#made this connection by accident and I can't stop laughing

[zombolouge]

Emmrich is really just this guy huh

[dazed-and-confused23]

Nesting Habits

Hawks knows that you might get upset with your things going missing, but he just can't help himself.

Hawks x Reader

Warnings. Bird behavior. Might come off a little creepy, but he's got nothing but good intentions. Love confessions.

The moment you step away from your desk at the end of the day, Hawks floats over and snatches the cardigan you'd left behind and holds it up to his face. The material is soft, and with no one left in the office, the hero is shameless in the way he buries his face in it. The orange cardigan smells like you, all sweet honey and spicy peppermint. Keigo can't get enough of it.

You'd been his assistant for a long time, a couple of years now, and Keigo had fallen head over heels for you in the first couple of weeks of knowing you. But the two of you had hit it off so well that Keigo hadn't wanted to ruin the wonderful friendship he'd built with you. So here he was, being a petty thief and stealing your clothes to be used for his nest back home.

This first time, it'd happened, was a complete accident. Keigo had invited you over for drinks at his apartment after work, and you'd forgotten your sweater that night. Hawks told himself that he'd give you it back the next week when Monday rolled around, but somehow, the pale purple knit had ended up in his nest, and it just looked so perfect there that he couldn't bring himself to give it back.

It was downhill after that, and over the next few months, Hawks has stolen three cardigans, four pull overs, two shirts, and even a scarf. You'd only made a fuss once after he'd taken the softest UA pullover, and Hawks had reluctantly returned it after noticing how upset you'd gotten over it.

But now he's got this nice orange one to add to his nest, and he couldn't be happier. Hawks jumps up, fully intending to fly straight home, when the life is scared out of him. Blood drains from his face, and his wings puff out before snapping against his back. His golden eyes go wide, and the smile he paints on is full of guilty embarrassment.

"Hi, _."

You flick your eyes from his and down to the cardigan he clutches like life line. The dots connect in an instant, and you point an accusing finger at him.

"You're the thief," you chirp, and Hawks just laughs nervously, shoulders hunching up around his ears.

"I am," Keigo admits and makes no move to give back your cardigan. You don't seem upset, more exasperated, and satisfied that you know who'd been stealing your things.

You drop your hand and cross your arms, expression turning curious. Hawks clutches your sweater, nose full of your unique smell for comfort even when it's you that's staring him down. Hawks feels like a little kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Why?"

He jumps at your question, and his winds perk up. Maybe...

"It'd be easier to show you. Can I?" He asks. Keigo shouldn't be so surprised when you agree, but it still fills him with nervous excitement at the thought of showing you his nest. You follow the hero to his office and then out to the balcony where Hawks hands over the cardigan after you assure him you'd give it back once they got to his apartment.

The flight over is quick, but Keigo relishes every second he had you clutched tight. He loves the feeling of you pressed so close and loves how much you trust him to keep you safe from falling. Keigo loves you, and hopefully, after today, you'd love him too.

You shuck off the orange cardigan and hand it over as promised when they two of you land on his roof. Hawks leads you down but stops before he opens the door of his bedroom. His cheeks are pink, and he's got to take a deep breath to give himself some courage. This was worse than facing a villain!

"I've told you how my quirk works, the bird instincts and all that," He continues when you give him an encouraging nod, "Well- another thing I do is nest? And your clothes are kind of a part of that. They - you're scent - comforts me. I know it's weird, and I'm sorry that I stole your things, but I just couldn't help myself!"

Before he could lose his nerve, Hawks shoved open his bedroom door and let you investigate for yourself. You walk inside, and Keigo follows you close behind, golden eyes wide as he watches your face. His bed is a mess of thick blankets and clothes. You can see all of your missing clothes, each one carefully placed and tucked in the perfect spot.

"I'll give your things back, _. I'm so sorry. I'll even transfer you to a different hero agency if you want. It's hard telling my bird brain no sometimes, and I didn't think you'd mind too much since I didn't do it all that often, but then there was the UA pullover incident, and you were so upset, and I hate seeing you that way. But I still couldn't stop cause you smelled so good, and you're so freaking perfect, and I just. I love you, alright?"

Keigo stares at you, face flushed and chest heaving from all his pent-up emotions, and wait. You're getting really close, and wow, your eyes are so pretty, and you smell so good.

"Are you going to kiss me or not, Pretty Bird?" You say, and damn. That's definitely something that Hawks can do.

After he kisses the life after you, and after you've donated two other scarves to his cause, you pull Keigo in for a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Love you too, Keigo."

[lecsainz]

Can you do something where Carla and Arthur are at the beginning of their relationship and organize a dinner to introduce the families and Carla's older sister is just the prettiest and nicest girl Charles has ever met and he can't stop staring at her all night until he has the courage to talk to her?

Sorry if it's too confuse!

meeting of families

pairings: charles leclerc x fem!reader

warnings: charles being lovely, kitchen disasters, their shy yet adorable moments, everyone noticing the connection between them.

authors note: i found it so, so cute to write this request. in my mind it was charles still at the beginning of his f1 career, which is why the reader doesn't know much about it, even though it's unlikely because it's monaco.

word count: 1.2K

Carla and Arthur had been dating for a few months, and they decided it was time to introduce their families to each other. Carla organized a dinner at her family's house, and Arthur brought his mother and siblings.

As they were all settling in and making small talk, Charles couldn't help but notice Carla's older sister, Y/N. She was absolutely stunning, with her long hair and sparkling eyes. Charles found himself staring at her all night, unable to take his eyes off her.

Finally Charles worked up the courage to approach her. "Hi, I'm Charles." he said, holding out his hand. 

Y/N smiled warmly and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Charles. I've heard so much about you from Carla and Arthur." she said.

Charles felt a wave of relief wash over him and he chuckled nervously. "I hope it was all good things." he said.

As they made their way to the dinner table, Charles and Y/N accidentally bumped into each other, causing her to stumble. Without hesitation, Charles caught her by the waist, steadying her. "Careful there." he said with a small smile, feeling the warmth of her body against his hand. Y/N blushed slightly, grateful for his quick reflexes.

"Thank you." she said, looking up at him with a shy smile. Charles couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked in the dim light of the dining room. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and nervousness, and he found himself wanting to get to know her better.

As they sat down at the table, Charles couldn't help but steal glances at Y/N throughout the meal. He was mesmerized by her beauty and captivated by her easy laughter and conversation with the others. Every time their eyes met, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Lorenzo, who had noticed Charles' infatuation with Y/N, leaned over and whispered, "You're smitten, aren't you?" Charles blushed furiously and stammered, "I don't know what you're talking about." Arthur and Carla, who had also caught onto the situation, exchanged amused glances.

Y/N noticed the exchange and couldn't help but feel a little flattered by Charles' apparent interest in her. As the night went on, she found herself stealing glances at him as well, admiring his sharp wit and charming smile.

After dinner, Y/N offered to help with the dishes and Charles volunteered to assist her. As they were clearing the table, Y/N reached over to grab a dish and accidentally knocked over a glass of red wine, spilling it all over Charles' shirt.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Y/N exclaimed, flustered as she grabbed a napkin to try and clean the stain.

Charles chuckled, trying to put her at ease. "Don't worry about it, accidents happen." he said, still feeling the wetness of the wine seeping through his shirt.

She continued to apologize, but Charles just smiled and assured her that it was okay. 

As they both bent down to pick up the pieces of the shattered wine glass, their heads collided, causing them to bump into each other. "Ow!" they both said simultaneously, rubbing their heads. Charles chuckled and said, "I guess that's what they mean by getting to know someone head over heels." Y/N couldn't help but laugh at his cheesy joke, feeling a sense of comfort and familiarity with him.

Y/N stood up, brushing off her hands. "Come on, follow me. I'll find you another shirt." she said with a reassuring smile. Charles nodded gratefully and followed her into the house. They walked towards Y/N's room, Charles and Y/N's hands instinctively found each other. The touch was electric, sending shivers down both of their spines.

Once they were in her room, she rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, Y/N couldn't help but notice how handsome Charles was even in his slightly disheveled state. "So, tell me about yourself, Charles." she said, trying to make conversation.

Charles smiled at Y/N and replied, "Well, I'm a formula 1 driver. It's a pretty exciting job, and I get to travel to different countries and compete against some of the best drivers in the world."

Y/N's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, that's amazing! It must be quite a rush to drive those cars at such high speeds." she said, impressed.

Charles nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "It definitely is. The adrenaline rush you get from driving at those speeds is indescribable. It's a feeling that's hard to replicate in any other situation." he said.

As Y/N handed him a fresh shirt, she couldn't help but feel drawn to Charles. His passion for his work and his easygoing nature were both incredibly appealing.

As Charles pulled off his stained shirt and reached for a clean one, he noticed Y/N leaning against the counter, her eyes fixed on him. He felt a jolt of electricity shoot through him as he met her gaze.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his heart racing a little faster than usual.

Y/N nodded, biting her lip slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... I can't help but notice how good-looking you are." she said, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink.

Charles felt his own cheeks flush as he chuckled nervously. "Thanks, I guess?" he replied, feeling a mixture of flattery and disbelief.

Y/N smiled shyly and pushed herself off the counter. "Let's get back to the others before they start to worry." she said.

As they walked back to the dining room, Pascale couldn't help but notice a certain glow in her son's eyes. She watched as he walked alongside Y/N, chatting away comfortably, and felt a pang of joy in her heart. She had never seen Charles look so happy before.

After dinner, they said their goodbyes at the door, Charles couldn't resist tucking a strand of Y/N's hair behind her ear. Arthur and Carla exchanged knowing glances, and Carla playfully nudged Y/N's arm. "Looks like someone made an impression on Charles." she teased.

Y/N blushed and swatted her sister's arm. "Oh, stop it!" she said with a laugh.

Lorenzo joined in on the teasing. "I guess we'll have to add Y/N's name to the list of things Charles is passionate about, along with cars and speed." he joked. Charles rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, you can't blame me for being passionate about beautiful things." he said with a grin, looking directly at Y/N. She blushed even deeper and glanced down at her feet, feeling a flutter in her stomach.

As the families were saying their goodbyes, Pascale pulled Charles aside. "I noticed something different about you tonight, Charles. Something... special." she said, smiling warmly at him.

Charles looked at his mother, surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean that you seemed... happy. Truly happy." Pascale replied. "And I have a feeling it has something to do with that lovely young lady, Y/N."

Charles felt his face flush with embarrassment, but he couldn't deny his feelings. "I don't know, Mom. It's just... she's amazing. And I can't stop thinking about her." he admitted.

Pascale smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, then don't. Life is too short to hold back on something that makes you happy." she said, giving him a small squeeze.

Charles nodded, feeling a sense of determination rise in him. He was going to see where things went with Y/N, no matter what.

[dronebiscuitbat]

Give me a Reason: Chapter 19 - "Best Freind"

N: U sure ur okay?

Uzi sighed as she crashed into her mattress, body feeling sore and head full of cotton balls. Tessa had just pulled out of the driveway and N was already texting her.

She wasn't sure when they'd actually become friends, maybe somewhere between ghost hunting and getting kicked in the gut she'd somehow made that connection. But she was absolutely not used to someone being this worried.

He'd incessantly asked what had happened for her to get so injured. And she'd incessantly deflected, either saying that it was nothing serious- which was bullshit, it hurt like hell. Or, at the cost of her ego- she lied and said it was an accident.

She just wasn't sure how he'd react to the truth, he'd probably be even more worried then, knowing that someone did this to her on purpose.

Or… he'd laugh at her. Because she was weak, because she'd put herself in a vulnerable position and then couldn't take a little pain an-

N: You can talk to me.

N: No pressure.

N: Just worried about you :(

The new messages stopped that train of thought. No. He wouldn't laugh. Even her chronic cynicism couldn't convince her of that.

Finally, instead of staring at his messages, she responded.

Uzi: Promise you won't say anything? Or laugh.

N: Promise

She sighed, here goes nothing…

Uzi: I got kicked in the stomach, u know how I seemed upset that I knew someone in my math class? It was them.

The reply actually took a minute to come back.

And that was because N had all of air knocked out of him at that reply. She'd been hit? Purposefully? And hard enough to give her a serious injury? Why? She was so nice! And cool!

N: Who?

Uzi: Lizzy, she's a teachers aid now, but she was in my class last year.

Uzi: It's not the first time she's thrown a punch, just caught me off gaurd this time.

Once again, N was floored, a teachers aid!?

N: I'd never laugh at you. But you should report her, she shouldn't be working with students if she thinks that's okay.

Uzi huffed through her nose, a half-laugh that was drenched in a depressing kind of acceptance.

Uzi: It's not like they'd believe me. I'm not exactly a model student.

She sat her phone down and shucked off her jacket and beanie, hissing as her side throbbed dully. This had been such a day…

Her hand instinctually reached for her stash drawer before she even realized, and in another, she was looking at it's false bottom.

As tempting as it was- and it was very tempting. Drug mixing wasn't smart even if one of them was just an over-the-counter pain reliever, and adding a bad trip on an already shitty day didn't sound fun.

So instead she wrapped herself in the biggest, comfiest shirt she could find and grabbed her laptop, maybe she could distract herself with YouTube.

N: What do you mean by that?

Oh right, she'd never mentioned the fact she'd been held back to him, whoops.

Uzi: I was held back a year. I'm 19.

N: Oh wow! You're older then me!

N: Still it can't have been that bad. Failing a class isn't a reason to not belive you.

Uzi smirked, fingers clicking on the keys of her laptop as she tried to find something to watch- settling on an analysis video of one of the shows she was watching.

Uzi: I was high in class and a teacher called the campus police.

It took nearly twenty minutes for him to respond to that.

N:Sorry, got home and had to get up to my room.

N:You were WHAT?!

N: That's a crime!

Uzi: And so is trespassing on JCJenson private property to ghost hunt.

N blushed, now laying on his bed in a grey pajama shirt and pants with dogs printed on them, he held his phone close to his face as he grumbled, she had him there, but that hadn't really felt like a crime at the time…

N: I think you're a bad influence.

N: Also you're deflecting, drugs are bad! And unhealthy!

Uzi rolled her eyes at that, he wasn't the first person to tell her that. But you know what was worse? Dealing with herself unmedicated, without her stash, her head just got fuzzier and fuzzier, and before she knew it… she'd be having a full mental meltdown at the slightest provocation. Which she hated, she never felt like herself during those…

Uzi: Probably. But you see why they won't believe me over miss perfect.

N: Yeah okay, now I'm gonna be worried tho. I don't want you being hurt.

She smiled at that, this boy was so endlessly empathetic, and thankfully, her unloading some not-so-great facts about herself didn't seem to put him off either.

Uzi: Ew, don't worry over me. That's gay.

And yet she couldn't help but make a joke over it.

N: ???

N: how?

N: how does my worry make me gay?

Uzi: It's not manly.

Uzi: Empathy is a girly emotion.

She was snickering to herself, she didn't actually believe that of course, but she could almost see his reaction to it. That stupid, confused and amused smile that he wore when she made a particularly dumb joke.

N: Guess I'm gay then.

N: Cause I'm always going to worry. You're my freind.

N:Best Freind?

Her heart fluttered full of butterflies at that. Is that what he wanted? From her? She was so convinced he'd find someone else to hang out with but here he was, asking to continue this…

Whatever this was.

Uzi: Always knew I'd end up with a gay best freind.

Uzi: u can't borrow my makeup.

N: Awww, but it would look so good on me!

Uzi thought about that for a moment, imagining N with dark eyeshadow, lipstick, and black nails, and she about choked, she wasn't sure if it was funny or weirdly attractive.

Uzi: Dude that mental image.

Uzi: It's so cursed, I about choked.

N: Blursed

N: It's Blessed and Cursed

The conversation continued, the fuzz in her head slowly dissipating even without the assistance of her stash, and it continued late into the night… up until she heard Khan pull onto the driveway at 2am.

Uzi: Oh god, it's 2am. We need to sleep.

N: I didn't realize! We're gonna be zombies…

Uzi: More of a zombie u mean?

N: Yeh. U still in pain? Are u going to sleep ohay?

N: Okay* oof, sleepy fingers.

Even while about to pass out. He was still worried…

Uzi: I'm okay, pain isn't bad. U need sleep N

N: Ok, text you tmmrow, Uzi. Goodnight.

Uzi: Night N.

[lotusity]

chapter 01: guess who’s back

“y/n, hurry up and get the last box so we can get out of here!” her dad shouted from downstairs.

“coming!” she called back, taking a last look at her room before carrying the box downstairs and into the u-haul. she’s finally moving back to hyōgo after 3 years, excited to soon be reunited with her childhood friends atsumu and osamu. although she didnt grow up with suna, she talked to him plenty online. atsumu insisted y/n to talk to all his friends on the volleyball team as a way to stay connected while she were away which is why she’s so well-acquainted with suna.

she won't lie though, she’ll miss the friends that she made at nekoma… she’ll miss her study sessions and weekly gaming nights with kenma and kuro. they were sure a fun pair to be around, making those three years feel like three months.

y/n slid into the seat of the truck as her dad turned on the engine.

“arent ya excited to go back to hyōgo after three years? you made sure to tell your friends that you're returnin’... right?” he asked, buckling his seat belt before pulling out the driveway.

y/n fiddled with the hem of her shirt nervously, “well– i haven't told them anything yet…” she confessed, “I kept waiting for the right moment, but it never came…” she sighed, leaning back while gazing out the window, admiring the scenery pass by for the last time.

“that’s alright kiddo. you can always surprise them, y'know” he smiles, ruffling his daughters h/c hair. “don't stress; it'll all work out.” he reassured.

after a long drive, they finally arrived at their new home. “that was sure a long car ride… my muscles are stiff~” her dad grumbled as he stretched. y/n tiredly rubbed her eyes. just as she was getting ready to fall asleep, they just had to arrive.

“cmon y/n, these boxes aint gonna move themselves,” he said.

‘okayy” she yawns, i just wanna sleep… thirty minutes later and they were finally done moving all the boxes in their new house.

“okay, we're all done. i’m heading to bed. my back’s sore from all that lifting. you're free to explore the neighborhood, just don't stay out too late.”

y/n nodded and climbed up the wooden stairs to her room. “there's boxes everywhereee~” she whines. “i guess i should at least be productive and unbox some stuff to kill time.”

after a bit of unpacking, y/n decided to take a break. “i guess it wouldn’t kill to roam around the block; i could use a convenience store run,’’ she thought. she grabbed her house keys and slipped on a hoodie to shield her from the cold.

familiar with the area from her previous time here, finding the nearest convenience store was quite easy. she lazily walked in, scanning the aisles, she decided to make her way to the candy isle. while she was engrossed in the candy section, the door chimed indicating that another customer had entered the store.

“i still can't believe yer dumbass accidentally spiked kita yesterday” the cinereous haired boy laughed.

“right? japans best setter and server? i think not…” another voice chimed in.

“can you guys both stop HATING right now? It was a ACCIDENT!” the accused huffed.

“that serves yer ass right. i knew you were aiming for me!” the twin shot back.

“i'll make sure to aim properly next time.. just wait.” the blonde threatened with a grin.

“brr shiver me timbers” the twin said sarcastically, earning a smack from the blond.

“guys, stop fooling around before we get kicked out…” the brunet sighed, crossing his arms in annoyance. “yea, let's stay focused, atsumu. we came here for candy for our movie night!”

“why are you blaming me like you didn't start this whole fight, asshole?” the blond retorted behind the duo.

“hmm what should i getttt~” y/n sighed, still undecided about her candy. “hmm, maybe sour patch kids–”

“y/n..?” a familiar voiced called.

y/n abruptly turned her head toward the voice and saw her childhood friends, plus suna, standing in front of her. shit– she had entirely forgotten to tell them that she moved back here… awkward…

“oh my gosh, it really is you!” atsumu exclaimed in shock, his eyes wide. “it's been three years and you magically pop back in town?” without another word, atsumu enveloped y/n into a big bear hug, nearly knocking her off balance.

“woah there, you're about to make me fall! someone sure missed me” y/n teased, earning a flushed look from the honey-haired twin.

“you never told us you were coming back?” osamu questioned, his mouth curling into a small smile as he ruffled y/n’s hair.

“heyyy, you're gonna mess up my hair asshole!’’ she grumbled, swatting osamu’s hand away.

“so youre the famous y/n huh” suna asked, eyeing her up and down with a dramatic, exaggerated scrutiny, like he was assessing a celebrity.

“yup, that’s me!! not sure how i'm famous though,’’ she laughs

“oh you're famous alright. atsumu won't shut up about you. every day it’s, ‘i miss y/n’, ‘when will y/n come back’, ‘did y/n forget about us?’ so annoying.” suna teased.

“shaddup suna stop exposing me!” atsumu shouted, his ears turning red.

“so, are you here for vacation or somethin’ ?” the grey-haired twined asked, tossing a few bags of candy into the shopping cart.

“oh, we actually moved here, my dad got a new job here in town. i’m sorry i didn't tell you guys… i just didn't know how to bring it up, and i was scared that you guys wouldn't want to see me after so long…” she admitted, nervously fiddling with the hem of her sweater.

the blond smiled warmly, “that's alright y/n. we're just glad that yer back. it's been sooooo long!”

“anyway, we were just stopping by to get snacks cause we're having a movie night. you wanna join us?” suna asked.

“oh, yea sure! i would love to,” y/n grinned.

[from-memphis-with-love]

Phantom Frequency

🚛 "Phantom Frequency" - A Halloween Short Story

On a rain-slicked highway in 1969, lonely trucker Elvis Presley nearly dies in a collision with a mysterious red car. Seeking refuge at a remote truck stop diner, he meets Grace—a hauntingly beautiful waitress with a gap-toothed smile and eyes like sea glass. Their connection is instant, electric, and impossible... because Grace died exactly one year ago, killed by a driver who never stopped.

CW: car accidents, death, supernatural themes

Later—much later—Elvis would remember that night and think: That's when everything went to hell. That's when I learned some roads don't wanna let you go.

But on that Halloween night in 1969, he was just trying to keep his rig between the lines while Merle Haggard fought with static on the radio. The windshield wipers beat a rhythm that reminded him of his mother's old metronome: you're-gonna-die, you're-gonna-die, you're-gonna-die.

(He was right about that, of course. Everyone dies eventually. But some folks—like the pretty waitress he was about to meet—were already well ahead of him.)

His hands gripped the big wheel of the Peterbilt, those same hands that had once strummed a Gibson guitar in Beale Street dive bars, back when he still believed he might be the next Johnny Cash. Now they just guided eighteen wheels through the dark, counting off the miles between nowhere and nothing much.

The cab of the truck smelled like every long-haul ride since the dawn of diesel: cigarette smoke, coffee gone cold in a plastic thermos, and that peculiar mixture of loneliness and diesel fuel that seems to seep into a trucker's bones after enough years on the road. Elvis had been driving for Yankee-Lines Transport for going on ten years now, and he figured he'd probably die behind this wheel.

(He didn't know how close he'd come to being right about that, too.)

The radio crackled, and through the static came Hank Williams singing "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Elvis reached for the dial, but something made him hesitate. Later, he'd wonder if that hesitation saved his life. Or maybe it had already been too late by then. Maybe it had been too late the moment he'd pointed his truck down Highway 61 on Halloween night.

That's when he saw the headlights in his mirror.

The red Chevrolet came out of nowhere, moving like a bullet with Satan's name on it. Elvis had just enough time to think Jesus Christ on a bicycle before everything went sideways. Literally.

The truck slid like it was auditioning for the Ice Capades, trailer swinging wide in a move that would've scored a perfect ten from the Russian judges. Metal screamed. Glass shattered. Elvis had a crazy thought about that old Roy Orbison song—pretty woman, walking down the street—before physics finally called it a night and let everything settle into silence.

When his heart stopped trying to pound its way out of his chest like something from an Alien movie (not that those existed yet in 1969, but Elvis would think of that comparison later), he keyed the CB radio with shaking fingers.

"Breaker one-nine, this is Hound Dog," he said, and wasn't that a laugh? He'd picked that handle years ago, back when he still thought he might make it as a singer. Now it just felt like God's own cosmic joke. "Nearly got sent to the big truck stop in the sky by some maniac in a red Chevy. Anyone copy?"

The radio crackled—everything seemed to crackle that night, like the whole world was sitting on a bed of breaking bones—and a woman's voice came through: "Hound Dog, this is Grizzly Bear. Get yourself to Bud's Chalet at exit 117. Ain't safe out there tonight."

(Ain't safe. No ma'am, it surely wasn't. Ask Grace Maxwell about that. Oh wait, you can't. She's been dead a year. But don't worry, you'll meet her anyway.)

Elvis found the exit and pulled into what had to be the saddest excuse for a truck stop this side of the Mason-Dixon. Bud's Chalet looked like something that had fallen off the back of a Swiss tourist's postcard and landed in Arkansas by mistake. The kind of place where the coffee's always burnt and the pie's always old and the waitress is always named Flo.

Except the waitress wasn't named Flo.

She was standing behind the counter when he walked in, and for a moment Elvis forgot how to breathe. She was beautiful in that small-town way that breaks hearts and pens a thousand country songs. Strawberry blonde hair piled up in a beehive that would've made the B-52s proud (another reference that wouldn't make sense until years later), eyes green as summer lawn grass, and a gap between her front teeth that would've made Madonna jealous (there he went again, getting ahead of himself).

Her name tag said GRACE.

(And that's when the cosmic joke really got rolling. Because Grace had been dead exactly one year, killed by a red Chevy that didn't bother to stop after it sent her on her way to the ultimate coffee break. But Elvis didn't know that yet. He was still living in the world where pretty waitresses were alive and coffee got cold and clocks actually moved forward.)

"What'll it be?" she asked, and her voice was like warm honey over cornbread.

Elvis ordered coffee, black as midnight in a mine shaft. She poured it and steam rose from the cup like spirits escaping purgatory. He couldn't help noticing that she moved without making a sound, that the fluorescent lights dimmed when she passed under them, that her touch when she handed him the cup was cold as November rain.

They talked. Lord, how they talked. About roads and dreams and loneliness. About his failed music career and her daddy's trucking days. The coffee never got cold. The clock on the wall never moved. And outside, in the Arkansas night, something that drove a red Chevrolet waited patiently for its next victim.

When Elvis came back a year later—because of course he did, that's how these things work—the truth hit him like a load of concrete blocks. The photo on the wall. The brass plaque. Grace Maxwell, dead one year before he'd met her, killed by a hit-and-run driver in a red Chevy.

The same red Chevy that had almost sent him to join her.

Elvis ran out of that diner like his ass was on fire and his hair was catching. But as he reached his truck, the radio came to life all on its own. Through the static came "Peace in the Valley," and the smell of apple pie drifted on the wind.

He never drove that stretch of Highway 61 again. Some roads, he learned, have their own stories. Some roads keep their dead. And sometimes, if you're lucky (or maybe if you're not), those dead reach out to save the living from joining their lonely highway vigil.

But on quiet nights, when the moon is full and the radio won't quite tune in, Elvis thinks about Grace. He wonders if she's still there at Bud's Chalet, serving coffee that never gets cold to truckers who don't know they're being saved.

And sometimes, just sometimes, he finds himself humming "Peace in the Valley" and thinking about a pretty waitress with a gap-toothed smile who died on Halloween night but stuck around just long enough to keep him from joining her on the other side of the veil.

(Ain't that always the way? The dead looking out for the living, keeping us from stumbling too soon into their dark territory. And if you don't believe it, just take a drive down Highway 61 on Halloween night. Stop in at Bud's Chalet. Order some coffee and apple pie. But whatever you do, watch out for that red Chevy. It's still out there, waiting. Always waiting.)

THE END

[sleepyrainart]

First Kiss.

Description: Your first kiss with kiss with Corazon and Doflamingo. My first story in 2nd POV. Non-binary reader. No real description of the appearance of reader.

Hope you enjoy.

Corazon.

Peering out of the large window. You spot his bright hat and dark feathered coat through the hazy rain. He was entering the courtyard. Butterflies fluttering in your stomach as you go to him. Heart pounding. A confession on your tongue, ready to be released.

Once outside, the rain drenching you, weighing down your clothes. The petrichor and floral smell filling your nose. You look around and your eyes meet. He smiles and waves. Rushing to him. The cobblestones slick. You feel your shoe slipping and the next thing you know you're falling.

Corazon catches your wrist. But your combined momentum couldn't be stopped. His arms wrapping around you, taking the brunt of the fall. You end up on top of him. Your lips connecting roughly, teeth knocking. It was only a split second. But the butterflies in your stomach riot. "Cora-san, I really like you." His eyes widen as he blushes.

He leans down. "I like you too," he whispers before his lips meet yours again.

Your first kiss was an accident. With his clumsiness, it wasn't a surprise. The man was a walking disaster. Though in this particular situation it was all your fault. Not that you were complaining.

Doflamingo.

You take a deep breath before rushing home. Curfew draws ever closer. Dread filling you. The streets were noticeably empty. Mentally cursing your boss. Pulling your coat closer to keep out the chill of the night. Your light jog becomes something faster. Almost a run, but you hate running. A quiet noise behind you makes you even more nervous.

Picking up the pace slightly more. Until you were really running. Another noise, this time louder and closer. Jumping, you let out a small eep. Heart pounding in your ears. Shivering as your head turns in the direction to find nothing. You take a few hesitant steps forward. Before a shadow swallows you whole. Looking up, you see an angel. At least that's what you think. His feathered coat floating up to resemble wings. He lands in front of you, graceful as a cat. "Ah, Your Majesty." You squeak out and avert your gaze away from his oddly glowing lenses.

"Do you remember the only two laws of Dressrosa?" He asks, his voice sending a shiver down your spine. You nod, unable to find your voice in front of the king. Eyes focusing on the ground. The silence stretches. "Ah, what a naughty kitty, out after curfew." You can't believe this was happening. Wanting the ground to swallow you whole. The one and only time you break curfew and you're caught by the man who made the rules. "Breaking the law like a common criminal, kitty." He tsks. His warm finger tracing your jaw. Tilting your face up.

You briefly glimpse his wide grin. Before your eyes divert back down. Hoping you were just having a terrible nightmare.

He laughs, and you look up at the sudden outburst. Eyes locking onto his hellish lenses. He crouches down, his long legs caging you in. His free hand wraps around your back. Dragging you closer. Your shoes scrape across the cobblestones. The hand on your back trails lower. The lower it goes, the brighter you blush. You try to squirm away. But it's useless. You're trapped like a mouse in a cat's claws.

His hand leaves your chin and curls around the back of your head. His fingers messing your hair. Pulling your head back slightly. His lips slant over yours, hot and harsh. His tongue sweeps across your lips. The wet heat overwhelms you as his tongue slides in. You moan. His tongue flicking across the roof of your mouth. Before it tangles with yours. Shyly kissing him back. Strings of saliva connect your lips as he moves away.

Your flushed cheeks and dazed eyes look up at him. So cute and innocent. He knew a million ways to ruin you, and he couldn't wait to try them all.

Doffy definitely has a corruption kink.

[my-heart-beat-for-anime]

Jann Mardenborough x reader pt.6

Pt.1,Pt.2, Pt.3, Pt.4, Pt.5, Pt.6

Jann's accident came like a bolt from the blue and now I was sitting in the hospital waiting room with Danny and Jack, my heart pounding and my throat dry. Our fears were palpable, hanging in the air like a thick fog.

 Danny paced nervously as Jack tried to keep his composure, but his clenched fists and set jaw showed that he was just as scared. Finally the door opened and a doctor entered the room. I held my breath as I stood up and walked over to him.

 "How is he?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

 The doctor smiled, which calmed me down for a moment. "Jann was lucky. He has a few broken bones and bruises, but no life-threatening injuries. He will have to stay in the hospital for some time and undergo rehabilitation, but he should make a full recovery."

 The relief that washed over me was overwhelming. I turned to Danny and Jack who were staring at me with tense expressions. "He'll be fine," I said and couldn't help but smile spreading across my face. "He's got a few fractures, but nothing serious. He'll need some time to recover, but he should be fine."

 But our joy did not last long. When we entered Jann's room a moment later, he was asleep. His face was calm, but the sight of him connected to the devices scared me. I stood there staring at him, wondering how we were going to explain everything to him when he woke up.

 When Jann finally woke up, his look was confused. "What happened?" he whispered when he saw our faces.

 Danny was the first to speak. "You had an accident, Jann. It was serious, but the doctors say you'll make a full recovery."

 Jann tried to sit up, but the pain quickly stopped him. "Did I hurt anyone?" he asked quietly.

 Jack looked at me and I sighed. "That's not important right now, you need to focus on your recovery now."

 Janna's face contorted in anger. "I killed someone, didn't I," he said, his voice growing stronger.

 Danny scowled at him. "It was an accident, Jann. Nobody wanted it."

  "Someone died because of me."

 There was a heavy silence. "Please Jann calm down, stress is not good for you right now." I tried to calm him down.

"The spectator… the accident. He didn't survive," Jack said quietly. "I killed a man. How am I supposed to get back on track now? I'm afraid it's going to happen again." Jann began to hyperventilate.

 “It wasn't your fault love,” I said softly. "It was an accident. It's not your fault."

 "No, you don't understand," he said sharply. "I can't race anymore. I can't get back in the car knowing I killed someone."

 I made up my mind and moved closer to his bed. "Jann, you need time to recover. We will be here for you, we will help you."

 Jann stared at me, his eyes filled with rage and pain. "I don't want your help," he said coldly. "I want to be alone. Everyone get out."

 I was taken aback by his harsh words. “Jann, please, we're just trying to help you.

 "No," he cut me off sharply. "I don't want to see any of you. Get out!"

 We had no choice. We turned and left his room, our mood heavy and somber. We had only the best intentions, but Jann's reaction hit us deep.

 In the evening, Jack and I decided to go to a bar to try to forget the events of the day for a while. The bar was noisy and crowded but we didn't mind. We needed to react somehow.

 Jack handed me a drink and gave me an encouraging smile. "We have to give him time," he said. “It's hard for him.

 I nodded, but the feeling of disappointment and sadness was still gnawing at my chest. "I know you're right. It just hurts how he's driving us all apart."

 Just as I finished my drink, I noticed Nicholas Capa, one of Jann's rivals, approaching us. His expression was full of contempt and his smile was fake.

 "Well, let's see who's here," he began as he arrived at our table. "I heard about Jann's accident. Sad, isn't it?"

 I felt a surge of anger. "What do you want, Capa?" Jack asked icily.

 Nicholas laughed. "I just wanted to say that maybe you should reevaluate your priorities. Dating someone who can't even keep on track isn't the best idea, is it? Maybe you should try someone more capable. Like me, for example."

 I blinked in surprise. "You're disgusting, Capa. Jann had an accident and you're making fun of it?"

 Nicholas just smirked. "Why shouldn't I? He's just a broken racer now with no future. But you and I… we could have a good time."

 I felt my anger welling up inside me. "You bastard," I growled without realizing it. Then I stood up, clenched my fist and punched him right in the nose.

 Nicholas staggered back, clutching his bleeding nose. "I'll remember this!" he snapped at me before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

 Jack laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. "That was amazing," he said admiringly. “I think you've gained a few fans.

 “He had to hear it,” I said, feeling my anger slowly subside. "I'd better go. I'm not in the mood to stay here anymore."

 I left the bar and headed back to the hospital. I couldn't shake the feeling that I need to try to talk to him again. I hoped he would finally listen to me.

 When I arrived at the hospital, I found Jann still awake, his look still full of anger. "What do you want here again?" he asked sharply.

 "We need to talk," I said firmly. "You can't push us away like this. You need us."

 Jann paused for a moment, his face tense. "You don't know what I'm going through," he finally said in a low voice.

 "Exactly, we don't know," I replied. "But we want to help you, Jann. You're not alone."

 He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "You should go."

 "I'm not leaving" I stated firmly. “I'm here for you whether you like it or not.

 Slowly, reluctantly, Jann finally nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. “But you have to give me time.

 I nodded. "Alright. We'll give you as much time as you need."

 That evening I stayed in the hospital with Jann, his anger gradually subsided and we slowly started to return to normal. I knew it would be a long journey, but we were determined to be there for him, no matter what.

[iamthecomet]

Comet comet comet comet-

Dew teaching Rain how sensitive his gills are in the best way 👉👈

"I want to try something." Dew's fingers dip over the gills on Rain's side. Gentle, but enough to spread goosebumps across Rain's skin. Given their current position, Rain can't really think of anything else to try. Dew rolls his hips, grinds Rain a little deeper into the hot clutch of his body and Rain's having a hard time thinking about what else he could possibly need right now. There isn't much that could add to the sensation of Dew's tight body clenching around him with each purposeful grind.

Rain flexes his hands on Dew's bony hips, digs his thumbs in against his hip bones and rocks him. Tipping his head back against the bed. "Can I?" Dew asks. Rain can't help but think he's too composed. That he should be panting, and sweating and whining the way Rain wants to. Rain rocks him a little harder and Dew gasps. He digs his fingers in right above the gills that follow Rain's ribs.

Rain just closes his eyes against the building pressure in his groin and nods. Then, without warning, Dew's fingers are back on his gills, on both sides. Dragging over the vulnerable flesh with purpose. Rain jolts as he feels them shift beneath Dew's probing fingers, flexing, opening. as Dew pets them. They're delicate, fragile, but Dew's wandering fingers feel-- "Oh fuck."

"Feels good, right?" Dew breathes as he dips his fingers into those gills just a little, just the tips. Rain whines. It's indescribable. There's a soft burn easily eclipsed by how good it feels to be touched there. It feels like every nerve-ending in them is connected directly to his cock. It's like his horns or his tail--other places he'd never expect to feel so good. But this? Rain arches up against Dew, and gives up trying to move him. He can't think to control his actions. He has to just lay back and let Dew take control. Dew rolls his hips. It's a slow grind. It shouldn't be enough to get either of them off. But Rain feels dangerously close. Like he's hovering near the edge not quite able to get there.

He flexes his fingers on Dew's hips and squeezes.

"How--Satanas--how did you know?" "Used to have gills too, remember?" Rain couldn't forget if he tired--not with the silvery scars on the sides of Dew's neck and over his ribs as evidence. The ones slanting down over the V in his hips has always made Rain's mouth water. He rarely resists the urge to drag his tongue over them, just to hear the way Dew hisses when he does. "First time, anyone did this to me it was an accident," Dew continues. There's very little strain in his voice. He rocks his hips in a rhythm that feels like an afterthought, but Rain can't be bothered to care. More stimulation will just end this too soon--he doesn't want that. He wants this--whatever it is--to never stop. "Ifrit choked me and my gills opened up because, you know, air, and his fingers just..." Dew doesn't finish his sentence, but he illustrates, slipping his fingers a little further into Rain's gills. Rain gasps, arches. It feels like electricity slipping through his veins. It feels like the world beneath him has disappeared and it's only him, and Dew clenched tight around him, and this feeling--warm and prickly, and impossible. "Came so hard I blacked out," Dew finishes. Dew pulls his fingers back and Rain whines. It's the first noise he's made that he's aware of. This desperate little sound breaking through his teeth, a plea. "Don't worry, Raincloud. I've got you." Dew laughs softly at him. He raises up on Rain's cock and starts to really ride him. He braces his hands on Rain's ribs, letting his fingers dip into his gills as he sets a pace that makes Rain want to scream. He digs his teeth into his cheek until he tastes blood, arching up against Dew's body, trying to meet him thrust for thrust, but stuttering, failing, whenever Dew's fingers dip deeper into his gills, stroking along over sensitive walls.

"Knew you'd like it." Rain doesn't like it, he loves it. Feels like he's been cheated out of this experience for too long. He still can't wrap his head around how it feels. Only that it feels like his body is being taken apart and put back together. Like Dew is carving a space inside of him, even though he's the one with his dick in Dew's ass. "Dew--fuck--you're gonna make me--I'm--"

Dew digs his fingers in cruelly, and Rain keens with it. The edges of his vision go dark as he cums. Dew grinds down on him, forcing Rain as deep as he can go as he spills inside of Dew's over warm body. Dew pulls his fingers away from Rain's gills, oversensitive and sore now. Rain drags one of his hands up to tweak at Dew's nipple. The other circles around the base of Dew's cock, still hard, dripping pre onto Rain's stomach. "Didn't black out," Rain says, teasing as he gives Dew a firm stroke that has him groaning and clenching around Rain's oversensitive cock. Rain doesn't bother telling him how close he really was. He thinks Dew probably knows. Dew's grin only stumbles a little when Rain thumbs over the ruddy head of his cock. "Next time you will."

Rain doesn't doubt it.

[splathousefiction]

Thinking casually this evening about the hyper-connectivity of The Modern Internet and how it's broiling ever closer towards overt puritanical fascism because a single evangelical group (Exodus Cry) is strong-arming payment processors, and randomly remembered bathroom wall graffiti.

Always anonymous, it was an effervescent and disgusting way to shout into the void. You had "Jesus Saves" next to public contact information of queers. You had slurs and ongoing arguments that lasted until they were literally buffed out of the steel panels or painted over. Depending on the locale, the walls would be thick with the words of people long dead. Carved into the wood, granting them a fleeting immortality in a vacuum. Coated in piss, grime and shit, but still there after all this time.

Long after the words themselves had been wrote over, blacked out, buffed out, coated and pissed on. Something of those people remained. If you took the effort, if you peeled back the swastikas and Sherman Williams, something was writ that said "I was here, I existed, I was real. Remember me, please god".

And.

I don't remember the last time I saw that kind of graffiti.

I don't remember the last time I was in a truck stop and I saw "ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY, JOHN DOE SUCKED MY COCK RIGHT HERE". I don't remember the last time I saw poetry, pictures, art, stickers, arguments so trivial, insults so fucking obtuse in nature that you had to be there, man. Every time I stop for a piss or shit in public now, it's all clean. The walls are bare. They didn't just patch the gloryholes, they replaced the entire fucking wall.

The world has grown sterile and strange and persistent, an entirely liminal space with a corporate logo sign over the door when you walk inside. FFS, the doors don't even chime anymore. And used to, you could at least avoid this gross, brutalist corporatizing by escaping online. You had escape hatches into the unfiltered insanity and beauty of human nature so long as you had a modem.

Maybe the art sucked, maybe the ramblings were incoherent. Maybe it was someone just calling me a [Litany Of Slurs here] for having a different opinion. But in the filth and grime and shit and piss of the world, I was still able to feel something. I could be traumatized and laugh my head off and cry my eyes out in the course of an afternoon.

I had a choice.

We had a choice.

But gone is the bathroom graffiti. Gone is the reality of choice, and in it's place is a convincing funhouse mirror of curation. The paths towards learning new things, being exposed to new ideas and concepts and ways of life have been made clean, clean as those steel walls between the toilets. They put guard rails up so you don't accidently hurt yourself on enlightenment and damnation. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, et al.

It's not just us freaks, geeks and faggots either. That's the really depressing part. The internet has become so grossly corporatized that life saving resources, educational opportunities and more are now being blocked in schools, public libraries and sometimes by demand of the state. You can't do research, you can't find new art, new music, new ideas without a fucking VPN anymore just to access legitimate and legal resources.

And for what? To what end? So some corporate entity can have a 5% increase in earnings that quarter?

Evil isn't always some dude with a cape and a mask cackling. It's not always some elderly senator begging for us to bomb more people. Sometimes, evil is a slow poison that rips the soul out of something. Sure, what's left still walks and talks and smiles, but it's off, man. And so it will limp along until it's violently fish hooked into the Akira-like fleshmass of some corporate interest.

Denying the grime, piss and shit of human existence, denying us a chance to experience the ugly, the mundane, the horrific and the divine in equal measure is to deny us an inherent path towards understanding ourselves. Safely curated corporate spaces don't beget curiosity and questions-it holds a pillow over both of them in their cribs, applying pressure until they stop flailing. Then it tries to sell you the pillow at a discount.

It takes the multi-faceted splendor of the human experience, and shoves it in a sterile room with other similarly-minded people. It bolts the door from the outside, and by the hour begins reducing the oxygen within. It gets sold as some kind of cleanse in one of those instagram ads you see, posted by a robot with art created by AI and at no point in any part of this series of Posting Good Capitalism was a human touch ever involved.

Capitalism kills in meat space, and it's being predictably successful in online spaces as well. They're not just blocking access to DIY HRT and queer history, they're removing any evidence of it from servers. They're seizing your ability to buy drugs (if you want, as a consenting adult). God forbid if you want to look at porn (again, as a consenting adult) anywhere south of the mason-dixon line.

The net isn't just getting cleaned, it's getting made sterile through a slow series of psychological assaults on our very existence.

So before the whole shit-house goes down in flames, a few things.

You gotta keep being openly, loudly fucking weird. If we're going to be subjected to data curation from AI, your posts have to be so openly radioactive they'd make the flesh slip right off an entire advertising department. You gotta make a CEO afraid you're gonna shit on his desk and piss all over his paper work. Who cares if you get bullied or people think you're cringe. Fuck, at least you'll be you. At least you'll be authentic. At least you'll be fucking human and feel something.

And.

If worse comes to worse.

And you find these words somehow, some way, buried beneath the off-white eggshell paint, carved right into the sheetrock above that freshly-cleaned porcelain.

we were here, we existed, we were real. Remember us, please god

[cceanvvaves]

earphones; c.ty

(moved to isanggayfrog) warning: drunk-driving, swearing

My grandpa was a romantic.

He always told me stories about his late wife, my grandmother.

The stories were really cute, they seemed so happy together, and so in love.

The thing is, I don't believe in love.

Ever since my father left my mother, I always saw relationships as a chance for enemies to hold you close and crush your heart.

Alone, Mother resorted to drinking heavily. She would come home late at night, bawling her eyes out and muttering incoherent things under her breath. She would upturn tables, smash plates and scream, while my grandfather brought me to his room and told me stories to calm me down, but her actions scared me.

One night she came home late and got into an accident because of drunk-driving.

She never made it out alive.

So, I was put into the care of my grandpa. I was not very sad. I was only 7 after all, and I was just glad the screaming were over. Although I unhappy because I lost someone I was related to by blood, she was never like a mother to me. It was always grandpa who watched over me.

When she was gone, grandpa was quiet for months. He stopped telling me stories, almost as if his only purpose was to keep me alive. Even at a young age I understood he was grieving, so I let him be and distracted myself with books and music, purchasing vinyl records and playing it on grandpa's record player.

My family is fairly wealthy, so even with no one in the household working, we had enough to live.

Grandpa became somewhat cheerful again after 3 years. 3 years it took him to get used to the pain of losing his only daughter, but I was happy to have someone to talk to. I was never the talkative type at school, so I was known as 'the weird girl with a crazy mother'. I didn't mind, as long as they left me alone, which they did.

Anyway, grandpa told me stories again, but this time he always ended it with a, "You'll find your love someday too, Y/N." which greatly annoyed me. What if I didn't want to fall in love?

My favorite days were Saturdays, because he would come out of his room and dance with me. Because of him, I came to prefer slow and old-style music, which led me to discover Stephen Sanchez. Outside I was a serious student, but behind closed doors I was just a child, laughing at the littlest things.

Unfortunately, Grandfather was no longer young, and his health decreased. He tired easily, and his voice grew hoarse. One day when I delivered him porridge to eat, he laid a fragile hand on my shoulder and said, "I want to see you happy with someone, Y/N. When are you going to look for a lover?"

I calmly fixed his bedsheets before replying, "I'm not interested in love, grandpa."

"You can't live alone!"

"I have you."

"I won't be here forever."

Perhaps I had a fear of being alone, because those words triggered me.

"You still have long to live, grandpa!"

"Old age is making things difficult-"

"No! Please stay with me, I can't lose you-"

"That's why you need to find someone, Y/N! It will make it easier to cope when I'm gone-"

"Stop saying things as if you're gonna die!" I yelled, storming out of his room and grabbing my things. I headed towards the basketball court, hoping for some peace and quiet.

It seems that the universe was not on my side today, because the court was filled with sweaty, noisy teenagers, all trying to show off to the girl on the bench. I admit, she was really pretty.

Not wanting to attract attention I sat on the corner bench, away from everyone. I put on my earphones and played Ricky Montgomery's 'Mr. Loverman'.

I stayed there, humming with my eyes closed, alone in my world of music. However I was interrupted by a figure over me. Pausing the music, I raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes?"

"Were you playing 'Mr. Loverman', by any chance?"

I checked to see that my earphones were properly connected. "How did you know?

She took a seat beside me. "The tune you were humming seemed familiar."

I turned red in embarrassment. Oh gosh, she heard me singing. "I am so sorry if I bothered you-"

"No, no," she brushed it off, "you've got a beautiful voice." If possible, I blushed even further. "May I listen?" she asked, gesturing to my phone. "Yeah, sure." I said, offering her the left side. My earphones were pretty short, so we were forced together, arms touching.

"My name is Tzuyu, by the way."

"Y/N."

We spent comfortable silence together for a bit until one of the boys strutted towards us, flexing his bare, skinny arms desperately as if there was something to be proud of. "Tzu, why are you sitting next to this weirdo? Hang out with us instead." he said, pointing at his friends who waved.

"First of all," Tzuyu got to her feet, irritated because this guy cut off a really good song, "shut the fuck up, Ryan. I'm only here because m friends are busy and I've got nothing to do. Secondly, since when did I allow you to call me 'Tzu'? Lastly," she got all up to her face, and it sort of made me snicker because she was taller than him, "she is not a weirdo. It's more fun yo hang out with her than you. Now fuck off."

She sat back closer next to me, and I was quite shocked because no one has ever stood up for me before. "Did you mean that?" I whispered, eyes wide. She sent me a small smile, "Of course."

Ryan grumbled and headed back to his equally disappointed buddies. I, meanwhile, was in high spirits until I noticed it was starting to get dark. I stood up abruptly , accidentally wrenching the earphone out of Tzuyu's ear. "Sorry! I have to get home, my grandfather's probably waiting."

"Grandfather?" she asked, rubbing her ear.

"Yeah, I live with him."

"I'll walk you home."

No, it's okay, I know the way-"

"I insist," she leaned down closer to my face and added, "those guys are probably gonna follow you, they won't bother you with me around." I glanced at Ryan and his troops, who were throwing me dirty looks. Gulping, I nodded my head as a sign of agreement.

She grinned at me and grabbed my arm. "Lead the way!"

During the walk, I managed to learn a lot about her. She was Chou Tzuyu, Taiwanese, 20 years old. She had eight other friends and liked to sing. She moved here to Korea to study, and now worked at a café. In turn, I told her about myself. Kim Y/N, also 20, worked at a flower shop and lived with my grandfather because my mother was gone and my father left.

At this point we reached my house. "Thanks, Tzu. Can I call you Tzu?"

"You can even call me yours," she winked. I hit her playfully and she chuckled, putting her hands in her pockets. "Well, goodnight."

"You too. Get home safely."

She was a few meters away when I remembered something. "Hey, wait!" I called. "Can I get your number?" She smirked silently and we swapped numbers. "See you soon, Ms. Loverman."

I shook my head and made my way inside. I walked into grandpa's room with my head hung. "Hi, grandpa. I'm sorry for yelling at you and leaving-" I started to say, but he cut me off. "Who was she?"

Not expecting this response, I blinked in confusion. "Huh?" He pointed at the window. "The girl who walked you home." Oh... "Oh, her name is Tzuyu. I met her at the basketball court."

"Are you friends?" he questioned. I tilted my head. "Um, yeah, I guess. I don't know, I mean, we swapped numbers-"

"Text her. Hang out with her more."

"Umm... okay. Are you hungry?"

The next day, I called Marissa, my grandfather's caretaker for when I'm away. "I thought it's Sunday today? Where are you going, young lady?" she questioned in a motherly way. Over time, she'd somewhat grown to be a mother figure to me. "Just the basketball court, Mari, friend to meet. I'll see you soon. Bye, grandpa!" I waved.

Once I arrived at the court, I immediately spotted a tall figure. "Hey," Tzuyu grinned, showing her dimple, getting up and wrapping her hand around mine, "let's go somewhere else, yeah? Better scenery than here." I giggled and agreed. "Sure."

She brought me to the cinema. "Ey," I said jokingly, "a little too fast, don't you think? Movies already?" She punched me on the arm. "Shut up."

We watched 'Titanic'. Actually we were supposed to watch 'It', but I begged her to watch something else because I'm not really a horror fan, since I scare easily. She agreed, but she teased me the whole time. I had to restrain the urge to hit her.

And that's how we got closer. We hung out a lot. On weekdays, we met at 6, the time we were both free from work. Suddenly days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and the next thing I knew, we'd been friends for a whole year. In those 365 days, I got close to her, since she was my first actual friend. I introduced her to grandpa, and they seemed to get along fine. But I noticed something different. She had introduced me to her friends, and maybe it's because I knew her longer, but I didn't feel the same spark with the others. I talked to my grandpa about it.

"Grandpa?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it normal for me to feel closer to Tzuyu than other people?"

"Of course, you've known her longest, after all."

"But I feel.. different."

"Like how?"

"Like... like I want to... I don't know. I just... want to hold her hand and hug her, hang out a lot, talk about the future..."

"Y/N.. do you like her? Romantically?"

"I.. I don't know."

"Think about it, Y/N. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out someday."

~~~~~~~~~~

This day was beautiful. The sun shone brightly and the birds sang cheerfully. Nice weather to take a walk outside, but I was cooped up inside the flower shop without customers to tend to. I sighed boredly before deciding to doodle secretly until someone came. I was in the middle of a decent tree sketch when I heard the bell ring, signaling someone's entrance. I pretended to be busy arranging flowers. "What can I do for you?"

"I want the prettiest flower."

"Well, that depends on your preferences." I said distractedly, not fully processing the familiar voice."

"I want you." I looked up, seeing the face I had grown to look forward to. "Tzu!" I exclaimed, rushing around the counter and threw my arms around her.

"Woah, hey!" she stumbled, surprised at the sudden gesture of affection. "I'm on day off today, thought I should visit you."

I groaned, "Good thing you did, I'm bored to death."

She chuckled. "Sucks to be you. Anyway, I wanted to ask if I could come over."

"What- come over to my house?" I spluttered.

"Well, yeah."

"Why?"

"Didn't you hear? There's going to be a meteor shower tonight. I think it'll be most seen at your house." she explained, shrugging. "Well, okay." I said. "Great! I'll keep you company, then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I closed the shop the moment the clock struck 6. "Let's go?" Tzuyu skipped ahead of me, seemingly more excited. I mean, I've always wanted to see a meteor shower, but I didn't really wish to see one. Well, I have the opportunity to now.

"Do I knock or..." Tzuyu said, pointing at the lion door knocker. "Tzuyu," I snickered, "did you knock last time?" "No, you had the... key...," she mumbled, embarrassed. "Well, anyway, grandpa wants to see you again."

I led the timid girl towards my relative's room. "Grandpa, I'm home! I brought Tzu." He answered quickly, making me shake my head amusedly, "Bring her here!" "Do I have to?" whispered my hostage. I tugged at her hand and said, "Of course, he never stopped telling me to bring you over again."

Grandpa was wide awake, peering at us with his eyes that had seen many things. He beckoned Tzuyu forward with his finger. She obeyed, bowing respectfully. "You grew well," he blurted. Tzuyu looked down shyly, staying silent. He scanned her figure and stature, his observant eyes softening. He nodded. "Grandpa! Don't intimidate her. She's fine, really." I laughed, jumping onto her back. Instinctively she caught me. "Have fun, then." he croaked, not bothering to ask what we were doing. "But no girls in the bedroom, Y/N." "Yes, yes, grandpa." I answered, my face flushed.

"What was that about?" Tzuyu wondered out loud, dragged by me to the living room.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

I huffed. "Yes."

"Okay, then."

I plopped down on the rug, ignoring the perfectly comfortable armchair by the fire. Perhaps thinking it was rude to sit there, Tzuyu sat next to me. I rummaged through the collection of vinyl records. "What song do you want?"

"Huh?"

"Song."

"Umm, can we play 'Still Into You'?"

"Yes!"

I returned the records and grabbed my phone, searching it up and playing it. Waiting for 10 to come, we spent the whole time singing, dancing, snacking and listening to grandpa's stories. Tzuyu was fascinated, and while we prepared a picnic in our backyard, she pulled me aside. "Your grandpa's really fun." I held my chin up proudly. "Yes, glad you noticed." We chuckled, lying down face up with our hands under our heads.

Before we knew it, meteors started falling in the sky. "Tzuyu-ah, look!" I pointed. "Make a wish, quick!"

I closed my eyes. I thought of something to wish for, but my mind always went to the girl beside me... I wish Tzuyu would like me back.

I opened them again, looking to the side. She still had her eyes closed. "Tzu." I said softly, getting her attention. "Hmm?" her hair flipped behind her. I snickered. "What?" she demanded. "Nothing, hair flip queen." she pushed me with her foot. "Ah!" I complained jokingly, "Stinky foot."

"Heeeeyy~! I'm supposed to be the one teasing you!"

"Too bad!" I moved away from her. She went after me and pinned me to the ground. "Well, you asked for it." My eyes widened when I realized what she meant. "No! No! Don't!" But her hands had already found their way to my hips. She flexed her fingers. "Ready?"

"No!"

"Too bad!" she mocked my earlier words, then started tickling me. I squirmed underneath her, trapped between her legs and uncontrollable giggles escaping my lips. Her hands roamed my body, eager to find a ticklish spot. Finally, after seconds that felt like years, she showed me mercy and stopped. I panted tiredly. "That was totally not fair." I announced after I had caught my breath. "Don't call me 'hair flip queen' then." she shrugged. I whined. "But you are!" Tzuyu threateningly raised her hand. "Okay, okay, sorry."

We stared into each other's eyes, completely forgetting about the meteor shower in the sky. Her eyes seemed to hold more stars than the universe could ever imagine. Slowly she leaned in, making me do the same. Our lips touched, making me shiver. As her soft ones lingered on mine, the last meteor fell.

[dedud3d]

so ml canon divergence au where after reflekdoll, marinette gets sick or hurt or both and can't be ladybug for a bit because of it so she has tikki go to chat so he can, ideally, take over as ladybug while she's gone and choose who he wants to be his black cat

adrien doesn't do that and instead chooses alya to be ladybug so it becomes a scarabella and chat noir team up which makes gabriel finally gather up enough courage to use his braincells

akuma + sentimonster + hawkmoth + mayura + bad/newbie ladybug who doesn’t have the talent for it or the experience in fighting together with chat noir = the highest chance of victory he has had so far(?)

so he makes an akuma and has mayura make them a sentimonster then they wait for scarabella to use her lucky charm and for chat noir to use his cataclysm before ambushing them then blocking them from escaping until they detransform and he can take their miraculous with minimal risk

*insert evil monologue and how disappointing adrien/chat noir is* before he makes the wish

gimmi: alright then Mr "nothing left to lose", bet.

gabriel wakes up in prison (life sentence with no chance of parole) and stays there for years without anyone visiting him with all the prisoners hating him before he accidentally broken out by a fight between someone with the dragon miraculous and someone with the ox miraculous whose superpower seems like a green lantern ring knock off instead of making him immune to superpowers like nooroo told him it would.

at first he just thinks nooroo might have somehow lied to him but then the Dragon miraculous user uses fire and then he's just confused.

he doesn't get much time to think on it because the inmates all start shouting and running towards the hole the two supervillains(?) made to try and escape. he follows them and ends up managing to escape but not without some bruises and a few bullets grazing him.

after his (not so) great escape, he hides and stumbles upon the goat miraculous by accident then laughs

gabriel: yes... the world is surely on my side!

he puts on the miraculous and transforms but his weapon isn't a brush, it's a battering ram stick with a goat head, and yelling 'genesis', no matter how many times he does so even at differing volumes, does nothing.

he also finds himself detransforming moments later and almost passing out from exhaustion. while he's on his knees gasping for air, a snort draws his attention, the source being... a kwami who looked very smug

gabriel glared at the goat kwami who dared treat him with such insolence

gabriel: ziggy, I order you to stop laughing and explain to me what is going on immediately!!!

the kwami's expression immediately turned to stone much to gabriel's satisfaction, though it didn't last very long before they burst out laughing

ziggy: hahahaha!!! what do you think this is, the previous world?

they didn't wait for an answer and promptly burst out laughing again

gabriel couldn't tolerate such disrespect and made to grab the accursed kwami to shut him up but his hand passed right through them. gabriel stared at his arm for a moment before making another attempt to grab them again... and again... and again and again

eventually the accursed creature stopped laughing and gave him a very bored look which somehow made him feel worse than when they were laughing at him. it was as if they saw gabriel as joke, and that joke was used too much at once so now it was no longer funny

ziggy: you said you had nothing left to lose, right gabi?

gabriel immediately went to correct them, after all gabi grassette was weak and long dead, but the kwami continued without giving him a chance

ziggy: that's why gimmi generously only took away everything you didn't care about to revive your wife

gabriel suddenly had a sinking feeling

ziggy: your reputation, your skills and talents, your knowledge as well as your connections... all of them were either taken away and given to someone else or made no longer applicable

he hoped that his knowledge no longer being applicable only applied to the miraculous but for now he needed to know more about the first part

gabriel: g-given away!? to who!?

ziggy: hmm... who knows really? but my hope is that it's ladybug, both because that would be really funny and a well deserved break for her as well as great karma for you!

gabriel barely managed to keep himself from grinding his teeth to dust or smashing his fist into the concrete wall or ground. the thought of that... that brat getting his fortune and talents... it was unthinkable what gabriel would do to correct that.

the kwami snorted as if reading his mind

ziggy: you already committed mass genocide on a daily basis, how bigger a hole do you think you can dig yourself into?

gabriel glared at the kwami before responding

gabriel: as soon as I figure out how the miraculous work, you'll see.

ziggy: but why do you need the miraculous in the first place? your wife is alive and well now even if she never wants you to be a part of her or her son's life. I thought you didn't care about anything except her being alive? or are you finally ready to admit to yourself that your goal was always to rule the world and you wanting the miraculous to heal your wife was just the excuse you used to manipulate mayura into helping you?

gabriel: shut up!!! no one deserves to more than me!!!

ziggy shook her head as gabi walked past with thinly veiled rage

ziggy: karma is yet to collect your full debt...

[ramble-bloo]

Baby Talk with Licorice

It's a running joke that Bitterbat wants a lot of kids with Sweetheart (12 in total but they wind up with 13 on accident) and it's very much a given people might be concerned about Sweetheart's true feelings on the matter since that's an Olympic task

But she's honestly ok with it.

The first time around, while she was on patrol break and Bitterbat brought up he wanted kids, she was very much flustered but the thought gave her butterflies and she asked him how many he wanted, because ya' know...she was expecting 2 or may 3.

So having double digits dropped on her was a record scratch. And she had to explain to Bitterbat it would basically be physically impossible for her to be able to pump out that many babies and still sneeze safely since she wasn't a Monstrum.

And that's when Bitterbat dropped that Monstrums don't actually have that many either. Which confused the hell out of Sweetheart which nearly made her miss Bitterbat dropping the fact he was already planning on having most of the "pups" anyways since Monstrums can manipulate their bodies. Which meant she could stick to 3 and he'd take care of the rest.

And that's when Sweetheart had to stop him because she started getting concerned about his own ability to sneeze, even though she knew he was a super powered being. She only knew he had been in countless battles but he's never been through the fight of giving birth before. And the way he casually talks about just popping kiddos out is a big ole sign he ain't fully aware of just how challenging birth is. But that makes sense as his own birth was...very not traditional.

So Sweetheart talks him through how child birth is, at least for humans, and Bitterbat listens but he's still confident in his abilities but notes how concerned Sweetheart is and explains how "I just really love you and I was hoping we could have our own big happy family." And it's said so sincerely that Sweetheart can't help but feel a bad for him.

He goes on to explain how if she isn't comfortable having kids, he'd understand since she's enough for him to be happy but she corrects him that she's perfectly fine with a couple little monsters running around and finally drops "I'm just worried about you hurting yourself because of your tunnel of love vision" and how she'd rather have them both split their count in half with her having six and him having six.

But Bitterbat stands with having most of the batch and Sweetheart can tell from his tone of voice he's being his lowkey childish stubborn self so she grabs his cheeks and stretches them (which is more ticklish than painful like some would expect for him, with a "LISTEN YOU HARD HEADED BAT-I AM GOING TO HAVE YOUR KIDS SO WE ARE SHARING THE LABOR DAMMIT"

And while Bitterbat is laughing, and lowkey dazed from hearing Sweetheart with full confidence say she's planning on having his kids, manages to muster out a "IF YOU'RE ALRIGHT AFTER 3 THEN WE CAN SHARE-" and since that's the best Sweetheart is going to get out of him, she frees his mouth with a "Alright!", wipes her hands on her skirt and prepares to fly off and get back to her patrolling only for Bitterbat to grab her hand to stop her as he asks if she really meant she wanted to have his pups.

And Sweetheart gets flustered because he has that sweet and soft look in his eyes that she's very weak for and her knees are weakening by the second and she hurries out a "Y-yeah of course I meant it! I love you and...I...I've always wanted to have--" But the way the look in Bitterbat's eyes is deepening, Sweetheart knows finishing that sentence means she can call the rest of this patrol finished so she escapes with a "--I've always wanted to have this talk with you aaand we can def continue this when we get back home!" And she takes off into the skies leaving Bitterbat on the rooftop mildly confused at the sudden tone shift her sentence took in the middle...

And then his braincells connect the dots on what she was possibly going to say and he takes off right after leaving little smoke hearts.

The rest of that patrol was Bitterbat trailing Sweetheart like a puppy, which he normally does, but this time she was extremely aware especially anytime she encountered a family.

[akesdraws-blog]

Time to let go

Reader x Turtle of your choice

Warnings: mentions of death, accidents, drama, tragedy

I worked thinking about the TMNT 2012 version, what version did you imagine it with?

•°•°•°•°��

Having learned so many years about the art of Ninjutsu had also given the turtles certain abilities, such as being able to communicate with people who were far, far away from their physical reach.

-Oh wow, see you early today- you spoke with a little emotion in your voice

-Yes, I suppose I needed to see you- the turtle spoke, laughing slightly -You can't imagine what we went through today- she began to speak to tell you about her day

-Well, I'm ready to listen to you, just like always- you told him as you sat down.

-Yes, just like always- added the turtle while she squeezed her hands -Just like always- she repeated again lowering her gaze

°•°•°•°•

The turtles as always were patrolling the city, stopping thieves and supporting the policemen.

But even though they were physically stronger than any human, they still had their limitations and they understood that when they met a young man.

They had saved him from some bullies who were beating him in an alley, just the presence of the turtles was enough for everyone to run away, when they helped him this little boy was not afraid of them, he had just given them a big smile full of gratitude.

Time passed and each of the turtle brothers kept in touch with that little one.

Mikey skated next to him when there was no one else on the ramps, he was the first to take him to the den where they cooked or planned pranks for the rest of the brothers, and sometimes the little one took him to places where there was an empty wall, perfect for the party boy to leave his mark of art.

Raph taught him to knit, it started as a mere curiosity of the little one but for both of them it was quite relaxing, but they didn't only do that, sometimes they got together to watch some games on a projector, when they were from opposing teams they both made fun of each other when they lost some, but when they were from the same team, the victory dance that both created was simply present.

Donnie played online video games with him, together they were the best team that could connect to the network, in addition to the genius boy being a great help when the little one had homework, and for Donnie to be able to read books from the school library It was a really pleasant experience, of course the little one always scolded him when he started to be late with the delivery date.

At the beginning Leo just tried to keep his distance, not get too involved, but over time the little boy gained his trust, both could talk for hours about Japanese culture or even watch a good anime of possibly 100 chapters or more, but the leader could Being himself, he didn't have to be a leader, he could let off steam, or even complain, and the little boy was there to listen without criticizing him, he found a little refuge next to him.

The relationship that was built with the new friend was something unique for everyone, so much so that he even gained the affection of the teacher Splinter, maybe it was because he helped him take care of some bonsai or maybe because Splinter's favorite audience to tell the stories most shameful of turtles.

The team agreed that his friendship with the human was something as unexpected as it was also special, if they needed a word to describe it it would be "Unique".

Because they knew that nothing was perfect, because they had their ups and downs.

How the arguments they had sometimes, from the fact that his friend didn't defend himself against the bullies at school

-I showed you a wrestling hold last time, why didn't you apply it?-Raph asked while he watched as Donnie healed your wounds again

-I did it the first time and they sent me to the address- he replied after complaining a bit about the cotton that rubbed on his broken lip

-That's unfair, what do they teach in the institutions? - Leo said a little outraged by what he heard

-Well, that happens when the bully is the captain of the school team- he added with a slight smile on his face.

-And with this it's over- Donnie said sticking a bandage on your forehead -And your parents haven't talked to the director?- I ask a little curious

-If he were Master Splinter, that principal would get a good ninja-style lecture- Mikey added as he ruffled his friend's hair.

-They don't have time for that, and they're never home, so... they don't notice it- I finished saying as if nothing had happened.

The boys knew about the relationship you had with your parents.

They were business people, always busy and never at home, you were always alone in your room with your books or some games.

But that changed when you met the boys, you didn't spend so much time locked in your room anymore, now you spent all your time in the turtles' den or on the rooftops.

The relationship with the boys simply grew more and more, until from that friendship arose the infatuation with one of the turtles.

It was something so unique and special, they both complemented each other.

They were the type of couple that even though they couldn't fit the definition of “perfection”, they could be called an “understanding” couple, you understood your partner's priorities, and the responsibilities they had in being a hero.

But maybe you understood it too well.If they had planned a date with your tortoise in love, and suddenly had to cancel because of some mission, normally he expected a reprimand but you just told him "Okay", there was no anger or hints behind those words.It was a good thing, or so your partner thought for a while.

That "understanding" began to make noise in your turtle's mind, so much so that she asked you to meet in the place where you became a couple.

-So... what did you want to talk about?- you asked after there was too much silence between you

-I think it doesn't work- your turtle spoke while she looked at any point of the place

-What do you mean?- you asked, trying to sound as calm as possible, but you knew what your partner was talking about.

-I mean us- he put his hand up to his neck rubbing -Don't get me wrong, I love being with you, but... We don't do anything as a couple, we don't even see each other often- he sighed to look towards the ground I didn't feel the courage to see you, I didn't even understand why I was saying that

-Oh, I understand- when you said that you noticed how your partner wrinkled his nose a little and you just played with your fingers and then smiled slightly -Can we have one last date? This weekend, what do you think?- you asked with certain hope, you didn't want things to end like this

Your turtle was about to respond until his radio rang for a security alarm, so they just agreed to agree later.

You didn't say anything, you just left until you got home and once you were in your room you just sat in a corner where you started to cry, but you didn't make a sound, not a single noise, it was just a silent cry.

You knew that asking for a date after what your partner said was something that would only hurt both of you, but you just didn't want it to end that way, maybe you just wanted one last memory of that relationship.

The days passed until the weekend arrived, they had agreed to meet in a nearby building in Times Square.

You had arranged yourself as on your first date, it generated a bit of nostalgia.

The moment of that day came to your mind, how your turtle was so nervous that it got tangled up with its own words, you even remembered how because of the nerves some things that your turtle prepared had fallen to the ground, you remembered everything and you could not help but laugh slightly , you only remembered the moments that followed afterwards.

There were not many as you thought but each one you remembered with great affection.

But when the phone rang you only saw the message from your turtle, he had another important mission, so the appointment had been cancelled, you didn't want to know anymore, so you just turned off the phone.

Maybe you should have read the rest of the messages.

The Turtles were after some Shredder followers who had hidden bombs around the city.

So far they had managed to find and defuse 3 bombs in time, they captured some ninjas for interrogation to discover the last bomb before it was too late.

-We thank you very much for your collaboration- thanked one of the officers -We will continue trying to get an answer- he added while other officers took away some ninjas

-We must hurry, there is still a bomb and Donnie still can't find it- Leonardo spoke with concern in his voice

-They won't arrive on time- spoke one of the ninjas while he laughed inside the patrol

-You'd better start talking before you can't!- Raph threatened, taking him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him slightly out of the vehicle.

-Time's up- was the only thing the ninja said.

Saying that, soon the sound of a distant explosion was heard, they listened to the radio of one of the officers and with fear your turtle heard that the bomb had exploded in a building in Times Square.

The turtles ran as fast as possible, while each one tried to contact you, but they did not achieve anything, you did not respond, much less you answered the messages.

They just hoped that you had gone home, or maybe with April, or anywhere, but far from that place.

Upon arrival they only saw people running in panic, some firefighters and officers had arrived to help the people who managed to get out, each turtle separated to help the rest of the people and get some out of the rubble.

Again your turtle tried to call you, and he felt relieved when he heard the ringtone you had, that characteristic tone song you had, he moved carefully following the sound, but when he arrived at the place he froze.

Everything around him seemed to have slowed down.

Your phone was ringing but from among the rubble of the building that had recently exploded, the place where they would have their last date.

With his hands he began to remove stone by stone, as quickly as possible while asking with all his strength that you be okay, that you will look at him with that smile that you loved so much and tell him that he was okay, his brothers also came to help until that they finally managed to reach you.

Unfortunately not on time.

It had been a few years since you left, they not only lost a friend, they lost a part of their family.

And your turtle had not been the same as before.

But who would be?

She had gotten so into protecting people and training that she had reached a new level.

A level where communication with you was allowed.

Splinter had told him that he shouldn't mess with the world of the dead, it wasn't good for his son, but he just needed it.

He needed you.

He could still remember the first time he made it, when he could see you again, when he could see your smile and he could hug you, you were there again.

And there they were, speaking again from an astral plane.The same as always after so many years.

-It's not healthy that you always remember that- you spoke to get him out of his head

-I forgot that in this plane, minds are completely connected- said your turtle while massaging his neck

-That's right- you spoke calmly -You look tired- you commented as you gave him a smile

-Yes, I look horrible, you can't imagine what the streets of New York are like- said the turtle with an amused tone -It seems that the bad guys come out of any corner now- she added while laughing

-I wasn't talking about that- you spoke while you shook your head -You must stop- when you saw how you managed to make me look at you, you just smiled the same as you always did -You must stop- you repeated once more

-Stop talking? Sure, it doesn't matter just to be silent, like the first time we connected- a smile formed on his face, one that seemed so difficult to maintain until he felt your soft hands on his cheeks.

-I died- you spoke while caressing his cheeks with your thumbs -I died and you must let me go- you finished saying

-I just... I need more time- the turtle took your hands while trembling

-Years have passed... You must let me go- I was trying to make your partner see reason

-I can't... I can't do it- she denied several times with her head -I can't go on without you- tears began to well up in her eyes

-Of course you can- you approached to hit your forehead with that of your turtle -I know you can... I love you and I will always love you- the shine on your body was decreasing with each word

-Please... Not yet- the turtle hugged you tightly, trying to keep you from leaving his side.

-It's time- you returned the hug while little tears began to come out of your eyes too -You won't see me, but I'll be there, as long as you keep moving forward- the shine on your body was less and less, beginning to be a transparent image

Once you completely disappeared from her arms, your turtle began to cry bitterly, she hadn't been able to cry since you left.

Now the only thing left to do is move on for everything they had lived together and for what he now had to live.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tags:

@post-apocalyptic-daydream . @turtle-babe83 . @turtlesmakemehappy . @dilucsflame33 . @thelaundrybitch . @scholastic-dragon . @leosgirl82 . @tmnt-tychou . @mackbunny . @happymoonangel .@lazyafgurl

[thelreads]

L, Midoriya felt it because OFA and AFO are connected, remember? Same way AFO heard his little brother’s voice when the First Holder talked to Midoriya for the first time.

I’m pretty sure that Nana inside of Shigaraki’s vision is just a memory from the photo. In fact, all of them (except for AFO) were just memories/parts of Shigaraki’s own mind. When ‘Nana’ was telling him to not forget, it was his own mind telling him not to forget his family and that he should inspect his memories and feelings closer. One of the main reasons of this whole mess is that AFO made him believe that he wanted his whole family to die and that them dying was fate (because he’s defined by his quirk and destroys what he hates), after all. The family members he didn’t hate and who diead by accident are trying to stop him, but the one whom he hated and whom he killed directly appears right from AFO’s chest (hmm) and becomes the reminder that pushes Shigaraki forward to AFO.

Well, I mentioned before how he definitely had her quirk, do there is a chance that this is how it works, but it still remains to be seen. We know that OfA had the ability to pass pieces of souls ahead, so, it could be that someone that had an ember of that quirk also could pass a small piece to the next person. It is a stretch, but honestly I already bet on things with less ground than that before, I'm willing to die on this hill lmao

True, they can duplicate quirks and put into other bodies at will, sure, but there's one problem here:

Shigaraki is with the original AfO, not a duplicate. They explicitly said so.

For the doc to have a quirk stored it would need to be a duplicate, because they are pretty much cloning the material and leaving it stored for when needed, they can't remove the original quirk and leave it stored, unless it is inside of AfO, but he can't remove his own quirk, leave it in a jar, and have the duplicate been put into him.

For him to have given Shigaraki the original,it would have to been before Kamino.

I remember the anine episode where Midoriya saw all the previous holders looking at the First confronting AfO, and interestingly enough, AfO has white hair.

Doesn't it feel like a coincidence that this was the exact color that Shigaraki hair turned when his own quirk supposedly woke up?

The holes in the hands are a tricky part, but it could be that it was partially dormant until Shigaraki was ready. If the souls left inside OfA are partially aware, why wouldn't AfO soul act the same way, just giving Shigaraki a quirk that would maximize the destruction? It could be that this nomufication process is a way of actually waking up the original quirk inside of him, bringing out his full power. It would make this scene in chapter 89 even more interesting

It wouldn't be AfO talking to Shigaraki, but to his own quirk inside of him. It was All for the sake of One: himself.

You laugh of me now, but I shall be right in the end, ye all shall see...

[quoteablebooks]

Genre: Fiction, Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Content Warning: Sexual content, Grief, Death, Car Accident, Cancer, Toxic relationship         

Summary: All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

*Opinions*

After reading and enjoying Well-Played I decided to go back and start with the first novel in the companion series. I remembered all the buzz around this when it first came out and all the love around it, so I figured I would have a good time. What I didn’t expect was the feeling of this novel to be so much different than that of Well-Played. I can see why some people have been a little disappointed with the books that followed this one because I was obsessed with it. 

Well-Met follows Emily Parker, who has moved in with her older sister and niece after a car accident shattered her sister’s leg. As Emily has recently been dumped by her long-time boyfriend and is practically homeless, she plans on spending the summer helping her family and attempting to figure out what to do next with her life. When her commitment to her family means she has to join the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire so that her niece can participate. This brings her face to face with Simon Graham, a man who seems to take an instant dislike to Emily, especially when he thinks that she isn’t taking the Faire seriously enough. Even with Simon’s grumpy personality, Emily starts to make friends in Willow Creek and dreads the end of the summer more and more. Then, Simon’s Faire persona starts flirting with Emily’s, things get very complicated and the lines between real and pretend get blurred. As the summer continues Emily isn’t sure what she is supposed to do or where she is supposed to be. 

I think Deluca did a good job of forming the atmosphere in this novel in regards to the Faire itself, but also all the work that goes into putting one on, even a smaller one. I would have liked to see more of Willow Creek, but the point of this story is the romance, which mostly takes place at the Faire, so it makes sense. As for the plot of this novel, it is all character work and around the romance so I really don’t have much to say about it. I do appreciate that it isn’t just about Emily and Simon, but she is made a well-rounded character with her anxieties with her past relationship, feeling set adrift, and a love of connecting with her sister and niece. 

I really liked Emily as a character and I saw a lot of myself in her, which added to my enjoyment of the story. She has been screwed over by her ex-boyfriend and now feels as if people only care about her when she can do something for them, not for who she is, which is very relatable to a lot of people. She also wants to do what’s best for her older sister, that she is just starting to have a relationship with, and her niece. The inner anxieties that we see Emily have, especially in regards to Simon and her place in his life, were ones I have had myself, but after a while, I got a little annoyed with her not saying anything to anyone. I understand how we get to the third-act breakup, but it also seemed a little ridiculous. I know it had everything to do with Emily’s insecurities, but it was a huge blow-up for a rather small issue, in my opinion. 

We get a lot less about Simon, which makes sense as it is all from Emily’s point of view. He is a man who is still struggling with grief and expectations that there have been all his life. While I enjoyed the bits of his personality that we did get to see, he is still a bit of an enigma by the end of the novel. Yet, it makes perfect sense that a younger brother living in his brother’s shadow is unsure how to manage now that there is no one casting the shadow any longer. Still, when he and Emily are on the page together I enjoy their chemistry a lot and I feel like they are a couple that you see staying together after the novel is over (and not just because I have read the next novel). I just wish I got more of her personality on the page. 

I have read some reviews that the characters and romance fell flat, but I really enjoyed both. I think that Emily and Simon have great chemistry, even when they are at odds with one another, and the steamy scenes were well-written. The one hiccup for me was the huge displays of affection, so when he pulled her up during the pub sing I felt as anxious as Emily. While she ended up enjoying it, I would have not been as amused. Still, I like Simon and Emily as a couple, especially when they are being vulnerable with one another.

Overall, this is a fun and fast romance. There is also something in this novel that wasn’t translated to Well-Played. This is a 4.5 read for me, with small squabbles rounding it down to a 4-star. It almost make me really want to do go to a Renaissance Faire finally.