#miri saw and miri knew what she wanted

[rxttenfish]

as i'm writing this fic i'm a little worried how the first chapter will come off, since it's basically an argument between miranda and aaravi. they fully do end up with an understanding at the end, but it's just one of those things that i fret how it'll come off to people just coming into this.

mostly, this is just part of how their relationship works? as in, they'll have a disagreement about something, and both are vocal and intense about their requirements and wants, and in being aggressively upfront about it they manage to lay out all of their feelings and end up on each other's stride. they work well together because they argue with each other first, and the rest of the fic is just that, with this setup being leadup to them not having these issues since they already went over them.

in the same way, it introduces them to everyone else and explains how they work, just as much as its a setup and a foundation for all the more intense worldbuilding coming up. miranda walking things through with aaravi and explaining them is a good vehicle to explain the fundamental powers at work here, and are also what's keeping her alive through all of this.

[peachsukii]

₊✩‧₊ ⎯  plus ultra-rare following an interview flop, dynamight & yourself are out and about at the local mall when you're stopped by a young girl and her mother.

content // a little follow up to this. late 20s, pro hero fame, paparazzi's talk about infidelity rumors (they're not true just mentioned cause you know how it goes), reader is a support tech, bakugo & reader are married, bakugo being sweet to kids, thoughts of having kids vaguely, more paparazzi nonsense, fluff.

wc // 1.7k

『 k.bakugo masterlist 』

It was the first day the two of you have had off since the interview "incident" weeks ago - that's what Bakugo's agent called it, anyways. The press didn't make any negative remarks against the two of you specifically, but they started a horde of nasty rumors anytime Bakugo was on patrol with a pro hero of the opposite sex. Headlines about "Dynamight searching for a New Wife?" started circulating, so much so that the agency started handing out cease and desist letters to the tabloids like candy. It wasn't to hide any sort of truth, it was simply not true to start with. You're successfully able to make it to the mall without catching any attention from the swarms of media assholes at the entrances, waiting to create some fake scenario and generate false pretenses.

"God, these jackasses are everywhere," Bakugo grumbled while you crossed the threshold of the mall and into the food court. "They warned us in school about this shit, but fuck, s'annoyin' as hell."

"I know," you console, thumb rubbing over the back of his hand in your hold. "It won't be like this forever."

He sighs, keeping his head down as the two of you approach the department store you planned to shop at. While you're heading inside, a small child and her mother pass by you, the daughter spinning on her heel and doing a doubletake with sparkles in her eyes.

"Momma! I think that's Dynamight!" she squeals, barely above a whisper, but enough for you to hear her excitement. Her mother kneels down and pats her on the crown of her head.

"I think you're right! But we should leave them be, sweetie. I promise to take you to his next signing."

She pouts and fiddles with her fingers. “But they’re always sold out!”

She’s a little louder this time, now catching Bakugo’s attention. When he makes eye contact with her, the little girl escapes from her mother's side and skips over to him - she's barely taller than his waist, maybe six or seven years old.

"Dynamight!" she whispers, waving frantically with both hands and looking up at him. "I know you’re in secret right now, but I wanted to say hi!”

She turns to you and smiles, dimples adorably accenting her cheeks. “You’re very pretty, Miss Support lady! I saw you on TV!”

Bakugo’s heart swells when you squeeze his hand tighter in response to her kindness before letting go. Something about this little girl’s genuine joy makes him want to melt into a puddle. Usually, kids were annoying in his eyes and parents never knew how to wrangle them around heroes - not this little one, though. She had way more respect than most adults did whenever they’d spot him on his day off, begging for an autograph or photo.

“Heya squirt,” Bakugo greets while kneeling to her level. Her mother has scampered over in the meantime, profusely apologizing for her daughter’s outburst.

“It’s alright! She’s very sweet and he’s more than happy to talk to her,” you assure, standing with the mom to watch their interaction.

“Thanks for sayin’ hi. What’s your name?” He asks as he pulls down his face mask, tucking it under his chin and lifting the brim of his baseball hat.

“Mirai! But my friends call me Miri.”

“Nice’ta meet you, Miri. I’ve got somethin’ for ya if you give me a sec.”

Bakugo shoots a glance in your direction, nodding to your bag. “Peaches, got any cards with you?”

You waltz over to him and dig out a stack of Dynamight branded trading cards in protective sleeves from your purse, handing them over with the a permanent marker. Bakugo takes them and fans the selection out in front of Mirai.

“Pick whatever one y’want and I’ll sign it for ya. How’s that sound?”

Mirai gasps, stars twinkling in her eyes as her fingers wiggle in anticipation over the cards. “I like them all! You pick one for me, please!”

That little shimmer in her eyes reminded you of a smaller Bakugo, specifically a picture that Mitsuki had of him and Midoriya in her living room, the two of them holding up their All Might cards from when they were kids. Her expression was identical to his back then - priceless.

“This one’s a favorite of mine,” you chime in, pointing to the card on the far right. “That’s the Plus Ultra-Rare edition, too. Super cool!”

Bakugo hands you the others and keeps the one card, pulling it out of its protective sleeve and popping off the cap of the permanent marker with his teeth. He signs the card, “Miri, go beyond!” accompanied with his hero signature. He waves the card back and forth to dry the ink before returning it to the sleeve.

“There ya go,” Bakugo says, handing her the signed card. “Keep it safe, yeah?”

Mirai gingerly takes it from him, holding it close to her chest with a toothy grin. “I promise, Dynamight!”

Before he can protest, Mirai rushes into him and latches onto his neck, her small frame clinging to Bakugo in an attempt to give him a hug. Her mom stammers out more apologies, but he stops her with a raise of his hand, mouthing “S’okay” over Mirai’s shoulder.

“Thank you for keeping me and Momma safe,” Mirai mutters sweetly, tiny hands grabbing at the back of Bakugo’s shirt. “You’re the bestest hero in the world!”

He bites his cheek in response, trying his damndest not to let this child make him cry in public. That phrase has been uttered to him thousands of times, and no matter what, it still makes his heart skip a beat. He’s barely holding it together as he pats her back tenderly, closing his eyes to focus on swallowing the emotions flowing through him.

You’re staring at Bakugo with hearts in your pupils, swooning over how patient he’s being with this little girl. A sensation you've never felt before invades your lower abdomen - nerves? No, it was a foreign yearning, a burning desire to....you tuck that feeling away to unpack at another time.

"Okay honey, we should get going now," Mirai's mother insists, tapping her daughter on the shoulder to have her let go of Bakugo. "We've taken up more than enough of their time."

"Don't worry about it," Bakugo comments, standing back to normal height and patting Mirai on the head. "See ya later, Miri."

Mirai does a little dance to herself before grabbing her mother's hand, turning to whisper-yell, "Bye Dynamight!"

The two of them leave you be, walking back out into the main concourse of the mall. You turn to Bakugo and elbow him in the side with a smirk on your face.

"What's got you so smiley?" you tease. "You look like you're ready to cry, too."

"Shut the fuck up," he sniffs, re-adjusting his mask and baseball hat. "She was a cute kid, s'all it is."

"The cutest. Let's grab what we needed and head home."

You two carry on with your shopping trip, surprisingly uninterrupted. Things seems to be quiet...that is, until you're ready to leave and forget about the media mobs at the main entrance. The second you two step outside, you're swarmed with flashing lights and overwhelmed with various shouting men.

"Dynamight! Is it true you're looking for a new wife after the interview last week?"

"Are you two on a break?"

"Do you think having a pro hero as a husband is detrimental to your relationship?"

These fuckers are ruthless, and quiet frankly, stupid as hell - the two of you are literally holding hands as they ask their absurd questions.

Bakugo shakes his head before letting go of your hand and removing his face mask. The glare in his eyes hints that he's about to have an explosive reaction, but color yourself surprised when his voice comes out velvety smooth and genuine.

"Listen up, m'gonna say this once and then you're gonna leave us the hell alone," he speaks, looking each cameraman in the eye before continuing. "This is the only damn woman I want in my life and nothin' will change that. She's the only one I've got eyes for, no one else. Got it?"

A few of the paparazzi pause their insistent squawking and put their cameras down, nodding in agreement to his words.

"Great. You can all fuck off now an' find someone else to harass."

You don't know what comes over you, knowing full well what the consequences will be, but you find yourself reaching for Bakugo's jaw and pull him in for a hearty kiss. He lets out a surprised grunt before tugging you closer by the waist, catching on to what you're planning and letting you take the lead.

"Quick, get the shot!" you hear the crowd yell repetitively. Bakugo responds by flipping off the cameras, continuing your kiss for a couple more seconds before parting.

The next morning, both of your phones are full of notifications from various sources - deja vu, huh? You've got e-mails asking you two to make appearances on TV networks while Bakugo's agent and publicist are scolding him for being unprofessional in public, but in the same breath, praising him for turning the opinion of the public in his favor.

"Holy shit," you mumble, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. "Kats, look at this."

Bakugo peeks over your shoulder from his side of the bed, laying his head on yours while you scroll through the articles multiple people have sent to you overnight.

"Dynamight & his Wife are stronger than ever!," "Fans Overjoyed to know Dynamight & his Wife are sticking it out," and "Dynamight remains off market."

"What's that one?" he asks, reaching over you to click the article titled, "Precious Moments with Fans - Dynamight Edition." The page loads an article detailing the encounter with Mirai from afar, a few pictures of Bakugo holding out the trading cards and giving her a hug.

"When the fuck did they even take that?!" he laughs, sighing as he flopped back over to his side of the bed.

"I think it's cute. Think I should print it out and frame it for the living room?"

"Don't you fuckin' dare."

You roll over to face him, pinching his cheek.

"Yeah, the picture of you flipping off the camera is more fitting."

tags // @slayfics @maddietries @starieq @liluvtojineteyam @jays-adventure3 @simp-plague @queenpiranhadon

[yandere-fics]

♡ Their Darling Is Trying To Hide Being A Yandere For Them ♡

(I Had no ideas for Sawyer for this one.)

You really do feel guilty about kidnapping Miriel, sure she's acting like she's okay with it, although she has pleaded for you to bring her her work laptop a few times so she can earn money for both of you and spoil you but you had no choice to kidnap her! She found your room dedicated to her and even though you know she's your soulmate, there's no way she would be okay with the shrine you have dedicated to her, sure if it was a different supernatural they wouldn't mind but your Miri was an elf and you were sure such a fragile supernatural wouldn't be able to handle your overwhelming affection.

"Babeeee, can you please untie me? How am I supposed to cuddle you like this?" You sobbed placing yourself on her lap on the chair you tied her to, why couldn't she just accept she was going to be here forever, you couldn't let her go, you just couldn't lose her!

It was a very bad idea to try to knock Eliza out and kidnap her, she definitely hated you now but what were you supposed to do, your Eliza wasn't very smart. You told her not to enter that room over and over again, you told her it was dirty and you needed to clean it but she went in anyways and well when you saw she had seen all the pictures you took of her you had to act quickly to keep her but she was much too quick and caught the metal pipe before it could slam into her head, she was definitely going to hate you now, you just knew it!

"Puppy?" She whimpered and you felt your heart drop for a moment, yeah she was never going to love you the same way again you were sure of it! Maybe you should try to knock her out again! You wanted to cover your ear so you didn't have to hear what she would say next, it would probably be about how she couldn't stand you anymore. "You were going to clean up all these photos of me? Why?"

Selene was... well frankly she was gross and you hated that you loved her so much. She could never know how much you thought about her, how badly you felt the need to constantly be attached to her side, you didn't even know why you liked her, she was just so... gross. But you really couldn't hold yourself back from obsessing over her which lead to you taking a lot of photos of her while she slept and while you were very sure she wasn't looking, you needed something to loo at when she went out on runs since you couldn't join her outside due to needing to pretend you really didn't want to be around her. It was extremely embarrassing how angry you felt hen she went out on runs and left you behind.

Leading you to today where you were crying in the closet with Selene trying to coax you out, she'd found your photos and had teased you for pretending not to love her for so long when she was staring point blank at evidence of your undeniable passion for her.

Kassien was your boss meaning strictly off limits to you so in order to cope with being unable to have her, you had to get creative at times, taking little pictures when you were sure she wasn't looking, snatching anything you could when she left her coat behind on a coat rack at work... threatening people who saw talking to her a bit too long through anonymous accounts. You made sure to never go in her office however, you didn't want to leave your scent behind in there, then it would be too obvious that you were obsessed with her and you would lose your job but you knew she'd be in meetings for a long time today so what would be the harm in going in there just for a bit to bask in the scent of her cologne, you thought about buying a bottle of it just so you could smell just like her but that might make you see crazy so you refrained. Still it was nice to sit at her desk for a second.

But then Kassien walked in and while you tried to dart under her desk to hide, she still saw you. Honestly you couldn't pay attention to anything she was saying, you just knew your entire life was over, you were going to get fired and you wouldn't be able to see the love of your life anymore, even as she spoke in a soft tone you just knew she was definitely judging you.

Nikki seemed very... oblivious to the way humans behaved which is how you knew you could get away with certain behaviors because it wasn't like she would know this was a creepy thing you were doing, she would just blame you being human on why you would constantly follow behind her everywhere she went glaring at anyone who approached her, there were things you kept hidden because you felt like a bad person for it, like threatening rivals or taking feathers that had shed from her wings and hiding them in a jar beneath the floor board, it was risky putting them there but knowing your collection was there for whenever she went to work made you feel safe and comfortable, as long as she never found out what was the harm in it. She did inevitably find out however...

"I'm so sorry! I know it was so creepy of me to collect your feathers! Please don't hate me!" You didn't want to look up at her as you heard her ruffle her wings, probably in anger, until you saw a bunch more of her feathers fall from them.

"I don't understand why you couldn't just ask, mate, is not asking for things a human trait?"

You felt really bad about drugging Nora at night but she had a tendency to get up in the middle of the night to do stuff, you didn't know what, and you just couldn't have your Nora wandering around at night and so you started to drug her food every night so you could make sure she slept straight through the night and couldn't leave you. You were very sure your entire relationship would be over if she ever found out, though you supposed if she did find out then you'd just have to kidnap her, kind of like what you were doing right now, you just hoped the ropes would hold her when she woke up.

"Don't worry Nora, your reason for living will keep you safe in our apartment!" Her eye twitched a little bit, you knew your Nora didn't like being tied up, she would prefer the bondage be used on you, but you had to keep her and she'd found out your little secret. It did not take long for her to break out of the ropes and tie you up instead, happily cuddling into your side.

You ran a fan account dedicated to the notorious serial killer in the city, an account you tied to keep under the radar, one because you didn't want her to gain a lot of fans and then you'd have to share just how amazing she was, and two because she was a supernatural and you were mostly sure you weren't her soulmate so you could only imagine what would happen if she saw someone who wasn't her soulmate vying for a spot that was supposed to be exclusive to her soulmate. Still you very much enjoyed taking pictures of her and just following her everywhere she went, getting off on watching you kill people. You almost wanted her to find you in the closet, it would be bliss to die by her hands.

"Please kill me gently." You closed your eyes waiting for her to butcher you but it didn't happen. Oh well you could make her regret not killing you when she had the chance so now you could kidnap her!

[mcclens]

Some things about Misaki that I always think about is

1. How she let her 4 y.o. child travel alone (by a train too?!) to find her biological dad that didn't want her and didn't want to pay for child support. You can only imagine the horrible things that could've happened to Miri, I mean she almost got shot by her bio dad. And Misaki didn't care that two random men took Miri in to take for her. She didn't care about that until she found out she's going to die soon and also SUDDENLY Miri is in danger because she's with Kazuki and Rei?! But she wasn't in danger before when she was left to travel around alone and stay in two random men's apartment for a year???

2. Because of that I'm convinced she pulled the "I know what type of work you do" card only because Kazuki and Rei clearly grew attached to Miri and didn't want to just let her go like that. If they did, Misaki would've never admitted she knew the truth. Miri was safe with them for a year, a whole year where she could've been who knows where doing who knows what with someone else if she ended up in wrong hands (human trafficking for example; Something her bio dad was involved with)

3. Which leads me to the next thing: Misaki knew she was going to die, so she wanted to spend time with her daughter -- fine. But what after? As far as the audience can tell, she's a single mother with nobody around, so once she dies what would happen to Miri? She'd end up in orphanage, probably. In the best case situation, a possible aunt or grandparents that maybe exist would take her in?

I wanna say Misaki's reasoning is selfish, but I also kinda empathise with her since she looked like she realized her faults, and that she actually loved Miri. (The anime showed that by making her try to be a better mom to Miri (like when she tried to cook, even though she clearly wasn't too experienced)).

But it still annoys me, writing wise. Because wtf, she did not have to die the way she did! She was already on her way to death! IMO the anime should've made her and KazuRei co-parent. She'd get to spend time with Miri, and once she passes away Miri wouldn't have been left alone since her dads would still be there lol. She could've dropped by and suggested the idea, Kazuki would be like hell no, Rei would be hesitant, Misaki would pull the mom card and "I'm gonna die soon" card, KazuRei would hesitate but feel empathetic enough to agree. Miri would be with her mom for sleepovers. She'd see her dads. They could've coparented while dealing with the organization. Cut the whole Ogino being after Misaki and Miri, or just make it so that Kazuki comes earlier and stops him, whatever, just put Misaki and Miri out of the trouble lol. And then in the timeskip its implied Misaki eventually passed away. It could've worked, while not separating any parent from Miri. MISAKI DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE THE WAY SHE DID!!!!

Sidenote. I saw people wonder what 15 y.o. Miri thinks about her mom, where is she, what happened?? Considering Misaki had cancer, KazuRei most likely used that excuse once Miri grew older or asked more seriously about her mom.

[lunalillyhbhb]

Lea's home

Chapter 4

The walk from college to Lea's home is a brisk 15 mins. It is sort of my cardio for the day, gets my blood flowing and engine back up and running after long hours of sitting/standing in lecture rooms. I used to love this walk, but as of late I get the feeling that someone's watching me...... following me. Especially today. My heart beat picks up, and I start becoming hyper aware of my surroundings. My pace quickens, as does my heartbeat, now pumping with adrenaline, preparing my body to fight at a moment's notice.

I hear footsteps close behind me, quick and agile like a cat, weaving through the roads hot on my heels. I turn on to Lea's street, thankful that her house is in view. If anything happens, her security cameras will pick up on it for sure.

The footsteps approach me quicker and someone lightly taps on my shoulder. Heart beating in my throat I whip around only to find Mirin, looking at me innocently.

"Hi! I saw you and thought I'd join you for a walk, but you walk too fast, it's hard to keep up!"

Oh. It was just Mirin. I clutch my hand to my heart, trying to calm it down before she sees the way she worked it up. She obviously sees it, with how my heart pushes my hands out with each thump. For a milli second I see a smirk graze her lips...? A smirk? From my sweet Mirin? No way. I must be imagining things.

"Hey Miri! You nearly scared me! I thought some creep was following me!"

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. I've seen you walk the distance, do you prefer walking?" She asks, smiling sweetly, her cute twin ponytails waving in the wind. Yes, this is the Mirin I know.

"Oh you know how it is, I keep sitting in my lectures all through the day. Gotta work my muscles you know, get my heart working, get some blood flowing through my limbs!" I explain, trying to not bring attention to the heart part.

"I can see that, I mean, look at how hard your heart's going right now! It's shaking even your shirt!" She says with a giggle. Oh my sweet, sweet Mirin. If only you knew the effect these words have on me.

"It does that sometimes" I try and brush off the topic.

"Oh btw, I umm-" she looks nervous. "- I need your advice." Is she in trouble?

"Sure! What'd you need? I'd be happy to help you!"

"Can you come with me to the maid's changing room? I'd like to ask this of you in private. Before any of the other staff come in." Her small perfect face and pleading doe eyes persuade me easily. "Sure!".

I follow her into the house through the back entryway and go straight to the changing room. Setting my belongings down, I begin to strip and wait for her to initiate conversation.

"This is really embarrassing of me to ask but... You see I ummm....." She's very nervous as she says this. I can see her small breasts bounce slightly, her heart probably hammering inside in anxiousness. I'm in my black padded bra, and don't bother putting on a shirt. I walk to her and hold her hands, telling her to breath and calm down.

"I won't judge you sweetie. I will do my best to help you, don't worry about that! Just tell me what's on your mind."

She looks at me with resolve in her eyes. "I know what's going on between you and our miss Lea." I freeze in my place, heart slowing down dangerously and thudding deeply, almost rocking me.

"What do you mean?" I ask as calmly as possible.

"I always see you stay over late sometimes and used to think you were working hard so I wanted to be like that..... so I stayed over once and tried following you discreetly. I saw you enter Lea's room and.... I overheard it all. Everything. I recorded it as well."

This can't be happening right now. She's trying to blackmail me?

I look at her face, trying to figure out her game but... it's still strangely nervous and anxious. This isn't what she's after. I say nothing and wait for her to continue, eyes staring straight into her soul as I try to discern her.

"I heard everything you both shared and...... I want that too."

I feel my heart stuck in my chest, I am speechless. There's no way I heard that right. My Miri definitely didn't say that.

"I'm sorry...what?"

"I want that. I want you to do that...to me."

My mind is going a 100 miles an hour and I'm trying to make sense of this situation. Before I could react, she peaks out the changing room and with frantic eyes looks around, steps back in and locks the door. Her eyes dart everywhere and her face flushes a bright red, and she begins unbuttoning her blouse. Her light pink lace bralette, barely holding her B cup breasts come into full view. I spot a small mole under her left nipple, clearly pulsating with new vigor. I notice for the first time her heartbeat in full view, without any obstruction, in its full glory, vibrating her small breasts with such force I wonder if her heart is bigger than normal.

She bends over her bag, her mini skirt riding up revealing her slightly damp matching pink lace underwear. She came prepared for this. She pulls out a beautiful steth and nervously begins to fidget with it, sneaking quick glances at my chest, which is already jumping, asking to be pampered.

"Please, please just steth me before the other maids arrive... I want to know what you feel like.... I want to experience you... I want you..." her voice trails off towards the end, her breathing becoming waspy and labored.

My mind switches on, seeing this young, sweet, innocent naive girl begging me makes me loose all sense of rationality, my heart takes control of me. I yank the steth out of her hands, grab both her wrists up and push her into the wall behind her, pinning her down in place with my knee between her thighs. She lets out a small whimper and looks at me with her beautiful eyes, her heart pattering inside her like a doe caught in the headlights.

With one hand, I swiftly wear the ear pieces and push the bell into her apex, and the sound of her jittery heart, beating away with 120 bpm fills me. Her eyes start tearing up and she moans, making small noises I never knew her to be capable of. Her tiny soft breaths stir up a deep, dangerous beast in me, my body starts feeling warm in all the places possible. Her heart kicks so fast, it's a fluttering mess in front of me, rapidly skipping with random pauses and skip beats littered everywhere. Her ECG graph would look so dirty right now, and it turns me on.

Her weak fragile frame trembles against me, quivering with every muscle. She looks at me like she's begging for more, and I gladly oblige my little princess. I let go her hands above and trail my fingers across her slim neck, feeling her carotids bounding and overflowing with blood. Then I drag them across her sternum and slowly circle her small mounds. Her nipples, rock hard now, peak through her bralette, inviting me. I easily slip my hand under her bralette and flick her nipple. She takes in a sharp breath and arches her back, pushing her everything to me, praying for more.

I unhook her bra and with one swift motion i strip her shirt and bra off her, showcasing the beautiful sculpture of a body she has. Her perfect neck, beautiful slender waist, divine mounds with erect nipples as pink as her flushed face. Her torso with defined curves, her abdominal aorta shaking her very core. She is beautiful.

I bring my lips to her nipples, first letting my hot breath fall on her, arousing her more and more. Then finally, I cave and suck her, like I haven't had a sip of water in ages. Mirin is barely standing, unable to contain her moans any longer and starts moaning louder, breathing heavier. Sweat rolls off like beads down her neck, pulsating with her rhythm.

Still focusing on her breasts with one hand, I remove the steth with the other hand and put it on her. Her eyes widen with anticipation. A once sweet, naïve and innocent face was now a panting weak mess, with carnal desire igniting her every move. Any and all hints of that innocence washed away.

"Just who are you?" I ask between gasps of air.

Her voice, dripping in honey answers "I'm your girl, your little heartbeat slut". Never in a million years would I have ever imagined such words to cross her mouth, and I feel a wave over euphoria coming. And from her eyes and loud moans, she was feeling the same, and I knew just what she needed to come.

My knee still between her thighs pushes upward into her wet pulsating mounds, igniting her passion more.

"My sweet little slut, focus on this, come for me like the little slut you are" I growl, stroking her chin. And then I push the bell into my chest. My pounding beast of a heart consumes her from the inside out, she buckles under her weight and heaves repeatedly, her fingers immediately addressing her sensitive clit, rubbing so hard and so fast to match my heartbeat, that she is unable to speak coherently at all. The wave passes over and with a moan of release she rests, hands falling completely to her sides, tears all over her face mixed with sweat and her chest rising and falling deeply. Her heart continues to hammer away visibly and she stays there, collecting her self as she listens to my heart singing away.

A few minutes pass by and we hear the maids room open. In a flurry, we both quickly change into our uniforms and tidy ourselves up. Looking presentable, we exit the changing locker leaving no traces of the wonderful event behind, it's only existence living in our memories and in our hearts.

The head maid greets us with a warm expression, unsuspecting of anything. Mirin looks at me, tiptoes over and whispers sweetly and shyly in my ears, "If it weren't for the head maid, I would've taken you on for a few more rounds..... pity, isn't it?" and skips away.

My sweet, innocent naïve little Mirin has in reality never been any of that. She's now my little heartbeat slut. The girl with 2 faces.

Mirin is exactly what her name made her out to be: a sweet alcohol, capable of intoxicating you if you aren't careful.

[empyreanwritings]

i can't believe i'm actually writing a blurb about this but i need to-

kazuki's goatee is criminal. as his best friend, you try to convince him to shave it but he doesn't budge, so you have to try to convince rei to get him to shave it. rei doesn't see it as a problem either, and it makes you want to scream

you've been friends with the two idiots since they moved to your city and opened up their cute diner together. you enjoyed their company, loved miri as if she were your own, and helped whenever you could

but the second you saw the stubble? you knew it was going to be a nightmare. and it was. no matter how much you begged, he refused to shave it

so you did what any normal friend would do - pay his daughter to shave it off in his sleep

[bearhugsandshrugs]

Hello im coming to hit you with some small tidbits and also my own little thoughts ive had with my own durge because of it :D (this got long because adhd go brr; tldr, you can totally play durge as a weapon without real autonomy due to Bhaal and his possessing of the Durge, and i went all in on that and also the Pining TM) One thing that Sceleritas will apparently tell you (and I believe I read this elsewhere on tumblr) was that the most awful thing he ever saw you do was (checks notes) give gold to a beggar. There's also times with the durge where, when dealing with like, sweet things, they feel physically sick at the sweetness of it/the person/their own actions? And its implied that that feeling comes from Bhaal, and it almost feels like Bhaal is essentially sneering at the act in your blood and its like an intrusive thought that the durge has to push away and push through if you lean less Murder Hobo with them. Theres an especially good example in the Grove with Arabela when you can potentially send the kid to her death or you can push through that thought and instead focus on saving her and the narrator describes it as you taking a breath and willing the thoughts away to retain some clarity. Combined with the fact that the durge often has like,,,, detox symptoms? And can outright state when talking to Sarevok if you become an Unholy Assassin and play their little game and be a good Bhaalspawn, that you wished Bhaal trusted you enough to not possess you and use you against your will, so the game even leaves room for a Durge to turn against Bhaal, not even out of morality or inherent goodness, which can also 100% be played up and played into, but rather out of an autonomy issue, that sure, maybe they are a murderer, but at least now itll be 100% their choice who and when and how, and not a thing that literally overtakes them and possesses them Exorcist style minus the pea soup! When I played my Durge who was made specifically with Gortash in mind, Miri, she was actively walking backward on her history- blending in with the cult in Moonrise, trying to find notes and letters and talking to anyone who might've known her before to see what was up. But i never actually leaned into being a Bhaalspawn, I actually played her pragmatically. She was a bit of an ice queen and could be cruel, cold, callous but she was ultimately a strategist. But its that call to her history - not Bhaal but just,,,, knowing who she was, finding her identity that was so cruelly stolen from her, however messy and horrific it, she, mightve been, and then with Gortash, that turns up to 11 because "holy shit theres been a little hole inside me until i finally made my way back here, back to you, and you knew me, holy shit i feel like i know you, i feel like i trust you and i feel like you're the first person i dont want to have to kill, oh no you were important somehow before but how?" which turns into "Am I too different now? Is too much of me gone for you to feel whatever you might've felt, the feeling that is tugging at me too?" and the answer is no, because its still her and it was never just about being a bhaalspawn; she admired and respected him and it was the same back; two abused, lost, cruel people, who found one person they didnt want to be like that with, didnt *need* to be like that with, because they accepted one another (and also also the way Gortash is like huh im surprised you turned on bhaal but now the power we obtain will be ours and you wont even have a god in the mix so that means all the more power to you and you alone <3) Anyways i think im actually in love with this stupid man and gortash with an OC, tav or durge, is my Roman Empire

aww thanks for sharing! I think my biggest “issue” with Durgetash is the whole reveling in being bad together, mostly brought on by Durge (?). Personally (like yay for anyone who finds that appealing) I find being a cruel, manipulative, murdering power couple to be boring. It’s always easier to be evil than good. The world isn’t inherently fair. it comes with the territory.

It’s why Gortash is the most interesting to me when he offers a Tav a coalition. He seems gray with his morals, pragmatic, not picky about what gives him the control he so desperately craves. Durge (in most portrayals, but I’m really thankful for your version, which I thinks is very interesting) is often portrayed as someone reveling in the murder and all the bad. This whole heehee-haha we’ll murder the world vibe for a pre-tadpole Durgetash is just… I don’t connect to a character who had no redeeming backstory other than a sudden bout of amnesia?

But it seems like the portrayals I’ve seen of Durge so far have been more caricatures, more exaggerated, and that’s okay (again not trying to judge, it’s just my personal preference). If there could be a version of Durge that always struggled with the murder? Who didn’t eat people because that’s their thing? Who didn’t fuck corpses because they were into it?

Yeah. I can work with that. That’s a story of breaking free, of redemption and reinvention. Yes, I like that.

[satubby]

Prologue |The mysterious call|

Disclaimer : There could be misspellings and masculine/feminine pronouns etc. Enjoy your reading.

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Looking at the time on her phone, a girl sits waiting in the coffee shop she usually goes to. Her gaze does not stray from her surroundings. The tinkling of the doorbell alerts the girl waiting at the first table by the window.

"Don't you think you're late? You told me 8 a.m.," she comments, glancing toward her red-haired friend. Who, is still standing near the entrance.

"An apology for that, but I really hate the traffic at this time, there are many cars and I didn't see when we would advance. There are too many cars at this time of the morning!" Exclaimed the other girl.

Rolling her eyes, (Y/N) smiled and let out a sigh. Amirie walked over to her, and took the chair in front of her, sitting down.

"Okay, could you tell me about this so-called part-time job?" Her eyes (E/C) looked up into Amirie's blue ones, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, yes, calm down, I'll tell you now. But, do you want to order something? I haven't had breakfast for coming to this place. "Said the redhead adjusting the glasses she wore and setting aside her unicorn backpack. Raising her hand, she called out to the waiter standing nearby and asked for her appetizers "Aren't you going to order something?" questioned the rainbow-clad woman.

"Haven't you seen my empty cup and saucer? Anyway, Mirie, can you tell me now? Otherwise, I'm wasting my time and I still have to go to work in 30 minutes," snorted the (H/C).

At her friend's refusal, Amirie raised her hands in a peace sign. Then, the waiter arrived with her order: a cold cappuccino and a chocolate cake filled with pastry cream.

Taking a rather long sip, at least for our protagonist, Amirie turned to look at her friend. "Well, you see ... This job my sister's friend got. Still for some reason she quit, so Nata told me about it because she knew about your complaints about your current job and also the salary" She took another sip of her cappuccino and ate a piece of cake.

"I still wonder why that woman quit, the salary was too good to be real. At least for a college girl, you know school debts and stuff, pouff" The redhead uttered in a teasing tone, mostly whispering those phrases to herself. Amirie returned her focus to her food, forgetting her earlier comment and the presence of her companion.

"Well, what exactly does this job consist of? There should be a reason for the previous girl to quit just like that, if the pay was good" She said looking towards her friend who was still eating and taking a noisy sip, mostly playing with her drink.

"DELICIOUS! ... Ah, about that, who knows? There are some strange people in this world, you see. If it were me looking for a job, I assure you that without hesitation I would accept that position. However, my sister would die if she saw me working" commented the somewhat freckled girl, making a mental note and shrugging her shoulders. She could hear her sister Natalia shouting in annoyance, they didn't really let him have a job of his own.

"Mirie, please don't ramble so much, I mean I appreciate your comments, but I need to get to the point of this matter. How much does that job pay?" pleaded the girl somewhat desperate for distractions from her partner, who just looked at her with bored eyes.

"My mistake, sorry. I can't help rambling. And about the pay ... I think it was $3,000 or was it $7,000? I don't quite remember, but it's about the same. That's why I made those comments, and I think you get it every week. It must be a complicated job for what they pay you," Amirie added at the end, placing her hand under her chin thoughtfully.

Eyes (E/C) widened in surprise. "Do they pay that well?" the girl (H/C) thought.

"Mirie, are you sure it's not a scam? Please, I don't want this to be another one of your meaningless jokes" He looked at her seriously and moved his face closer to the other woman, although almost touching their noses in the words of Amirie.

"Are you calling me a liar? And here I thought you were my best friend!" .... Well no, I'm not kidding, you can ask my sister, she's more mature and serious about this. Anyway, it's getting late, aren't you going to work?" questioned the redhead still overwhelmed by the closeness of her friend, opting for another topic.

"Yes, although you still haven't given me the contact number, now that I remember" She sat back in her seat, much to the relief of the second woman.

"Well I just came with the information, I forgot to ask Nata for the contact details, you see how absent-minded I am. You can meet me at my place when you're done with your work, she has a break today so she'll be in the house for the rest of the afternoon."

Calling the waiter's back, he asked for the total of his order and with that, payment. Amirie and (Y/N) got up leaving the cafeteria, one hour had already passed, and (H/C) panicked saying goodbye to his companion.

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"Mr. Lombuarph, I'm sorry I'm so late!" Exhaling and inhaling, the girl apologized to her employer. Who only looked at her bitterly.

"I understand your situation (Y/N), but you're still late this week. Next week I will discharge you with your payment if you keep coming in a late girl, don't forget that." The man walked away, as the girl grimaced in disgust at her somewhat elderly boss.

Stepping away from the entrance to the store, the young woman put on her apron and grabbed a hairnet and headed for the kitchen. The store was a small bakery, owned by the old curmudgeon from before who, in the words of the tree employees, was not very nice.

"Don't tell me, did the curmudgeon scold you again for your tardiness?".

"HA HA HA HA, look how I laugh at your joke Josette" (Y/N) commented sarcastically, still annoyed by her employer's scolding. Josette, a dark-skinned guy with dyed red hair and hipster clothes, looked at his colleague.

"Come on, I just wanted to cheer you up. Although with your face, you'd scare even the flies ha ha ha." He went back to teasing the young woman as she only snorted. She has already used Josette's ungraceful teasing and practical jokes; a daily occurrence.

Resuming her position, she completely forgot about her surroundings and began to knead the dough already made by the brunette.

Josette walked over to the oven and put in several pieces of cheese-filled pie. Then, she approached the girl again, who, was still somewhat annoyed.

"Okay, I didn't ask you this time ... Still,now what was it?" the boy questioned somewhat vaguely enough for the female to understand.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead due to the heat of the oven, the (H/C)-ette turned to stare at him and, putting down the dough, replied annoyed and sarcastically.

"Nothing that really matters to a gossip like you, I just know that I'll leave this dump of flour and bread. "Josette's green eyes widened, giving that puppy dog look, pleading to (Y/N).

"Don't be mean, tell me the gossip. Although if I could, I'd quit this job too, you can see I can't. That old man ... I mean, my uncle, I still owe him the two thousand dollars he lent me" snorted the brunet averting his 'pretty' eyes.

"Jo, I'm not going to tell you even if you make those eyes, you suck at making that face and I long to leave you here too, I can't stand to have you hovering around like a fly in my ears. Anyway, Josette, you're burning the bread you put in the oven" She said ignoring the surprised cries of her brunette companion.

"Why didn't you warn me? Ugh, that old curmudgeon is going to scold me" Rolling her eyes, the (H/C)-ette returned to her stall, this time decorating some pasties.

Mr. Lombuarph entered the kitchen, followed by the smell of burning. His brown eyes widened and, clipboard in hand, he angrily approached Josette.

"Josette! Why did you burn the bread again? I told you to pay attention, that's why I don't pay you and you still have 1200 left in debt. Do your job right, for God's sake! I hope that on my next watch I don't find you making a mess" With that, the old man left the kitchen fuming out of his ears, not before turning to look at the brunette "Go clean the cellar, (Y/N) throw those burnt cakes away" Without further ado, he left the place.

"...Damn old man, see what you've done? That's why I hate this place, but I need the fucking money" Complained the woman throwing a reproachful look towards Josette.

"Come on! You know I can't help it, if I didn't owe my uncle the money, I would have run by now. Besides my parents don't want me to come back to the house until I finished paying him and 'call him to account' fuck what a stink" Snorting, the male walked away from the scene carrying an old broom to the side of the oven.

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After 5:20, the place was about already closed. Josette and (Y/N) were taking off their aprons, the brunette sighed dramatically, sitting down on a chair while letting out an exaggerated groan.

"Ah! I hate cleaning the warehouse, it's full of rats.... A-and ... and cockroaches. Why doesn't the old man refrigerate the cheeses or keep the flour in containers? I'm full of dust, UGH how disgusting!" she exclaimed looking at her clothes. Laughing, the girl just looked at him with no grace in her eyes.

"You know he's like that, an old man of yesteryear and somewhat old-fashioned. By the way, don't expect me tomorrow, I'll miss work" He commended, starting to walk away from the counter, heading for the door.

Josette got up immediately, while wiping her dirty, sweaty face with a rag that was on her apron.

"You're kidding, right? ... I beg you, Oh! humble goddess of bread, don't leave me with that old man! Who knows what he'll make me work for if you leave. Besides Marina is still sick, so it will be work only for me, I don't want to do the work of you two" He complained again while clinging to the (H/C)-ette.

Pushing him, he (Y/N) said nothing and walked out the door bidding farewell to the eccentric boy, hearing his boss yell to the aforementioned young man.

"Ah! I can taste the money lining my pockets now. Ash! I just want to finish my art design degree and make a living doing what I love to do. Even if this place sucks and my boss even more, I will miss Josette's antics and forgetful Maria though." Sighing, the girl walked away from the old bakery.

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Ringing the doorbell of the house, (Y/N) waited for a while until it was opened for her. She was greeted by the youngest of the red-haired sisters, Nerushka. 

"Nata, mirie, (Y/N) is here!" she turned to shout to her sisters. Amirie appeared poking her head out.

"What are you standing there for? Andale, come in." Asking permission, the (H/C)ette waved her hand and entered the kitchen. 

Nerushka's door slammed, after which Natalia came downstairs scolding the younger one. 

"Hi, (Y/N) sorry I missed you. Here's the contact number of the masion ... Oh, and one more thing! My friend gave me a warning: <Whoever gets hired, stay strong mentally and physically> I don't know what she meant, but that's it," Natalia explained.

Looking at the card, which had nothing special on it except for some initials and the phone number.

"Bye girls and thank you. See you later narushka" She said saying goodbye to the two sisters and the little girl, who ignored her because of the phone in her hands.

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Opening the door to her house, she greeted her cat and went upstairs to the second floor, plopping down on the bed. She pulled the phone out of her pocket, opened the contacts section and began dialing the number on the card. 

After a few rings, there was the strange sound of something clicking like a technical glitch, until it stopped. Then, a jovial masculine voice answered.

"Hello, good afternoon, you've reached SGM Manor, how may I help you?" staring at the ceiling, the girl hesitantly answered the young man on the phone "Hello? I hope you're not joking" waking up from her reverie, she (Y/N) sounded a little nervous.

"E-eh! Oh yes, I was looking for the vacancy left by the previous person. An acquaintance of mine is his friend and they recommended this position to me, so I know the pay is good". Then, the (E/C) paused for a moment to calm down and then continued.

"Could you, um .... I don't know, give me some information?" For the next few minutes nothing was heard, which made her nervous.

"Sorry for the lack of response, we were.... We were busy on another line. Sure, it's $7,000 a week and you only get one break between shift changes, are you willing to take it?"

"O-oh, s-sure, I'm fine with that ... But, I have a question what is this job about?" the woman inquired somewhat hesitantly, waiting for the other party's answer.

After a while, the aforementioned spoke again, this time sighing. "Excuse me, Miss, we can't give you this information here, but we could meet at a coffee shop near you."

Biting her lips, she debated whether or not to meet with this stranger, besides she didn't want to get involved in something improper.

However, her eagerness to realize her life's dream and pay off her debts ended up eating away at her mind.

Instantly, she replied shakily "O-okay, can we meet tomorrow at the cafe near the central park?"

Anxiety began to gnaw at his thoughts, why did he begin to doubt? He had already made the decision, it was no time to back out. So, her breathed, and left his doubts in the back of his mind; there would be time to think about the pros and cons. A breath was heard on the other line, the young man answered with a cheerful tone.

"Okay, see you tomorrow at 10? We'll text you, see you next time Miss (Y/n). "And without even waiting for an answer from her, the other line hung up, leaving the girl confused and even more scared. This left the girl confused and scared, how did he knows her name? A shiver ran down her back and red flags went up in her mind, but she shook off that worry.

"Calm down, m-maybe one of the sisters informed them of my interest, I need that job..... Now I'm going to go to sleep, thinking it's not going to get you anywhere!". Then, she got up to take off her clothes and lay back down in her underwear.

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Yes!!! I'm re-crazy publishing fics that I never know if I'll update, hehe anyway this is a mix of ideas that I had in 2 other fics on my wattpad account. But that platform kind of went to hell. I already have chapter 2, but it is half corrected

Status 《Half edited I think》

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

All the colours look brighter now

Note: The story’s setting happens during the end of Episode 7: After Rain Comes Fair Weather. Thank you once again @flashfictionfridayofficial for this prompt #FFF199 Didn’t Mean it. Also @fluffbruary ‘s April and May prompts Kid and Pillow. Thank you so much for considering. I blabbed so much on this story. Kazuki’s POV, missing scenes, kinda.

Fandom: Buddy Daddies

Pairing: Kurusu Kazuki/Suwa Rei

Words: 971

Rating: Gen up

“I am back!” Silence. Kazuki tried again. “I am home, you guys!?” Still no answer, but Kazuki noticed the chaos.

He was not at all surprised that the loft was not in tiptop condition when he returned that night given how slovenly his little family was. The kid’s toys were scattered on the floor. The discarded pizza boxes decorated the dining table and the carpet. Half-consumed soda in grimy bottles and cans. Cups and glasses were everywhere. And the little girl’s coat and daycare bag were still lying on the now dried floor. Truth to tell, the chaos was an eyesore. It reminded him of the day he got a first glimpse of Rei’s living condition back when they were not roommates yet. It was their fifth mission, and, for a change, Rei invited him to his loft albeit reluctantly.

Where are those two rascals anyway?

The apartment seemed empty except for the detritus of life that was present in front of him.

He searched all the rooms saved for Miri’s sleeping chamber.

When he finally went up to see it, he opened the door slowly and was a bit skeptic. He was still feeling cross, dejected, mind. Instead of boisterous laughter and raucous blabbering coming from an energetic four-year-old girl, there was utter silence. Kazuki raised his left eyebrow.

What’s happening here?

His eyes travelled to the medical prescription and the fever thermometer on top of Miri’s baby-blue nightstand. Next to the thermometer was a bottle of medicine and a half-empty glass.

Miri, with her fuchsia pillow highlighting the moist white rug on her forehead, snored softly, her face peaceful. Her right hand intertwined with Rei’s left.

Shocked and suddenly protective, guilt came up to him. He only left for a day, tired and still emotional, but hopeful. He returned to these two individuals and one of them was sick.

His heart quenched when he saw his friend took up the challenge to be a real parent to Miri. Rei succeeded all right. Affection and pride toward the younger man was brimming over him.

He was meant to be angry finding the state of the apartment, but seeing their sick child he couldn’t afford to be.

Wanting not to disturb the two further, he tiptoed back to the door and closed it gently behind him.

Kazuki did what he could do for now. He tidied the living room, set the vacuum cleaner in a pleasant noise. He took out the chicken breast from the freezer and rummaged for carrots, leek, and celery in the crisper. He also cleared the table off empty pizza boxes and plastic bottles. Preparing chicken soup for Miri was the least he could do.

Half an hour later, there were footsteps coming down from the second floor. Tired ones. The water began to boil, the chicken’s aroma wafted out from the kitchen.

“Hey, Rei,” Kazuki greeted him.

“Kazuki, you are back.” Groggy, the young man looked at him, a wide smile on his face.

“I am back, yes,” Kazuki assured him. Rei stopped before the countertop table. His head bowed. Kazuki was eyeing him waiting for his friend’s next sentence. He saw the prescription, knew that Rei stayed up all night taking care of a sick little girl, helpless.

“Miri is… as you can see, she got a fever,” Rei informed him apologetically. “I had to see Kyutaro-san for help. I called you up several times, but you didn’t answer your phone.”

“I apologise for not being here. I wasn’t ignoring my phone. It was probably ringing when I was on the train going to Saitama. I didn’t mean it. My thoughts were somewhere else.” The soup was now simmering. Whatever spices Kazuki added into it the smell was heavenly. Finally, Rei looked at him, but never said anything.

“You… Saitama? I … I thought you abandoned us, Kazuki,” Rei’s hands are on the table as if hanging on to it. Kazuki noticed his friend’s fingernails turning white.

“I didn’t intend to leave, Rei. It wasn’t my plan. I am sorry if I made you think that way, but I really had enough the other day. I felt doing this alone for Miri. It didn’t seem that there were two fathers in this house but two children. On top of that, it is Yuzu’s death anniversary,” his voice broke. A tear threatened to fall, Kazuki turned around hiding the surge of emotion from his partner as he stirred the soup. Cloud-like smoke rushed out from the pot.

“Oh… I am … I did not know,” Rei said.

“I didn’t tell you. Not your fault,” Kazuki faced him again.

“Tell me what to do so I could make it up to you.”

Huh? Did he hear it correctly? Was this the same Rei he met at Kyu-chan’s coffeehouse from less than two years years ago? Rei making amends?

Smiling, Kazuki boiled another pot for the noodles. He brushed the dust off the Enoki mushrooms under the running water and would blanch them later. Rei waited for the answer. If he could, he’d give everything to Kazuki as long he was able.

“I’d like to try how to make a French toast, maybe you could tell me the ingredients so Miri—god forbid she’s going to be well in the next days or so—and I could buy them at the store the next day,” Rei suggested.

Kazuki chuckled. Of all the things that he wanted to discuss with Rei the latter wanted to try cooking the French toast.

“Of course, she’ll be well. She has an excellent nurse,” Kazuki assured his partner. He touched his shoulder and squeezed it.

Rei, wanting not to break the silent truce, showed one of his rare smiles again. For now, everything was all right between them.

~ fin ~

[heavencasteel420]

WIP Wednesday

From Tomorrow’s a Long Way Off:

They turned onto Robin’s street, and her house came into view. Jonathan took in the yellow clapboard house, the overgrown vegetable garden in the front, the tents where the mushrooms grew in the back.

“Your parents grow all of this?” he asked.

“Yeah, they have a mushroom farm.” Robin watched his awed expression, bemused. She hadn’t expected him to make fun of her weird hippie parents or anything, but she definitely hadn’t expected him to be impressed. “Sorry about the smell. It’s…earthy.”

“No, no,” Jonathan said. He eyed the vegetable garden. “I would kill for these tomatoes. God, there’s so many of them.”

“You really don’t have to,” she protested with a grin. “My parents will probably just give you some.”

As they approached the front porch, she heard the strains of Motown coming from inside. This told her two things: that her parents were home, and that they were having a good time.

“I can go home,” Jonathan offered, as though he’d finally realized their destination. “It’s not that far.”

“No,” Robin said decisively. “You’re gonna tell them how much you want to murder them for their veggies. They’ll love you.”

When she opened the front door, she was greeted with a mortifying, but totally expected sight: her dad grooving around the kitchen and singing along with the music while chopping vegetables.

“Maybe you’ll go away and never call,” he crooned, “and a taste of honey’s worse than none at all. Oh, in that case I don’t want no part, I do believe—”

He stopped when he saw them. A grin spread over his face.

“Rob!” he said. “And Jonathan Byers! Come on in. We made bran muffins.”

From Tonight, Tonight:

Anya cracked a smile, too, and reached out her arms to Miri. Soon the two of them were slow-dancing to the old-timey-strip-club arrangement and overwrought vocals.

“When you’re young and so in love as we, and bewildered by the world we see,” Anya sang, in a low, pleasant voice, while Miri giggled into her shoulder. “Why do people hurt us so? Only those in love will know, what a town without pity can do.”

Jonathan smiled, too, even as he kept one eye on the clock. He had options. He could suggest, in a nice, casual way, that they pick up the pace so they could all go home for Thanksgiving. (He knew himself. It wouldn’t come out nice or casual.) He could tell them that he had a long drive, maybe even that his mom was in a hospital with limited visiting hours. (This shouldn’t seem so unthinkable, not when Anya freely discussed her sick dad and Miri talked about how her own mom had kicked her out, but he couldn’t open that door.) He could tell them to go on home, lock up, and come back to finish cleaning up after dinner with Lonnie. (His bones ached just thinking about it. He’d probably do it.)

Or he could get off the stepladder, jump into the Pinto parked outside, and drive as far east or west as the car would take him. Forget the diner politics. Forget Lonnie’s offer of KFC and easy money. Forget well-meaning ex-hippie Ms. Lafitte, who’d sighed over his half-finished English assignment on Wednesday. Forget Gloria, who was eating turkey with her family in South Bend tonight while he drove all over the state for people who didn’t care about him.

No, he thought, blinking at the mustard dispenser. That wasn’t fair to Gloria, not when he knew how complicated her situation was. It definitely wasn’t fair to Mom. She didn’t always know him, but that wasn’t her fault.

[not-krys]

85. Spiral (Simeon & Miri)

Happy New Year! I'm gonna try and keep going with my resolution from last year and continue with my 100 Themes Challenge. Only one OC was sparking ideas with this theme, but that's okay! It's progress!

Raw, unedited writing below. Takes place around the beginning of Season 3 of OG Obey Me. Forewarning that there is going to be some talk of suicidal ideation.

-----

The little bell above the door jingled a small tune, catching Simeon's attention.

"Ah, sorry, we're-"

He then sees Miri's pink curly hair bouncing behind her as she closes the door.

"Well, there's a familiar face." He smiles as he wipes his hands on a small towel. "Welcome to the shop, Miri."

"Ah, thank you. I was worried when I saw the closed sign."

"Just taking a break to clean up after the lunch rush. And I sent Luke on an errand, so we'll be back open again in no time."

"That's good."

"Do you want anything? It's on the house."

"N-No, I'm okay."

"If you're sure? There's some apricot cake that's just about ready to serve for the rush hour crowd though, and I think you'll really like it."

He could see the conflict on her face, weighing in the options and he grinned. The Miriam he knew would never say no to sweets.

"Well… maybe just a small piece… please?"

Simeon laughed gently.

"Personally, I would have given you the entire cake if you'd ask me."

"I couldn't eat an entire cake by myself!"

"We do have to-go boxes, Miri."

"No, no, just a small piece! That's enough for me."

"Very well, then."

Simeon slipped into the back of the little cafe, the smell of baked cake and apricots filled the kitchen and drifted into the main eating area. Just as promised, he cut a small piece of the still warm cake, plating it smartly with some sides of other small fruit pieces. The tea he had started preparing was also finishing up, so he poured his guest a fresh cup, the floral scent tickling his nose.

When he returned to the dining area, he saw Miri staring at her left hand, twisting the ring on her finger.

"One small slice of apricot cake, just as requested." He said after a pause.

Miri's eyes lit up briefly, taking in the sight of the delicate sponge.

"Thank you, Simeon. It looks so good!"

"Well, I hope it tastes as good as it looks!" Simeon laughed as he sat across from her, setting down her cake and tea cup.

"It is good! Sweet but not too sugary sweet. "

"I'm glad you like it!"

The two sat in silence as Miri enjoyed her little treat. Simeon smiled warmly, happily seeing her enjoying herself. It wasn't that long ago he had to pull her away from Lucifer, both having the Night Dagger between them. His heart still races thinking back to that moment, two people that were precious to him were so bent on destroying themselves for the greater good, both in a spiraling depression. It didn't sit well with him any more than it did back then.

When Miri finished her cake, Simeon looked at the ring on her finger again. Though magic had shrunk it down to fit her, it still was quite the statement, large and ornate, and in an older style not quite known in the human world.

"How have you been doing, Miri?" Simeon asked. "Since you've come back to the Human Realm?"

"Good," she replied, "I'm surprised Diavolo allowed for Lucifer and the others to have a vacation here."

"I'm sure they begged him relentlessly for it." Simeon laughed, imagining the look on the Devil Prince's face when he was sure six begging puppy eyes and an exasperated seventh set asking to see their beloved human again.

"I think… they might've still be worried about me… after what happened after exams."

"You did give all of us the scare of our immortal lives."

He still remembers the way Luke cried when he thought his best human friend was dead, the way Miri was passed out for days after receiving the Ring of Light, the ring gracing her hand now.

"I was scared too. Really… really scared."

Simeon placed his hand on top of hers.

"It was a scary time. If you want to talk about it, I'm more than happy to listen."

"You were there, though."

"I wasn't in your head, so I couldn't know what you were thinking then."

She paused, looking down at her hand again.

"My head hurt… so did my heart. Everything was hurting…"

She took a breath.

"Holding the Night Dagger… Lucifer looking at me like that… I just… I couldn't do it."

Simeon nodded, tightening his hand on hers.

"Then, I had a thought… If it was me causing all of this… that if it was me that was going to destroy all the worlds…. then maybe I should be the one…. who should… who should…"

"Take your time, Miri. I'm right here."

"I knew I wasn't going to kill Lucifer… I couldn't… but… maybe… if it was me that… that disappeared… then… then things could go back to normal again."

Miri bit her lip, closing her eyes.

"I was ready to help the Devildom in any way I could… Everyone… Lucifer and everyone… Diavolo… And you and Luke too… if I could save all of you… then…"

She shuddered.

"But…" her lip quivered, "I am glad that… that you stopped me, Simeon."

His thumb rubbed the back of her hand.

"Lucifer wanted to stop me too, but… he would have stabbed himself if I'd let go of that … that stupid knife! He… he wanted my pain to stop, that's all it was… he wanted to stop my pain, even if it meant sacrificing himself…"

"Lucifer cares a lot about you."

"I-I know he does. We care a lot about each other. But… e-even using the Stay command… I- I couldn't stop him, not completely. I couldn't concentrate and… he's so much stronger me… I was so scared then, Simeon."

"Why were you scared?"

"I… Is it bad to say… that I was more scared of losing him than of all the realms getting destroyed?"

Simeon shook his head.

"Not at all. You love Lucifer. You care for each other, like I said. It wouldn't have been selfish for you to think that, especially in a moment like that."

"I hated myself then… that I was thinking more of not wanting to kill Lucifer rather than the greater good of the three realms. It was selfish of me."

"Not especially," said Simeon.

"Still, if you hadn't had come when you did…" Miri wiped at her eyes with her other hand.

"I'm glad that I could have helped both of you. I don't regret saving both of you."

"Again… thank you, Simeon. For helping us."

"I'd do it a hundred times if it was asked of me."

"And I'll thank you as many times as you do save us."

Simeon smiled, reaching out to brush aside her remaining tears.

"You're both special to me, Miri. If I can find a way to help you, I will."

"And, I'd do the same for you too!"

"Just be sure to not get into any more world-shattering trouble. Once was enough for all of us, I think."

Miri giggled softly.

"I'll try not to. I'm still getting used to having magic at all, so I don't know what that's going to entail for the future."

"Well, you have plenty of support behind you on your life's journey. We're here for you if you need us, all you have to do is reach out your hand and ask."

"Thank you, again, Simeon."

"My pleasure."

Miri smiled again, putting her hand on top of Simeon's.

"And, if you need it, I want you to reach out to me too. I've still got a lot to learn, but I hope that I can be someone you can rely on too."

"You already are." he said gently, "Even if you don't know it, you do help me in ways that both warm my heart and set my mind at ease."

Miri nodded and pulled her hands back, taking the delicate tea cup in her palms.

"It's cooled a little bit."

"I can make some more if you want."

"No, that's okay. You'll need to get back to work soon, right?"

"As soon as Luke gets back, so I've got plenty of time."

"What kind of errand did you send him on?"

"Supply order. We some more things for the cafe and I think he wanted the excuse to go outside."

"It is a beautiful day outside."

"Do you have any plans with the brothers this afternoon?"

"…No, not really."

"You can stay here, if you want to. I'm sure Luke would like to see you too."

[dk-wren]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "dk-wren"?

Hello Anon!

Thank you so much for the ask. I really wish I kept better track of the fics I've read and enjoyed for myself, as well as to answer your question a little better. The 10 I've chosen represent both a mix of my all time favorites and some of my recent favs.

(I'll link all of them at the bottom of the post for the sake of formatting and to help with the flow of reading. Also, if you are the author for one of the fics I've listed and would like to be tagged, please let me know! I'd be more than happy to!)

Buddy Daddies

Let's Make this Last Forever & Practice Makes Perfect by ZsBrainrot

Love these fics as they both explore Rei and Kazuki's relationship and some of their earlier moments as a couple (or as they begin to realize their feelings for each other). Love their other BD works too, but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say these are my favorites from Z.

Every Reason Not To by Jenanigans1207

Just a sweet little fic of Kazuki talking to Rei about how he is nothing like his father and that he is loved and wanted by both Miri and him.

Bolt from the Blue by AlexiasRei

Fun crossover with Spy x Family and the Forger family. Also, love how all the parents get a little slice of action to show off their (some more than others) hidden identities.

Spy x Family

Cold. by MyriadOfThings

I remember this being one of the first Spy x Family fics I read and it has continued to stand out to me. The angst of Twilight still having to leave the Forger family after Operation Strix was a success, seeing Yor as Thorn Princess going to any length to find out where her husband is, and the ending!

The Woman in Red by nightofmynyx8

I think this was the first series I read on AO3 as it was being released. Literally, remember being so excited whenever I saw a new chapter dropped. Also, loved seeing Yor take center stage in this mission and protective Loid.

Trigun/Trigun Stampede

Take Care by Lunarame

I'm always interested in how different artists explore Vash's wings and how he reacts to their appearance. For most of his life, Vash has constantly been on the run, so I love the tenderness of Wolfwood just wanting to take care of Vash and his wings in this fic.

Waiting at that shallow grave by riotintheheartt

I really enjoyed this piece from the Vashwood Big Bang that took place recently (and still might be taking place). This is the first one I started and quickly fell in love with it. I was super intrigued by the premise and loved how it was told in a non-linear way.

Banana Fish

I always wanted to protect you - Flying by Enora_Wings

Shorelines by snowcapped_detours

Guess who just watched Banana Fish? Me! And guess who's been reading fics to cope? Also me! Jokes aside, these represent some of my more recent faves, especially for the Banana Fish fandom. It's also fun(?) because they sorta represent two sides of the scenario of what if Ash reunited with Eiji.

As for your second question, Anon, yes, there is a story behind my name Dakota (or DK) Wren.

Dakota (and the nickname DK) was the name of my favorite doll growing up. Looking back, I realized how much the scenarios I would imagine in my head and how I would dress her should've been a big indicator of the geeky, fandom lover I am today. I knew others would play like school or mall with their dolls, and then you had me dressing her up and pretending she was going to SDCC, Star Wars Celebration, etc. In a way, playing with Dakota when I was little was the first time I could really embrace this side of my personality without feeling the need to simmer it down or pull back on how I expressed my love for all these things. That's why, when creating this name, I knew right away I wanted Dakota incorporated in some way.

As for the "last name," Wren, that was pulled from one of, if not my favorite character, Sabine Wren from Star Wars Rebels. I discussed why I love Sabine so much and what she means to me in a previous post, but basically, I loved how she used art as a form of resistance. For her, the power of art could cause as much change as physical power. And for someone who spends a lot of time in the arts, I just really loved this aspect of her. Likewise, I loved how she was portrayed in Star Wars Rebels as this character who was both strong and emotionally vulnerable. The complexities of her past, and how she must deal with them in the present, is what caused me to love her even more. Since Dakota Wren was going to be my pen/writer name, the way her artistic side is emphasized throughout Rebels, and my general love for her, is what caused me to pick Wren as the second part of my name.

.

.

.

Thank you again for the ask! I hope you enjoy the fics if you take the time to read them. I've only really gotten into reading fics from these fandoms (even though I'm in a few more) so I apologize if you were hoping for fics from a fandom I didn't list above. Also, if you (or anyone else) has any fic recs from these fandoms, please send them my way!

Thank you as well for asking about the story behind my name, it was really fun to talk about! Maybe not the most interesting or elaborate, but both parts of my name mean a lot to me, so I'm glad I could share the story of how I created my name!

-Dakota Wren

Links to the all the listed fics:

[heartlessfujoshi]

flufftober day 12 - kazurei 'say it back'

Title: Say It Back Chapter: 3 of 6 Fandom: Buddy Daddies Pairing: KazuRei (Kurusu Kazuki x Suwa Rei) Rating: Teen (Love Confessions - Domesticated Fluff - Fluff - Kisses) WordCount: ~2,105 Prompt: Fire & Ice

Read: Ch 1 Ch 2

---

Kazuki struggled to stay awake, reaching for his sixth? Sixth cup of coffee. Or maybe it was his seventh. He lost count, and was barely jittery now. His exhaustion was swiftly catching up, but he was so close to finishing their costumes, that he couldn’t stop now. The end was in sight. He could do this. 

Miri had informed them earlier this evening that tomorrow was a parents day at her school, and that it was going to be a costume party to celebrate Halloween early. Very early, as it was going to be the middle of the month in a few days' time. But it was fine - Kazuki worked well under pressure. Especially with Rei being gone tonight on a solo hit job, while he stayed at home and took care of Miri, and got her ready for bed, all by himself. And then had come back down to the dining room table and got to work on their costumes for tomorrow. 

Looking at Miri’s notebook, he saw a note from Miss Anna that had been over a week ago letting them know of the event tomorrow. “I gotta read this more.” Kazuki sighed, picking up his ruler to finish cutting an item for his costume. Miri had made the suggestion what she wanted her papas to be, and he was going to make sure that they were somewhat passable. 

The front door opened, but he was too busy cutting to turn around and greet Rei. He had a pencil stuck between his teeth, needing it there for quicker reach, as he needed to adjust his measurements. “You’re still awake.” Rei commented, coming into the dining room area. “What’s all this?” 

He pulled the pencil from his mouth after he finished cutting, and pointed to the piles. “Miri is having a party at school tomorrow, and we’re invited.” 

“And?” Rei looked at him, eyebrows raised up. “Why are you cutting things?” 

“We need to wear costumes.” 

“Miri?” 

“All of us.” He pointed to the pile that was Rei’s costume. “Look, it’s the best I can do on such short notice. I’m falling asleep, but I’m going to finish.” 

“Do you want help?” Rei came over to him, and kissed the nape of his neck. It was becoming more common that Rei would show small signs of affection towards him since they’d come back from staying in the woods. Rei began to sleep in his bedroom with him, Kazuki not bothering to ask about it as he was getting used to having Rei beside him. It was a natural transition. Sometimes, Miri would join them in the middle of the night, after having a bad nightmare. It was strange how easy it was to fall into this routine. 

Turning his head, he reached for Rei’s hand and saw that there was dried blood on it. “Are you hurt?” He asked, worry now replacing the need to sleep, as he became much more alert. “Rei, did something happen?” 

“I’m fine.” Rei pulled his hand away, and went to the kitchen. He turned on the water, hissing as he held it under the steady stream. “Got nicked, that’s all.” 

“But did the job go okay?” 

“Yes.” Rei shut the water off. “I’ll go see Kyuu tomorrow.” 

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. We could use the money right now.” 

“I know. I’m taking as many jobs as I can.” 

“I know you are.” 

Kazuki wished he could be back out, contributing to their funds but someone had to watch Miri. And he knew that Rei liked her, but wasn’t really into the responsibility thing. It was fine. They all had their own weaknesses. One day, he’d leave Miri with him, but now was not the time. Rei had watched her plenty of times before, but not for an extended period of time. Kazuki knew the day would come where it would have to happen. It was a day he was dreading, but after spending more intimate moments with Rei, he knew it wouldn’t be too difficult of a challenge for him. Although Miri really could be a handful. 

He finished up the costumes, and leaned back in the seat. “I really hope that her costume is perfect.” 

“It will be.” 

“How do you know?” He lifted his head, and saw Rei was sitting on the couch, staring out the window. 

“Because you made it for her.” 

His entire body grew warm at the compliment, not at all ready to receive it. “Want to go to bed?” 

“I’ll be up there soon. I need to shower.” 

“Okay, Rei.” He respected the need to come down from a job, and would leave him alone.

He dragged his body up the flight of stairs, and got into his pajamas before lying down in bed. Fifteen minutes later, he heard the shower turn on, and settled into his pillows, letting sleep claim him for a little while, as he was a light sleeper and would no doubt wake up when Rei came to bed. 

A strong arm found its way to his stomach, startling him out of his slumber. “Hmmm.” He mumbled, trying to get his bearings. 

“It’s me.” Rei’s voice tickled his ear. He smiled, happy to have Rei in bed with him again. “Go back to sleep.” 

“But you’re here now.” He turned his head, and found a comfortable spot in Rei’s arms. “Took a long shower.” 

“Had to.” 

“You are hurt, aren’t you?” Kazuki woke up, needing to see Rei’s body for himself. “Show me.” 

“Kaz.” 

“Show me.” 

Rei turned on the light, and didn’t hide his scarred torso from him. He’d seen his scars plenty of times - Rei tended to work out on the treadmill downstairs without a shirt on. And, now that they were becoming more intimate with one another, he knew where every groove and indentation was on his chest. The bullet wound near his shoulder. The lacerations that he’d received as a child that he still won’t talk about. And now, there was a fresh cut on his side, and a substantial bruise around it. 

“Ouch.” His fingers touched the green coloring, as it was already a pretty bad bruise. “Does it hurt?” 

“Only when you touch it.” He could hear the slight pain in Rei’s voice. “Kaz, don’t.” 

He lowered his head, and left a kiss near where the bruising began. ��You don’t need stitches do you?” 

“No. And why are you doing that?” Rei asked, a shaky breath leaving his mouth. 

“I kiss Miri’s wounds like this. She says they make her feel better.” He leaves another kiss near the wound. “Does it make you feel better?” 

“It makes me feel something.” 

Kazuki smirked, then reached over to turn off the light. “Let me help you with that, then?” 

“I’d love it if you did.” 

They fell asleep a little after their adult time, Kazuki holding Rei in his arms now, letting him sleep comfortably on his chest. He was glad that Rei wasn’t hurt too badly, but if any of the kids knocked into him tomorrow, it was going to be a problem. One that he was going to make sure he was on top of, so it didn’t happen. 

“Papas!” Miri threw the door open just as Kazuki’s alarm began to go off. “It’s costume day!” 

“It is!” He sat up, as he knew Miri was running towards the bed. She flung herself to be up on his side, and he quickly caught her before she could fall. “Papa stayed up all night to make sure your costume is the best one.” 

“What about yours?” Miri asked, snuggling close to his neck. She hugged him tight. “You have to have good costumes too!” 

“Don’t worry, Miri-chan.” He booped her nose with the tip of his finger. “Let’s get you ready first, okay?” 

“Okay, Papa!” She looked over at Rei, who was struggling to wake up. “Morning, Rei Papa!” 

“Morning, Miri.” Rei yawned. “Need help?” 

“I’m okay. You get a few more minutes in.” He picked up Miri, and carried her to her bathroom. “Let’s get our princess ready!” 

Miri had had one request for her costume. She wanted to be Elsa, and she wanted ‘Kazuki Papa’ to be someone similar. Rei Papa had to be someone that he resembled. Which, given the items that Kazuki had on hand, meant he was going to be one thing, and one thing only. 

“Look at you!” Kazuki clapped for Miri, as she twirled around in her store bought Elsa costume. “You look beautiful!” 

“Thank you, Papa!” She laughed. “Now you go get dressed!” 

“I will, Miri. Let’s get you some breakfast first.” 

“Okay!” 

He fed Miri, then headed back upstairs, where Rei was already getting dressed. He covered his mouth, trying hard not to laugh as Rei got his costume on. “I cannot believe you.” Rei sulked, putting on the last part of his costume. “Do you match?” 

“With Miri.” 

“Kaz.” 

“Her idea”! He threw his hands up in the air, as if that was his only defense. “You look great.” 

“No, I don’t.” 

Rei was dressed as a devil. It was the easiest costume that he could create on the fly, and it was perfect, as his devil went with his own costume. He put his items on, and then turned around for Rei. “Well? What do you think?” 

“You’re wearing all blue.” Rei deadpanned. 

“Yes! Because I’m Jack Frost!” He grinned, and got his socks on. “Miri wanted me to match her Elsa, and I figured Jack Frost was going to be good.” 

“I’m fire. You’re ice.” 

He grinned. “You got it.” 

Rei chuckled. “That’s dumb.” 

“But it got you to laugh.” He knew it was a silly concept, but he was glad that Rei got the reference for the both of them. “Now, come on. Miri is going to wonder where we are.” 

“Lead the way, Mr. Frost.” 

Miri clapped her hands when she saw the two of them. “Perfect, papa!” 

“Do you think so?” He asked, hoping she was happy. From the smile on her face, he knew that she was. “Will Miss Anna be happy?” 

“She will!” 

They took Kyuu’s car to the school, and made it just as other families were walking in. Everyone was dressed in a variety of costumes. One family was dressed as a few characters from Toy Story. One family was dressed in a couples’ costume, while their son was dressed as a construction worker. It was a large variety of different costumes, which meant that Kazuki and Rei didn’t stick out as much as he feared they would. 

There was a costume parade, and then they were served lunch. After lunch, they went on a trick-or-treat trail around the courtyard, the kids all excited they were getting candy earlier than the 31st. At the end of the day, Miri’s Elsa’s dress was torn in three different places, but Kazuki didn’t care. All he cared about was that she was having a great time. 

“I think we should wear these again on Halloween.” Rei commented, after they’d gone over to Kyuu’s shop and returned his car, and Rei got paid for his hit the night before. “Go out and celebrate.” 

“We don’t celebrate.” 

“We could.” 

It sounded tempting. “Let’s see what Miri wants to do?” She was fast asleep in his arms, as he carried her back to the apartment. 

“That sounds fair.” 

She stayed sound asleep until it was dinnertime, and then woke up to eat. Rei bathed her, allowing him to relax on the couch after a very long day of having to be on with all the parents, who were all very nice. It had been a fun event, and one he was glad was over now. 

Rei came back downstairs, went to the kitchen to grab two beers, then handed one to Kazuki before sitting down. “Do you think we’ll have to get another costume for her for actual Halloween?” 

“Shhhh.” He cracked open his beer, and then after taking a sip, he rested his head on Rei’s shoulder. No one had bumped into him, allowing his bruise to heal on its own. “I don’t want to think about that right now. Ask me again this weekend.” 

A soft chuckle left Rei’s mouth, making him smile as Rei never really laughed. “Fine, Kaz.” 

They sat on the couch, Rei flipping through channels while Kazuki enjoyed his beer, and the peace and quiet for the moment. He knew that tomorrow would bring another problem, but for now, this problem had been handled, and everyone was happy. Especially him. 

---

Cross-posted to AO3

[askundeadbluelesbians]

The Break Up

By WD2021

Miranda sighed heavily.

She was sitting in the living room of the apartment she and Liam had been renting for a few months. At first, she’d insisted on staying in the royal palace, but Liam had managed to convince her an apartment would be better, at least at first. He wanted to move slowly and thought that living together in a monarchial capital might be… a bit much. Fortunately, with a bit of money on both their ends, they’d caught a very nice loft.

At first, things had been great. Miranda and Liam had been very much in love and were constantly spending time together. They were seeing movies, playing games, having great conversations. Liam seemed to let down his air of smugness around her and enjoyed simply… being. They’d even invited some of their friends from high school over to the apartment from time to time, since they kept in touch with most of them.

But after the first few months, things seemed to… die down, almost. It seemed to have started when Miranda started attending Monstropolis University; Liam enrolled as well, but he had to take night classes, due to scheduling conflicts. Because their classes were at completely different time frames, they barely saw each other between sleeping and being in class. At first, they’d relegated their couple activities to the weekends, but within a few weeks, they’d withdrawn into themselves. Even on weekends, they mostly just ended up avoiding each other.

Now, they only really interacted with each other when they passed each other in the hall. They didn’t fight, didn’t resent each other, they just… didn’t interact at all. They didn’t even eat together anymore, thanks to their complete opposite schedules.

Secretly, Miranda was worried Liam had become bored with her. He was prone to gaining and losing interest in people like his “tastes.” Is that what happened? Did Liam merely think she was a fad that he had no reason to continue indulging in?

Right now, it was a little past 11 o’clock at night, so Liam was in class. She’d decided to stay up and wait for him so they could talk about it. Admittedly, maybe trying to confront Liam about their relationship problems when he was tired from a day of schooling wasn’t the best idea, but she knew there was going to be no better time.

The real challenge was just trying to kill time and keep her anxiety at bay. She’d flipped through the TV channels about a million times, but nothing good seemed to be on. Even when she found something she liked, she could still feel the stress gnawing away at her brain, every possible bad outcome running over and over again in her head until she did anything else just to temporarily distract her.

Finally, just as the clock read a little past one in the morning, she heard the door lock turning.

“Okay… here we go.” She took a deep breath, trying to keep her nerves in check. The last thing she wanted to do was panic and scare Liam off from a potential discussion.

Liam stepped into the foyer and looked surprised to see Miranda sitting on the couch. “Oh… hey, Miri, I didn’t think you’d be up. Why aren’t you asleep?”

A perfect opening. “Well… I wanted to talk about some things, and I thought it would be better to do it now rather than later.”

Liam grimaced. “Oh… uh, I don’t know, Miri, it’s late—well, early, technically, but—well, you know what I mean, and I’m really—”

“Liam.” She looked at him with dead seriousness. Her eyes weren’t wide or begging, but they held a seriousness to them she wasn’t typically known for. “Please. We need to talk. If we don’t now, I’m afraid I’ll lose my nerve and we never will.”

He tried prying his eyes away, tried to tell her, “No.” He knew exactly what this conversation would entail, and where it would lead. But no matter how hard he tried…

“Okay, Miranda. We’ll talk.”

It was impossible to tell her no.

As Liam sat down next to her on the couch, she tried to figure out how to start. Truth be told, she’d never actually thought ahead of just getting him to agree to talk. Now that he was sitting here, her heart was pounding hard, afraid of messing up and scaring him off.

���Okay. Um… I’ve been feeling… sad, lately, I guess? I don’t know if that’s the right word, but, I just haven’t been feeling well, and things have been odd at home, and I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t—” Miranda was stumbling over her words, trying to find the right ones, and her breathing began to quicken. Liam’s face betrayed sympathy, and he laid a hand over hers.

“Miri… it’s okay. Just breathe, and… tell me what you think.”

Looking at him for a moment before smiling sadly, she took his advice. She breathed in… held it for a moment… exhaled… and started over.

“Liam, lately I’ve felt we’ve drifted. We never do anything anymore. I know I’m new to this whole thing… but that’s not good, is it?” Liam ran a hand through his hair.

“Well… it’s not terribly uncommon, but… no. It’s not great,” he answered.

The pit in Miranda’s stomach started growing larger and more dread-inducing as she approached the question she was afraid to ask. “Liam… I’m going to ask you something… and I want you to promise me you’ll answer honestly.”

“What? What are you—?”

“Please.” She looked straight into his eyes again. “Promise me.” Liam blinked and nodded.

“Yeah, okay. I promise.”

She felt the question catch in her throat as her eyes threatened to flood her cheeks with tears. Choking down her emotion, she forced her mouth to speak the words. “Are you… bored of me? Is… is that what’s wrong? Was I just… a new fad that’s become popular? Is it not… is it not cool to like me anymore?”

Liam was clearly caught off-guard. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was open slightly agape. “I…” He looked down and a light violet tinted his cheeks. “Miranda, I… have I been making you feel that way?”

Looking down, she stayed silent as tears ran down her cheeks. She refused to look up.

She felt his hands on her face, and he slowly lifted her eyes up to him. She could see his own eyes were moist, and his face was twisted with regret.

“Miri, I am so sorry… I had no idea you were blaming yourself, I just thought… well, I didn’t know what I thought.” He looked at her a little more intensely now. “But you listen to me when I say this, this is not your fault. Okay? You have done nothing wrong. We’re drifting apart, and… it hurts. But it is not your fault. And I’m telling the truth.”

Tears began anew as she hugged him tight. For once, he didn’t pretend to be above it or jokingly give her a half-hug. He hugged her back, tightly and comfortingly. As she sobbed into his shoulder, he just held her, and whispered, “It’s alright. It’s alright…”

After a few minutes, she was able to pull away and saw streaks down Liam’s own cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t mean—”

“Miri, don’t apologize. Please.” Liam held her hands. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. And I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me.”

Miranda looked down a little. “Then… if that’s not what the problem is… what is? Why are we so… weird around each other now? I don’t understand.”

Liam leaned back in his seat. “To be honest, Miri… I don’t fully understand myself. There’s nothing we’re fighting about, it’s not like we’re resentful of each other, we’re just… drifting apart.”

For a minute, the two of them sat there, in an uncomfortable silence, not sure what was to come next. “Then… what do we do? If there’s no problem to fix… how can we?”

Liam sighed. “I don’t know if we… can, Miri.”

“Then… is it over? Are we… finished?” Thinking for a minute, Liam reached over and grabbed her hand.

“Miri, I want to be clear about something. You are a very important person to me, and you always will be. I still want you in my life. But I think maybe we’re just going in different directions. It’s not just our schedules are lining up; you want to help people; you’re working to become a therapist. And that’s amazing, I’m so proud of you for it. But my life… just isn’t that.”

Miranda nodded. “I… understand. So, in the interest of maintaining a friendship, I think perhaps it’s best if we… broke up.” Her voice cracked at the dreaded words. Liam’s eyes filled up again, but he looked down and forced himself to blink them away.

“Yeah. I think… I think maybe that would be best.”

Silence again. Then Miranda asked, “What do we do now?” Liam closed his eyes.

“This weekend, I’ll get some movers to come over. You can have the apartment, and I’ll find a place somewhere else in the city. You still have my phone number, so you can call me anytime you want. For tonight, I think I’ll find a hotel and—”

“No.” She grabbed his hands and looked at him, pleadingly. “Please, Liam. This is our last night as a couple. Please, just… just stay with me. Tonight. For our last night.”

Once again… he tried to convince himself to say no. That it was a bad idea, that they might change their minds and prolong this charade that everything was okay. But…

“Okay, Miri. Let’s go to bed.”

It was impossible to tell her no.

[helloitsari]

First time posting something like this hope it’s worth it

Name: Arian Ropesu

Quirk: still stealth

This is a quirk that involves a lot of thinking ,coordination and focus to use this quirk you must stand entirely still then you can move you mind around without noise or sound but if you break the focus on you have to restart so yes this quirk may seem powerful it has limited ability you can only use it for an hour then you get shot back In your body also just because it’s your mind doesn’t mean you can walk through walls your mind acts like a second body but no one can see you or hear you(also Ari does get motion sick so quirk won’t work in moving vehicles and this is just an obstacle that she will over come when becoming a pro) Gender:female Age: 15 Info: go’s to ua high school general studies(was able to make the hero course)student. Hates all general studies students bc they down the next generation of hero’s(will be given an opportunity to switch when one of the students gets kicked out). Also the top of her class in strength,speed,iq,(etc).All of this is after class 1a/1b are in class 3a/3b (aizawa is probably retired maybe maybe not let’s see when season 7ends). HER HERO ACADEMIA Arian has always wanted to be a hero she never wanted anything else more. she was very young when she learned that quirks run our society. One day she would learn how hard being a hero would be….To be continued.

“Her hero academia” Chapter 1. My mom yelled as I was training “Ari get out of your world your ua entrance exams are today” i left from my focus zone and hurried Downstairs ate breakfast with my mother and little sister as our dad was on tour. My family is quite well know not because of our quirks because of our talents my dad is a guitarist for a band he’s been in since middle course. My mother is a artist she left the art industry after having me. My sister is a grade school girls basketball camp. Me I’m the black witch because when I was younger I use to use my quirk to mess around with people. Anyways we’re here ua entrance exams “Why do I feel intimidated”. I mumbled in a weird way I guess I heard someone next to me whisper I looked at them and I didn’t say anything but they also looked at me they gave me a weird look. I mean i know I didn’t know them so that’s probably why. I started walking to the exam room very big. A blonde person that was kinda loud but I wasn’t hear to complain I taking the hero exam and hoping I make it in. I only defeated 2 robots I knew I would not be making into the hero course. But what happened after I was sent a welcome invitation to ua general studies. I was freaking out because I don’t think they just gave this to everyone who doesn’t past the exam I knew they saw my ability at least I hope.

“The walk” Chapter. I got my uniform on walked out of my dorm rooms oh did I not mention there are dorms for ua students after a couple o third years there first year they got attacked by villains so they built dorms for safety. So I’ve been living in the dorms for one week now and my class is a interesting one there is a certain group that is mad about the ones who only wanted to be in the hero course. students be handed a general studies spot because they saw “potential” in these students and didn’t make the hero track. I learned that I need to ignore them or they won’t listen quit talking. Not that me and my. Class aren’t close I just wanted to get to the school maybe meet people outside our track. And I did while walking I met Miri a hero course student she loved talking about mouses Her quirk is called mouse so I see why but she’s passionate about being a hero she’s very short like she’s as tall as a middle course student I say. She goes and looks at me asking why I choose general studies and what my quirk was so I just lied to her i know I shouldn’t but I did “so Arian what’s your quirk and why general studies?” I said my quirk was something simple like being able to see around me it wasn’t really a lie. Then I said I choose general studies because I had to choose something. Then we approached the school and what awaited next would change my point of view on hero’s….

“Hero’s?”

Chapter 3

“Wow what a school-“ Miri said with a smile she sounded surprised but I guess must just be here adrenaline boosting. I went straight to class but I wasn’t there for long I used my quirk to check out the hero classes I just wanted to know what was going on. I noticed Miri yelling at that one boy that gave me that glare during the exam. “I hate him” I lost focus and was immediately questioned after I fully returned to my body every thought I was dead apparently. “Are you okay” a girl in my class asked I don’t remember her name. Then a boy said “roko please she was probably spacing out.” He mumbled something after but I wasn’t paying attention. Roko? I remember her she stuck up for me in the dorm night we had when everyone moved in the dorms. Because this boy was picking on me because I was a h course which I think means hero course but I didn’t understand roko said “Leyon stop being rude!” I Snapped out of my thoughts and said “stop talking like I’m not here.” That made the stop arguing and then our teacher walked in it was the archer hero arch I guess it was cool to have a pro be out teacher but my other classmates weren’t impressed the seemed to hate any hero that wasn’t endeavor but this school had a lot in store…

[to-be-frank-i-dont-care]

After everything they told us, I didn’t think the stories would be true

When we were children the stories were innocent. Harmless. We used to laugh about them as we played on the borders of the forest. The stories didn’t scare us, because they had existed in our village for decades. At that point they were mere myths, tales that even the youngest children were not afraid of. They weren’t real. They couldn’t be.

People in our village died quickly. Once you reached a certain age, usually around fifty to sixty, it wasn’t long before “old age” claimed you. “Old age,” because we didn’t know that most people were supposed to live for much longer. But in our village, that was just how it went. That was how it had always been, so we never questioned it.

By the time we had grown up, the generation before us had all passed away. It was just us left, to have children and pass the stories of our youth on to them. Well— just us, except for an elderly man who had somehow lived past his sixties. He liked to make predictions, sitting in his weathered rocking chair. “They’re coming,” he told us. “They’re almost here.” We laughed. He didn’t tell us anything else.

We buried him a week later, after he was discovered prostrate on his front porch, his head imploded. His house was strange, full of dust and old relics. We found strange runes carved in the walls, hidden behind framed and yellowed photographs. None of us could read the runes. We left his house empty by the road, to rot and collect more dust.

The dreams started soon after. Hands, clawing up bare and blackened walls. Dark sludge trickling across tiled floors and vanishing down hungry drains. Empty bathrooms, the mirrors cracked and covered in illegible words. The feeling that something was always right behind you, in those abandoned nightmare rooms.

We didn’t talk about the dreams, but somehow we all knew about them. Footsteps began haunting our evenings. Quiet, soft pacing up above our heads. We all lived in one-story houses. The footsteps kept us awake, dragging up and down, vanishing with the dawn.

Some of us heard soft screams at night, followed by gurgling, like someone far away had been dragged into a miry, strangling pond. Scratches were found in the mud around the lake, deep and long and dragging. Objects went missing, and shadows slipped out of sight. I myself found an axe, lying on my front doorstep. The blade was tinged brown. I threw it deep into the forest and didn’t tell anyone.

The forest.

A woman went in there one day, shortly after it all started. Those who last saw her claimed she appeared to be asleep, a strange smile on her face. She disappeared into the dark and yawning trees, and the leaves swallowed her. They didn’t give her back.

The lake to the north of the village seemed to be getting larger, somehow. Deeper. Darker. One of the children fell in one day. They tried to save him, but when they dove under to grab him the only thing they could see was a black abyss, opening beneath them like an endless mouth. They never found the child.

They’re coming, the old man had said. He was referring to the stories, of course. The ones we grew up hearing, the ones we laughed about. They’re almost here, he said. We didn’t believe him.

They’re coming.

But who were they? The stories never specified. They just spoke of things, things deep in the forest, things beneath the waters. Things that howled in the silence of the night. Things that dragged you into the darkness forever.

We don’t know what they are.

Just yesterday a man tried to kill several of us. The tension gets to you. It knots between your shoulder blades and lodges painfully in your throat. He stabbed a few people. We hope they will live, but the graveyard is hungry. It wants more food.

These days the shadows are longer. The hours are quieter. The few children do not run and play. They are terrified for their lives. We adults look at each other warily. We speak very little, and when we do the silence shatters like glass.

The forest calls to us. The water beckons us. The days burn long and hot and eerie. Always we are thinking of the stories, trying to decipher what is happening. Always we are trying to figure out what they mean.

They are coming, the old man said.

Things that howl in the silence. Things that drag you into the depths. They haunt the bare and darkened rooms in our dreams, although we never see them. We try to hide. The days are long. The nights are longer. The footsteps do not cease. The nightmares fill our sleep.

They are coming.

They are already here.