#its usually too hot to walk but the rain cooled things off dramatically today

[imalayla]

Today's sniffer enrichment is sprinkling treats in differently layers in the toynlbox. And hiding treats in some of the toys themselves. Easy enough.

[libraryofloveletters]

The Mistletoe Proposal

Eddie Diaz x Reader 

Warnings: fem!reader, kissing, a little bit of friendly bullying with buck. 

Category: Fluff

Word Count: 1.9k

Author’s Note: Based on this request and this request!! this is basically a part 2 to The Parent Trap but it can be read as a stand alone :)

---

It was Christmas Eve and the 3 of you sat on the couch watching how the grinch stole Christmas. Emily and Christopher had spent the day hanging out and playing video games while you put up last minute decorations and did some gift wrapping. Christmas was always super small for the two of you, it usually consisted of you buying gifts for Emily and then tv in your pjs all day but since Eddie and Chris came into your lives this year, you decided it was time to go all out. 

“What do you two want for dinner?” leaning back into the couch as you paused the movie. 

“Pizza” 

“Burgers” 

“How about both ?” 

A loud yes and the two of them getting off the couch to go get their shoes. Your phone buzzed as you tumbled through your bag for your car keys. Pulling it out of your pocket, Eddie’s name popped up on the screen. 

From Eddie: What are you guys up to ? 

To Eddie: Going out for pizza and burgers 

From Eddie: Did you starve them today ? Why both ? 

To Eddie: Haha very funny Diaz, they’re growing children

From Eddie: Swing by the station ? I miss you guys 

To Eddie: We’ll see, I'll message you if we’re coming by 

From Eddie: Bobby’s making dinner but sounds good 

“Kiddos! Can we take a rain check on burgers and pizza ? Eddie just texted and Bobby’s making dinner at the station. Maybe we should stop by ?” 

The two kids nodded, “can we take the cheesecake too ?” Emily asked you, her and Christopher were sitting on the bench by the front door. You headed back to the fridge to grab the cake before heading out. 

-- 

The drive wasn't very long, it was only 15 minutes from your place to the station. Helping the kids out, they went into the station a few seconds before you, you had to get the cheesecake from the car. When you got in, Buck was being smothered with hugs from the kids. “Hey pretty boy” you smiled at him, the nickname making him laugh, he pulled you in for a hug. “Hey yourself, I haven’t seen you in forever” 

“You saw me last week Buck” 

“Yeah but that’s too long, who’s supposed to make me dinner if Bobby doesn't cook ? Plus Eddie won’t share whatever you pack for him” he pouted at you, his arm over your shoulder. 

“Oh you poor baby, I'll make sure you make double next time. One for him and one for you” you chuckled, Buck smiled. Chim and Hen had already come down and helped the kids up the stairs and to the game machine. “This place is so cool!” Emily said to Christopher, Christoper smiled at her, “I know!” 

“Hey, I thought you said you'd text if you were coming ?” Eddie walked over, giving you a hug. “Surprise ?” hugging him back and chuckling, he kissed your cheek. “Did they say hi to you ?” the two of you looked over at the kids who were very into the game they were currently playing. “No,” he laughed, “they ran off. I’m gonna go say hi, make yourself comfortable” Eddie’s hand squeezed your waist softly before letting go. 

Turning to the kitchen, you were greeted by Bobby who was stirring something in a pot. “Is that cheesecake ?” he looks over at the box in your hand, you nodded. “A little something for you guys. Chris and Em helped me make it,” you glanced over at the kids before whispering, “if there’s any eggshells, just bypass that ?” Bobby nodded with a smile. “I’m sure it’s great.” 

“What can I help with ?” you washed your hands and took a look around. 

“You’re a guest don’t worry about that” he told you, you shook your head, “Oh please, let me help. It's a lot” 

“Fine, but only because you insist. The carrots and celery need to be chopped and someone needs to let the table” he said, his attention still on the pot in front of him. 

“I got the veggies. Eddie! Buck!” the two men found their way over to you in a matter of seconds. “Set the table please ?” smiling sweetly at them, Buck glanced over at Eddie. 

“Question Buck?” you glare at him,

He shakes his head, “Oh no, I’m fine”

“Why are you two still standing here ? Go set the table” you nod towards the table, the two men walk away. You can still hear them bickering as they set the table. 

“Is she always that bossy ?” Buck asks him, Eddie nods. “It’s hot though” Eddie replies and Buck agrees with him earning a smack to the arm. “Dude! c’mon that’s my girlfriend” Eddie groans making Buck laugh, “if only I had gone to pick up Chris that day” he jokes, Eddie walks away leaving Buck at the table. 

“You should come around more often. They stopped listening to me months ago” Bobby tells you, “they’re a handful. I don't know how you do it” you laugh, taking over at the stove. 

--

After dinner, Eddie disappears with Chris and Emily for a few minutes only to come back with a suspicious look on all 3 of them. “What's up with you ?” taking a seat on the arm rest of the chair Eddie was sitting in, his arm comes up and wraps around your waist. “Nothing, just a little conversation” he smiles at you, your arm around his shoulder now. 

“You’re losing!” your daughter giggles, Chim groans, “I'm not losing to children!” “You’re losing!” Chris laughs this time. You glance down at Eddie who has a smile on his face. 

Your heart felt like it grew 10 times its size when you saw Eddie’s reaction to them. 

“C’mon!” Buck shouts from the other end of the kitchen, he’s holding a mistletoe above Bobby and Athena. 

Bobby smiles at Athena before kissing her. “Okay Mr. Buckley, get out of here now” Athena pushes him away, Buck gives her a grin and walks away. 

He then finds his way over to Hen and Karen who are sitting at the table together. “What are you doing ?” Hen gives him a look, already tired of him. “Just spreading the holiday love. Come on, give your wife some lovin’” Buck and Karen laughed, Hen shook her head. “Say that again and I'll push you over the balcony” she gave Karen a kiss. Buck seems satisfied with his result, leaving them alone. 

“Hey love birds” Buck smiled making his way over to you and Eddie. “Don’t start” Eddie warned him. “Fine,” Buck walked around the couch to where you sat and held up the mistletoe. “I’ll just give her a kiss myself” Buck leaned down and kissed your cheek. You smiled at him, “you’re a sweetheart Buck, but I think I rather kiss Eddie” you patted his chest and turned to Eddie. Buck gasped, his hand dramatically hitting his chest, “I’m hurt! how could you?!” he pouted, “you’ll find the right one Buck, don't worry” Eddie said, pulling you down onto his lap. His hand cupping your cheek, you leaned in. Eddie’s lips touched yours, every time felt like the first time, you never got tired of kissing him. Eddie pulled away when a chorus of “gross” and “ew” started, you both looked over to see Buck and Chim encouraging the kids. 

Burying your face in the crook of Eddie’s neck, you could feel the heat on your cheeks. “Are you blushing ?” Eddie whispered, kissing your head.

“No, you are” you mumbled, he chuckled, feeling the vibration each time he laughed.  

“Let’s goooo!” Buck picked up Chris and ran down the stairs. “Okay little lady, your turn!” Chim picked up Emily and followed Buck down the stairs. “Where are you guys going !?” you shouted from the chair, “To show them the trucks!” Buck shouts back. You didn't think anything of it, you were glad you ended up coming to see Eddie at work. 

“You know,” you fiddled with the collar of his shirt, Eddie’s arm was around your waist, your legs swung over the other end of the chair. Eddie hums waiting for you to continue, “you look kinda hot in your uniform. I never get to see you in it” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah” 

“Maybe I'll have to wear it more often then” Eddie smiles at you as you get up. He grabs your hand, “where are you going?” he pouts. “C’mon, you’re gonna start pouting now ?” you gave him a look, he kept pouting. You leaned down and gave him a kiss, “would you look at that, the pout’s gone” 

“Let’s go find the kids” Eddie holds your hand, letting you walk down as he follows behind you. As you get down the stairs, you stop in the middle of the station. The kids are up on the trucks. On one truck stood Buck and Chris holding on the end of a rather large banner. On the other truck stood Chim and Emily holding the other side of the banner. Everyone else stood by the truck, watching you as you read the banner. 

“Will you marry me?” 

You turned around to see Eddie, who was down on one knee now. Letting out a gasp, he opened the little velvet box to reveal the ring. “Y/n, I know we’ve only been together for a year but you make me happier than I could ever imagine. You’ve been so amazing with Chris and he loves you so much, as do I and I love Emily so much too,” he glances at the kids and gives them a smile. “Would you do me the honour of being my wife and marry me ?” he let out a breath, looking up at you. 

“Yes! oh my god Eddie, yes” you leaned down, your hands holding his face. He smiled at you as he got up. You admired the ring as he slid the ring onto your finger, “you have excellent taste Mr. Diaz” you hold out your hand, admiring the ring again. “I had some help from Chris and Emily” his arm wraps around your shoulder. 

Everyone comes over to congratulate the two of you, the kids come over to you two. “How could you two keep this from me?” you ask the kids, they smile at you. “He made us promise” Chris said, Emily nodded. “Do you like the ring mommy ?” 

“I love it and I love you both so much” you give the two of them a hug. They run off with Chim to go play some game. Everyone clears out, going off to do their own thing. You and Eddie are still wrapped up in each other, most definitely in the honeymoon phase again. You look up at the kids with Chim when you spot the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. 

“Hey” you poke Eddie’s cheek, “what?” his brows furrow, his eyes follow your finger to the ceiling. 

“That had to be-” he started, 

“Shut up and kiss me already Diaz” He laughed as he pulled you in for a kiss. 

---

Taglist: @ssa-volturi​ @advicefromnixxxx​ @keenmarvellover​ @takashishiroqane​ (only cause you loved the first one :) ) 

[jade-parcels]

in your arms

Kaeya has a rough day on the job. He's just happy to finally be home with you...

Kaeya x reader with gn terms used

Mondstadt is the city of wind so, it was no surprise that the wind was whipping by, making the cold rain blow harshly against the houses within the city’s borders. Shutters shook against the windows and wet flyers were blowing off the bulletin boards in front of the Cat’s Tail. Kaeya trudged up to the city gates, leaning against the stone wall under the cover of the wall above, his crew of seven knights doing the same. They were soaked to the bone, covered in mud, and overall...exhausted. After clearing out three hilichurl camps and walking all over Mondstadt to do so, it wasn't a surprise that they were worn out.

“Why don’t you all head home for the day?” He turned to face them, shaking his wet bangs from his face to get a better look at his men. “It’s been a rough one, I’ll see you all tomorrow after a good night’s rest. I expect you all to show up energized and ready for patrol in the morning” With that, he excused the group with a wave of his hand and the group split up, scurrying down the streets like rats. Some held their shields over their heads while the others walked home, not bothering to rush since they were already drenched.

Kaeya sighed deeply to himself, rubbing his arms to try and warm himself up as he limped past the blacksmith's tent, the rain continuing to pelt him. When he finally stepped into his house, he groaned in relief. He kicked his boots off and stripped off his wet clothes. Kaeya was used to the cold since he worked with his ice all the time but this was a different type of cold. This was a wet, exhausted, bone-chilling cold that wouldn't be easy to fend off.

He frowned as he peeled off his mud-caked gloves, unceremoniously dropping them to the ground with the rest of his clothes. All he wanted to do was slip into bed and sleep for days beneath a pile of blankets where no one could bother him. Being the cavalry captain wasn't often a hard job, Kaeya felt he was perfect for the position! On nights like these though, when he came home battered and bruised, sometimes he wished he chose a more easy-going career like a merchant... Or a bartender.

“Kaeya?” He was shaken out of his thoughts, looking up to see you standing in the living room, the fireplace alive with warm, orange flames “Oh honey, look at you…” You crossed the room to pull him into a warm hug that he practically melted into “You’re freezing...”

He was hesitant to touch you since he was dirty “I’m alright, love, I just need to rest. I’m not one to go to bed so soon but…” He trailed off, closing his eyes. “Tonight can be an exception,” You finish for him, pressing a kiss to his temple “But first, you need a bath.”

Kaeya groans again as he’s led to sit on the floor in front of the fireplace, flopping down without his usual grace. You frown to yourself and cover him with a blanket, ruffling his dripping hair before heading to the kitchen to start the process of heating water for the bath.

It’s strange to see Kaeya this way, so tired and so quiet. You peeked out from the kitchen again to get another look at him. He looked rather pitiful as he sat there, curled in on himself wet hair plastered to his goosebump covered skin.

“You’re staring” He hummed, pulling the blanket tighter around himself “I’m fine. A bit cold but I’ll survive. No need to worry so much, love” You couldn't be swayed with sweet words though. You kept going back and forth from the kitchen to the bathroom, dumping pots of hot water into the tub until it was full. Once the water was no longer scalding, you led your weary husband to sit in the wooden tub. He was too big for it, his long legs hanging out the end but he didn't seem to mind as he sank into the water.

You leaned down to pepper kisses across his cheek before getting to work. You removed his damp eyepatch and took his hair down from its tangled ponytail, grimacing at the mud-caked in his usually smooth locks. “Do you want to talk about your day?” You asked softly as you gently washed his hair.

Kaeya huffed a laugh, tipping his head back into your hands “I do not think you would enjoy hearing about the things I did today. It was rather gruesome” he busied himself by washing mud and blood out from under his nails “Why don’t you talk about your day instead?” You indulged him, telling him about the flowers you bought from Flora and the sunsettias you delivered to the Angel’s Share, which he scoffed at. As you talked, you washed his back and chest, relishing in how he pressed up into your touch. Your gaze met, one blue eye and one scarred, white eye staring into yours. He winked and you rolled your eyes, nudging his shoulder.

Once finished, you toweled his hair dry while he sat in the rapidly cooling water, helping him up to dry his body next. You couldn't help but let a hand wander over his chest, earning a little smirk from your beloved captain. “Come on now, let’s just go to bed. I’m exhausted, honey, I don’t think I can even make it upstairs” Of course he was being a tad dramatic, that was to be expected. Besides, if he got to be coddled a little it was worth it for sure. He couldn't keep the cheeky smirk from forming on his lips as you wrapped an arm around him to carefully lead him upstairs, leaning into your warm touch. He flinched when you turned the lights on, the sudden change hurting his sensitive eye.

You sat him down on the edge of the bed, stepping back to get a better look at him. Purplish, yellow bruises were blooming across his stomach, shoulders, and sides. His arms were scraped up and the cherry on top was the blisters on his hands and feet. Kaeya seemed to deflate a little under your gaze, his mask of confidence set aside for the night “I know you hate seeing me all battered up but it's part of the job” he shrugged, grunting as he shifted himself to slide beneath the sheets. You stepped forward to help again though this time he waved you off, asking you to turn the lights off and come to bed. The second your body slid under the covers, he was wrapping his arms around you. Even if you wanted to shove him off, he’d just hold on tighter so you couldn't escape. He pulled you down, burning his face in your chest with a content sigh. “Ah...If only I could stay right here forever,” His words were muffled against your skin however you didn't need to see his face to know he was smiling. It wasn't his usual charming smile instead it was his tired, dreamy smile that only appeared in moments like these. “I fantasized about this moment all day long, dear. The moment where I’d finally be back in your arms.”

“You were only gone for a day, sweetheart, you couldn't have missed me that much,” You spoke through a yawn as your hands wandered up and down your husband’s back, feeling the cool skin become warmer under your palms

“Hmm, that’s where you’re wrong,” You could tell he was struggling to stay awake now as his words slurred, voice becoming heavier as exhaustion took over “You are all I think about all day long… You keep me going” He pressed a lazy kiss to your collarbone, shifting again to get comfortable. “All day long I trudged through mud, got pelted with rocks, dealt with men who wouldn't cooperate… After such a horrible day, there is nowhere else I’d rather be but here.”

You felt your heart warm at his sweet words and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, tugging the duvet up to your chin. Kaeya was content to lay there under the covers, hogging your body heat as he slept. He only had six precious hours until he had to wake up for another day of work and as you laid there, drifting to sleep, you thought about finding a way to get him excused from his duties for tomorrow.

[alolowrites]

Late Night Visitor

Summary: A mysterious stranger visits your balcony and accidentally leaves behind a priceless jewelry that they stole from a museum.   

Author’s Note: I’m pleased to share the next story for @bnhabookclub​ Hero Camp Bingo event. The prompt I used was “Crime AU” It took a while getting this done because of work stress and having slight writer’s block (plus I kept changing the story’s direction). But really, it was because of how stressed/tired I’ve been the past few weeks. So, really sorry if it took forever posting another story.

It’s also my first time writing for Hawks, so hopefully I did him justice! He was the first character that popped up when working with this prompt. Please enjoy!!

Word Count: 2.3K+

“Ah! Hot, hot!”

Well, isn’t this just great? Nothing like accidentally burning your tongue during dinner to remind yourself how impatient you are—damn hunger. One hand flails to cool down your mouth. Steam dances above the hearty bowl of curry rice, the sweet smell of caramelized onions greeting your nose with a soft kiss. Bless the local 7-11 markets for selling quick and easy meals.

You sit criss-cross applesauce on the fluffy gray rug and scroll through social media for the millionth time. It’s been a slow weekend as yesterday’s news is recycled for today’s news. A random show plays on the television, but you don’t pay attention to the white noise. All your focus is on the phone, yet you still reach for another bite from your meal. How the rug stays clean during dinner nights at home is a complete mystery.  

Sipping on your drink, you spare a glance at the balcony and do a double-take—a stranger is crouching outside. You choke, “Oh shit!”

Without thinking, you scurry behind the gray couch, not caring if the rug becomes messy. Your pounding heart is like a concert bass drum which echoes around the small apartment. The sound drowns out the show’s mindlessly chatter. Frightened eyes peek around the corner, and you whip back in full regret.

The person is still outside. Their back is facing toward the balcony door, and they are wearing a form-fitting black hoodie. Hands search for your phone, but they come up empty. Panic finally settles in when you realize it’s on the coffee table. Great, you moan as your head softly hits against the furniture—is the door even locked?

You’re faced with a dilemma: Do you stay out of sight until the stranger leaves or risk being seen while getting help? After much deliberation, you swallow a hard pill and growl at the ceiling, “If I’m doing this, I better not die!”

You’re like a soldier crawling through the mud with a drill sergeant yelling down your neck. You snatch the phone off the table, but make the mistake of looking up at the sliding door. Everything comes to a screeching halt as curious gold eyes stare into your timid ones. The mysterious visitor becomes more intimidating thanks to the balaclava mask—it covers the lower half of their face.

The intense staring contest last for an eternity. You nearly rip off the loose strands on your rug when the stranger approaches closer; they stop when you back away. Taking pity on you, they jump over the balcony and disappear into the quiet night.

A sense of relief washes over you.

Who knows what could have happened to you? Maybe your mom was right about learning some self-defense; the pepper spray is not enough. As you stand and dust off your pants, a shiny light catches your attention; it’s coming from outside. You go against your better judgment and tiptoe toward the balcony.

Your jaw immediately falls to the floor when you spot an exquisite ruby pendant. A sparkling round diamond sits above the bright red gemstone, a slight tint of purple hue lurking underneath. Even the platinum metal chain carries an air of luxury. It’s as if the gods carefully hand-crafted this entire jewelry themselves. In short, it is simple but elegant.

Sliding the door, you wonder if this is some kind of trap. After checking your surroundings, you swiftly pick up the accessory and snort, “Thank you for making me feel poor.”

Fingers glide along the gemstone’s perfect curves as you gaze at the sleeping neighborhood. Your mind goes wild: Who was the person with those haunting golden eyes? Why did they come to your balcony? And why in the world did they leave behind a beautiful masterpiece?

You have so many questions but very few answers.  

༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛

“So, you didn’t call the police?”

“Um…no…?”

“And why not?”

“It was a mixture of being both scared and stupid.”

“Oh my—” Fuyumi pinches the bridge of her nose. You twiddle your fingers like a guilty child and sink further into the booth. Fuyumi had her suspicions when you texted her to meet up at the usual coffee shop near your apartment. It’s your go-to place whenever you’ve done something questionable, which is ninety-nine percent of the time. Plus, the café whips up the perfect batch of castella—her favorite pastry.  

Customers stroll in and out of the coffee shop as piano music plays softly in the background. Roasted coffee beans linger in the air, tempting your nose with its delicious aroma. Out of habit, you push the castella closer to Fuyumi as if that would help soften the blow. She exhales, “Next time, please call the police.”

“Yes, mother,” you mumble much to Fuyumi’s displeasure, but she lets it slide. With the worst over, you bounce straight up and tap the table with an air of excitement. “Oh! Here’s the best part though, besides surviving a break-in—”

“The person was outside your balcony.”

“—close enough, but not really the point, okay?” Fuyumi rolls her eyes, and you fish out your phone to show her a picture. She takes a closer look as you ramble off. “Anyway, my late-night visitor left behind this gorgeous pendant! Why they were carrying this around is beyond me, and so carelessly too. I’m no jeweler, but I’m pretty sure those stones are worth a fortune—still beautiful, though.”

“Yeah, and stolen!” The white-haired teacher hisses. You blink, wholly baffled at her extreme reaction. Fuyumi whips out her iPhone with two fingers flying above the screen. She shoves it toward you, your eyes skimming through the article. The news delivers a sharp slap across your face as the realization sinks in.

Oh no…

Fuyumi bites her lip, “It’s The Grand Droplet, a priceless heirloom rumored to offer infinite life and prosperity. Police are saying the notorious thief, Hawks, stole the pendant last night from the Yutaka Jewelry Museum.” A few seconds later, she adds, “You have the pendant—”

“Shhhhhh!” A hand attacks her arm, your panicked eyes wandering around the coffee shop as if your cover got blown. No one turns their heads, but you shoot an annoyed glare at Fuyumi. “Why don’t you say it louder? I don’t think the barista heard you!”

“I’m sorry! It’s just,” she grips the table’s edge and leans closer, “This is serious! You have to bring the pendant to the authorities. See, this is exactly why you should have called the police last night! The longer you wait, the more guilty you look. Maybe you’ll even become an accomplice to the crime.”

“You’re not helping!”

“Sorry…”

You dramatically groan into your hands, “Why did this happen to me?! When I said I wanted to live like Larry, I didn’t mean this!”

“I know,” Fuyumi pats your head and sneaks a bite of her delicious treat; her phone chimes beside you. She checks the message before flashing an apologetic stare. “Listen, I have to take care of something with my family, but I hate to leave you like this.”

“No, it’s okay. I can handle this myself,” you pathetically convince her. “I’m sure nothing bad will happen, knock on wood—”

“The table is metal.”

“I said what I said!” Your fist aggressively pounds the table, scaring off some customers. A mother hastily pushes her child away from the chaotic scene. You calm down and sigh, “I promise to call you if I’m in danger, okay?”

“Okay.”

You nod before whispering, “Sorry, table.”

༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛

The walk back home is anything but relaxing. You are on high alert, throwing suspicious glances at anyone coming too close to you. They could be undercover cops waiting to ambush you and interrogate your poor soul for hours until the necklace reappears.

But I didn’t do anything! I’m a good noodle!

You sigh as the key unlocks the door, your shoes flying off by the entrance. Fortunately, you hid the pendant in a safe place. All you want to do is get rid of this jewelry; it brings nothing but trouble.

Marching down the hallway, you grumble under your breath, “Stupid Hawks, and his stupid stealing habits.”

Everyone knows about the infamous Hawks. He strikes when one least expects him to, and somehow successfully evades capture after every heist. But Hawks always leaves behind his signature red feather as a little present for authorities—it never fails to rile them up. Hopefully, the cops show some mercy when you explain what happened. Maybe you should work on your puppy dog look before heading downtown, which might help you score a few sympathy points.

You find the burgundy jewelry box sitting on the closet’s top shelf and breathe a sigh of relief—the pendant is still inside. Not wasting precious time, you close the lid and exit your room. A soft click makes you freeze.

Standing by the balcony door is Hawks, who wears a black jacket with a white shirt underneath. His ashy blonde hair is lazily slicked back, a few strands sticking here and there like no tomorrow. Surprisingly, he lowers the balaclava mask and flashes a boyish grin, “‘Bout time you came home! I was getting bored out there.”

“How did you—wait, never mind. You break into high-security places to steal things for a living,” you say, shifting the jewelry box onto your right grip. “Listen, as much as I would like to stay and chit-chat, my day is fully booked. Can’t really cancel on these people, ya know?” You slowly tiptoe backward, an awkward laugh ringing through the air. “Let’s do a rain check; I’m free next week. Okay? Okay! See ya—“

“Hold it!” You halt on his order, a curse slipping out your mouth. Hawks strides across the floor, and you clutch the box closer to your chest. You feel as though your feet are glued to the ground, the nerves growing stronger once Hawks stands only a few feet away. He crosses his arms and nods at the box, “Whatcha got there?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special, really.”

“Can I take a look?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Um, because I don’t want to, that’s why,” you childishly snap and send him a dismissive wave. “Now, shoo! You’re wasting my precious time.”

Hawks chuckles at your feisty attitude. He finds this whole ordeal extremely amusing. You know who he is, you know of his reputation just like everyone else in Japan. And yet, you keep on swinging like a boxer with your witty responses. Still, he has a job to finish. “I’m not leaving until you give me that pendant.”  

“Well, I hope you’re paying for half the rent because there’s no way in hell I’m giving it to you, Mr. Thief.” Two seconds later, you add, “Besides, it’s not even yours!”

“It’s not yours either.”

“Oh!” You give him a fake laugh, pointing one finger at your chest. “So the thief is criticizing me for having something that’s not mine? How rich.”

“You’re lucky I find you cute, but,” Hawks dangerously invades your personal space without giving you a chance to stop him. From far away, he doesn’t appear tall. However, Hawks somehow towers over you, which makes you involuntarily squeak. A wicked glint shines through his golden eyes as he studies your unique facial features. You suddenly forget to breathe when his eyes glance at your lips—damn him.

Hawks plucks the box from your loose grip. The hypnotic spell comes crashing down, and you loudly snarl, “Hey! Give it back!”

“Sorry, Dove,” Hawks keeps you at arm’s length, his gloved hand giving your shoulder a soft squeeze as he smirks, “I got a buyer who’s willing to pay a hefty price for this beauty. Of course, you are way more stunning, but he doesn’t need to know that.”

“Quit charming me!” You’re a blushing mess now and throw a pillow at him; he easily dodges it much to your dismay. Hawks’ cackles bounce off the wall, which makes you scowl. His fingers slide the balcony door open, and he tastes sweet freedom.

“Farewell, Dove!”

You have a deja vu moment when Hawks jumps over the edge. Your legs rush outside, and eyes frantically search the streets, but it’s no use—the thief is long gone. One hand slaps your forehead as you stupidly let him get away with the jewel. Feeling like a deflated balloon, you whip out your phone and make a quick call.

“Fuyumi…yeah, the pendant got stolen again.”

Stupid thief.

༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛

You collapse on the couch with as much grace as an inexperienced dancer who steps on people’s toes. Work left you exhausted, but you’re glad it’s almost the weekend. You’ll definitely sleep in and have a lazy day on Sunday. It’s what you deserve after meeting tight deadlines and also talking to the police about Hawks.

Fortunately, they do not blame you for anything, much to your relief. It’s been about a week since Hawks broke into your apartment to steal back the Grand Droplet. Police have no luck locating him; they believe the thief is lying low until it’s safe enough for him to strike again. Where exactly is anyone’s guess.

A knock disrupts your thoughts.

It comes from the balcony, and you jump to your feet. No one is outside, although a flash of red catches your eye. Lo and behold, it’s Hawks’ signature feather with a small note attached. Oh, how lovely, you think before snatching the gift off the floor. Your pet name is affectionately written across the paper. You hate yourself for finding Hawks’ calligraphy impressive, but proceed to read the note.

Sorry for cutting our convo short—had a deal to close. No hard feelings, though, right? If anything, I’ll make it up to you, Dove. Besides, you still owe me that rain check.

See ya soon!

-H

You don’t bother biting back your smile.

Guess you’ll be seeing Fuyumi at the coffee shop again.

Fourth prompt is crossed off. Which one will be next? Stay tune! Thank you for reading! 

Previous prompt: Cuddles 

Hero Camp Bingo Masterlist

[seungcheolrk]

● SPHERE JULY EVALUATION: ‘UNDER THE WEATHER’ !

JULY 30TH, 2017 — OUTDOOR MARKET IN ITAEWON ( PLZ DON’T BE SAD, YEY & ROCK THE WORLD )

( tw !! overworking, poor health )

dancing is completely foreign to seungcheol. even after his sprinkle of experience with it for last month’s main evaluation and his regular classes, it’s still — and will likely always be — something he severely lacks in. it’s mostly his own fault, though. after all, it’s hard to find motivation for something you struggle in alone, but with a push and a helping hand, maybe it won’t be all that bad. 

(that being said, it’s not good either.)

watching through the videos of the songs he will be performing with the rest of the male sphere trainees at the end of the month, he thinks, as with most things, it could be worse. whilst ‘rock the world’ is far, far beyond anything he could’ve ever imagined himself doing, the remaining chaos songs didn’t seem too unreachable. in his eyes, a more upbeat, fun song means he can play off the mistakes that are bound to litter his performances more easily, but as practice progresses, it becomes more obvious that nothing can hide his clunky footwork and choppy movements. still, that doesn’t mean he won’t try. 

almost all of his free time between the fifth and performance day is spent working himself to exhaustion, until his muscles ache so much that he can barely walk home. when he finally makes it there each night, he falls into bed, barely given a moment to wonder who he’s trying to prove whatever it is to before he drifts off to sleep, dreams plagued with painfully familiar, stiff dance moves and the squeak of his trainers against the practice room floors. 

he reminds himself every morning that even if everything goes wrong, no one can claim he didn’t try. 

“you look sick, seungcheol.” his mother mumbles one morning over breakfast. his mouth full of cereal, he shakes his head and then swallows it down before laughing weakly. 

“I’m fine.” it’s only for a month. I’ll get healthy again in august. he wants to promise he’ll take better care of himself, but it’d be empty. (it’s not the only thing.) 

if each thud against the laminated floor doesn’t deter him from getting back up and trying again, then letting jihoon see his embarrassing progress on the last of the three songs won’t either. guilt settles in his stomach alongside the dread that’s made it’s home there because jihoon has his own performances to focus on, but if the younger minds helping his hopeless best friend, then he doesn’t make it known. seungcheol’s glad. he’ll make it up to him somehow. jihoon would probably say nailing the evaluation will be enough, but seungcheol can’t promise that like he can promise a free dinner or a movie night. 

“are you sure you’re okay? you look...” 

“sick?” seungcheol laughs without even a hint of humour. “something like that. don’t worry about it, han.” how can he even tell through this awful webcam? “I’ll be fine.” 

fine, fine, fine. he hates to lie to anyone, let alone his loved ones, but he makes a habit of it this month; convinces himself that it’s better to be a liar than a quitter. after all, he can repay them, he can make things better, beg for forgiveness, but he can’t turn back the clock and try harder when the month is already over. ‘now or never’ always seemed like a tired rom-com cliché to seungcheol, even when he stood before baek jiyoung and said all those proud things, maybe he told himself everything came down to that moment but it would only have been to give him the confidence he needed to do it. there’s other auditions, other companies, other paths. luckily, he didn’t need any of them, but that doesn’t mean they never existed. this month, ‘now or never’ still feels like an overused plot point to him, but it also feels real in a far less dramatic sense. 

he doubts that his inability to complete this evaluation is going to get him booted from the company, and maybe not even scolded (it’s not like anyone will be expecting him to succeed, anyway), but more so... it feels like now is his chance to prove to them, himself, someone — he doesn’t know — that he’s worth it. isn’t that what he’s been trying to do from the start? since the moment baek jiyoung left him standing there after his audition unsatisfied? isn’t that what all these stunts each month, trying desperately not to fall into obscurity and irrelevance so much so that when renewals roll around in fifteen months now, sphere doesn’t deem him forgettable enough not to deserve another two years between their four walls, have been about? sure, it’s fun, too — learning new instruments he’d never believed he’d get the opportunity to play and expanding his horizons, but even all these months later, he still can’t shake the feeling that he doesn’t deserve to be here. 

but this month is his chance to prove otherwise. 

this evaluation is his first chance to prove his dedication. talent is all good and well, but it’s nothing without hard work. 

“good luck today!” his father calls to him as he rushes to the front door. “it’s hot out, so make sure you and the other boys stay hydrated and get in the shade as much as you can!” 

seungcheol laughs, follows his voice into the kitchen and plants a kiss on his cheek before he leaves, “thanks, dad. we will. love you!” 

he thought he’d feel more nervous, honestly. not that he doesn’t, since no matter what, he still has to dance today and dancing is still like a foreign language to seungcheol even if he has finally grasped the basic movements needed for each of his three songs, but he expected to feel more worried about impressing, about making mistakes. instead, he’s sixty per cent relief — that he did himself proud this past month and that this will all be over soon. 

in fact, dare he say it, he might even be looking forward to performing. 

when he looks back on that morning feeling at midday, when the sun is at its highest, he thinks perhaps that excitement in his stomach was breakfast digesting instead because the heat is relentless. it’s difficult to enjoy anything with sweat dripping down his back, but he does what he’s required; dances with all his might, makes mistakes, hides them the best he can, bows to passers by, hands out water bottles with bright smiles and quips about staying hydrated— and the day trudges along. the clock ticks at a pace slower than it usually feels and the sun stays high in the sky for as long as it possibly can, and seungcheol can feel his body wearing down at an alarming rate, but he hasn’t worked this hard all month to give up. 

his dancing gets a bit more sluggish, but the diminishing number of performers hasn’t gone unnoticed. he wonders how much longer he can realistically last, thanks his years of casual sport and semi-frequent gym trips for his ability to push on despite unfavourable circumstances, but he can’t help worrying — about how sphere is going to treat the fact that a noticeable portion of its male trainees are unable to perform anymore, about whether or not those who have fainted or fallen will be given the time they need to rebuild their strength, about how hard these other trainees have pushed themselves this month and beyond. is no one going to talk about the fact that this isn’t even the first time the companies have pulled this stunt? had nothing been learnt from the first time? 

still, now isn’t the time to be advocating trainee and idol rights. even when the time comes, seungcheol doubts a ceo will listen to a gobby trainee who still hasn’t proved himself yet, anyway, so for now, he focuses on making sure the remaining trainees don’t drop like flies. he hands out as many water bottles to the others as he does to strangers passing by, though with much fewer words. everything that needs to be said is conveyed in a shared gaze of determination or pain, anyway. 

as the sun sets, the skies open and the cool rain is, at first, heaven sent against his hot skin. his clothes are just as heavy to carry soaked with rain as they are with sweat, but now there’s a drizzle over him that refreshes him enough to make it through another few performances. there’s only two or three more hours until they’re done; until he can sleep off this incredible exhaustion seeping into his bones, but it only takes a few seconds for light rainfall to become a downpour. 

each drop beats against his limbs like a drum, but he refuses to cave. this is his ridiculous rom-com ‘now or never’ moment — this is his chance to prove that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. 

I’m tough. just wait and see. 

what is seen, however, is his hands and knees against the floor, dipping into small puddles of water and smudging skid marks from their shoes. over and over and over and over and over— it’s inevitable. he’s probably not the only one, but he certainly feels like it, lost in his own world as he does his best to match the choreography he’d stayed up late every night to practice. he gets up, and up and up again, repeatedly until the very last note of the very last song because I’m tough. I’m not a quitter. I’m going to make it ‘til the end. I’m going to prove to everyone that I can do this. 

every blow to his knees brings another tear to his eye, but they’re lost in the raindrops falling from strands of his messy hair anyway. he can already feel the bruises forming up and down both legs, but he still gets up. he continues to fall, stand up, fall, stand up, until they’re done completely, and he staggers home, uncertain if his loud sniffling is the crying or his runny nose. 

but what does it matter? 

because... he did it. he and all the other trainees, there ‘til the end or not, worked their hardest and that’s all that matters. working conditions are a conversation for another day, but he hopes that sphere and the other companies don’t take their success (at least in terms of completing the day, not seungcheol’s less than less than average dancing) as confirmation that they can and should work through things like this again. he hopes instead that they reflect on the day and the time before, and remind themselves what humans’ limits are. 

and as he collapses at his doorstep, he thinks, if one miracle can happen today, why not hope for another? 

[tumblunni]

BUNNI WATCHES RANDOM OUT OF ORDER SINNOH EPISODES THAT WERE LEFT ON THIS HARD DRIVE I GUESS

Today is diamond and pearl season one episode 28 "Drifloon On The Wind!"

Huh this one had a cold open showing the climactic moment from the end of the episode before it actually happened. Thats the first time i recall the anime doing that? I thougjt initially it was a flashback and i missed the first of a two parter.

Such a cool neat weird premise! A traditional pokemon centre out in the countryside! That adds so much worldbuilding to the setting! They never state it in the english dub but it seems to be a joke on a japanese onsen? (An inn built around hot springs) the archetecture just seems to be very similar, and from what i've seen in anime the "my mum and my mum's mum and my mum's mum's mum worked here" thing is a common trope. The nurse joy family is probably a joke to exaggerate it? Also i loved the scene where Brock is like "wait what the fuck this identical nurse joy is actually old enough to have a daughter ash's age and also OH NO A WEDDING RIIIIIING" And then he thankfully,blissfully GAVE UP and we had one nurse joy centric episode without him being a fuckboi. Seriously, the older you get the less funny you find brock, it sucks that the stuff that's meant to be over the top jokes is now barely more exaggerated than how some dudes act in real life. All you real life brocks, nobody finds you as charming as a fictional goofball! You're just rude! AND REAL BROCKS DONT HAVE A CROAGUNK TO STOP THEM

Anyway i LOVE the cute cottagey aesthetic pokemon center/hotel place! It seems the family mostly treats wild pokemon in the forest and they were actually so surprised to see customers that they thought they were burglars at first! And then daww ash and co help out doing chores to pay them back for the meal and bed even though the family is like 'no dude thats the duty of a pokemon centre'. I think that was a really mature moment for ash? He realized that this pokemon center gets less business than usual ones and figured he should give them a hand. And its so nice to see him being so super excited and wowed by the chores?? Like i mean its CHORES but for him its all so new cos its learning how to work in a pokemon center. Ash's best characrer trait is how his enthusiasm really has no limits, he'll go 100% be the best choremon master ever! Or maybe he was intentionalky being all THIS IS SO FUN because the joy daughters were fighting and he wanted to help cheer them up? In a lot of ways i prefer season 1's bratty egotistical sarcasm ash just cos he had more of a visible personality and you didnt have to sorta sleuth it out like this and always be left wondering whether they really meant to write nice-Ash this way or you're just imagining it. But when nice-Ash has monents like this he's way better and i just wish it hapoened more often and was 100% confirmed, yknow? Most of the time in sinnoh he feels less like nice-ash and more like nothing-ash or changes-every-day-into-whatever-the-plot-requires-him-to-be-ash. But in sun and moon season they have all those more slice of lifey and emltional plots and he's the more nicer ash that i always wanted, and i love it!

Anyway lol im going wildly off topic. Also fun fact i spell "the" wrong so much that "tge" is the first result in my autocorrect now...

Another thing i like is that these Joys seem to be a ghost type specialist family? The kids have a big pile of drifloon cuties and when the gang first arrived they saw a bunch of happy gastlys enjoying their stay at the inn. I like to think maybe all the ghosts they have are "drifty" types like that? I feel that the writers ppicked gastly cos the pokedex entry saying they blow away on the wind like drifloon. Cos this is actually the valley windworks adaptation episode! That was such a nice surprise when it turned out momma joy's husband was the windmill electrician guy!! He looks SO cute in the anime too! He's really chubby and has such a nice round face with a button nose and big anime eyes and a cute turquoise jacket electrician uniforn thing. And he's funny and goofy with his kids and very caribg and cautious about letting them ride home alone in the bad weather, and also he's a GIANT BADASS with an ampharos that thunderpunches the shit out of team rocket and defeats them before ash can even get there lol! Actually they never show what momma joy's main pokemon is? I like to think maybe its a gengar cos thats the most chansey-ish ghost type. And also itd mean the chubby guy has a tall and thin pokemon and his tall and thin wife has a chubby pokemon. Theyre such a cute couple so itd be even cuter!

Oh and i forgot to mention that everyone travels around via drifloon??? Thats so surreal when you consider their pokedex entries saying them carrying children is a bad thing that means theyre kidnapoing them. Like, they domesticated a very dangerous pokemon and now it uses its dangerousness for the powers of good instead! Maybe its just the anime censoring a scary thing or maybe it was intentional to show how badass this momma joy is that she could tame so many spoopy ghosts that everyone thinks are pure evil? Seriously i LOVE how they show this family working to protect and heal the local wild pokemon and them all being super friendly to humans because of it. And it makes sense theyd be ghost tyoe trainers cos if youre befriending all the pokemon in a forest youre bound to find a few lost souls. Mountains and forests are like the deadliest areas for travellers so mountain forests especially so! Everyone's lucky they have this badass family team watching over the area like guardian spirits~

OH SPEAKING OF WHICH

I forgot to mention that the main conflict of the episode is that the joy sisters have a fight because the older sister is a bit overprotective and dismissive of her little sister, causing her to be reckless and get lost trying to "be grown up and help mommy". And in the end the big sister rescues her with the help of the guardian spirit of the hot springs and they reconcile their differences and have big cute hugs! Its all very well written and dramatic actually.i really felt for the older sister's determination to save her, and i felt it was a good case of a conflict where both of them were wrong and both made mistakes and it was just like they coulda avoided those mistakes if they talked it out better. And both of them had a point at the same time, yknow? So it didnt end with either of them losing the argument or anything, it was more like the lesson is just to appreciate your siblings while theyre there and also talk about your problems in clear language with younger kids instead of using excuses like "you just cant, cos im older and i said so".

Oh also SUICUNE!

The super onsen spirit is suicune?? The little sister just casually mentions her biggest best friend in the forest is suicune and is surprised when ash says its a legendary! Wow thats actually a really cool idea? You wouldnt necessarily think of it cos you kinda think of hot springs for the hot part but theyre also a sort of super clean water like how suicune is meant to be able to purify polluted lakes. Maybe it came here to make its nest cos places that are already purified are comforting to someone who wanders the earth blasting stinky water with its powers every day. I like to think maybe this is the same suicune from Generations where they said the legendary beasts are roaming legendaries because humans treated them as demons when they first walked out of the ashes, and now theyre still scared of us even centuries later. Itd be sad if they literally kept running forever, so i like to think they all have a comforting spot to sleep in, somewhere. And for suicune its this little isolated lake in the sinnoh region which used to be super far away from human civilization. But then this family's ancestors built this hospital here and suicune was initially like "oh no my house is ruined" but then it saw that these humans were helping protect tge forest pokemon too. So its like "ah fellow coworkers" and theyre the only humans it trusts. And whenever theyre in trouble it sneakily helps them and dashes away before it can be seen, but one day it got unlucky and the kids saw it and now OH NO it is stuck havibg CUTE TINY FRIENDS! I bet the littlest joy just treats suicune like a big puppy, and this great noble beast of legend plays along because it loves her so much. But if anyone else sees it demeaning itself with a game of fetch, it would be Total Social Death In The Legendaries Club

Anyway there's some cute moments of Emotionally Wise Kind Ash The Best Of All Ashes where he finds the lost little-joy and he tries to cheer her up when she's scared by the storm and keep her dry from the rain. And he has absolute faith that his friends will come to save them both! The only thing i think coukd have maybe made it better is if the big sister joy didnt beleive in suicune? Cos it just ends with her going to ask suicune for help and then suicune helps. There's a lack of tension cos you know suicune could easily resolve all this and you already know suicune is real cos the lil sis says that big sis told her to keep it a secret cos its a Big Deal and Bad People Could Take Suicune Away and stuff. Like it might have worked better if the big sis thought that little sis was just making up rumours to be all boastful, or playing with an imaginary friend. Then her going to ask suicune for help would have symbolized something, yknow? And the audience might have been tense about whether it was real or not.

But even without that added suggestion it was still a great episode! Lots of cuteness, emotionalness, familyness and a few great jokes along the way! Also i just loved them giving unique character designs and a full backstory to these minor npcs from the game. Whenever i play it now i'm totally gonna headcanon this all as true! I mean all we know about the daughter character in the game is that she says "papa youre stinky but i still love you" and that feels very in character for the slightly mischievious little sis joy that we meet in this episode. Though you only see the one daughter and she acts like she hasnt caught a drifloon yet and dreams of seeing it if you can fix the windmill problems so it'll come back. So maybe the game version takes place a little before the anime? Like, that daughter is the engineer dad's daughter from a previous relationship and the older daughter is joy's daughter from a previous relationship. And i dunno maybe lil daughter's hair colour actually is the generic npc brown from the games but she begged her momma to dye it so she could match. Like she just loves her new momma and sister so much!! And now the struggling mountain poke-center is doing better because both parents work difderent jobs now and have enough money combined to be able to keep the family in a better quality of life. And maybe the team galactic incident at the valley windworks got it a bit of publicity as a tourist destination? and after the daughter caught that drifloon everyone who visited was like GOSH ITS SO CUTIE and the dad was like "yes our special windmill attracts these pokemon that are normally only found high up on the mountains, speaking of which my wife runs an inn up there and you can go on pokemon wildlife tours to see them in their natural habitat!" And just I LOVE THESE GUYS AND I WANT THEM TO HAVE ALL THE SUCCESS IN THEIR LIFE!! There is NOTHING better than "hey we're adapting this gane what should we do?" "Add MORE FAMBLY" Like oh my god whoever had that wonderful idea should be promoted!

Thus ends bunni's disjointed review of FAMBLY EPISODE

[imalayla]

Today's sniffer enrichment is sprinkling treats in differently layers in the toynlbox. And hiding treats in some of the toys themselves. Easy enough.