the possibility that Steve, "The Hair", Harrington had queer friends. It was certainly an interesting prospect. Eddie knew from experience, queerness moved in herds; was it possible that the playboy king of the Hawkins High of old...wasn't as straight-laced as he was thought to be? It seemed impossible when Eddie considered it, but then again - had Steve not been full of surprises? His patience, and seeming amusement, with Eddie had been the last thing he'd ever expected - not to mention his acceptance. But, was there not distance there too? A thumbs up from the sidelines, but not from within the game? 

Eddie groaned, knotting his hands through his hair in frustration. He hadn't been in this position in many, many years - the intersection between queerness and sub-culture had given him a decent enough safety blanket that the is-he-gay-is-he-not routine could be largely avoided. Ask their opinion on Black Sabbath or what DnD class they favour and boom, a signal. Eddie bit his lip, he couldn't deny that between the shirts from The Gap and the cultural education that started and ended with pop-culture - Steve didn't exactly signal queer. Would he really be the type to, though?

Eddie glanced at the hallway door for a moment, before getting up and starting on his cautious stroll around Casa Harrington.

He realised now what had struck him about the hallway when he'd first walked in, just under a week ago - there were no pictures of Steve. Not even an embarrassing childhood photo tucked away on a bookshelf. Eddie eyed the stairs, feeling somewhat guilty, before he shook his head and cleared the first step - he told me I could explore...in lesser words. He reached the top of the stairs, and glancing to his right he saw the door to Steve's bedroom, slightly ajar as if in invitation. He slipped in. 

Stood in the middle of the room, Eddie surveyed it. In the corner - a desk, clearly rarely used, was piled with a chaotic mix of paper and books. From the titles he could read, Eddie could see half-scribbled notes on first aid, folded and dog eared movie stubs, and a DnD guide with the gift tag poking out of the top as a bookmark. Eddie smiled - Dustin. The wall was marginally-more-controlled chaos; it seemed Steve was trying to cover up his wallpaper - between the area above the bed that had been picked and peeled, and the myriad of posters and polaroid pictures - the check pattern was barely visible. Eddie stepped closer and lifted a picture above the desk slightly with a finger. On it, Steve and Robin were sat on the hood of his car, laughing; Max, Lucas, and Dustin sat below them on the road. Eddie looked a little closer at Max, who was giving the camera the finger with a sarcastic grin. He turned away with an uncomfortable tightness in his chest, feeling invasive once more. 

He turned to leave when a glint of metal caught his eye. In the corner, propped up against a mirror, was the studded bat. Eddie grinned. He strode over and picked it up - miming giving it a swing and remembering as he did Dustin's dramatic retelling of the very apex of Steve Harrington lore - Steve stood in the middle of a park, lit by moonlight and shrouded in fog, gearing up to take on three demodogs at the same time, like a noble and hardened rogue. Funny how weeks ago that would have been so unbelievable - that pretty little Steve Harrington was some heroic soldier of the fantasy variety. He set the bat back down and kicked at the VHS that had fallen from atop it's pile near Steve's dresser in the bat's displacement. A Rock Hudson movie. Huh, Eddie mused, That's something. 

Eddie sighed and stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He resolved to ignore it. Whatever weird tension between him and Steve that his high brought up would pass in time. He'd gotten to like Stevie, as a friend if nothing else - that would be enough. 

Read from Chapter 1 on A03

[silvysartfulness]

writing pattern tag game

thank you to @ameliarating for tagging me!

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 posted fics and see if there’s a pattern.

1. It was still dark when he woke up, but this dark had stars in it. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 56)

2. It's a sad thing to die alone far from home, Xiao Xingchen had told the old villager earlier, because he knew it was. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 55)

3. Bleeding out, chopped up like some badly butchered animal, Xue Yang dies in the dirt. (Under The Wheel)

4. “It's not a ghost,” Xue Yang said, sounding bored. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 54)

5. It could almost have been amusing, the way Xue Yang's moods swung wildly between almost ingratiating friendliness one moment, to glaring sullen murder at him again the next. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 53)

6. He surfaced from sleep completely ensnared in a tangle of limbs, confused for several long moments until the memories of last night clicked into place, and a wave of aching fondness made his breath catch. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 52)

7. The day had gone from crazy to something beyond surreal, and it felt like his mind had just given up and shut down halfway through, unable to really keep up anymore. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 51)

8. It was funny, in a way that actually really wasn't, how much easier flirting up a willing stranger to burn off some excess energy had been before - younger, brighter, sporting ostentatious Jin gold.... Having two arms. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 50)

9. Even in half-sleep Xue Yang could tell that the day would be unpleasantly hot and humid, and he was still a bit sore after last night's Night Hunt, but Xiao Xingchen was a comfortable enough pillow and so everything was as it should be. (Heaven Has A Road chapter 49)

10. “Jiangzai is here to see you.” (Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea)

I really appreciate Amelia asking me to do this with chapters as well as fics! Many Heaven chapters are 10k+ long, so could almost count as fics in their own right length-wise if you squint? 🤔😭

I think a pattern for opening lines for me is instantly establishing a mood, often by juxtapositioning concepts or words that clash or contradict, or just give a bit of emotional slap!

Xiao Xingchen knows firsthand what it’s like to die far from home. Xue Yang talks about something as extraordinary as ghosts and sounds bored. Xue Yang talking about sexy flirting and bringing up his mutilated arm in a single sentence, Song Lan wearily finding Xue Yang being friendly vs. murderous almost ‘amusing’.

Also throwing in stark phrasing like “butchered” or "dies in the dirt" or “ensnared” or other loaded words or subjects to grab the reader’s attention! Though I also really like more quietly poetic phrasing like the “this dark had stars in it”. 💚

Apparently I also like opening on a Xue Yang pov? At least looking back at these, though I do try to make a conscious effort to mix it up a bit!

Thank you so much for tagging me! I’m asking @fromaliminalspace @ebonykain @heretherebebookdragons and anyone else who wants to to join in on the fun! And if you don’t have enough/any published fics, just go with your wips! 😁

[mrssimply]

WIP Whenever!

SO I was tagged 4 days ago by @bluelolblue about the usual wip game and... yeah. that thing called life? You know.

Anyway, since I'm having trouble finishing the Burning of Rome, and got stalled on the prompts (for unknown reason, creativity is a fickle thing - apparently there are fics I can only work on in the morning or when I have a down time at work, but when I have days off? Nothing comes. Great.) I decided to throw some words on another idea.

That one was prompted by my sister telling me to watch Yellowstone and also because friends IRL and online are pressurng me to try RDR2 again and I'm this close to giving in (it's only a matter of time now). So here you have it, Cowboys Santino and John.

Tank you sweetie for the tag, you can always tag me, just know that there is over 75% chance I'll have nothing to show xD

Others have tried before you.

But I love to be tagged, makes me feel included >:D

Aiden was called the Tracker because he was good at following trails. It came in handy when they lost a sheep or a cow, or even when one of the yearlings decided to jump the fence. He was also good at catching gossip, which amused the guys greatly. Cowboys were no better than fishermen's wives, apparently. It had never bothered John, he might even have said it made for good stories in the evening around a poker game. 

Today though, he was reconsidering.

The Tracker rested a leg on the round pen’s fence where John was unsaddling the mare he’d been working. She was nearly ready to be sold, would make a good cow horse, had a cold temper in most situations and understood her job easily. John would go as far as say she liked it. 

“You know the ranch is bein’ sold?” The Tracker said. 

Caine glanced at him, always interested in gossip. He’d been hard on the kid since he came in, like he rarely was, meaning he was seeing potential, or he wouldn’t have bothered.

“So what? It's only gonna be the fourth time in as many years.”

It was no secret money wasn’t coming like it should. The ranch had been used for laundering money, then it had fallen in the hands of disinterested investors, who’d sold it to the highest bidder, who happened to be one of those millionaires in need of a new pastime. John had seen the guy something like twice. 

It was a miracle the lands hadn’t been sold for parts to neighbors. Word had it that the Tarasovs had been looking into it, which would’ve been really bad news for John. So for once, he paid really attention to what was being said.

“Yeah, but this time I think it’s good news.”

“Yeah, how do you figure that?” Caine asked, turning toward him. 

“And how did you hear ‘bout that?” Marcus pipped in. Straightening from his slouch against the wooden hedge.

“Winston.”

Ok, so this was serious. John got Magnolia out of the pen, the mare following obediently and moving around him fluidly so he could close the gate.

“Alright, spill,” Caine added, rolling a smoke.

“The D’Antonios bought it.”

Not their direct neighbors, but a close one. The land in between was owned by an old farmer who had two daughters he’d put through college. They had no interest in inheriting, they would sell it to the most generous offer in a few years, and the D’Antonio would fight for it to the end.

It was good news, except…

Caine glanced at John and chuckled while Marcus’ face bloomed into amused disbelief.

“Really?” the older man asked, eyes shining like it was christmas before time.

Caine’s chuckle turned into a full laughter.

“What?” the Tracker asked, catching on the fact he was missing something.

John looked down, the tip of his boot scratching the sand. Behind him, Magnolia huffed tiredly. She was too polite to start showing impatience, but she felt it anyway. She wanted back in her pen with her friends. John gently stroked her forehead in appeasement 

Marcus’ smile kept growing on his face.

“Oh, this is fuckin’ good.”

Caine was now holding his sides, howling and slapping his thighs as guffaws escaped him.

John pushed his hat further on his head and started leading the mare away.

“What?! C’mon, guys!” The Tracker complained.

“Oh man, you won’t believe it,” Caine wheezed between bouts of hilarity.

“See, Aiden, John wasn’t always the sad abstinent sod you have here. There was a time he used to fuck his way through the town, wasn’t extra choosy about it either. If it was legal and consenting, then there was a good chance you would find them frolicking behind’s Addy’s bar on saturdays.”

Caine’s laughter had turned into hiccups. 

“Would’ve been fine,” he gasped, trying to find breath, “if he didn’t decide to fuck D’Antonio’s son one summer.”

The young black man turned his gaze on the horse trainer with a gobsmacked expression.

“No way!”

“Yes, way,” Marcus explained benevolently, smugness and mirth clear in his voice, “Nearly caused a shoutout over it, too. Real Romeo and Juliet story, that one!”

John gave him the finger over his shoulder and kept on walking. 

Except for that, it was great news.

(As you can see, I'm back on my Romeo and Juliet bullshit. One day I'll tell you what reading the piece did to me.)

@koda-shoulda-woulda-but-didnt, if you wanna show us some things? RDR2 maybe >:] ?

[brideofdiscord-rewritten]

Bride of Discord Rewritten Chapter 5: The Dilemma

Read the tags for important notes.

"We're not really going to give into his demands, are we?" Rarity asked.

They had left the throne room to continue their meeting in the map room. A large mahogany slab sat vacant in the middle of the vast room. Upon it were etchings of names, all of which belonged to some territory or another. Certain points of the map, such as rivers or oceans glowed bright reddish-orange like embers. The lands were raised in accordance to the elevation of the real life counterpart.

"We may not have a choice," Twilight said. "Discord thought this out very well. I need my horn to power the Elements, but the only way I can get it back is if we don't use the Elements to stop him. And, the everfree forest houses many creatures, and zecora lives there!

"What about the third deal?" Applejack inquired.

She sighed. "Discord knows how desperate we are to get the princesses back."

"But we can't just hand some pony over to be his wife!" Rarity exclaimed. "We might as well be taking away her rights! Sacrificing her!"

"He said his bride has to go willingly. I think we should announce this to the citizens and see if any pony is willing to make such a sacrifice."

Fluttershy stood practically untethered to the other's words that hung overhead. Discord, the subject of her very torment held her. She didn't feel as if she had been violated, but the very nerve made her want to scream. She told herself she was being paranoid, but if that was the case, why did he seem to single her out?

"We should at least accept the terms of the first two," Twilight decided. "If I had my magic, we could be able to find another solution, and it would be easier to think if there weren't pigs flying outside."

Every pony nodded in agreement.

"What about Cadence?" Shining Armor asked. "And our daughter?"

"I want her back too, shining armor." his sister assured him. He ruffled her mane.

"I don't like the idea either, but…Discord has a point. Instead of losing four, we would only lose one. And…I don't know how long Cadence will last."

"She's strong. No matter what her conditions, she's always been able to pull through. Celestia and Luna will be strong too. Wherever they are, I'm sure they are holding out. Anyways, discord would never... Kill them. That's not chaos, thats maniacal!"

They all stood and wondered if any of this was really happening.

"Thee wanteth to receiveth did marry?!" Luna scoffed after Discord had told them his plan. "Who is't in the w'rld wouldst wanteth to marryeth thee?!"

"drop it Luna he doesn't care."

"why would anypony willingly marry thee?"

"Go ahead, laugh!" Discord said, rolling his eyes. "Just thought you would want to know what your freedoms going to cost."

"You will never get away with this, Discord!" Celestia bellowed. "Tartarus is non-discriminatory."

"Yes, yes. The whole 'you will never get away this' speech. I will respond with the usual comeback: 'oh, but I will!' Anyone up for a game of eternal mahjong? It needs four ponies!

She growled and lashed her hooves through the bars of the cage. Discord simply laughed.

"Oh, you three are just too amusing! Either of you willing to save the others and accept my proposal?"

Luna simply remarked, "I doth not think that the deal counts if it's true thee keeps a princess."

"And I'm already married, creep!" Cadence barked.

"I never been the type to break up a happy home." Discord said innocently.

A voice called from outside the cave. "Discord!"

The draconequus turned. "Oh, would you look at that? Sorry to leave you, girls, but I have a meeting."

With a wave of his paw, the cage vanished and he went to meet his visitor, leaving only a stack of cards in his wake.

"so do you guys know how to play pitty pat?

Twilight Sparkle and her five companions were standing at the entrance.

"Ah, my old friends! Have you made your decision already?"

"Yes," Twilight said defiantly.

She turned her head and nodded. Spike emerged from behind her, bearing a jewel encrusted case. He hesitantly stepped forward and placed the box in front of the draconequus.

"We accept your terms and promise never to use our Elements of Harmony against you. And to show you that we are serious about this…"

Spike opened the case to reveal the five necklaces and crown inside. Discord raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Appreciate the gesture, but keep them. I don't want those things anywhere near me."

He placed them on the ground and prodded them with his hoof.

"What about my piece of land?"

"The castle ruins in the Everfree forest," Twilight stated. "You may do with them what you like. Stay away from zecora's house."

"And no pony will disturb me?"

"No pony, as long as you confine your mischief within that area."

Discord clapped his hands. "Excellent! But…who's the lucky mare I'm marrying?"

Twilight glanced away.

"Well?"

"If you think we're going to send some pony to marry the likes of you…"

"You want your princesses back, you give me what I want!" He sighed. "But I am a creature of my word."

He snapped his fingers, blinding every pony with a white flash. When the light was gone, Twilight's horn was back on her head and the chaos from outside had ceased.

"I have all the time in the world to wait," Discord said nonchalantly. "The princesses, however, only have one set of cards.

"We'll give you anything!" Twilight pleaded. "Just please, don't hurt them!"

"I told you. When my demands are met, they go free! Any lucky ladies?"

Spike piped up. "Wait, who're you talking to?"

"Any of you. I don't care which one, but if some pony doesn't come forward soon, I will just have to make the decision myself. How about I give you…?" He tapped his chin. "Three days?"

"Isn't there anything else you want?" Twilight asked.

"Look, it's a bride or no deal! Got that?"

"But…"

"I think we're done here."

He zapped himself out of the cave, leaving the distressed ponies behind.

"He wouldn't accept anything else?" Shining Armor asked.

"He'll take a bride and nothing but," Twilight replied solemnly.

They had announced Discord's request to Canterlot that morning. So far, no pony was willing to accept such a search fate. It had 2 moons already.

"soooo, now what?" Applejack wondered.

Twilight sighed. She sat on a large, weighted isopod plush the size of a twin mattress. "No elements, no bargains, no haggling, there's nothing we can do!"

"do you think we should tell some people from other territories? I know there's gotta be some freaks out there!" Rainbow suggested.

"we can't, it'd take too long. Besides, without the princesses, the suna and moon can't rise. That'll seriously mess up the whole equestria! We could be in eternal darkness! Our crops and hay will never grow! Ponies can't handle that much cold!"

"What about you?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Aren't you the princess now?"

"hopefully only for now! I can't raise the sun! Do you know how powerful you have to be to accomplish that?! I just…I just…"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Shining Armor put an assuring hoof on her. The ponies huddled together in a weighted hug. The pressure seemed to calm her down.

"Don't worry. We'll get them back. We'll get them all back. We just have to solve this..." He looked toward the others. "I know no pony wants to spend eternity with that…that monster, but we got to think…"

"I should go."

Every pony stared at Twilight.

"This all happened while Equestria was under my rule. I should put the well-being of my subjects before myself."

"I won't allow it!" her brother insisted..

"But Cadence…"

"Would not stand for it. I want her back as much as you do, but I don't want to lose my little sister in the process."

"For the sake of my friends," Rarity declared, "I believe I should go."

"No!" Sweetie Belle cried, hanging onto her leg. "I need you, big sister! And what'll Mom and Dad say?"

Applejack took off her hat. "I should go."

"Don't even think about it!" search Apple Bloom commanded.

"Me then?" Rainbow questioned.

A desperate hug from Scootaloo dismissed the idea.

Applejack and rarity looked at rainbow, then each other, as rainbow looked at both. Not one of them would let this happen to the other.

"What about me?" Pinkie asked seriously, which was out of character for her. "I mean I already like his party attitude!"

"anything other than that?... Exactly." Rarity muttered.

As the others argued, Fluttershy dealt with an internal argument of her own. She did not dare say her thoughts aloud, knowing her friends would just dismiss them. They all had reasons for staying behind: responsibilities, family. What did she have? There were her animals and friends, but what happiness would she bring them if they were to live in darkness for the rest of their lives? What happiness would she bring them if she left?

Every pony quieted down as Applejack leapt onto the chart table. "Look, it's been a long night for all of us. I say we get some sleep and see what c'n' be done tomorrow."

They all agreed and retired to their rooms.

The claws of the larger creature ran through her mane again. She felt every single knot pulled on. Every leaf torn in half. She felt the. Claw graze her thick scalp ever so slightly, drawing across like a bow on a viola. Every strike playing a haunting chord.

"Why won't you go away?" she squeaked.

Her captor's cackle echoed in the darkness. "My dear, don't you understand? I'm in your mind because you keep me here."

"Well, I don't want you here! Go away!"

He chuckled and soon his face was inches away from hers. "What are you waiting for, my dear? You know what you have to do. You know I favor you over the others. So do it."

"No!" She tried to struggle out of his grasp. "I don't…I don't…"

He whispered into her ear. "If you don't do it, who will?"

Fluttershy woke with a start. She put her hoof to her head and whimpered. I can't do it, she thought. I just can't! What will the others think? Still, no matter what she did, all she thought about was him.

She could not go back to sleep, so she went down to the kitchen to get a snack. She screamed when she bumped into someone, causing them to fall and drop a tray of food.

"Hwhat n' tarnation? Fluttershy?"

The pegasus squinted at the pony on the floor and gasped. "Oh, Applejack, I'm so sorry! You startled me."

The southern pony rubbed her head as she got up. "It's okay. I'm guessin' you couldn't sleep either, huh?" She shook her head. "Nightmare again?"

She nodded. "It was different this time. He spoke to me. He was…he was…" she trembled, but found herself unable to form tears

"Calm down. Tell you what. After I clean this up, I'll make us both some apples and peanut butter. Sound good?"

Fluttershy sniffed and nodded with a smile. As they ate, she told Applejack about her dream. Her friend listened intently, while still having trouble cutting things with just a knife and her hooves.

"You're lettin' his threat on the princesses get to you. Don't worry. We'll figure somethin' out."

The pegasus looked down at her hooves. "Applejack, can I tell you a secret?" Her face was vacant and terrified.

The cowgirl sighed. "Fluttershy, you know how bad I am at keepin' secrets. What With me bein' the Element of Honesty and all, I'm a terrible liar."

"You don't have to lie. Just don't mention it to any pony."

"Okay, but…why me?"

"Well, it's a very shocking secret. Twilight would be against it, Rarity would overreact, Rainbow Dash would tell me it's a bad idea and Pinkie Pie would throw a huge bash... Actually that last one doesn't sound too bad."

"Alright, I get it. So what's this secret?"

"First, you've got to promise not to tell any pony, and not to freak out."

"I promise."

"Pinkie Promise?"

She sighed. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Fluttershy glanced around and then gestured for her to come closer.

"I'm...thinking of…" The rest was inaudible.

"Come again?"

"I'm…" This time was quieter.

"Didn't catch that one shug."

"I'm thinking of going with Discord!" she shouted.

Applejack choked on her apple. "What?!"

"You said you wouldn't freak out!"

"I had no idea you were…!" Then she stopped and took a breath. "Anyhow, I made a promise. I promised I wouldn't. But still! How could you even consider goin' with that monster?!"

"If I don't go, who will?"

"Fluttershy, do you hear yourself?!"

"We need Princesses Celestia and Luna to bring day and night and Cadence is with foal. Discord won't let them go unless some pony takes their place. I think that pony should be me."

"No, you shouldn't! You can't! I'd rather go instead of you!"

"But you have your family to take care of, and the orphans, they look up to you. Twilight has her crown and Shining Armor, Rarity has her shop and Sweetie Belle, Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbolt, and Pinkie Pie has her job at Sugar Cube Corner and to make every pony smile. I have no pony, no purpose."

"What are you talkin' about? Of course you have a purpose! The animals back in Ponyville depend on you! Your friend need you! Ponyville would be so much more dull without you!"

"Some pony else can take care of them."

"And don't think you ain't got no pony!" She put a hoof around her. "You've got a lot of friends who would be heartbroken if you left!"

She blushes and couldnt help her faceut suppose no pony agrees to marry Discord? Would all the ponies and animals be better off then?"

Applejack paused. "Well…I…"

"What if my dreams are a sign? What if this is my fate?"

"Fluttershy, your search fate is not to be unhappy for the rest of your life tied to that creature!"

"Why not?!" she snapped. "Can't you see that no matter what I'll choose, I'll always be unhappy?!"

Silence hung over them like thick cobwebs.

...

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

The pegasus buried her face in her hooves. "I don't know! I just don't know!"

Applejack patted her on the back. "I think we should talk to Twilight."

Her head shot up. "She's stressed enough as is!"

Applejack mumbled something somewhat unintelligible through her thick accent. Fluttershy comforted her.

"fluttershy, I'm gonna try'n stop you. Don't let me. I want you to do what'cha think'll give you purpose.

At this very moment, at the utterance of the last word, another pony miles away received an invitation of visitation from another. Beyond all the chaos, there rose collaboration.

Kimono stepped towards Zecora's hut, eager to discuss the recent events with her long time friend from afar.

[genork-the-fandork]

Survived

Word Count: 1,564 Prompt: Post-Game/Future Featured Characters: Takuma Momozuka, as well as Minoru Hinata, Aoi Shibuya, Kaito Shinonome, Miu Shinonome, Shuuji Kayama, Professor, Ryo Tominaga, & Saki Kimishima A/N: This was always going to be my longest drabble, because I have a soft spot for post-canon things where one character spends some time with all of the others in separate situations. I haven't played through the truthful ending yet, so I frankly have probably made some things up here. And ended it real sappy. Because that's my favorite thing to do. In any case, I really enjoyed writing this and my other drabbles this week, and thank you to everyone who read, liked, and wrote some really kind tags! It means a whole heckuva lot! <3 @surviveweek

"Hey, Takuma!"

Takuma looked up from his phone and smiled at the sight of Minoru and Aoi approaching his table. "Hey, Minoru, Aoi. How are you both?"

"Good, good. Falcomon is practically part of the family now," Minoru said, grinning as he sat across from Takuma. Aoi sat beside him, gently balancing the drink in her hand with the muffin in the other. "It's like having a pet, except he can talk back!"

"Mom and Dad love Labramon, she's so helpful," Aoi chimed in, a truly happy look on her face. "She insists on walking me to school every day even though I can go myself."

"Sounds like Labramon," Takuma said. Even though he hadn't seen them in a while, he could vividly imagine Falcomon and Labramon settling in with their partners. It had taken his own mother a bit to get used to Agumon, but the little dinosaur was so sweet and adorable it was hard not to love him. "Have either of you talked to the others?"

"Saki's doing much better now." Aoi took out her phone and showed Takuma and Minoru a picture of Saki smiling in a hospital bed with Floramon right beside her. "She missed a little bit of school, but I take the train to her house every now and then to help her with her schoolwork."

"Ryo doesn't text back much, but it seems like he's doing great. I think?" Minoru chuckled. "I think he just doesn't want to admit he misses us."

"Don't tease him, Minoru," Aoi scolded.

"I hope we can all meet up again soon. It's kind of weird, being all separated like this." Takuma stared down at the drink clutched in his hand. "I know it was only a few hours here, but it felt like weeks there. It was hard adjusting without everyone." 

Minoru nodded. "I know what you mean." He got a wistful look on his face. "There's something about sticking together and surviving all that, you know?"

"We'll see each other again." Aoi smiled widely. "There's no way we won't."

"You're right." Takuma checked the time on his phone and grinned over at his friends. "Which reminds me, I need to call Kaito tonight."

That was their cue to stand up. As they gathered their things, Aoi placed her hand on Takuma's shoulder. "Tell Kaito and Miu we said hello?"

Takuma smiled. "Of course."

~~~

"How are Miu and Syakomon?" Takuma asked as soon as Kaito answered the phone and they exchanged their usual greetings.

Kaito smirked and moved his phone camera so Takuma could see Miu playing with Syakomon. He couldn't quite tell what they were doing, but it involved lifting Syakomon in the air, almost like a baby. The sight made him smile and laugh. When Miu noticed Kaito was filming her, she stuck out her tongue, but she waved her sweatshirt sleeve and called, "Hi, Takuma!" Had Syakomon been able to wave, he was sure she would wave, too.

"So that's how she is. How about you, Takuma?" Kaito sat down at a table and propped his phone up somewhere so he could rest his elbows on the table. It was almost like they were right in front of each other rather than kilometers upon kilometers away.

Takuma shrugged and angled his camera so Kaito could see Agumon poking at some of his old toys, a fascinated look in his big, green eyes. Kaito looked just as amused by Agumon's antics as Takuma had been by Miu's. "Agumon's settling right in. I actually just saw Minoru and Aoi today—they say hello."

"Glad they're doing well. It's so weird not having any of you around here anymore. I almost tricked myself into believing you all lived nearby. You know, after all that time together."

"I get what you mean. It's hard actually spending time with the others now that we're back to our lives. Is it weird I kinda miss the other world?"

"Not really. We got used to it after a while." The grin hadn't left Kaito's face, so Takuma knew they were on the same page.

Even though they were on a video call, they enjoyed a minute of companionable silence. Takuma was finding it easier and easier, with the companions he'd hate on their unbelievable adventure, to sit in silence with them and not have to fill it with words. He doubted any of his other friends at school would understand such things. But with Kaito especially, it was easy. Maybe nearly dying together was the secret to friendship.

And, as weird as it was, Takuma preferred these sorts of friendships.

~~~

"Takuma?"

Turning around, Takuma spotted Shuuji and the Professor walking down the street toward him. "Oh! Shuuji! Professor! How are you?"

"Well, thank you." Shuuji peered down and behind him, smiling encouragingly at Lopmon as he toddled up to them. "Sorry, Lopmon. Here." The older boy crouched down and picked up Lopmon, setting the bunny-like creature on his shoulder. Had the Kemonogami been able to blush, Takuma was sure Lopmon would be. It seemed they were getting along even better now. "Anyway, Takuma—how are you? And Agumon?"

"Good, good. He's getting a hang of our world slowly but surely. Professor? How are you?"

The professor approached the two boys at a leisurely pace, looking more at ease than he had ever been with either of them. Takuma smiled up at him, and the Professor returned the smile. "I'm well, Takuma. It's been interesting, raising my sister, but, well." He chuckled. "We're making do."

"Please tell her I said hello." Takuma couldn't help but take a mental picture of the scene before him. Lopmon and Shuuji, happy. The Professor, happy now that he had his sister back in his life. It was almost too good to be true, but after the hellish reality in the Kemonogami world, it was real.

"We have to run, but it was great seeing you, Takuma!"

"You too! Please take care, both of you!" Takuma waved as they walked off, glad to see that they were doing well. He'd have to make sure to email them both later. But first, he had to get home with the groceries!

~~~

"Thanks for coming all this way, Ryo." Takuma took a sip of his soda and smiled over at his friend, who despite all evidence to the contrary, was trying to look like he wasn't

"Yeah, sure." Ryo glanced over at Saki, who was eyeing her food with a level of excitement Takuma was used to seeing from Agumon. "Someone had to keep an eye on her."

"I think you mean I'm here to keep an eye on you, Ryo," Saki retorted smoothly, not even missing a beat. 

Takuma was reminded of the day they were transported to the other world, when Ryo and Saki had been walking together. Even after all they'd been through together, it was strange to see them together. Still, Takuma knew they were both in good hands when they were together. "I'm glad to see you two are doing well. Aoi told me your surgery went well, Saki?"

Saki ignored the concerned look Ryo subtly shot her and smiled. "It did! I felt much braver about going through it knowing Floramon was waiting for me. Hopefully this will be the last one for a while." Her smile wavered a tiny bit. "I really hope it is." She brightened and rested her chin on her hands, grinning over at Ryo. "And? How are you and Kunemon?"

"Okay. I have to translate for him sometimes, but it's working out pretty well." Ryo slipped his phone onto the table and turned it on, revealing a lockscreen that was of Kunemon sleeping on what appeared to be a pillow. Saki made an "aww!" sound and Takuma smiled. Like with Lopmon and Shuuji, it was nice to see Kunemon and Ryo settling into a rhythm.

"I'm glad to see you two are doing well. Hard to believe it's been a few months since it all happened, huh?" Takuma said, letting out a wistful sigh. "I've only been able to see a couple of you at a time. We'll have to spend some time all together soon."

"That sounds like fun!" Saki clapped, her eyes shining. "We should do it!"

"Been a while since I've had to yell at Minoru. Let's do it." Ryo was smirking, but Takuma could tell he was also missing the others.

Takuma sipped his soda again and nodded to his two friends. "Soon. Let's get together again soon."

~~~

As promised, they all got together in the only place that made sense: the old Kemonogami shrine. Takuma released a contented breath as he took in the sight of all his friends together again, along with their partners. Agumon stood silently at his side, a delighted, toothy grin on his face.

Takuma sat down on one of the steps leading up to the shrine, casting his eyes over all of his friends. Minoru and Falcomon joking with Aoi and Labramon… Shuuji and Lopmon with the Professor and Miyuki… Kaito and Miu with Dracmon and Syakomon laughing with them… Ryo and Kunemon talking with Saki and Floramon… A smile spread across his face. It was the reunion to end all reunions.

They had all survived. They were all okay. And they'd made friends to last a lifetime (but not in Kemonogami world time).

[rodeoxqueen]

Shi No Te:  The Tale Red Like The Scarab and The Sheath of The Cursed Blade.

Vergil/Reader

Part one.

A long-kept draft I've had for years.

Summary: Once upon a dark time, you were the Huntress. The years haven't forgotten the whisper of your name, yet your son is the new name in the underworld. It's like the old saying goes "the planets are like families, everything revolved around the 'sun.'" However, there are many stories before you became the mother of Nero. This is one of them.

Tags: Uncompleted work, Reader goes to Japan, Mercenary work, Explicit violence, Nero's Mother OC origins.

When you had woken up all those weeks ago to find the bed empty, you had already known. You knew Vergil was going to leave, and that you were not enough to make him stay. So you did what any normal woman did: you cried, ate an inhuman amount of ice cream, and then raised hell for the demons of the underworld for weeks. 

When different brokers and clients had found you, they were surprised to see you already strapped with weapons and ready to go. This was routine for some time since you left Fortuna. You stopped taking vacations for some time, opting for the open road on your motorcycle in your down time. 

So imagine your surprise the day a broker, Edvard Adams, called you asking for your services in Japan. You had already begun putting your weapons back on, the phone on speaker. The world’s thickest  British accent greeted your ears. 

“We got a detective from Shibuya asking for the best of the best for this one.”

“Don’t they have their own demon hunting services.” You rustled through your drawer, colorful clothes haphazardly tucked to the side. 

“Every single Japanese priest in Shibuya can’t figure out how to exorcize the damn thing. Too scared to approach it.” Edvard took a puff of his cigar. 

“So they’re asking for some foreign aid. It’s making a mockery of the police force. They can’t keep stalling, only one person has survived from last week. They’re worried it’ll come and kill again.”  

“How much?” 

“15,000 for showing up, even more once you kill the scary bastard.” 

“How long?” 

“As long as it takes. The plane’s ready whenever.” 

“Transfer me the money and consider it dead.” Edvard laughed through the phone, amused at the industry’s most notorious hunter. Gorgeous, capable, and sassy. Too bad you were scary as hell. 

“Sayonara, Huntress.”  

“Shut up.” 

Hiro Watanabe didn’t know what to do when the esteemed best of the best came to Shibuya twelve hours later. The demon had already torn through all but one of the Bito family members, injuring many hunters. The priests were too afraid to get too close without the help of semi-automatic weapons, which also did not affect the demon. After years of dealing with humans, this was their first demonic incident. He was clueless. They needed someone to fix this. Luckily he got a call back from that broker in America, who spoke only in horribly informal Japanese, saying that the hunter was already on the way over. 

“Are you sure he can kill the demon?” Edvard barked out a harsh laugh. He’d let the Japanese man learn the hard way. 

“Your priests pray to god to slay demons. This hunter kills God for breakfast.” Edvard jabbed his fingers holding the cigar, emphasizing every word. 

“Pleasure to be of  service, Watanabe. Although I must warn you-”

“-This hunter doesn’t play the game by the rules.” The line hung up. 

“A demon hunter from America. Things are really getting bizarre.” Hiro said to himself. Shiro Mizaki, the chief of police, would kill him if this didn’t work. Other politicians and the general public feared for the worst. The police department was going to lose their heads if the problem grew any larger.

The girl in custody, Bito Saki, was glumly sitting in solitary confinement, the room warded by countless spells and wards to stop the beast. She refused to talk regardless of the severity of the situation. At this point if the kid died Hiro’s career would go straight to the trash. 

Hiro sat in his office, hoping and thinking. A cigarette laid on his lips and he had already gone through half a pack. 

“Watanabe-san? The foreigner has arrived.” A female officer announced at his door. Hiro got up abruptly, prepared to deal with some ignorant American who might just fix the problem. 

“Alright. Send him here.” 

“She already left for the market district. She said she was ‘going to get some real food.’” The officer said, hand on her hip. Hiro swore and grabbed his coat.   

“That damn broker.” 

“So, you are the best hunter they have?” 

You leaned against the wall to the convenience store and ate your sandwich. Hiro was on his second box of cigarettes. You were dressed like an assassin alright, with empty leather gun holsters and heavy combat boots. Too bad you stuck out like a sore thumb and had the locals staring at you. Hiro decided it was best to fill the empty air, hoping to catch the foreigner’s attention. 

“You seem rather relaxed and informal of this situation, but it is quite severe. We’ve never seen anything like it.” 

“The girl lived hours away from here, we took her here in hopes the demon would not find her.” 

“No priest in that area can stop the demon with their best spells and incantations.” You hummed while putting a few yen coins into a vending machine and clicking a few random buttons. A drink plopped out with a metallic clang and you cracked open the tab. 

Hiro waited for this strange foreigner to finish her drink. You reached the bottom of the beverage and sighed. Mischievous eyes met his own serious ones. 

“You talk too much.”  Hiro gritted his jaw. Ignorant American indeed. 

You threw the can into the recycling bin several feet behind you, perfectly aimed. You took your duffel bag, heaving it over your shoulder. 

“Let’s go.” 

In the interrogation room, there she was, splattered with blood and a dead look in her eyes. 

“Is she possessed? Why is she trapped in here?” 

“We assumed the demon would not come for her with our best sigils and protective seals.” 

“That’s useless. Only ghosts are bound by holy rituals .” You blurted, shifting your bag’s strap on your shoulder. 

“The priests said it should work.” 

“Well, they’re wrong.” 

You whistled at one of the cops near you. 

“File.” You ordered. 

Holding the papers describing the recent crimes, you shoved various items on the desk aside. 

You gestured to the graphic pictures from the forensics. 

“Tell me what happened.” 

“The Bito household had an alarm go off a few minutes after midnight two days ago. The 

“Why was she spared? The demon could kill her at any time.” 

“The only way she could have survived is because she’s not quite related to the rest of them.”  You pointed to the girl. 

“How do you know?” 

“I’m the best of the best.”  Suddenly, the girl got up. 

“Why is this foreigner helping?! Are you so incapable?” 

You looked up. Hiro pressed the comm button, speaking into the mic. 

“Bito-chan! Don’t be-” You yanked the mic to your mouth.

“This foreigner is paid to keep you alive.” You said in perfect Japanese. Hiro had been scrambling to learn English before you came, and you spoke his language perfectly?! 

“You speak Japanese?” 

“I figured it out on the way here.” The girl looked at you with shock and indignance, huffing as she sat back down. 

By the time everyone had left and it was Hiro, Bito Saki, and you. 

“How will you kill this demon?” 

“With my hands.” 

Hiro sighed. 

“These victims were home when it happened. With what you gave me, the other relatives were murdered prior. Those were unsolved murders.” You said, gesturing to the papers and pictures. 

“Yes. That is true. That is why we were prepared to get the girl out of that situation as soon as possible.” 

You shuffled a few photos, eyes scanning the evidence pages. 

“This family was ready for this to happen to them. It explains the Shinto decorations and the reinforced security.” 

“The Bito family used to be politically active and wealthy, a decade ago. Unfortunately, they have not been as glorious as before, despite Bito Kenji’s efforts.” You stared at the picture of the disemboweled man. He had been gouged from neck to groin, his organs all for the world to see. 

“Her father.” Hiro nodded. 

“Where’s her mother’s body?” The tall and broad-shouldered Japanese man glanced at Bito Saki, who sat in the interrogation room, knees pulled to her chest and head down. 

What horrors had she seen? 

“ …...” 

“Where’s her body?” You asked again. 

“Bito Kaori had been found dismembered in her own room. She was the first to pass away.” 

“...”

“Why do you wish to know so much about the case?” 

“I am a huntress, not some brainless exterminator.” 

You walked into the convenience store as if you were a normal customer and not a deadly demon huntress who just kidnapped a girl in police custody. 

“Get whatever you want.” 

There were a few stragglers left in the store, ignorant to your intrusion. Bito took out a few packages of onigiri and her favorite soda. 

If it wasn’t for the fact that she was just forcefully taken out of custody, she looked like a normal school girl going for a midnight snack. 

She looked into the anti-theft mirror, ruffling her hair. Ruler straight bangs above her brow and her locks down to her shoulders, her hair was mussed up from everything. She sighed. 

“What is happening?” She wondered. 

A soft thump and a heavy roll of soft fabric hit her back. Bito jolted and picked up a black hoodie off the ground. 

“Put it on. You weren’t wearing enough in that room.” The huntress had abandoned her previous outfit, sticking it into her duffel bag. Instead, Bito was staring eye-to-eye with some tourist looking woman with a white shirt stating “I Love Japan” and baggy jeans. Why? 

Bito came to the checkout with you. You handed the exact change to the cashier. A slip of paper fell to the counter, your gloved hand quick to snatch it back into your wallet. The older female clerk looked at you strangely but paid no further mind. 

The two of you left the store, Bito quickly putting on the gigantic hoodie on. She was practically drowning in the sweatshirt, the main pocket to her thighs. 

“Now, let’s go.” Bito followed but she soon realized you were taking a different route than before. 

“Wait! This isn’t the way back to the station.” You didn’t answer, walking away and leaving the poor girl taking rather large strides to catch up. 

It was when you had gone down the stairs to the Shibuya subway station had Bito realized something was going terribly wrong. 

‘W-wait! Where are you taking me?” She tried to back away from you, refusing to take a step down the stairs. 

“Do you want me to fix your problem or not?” You shot back, still not even looking at her. 

“I-I’m going back!” Bito threatened, seeing how dark the streets had become. 

“Alright, have the stupid policemen keep you in that room until the demon finds you again on the next seventh sunrise. Maybe you’ll look better in red than in black.” Bito gulped, her blood running cold. You continued stepping down the stairs. 

“What seventh sunrise?! What does the sun have to do with anything?” 

What a noisy little piece of bait. 

You felt her presence next to you, huffing. 

“What do you know?” You checked the handout the station gave out, seeing there was a few hour trip to where you were headed. 

“Let’s just say I know more than you need to hear.” Bito gave up with you. 

So there you were, sitting in a nearly vacant subway train with the little teenager curled up on the seat. 

What a vacation this turned out to be. Maybe you could see the sights.

To be continued

Notes: This is a very old and rushed work. It's been years since i revisited it. Why not post? I'll always have time to fill in the details.

[poipoipoi-2016]

There is going to be a story about me coming out soon and it's bad so I need to get ahead of it. I just want to preface this by saying that I am deeply regretful and apologize to everyone I have harmed through my past actions.

Anyway, I was taking a group of people falconing and I was supposed to meet them there at, like, maybe 8 or 9. I was driving up really early like seven and this woman in a van in front of me hit a bear and killed it, a young bear. So I pulled over and I pick up the bear and I put it in the back of my van because I was going to skin the bear and it was in very good condition and I was gonna put the meat in my refrigerator - you can do that in New York, you can get a bear tag for a road kill bear.

So then we went hawking and had a really good day, we went late, we were catching a lot of game and people really loved it, so we stayed late and instead of going back to my home in Westchester I had to go into the city because there was a dinner at Peter Luger Steakhouse and at the end of the dinner it went late and I realized I couldn't go home, I had to go to the airport, and the bear was in my car and I didn't want to leave the bear in the car because that would have been bad, so then I thought, you know, at that time, this is a little bit of the redneck in me, there had been a series of bicycle accidents in New York, they had just put in the bike lanes, and a couple of people had gotten killed and it was every day, people had gotten badly injured, every day it was in the press...

And so I thought, I wasn't drinking of course, but people were drinking with me who thought this was a good idea, and I said, I had this old bike in my car someone had asked me to get rid of, I said 'let's put the bear in Central Park and we'll make it look like he got hit by a bike. It'll be funny for people."

So everybody thought 'that's a great idea!' So we went and did that and we thought it would be amusing for whoever found it or something.

The next day it was like on every television station, front page of every newspaper, I turned on the TV and there were like miles of yellow tape, helicopters flying over it. I was like 'oh my God what did I do.' There were some people on TV in Tyvex suits lifting up the bike and they were saying they were gonna take it up to Albany to get it fingerprinted. I was worried because my prints were all over that bike. Luckily, the story died down after a while and it stayed dead for a decade until the New Yorker somehow found out about it.

[vin-robles]

Character Info Sheet

Tagged by: @apexulansisTagging: I don't know who's even active on here anymore, so if you see this, consider yourself tagged, you lucky ducky.

Name: Vinley Nidena Robles

Name Meaning: "Dirt". As in the literal thing. Not the loftier, more spiritual concept of "earth".

Alias: Vin. Call her "Vinnie" and she'll make sure you have regrets about this.

Ethnicity: Midoan. Of Mido. From the planet, Mido. She used to live in a forest somewhere. That's about as specific as she gets.

Pictures You Like Best of Your Character: I'm too lazy to pick through my folders so I'll grab what I already have here despite it being so ungodly old.

Three Headcanons You've Never Told Anyone:

Vin has dislocated her shoulder in the process of trying to lick her own elbow. Twice.

When she was a kid, Vin had dreams of eventually moving to the city and becoming a radio star. Her mom pretty much shamed her out of this one. Some shit to do with abandoning the family and how wasteful and detrimental to the environment city people were.

Vin's got a couple of half-siblings running around somewhere that she doesn't know about. Same mom, different fathers. Her mom wound up settling down with Marok because he made her laugh. Like, on a regular basis. Not like that plot hook from The Golden Goose where the king gives his daughter away to the first guy to make her laugh. That would've just been dumb.

Three Things Your Character Likes Doing in Their Free Time:

Skipping rocks. Not constructive, but it kills time and she thinks it's relaxing.

Crochet. She learned it from Nena. She also finds this relaxing.

Tinkering. Mostly with her guns. Mostly so she can see how ridiculous she can make them. It's the closest thing she has to amusement that isn't just tatering out on the couch, playing video games.

Eight People Your Character Likes/Loves:

Ardaka.

Ardaka.

Ardaka.

Ardaka.

Nena.

Ardaka.

Her dad.

Ardaka.

Shut up. She's disinterested in having a ton of friends. I also maybe don't write enough for her to have any. Oopsie.

Three Things Your Character Regrets:

Kicking her little brother into the watering hole that one time. It was funny when she did it but it definitely added to the permanent chip on his shoulder.

Agreeing to go on the supply run that landed her on Sigma Rhada. Sure, she might not have met Ardaka if she hadn't gone. Or maybe she would have, just later on. Whatever the case, she couldn't have known what she was missing and she really wishes she had the cash to get back to her family already. Space travel is eye-wateringly expensive, even the cheap seats.

Accepting that first sweater from Nena. The Alpha Sweater. The beginning of the deluge. She has more sweaters than god and there's no sign of it stopping. There's no reason to even have a sweater in Neo Shousis but somehow Vin has thirty.

Two Phobias Your Character Has:

Fire. Kind of a gimme if you grew up in a village made completely of wood, with wooden foundations, at least a thousand feet off of the ground.

Being snatched off of the street. It's happened once already and she's a little bit paranoid that it'll happen again. Unrelated: Be sure to ask her about her pepper spray collection.

[xamaxenta]

Something cute I just thought abt, modern au stuff, I guess college ages here

Sabo frequents an arcade and regularly makes first on the leaderboards

Until a new name thats just AAA pops up in the first slot on most of his favourite games, incensed Sabo wants to find the fucker ruining his streaks and challenge him or her fair and square

Koala thinks he’s being stupid but Sabo holds his grudges and needs to know, figures out by the times hes gone and taken first place back that when he returns after dinner rush at the diner he works at, the AAA fucker was back and learns through small cues that this person must also be a student, has a membership, and is extremely good at dance games

He starts asking the staff if they’ve seen a new regular around, roughly his age, what do they look like

Gleans new info until his Biochem professor has them all pair up for a project that will calculate towards the entirety of their grade this year and a guy named Ace ends up matching his number pair, Sabo stares him down, from look alone, Ace fits the “new regular nerd on the block” descriptions from the arcade staff

And the first thing out Sabo’s mouth is something along the lines of: Are you the bastard that keeps beating my score in Time Crisis?

And Ace looks at him in confusion, “time what?” And Sabo hates that he thinks he’s cute

“AAA?” Sabo knows its him, can feel it in his bones.

“I dunno what you mean.” Ace replies, and has the audacity to look away to root around in his bag for something clearly unimportant to their conversation.

“Besides, why do you care, are you like some mega nerd who cares about keeping score?“ Ace asks blandly, pen in hand as he hunches over their project outline.

Koala stifles a laugh from where she’s seated behind them in the auditorium. Sabo makes a rude gesture at her from behind his back.

“That’s funny, considering you keep beating me, which makes you an even bigger nerd!” Sabo retorts, unwilling to let this go now he’s found his perp, “you’ve beaten me in everything from Starblade To Nightslashers?”

“Are you SBAO?“ Ace asks suddenly and Sabo squints at him suspiciously.

“Holy shit, you spelt your own name wrong?“ Ace snickers and circles something Sabo can’t be bothered to check just yet.

“Says the guy who registered under AAA.”

“Nah you can’t blame that on me dude, AAA is my little brother.” Ace sits back against their bench, his smile half amused at how seriously Sabo was taking all of this.

“I just provide the wallet he needs for the membership but I tag along to watch him play. I’m shit at videogames.” Ace explains and Sabo flusters slightly, both at how cute Ace looked when he smiled but also at accusing him so strongly, he can practically hear Koala’s radiating smugness.

“Wait. How old is your brother?“ Sabo asks with growing trepidation.

“He’s twelve.” Ace says and signs off his name at the bottom of their project sheet, sliding it over to Sabo to add his own.

Sabo visibly feels the blood drain from his face, that can’t be true, there’s no fucking way—“you’re telling me your kid brother is kicking my ass at Dungeons and Driveout?”

“Yeah.” Ace looks awfully proud of this little brother of his.

“Are you his guardian?“ Sabo switches tracks, trying to find some kind of flaw with the cute guy smiling up an adorable storm beside him.

“Yup.” Ace tucks his pen behind his ear for safekeeping, which Sabo finds enormously endearing but he will never ever say it, this guy and his kid brother were the enemy!!

“And you let him play video games for that long?“

“What we do with our time is not really your concern.” Ace says smoothly, “And I don’t need anyone telling me how to parent my brother. He’s a good kid and I want him to have fun.”

Koala kicks at Sabo from under the bench, forcing him to apologise for his insensitive mouth.

“None taken.” Ace relaxes visibly, and Sabo kind of likes how he was so ready to protect the things he cares about.

“Alright, I need to know one more thing and then I’ll sign your stupid form,” Sabo flicks at the corner of the page Ace has been wiggling at him from across the desktop for the past ten minutes.

“Shoot.” Ace indulges him.

“The dancing games. There’s simply no way a twelve year old is gonna get those combos.”

“You’re right. Those are my scores.” Ace smirks and Sabo feels vindicated at last.

“So you are AAA!”

“In a sense. But we share the account, I can’t afford more than one.” Ace has the nerve to look sheepish over that, of all things.

Sabo can’t help but glance him over, takes in his build and the long sweep of his legs—

“My eyes are up here dude.” Ace drawls and Sabo glances back up with a scowl, annoyed that he was caught looking.

“Ugh. Give me that.” Sabo slaps a hand over the form and drags it over to scribble his signature along the base so they can finally pass it back down to their professor.

“You me, Dancerush Stardom at 7?”

“Without dinner first?“ Ace asks in mock surprise.

“Dinner after,” Sabo shoots back and stands noisly from their bench to take the sheet back down to the front of the hall.

“I think he likes you.” Koala says conversationally, leaning over the gap Sabo’s made and Ace turns to look at her thoughtfully.

“Think so?”

“Yup. He’s obsessed with you actually.”

“I’m not fucking obsessed—“ Sabo shouts from the base of the stairs.

“Yes you are sweetie!” Koala hollers back at him before smiling at Ace who shrinks back at the leer in her eyes.

“Be nice to him, he’s got like zero friends, excluding me.”

“Uhh okay?” Ace glances between the rapidly approaching Sabo and the girl behind him.

“He’s just excited to talk to someone his age with the same interests, he doesn’t bite.” Koala adds when Sabo vaults over their bench row with the intention of silencing her.

“Shut the fuck up,” Sabo seethes after wrangling her into a not so gentle headlock.

“Or what?“ Koala goads and then promptly elbows her friend in the stomach.

“You’re gonna scare him off by being fucking weird again!”

“Hey, I’m still here and I’m getting pretty hungry.” Ace cuts in, his pale silvery eyes creasing up in what Sabo recognises as a positive emotion, he can work with that.

“So dinner?“ Sabo repeats and Ace nods, Sabo glances at Koala who sticks her tongue out at him.

“Uh now?”

“It is almost seven.” Ace says agreeably.

“Oh shit. Yeah okay.” Sabo holds out his hand for Ace to take, and then regrets it because his palms are so so damn sweaty—

“Awww. You two be nice to each other now.” Koala looks between them as her tone takes on a sugary kind of quality.

“I want him home by ten.” She addresses Ace first who looks caught out for a brief moment before playing along, salutes her charmingly with his and Sabo’s linked hands.

“And you, you be nice. I don’t wanna have to bury another body okay?”

“Wait what—“ Ace tries to process that quip as Sabo drags him out of the auditorium, Koala waves them out, neither confirming or denying her statement.

Cuties. She thinks this relationship will last.

[of-twilight-and-moonshadow]

My Idiot - Adam Cole x Emery

Part of my Dark Angel of the Bullet Club Series

Tag List: @summertimefun1982 @blxxckheart @regalbanshee

Words: 1016

(border by)

“I hope you guys don’t mind—I’ve got a guest—” Adam smiled as he got comfortable in his chair.

“What guest—” Breeze began to ask, before Emery wheeled her chair into the frame, causing Creed to gasp.

“No—”

“Heyyyyy Creed,” Emery smiled devilishly, waving her fingers at the camera.

“It’s you.” Creed seethed, his eyes wide.

“Yepp, Lil ole me. Didn’t ya miss me?”

Emery watched in amusement as Creed began talking to himself, looking down at his desk to avoid the camera.

“We haven’t even begun and Creed’s losing it!” Breeze yelled in amusement, leaning back in his chair as he laughed.

“No—no, you don’t understand—” Creed started, trying to tell Breeze and Claudio about what happened the last time he and Emery met for a game.

“Now now, Creed. That’s water under the bridge,” Emery gently told him, Adam sitting beside her with a huge grin on his face, “All in the past. Let’s forget and forgive—and move on—”

“Forget and forgive?!”

“I didn’t realize this would be a thing,” Adam laughed.

“Why is she there?” Creed asked him, stone-faced.

“Britt had her over, but she had to go to the office,” Adam explained, “I knew we’d be doing this, so I invited her to watch. Besides, Ree and I haven’t had the chance to hang out much.”

“Yeah, it’s nice. Like old times,” Emery agreed with a smile, before putting on a sad face, “But, if it’s really that much of a problem, I’ll leave...” She got up from her chair and walked out of frame, as Creed cheered.

“Thank the Lord!”

“Nah nah nah!” Breeze interjected, “I like seeing you sweat man—Chugs, bring her back!”

“No!”

“C’mon! Swiss, What’cha say, man? Majority rules here.”

“Swiss—” Creed warned, but to no avail.

“I say... bring the lady back.”

Adam laughed as Emery slid back into the frame, gently plopping back into her chair with a smile on her face.

“Fine,” Creed grumbled, leaning back in his chair.

“I don’t know why she wants to watch this though- Chugs always loses anyhow,” Breeze cackled.

“Ah come on man!”

“Hey now—if I remember correctly, the one who lost most of the games last year was Creed,” Emery said, defending Adam.

“Thank you!” he smiled to her, at the same time Creed objected.

“Hey! I did not--!”

“Actually, you did,” Claudio agreed, “I can bring up the numbers if you’d like.”

“Let’s just play—” Creed frowned, grabbing his controller and connecting to Uno.

“Tell you what, Creed, to make it interesting for you,” Emery told him, but he brushed it off, pretending to not be interested; Breeze was listening with a huge smirk on his face though, and even Claudio seemed to be listening, “If Adam happens to, for some reason, place in third or fourth tonight—I’ll eat a whole lemon.”

“A whole lemon?” Creed repeated, finally showing he was paying attention to her, “Not a single wedge, not a half of a lemon—a whole lemon?”

“The whole thing—minus the rind and seeds,” Emery nodded, “That enough to perhaps get you to cool your jets?”

“…. Fine.”

“So, while you guys start- I’m going to raid your fridge,” she said, looking over at Adam, “See if you have a lemon or not. If not, it’ll have to be an I owe you that I’ll film later with you guys.”

“Deal,” Creed nodded, jumping on in instantly as the game started.

Forty-five minutes later, the score wasn’t looking too good. Claudio had one win and was at 142 points, Adam had one win and was at 119 points, Breeze had two wins and was at 403 points, and Creed had two wins while at 388 points.  If either Breeze or Creed won their current round, Adam would be in last place.

After raiding his fridge, Emery had returned to the room lacking a lemon and promised to do the punishment at another time—and Creed was sure to hold her to it.

“C’mon, switch with me, c’mon—” Adam pleaded as he looked through his near twenty cards, his finger ready to hit the jump-in button should it come up.

“Let it happen, boys—let it happen!” Breeze cackled, only having three cards—correction, two cards in his hand.

“Chugs this is gonna be on you,” Creed told him, playing a green 9.

“No, don’t leave it up to me! C’mon, guys!” Adam cried, a smile on his face as Claudio played a special card.

“Garbage man—Garbage!” Breeze griped, as his cards were shown to everyone. A yellow plus two and red four.

“Okay, Chugs—get ’im,” Claudio encouraged.

“I can’t get him! Uh---” Adam frantically looked through his cards as Emery watched silently. She would not get involved, no matter how much she wanted to.

“You got this,” Emery told him confidently, her shoulder sagging in dismay as Adam quickly played a green four.

“Chugs--!” Creed exclaimed, as Breeze quickly put down his red four and pressed the uno button.

“LET IT HAPPEN BOYS!” Breeze yelled excitedly.

“Hurrrrrrt’m,” Creed said, as he put down a red skip, causing Claudio to gripe at him, “C’mon Chugs, hurrrrrrt’m.”

“I uh--- I---” Adam panicked, scrolling through his cards. Emery watched with bated breath, her eyes widening as he stopped on one card. “This is all I got to hurt him with--!”

She facepalmed as he placed down a blue draw two, confident it would work; instantly, the whole group was in an uproar as Creed and Claudio called foul, and Breeze cackled loudly as he put down his yellow plus two, effectively winning the game.

“Thanks for the bonehead play there Chugs!”

“Ah, noooo!” Adam cried out, slouching back in his chair, his palm smacking his forehead.

“You’re such an idiot,” Emery shook her head, a soft smile on her face. Adam dropped his hand, looking over at her with his own smile.

“Well, at least I’m your idiot, right?”

“For the past seven years, you sure are.”