#my own surrounding so i need to gear up and tell everyone that they are actively contributing to make the world a little bit worse 🥰🥰🥰

[capriszn]

banning the word girl from my vocabulary for good thanks 😉

[goldfades]

Quinn Hughes x equipment manager reader smut? Maybe it’s the start of the season so the reader is helping him get all his gear fitted and situated and she’s calling him “cap” and “captain” and he ends up feeling some type of way 😈

✮ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐂, quinn hughes

♡ ─ word count | 1.8k

♡ ─ warnings | unedited (when is it?) unprotected sex (tap it before u tap it kids), p in v, pretty fluffy, cute quinn, lmk if i missed anything

♡ ─ taglist | @dancerbailey3 @valluvsu @daisysnhl @dasiysthings @iminlovewithtz11 @literatureluster @lvrzegras @lxvleyzoe

♡ ─ ev's notes | sorry for the late answer, nonnie, but i hope you enjoyed!!!!

You and Quinn had always had some kind of tension between you. You could never place on why, but you sure had an idea.

You were very attracted him, and everyone could tell. I mean, who could blame you? He was so gorgeous and not only that, he was so nice to you. Despite the unspoken tension, Quinn always treated you with a warmth that left you wondering if he felt something too. Your interactions were laced with a playful teasing, leaving you both excited and frustrated. It was a delicate dance, a push and pull that kept you on the edge of anticipation. As time went on, you couldn't help but wonder if your he had felt it too.

As the season kicks off, you find yourself spending more time with Quinn, helping him get all his gear fitted and anything else the team needed. You stand beside him, both focused on the task at hand. The scent of freshly worn sports equipment hangs in the air as you adjust the straps and fastenings. The process is weirdly intimate, each adjustment bringing you closer in proximity. Quinn's easy-going demeanor remains intact as you help him.

The strong scent of freshly polished leather and the distant echoes of the team gearing up in the locker room as Quinn smiles, appreciation evident in the way he smiles.

Quinn glances over at you, a playful glint in his eye. "Thanks for the help. I swear, I never get these straps right on my own. You're the best."

You blush at the praise as your lips curve into a smile, your fingers deftly adjusting the last buckle. "No problem, Quinn. Consider it my secret talent, master of the gear fittings."

He grins, flexing his fingers in the newly adjusted gloves. "Well, I appreciate your expertise, Y/N." Your name rolled off his tongue slowly and you both made eye contact. He was smiling as he gazed back you and you could feel yourself get red, you immediately break the eye contact.

Comfortable silence fills the room as you start gathering everything back where it's supposed to go. Quinn clears his throat and continues, "So, any predictions for this season?" he asks, his eyes scanning the room as if sizing up the competition.

You look up at him as you picked up something from the floor, responding. "I'm feeling optimistic. And with you as the captain, I think we're in for the best season we've had for a while."

Quinn's grin widens at your words, and a subtle pride glows in his eyes. "Well, I'll do my best to lead us to victory. But it's not just about me; it's about the whole team working together."

You knew he was just trying to be humble, but you knew he was proud. "Okay Mr. Modest, you know you're the shit, right?"

Quinn's laughter fills the room, a warm sound that eases any lingering tension. "Well, someone's got to keep my ego in check. Wouldn't want my head to get too big."

You join in his laughter, enjoying the easy banter. As the last piece of equipment finds its place, you catch Quinn's eye again. The shared moment of amusement lingers, and you can sense a shift in the air – a subtle acknowledgment of the tension between you.

The two of you stand in the quiet locker room, surrounded by the tangible energy of anticipation for the upcoming season. Quinn leans against a locker, still smiling. "You know, I may not say it as much as I would want, but I appreciate your help. We all do, without you, we wouldn't know how to do anything."

Quinn chuckles, and the locker room seems to shrink into an intimate space shared between just the two of you. "Maybe not completely helpless, but you make it a lot smoother for all of us. It's like having a secret weapon on our side."

You roll your eyes playfully. "A secret weapon, huh? I think you're exaggerating a bit."

He pushes himself off the locker, closing the distance between you. "Not at all. You have a way of making even the most mundane tasks enjoyable. It's a talent, not anyone can do that."

The air becomes charged with a different kind of tension, one that's laced with unspoken feelings. Quinn's compliment goes beyond the teasing, and you feel a warmth spreading through you. The playful dynamic shifts into a more genuine connection, and you find yourself caught in the intensity of his gaze.

"Thanks, Cap," you respond, the nickname slipping out naturally.

Quinn's eyes hold yours, and there's a flicker of something in his expression. "Cap, huh? I like the sound of that."

You raise an eyebrow, teasing. "Oh, now you're asking for it. Captain Quinn, our fearless leader."

He laughs again, but this time there's a subtle hint of desire in his smile. "You know, I may have underestimated the power of a good nickname. It suits you."

Quinn's laughter fades, and a charged silence lingers between you. The air seems thick with anticipation, and you notice a shift in Quinn's demeanor. There's a subtle intensity in his gaze, a desire that mirrors your own.

His eyes, now filled with a hint of desire, lock onto yours. "You're more than just a manager, Y/N. There's something about you that makes everything... interesting."

You can feel your heart beating faster as the unspoken connection between you intensifies. The nickname hangs in the air, a symbol of the closeness you've built. Quinn's smile turns more intimate, and the shift in dynamics becomes undeniable.

"Well, Captain Quinn," you say, your voice a whisper, "I've heard interesting is good."

Quinn's hand gently lifts your chin, his touch sending a shiver down your spine. "Very good, actually," he murmurs.

You reach up, fingers grazing the collar of his jersey, and Quinn's breath catches. The unspoken tension between you evolves into a something deeper. The tension becomes palpable, and in that charged moment, Quinn closes the remaining distance, his lips meeting yours in a deep kiss.

Quinn's hands find their way to your waist, pulling you closer, and the world outside the locker room fades away. The connection you've felt, now manifesting physically, makes his touch right now south.

One of his hands go to cup your face, pulling you impossibly closer to him. The kiss is deep and passionate, just the way you'd imagined. He pulls away and you both breathe heavily.

"You're a good kisser, Captain." You tease quietly and it was like something in him clicked, he let out another exhale as his eyes turned into something more than just desire.

"Fuck, say that again." Quinn whispers back, his voice carrying desperation and need.

You didn't know he was into that and it took you aback to watch Quinn be so desperate. "Kiss me again, Captain."

He didn't hesitate, he pulled you in again and this time, the kiss was desperate and sloppy. He let out a hum in your kiss as he slowly walked you back into the locker, holding you against it. His hand moved up to hold your neck as he kissed you deeper, making you let out a whimper into the kiss.

He start grinding against you and you immediately felt his hard-on on top of your stomach. You didn't know it was that easy to rile him up, if only you'd known sooner. Quinn started kissing down your jaw as you let out a desperate moan.

"Shit, Quinn. Please," was all you could say. Your thoughts were beginning to fog up, you couldn't think straight.

"Please what, baby?" He mumbled against your neck as his hands move down to grip your waist. When you didn't answer, he let his hand go lower down in the place where you needed him the most. He cupped your covered cunt and you let out a moan, echoing throughout the locker room.

"Just fuck me, please." You whispered and you felt yourself become warm at the thought. He let out a chuckle before engulfing you in another bruising kiss, your whole body slamming against the locker once again. He

Your hands went to wrap around his shoulders as his hands went to take off your shorts, leaving you in your panties. "Jump," he mumbled against your lips and you did as you were told and he held you up with ease.

He pushed you harder against the locker as you moaned in his mouth, making him break the kiss. One of his hands unzipped his pants and quickly pulled out his hard cock. He moved your panties and slowly entered you. All you could do was grip his shoulders and moan as he thrusted himself right in you.

He stretched you out so perfectly, you swore you'd never felt this good your entire life. "Shit, Quinn."

"You feel so fucking good, baby. So good," he groaned as he finally bottomed you out. You felt so full, so good. His cock made you feel so dizzy, you were about to pass out.

He slowly started thrusting in and out of your soaking cunt, the sound echoing throughout the locker-room. You kept holding onto his shoulders for support as he fucked into you, letting out whimpers.

Quinn gripped your hips tightly as his speed increased with each thrust, your head fell back as he fucked into you. Your eyes rolled in the back of your head as your walls clenched around him, sucking him deeper.

"Fuck, baby, keep doing that." He groaned in your ear and you could barely comprehend the words he was saying, all you could do was mumble an affirmation as he kept fucking into you. "Just like that, baby."

You felt that familar knot form in your stomach as he kept his ruthless pace, making your head spin. "So close, please don't stop!" You moaned out.

He placed wet kisses all over your neck as he mumbled against you, "Me too princess." His grip on your hips was unforgiving, you could feel the bruises coming in but you didn't care, it felt so good. "Fuck."

The knot kept getting tighter and tighter, you could barely keep up. Before you knew it, your orgasm hit you like a truck. "Fuck, Quinn!" Your body spasmed in his arms as he kept fucking you through it. You saw stars as it washed over you.

Soon, he was cumming into you too. You both just sat there for a few seconds, catching your breath. Quinn gazed at you and he couldn't help himself getting hard again at your fucked-out state. He let out a chuckle as he shook his head playfully, "Didn't know you were into me like that, until... that."

"Didn't know you had a weird "Cap" kink," you retorted teasingly as he laughed, laying his forehead against yours.

"Yeah, you and me both."

-> make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated! <-

thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[daydreams-after-dark]

Taken | ot8 x gn!reader

↳ You’re snatched after work by 8 sexy men and taken to an abandoned warehouse… exactly what you’d paid for.

⇼⇼⇼⇼⇼⇼⇼

↳ A little Drabble inspired by this ↓ interaction with the hungry @chuuchuu1224 ↓

I wrote this as a gender neutral reader. It started off me imagining a male reader, then somewhere I imagined it a female reader (as I must have been having my own reader insert moment). But honestly, you can imagine them however you would like as I don’t describe any gender identifiers in this one.

CW: planned abduction, captivity, forced face fucking and cum eating, name calling, safe word/gesture (not used), aftercare (kind of?)

⇼⇼⇼⇼⇼⇼⇼

The blindfold was removed abruptly, aggressively even, and for the first time since you were “taken” you were are able to see exactly the situation you were in.

Kneeling on a filthy concrete floor. Naked. Bound and gagged.

You tugged on the ropes that were restraining your wrists behind your back. No use. They’d been tied securely.

Your legs weren’t tied though, and if you had the nerve, you could try to make a break for it. But who knew what punishment that might bring?

“Well well.” A voice from the shadows had your eyes darting around trying to find the source. You knew who it was. Chan. The leader. Someone you should never mess with.

“Why are you so aroused y/n?” He sneered. “Anyone would think you’re a sick freak.”

It was true. You were aroused. In fact, you could feel yourself leaking. You’d been fantastizing about this scenario for months, and just the anticipation alone had you fearing you’d come before you were meant to.

You were a sick freak. Just like the eight men who emerged from the shadows to surround you were sick freaks too.

From what you could tell, you’d been taken to an abandoned warehouse. It looked like it hadn’t been used in decades. Probably secluded too. Nowhere to run. No one to hear you. No one to help.

You’d been snatched after work, a sack thrown over your head, and pulled into a van, your senses had heightened as you realised what was unfolding. Your request had been accepted.

The men were attractive. Pretty. But from what you’d been told in your research, they could be mean and brutal. Exactly what you were looking for.

Most of them were fully dressed, a couple had their shirts off. Their toned bodies almost making you whimper around the rag in your mouth.

“Now. We’re going to remove your gag. You can scream if you want.” Seungmin snarled.

“But no one’s gonna hear ya.” Jeongin shoved a menacing grin in your face.

Someone behind you cut the fabric that was gagging you and it fell away. You were offered a bottle of water to your mouth and you drank it willingly. Your mouth was so dry. Some of the water missed your mouth and trickled down your chest. A few murmurs “so fuckin’ hot” came from your left.

“Such a pretty little thing.” Minho tugged your head back to get a good look at you. “Slutty mouth too.” He licked his lips.

“Y/n. You know what���s about to happen. We’ve received your safe word in the request, but you have to confirm it before this continues. Your safe word?” Chris presses.

“Sunshine.” You reply.

“Sunshine. Everyone hear that? If you need your safe word but your mouth is full, bite down… that’ll stop everything immediately.”

Words of confirmation echoed around the room.

“Right. Let’s begin.”

You watched as the men looked at you like they were going to tear you to pieces. Buckles were being undone, jeans were being unbuckled.

You choked back a moan when you finally saw eight cocks emerge from the confines of their clothing.

Your heart kicked up a gear when they began to move in closer, approaching you with their intimidating erections and dark eyes.

They surrounded you entirely, stroking your hair with their hands and prodding your cheeks with their dicks.

“Open up little slut.” Seungmin rubbed the head of his cock along your bottom lip. You opened up as he bullied his cock straight into your throat.

You immediately gagged. For some reason you expected they’d ease you into it.

Absolutely no chance we’re they going to go easy on you.

“This is what you paid for, remember? We’re just giving you what you want.”

Seungmin fucked your throat brutally. Your dry mouth was suddenly full of saliva, and drool was dribbling down your chin. Your eyes prickled with tears.

You braced yourself for him to empty himself in your mouth, but he didn’t, pulling out before he came.

Another cock was forced down your throat. Then another. Relentless and rough.

You lost count of how many of them had fucked your face. Your jaw hurt from being open for so long. Your throat burned. Your face was wet from your tears. But all you could do was keep taking it, until all eight of them had their turn.

None of them came though.

Still hard as stone, they stood there in a circle around you pumping their cocks.

“Keep your slutty mouth open. Time for us to feed you. Now go collect your dinner.”

Pathetically, with your hands still tied behind your back, you crawled to each of the men, presenting your open mouth to them.

“Eyes on me.” The one named Jisung said as he coated your tongue in his cum. You swallowed like a good little cumslut, then moved onto the next man.

“Look at those puffy lips.” Binnie rubbed finger along your lip then emptied himself into your mouth.

“Don’t swallow yet.” Hyunjin said. “I wanna see you take three loads at once.” You kept his cum in your mouth and proceeded to collect Jeongin’s and Felix’s, mixing them together and swallowing all at once.

“Good pet.” Seungmin held your jaw firm as he groaned as shot into your throat.

Two left. Minho and Chan. They stood side by side while you knelt obediently at their feet. Chan went first, whining as he frantically pumped his cock and spurting ropes of cum into your mouth. “Fuck!” He choked.

Finally Minho slammed his cock into you and fucked your mouth until he ejaculated. Holding your mouth firmly against his pubic bone as he did.

“Fuck yeah! Take it kitten.” He growled.

You doubled over trying to catch your breath. They were surrounding you immediately, untying your sore wrists, and covering your body in a clean blanket.

Jisung and Felix took you to closed off corner of the warehouse and gave you the spare set of clothes you’d put in the backpack they took from you when they kidnapped you.

“So,” Changbin said as he dropped you back to your home. “Did our services meet your expectations?”

You nodded. “Yes. Very much so. I might even book you again sometime.” You smiled and got out of the car.

Tag list : open | Asks : open

@channieandhisgoonsquad @noellllslut @itsseohannbin @weareapackofstrays @kangnina @palindrome969 @xxkissesforchanniexx @chuuchuu1224 @fun-fanfics @wolfennracha @rhonnie23 @jisunglyricist @strayywayy @armystay89 @igetcarriedawaywithyou @mylittleponeypinkrosieposie

[spectralscathath]

Tour Guide to the Unexplained- a Gravity Falls Fanfiction

Chapter 8- Still Waters

Stan and Ford didn’t expect much when getting shipped up to Gravity Falls to stay with estranged family. Not a weird historical festival, not being a strange lady who lives in the junkyard, and definitely not the Mystery Shack and their lying uncle who runs it. But with Ford’s smarts and Stan’s punching, there’s no mystery they can’t solve.

Ao3 Link

“Fish-ing day! Fish-ing day!” Stan and Ford chanted in the back of the truck, Stan’s left hand now stuck in both a sling and a bright red cast that had Ford’s neat cursive and Dipper’s messy scrawl signed on it. He’d printed his own name in block letters as well, and he was going to make sure he got all sorts of signatures. Jimmy and Carla for sure, definitely Dan, he supposed he could allow Ford’s cool nerd friends to sign it if they asked, and hopefully Soos and Dolores as well. Last time he broke his wrist, no one but Ford signed his cast, but this time would be different. 

“Yunno, Granpa showed me how to put a hook on a line with my eyes closed,” Stan bragged. 

“He showed me how to make a fishing lure,” Ford bragged louder. 

“I’m sure you both have lots of fishing skills to teach me,” Dipper, despite his claims that he hadn’t ever fished, had managed to pull out a solid fisherman’s outfit, overalls and waders and even a beanie. He’d mumbled something about a cursed lighthouse when they’d pressed him on it.

“Yes we do.” Stan looked out the window as they drove into town to buy some fishing gear, but something seemed off. “Is that a covered wagon?”

“What?” Ford scrambled to look out his own window, voice growing increasingly  worried. “Grunkle Dipper?”

“Oh, it’s Pioneer day. I totally forgot.” Dipper drove around a cow and pulled into a space on the side of the road. “Yeah, this is the anniversary of Gravity Falls’s founding, so everyone dresses up and does historical activities. It’s kinda fun, what do you think?”

“This looks stupid.” Stan rolled his eyes.

“Grunkle Dipper, those costumes are historically inaccurate!” Ford sounded like he was about to have a breakdown. 

“Okay, no Pioneer day.” Dipper shrugged before he pulled out his wallet and handed them five dollars each. “I still need to go get fishing gear, so how about you two get yourself some old-timey candy and we’ll meet back at the car in, say- half an hour?”

“What? You’re leaving us alone with the hicks?”

“They’re using modern breeds of chickens for their re-enactments, this is terrible.” Ford sounded faint.

Dipper got out of the driver’s seat, reached into the back, and dragged them out by the jackets, setting them on the sidewalk before he locked the car doors. “Go on, try candle-dipping or something. Museum’s free entry if that’s your style. Half an hour.”

“Half an hour,” Stan grumbled and scuffed his shoe against the pavement. 

Dipper smiled and patted them both on the head before walking off, leaving Stan and Ford surrounded by covered wagons and people being silly in costumes. It was so uncool. 

“... wanna get some old-timey butterscotch?” Stan shrugged. 

“Yeah, okay. I still think everyone’s using fabric that’s way too modern- that lady’s got a zipper showing, for crying out loud.”

Ford picked up Stanley’s discarded butterscotch wrappers as he followed his twin, his own pockets full of candy. Stanley kept opening the butterscotch wrappers with his teeth instead of just getting Ford to do it or doing it one-handed. He was so strange sometimes.

“Nope, this whole thing is still lame,” Stan announced after they did a circuit of the main activities. 

“Yep,” Ford agreed without hesitation. “I don’t think the pioneers should be celebrated very much either, I researched the Donner party.”

“Ugh. I remember you telling me about that. And you think I’ve seen gross things.”

“You told me you once saw a seagull get stuck in the freshwater taffy.”

“And it was one of the greatest things I’d ever seen.”

“Ewwwwww,” Ford laughed and had more butterscotch. “Wonder what that crowd’s about?”

“Let’s go see.” Stan thumped his shoulder, Ford giggling and returning the favour. Not to the arm in the cast, obviously, but the rest of Stanley was totally fine. 

They darted through to the front of the crowd, arriving at a stage in front of a stone statue of a guy who Ford felt had a very punchable face. A man sat in a chair in front of the statue with a creepy grin, and a kid with dark hair walked up to the microphone in a fur hat and suit that was obviously English Victorian- not Western Frontier. 

The kid reached up to the microphone stand and lowered it, tapping it a few times to make that awful feedback sound before he spoke. “Hello, everyone. I’m Preston Northwest, richest nine-year-old in Gravity Falls, and also great-great-grandson of our town founder. Go Northwests! We’re super rich and fancy!”

The crowd clapped and Ford shared a look with Stan. “He talks a little like the-”

“Sibling brothers, yep.” Stan scowled. “Snooty.”

“Wait-��� there was something important about the name ‘Preston Northwest’. “Isn’t this one of Grunkle Dipper’s enemies?”

“Maybe?” Stan chewed his butterscotch seriously. “Why do people like him bragging about being rich?”

“Do you have the Pioneer spirit?” Preston’s eyes scanned the crowd before landing on Ford and Stan. Ford immediately shoved his hands in his pockets to hide his six fingers. He hoped he did it fast enough. 

Preston scowled, nose wrinkling in disgust. It was a common expression aimed at the Pines twins. “Uh- you guys don’t have any Pioneer spirit. Where’s your costumes?”

The entire crowd shifted to look at them and Ford stared directly at the ground. Why were they at the front? That was where people were noticed.

“I dunno, why are you wearing a dead rat on your head?” Stan pointed. 

“Uh. It’s a raccoon, duh. And it’s because I’ve got Pioneer Day spirit.” Preston sniffed, looking down his nose. “You clearly don’t. Who are you?”

“We’re the Pines twins.” Stan raised his chin defiantly, Ford keeping an eye on him, the crowd, this kid. He hated how this kid looked at them, like they were dirt on his shoe. Ford was a genius, and Stanley was- well, Stanley. Everyone kept treating them like nothing when they weren’t, they weren’t. 

“Pines twins.” Preston growled. “Ugh. Whatever, you’re not even invited anyway to Pioneer day. You’re not Gravity Falls people.”

“So what?” Stan snapped back, already getting angry. Ford gritted his teeth, matching his brother’s temper. How dare this kid say that? When Gravity Falls was the first place Ford felt like he truly belonged?

“Your kind don’t belong here, dummies.” Preston scoffed. 

“ Our kind?” Stan took a step forward and Ford grabbed his elbow. As great as it would be to see Stanley punch this smug lil kid’s face in, he was also aware that was a bad look. 

“Stanley, let’s just go.” Ford looked around, pretty sure the crowd was not on their side. Unlike the freak show, there was no way showing his hands would suddenly get this crowd on his side. They were pretending uggs were historically accurate, for pete’s sake. “We’re going fishing. Who needs Pioneer spirit?”

Stan looked back, tense and ready to fight. He huffed, reaching into his vest and turning his glare on Preston. “Congrats on being special because of some dead guy. Smokebomb!”

They darted into the crowd the moment the plume of smoke appeared, running out the other side and running away until they’d rounded a building. 

“They’re not very good pioneers anyway,” Ford patted his brother’s shoulder, trying to bite back his own anger at losing that confrontation. He may have been used to losing against bullies, but that didn’t mean he liked it. It made him feel small and his brain was too big for that. He was smarter than Crampelter and his goons, smarter than this kid, they should have realised that meant something. 

“Yeah.” Stan scowled and kicked a rock on the ground. “Ford, would it be wrong to beat up a snotty nine-year-old?”

“Rational, that sounds like a rational course of action. But not in front of a crowd, okay?”

“You’re a bit anachronistic.”

Dipper barely kept himself from fumbling the fishing supplies in his arms as he turned, rods, bait and tackle box, and a few other things precariously balancing. He looked at the woman, strands of silver-white glinting throughout her platinum blonde hair. She lifted her sunglasses to fix him with her usual judginess. “Fishing season started weeks ago. It’s practically retro now.”

“Pacifica.” He rolled his eyes. “You’re not at Pioneer day?” 

“No, Preston’s doing the usual Northwest ceremony.” She checked her painted nails, leaning against her car. She looked far too modern for the town holiday. “He’s very excited.”

“Giving the speech with his dad?” Dipper knew exactly what minefield he was stepping into, but he’d never been anything but blunt with Pacifica in his life, and he wasn’t going to start dancing around issues now.

“Of course, Paxton’s an honorary Northwest, after all. It turns out we had a very interesting marriage contract.”

“That bad?” Dipper walked over and set his newly-gotten fishing stuff on the hood of her car, leaning against the vehicle beside her. 

“Split custody, he’s getting the mansion, the split of other financial assets is also stacked in his favour,” Pacifica rolled her eyes. “All in legal terms that would go over even your big head.”

“I’ve made it my mission in life to never return to a court of law,” Dipper shrugged, tucking his hands in the pockets of his overalls. “Why go through with it if you’re losing so much?”

She glanced at him, arching a brow. Probably tinted, or sculpted, or whatever people did with their brows. She’d aged more gracefully then he did, sure, but no one made it past forty without a little wear and tear. “You owe me a drink before I start answering those types of questions.”

“Yeah, do you want to start at the Skull Fracture or will we skip straight to Gnasty’s?”

“I’m not going back to that gnome bar.” The look she gave him could have deep-frozen a mountain lion. 

“You’re no fun anymore, Paz.” He grinned at her, long immune. 

“You’ve never been fun in your life.”

“Oh-ho, ouch.” 

“I’ll be getting you to throw up your anti-ghost wards on my new house once I’ve had my stuff moved in, by the way.”

“Can do. You’re staying in town?” His grin fell. Was she sure that was a good idea?

“Is that an actual question?” She scoffed. “It’s my town.”

“But the recurring bouts of amnesia- we still don’t know what’s causing them, but we know they’re localised to the town and being in the town itself heightens the risk of possible forgetfulness-”

“Are you still talking about that? It makes you sound like an insane conspiracy theorist. Like you have a corkboard and string.” She studied him. “You do, don’t you?”

“I’m not answering that question.” He had multiple. One for each theory. 

“If you’re so worried about your memories, why are you in town?” She looked him over. “And making such a fashion statement.”

“Uh- family fun day?”  

“That sounds like a nightmare, don’t tell me you’ve got a checklist again.”

“Checklists are extremely efficient!”

“The last time I saw you use a checklist you ended up fighting twenty of yourself and ruined Preston’s birthday party.” She pulled out a hand mirror, checking her reflection. Dipper was sorely tempted to poke the surface, just to leave a smudge. But no, he’d like to keep his hand attached to his wrist, he was quite fond of it where it was. 

“That was unintentional.” He was pretty sure that kid really hated him. Hated his shins, at least, Preston had a surprisingly sharp kick. 

“Whatever.” She glanced at him. “How’s your crafts project?”

“Won’t get much further without the other books in the series.” He slipped into the basic code they used, nothing like backwards talk but she refused to go along with that. No fun at all. “Still can’t find them at the local library.”

“Pity.” Pacifica sighed and pulled her sunglasses on. “And your ex-roommate?”

“He can’t evict me anymore.” Dipper placed a hand over the binding sigil hidden in his tattoos, meant to lock his spirit inside his body so Bill couldn’t pull him out into the mindscape. “I’ve got it sorted.”

“I remember the last time you said that.” She huffed and tossed her hair like a show-off. “You better be right this time.”

He chuckled and picked up the fishing gear. “C’mon, Paz. When am I ever?”

Stan hopped out of the truck, carefully parked in the woods around the lake rather than near the shore. Also not near the parking area by the pier. “What’s the plan?”

“You kids are gonna go into the building by the pier and be a great distraction, then meet me back here. It’s out of sight, so that should keep you guys from also getting banned.”

“Are you sure stealing a boat is the most logical course of action?” Ford hesitated before he took his jacket off and placed it under the car seat. Good idea. Stan did the same, only worrying about one sleeve since he was hiding the cast a bit, arm still in a sling. He didn’t want his smokebombs getting wet. 

“Stealing sounds fun to me, Sixer,” Stanley grinned and reached over the seats, messing up Ford’s hair. Ford laughed and batted his hand away. 

“Get off, you knucklehead.” 

There was the sound of paper flicking. Stan turned to see Dipper with a long list that unfurled in his hand. 

“Alright. You kids go first, try to be distracting for twenty minutes, set a watch or something, then bail. Got it?”

“I hope Fiddleford’s in there,” Ford smiled and clicked a button on his watch. “I wanna tell him about Gideon and the carnival.”

“I’m gonna ask if the lake water’s drinkable!” He said it for the disgusted look Ford shot him.

“It’s not. Try asking about what to avoid, Tate’ll give you the whole spiel. Bubbles and all.” Dipper folded up his list again, tucking it in his overalls.  “Ready for an adventure?”

Stan held out his good fist. “Ford, get your hand in here, we're gonna do a thing.”

“But we already have a high six-”

“A thing with Grunkle Dipper. Fists in.”

Dipper smiled bemusedly and did as told, leaning down to make it easier. Stan placed his fist on top. “Ford, complete the tower!”

“You’re really insistent about the weirdest stuff.” Ford rolled his eyes and did it anyway.

“Three, two, one-” Stan stole from the school sports teams back home, especially the one Shermie was on. Stan never had the knack for that team sport stuff, even though he liked watching other people do it. “Pines!”

Dipper followed Stan’s gesture with a grin. “That’s catchy.”

“It seems redundant but alright. I guess if we’re all scheming together we should have a thing?” Ford looked at his hand, wiggling his fingers. 

“Meet you back here, you rascals.” Dipper messed up their hair before he disappeared into the trees. Stan watched him go. He had to teach Stan how to pull a vanishing act like that, it was like something in a movie- like when people turned around and the killer suddenly wasn’t there. Super cool.

“So the amulet’s broken now? Forever?” Fiddleford clarified. Ford wondered why he’d gotten so pale during Ford’s recounting of the previous night. It was a pretty sunny and nice day, after all. 

“Yep. Too bad, I wanted to study it a bit, take some notes,” Ford sighed. Fiddleford gently patted his shoulder, which was nice too. It was amazing to have a good friend who could really keep up with him when he talked about science. He loved Stanley, but sometimes having to dial down what he was saying into layman’s terms was annoying. 

“Well, I mean, if it was so obviously evil, probably a fine thing you didn’t get the chance,” Fiddleford tried to cheer him up. “Do you and your brother want some sunhats? It’ll keep the sunburn off you.”

“Uh…” Ford did remember how painful sunburn could be. “Yes please. We don’t have much money though, we got a lot of butterscotch. Want some?”

“Well I would not say no to that!” Fiddleford smiled brightly and hopped the shop counter. “Let me nab those hats first.”

“Thanks.” Ford glanced over at Stanley, in the middle of bombarding Fiddleford’s dad with endless questions about the lake, but specifically weird distracting ones that weren’t easy to answer, like ‘have you ever personally drank the lake water’ or ‘could I fish using my foot as bait’. Weird stuff like that. Nothing all that useful, but maybe he would get some indication of supernatural occurrences they could investigate?

“It’s real nice having you drop by,” Fiddleford hummed as he sorted through the various fishing hats, limbs contorting with disturbing ease as he scuttled up shelves exactly like a possum. “I’ve been darn well bored stupid out here, I think the only reason my pops wants me to sit here behind the counter is so I can’t make any horrifying robots.”

“It does seem pretty quiet here. I guess it's more popular when it’s not Pioneer Day?” Ford felt a bit guilty about being a distraction now.

“I mean- first day of fishin’ season was a bit busy, but it’s a small town, not really anyone looking for anything they don’t already have.” 

“But… is it nice spending time with your dad?” Ford tried to be positive. Mr Tate didn’t seem all that scary, not like Ford’s Pa. 

Fiddleford set down two hats and gave Ford the driest look he’d ever been on the receiving end of, even after thirteen years sharing a room with Stanley. “This here’s the most I’ve heard him talk since I got here.”

“Oh…” Ford blushed a little in embarrassment as he tugged on the hat, looking down at the ground in hopes it might eat him. Or spontaneously turn into a second bottomless pit, even though that was by definition impossible. Maybe. Possibly. Could Grunkle Dipper let him do some tests? 

“Yep.” Fiddleford popped the P. “Don’t you worry none ‘bout that though, that’s my business.”

“Okay.” Ford was very grateful for that. But maybe- “we’re planning on exploring around the lake. Do you want to come?”

“I’d rather not be goin’ near that lake, on account of that terribibibble-” Fiddleford stumbled over the word and shook his head, looking a little annoyed, “ terrible shape I saw beneath the water. Long as a bus, I dare say.”

“... Would you happen to remember where exactly and could you mark it on a map?” Ford tried.

Fiddleford sighed and reached for a pamphlet. “Don’t do anything reckless, Stanford. And don’t show me whatever you fish up, I’d rather sleep at night, thank you kindly.”

“I’ll credit you as a key element of the discovery when I submit my evidence to all my favourite science journals!” Ford promised excitedly before the door to Mr Tate’s boat rental shop slammed open. Ford whirled, back pressed to the counter as he stared at the entrant. Blinked twice. What? “Who is that?”

“Oh no.” Fiddleford sucked air in his teeth. “Miss Chiu, I’m sorry, but you’ve been banned from this location!”

“Candy saw something in the woods!” The woman was short and hunched, her hair shock white and tangled, falling over half her wizened face, a frumpled, ragged sweater hung off her, so covered in moss and muck he couldn’t tell the colour or pattern it used to have. Her feet left mud tracks on the wood, tattered skirt held together by bandaids and mismatched stitching. She had forks bandaged to every finger on her right hand as she gestured excitedly. “I have seen the doppelgangers again! They’re gathering!”

“Hey!” Mr Tate pulled a spray bottle out of somewhere. “I told you to get away from the lake, you’ll scare the customers.”

“Dad, you can’t spray bottle her, she’s just an old lady.” Fiddleford gracefully hopped the counter and blocked his dad, hands raised to show his hands were empty. “Miss Chiu- do you need us to call someone for you?”

“I am a Mrs now.” She beamed and pulled an actual, honest-to-goodness fox out of her hair. “He will make me a happy wife.”

“... Congratulations?”

Stan joined Ford at the counter and picked at his teeth with his good hand. “I think they need to call someone , definitely. Maybe the nuthouse.”

“Stanley, that’s rude.” Ford chided. What did she say? Something about doppelgangers? 

“Lady, I need you to get away from my boathouse.” Mr Tate loomed behind his son. “You’ve been banned from the lake ever since you released boat-eating fungus into my shed.”

“My experiments require feeding.” The old lady- Candy- barely looked at them, her attention instead caught by the trail mix bags by the door. She drove her forks into one of the small bags, lifting it up and spilling mix everywhere. “Sustenance for Candy. And husband.”

The fox shoved under her arm stared at Ford with the most resigned expression he’d ever seen on a human or animal. He felt really bad for it. 

“Out!” Tate raised the spray bottle threateningly. “Go back to your dump, you old hag!”

“Pa!” Fiddleford snapped back. Wasn’t he scared? Why would he do that? “Stanley, Stanford, will you help me escort uh- Mrs Chiu outside? Mrs Chiu, why don’t you walk with me and tell me about these- er, doppelygangers.”

“I will explain in excessive and horrific detail.” 

“Yep!” Ford wanted to ask about the doppelgangers. “C’mon, Stanley. Also- I got us hats.”

“I didn’t agree to be volunteered for this.” Stan sighed and followed anyway as Fiddleford managed to bustle the old lady outside without touching the fox. Ford risked a glance at Fiddleford’s dad, expecting the glower that spoke of an oncoming explosion, but he’d just gone back to sorting out the tackle boxes. Strange. 

“I see them in a clearing, all with the same face,” Old Lady Chiu was gesturing animatedly, occasionally stopping to shove trail mix in her mouth, some of her teeth chipped and missing. “They are plotting great doom! There’s a blackboard with a many-stepped plan and they wear stupid hats marked with numbers. In four years they have not aged!”

“That sounds mighty creepifying, I reckon,” Fiddleford informed her bluntly as he managed to get her moving in the direction of the road back to town. “Maybe you should go tell the sheriff?”

“Yes, yes, Candy should. Grenda is… who is Grenda?” She reached up with her forks in a motion Ford recognised, and adjusted glasses that weren’t there. He felt an instinctive need to adjust his own, seeing the familiar movement. “Never mind! You should visit! I will let you assist in building death ray.”

“... I will- I will consider that. As an option.” Fiddleford gave her a nudge. “Please don’t come back? My pa’s really not happy with you.”

“But Candy is adorable!” She shoved the fox back into her hair as it stared at Ford. Its eyes screamed ‘help’ before it disappeared into the snowy white tangles.

“Yeah… I reckon Pa wouldn’t know adorable if it hopped up and bit him in the backside. Off you go, now, stay safe.”

Old Lady Chiu patted Fiddleford’s face with a smile, leaving a muddy handprint, and scampered into the woods. Ford felt like an observer, the same way he did reading the diary, or watching kids at school having fun and making friends. Something he wasn’t probably meant to be part of, but he knew it happened anyway.

“Well, that was random and made no sense.” Stan leaned his elbow on Ford’s shoulder. “Hey Ford, has it been twenty minutes yet?”

“You know her, Fiddleford? Has she mentioned doppelgangers before?” Maybe they should call off fishing day? 

“Why were you so nice to her?” Stan’s nose crinkled. “She seemed sorta-” he pulled away from Ford, made a circle by his temple, and whistled. 

Fiddleford’s shoulders straightened and the look on his face was stern, hard in a way Ford hadn’t seen. He’d seen Fiddleford excited, he’d seen him bored and glum talking about his dad, and he’d seen him scared, but he hadn’t seen Fiddleford look mad . 

“She’s a harmless old lady, that’s all.” Fiddleford glared at Stan, his accent gone from silly to sharp. “Not her fault her mind’s goin’ a bit. Least I can do is be nice to her, no one else in this darn unfriendly town is. So you mind your goshdarned manners.”

“Whoa, okay. Touched a nerve.” Stan put his hand in his pocket. “Who is she?”

Fiddleford scratched at the muddy handprint on his face. “I don’t rightly know. But I know she’s not meaning any harm. Just because someone’s a bit messy and don’t recall everything the right way, doesn’t mean they ain’t deservin’ of a bit of compassion.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry I called her a nutjob,” Stan rolled his eyes. “What did she mean ‘doppelgangers’?”

“I wouldn’t put stock in it. She says a lot of things.” Fiddleford shrugged and trudged back to the boathouse. 

There was a yell inside of ‘where did my boat go?!’, and Ford winced while Stanley ignored ir. Looked like Grunkle Dipper was as good at boat theft as he said. 

Fiddleford didn’t notice the guilt on Ford’s face, taking his glasses off and cleaning the lenses with the edge of his sleeve. “Thanks for droppin’ by, Stanford. Stanley. Hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

“Leaving?” Stan asked as Fiddleford stepped inside, finally accepting his hat from Ford and fitting it on. They both remembered how painful sunburn could be.

“Leaving.” Ford agreed as they ran into the woods towards where Dipper had parked, out of view of the little shore and the pier that acted as the lake’s only dock. Sorry, Fiddleford, but the hats weren’t that important. Not when Ford had the map. “Do you think we could look for the doppelgangers?”

“Can it wait? We’re fishing, right?” Stanley huffed out as they raced, shoes pounding on the forest floor. 

“Well- I mean, we’re monster hunting. Fishing is an extra, Grunkle Dipper’s going to show us supernatural stuff now, since he stopped lying.”

“But we’re fishing.” Stanley stopped running, forcing Ford to do the same if he wanted to continue the conversation. 

“Stanley, fishing’s fun,” when something was caught, “but Gravity Falls is full of real anomalies. Fiddleford’s lake monster, these doppelgangers, we have to investigate them.”

“Can you investigate the lake monster while we’re fishing?” Stan fidgeted with the brim of his hat.  

“Well- I suppose, but I mean, it’s not that efficient, and it would distract Grunkle Dipper,” Ford hesitated before he confessed, knowing Stanley would understand. He always understood. “Fishing’s not that fun anyway...”

“You’re just saying that because you’re bad at it and got a hook stuck in your hand.”

“It really hurt!” Ford’s cheeks grew hot as Stanley made fun of him. Why would Stanley say he was bad at it? Why didn't he understand? “I’m not bad- I just don’t like it!”

“Ford!” Stanley glared at him. “Why do you not like things that are fun?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ford stared at him, brows furrowing. He was always so hot-headed, Ford never knew why . 

“Whatever, nerd.” Stanley scoffed and stomped by, his shoulder knocking against Ford’s. 

“Why are you always so boneheaded!” Ford snapped at him as Stanley broke into a run, because really, this was illogical. Fishing was circumstantial fun where the circumstances were rare. It was a gambling game, an old man hobby, except the old man they were currently accompanying didn’t even do it. That made it a Granpa hobby. 

Monster hunting, now that was much better. That was Ford’s dream. 

Ford took a second to take a breath and focus on what was important. Doppelgangers in the woods with numbered hats, a giant shape in the lake marked on a map, a million other anomalies just waiting for him to discover. Why did Stan get angry so easily? It was rash, Ford wished he was better at not getting mad himself. He was supposed to be the logical one. Short tempers had no place in an intellectual mind. 

He looked out over the lake, placid and serene, but with fog gathered around the island in the middle. That looked like a perfect place to find anomalies! So many options, he could spend all day just chasing leads.

But he needed a boat for that, and the diary. Stanley had probably calmed down by now, Ford hated fighting, especially when he didn’t do anything wrong. Stanley was just being weird again. 

If Stan had to hear one more ‘can we go to that mysterious island’ outta his twin he might actually shove Ford overboard. Just a little bit.

“You mean Scuttlebutt Island?” Dipper deliberately enunciated the name as he pushed the tiller, steering them to the far side of the lake and away from the boat house.

“Butt Island.” Stan repeated, but he didn’t really feel the humour meant to come with something so funny.

“I’m not calling it that.” Ford huffed.

“Yeah, ‘course not.” Did he think he was better than them or something? Because of his mysteries? Better than doing something fun with family? Stan wanted to show Grunkle Dipper he was good at things that wasn’t just being a delinquent, couldn’t the monster hunt wait one day? 

“Trust me, kid, there’s nothing on Scuttlebutt Island but some really cute beavers. Soos and I scoped the whole place once, he took a ton of pictures.” Dipper reached into his jacket and pulled out a polaroid.

Stan perked up at the sight. “Wow, beaver with a chainsaw. That’s the greatest thing I ever saw, and I once saw a cockroach-”

“Please don’t mention the cockroach,” Ford cut him off before he studied Grunkle Dipper. “You just keep this picture? All the time?”

“Yeah… I was sort of insane that day. Convinced that I heard the Gobblewonker roar.” Dipper bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. “But it was just this lil guy.”

“Gobblewonker?” Ford turned his whole attention to Grunkle Dipper. “Is that a lake monster?”

“Yeah, but trust me, if I haven’t found it, it ain’t in this lake. There is a giant nocturnal boat-eating head, but there’s no Gobblewonker.” Dipper smiled at the beaver picture, tucking it back into a pocket. Stan swore he caught a glimpse of other polaroids in there. “That’s what the beaver picture is for, a reminder that not every weird thing is an anomaly. Stuff just happens sometimes.”

“But Fiddleford says he saw something!” Ford pulled a pamphlet out and pointed at a marked section. “Right here! It’s even on the far side of the lake, please?”

“Well…” Dipper’s face scrunched a bit, the lines in his skin deepening.

“Can we just pick somewhere and fish?” Stanley kicked the side of the boat. “We gotta stay still when we do. Go to the stupid monster spot, I don't care.”

“It’s not stupid!” Ford shoved him. “Why are you being so mean?!”

Stanley got ready to shove him back before Grunkle Dipper intervened. Again. Like yesterday at the carnival. 

“Guys, guys, this is family fun day,” Dipper held them both by the shoulder, hand scrunching on the life jackets. “You’ve been getting along great since you got here, now two fights in two days? What’s going on?”

“Is this because of fishing?” Ford scowled. “Stanley, there are more important things then that-”

“It’s important to me!” Stanley snapped at him. “I thought it was important to you too but you’ve not shut up about anomalies ever since Chiu mentioned the doppelgangers!”

“Doppelgangers…?” Dipper echoed quietly.

Stan continued, ignoring Dipper. “You were gonna run off into the woods on the word of some crazy old bat and ditch me!”

“Stanley, you’re allowed to come on my anomaly hunts-” Ford adjusted his glasses and he wasn’t getting it . Stan wanted to tip over the whole boat.

“I want to go fishing!”

“Why?!”

“Because it’s something I’m better at than you!”

Ford just stared at him. Stan sat with the snapped-out words just a moment longer before he felt an awful knot of guilt in his stomach. He wasn’t supposed to say that. He wasn’t supposed to think that. 

He was the spare Stan, he was meant to be proud his brother was so amazing- he was- so why was he saying it like it wasn’t the best thing ever? Toughen up, Stanley. Be a better twin. Do it for family. 

Ford shoved him overboard. 

The splash was loud enough that Dipper managed to shake his head clear of the memories of such a similar fight- history really did repeat, didn’t it- and leaned over the edge, scanning the water. Up bobbed Stanley, buoyed by his lifejacket. Dipper reached out a hand, keeping one braced on the boat’s edge. 

“Stanley, here-” he gripped the kid by the jacket, helping pull him up. The silence behind him shattered as Ford seemed to finish processing. 

“Ohmygosh Stanley I’m so sorry! I don’t know why I- are you okay?!”

Ford might not have known why he did it, but Dipper could make a guess. 

He remembered the fit he threw when Mabel got taller first, he hadn’t understood why she’d been so harsh about it, he thought she was the one who was good at everything he wanted, and the fight had brought down the house. He had been a raging bundle of insecurity back then, one poke and out came the venom. 

It was afterwards when Mabel handed him their games tally he’d finally understood, just a little bit. They were both jealous of each other for stupid reasons, in the end. She was fearless and he was nervous, he was tactical while she was impulsive. Different strengths for different scenarios, who even cared about how many chess games he could win?

Wouldn’t it be great if he could keep these kids from making his mistakes?

He got Stan out of the water and reached for the towel, wrapping it around the kid’s shoulders. He hoped the cast wasn’t gonna be damaged by a dunk in the lake. Stan batted at his hands, hackles up. Made sense, kid had a proud streak. “I’m fine , Dipper. I’m no weenie, I can take a dunking.”

“Stanley?” Ford asked hesitantly, and Dipper sat back, figuring that it might be best to let the kids talk it out. Preferably with no more shoving, why were these kids so pushy to each other sometimes? Had he and Mabel been like that?

Maybe they had. After all, shoving his twin through a portal had to come from somewhere, right?

Ford was wringing his hands together, polydactyly lacing and unlacing. “I… I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“Eh, I was thinking about pushing you overboard lots,” Stan shrugged, and then he smiled. It was big and bright and Dipper thought it would remind him of Mabel, because there was so much of his twin in these kids, but no. Mabel’s smiles were real in a way this wasn’t. This smile was a lie. Stan still wore it. “Since you were being all nerdy about monster hunting.”

“... Sorry?” Ford fidgeted. “... Do you not like monster hunting?”

“I didn’t say that.” Stan rolled his eyes. “Sweet Moses, Sixer, I like the monster hunts. Don’t worry.”

“Then why are you so focused on fishing? And…” Ford shifted nervously. “Why did you say that you being better at it matters?” 

Dipper rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands together in front of his mouth as a less-obvious method of clamping them over his mouth. The answer seemed obvious from someone who lived it, but if he just told them they’d roll their eyes and say ‘whatever, oldtimer’ or whatever teenagers did nowadays.

“Dunno.” Stan looked away. “It was a dumb thing to say.”

“Then why’d you say it?” Ford’s tone got sharper, more desperate. They were both so quick to anger. Dipper wondered if that was from Filbrick, not that Dipper knew anything about him beyond being his one and only nephew. It had to be Filbrick, or Caryn, right? Their grandpa had been the most relaxed older brother Dipper could have asked for. Mabel’s anger was deep and hidden, as long as a crush wasn’t involved. Dipper knew he wasn’t exactly a gentle soul, but these kids flared up so quick, their fuses were so short. Maybe it was just them, but even then…

Was Jersey really that much of a nightmare to grow up in?

“Why do you want to be better at me?” Ford leaned forward, hands pressed together in his lap. 

“It’s stupid, don’t worry about it.” Stanley deflected. What had gone on in his head, that he’d switched so quickly on a dime?

“You’re not stupid!” Ford pleaded. “Just say something.”

Okay, maybe Dipper could intervene a little bit. Tiny bit. Just a nudge. “You know- when I was growing up I was convinced your Granpa was better than me at everything. Maths, sports, you name it.” Mabel was good at everything Dipper wasn’t. Art, friendships, having people actually like her…

They both stared at him. Ford blinked first. “And?”

Dipper shrugged unhelpfully. “End of story. It’s a choose-your-own-message thing. Do you want me to look away and cover my ears now, let you have your moment?”

The mirrored unamused expressions were kinda funny, even if this was not a laughing moment. Dipper still covered his ears, pretending he wasn’t paying attention. It was a bit awkward to be in the middle of a sibling fight in a small space, he finally had sympathy for his parents during Pines Family Road Trips. Three kids jammed in the back, vying for space, legroom, control of the music, who could look out the window. He remembered elbows jammed in ribs and all three of them fighting like wild animals until dad threatened to turn the car around.

Family was such a pain sometimes. He missed it.

Stan was the one who scoffed and broke the silence this time. Ford bit his tongue to keep himself from bubbling over, mind whirling with a million things to say. Why did he push him? How could he push his brother off a boat? Why did Stanley say he wanted to do the same, what was wrong with them?

“I’m not jealous or anything lame like that. Don’t go thinking something stupid like that, okay?” Stanley started off, glancing at Grunkle Dipper. Ford also wished their Grunkle was not there momentarily, why did they have to do this on a tiny boat?

Focus, Ford. The real problem was there, and he could solve it, he just had to identify it. “Then why?”

“I just wanted to…” Stan looked away. “I’m not a screw-up at everything , alright?”

Oh. Ford remembered in the Jersey Devil’s lair, how Stanley had tried so hard to do something nice for dad and ruined it. It was an accident, but it still cost them a summer. It wasn’t bad, being inside all the time, certainly better than having to dodge Crampelter and his goons, but… “Do you think you’re a screw-up?”

But why? Stanley wasn’t- well, he wasn’t as smart as Ford, but nobody was, really, so that wasn’t his fault. Stanley was good at other stuff! Like- like punching! And lying! And reading people!

And… fishing too, he supposed. 

“You’re not a screw-up,” Ford repeated, trying to make Stanley believe it. “Is that why you want to show Grunkle Dipper how to fish?”

“You can do your monster hunting any time.” Stan mumbled, Ford straining to hear. “All summer. But we can’t get a boat every day. Not like home.”

“Yeah…” Ford knew exactly what he meant. A beach of sand and glass shards, and their perfect treasure, found by them, all theirs. They’d pushed it back into the secret cove and boarded it back up the moment they could, in the scant time before Shermie announced they were going to Gravity Falls and getting packed onto a bus. “It’s no Stan O’ War, is it?”

“Yeah.” Stan looked at him and smiled. Was it real? Ford couldn’t tell. He hoped so. “I mean- where’s the sail? I like that sail.”

“Me too.” Ford liked feeling like a dashing adventurer. 

“Speedboats aren’t very adventure-y,” Stan kept going, and Ford hoped this meant things were okay again. “Fighting a monster in this seems boring.”

“True, having a sail and a steering wheel is more suitably dramatic.” Ford smiled a bit brighter, hoping his contribution was acceptable. Was that it? All fixed?

Maybe… Maybe he should make a concession. “I don’t dislike fishing.”

He had all of Stan’s attention now. Stan was very good at focusing on someone. “You said-”

“I was… I guess we both said stuff we didn’t mean?’ Ford tried. “We can… we can look for the Gobblewonker tomorrow? And the doppelgangers?” It felt like a waste of time, but… he shoved his brother overboard, he probably owed him something. 

Stanley’s eyes shone. “Really?”

Ford nodded once, unprepared for Stanley to tackle him in a hug and drench him to the bone. It was freezing. 

Ford cautiously hugged him back and waved at Grunkle Dipper. “You can listen again.”

Dipper pulled his fingers from his ears. “If I could have gone to stand over there-” he gestured in a vague direction, “I would have.”

That would have made things less awkward. “Tomorrow can we go monster hunting? Today we’re teaching you how to fish.”

Dipper smiled and it looked like he was… proud. But why? For what reason? Could Ford recreate that?

Stanley let go of Ford and he looked happy again. Was it so easy to do that, all this time? Why did it matter so much to him?

“Grunkle Dipper, welcome to the Stan Pines Super Fishing School College!"

“Saying school and college feels repetitive,” Ford pointed out, unable to help himself.

“Shh, I’m teaching.”

Ford woke up in the middle of the night, looking around the room he and Stanley shared. Something didn’t feel right. Stanley wasn’t in his bed and Gompers wasn’t sleeping on the floor. 

He reached for his glasses before he realised he had them on- did he fall asleep wearing them again?

Blue and purple light shone in through the closed window and a jolt of familiarity hit him. Oh, this was another of those dreams. Okay. 

He always seemed to forget them until they happened again. 

He hopped out of bed and reached for the window, the words ‘it is polite to knock’ echoing in his head for a moment. 

Knock, knock on the window glass, the lines of a triangle etched into the panes, and the window opened, the milky way looking so much closer then it was supposed to. Ford grinned excitedly.

He climbed out the window to see the usual staircase of books leading up into the starry sky, colours that only existed in illustrations and not in the real night sky. 

Up the pathway of floating tomes he climbed, until the ground disappeared and he was left surrounded by the vast cosmos, infinite and mysterious. One day, he was going to explore every inch of it. 

And at the top there waited a friend. 

“Hiya, Sixer!” 

“Hello, Mr Cipher,” Ford smiled excitedly, stepping off the last book and into zero gravity, floating. It was so cool, these dreams were really fun. It was nice to not have nightmares about going to school with no pants on, or about Cathy screaming at him in third grade. 

“Ready to pick up where we left off?” Mr Cipher snapped his fingers and a chessboard appeared, the pieces placed just as Ford remembered them. “How about some space tea?!”

“I’d love some,” Ford smiled and accepted the cup as it appeared, the liquid inside full of swirling nebulas. It was like someone poured glitter into blackcurrant juice, and tasted just like it but even sweeter. 

He took a sip and stared at the board, waiting for Mr Cipher to make his next move. Mr Cipher’s hand hovered over the pieces before settling on his white bishop. 

“You know it was pretty selfless what you did today,” Mr Cipher commented, sliding the bishop three spaces along the board. “Letting your brother take over for a bit.”

“I mean-” Ford hesitated as he stared at the board. Hm. Rook or Knight? “It wasn’t that bad. It was fun. We even caught a carp." A boring normal carp, sure, but still a fish.

“Sure, but it was still nice of you to make your brother happy. You do that a lot, sacrifice your dreams for him. You think he appreciates it?”

“Of course he does!” Ford knew Stanley would do anything for him. “I don’t sacrifice things. Do I?”

“I’m just saying, kid, I bet someone as genius as you could have found the doppelgangers and the Gobblewonker in one day if you didn’t have to worry about him.”

“Well, yes, obviously- but it wouldn’t be fun if Stanley wasn’t there, you know?” Ford made his decision, moving his rook backwards to cover his queen. “We’re monster hunters together.”

“Like I said, you’re a real selfless kid.” Mr Cipher shifted a pawn forward. “I bet your great uncle thinks so too. He’s a weird guy, right?”

“He’s not so bad. Now that he’s not lying, at least.” Ford scanned the board as he thought five moves ahead. “Hey, why don’t I ever remember these dreams until they show up?”

“I dunno, Sixer! I’m just a figment of your subconscious!” Mr Cipher reminded him. “This is all in your head, so you should know!”

“I know, I…” he thought it over, hand dithering over his pieces. “Maybe it's just… happy dreams are harder to remember?”

“That sounds right to me, kid! Man, we’re a smart brain!”

“Can’t deny that.” Ford grinned as he made his move, placing his knight in position to take that pawn Bill had moved. Next turn, he’d make his move. “It’s still a little weird that a part of my subconscious is so aware. I’ve never read about anything like that.”

“We’ve never read about how other genius-level intellects dream!” Bill moved a different pawn. “Playing chess with yourself is a tried-and-true method of improving your skill!”

“That’s true.” Ford took Bill’s pawn with a smile, adding it to the small collection on his side of the board. “And that piece is mine too.” 

“Great move, kid!” Bill tipped his black top hat. “You’ve really got me on the ropes here!”

“Well, guess you’ll have to find an opening,” Ford smiled graciously as he picked up his tea cup from where it was floating. He almost had Mr Cipher in check. 

“Guess I will!” Mr Cipher laughed, high and screechy. Ford laughed with him, holding his tea cup, books and some of his favourite things floating gently around him. 

It was a nice dream. Sometimes it was a shame he had to wake up.

[brickcentral]

🤩 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SKABRAM.builds Hello everyone! It's time to direct the spotlight toward our community members, and today we will get to know better SKABRAM.builds!

"Hi everyone, I’m Bram and I live in the Netherlands.

I rediscovered LEGO when my oldest son got his first set about 2,5 years ago. Soon I found out about digital building LEGO and got hooked building MOC’s of one of my favorite things: birds. I created some of my favorite birds to display in our house and published the building instructions for others to build. That was all I did until LEGO announced the Icons Kingfisher set. It got me thinking about sharing my own bird builds too.

This idea got kickstarted when I got tagged in a photo where someone used my instructions for a bird build. Apparently there was a little search for brick built birds in nature photos. I got in touch and was encouraged to participate. Since I already have some years experience with wildlife photography this seemed fun. I emptied my camera bag, filled it with my bird models and went to a local park. And here we are…

I see my photography as the final touch of my MOC. I spend a good amount of time designing and building the model, getting it out in it’s natural habitat feels like a logic last step. I try to get as close to the real bird and it’s environment as possible and aim to create realistic photos. My approach is the same as in my wildlife photography: I want to show the bird and some of its surroundings. These surroundings are important since they tell a lot about a bird and it’s behavior and habitat. Since I’m shooting a LEGO model this is a lot easier than with real birds, so I got plenty of time to focus on composition. I often try to get on eye level with my subject and to find interesting colors or lines that complement the composition. Most of my images are composed using the rule of thirds.

I prepare my photos not extensively. I think about the posing and what I might need for it (string, stand or extra LEGO parts) and throw everything in my bag when I go outside.

I don’t take a model of a coastal bird to the forest, but besides that it’s just looking for the right opportunity. Working with natural light and shooting without a tripod makes everything very flexible.

My 50-400mm lens is very versatile, so I can shoot real birds and LEGO ones during the same walk. The higher aperture (4.5-6.3) of this lens is no deal breaker since I often shoot with higher aperture to include more of the surroundings.

The hardest part might be getting the model posed right. It’s not always easy to find the right branch to clip the feet on (not all branches are in system…) and wind should not be underestimated when shooting around water (yes, I had to fish). Sometimes someone is holding a loose branch with a bird model up so I can get the right image. To compensate for the inevitable movement here I increase my shutter speed (which is already high because I shoot handheld).

Combining my love for wildlife photography and LEGO has been a bliss thus far. Working with static models and a lighter lens has it’s advantages! The gear i use is a Sony A6700 Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 Tamron 50-400mm 4.5-6.3 Tamron 150-500mm 5.0-6.7 (used for wildlife only) I do have a simple Rollei tripod, but only use it inside."

Thank you for accepting our invitation and let the community knows you better!

If you want some insights on the exclusive picture and for a better view of the others, head to our blog at https://brickentral.net/.

- @theaphol, Community Outreach Manager

[sadistic-kiss]

House of Alphas Chapter 39: Gambling King

🐺House of Alphas🐺

(Jujutsu Kaisen Omegaverse )

Summary: Waking up in a world that was not your own was problematic enough. Being the villainess was another. However, the possessive alphas might take the cake.

Disclaimer: Angsty but I ain’t Gege

Omega!Reader x Alpha!Sukuna x Alpha!Gojo x Alpha!Toji x Alpha!Nanami x Alpha!Getou

Chapter 39: Gambling King

~

“Alright…” you huddled with your alphas standing on the opposite side of the cave.

The opposing team stretches and flips their weapons cockily, grins to match their attitude.

You released a little scoff looking at your group, “…Tell me about their abilities… everything you know.”

Nanami nodded toward the lead alpha, “Hakari is known as the master of fists. He’s close range.”

A fighter.

“Also…” Gojo began with slight irritation, “…he has a lucky dragon talisman.”

A fighter with a shit ton of luck…

You hummed rubbing your chin. Most fighters had good strength and defense but their resistance couldn't be too high. The problem was that talisman. Any dragon item was top tier. For a moment you second-guess this match. An item such as that was end game. Was Hakari that strong? You did hit him with your shadow blast and he did get a sneak attack in so there was no telling how strong the man was without seeing the little boss bar at the top of your screen followed by boss music.

Perhaps if you could get him surrounded and get a good hit off on him then you could win. But then there were the others. “What about his mate?”

“Gravity.” Sukuna muttered- A sorcerer…“…they can affect the gravitational pull on the targets they mark. Bringing them together or apart.”-so don't get touched.

“And the others?”

“Pawns.”

“Pawns are still soldiers. I need to know what they do.”

“ I got you...” Getou began, “B.J. is good with a bow, Spades is a sword user, Ace axes, and Jack works with javelins. I heard that their team has a hard time against elemental runs so they normally stick to strength matches.”

That would explain why all the gear Hakari sells is normally for raw armor and weapons, they normally don't have good magic items. Cool. A well-rounded team that doesn't do well against magic. You shut your eyes for a moment trying to imagine the battlefield in ‘game’ form. What would you do if you were fighting a team with a strong captain? Defeat the add-ons. That's strat 101.

You opened your eyes with a soft nod, “so…here’s what I'm thinking… If we can get rid of the pawns we can focus on Kirara and then Hakari. I don't think any one of us can go toe to toe with him and actually defeat him. Sukuna if you can dance with him for a little that would be good, shoot at him do whatever just keep him busy, don't exert too much energy though. Toji and Nanami I need you front line handling the big guys. Getou if you can help them with that, that would be great, summon Kirin, the chain lightning can assist in dispatching the meat shields and stunning them. Gojo and I will focus on Kirara and after that, we take care of Hakari… Any questions so far?”

“Yeah, why am I dancing with the opponent.”

“Sukuna... You are faced with someone who is faster than you and super lucky at that.” Which calls for easy crits- no wonder why he took everyone else out with one hit. “…you aren't going to beat him with brute force. I know your strength out matches his but one wrong move and he gains the upper hand. We need to counter luck right now and to do so is to higher our chances when we all attack him. We can lower his speed and guard, but only if we work together. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

“What does my team have to do with my dreams?”

“Uh, we help them come true! Duh!”

“You haven't the slightest idea what my dreams consist of.”

You sighed, “Listen! We gotta work together to defeat our enemies. This is important for any battle we get into. We are strongest as one, and it's especially important to understand when the enemy can outclass you, it doesn't mean they are better it just means you need to think of a counter, a different path. Understood?”

Toji grinned, “I love when you get all commander on us.”

“She’s so cute when she does that.” Gojo agreed.

You felt heat touch your face, “Uh~ well I like strategy games you know. You gotta learn how to make your disadvantages your advantages. Hakari’s team is strong but they also underestimate us. Let’s play them right into our hands.”

“Yes…she makes a good point Sukuna. ” Nanami is also pleased with you.

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say war chief.”

Getou snickered, “Oh you must join Nanami and me in a game of chess, it would be nice to go against an opponent that uses their brain for once.”

“Oi! What does that mean?”

“Nothing my sweet boy.”

You chuckled at Getou and Gojo who was making a pouty face.

-“Heeeeey~!” Hakari called for your attention.

Looking over your shoulder you watched the alpha jump around like he was Goku getting ready for the funnest fight of his life. Kirara on the other hand, looked forever bored like you guys were beneath their time. “Are we ready to do this?!”

“We were born ready!” Gojo yelled back, but truthfully Hakari and his pack only found anything your guys said or did amusing. Not even Sukuna’s glarey eyes were doing anything. It was like you were little pups trying to beat the elders.

You must gain your respect! “Hmph! Let’s wipe the battlefield with them.”

“Agreed.”

Your team spread out to get into position, you were in the center, Toji and Nanami took the front line, Sukuna and Gojo were to the left and right, and Getou was beside you.

Hakari and his pack hollered as they got excited.

“FINALLY”!

“Thought you guys were getting cold paws hm~!”

You kept your mind on the prize, ignoring the taunting words.

“I’m going to fuck them up…” Sukuna growled under his breath.

It was obvious their words were irritating your alphas. Especially so when…Hakari pointed a finger toward you, a wide grin on his face, “You're mine princess.”

What- he’s targeting you.

Toji stepped in the way, blocking you with his body, “Keep your filthy hands away from her.”

“I’m going to rip his arms off.”

Shit…

...

~

~Read More~

[evilvvithin]

Hi!! Probably this would send as a request.

I always wonder like what's the reaction König 6'10 big guy, received a hug from a reader 5'3. Like she can't take off her gaze on him (with armor on) , and decided to bump into him, ask if she could hug him.

I don't know if this what you wanted exactly, but having your request in mind I just started to write and kept writing n writing and .... my brain is just unstoppable when it comes to König came up with something like a fluff and first meeting thing. Anyway, hope you like it!

There he was again, walking into the big room inside the military base, with his typical sniper hood. He just came from a mission recently, his gear and equipment covered in dust and drops of blood. There was no need for him to change his clothes as he was leaving for another mission anytime soon and no one knew exactly when. Getting some fuel was more important than changing clothes at the time. If there was time left, he’d got rid of the dirty clothes.

It wasn’t the blood that caught your eye, it was König himself. Behemoth of a man, fully geared up… the dining room went all silent the second he came inside. Everyone respected him here, you had to admit his look was rather intimidating together with his height and strength and you were sure everyone else in this room agreed with you.

When König sat down to eat, the room slowly filled up with talking and laughing again. You kept staring at him, imagining how he felt about all the attention. You couldn’t see his expressions nor his mind what he thought about, but you could feel he didn’t enjoy the attention. Who would? Soon enough you found yourself boring your eyes into his back, imagining his body under all the gear. 

“You need a pick up?” The guy next to you laughed. “Can you see?” 

Furrowing your eyebrows, you stood up and walked towards the exit angrily. You weren’t that small, but surrounded mostly by men who were taller, they did enjoy teasing you. König looked at the guy who mocked you, he gave him the stare that’d make you freeze in place, not able to do anything. “Sorry,” the guy mumbled and returned to his plate. Right before you left the room, your eyes met with König’s. Before leaving, you two shared a little moment of understanding and you thanked him by nodding your head once.

____

You couldn’t stop thinking about him, how damn good he looks in his gear and the sniper hood. The way he stood behind you when others made fun of you behind short, you wanted to get to know him closer. To at least get to speak to him, to thank him. 

“Get your shit together,” you said to yourself in the bathroom mirror. 

Stepping outside, the hallway was empty except König standing at a corner leaning against the wall. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, staring into the empty wall in front of him. 

Do I just come up to him and… God no, that’s weird. I could just pass by and thank him, and then keep talking… ah, no. That’s just awkward, holy. Your head was a mess, and without thinking further you just started to walk towards him, no plan in your head. Bumping into him on purpose, you gasped, “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking.”

You saw his eyebrows raise throughout the holes in his mask. “It’s fine, really,” he replied. His voice sounded like he yelled his whole life, but it was soft at the same time. “It’s fine,” he repeated as you didn’t move at all. 

“Actually…” You started and bit your lip unsure about what to tell him.

“Do you need something? Go away.” 

You looked him in the eyes shining through the sniper hood holes. “Can I hug you?”

The second you stood in front of him, looking up into his eyes, he was ready to hear anything from you but that. He scratched his forehead, confused and taken away by your words. 

“I’m sorry, that was weird. I’ll be going.” The awkward silence overwhelmed you, making you just want to get away from the situation. 

“Wait,” König suddenly said. “Why not?” 

You wished you saw if he was smiling or not, but his face cover made it impossible. You could only guess by the tone of his voice. Opening his arms wide, he invited you to a hug and you almost jumped into his arms. You couldn’t reach your hands together, the height and overall size difference was visible. His gear was only making him bigger. Squishing him tightly, which felt like a soft pressure to him if even that, you said: “Thank you. I hate their constant teasing.” 

König wasn’t really hugging you, he was hunched over you andjust had his hands placed on your upper back carefully. When you said those words, he actually hugged you and even pulled you closer to him. “I know what it’s like, trust me,” he said silently. “They won’t do it again.” 

You remained silent, enjoying the warmth of another person being. Hearing footsteps going your way, you looked up to him and thanked him again. Your neck stretched, he was tall of course, but you never realized he was this tall. 

König didn’t know what to think about it, he enjoyed the hug but at the same time he felt so confused deep inside. The hug felt really nice, he almost wished it lasted longer.

“What's your name?” He quickly shouted after you before you fully disappeared from his view.

“Y/n,” you stopped and looked back at him.

“People call me König,” he replied. 

I know, you said in your head and went to your private room finally.

[lacontroller1991]

Fluff/WhumpTOBER Day 3: Nick Valentine x GN!Sole Survivor

Day 3: Favorite Scene/Set Up For Failure Masterlist Warnings: 18+, Language, Suicide/Homicide, Blood Word Count: 1.2k

“You want me to do what?” Father, Shaun, stares back at you with your eyes, his face set in resolve.

“You heard me. I need you to wipe out your friends. Starting with the Railroad. They have caused us too much trouble, keeping us from finding what is rightfully ours. They are a threat to us. You know this.” His words pierce through you as you freeze in your tracks. You know he’s your son, but do you really have the means of wiping out your friends, the very people who helped you find him?

“Shaun, you know I can’t do that,” you comment softly, sitting down next to the head of the Institute. “Surely there is another way, one that doesn’t involve the death of people I care about.”

He shakes his head, spurring on a coughing fit, blood spewing into a white napkin. “I am dying. Are you really going to let everything that I’ve built, for you, go to waste?”

You know he’s lying. You know that even though he is biologically your son, he is not your son. You’d like to believe that despite never raising him as your own that he wouldn’t be capable of mass genocide. You’d like to believe that he would take your compassion and his father’s love for life. But here he sits, telling you to do the exact opposite. And here you sit, actually contemplating it.

“You know the Railroad is only in it for themselves. Despite them wishing to liberate synths and allowing them to have self freedom, you know it’s all about revenge for them. And the Minuteman. They pose a threat to our existence. They need to be taken care of.”

Tugging your bottom lip in between your teeth, you play with your fingers, wishing you would’ve just stayed frozen. This is an impossible choice. Your blood or your friends who had become your family. “What about Valentine?” Shaun takes your hands in his, his are cold and frail while yours are warm and youthful.

“You know what needs to be done.”

—————

Blood. Blood surrounds you as you collapse to your knees, having taken out the Minuteman, all in one place. The people who sought to make the Commonwealth a better place. Looking down at your hands, you resist the urge to vomit at the sight of blood soaked skin. “What have I done?” Your eyes look around before spotting Preston, lying on the ground. If you didn’t know otherwise, you would’ve assumed that he was sleeping. Crawling over to his body, you wipe the blood off of his face, drops of water removing dirt and grime. “I’m so, so sorry.” Leaning down, you press a kiss to his foreheads, wishing it didn’t have to be this way.

“(Y/N)?” His voice causes you to look up from where you kneel, eyes immediately spotting the old synth as your heart breaks. You don’t have what it takes to tell him that you killed everyone, but you have a feeling that he already knows. “What the hell happened here?” His hand reaches for his gun as you sniffle, falling onto your butt as your eyes look over the massacre. 

“I killed them.” You can hear the gears whirring in his head before he crouches down next to you. His poker face gave Deacon a run for his money. 

“Now why would you go and do that for?” His voice is flat, no judgment but also no friendliness. It reminds you that he too, is a synth, made from your flesh and blood.

“Father told me to do it. Told me that they’re a threat to the Institute.” The words tumble out of your mouth, void of emotion. Shock setting in. 

Nick sighs, shaking his head, trying to come up with some logical explanation and finding none. “I warned you what would happen if you decided to help him out. Now look at where that got you.”

“I’m sorry, Nick, he’s my son. My only son.” 

Nick draws his lips in a tight line, standing to his full height. “I know.”

“He wants me to kill the Railroad, kill Deacon. He wants me to kill you. I can’t. I can’t do this. Nick, please, help me.” You turn to him, grabbing onto his pant leg, tears running down your face as his yellow eyes peer down at you. 

“There’s nothing I can do to help. You made sure of that yourself.” Shaking your head, you mess with the latches on your pipboy, taking it off. 

“Get this to Deacon, to Danse, anybody. Get it to them, bring down the Institute.” Tears flow freely down your face as you hand the synth the piece of technology. “It has all the information on how to get inside and what needs to be done to insure the destruction of that horrible place.”

Nick takes the pipboy into his other hand, looking down at you with curiosity, “Just what are you going to do? Kill more people?” Your eyes move from his and land on the ground, eyeing a gun within grabbing distance. He catches on. “You are not going to kill yourself.”

“What other choice do I have? I can’t ask you to kill me. I can’t ask Deacon to kill me, or Mac, or Danse, or Hancock. You know they wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Nick knows that you’re telling the truth. Deacon would be too distraught with the betrayal to be able to kill you. Mac and Hancock are too loyal, and well, Danse owes you his life. And Nick? Nick loves you. “I’ll do it.”

Your eyes light up with gratitude but it doesn’t reach your face. “Nick. I can’t let you.”

“Doll, I would rather have me do it than you do it,” he pockets the pipboy, extending his metal exposed hand out to you, allowing you to take it. Hoisting you to a standing position, he looks you over one last time with a sad smile on his face. “I loved you, you know.”

“Oh Nick.” You launch yourself into his arms, clinging onto him like your life depended on it, knowing how this moment is going to end. One of his arms wrapping around you, synthetic lips pressing a kiss to your temple as his other hand pulls back the hammer on his gun. “I love you. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.” He pulls the trigger and a loud crack echoes in his auditory processors as you go limp in his grasp. With a sigh, he sweeps your body up into his arms and carries you to the yard behind your house, kneeling down on the ground next to your spouse’s grave. Carefully, he lays your body on the ground before standing up and dusting the dirt off of his knees, the pipboy burning holes in his coat pocket. “Goodbye, (Y/N). I’ll make sure to end it.” He lowers his head in a bow before walking away from the grave, wishing he could cry.

[firstelevens]

And “hand written note” for the immune gummies themselves sambucol

20. a hand written note

One thing that Bucky almost immediately learned after becoming a parent was that people's favorite question to ask about a kid was who they took after. Everyone who asked it always did with a knowing look in their eye, like there was a right answer that they were waiting to hear, and everyone who asked it tended to be disappointed when Bucky told them that Freddie was her own person, and much more interesting than either he or Sam were.

It's a good answer to have in his back pocket, but as Bucky watches his daughter consider two almost-identical jackets with an extremely familiar frown of concentration on her face, he might have to admit that it's not quite accurate.

Freddie never wears Stark-branded stuff to school: Sam and Bucky are both in agreement that it's tacky, and given Freddie's extensive wardrobe, he's not sure that she's ever even noticed when they steer her away from racing gear in favor of other outfits. Still, there's exceptions to every rule, and Bucky thought she might be excited by the change on this special occasion.

Instead, when he held up the two identical jackets and asked whether Freddie wanted to wear Papa's number or Daddy's, Freddie went into a state of contemplation so deep that he's not sure she's even thinking about jackets anymore. It's honestly adorable, how hard she's thinking about it, but they do eventually need to leave for school, and Bucky hasn't even done her hair yet.

The sound of Sam clattering down the stairs, in the middle of what is clearly an impassioned speech to whoever is on the phone, makes the decision for them. "You know what, honeybee?" says Bucky, kneeling so he's eye to eye with Freddie. "How about you wear Daddy's today and then you can wear mine tomorrow, hm?"

Freddie doesn't immediately respond, and Bucky's just about to break out plan C when her face lights up. "It'll make Daddy smile," she says, with an authoritative nod, and Bucky thinks his heart might burst for how much she looks like Sam right then.

"You're absolutely right," he says.

"You know, Papa," Freddie says, as Bucky lifts her up and plonks her on a chair in front of the mirror, "if I had a sister, we could wear your jacket and Daddy's jacket, and then that would make you smile."

Bucky snorts, kissing the side of Freddie's head. Two of Freddie's playgroup friends got baby siblings over the summer, and school has done nothing to dampen her fascination with them.

"You already make me smile, honeybee," he says. And then, because he's a coward with readily available distraction tactics, he pulls the box of sparkly hair clips towards them and tells Freddie to pick out which ones she wants today.

When they make it downstairs a few minutes later, Sam's got his phone call on speakerphone, and he's reading something aloud to whoever's on the other end.

"...has come to my attention that due to a miscommunication-"

"Don't say miscommunication," comes Becca's voice, slightly tinny. "You didn't miscommunicate anything; you're not culpable for any of this. Go with 'misunderstanding'."

Sam scratches something out on a legal pad. "Okay, due to a misunderstanding surrounding a picture that she drew in class, you felt obligated to raise concerns regarding Freddie's honesty. Your concern was that she had drawn myself and my husband in race cars."

On the phone, Becca tells Sam that it's good to be specific. Bucky, glancing warily down at Freddie, is relieved to see that she hasn't caught on to the conversation yet, but knows it's only a matter of time before she does. He takes her to the sunroom, where Mama Wilson catches on instantly and calls Freddie over to show off her dress and her pretty hair.

Freddie doesn't need telling twice, and Bucky returns to the kitchen in time to hear Sam reading the end of the note.

"I've attached a copy of the Sports Illustrated cover featuring myself, my husband, and baby Freddie at the 2028 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hopefully, this will mitigate any future confusion. Regards, Sam Wilson."

"Sam, I know your instinct is to be a decent person, but you're gonna have to be kind of a pompous ass and close with 'Sam Wilson, four time Formula 1 World Champion', or otherwise there's no point to this."

"Nah, I'm cool with being vindictive in this case," says Sam, as he produces a sheet of stationery from somewhere and starts writing--in cursive, no less.

"Seriously, Sam?" asks Bucky, peering over his shoulder. "A handwritten note on personalized stationery?"

"It's got the Stark logo embossed in the corner, too," says Sam, sounding just a little bit gleeful.

"And an email wouldn't have sufficed because..."

"Because if that lady wants to call our baby girl a liar, we're gonna go in there and hand her this note in person and then make her look us in the eye when she's done reading it."

"We're still pulling her out of that class, though, right?"

"Oh, absolutely," Sam says, as he signs his name at the bottom. "I just want to make this woman stew for a minute first."

Bucky slips his arms around Sam and kisses his shoulder. "Just so you know, righteous indignation is really hot on you."

"Oh, yeah?" asks Sam, his voice going all warm in that way that still turns Bucky's knees to jelly. "And what--"

"Still here!" Becca calls out, startling them both. "Hanging up now! Bye!"

"Shame on you, James Barnes," says Sam. "Putting the moves on me with your sister still on the phone."

"I wasn't putting on any moves; I was stating facts," Bucky says, poking Sam in the side and grinning when he yelps. "Now come on, Wilson; we're gonna be late for morning assembly."

[takeyourcyanide]

Пустой

Summary: I don’t quite know how to summarize this. Spirit catches Stein attempting to enact violence upon a student. Everyone ends up back at Stein and Spirit’s apartment. This is just something I wrote out of boredom. I’ll finish Repulsion (Re-do) I swear

Word count: 2,926

————

Stein, despite having only been a student at the academy for a mere 6 days, stirred up quite the controversy, simply by existing. The gossiping students described the young male as being rather standoffish, enigmatic, and even lifeless. His eyes stared through you as opposed to staring at you, ultimately burning a hole through anyone’s trembling soul. His pale face was regarded as being typically expressionless, facial muscles seldom contorting into any discernible expression. Whenever he smiled, it was usually a result of something most would find disturbing - even repulsing. Despite behaving similarly to a decomposing corpse, there was something almost charming about his cold self. It was something few could place their finger on. But if you paid close enough attention, you’d learn quickly that that charm was purposeful.

Such a description, Spirit thought, perfectly befit the boy of whom stood before him, eyes inhumanly blown out and impossibly empty, staring into his own blue eyes.

Speaking of inhuman, there was always something about Stein that simply felt not human. Even some students made jokes and even questioned among themselves the humanity - or rather, lack thereof - of Stein. Was he even truly human to begin with? Was the meister an impostor of sorts?

“Why are you pretending to care, Spirit? Why are you trying so hard? You were forced to be my partner, it was not your choice,” Stein spoke in his typical chilling monotone, a tiny twinge of childlike curiosity in his voice.

The quivering and queasy bystander, of whom Stein had so seemingly abruptly attacked, quickly made his escape, practically in tears as he panted whilst running.

They happened to have been standing in a warm forest behind the gargantuan academy, surrounded by dying trees. Scattered about on the ground were an array of colorful, fallen leaves, having been abandoned by the branches of which had formerly promised to hold them.

Spirit, ever since having met the grey boy, wondered what sort of abandonment one had to suffer through in order to become a person such as Stein.

The weapon had caught his new meister gearing up to torture some sorry soul in the same forest only two days prior. Spirit was hoping that his small lecture would have pushed Stein in a more lawful direction.

Boy, was he wrong.

Spirit stared at the prematurely grey Stein with furrowed brows of contempt, disappointed frown present, eyes teeming with fury, judgement, and repulsion.

At least that is how Stein perceived it.

The redhead’s eyes moved about, falling onto the ground beneath them, seemingly considering how to answer his question.

“Lord Death wants me to watch you,” Spirit responded, an annoyed grumble to his low voice. His eyes were narrow with dislike. Stein was awfully used to that expression. It was amusing.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” the meister huffed, continuing to drive his scalpel through Spirit with his eyes.

“Evidently, you do. Didn’t I already tell you that you can’t just go and disobey the academy’s rules?” Spirit sort of rhetorically asked, not expecting a real answer to his question. He shook his head, red hair moving side to side gracefully. Stein happened to be carefully observing the delicate movement. Stein quite liked Spirit’s hair, actually, finding it to be silky and soft. Of course, his hand was almost immediately shooed away the moment it came in contact with his weapon’s long, crimson hair.

“And I told you that I wish I lived in a world that had never even conceived a god,” Stein suddenly moved towards Spirit, slow and cautious as though he was approaching a wild stray.

Spirit scoffed, tilting his head downwards, thinking that his new partner often spoke in a nearly blasphemous way. Upon raising his resentful head, Stein noted the air of pride and superiority he had about him.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Stein asked, voice possessing a disappointed, yet expecting lilt.

“No, I really don’t, Stein,” Spirit began, entirely bothered and shrugging his shoulders, hands lifting with said shoulders and slapping his sides once dropped. “You’ve been like this the entire time you’ve been here. I hate to sound rude, but if you don’t mind me asking, what the hell is wrong with you? Is there genuinely, like, an illness or disorder you have, or something?” Spirit spoke in a simultaneously judgmental and concerned tone, hand waving in acknowledgment toward Stein.

Stein’s wide eyes narrowed in mild annoyance, eyes still dissecting the soul in front of him.

Dissection - or rather, observation and analysis were all Stein had. Science was all Stein had. Not only was it the only thing that kept him grounded in what was supposedly reality, but it was the only way in which Stein could understand people. Those who didn’t understand that had the luxury of seemingly intuitively understanding all social protocol, all human emotions, all of everything that supposedly made one human.

“That’s what everyone thinks,” Stein plainly stated, vague and corpselike. The ginger sighed in response, judgmental expression almost completely being replaced by that of a genuinely concerned expression.

“And why do you think that is?” Spirit sounded quite similar to a disappointed, slightly worried, and unamused parent. Sometimes, Stein observed how it seemed like Spirit assumed something akin to a parental role whenever he was forced to deal with him.

“I never said that they were wrong or that I didn’t understand why,” Stein replied, not directly answering his question.

“But seriously, though… What’s wrong with you?” The weapon continued his interrogation.

“My brain is wired differently. What’s wrong with that?” Stein presented his very own question, shrugging his slumped shoulders.

Spirit, once again, sighed, abdomen ballooning and caving in as he gave up entirely.

“Whatever, Stein,” he said, walking away from the boy with his hands in the pockets of his black dress pants. The grieving leaves crunched beneath his feet.

The sun beamed down on the priestly boy, his bright red hair glimmering, clearly freshly washed and styled. His dress shoes, too, shimmered in the smoldering rays of the sun, the deep black of which they were appearing boldly and wonderfully.

Spirit often annoyed Stein, if only to a minuscule degree, for he was much too similar to a loyal mutt. He was the law’s hound, Lord Death’s little dog, here only to babysit him and scold him.

Lord Death wanted Stein for his abilities, and needed a nurse to watch over him, an angel.

A mutt.

He always got in his way. It made the ever-so-flat Stein pout and frown, eyebrows pinched on his forehead.

Typically speaking, those who stood between Stein and what Stein desired - whether it be to satiate a curiosity of his, or simply to do something for the sake of hedonistic and sadistic pleasure - were subsequently dealt with.

But this time, Stein could not act on such an instinct.

Both because he was genuinely fascinated with the priestly boy, and also because if he happened to do as such, then he’d, most likely, be swiftly put to death. After all, Lord Death has his boundaries, too.

Stein observed the rustling and restless trees, finding them beautiful, indeed. There was a certain beauty that nature had that Stein appreciated greatly.

Unlike others, however, that aspect of beauty did not keep him from toying with nature how he pleased.

It was no wonder why everyone liked him as a ‘character’ of sorts and not as a person.

……

The bright Nevada sun scorched Stein’s retinas as he trudged to he and Spirit’s shared apartment.

He wasn’t sure whether or not his weapon would be there, and frankly, he didn’t care. He figured he could slink away to his bedroom where he could be alone, though he’d prefer to live entirely alone.

Stein had successfully made it to the academy’s large courtyard before he was stopped by a high-pitched and gleeful call of his name.

A short, blonde girl ran towards him, smile stretching outward on his rosy cheeks. She had little braids which swung and she moved, falling multiple inches past her collarbones.

If he remembered correctly, she was the most cheerful friend of Spirit’s, her name being Marie.

“Is there something you need?” Stein curiously questioned, observing the hand of which now grasped his grey sleeve.

Marie seemed to carefully consider his question, almost appearing mildly embarrassed.

“Well, honestly, no. You just looked a little upset is all,” Marie responded with a bit of a nervous giggle, worry presenting itself in her large, brown eyes. Stein noted that Marie had naturally long and pretty eyelashes. They complimented her nicely, just as Spirit’s hair complimented him nicely.

Stein raised an eyebrow, fully ready to question why the girl even cared about whether or not he was upset to begin with, given the fact that they had only just met a handful of days ago, but is ultimately interrupted by Marie happily asking, “Oh, and by the way, are you heading back to yours and Spirit’s place? If so, I’ll walk with you. Me and the rest of our group are supposed to meet there with Spirit. We have weekly little meetups.”

“Uh.. Yeah, I am. And I see,” Stein mumbled, evidently taken aback by how friendly Marie was.

“Also, could I ask you a question?” He continued, head tilted downwards, deep in thought.

Marie responded with a resounding, “Sure!”

“What incentive would you have to care at all whether or not I happened to have been upset?” He stared directly into her surprised eyes, finding himself to be amused by how reactive she was. She seemed to wear her emotions on her sleeve, which fascinated Stein greatly.

“I don’t know… I just do,” she responded, shrugging her shoulders.

That answer was hardly satisfying to the ever curious Stein, causing his bottom lip to jut out in a juvenile manner.

The pouty male began walking once more, Marie following quickly beside him.

“So…” Marie trailed on, staring at him questioningly. Stein glanced over at her, an eyebrow slightly raised.

“What is it?” He asked, head tilting to the side like a curious dog.

“Were you upset?” The blonde continued to prod.

A gentle sigh reverberated throughout Stein’s tired body, as he positioned his head to look onwards.

“Not really,” he spoke, voice hushed. Marie noted how reserved the boy always seemed to be.

“Not really?” She repeated his previous statement, nosy and poking around for a better answer than that.

“I was a bit annoyed,” he spoke in his usual monotone.

“About what?” She continued further.

“It’s nothing,” Stein stubbornly stated to the annoyance of Marie.

“Fine, then,” she playfully gave up, sighing a bit. “But if you ever wanna talk, I’m here,” she then proceeded to beam up at him, completely kind and genuine.

Stein looked over at Marie again, curiously looking her up and down.

Marie raised an eyebrow, smirking, “What are you looking at?”

“Both you and Spirit are very pretty. I like both of your features. You look like a woman I’ve seen in either a Victorian or a Renaissance painting,” Stein spoke with wide eyes, observing her every breath. Marie felt both flattered and taken aback, finding being observed as though she was bacteria under a microscope both interesting a a little creepy.

“Thank you?” Marie laughed a little, mildly confused at the randomness of Stein’s former statement.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” He asked, eyes still observing her every inch.

Most guys undressed her with their eyes. Stein, however, dissected her with his eyes. What an odd individual.

“No, I was just a little surprised is all. I wasn’t expecting that. But thank you, I’ll take that as a compliment,” she chuckled, smile not faltering whatsoever.

“All right, then. And it was simply an observation,” Stein gave Marie a small smile and nod in return.

Marie moved to look onward, as well, enjoying the light breeze which brushed through her hair.

……

By the time the pair had managed to make it to apartment, the rest of the group had already arrived, staring at them welcomingly as they stepped through the door.

“Hey!” Spirit exclaimed, waving at the two. Stein figured that such friendly energy was most likely directed more so at Marie than it was him.

Stein, per the usual, after standing awkwardly, made a b-line toward his bedroom. Marie, however, before he could get far, latched onto his arm.

“Why don’t you stay?” She asked with a large smile on her face. Stein shrugged his shoulders, a certain lie.

In reality, he simply figured he was not wanted there, not necessarily not allowed there, but not wanted. He would certainly overstay his welcome in one way or another.

Stein knew that if he were to say that aloud that they would no doubt think he was looking for sympathy. And he most certainly was not. It wasn’t as though Stein found it saddening, but they most definitely would.

“Well, you should,” Marie spoke, gently pulling at his limp arm.

Stein could see, from his peripheral vision, what looked like Spirit grimacing. Was he still mad at him? Was he ever mad at him?

Spirit appeared awfully hesitant. Perhaps he had finally learned to stop trying so hard with Stein.

Stein allowed himself to be dragged over to the sofa opposite to Spirit, the one on which Azusa happened to be seated.

Marie plopped down beside him, in between Azusa and Stein.

The group began with small talk, of which Stein found to be banal and not of his concern, leading to him simply keeping quiet.

Stein hoped that they’d allow him to be silent and to observe. Though, he could hardly observe their conversing when all he could focus on was the piercing ringing in his right ear.

She clasped his hand over his ear, hoping to quell the noise. When it proved to be ineffective, she drove a finger in his ear, his face contorted into that of a person being incessantly bothered by a buzzing fly.

“What are you doing, Stein?” Spirit curiosity questioned, eyebrows pinched in mild amusement.

“There’s just a ringing in my ear,” he said exasperatedly, taking his finger out of his ear, resorting to a childish pout.

“That sucks. What do you have, tinnitus or something?” Sid spoke, facing Stein with a questioning expression.

“No, I don’t,” he plainly responded, looking all around the room.

The group resumed conversation, no longer fussing over Stein in any capacity, which Stein happened to be quite grateful for. Marie, however, continued to glance concernedly at him, eyes brimming with a childlike curiosity. Marie’s proclivity towards Stein, in turn, sparked a sense of curiosity within Stein. Why did she behave as though she was so interested in him?

Stein became more and more lost in thought as time went on, ultimately wondering why he was even seated on the sofa and not in room, contemplating everything and nothing simultaneously.

He raised his head, questioning whether or not to make his grand escape. He settled for momentarily observing the laughing and jovial group.

They all stared at one another with eyes filled with adoration and belonging. They had clearly seen the depths of one another’s souls, and loved what they had seen - the supposed “imperfections” and the supposed “perfections.”

It truly fascinated Stein. He wondered what something like love felt like. He wished he could satiate his curiosity, if only for a minute amount of time.

Stein stood suddenly, making no effort to say his goodbyes.

“Where’re you going, Stein?” Marie asked, staring up at him expectantly.

“My room,” he responded, turning his head to face her.

“How come?” She asked, head tilting to the side.

“I just would like to,” he said in an almost antsy manner.

“Oh, okay,” she replied with, looking a bit taken aback and confused.

He continued his journey, eventually opening his door, and walking inside of the room.

Instead of sitting down at his desk and researching a topic that interested him, he lifted his weighted comforter and crawled under it.

He moved his arm just a bit, feeling the softness of his stuffed rabbit. It was a black-colored rabbit, one of which had stitches etched into its fur, bandages wrapped around its leg, and a missing eye.

Most people would never suppose Stein to be the type to ever even consider owning a stuffed animal, but he enjoyed the weight of the bunny when he held it. It helped him to relax.

Whilst holding the previously mentioned rabbit to his chest, and caressing its furry ears, Stein’s mind trailed back to his former observations; how adoringly they looked at one another, the empathy they felt for one another, how safe they obviously felt with each other…

Stein couldn’t even fathom what safety must’ve felt like. He couldn’t even fathom what it felt like to adore another.

What does it feel like to be able to be yourself around another?

And what does it feel like to be able to show oneself to another, and to have that person love what they have been shown?

He was curious, and the worst part about it all was that he could not satiate his curiosities.

He pathetically nuzzled his face into the stuffed toy, eyes narrow with exhaustion.

Stein never truly cared about any of what he had just witnessed, but in a way, he did want to experience it - just to see what it was like.

He just couldn’t accept that he’d never be able to.

He had already spent his life trying to.

[beeandheroddobsessions]

If You Wonder

Pairing: Elvis x f!Reader

Summary: Elvis doesn’t know what it is about you, but he knows he’s not letting go.

A/N: The way I lied about when this was going up with my whole chest is so funny to me. Happy reading!- Bianca 💕

Stress couldn't even begin to cover what Elvis was feeling. The poor man is in disarray, and it's all over his appearance.

Hair tousled from his hands running through it; shirt untucked in haste, face flushed red with frustration.

With an upcoming tour and everyone wanting something different, he felt like the world was caving around him. He needed an escape, a moment where he was just a regular old joe. 

There's a flower grove not too far from Graceland. It's secluded and quaint, and no one knows it exists; it's just what he needs.

Without a second thought, Elvis finds his feet carrying him in that direction. The walk brings its own wave of anxiety, having to worry about being spotted.

There's no doubt that Elvis loves his fans dearly, but if he’s got to deal with one more squealing girl, he might lose it. After glancing over his shoulder more times than he can count, he ducks into the trail hidden by the beautiful shrubbery.

His stomach settles, and his shoulders drop as he is hidden away from the world by mother nature. He is sure to thank her as he approaches the clearing he's grown so fond of.

A ghost of a smile rests upon his face as he enters the natural archway built by the leaves of weeping willows. There is where he finds you, clad in a yellow sundress, seated on the ground, book in hand, oblivious to the world. Footsteps are the only indication of another soul nearing you.

You glance up, unsure of who has wandered into your sanctuary. Your eyes widen just a bit when they land on the intruder. Unsure of what exactly to say in the presence of Elvis Presley himself, you offer a kind smile and return to the passage last read.

Elvis is appalled; for the first time in what seems like forever, a woman saw him and didn't pounce on him. The initial disappointment of finding you here is replaced by interest. The urge to talk to you grows stronger by the second, so he does.

"Hi there, I'm Elvis. Elvis Presley." You look over your book and see an extended hand. Reaching out to take it, you give your name in exchange,

"I know, my name's y/n."

Elvis quirks an eyebrow, "What's that your readin'?" He questions.

You point to the title, "It's an encyclopedia on flowers, see my favorite is the peony, but I like all of 'em. They're just so pretty. Ya know?"

Elvis nods his head and immediately understands why you're here. This place is littered with wildflowers, all different and beautiful in their own way.

"Mind if I sit with ya, darlin?" You shake your head and pat the grass next to you. He sits a little close, but it doesn't bother you.

"How'd you find this place?" you ask curiously. He lets out a chuckle and looks around a bit before answering, 

"When I moved into Graceland, I went walkin' and stumbled upon it. How'd you find it?" He asks, just as curious.

"There's a trail of daisies leading into the clearing. Where there's one, there are many. I just followed the flowers." A purple pansy catches your eye, and you point it out to Elvis.

"That's why I kept coming back." He nods with a simple "Mm," and a comfortable silence falls over the two of you.

"Tell me 'bout 'em."

You tilt your head, slightly confused. "Bout what?" The smile he gives you is almost enough to make you sweat.

"The flowers, honey. Tell me about the flowers." Thus began your ramblings about the flora surrounding you both. Elvis had no interest in telling you to stop; he let you talk until the sun started to set. 

"Goodness, I rambled on into the night," you laugh out.

"S'okay, I like hearing you talk, Bambi. Let me take ya home. Can't have a pretty thing like you roamin' alone."

You hesitate for a bit, wondering if it would inconvenience him. Elvis sees the gears turning and doesn't give you a choice. "Where do ya stay?"

You begin to stand, smoothing out your dress. "It's about a five-minute walk from here."

You both set out toward your home. As you resume the flower talk, your book is close to your chest. Not once do you lose his interest. For Elvis, this is refreshing, something he doesn't want to end so soon.

When you reach the front of your tiny home, he turns to face you. "Bambi, if ya don't mind, I'd like to be able to talk more with ya." You understand what he's hinting at and tell him to wait by the door as you scurry inside to find a pen and paper. You hand over the small slip and bid Elvis goodnight. 

There isn't a word from him for another two days. Though it's a bit disheartening, your garden keeps you busy. Around one o'clock on a Wednesday, while you're labeling pots, the phone rings. You dash over to it, lifting the receiver to your ear.

"Bambi? Ya there?" You can't fight the smile finding its way onto your face. "Yes, E. M'here," He breathes, happy that he has the correct number.

"Good! How've you been?" You jot down tulips as you form a response,

"Fair to middlin', just a little busy, is all. And you?" He chuckles on the other side. "Stressed like hell, but glad to be talkin' to ya. What are your plans for today, honey?"

You let out a soft hum, "Nothin' too special. Just labelin' pots. I was gon' head down to the grove lat-"

"No! I mean, I was hopin' you could stay and chat with me. If you don't mind." You shake your head. "Of course, I don't." you talk for hours about your plans for the garden and the ins and outs of his tour.

This quickly becomes routine for you. Elvis calling and keeping you by the phone until odd hours of the night. What you don't expect are the gifts that appear on your doorstep.

The first is a gold necklace graced with his initials. You're sure to bring it up during your next conversation, expressing your gratitude for it but telling him you couldn't possibly keep something so expensive. He is quick to dismiss your concerns and change the subject.

 Second, is a bouquet. A random assortment accompanied by a card that reads,

'I can’t wait to see you. ~EP.'

You place the flowers in a vase on a table near the entryway, making sure they're on display. Again you call, thanking him for such a beautiful assortment.

The last gift you receive is a sage green dress with another card, this one reading 'Meet me in the grove at five, Bambi.- EP' You check the time and see it's a quarter 'till.

Quickly, you throw the dress on, pairing it with the necklace and brown sandals. Too excited to think about makeup, you fly out the door and head for your shared sanctuary. When you reach your destination, what you see leaves you breathless.

A gazebo adorned with fairy lights. Underneath, a table set for two, a vase of fresh-cut peonies resting in the center, and your beau waiting patiently. "Elvis, this is…wow" He flashes a smile and steps toward you, "I spent the last week gettin' this set up."

It was making sense now. Why he did everything he could to keep you on the phone and away from the flowers. The moment you spot the small gift box in his hands, you shake your head.

"Elvis, no more gifts, please-"

He shakes his head right back, "This is the last one, mama. I promise." He extends the small box toward you.

You take it from his hands, carefully unwrapping the ribbon around it and removing the top. Inside, you find a key. You look at the man in front of you with a puzzled expression, "Elvis, I don't understand."

"It's a key to Graceland," He says lowly, with a light pink hue dusting over his cheeks.

"I know we met not too long ago, but I want you around. I feel somethin' for ya, Bambi. Somethin' I ain't never felt before."

"I-" you feel lightheaded. Elvis Presley confessed that he has feelings for you. "Elvis, I don't know what to say, you've given me so much, and I can't help but wonder why. All I've done is talk about flowers-" 

Elvis tries, but can't stifle his laugh. "Honestly, mama, I don't know what to say either. I mean, ya don't hound me bout taking ya on the road and turnin' ya into a poster girl or bout what it's like bein' Elvis Presley,"

He takes your hand and pulls you in close "You don't even ask for anything" Elvis holds your gaze and rests both hands upon your waist

"You keep me company, make me laugh till my stomach hurts. I get to be just Elvis with you. I want you. Will ya let me have ya, honey?" 

Your heart is beating at a mile a minute. "Yes," you say all too quickly, "I mean, i– I'd like that, Elvis."

Elvis chuckles, "There's nothing I'd want more, Bambi." He Kisses your temple and walks you toward the table. 

 "Now, y/n, I want to be completely honest with you." He says, concerning you a bit.

"What is it, E ?" 

"I didn't cook a single thing on this table, so if it's awful, ya can't blame me." You let out a laugh.

"You put in too much work for me to be phased by the food" With a hand on his shoulder, you rise on your tiptoes and kiss his cheek.

Elvis leans into your soft touch, placing his hand over yours. "Let's eat, babydoll; you can tell me more about that garden."

[allisonbaelfire]

Amethyst. - Part 17

Shoto and I stepped back into the ballroom, leaving the cool night air behind. The steady noise of conversation and occasional bursts of laughter filled the space. Shoto’s eyes scanned the room in his usual quiet, observant way.

I followed his gaze to where Katsuki stood, deep in conversation with a group of pro-heroes. His posture was tense, but focused. It was clear he wasn’t here to socialize—he was here to figure out exactly where he wanted to intern. His intensity showed, but that was Katsuki. He didn’t do anything halfway.

“He’s not here to chat,” Shoto murmured, more to himself than to me. “Typical Bakugo.”

I nodded. Katsuki wasn’t the type to waste time, especially not when it came to something as important as his future as a hero. He wasn’t about to sit around and make small talk—he wanted results, and he wanted them now. That intensity was one of the things that made him so dangerous.

Shoto’s eyes shifted across the room, landing on Fumikage and Tenya, who had just arrived with a few students from other schools. They were mingling with the pros, each trying to make their own connections, to carve out their own path in the hero world. I could see the gears turning in Shoto’s mind. He might not say it, but I knew he was thinking the same thing I was: everyone here had a plan, a direction.

Everyone but us.

The good news was, our father, Endeavor stood surrounded by high-ranking pros. His voice boomed as he spoke, his large frame casting a shadow over the group. He hadn’t looked our way yet, which was a relief. No need for a forced family moment tonight.

“You should go talk to some of the pros,” Shoto said quietly, glancing over at me. His tone was neutral, but there was a softness in his eyes. “There’s time, but… you should decide soon.”

I bit my lip, glancing around the room again. “Yeah, I know.”

He gave me a small nod and didn’t push further, letting me take my time. Still, he was right—if I didn’t start thinking about my internship now, I’d get left behind.

I hesitated for a second before forcing myself to move. But as I walked through the room, I could feel the weight of the stares around me. The pros I didn’t know were whispering, casting sideways glances in my direction. The ones I did know avoided me, probably thinking I was too complicated or dangerous to be their intern.

By the time I reached the bar, I wasn’t in the mood for any more fake smiles or half-hearted conversations.

“Hey, Dove.”

I turned at the sound of the familiar voice, finding Hawks leaning casually on the bar next to me. His easy grin and relaxed posture were as charming as ever, but I could see the sharpness in his eyes, always calculating, always watching. Fumikage, clearly eager to be Hawks’ intern, gave me a polite nod before stepping away, probably to mingle.

“Lookin’ a little tense there,” he teased, though his tone had a hint of concern. “Big night getting to you?”

I shrugged, trying to smile back. “Just… figuring things out.”

Hawks took a sip from his drink, his gaze flicking around the room before settling back on me. “Yeah, well, this place isn’t exactly full of saints. Most of ‘em are just here to stir up gossip.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Tell me about it.”

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “You know who’s not? Best Jeanist. Take a look.”

I followed his gaze and saw the hero standing near the far wall, tall and poised, his presence commanding without being overbearing. He wasn’t talking or even watching me. He just stood there, calm and composed, a silent observer. No whispers, no judgment.

Hawks smirked, his tone light but thoughtful. “I like him. Not just because he’s not part of the rumor mill,” Hawks tilted his head toward him. “he all about control, order. Something you could probably use a little more of.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, trying not to smile. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“C’mon,” Hawks teased, his eyes glinting with mischief. “You’ve got power, Dove, but control? That’s what’s gonna take you to the next level. And Jeanist? He’s the master of that.”

I hesitated for a second, thinking about it. Hawks wasn’t wrong. Control was exactly what I needed—over my quirk, over my emotions. Best Jeanist’s discipline could be the key to mastering both the flames I kept hidden and the Ice Dragon. I could refine them, make them mine.

“You think he’d take me on?” I asked.

Hawks grinned. “I think he’d be thrilled. I’ll introduce you.”

I followed him through the crowd, weaving between groups of pros and students alike. My stomach knotted a little. Best Jeanist was one of the top heroes for a reason—he wasn’t just skilled; he was precise, methodical, everything I sometimes struggled to be. But Hawks seemed confident as he walked over, his grin still in place.

“Jeanist, always a pleasure,” Hawks greeted, flashing his signature smirk.

Best Jeanist turned toward us, his posture impeccable, standing with his hands behind his back. His sharp eyes swept over Hawks before landing on me. It was the kind of gaze that seemed to assess you in a second, as if he could already tell what kind of hero you were just by looking.

“Hawks,” he replied, his voice steady and calm. “And you must be Y/N Todoroki.”

I straightened up slightly, nodding. “Yes, sir.”

Hawks smirked. “I was just telling her she could learn a thing or two from you.”

Best Jeanist’s eyes stayed on me, as if he were searching for something. “I have heard about your abilities. You show great promise, but promise is merely the beginning. Power alone is

dangerous without control. I have seen that your potential is vast, but potential requires discipline to become something more.”

I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words. He wasn’t just commenting on my quirk—he was talking about the responsibility that came with it, something I’d been trying to figure out for a long time. The unpredictability of my flames, the raw power of the Ice Dragon… it all felt like something I could only partially harness.

Hawks, of course, broke the tension with a light chuckle. “See? Told you he was no-nonsense. Perfect for you.”

Best Jeanist’s gaze didn’t waver. “If you are interested in learning control, I am open to taking you on as an intern. However, this will not be easy. It will require not only commitment but the willingness to refine every aspect of yourself as a hero.”

I blinked, a little surprised by the direct offer. “You’d really take me on?”

Best Jeanist nodded once. “I believe you have the capability. But capability is not enough. Dedication and focus will determine how far you can go. If you are ready to push yourself, then I will guide you.”

I glanced at Hawks, who gave me an encouraging nod. “I’m ready,” I said firmly, meeting Best Jeanist’s eyes.

“Very well,” he replied, his tone final but approving. “You should pack your suitcase tomorrow then.”

With that, he gave me a nod and turned back toward the other pros he had been quietly observing. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Hawks gave me a light pat on the shoulder, his grin wider than ever. “See? That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

I smiled at him, grateful. “Thanks for the introduction.”

He waved it off with a grin. “No problem, Dove. You know me, I can’t help it, seeing a Dove in need.” He smirked.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, feeling both relieved and a little apprehensive. Best Jeanist wasn’t going to be easy, but that was exactly what I needed right now—someone who could help me control the parts of my power that I’d been holding back. Someone who could push me to the next level.

Hawks tilted his head, motioning toward the bar. “You want a drink or something? Or maybe I should leave you to your thoughts. Big decision and all.”

I chuckled softly. “I think I need a minute to process.”

He grinned again. “Alright, Dove. I’ll catch you later.”

As Hawks disappeared into the crowd, I let myself take in the room again. Katsuki was still talking to the pros, probably negotiating his own internship. Shoto was near the back, speaking quietly to Fumikage and Tenya. And Endeavor… well, he was still occupied, thankfully.

But I had made my decision. Best Jeanist had offered me a chance, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

___________

As the night wore on and the crowd in the ballroom began to thin out, I found myself standing near the exit, lost in thought. Best Jeanist’s offer weighed on me, but it also felt like a small victory.

Shoto appeared beside me quietly, as he often did, his expression calm but guarded. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, and I knew he had noticed my conversation with Best Jeanist. We hadn’t spoken much tonight—like most nights—but he always had a way of being around without needing to say much.

“You talked to him, the new Number 3.” he stated, his voice neutral.

I nodded, feeling the weight of everything I’d kept bottled up. “Yeah. I think I’ve made my choice.”

Shoto didn’t respond right away. His gaze drifted to where Endeavor still stood, commanding the room as he always did. After a long pause, he spoke again. “I’ve made my choice too.”

I frowned slightly, curious but cautious. “Where?”

His eyes flicked to mine, and for a split second, I thought I saw hesitation. But then he spoke with that usual calmness, the same tone that never quite gave anything away. “I’m going to intern with Endeavor.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. I blinked, caught off guard. Of all the pros he could’ve chosen, he picked him? “Are you serious?”

“I need to,” he said simply, as if that answered everything. His eyes remained on our father. “If I want to surpass him, I need to understand him.”

There was something distant in his tone—like this wasn’t a decision made out of emotion, but cold logic. And that was Shoto. He wasn’t doing this to reconcile or gain approval; he was doing it because it made sense. Still, I couldn’t shake the unease in my chest.

I hesitated, then blurted out the words that had been weighing on me for a while. “Shoto… I’m sorry.”

He finally turned his gaze fully toward me. “For what?”

I swallowed, forcing myself to continue. “For keeping secrets. About the Ice Dragon… about my flames.” It felt strange to say it out loud, but I knew I had to. “You’ve always been honest with your powers, and I wasn’t. I don’t want to keep holding things back like that from you.”

His expression didn’t change much, but the silence between us spoke volumes. We weren’t close, and I didn’t expect him to forgive me or understand right away. But I needed to take control of my actions, starting now

“You had your reasons,” Shoto said after a long pause, his voice as measured as always. “we all have things we need to figure out.”

I couldn’t tell if that was his way of offering some form of understanding, but it was the closest thing to an acknowledgment that I’d get from him. Still, his calm demeanor left little room for real connection.

“I didn’t see you choosing him,” I said, changing the subject, but I kept my voice soft. “Interning with Endeavor.”

His eyes flickered again, almost as if he’d expected me to question it. “Neither did I.” A pause. “But it’s what I need to do.”

I wanted to ask if he was sure—if he could handle working under someone who had been so destructive in our lives—but I kept my mouth shut. Shoto wasn’t the kind of person who made decisions lightly, and questioning him wouldn’t change anything. This was his path, just as mine would be with Best Jeanist.

“I guess we both have a long week ahead,” I said quietly, offering him a small nod.

Shoto nodded in return. “We do.”

There was no warmth in his voice, but there wasn’t coldness either—just a quiet understanding that things were about to change for both of us. We weren’t going to walk the same path, and that was fine. We had both made our choices.

As we stood there, the ballroom noise faded into the background. The distance between us remained, but maybe—just maybe—there was a small bridge forming between our individual struggles and the decisions we had to face. Neither of us knew what the next week would bring, but we were ready for it, in our own ways.

Amethyst. - Masterlist: click here

[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix:

Chapter 24- The Strength of Friends:

The fight between the new villain and I felt like it went on even longer than the fight between me and Wendigo, and once again, I was fighting while losing blood. If I don’t do something about the wound soon, I’ll end up passing out again. I thought, and I knew that was something I couldn't afford to do, not with Kota still in harm’s way… I hated the idea I had to use, but since my healing tears didn't work on my own wounds and no first aid available to me, I had to cauterize my wound shut and hope it wouldn't result in an infection later. Everytime I knocked the villain back, I had my hands melting the skin of my wound closed, clenching my teeth to keep from screaming in pain. Only a couple seconds at a time, mind you, but it still hurt like a sucker punch to the gut to do… Okay, fine, maybe worse. But, hey, the alternative was bleeding out and passing out in front of Kota. After a few attempts, I was able to close the wound, though I felt like I was gonna pass out from how much pain I had put myself through to seal the wound. At some point, my luck with dodging ran out, because I hit the stone wall after a solid punch. The villain laughed as I coughed, struggling to stand up. “Lucky for you, you’re not on the kill list. But, since I still wanna kill, I’ll just knock you out and kill the kid.” He grinned. 

“Leave him alone!” I swung at him as I stood up, but a good strong punch knocked me right back into the stone wall, making my head start to bleed. 

“No!” Kota cried out.

“You fought well, but not good enough…” He raised his fist, the muscles wrapping around his arm. “Nighty night, little Birdy!” I could barely move as he brought his fist down, but at the last second…

A jolt pulled me away as a pair of arms grabbed me, both of us rolling out of the way barely a second before the villain's fist hit the ground, green lightning surrounding us. A cough left us both and I struggled to sit up as a pair of red sneakers caught my eye. Izuku… I thought, recognizing my friend as I looked up at him. “What’re you doing?” Kota asked him, running over to us.

“Now, you, I also recognize. You were on the list too.” The villain told him. I could see the gears turning in Izuku’s head. He was trying to think things through. He glanced over where his phone had ended up, and I grimaced when I noticed it had broken while he was saving me. I knew he couldn't call for help, and I had no reception at all, so I couldn't either. Mandalay knew I had gone to find Kota, but Izuku probably didn't tell her where the hideout was. We were on our own against this villain with no hope of back up except each other. I struggled, but I eventually stood up, stepping in front of Kota again. 

“Hino, you’re hurt, let me take care of this. You should grab Kota and get out of here.” Izuku told me. I shook my head.

“You’re not fighting this maniac on your own. You’ll need backup. I’ll be fine.” I replied. “We can fight him together, just like we did with Stain. We’ll protect Kota and keep this guy away from everyone else.” I turned to Kota. “Everything'll be okay.”

“We promise.” Izuku finished, glancing back at him for a second before we both turned our attention to the villain in front of us.

“We’re going to save you, Kota.” We said at the same time. The villain laughed. 

“You two really think you can save this little brat?” The villain taunted. He laughed again. “That does sound like something a couple of wannabe heroes would say. Your kind sure likes to mouth off about justice. The names are Midoriya and Yagi, right? Perfect… We were told we could take some initiative and kill you, Midoriya, so long as we kept you alive, Yagi. But first, a little torment. Show me your blood!” He charged us. Izuku jumped in front of me to take the first hit, but the second the villain’s punch connected with Izuku’s arm, I heard the cracking of Izuku’s arm before he was knocked into the wall of the cave to our left. “Whoopsie…” Izuku yelled in pain when he finally got breath. “Oh, yeah. Hey. Maybe you can help me out a little first. You know where a kid named Bakugo might be around here?” The color drained from my face at the mention of the angry blond. They’re after Bakugo and me… But why? “I still have a job to do, after all!” He charged Izuku, but I jumped in the way this time, grabbing his fist before he could hurt Izuku again.

“You bastard!” I let my entire body ignite, glaring as he got burned slightly before jumping back.

“You do know what I’m talking about, then? Good, then… Play time!” The villain charged me. I jumped as he punched the ground, flipping over him and landing behind him. It went back and forth like that for a while. When one of us got knocked down, the other would jump into the fight. After a few times of the back and forth and Izuku getting knocked down, the villain got a good kick into me, making me cough up a bit of blood while he laughed. “Yes! Blood is exactly what I wanted from you two! What did you two promise? That everything would be okay? How’s that workin’ out for ya, huh?” Through blurry vision, I could see Kota, looking terrified out of his mind. I pushed aside my own pain to stand up. “Don’t just lay there, stupid…”

“Shut up.” I snarled, my vision clearing to see him looking gleeful, almost like he was excited to see me pissed off. My whole body ignited again as I took off toward him, yelling in anger. I saw green lighting out of the corner of my eye and knew Izuku had gotten up too. We both hit him, but he didn’t even flinch, not even away from my flames. 

“What? Is that all you two got?” He taunted, and to be honest, the nonchalance threw me off. Not even Izuku’s punch hurt him? “You’re both fast, but neither of you are strong enough to hurt me.” He swiped his arm, causing us both to hit the ground and slide a bit. “My Quirk increases my speed and strength so exponentially that my muscle fibers can’t even be contained by my skin. I know, I’m braggin’ a bit, but I mean, come on! I guess, what I’m trying to say is…You’re just inferior versions of me!”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” I screamed in rage, punching him as hard as I could. Much to my surprise, though, the fire in my punch actually exploded on contact, making him slide back further than it did before. I looked at my hand.

“I didn’t know you could do that…” Izuku trailed off.

“That... makes two of us.” I mumbled, wondering where the hell it even came from. Before either of us could say more, my instincts told me to dodge, and Izuku and I moved out of the way just in time to dodge another punch from him. Izuku got hurt by one of the rocks that went flying, though. “Deku!” I yelled.

“I can’t help but laugh at you two kids… You two really think you’re heroes, don’t you?” The villain punched me down this time, causing me to land hard on the stone ground. Soon after, Izuku hit the ground hard too. To be honest, at that point, I was sure he’d been knocked out. “How’re you gonna save him, huh?! Don’t make promises you can’t keep! Live up to your words or they don’t mean anything!” I could hear his boots in front of us. “You’re no hero, neither of you are. You’re just frauds, and both of you’ll die that way!” The villain suddenly stopped, and I heard the sound of a pebble hitting the ground. Did Kota just… I thought and when I looked, sure as hell, I saw Kota. He’d turned the villain’s attention to him.

“Remember Water Hose? My mom… and my Dad. Did you torment the two of them too? Before you killed them?!” I knew from the way his voice shook that he was scared, but he’d still acted in an attempt to save us. The worry for him grew ten times worse, and I could hear from the gasp that left Izuku that he was awake again and worried too.

“Huh? Seriously? Those losers were your parents?” He asked before raising his arms slightly. “Well, then, this must be fate. The Water Hose heroes, they’re the reason I have an artificial eye in my left socket right now.” He showed Kota his left eye.

“This is all your fault. Nothing in the world is right anymore and it’s because of crazy people like you!” Kota sobbed.

“Little kids are always so quick to say it’s someone else’s fault.” The villain spoke as I struggled to get up, sensing the danger as Kota gasped. “Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like I took them out ‘cause I was mad about the eye thing. I wanted to kill people, it’s as simple as that, and those two tried to stop me. What happened was the result of all of us doing our best. The real travesty is promising to do something you aren’t able to do. That’s why your dear old mommy and daddy died!” Both Izuku and I moved at the same time. “Nice try with the sneak attack, but I’m ready!”

“You ruined his life…”

“But you won’t take the blame?!” I finished for Izuku as we got in close. He got us both trapped with a tiny part of his muscle, but it now hardly mattered. “We’ve got you now…”

“It doesn’t matter how quick you are!” Izuku finished for me this time.

“But what’s your next move?! You gonna punch with those puny Quirks of yours?!” The villain taunted before I ignited myself again, causing him to cry out in pain and let me go. I immediately flew to Kota.

“It’s not a matter of whether or not either of us can do it.” Izuku yelled. Kota gasped, lunging forward as I reached him.

“A hero’s job is to risk their life, to turn their promises into reality!” Izuku and I both shouted as Izuku powered up.

“LET HIM HAVE IT, DEKU!” I wrapped my arms and wings around Kota, shielding him as Izuku's punch landed. The force from the blast was so strong, I had to unwrap my wings to keep Kota and I from falling off the cliff, the poor kid screaming in fear. With a flap of my wings, though, we were steady in the air. I could feel Kota clinging to me out of fear. “I gotcha, Kota. I told you it’d be okay.” I assured him as I landed with him in my arms.

“Sorry about that.” Izuku apologized as he approached. His shirt was ripped in half, and I noticed his arm was broken again. Recovery Girl’s gonna kill him. I thought.

“Thank you for-” Kota gasped mid sentence, noticing Izuku’s injuries as he turned. 

“Let’s get back to camp, it’s not far.” Izuku didn’t even address it. All of a sudden, the ground beneath us shook, and I set Kota down again.

“Kota, hide, right now.” I told him, making him run for a hiding place. We weren’t done… That guy had taken a full powered hit of One For All at point blank range and was still up. The villain groaned a bit before grinning at us.

“Heh. A bit too obvious, but hey. Not too bad, Midoriya.” He stalked toward us.

“No! Stay away!” Izuku shouted.

“Naw, attacking sounds more fun.” The villain replied.

“My turn!” I shouted, shooting off blast after blast. As we fought, I knew I had to buy time for Izuku to think of another plan. “Tell me, why did you come here? What does the League want from us?!”

“Doesn’t matter to me, I’m just glad they finally let me off the leash. As long as I get to use my Quirk all I want, I really don’t care. Remember what I told you two earlier? We’ve just been playing around, having fun until now...” The second he got a chance, he pulled something out of his pocket, and my eyes went wide when I realized what it was. “Now, I’m serious! Recess is over. I’m coming at you both for real! ‘Cause truth be told, you’re both pretty strong. I see that now!”

“Kota, quick, grab on! Hurry!” Izuku told him, bending down so the kid could get on his back. Right as he did, both Izuku and I had to dodge quickly as the villain powered up his Quirk and attacked, missing us by a hair. The hit this time caused a massive hole that went halfway down the cliff. His entire body was now nothing but muscle except his head, and I knew we were screwed. He turned to see us in the air and attacked again, the force of the blast making us fall in the other direction.

“Aw, damn! I got too excited!” The villain exclaimed. I tried to at least slow the boys’ fall down, but it didn’t do much as all three of us hit the ground, Izuku and I in front of Kota. As we got up again, I could see Izuku thinking about what to do. We were both exhausted from training and the previous fights, if we tried to make a break for it, both of us would be dead the second we turned our backs on this villain. We didn’t have much of a choice but to fight him right where we were. We both stood to full height.

“Stay back, Kota.” I warned the kid behind us.

“And then, when it’s time, run as fast as you can back to camp.” Izuku finished for me.

“You’re both gonna attack him again? You can’t do that! Let’s just go! Come on! His punch didn’t hurt that guy earlier, remember? Besides, both his arms are busted up.” Kota tried convincing us to run.

“It’s gonna be fine.” We reassured him at the same time, and I forced myself to push down my own worry about Izuku’s injuries in order to make sure Kota would feel safe. The villain cackled as he geared up for another attack. Izuku and I both activated our power at top power.

“I’M COMING FOR YOU!” The villain yelled as he charged.

“BRING IT ON!” I shouted back as Izuku and I both charged him. We both punched the mass of muscles coming right at us, holding back a strength that could rival my Dad’s own power. The force of it forced the ground under our feet to break, but the both of us held on.

“Aww, what’s wrong?! THAT WAS EVEN WEAKER THAN BEFORE!” The villain taunted.

“Fine then! Let’s turn up the heat, Deku!” I told my friend.

“IT’LL ALL BE OKAY! WE WON’T LET HIM GET PAST US! KOTA, RUN!” Izuku yelled to him.

“GO NOW!” I added.

“Still looking after him. Oh, man, you two are something else, aren’t you?!” The force pushing against us got stronger, pushing us onto our knees.

“SHUT UP, DAMN IT!” Izuku and I yelled as I put my back into a punch with my other arm too, burning him even more.

“But, why?!” Kota asked.

“SHOW ME…YOUR BLOOD!” Our backs hit the ground as we struggled to keep the force off of us, and I gave a yell of anger and exertion. It got even stronger though, both of us being forced to the ground as tears left my eyes. I’m so sorry, Dad… I couldn’t protect Izuku or fight anymore… I wasn’t strong enough… I thought as both of us quickly lost strength. “I’M GONNA CRUSH YOU BOTH!” As the force slammed into us, Izuku’s green lightning gave out, as did my flames. But, just as my world went black, a sudden splash came from above me. “What the… Is that water?” I heard the villain ask, confused. 

“Stop. Let them go!” Kota yelled.

“Kota…” I could barely talk. 

“Hold on there, ‘kay? I’ll kill you after I’m done with-” With a roar of rage, unlike anything that had come out of me until that point, my flames reignited all over again and I began to push back again, Izuku doing the same as his green lightning ignited again. The distraction from Kota was all we needed to get back up.

“I WON’T LET YOU HURT KOTA!” We both yelled.

“DAMN IT! HOW ARE YOU TWO GETTING STRONGER?!”

“YOU WON’T LAY A HAND ON HIM!” We both shouted again, now on our feet. Izuku fired up the power in his arm, and judging by the force, it was a helluva lot stronger than I’d ever felt.

“DELAWARE… DETROIT… SMASH!” The hit this time was hard enough to get through the muscle defense, and we both knocked him clean into the stone wall behind him. I felt like I was blistered all over, but seeing that kid without a scratch on him… It made me so relieved. I smiled as Izuku stood, unable to lift either of his arms, but tipped his head back and gave a yell of victory. 

“Why did… You risk your lives?” Kota asked. “Even though… You don’t know me, at all.” He was tearing up. “Why did you try to save me?” I went over to him and knelt to his height.

“Because that’s what true heroes do.” I smiled, wiping the tears from his face. That’s when we noticed Izuku stumbling forward. “Whoa, Izuku!”

“Hey!” Kota cried out as he rushed over to him.

“Everything’s okay.” He stumbled back again. “Gimme a second, and then there’s something I have to take care of.” Izuku weakly told him.

“But you’re all beat up, what more could either of you have to do now?” Kota asked. 

“We knew he’d be strong. That’s why we had to try to beat him here.” I explained.

“I thought I’d be able to inflict a lot more damage in the end, though. Turns out, I seriously underestimated how powerful his Quirk was. If every villain attacking tonight is on the same level, all our lives are at stake.” Izuku told him. “On top of that, it sounds like they’re after some of us students, Hino included. We have to let Mr Aizawa and the Pussycats know that’s one of the reasons they’re here.”

“We might be injured, kiddo, but we’re not defeated yet, there are more people we can save.” I finished. Kota gulped, but nodded all the same. I glanced at the villain we’d just beaten, and glanced over to see Wendigo still passed out cold too.

“We’ll leave them here for the time being. With my arms messed up and judging on how badly burnt Hino is, our combined power was probably weaker than it could have been, but I still think it’s at least taken him down for a while. He won’t wake up anytime soon, and even if he did, he’d be too weak to fight.” Izuku told him.

“For right now, we just need to make sure that you’re safe.” I told Kota. 

“We’re gonna need some help only you can give us.” He nodded toward the fire. “The forest has been set on fire. That means our friends could be trapped by the flames. But, we have hope.” We knelt to his height.

“Your water Quirk can put those fires out.” Kota gasped, turning around to face us.

“Kota, you hear us? We need you.” We both smiled softly at him before he nodded. I let my wings out again and turned my back to him.

“Climb on, Spunky. We need to get you to camp, fast.” I told him.

“You sure I won’t hurt you, you have blisters and burns everywhere.” Kota sounded unsure.

“I’ll be okay, kiddo, I promise.” I told him. “That’s why I made sure he couldn’t hurt my wings.” Once I felt Kota hanging on tight, I turned to my friend. “Izuku, let’s go.” We both took off, Izuku running and myself flying through the air.

“You were right!” Kota exclaimed after a minute.

“About what?” I questioned.

“It’s awesome having a bird’s eye view!” Kota answered, and I couldn’t help but smile. Hearing him excited was adorable, but it didn’t last long. I’ve got a bad feeling about this… My thoughts trailed off, knowing Izuku must have been thinking the same thing at that moment. After a while, Kota spotted something. “Hey, look down there!” When I glanced down, I saw Mr Aizawa running along the same path Izuku was taking.

“Nice eye, Kota!” I praised him. “Mr Aizawa!” I called out to our teacher, catching my friend’s attention at the same time as Kota and I landed. Our teacher stopped the minute he heard me.

“Yagi, and Midoriya?” Mr Aizawa looked shocked to see us before seeing our injuries and looking peeved.

“You’re here. Thank goodness… We need to catch you up on what we’ve learned about the villains, but we don’t have much time…” Izuku started rambling.

“Hey.” Mr Aizawa tried to stop him for a second.

“Plus, we need to find Mandalay. There’s something that we have to tell her…”

“Hold on!” Mr Aizawa tried once more to stop my friend, but he kept going.

“Please, take care of Kota while we’re gone.” Izuku asked of him, but kept word vomiting. “We’ll be back soon!” He then took off running again.

“Wait, Midoriya!” Mr Aizawa called out to him. I set Kota down after our teacher’s words made Izuku stop for a second. He sighed deeply. “Those injuries…” He turned toward me. “On both of you… Both of you went too far again, didn’t you? Have either of you forgotten about Hosu?”

“No.” I immediately responded.

“I haven’t either...” Midoriya trailed off.

“Go, but tell Mandalay something for me too.” Mr Aizawa told us, shocking us with what he said. I grabbed my friend as soon as our teacher reiterated what to tell her and flew off toward the clearing we’d been in just a while ago. I was worried sick, about Bakugo and Shoto both, but I couldn’t stop and worry about them now. We had to get to Mandalay… When we got back to the clearing, Mandalay was locked in a fight with Spinner.

“You’re persistent!” Mandalay was saying as she jumped into the air to dodge an attack.

“As are you! But it’s time to knock you off your false throne!” Spinner had jumped into the air with her, but just as he was about to attack her, I let Izuku drop, kicking through and breaking every last one of his blades with a strong kick. I landed next to Mandalay.

“Mandalay! Kota, he’s safe!” Izuku and I told her at the same time.

“You two found him?!” She asked. Izuku hit the ground, sliding a bit after landing.

“And I’ve got a message from Mr Aizawa. We need you to use Telepath!” Izuku told her before we told her what to tell them.

“Tell everyone from Class A and Class B that Eraser Head has granted them permission to engage in combat with the villains!” We both told her at the same time.

Everyone in Class A and Class B! In the name of the pro hero Eraserhead, you are granted permission to engage in combat! I repeat, use your training! You may fight these villains! Mandalay reiterated to everyone mentally. Once that was done, I took off again. I was going to find and protect Shoto and Bakugo, I didn’t care if it took every last ounce of my strength to do it… Not long after I’d taken off to find the boys, Mandalay spoke mentally again. Listen, we’ve discovered two of the villains’ targets. They’re students named Kacchan and Hino. Kacchan and Hino, both of you should try to avoid combat and stick to a group. I hope both of you can hear me! Great, now they knew I was one of the targets. Well, this was gonna be fun… Thanks a lot, Izuku! I thought, sarcasm filling my head. Izuku eventually caught up to me and I decided to run besides him, flipping in the air as I put my wings away. When I landed, I rolled to minimize damage and ran with him. “You realize Recovery Girl’s gonna kill you when we get back, right?” I asked him.

“We’ll deal with it later.” Izuku told me.

“The hell you mean we?! You’re the one with several broken bones again!” I snapped, my head turning to look at him. All of a sudden, he cried out in pain before a crash echoed around us. Where we had been just two seconds earlier, trees were snapped in half. I felt warm and when I got control of my sight, I saw that our tallest classmate had us in his grasp, bleeding from one of his limbs and panting.

“Shouji?!”

“What happened?” I asked worriedly, wriggling to get down so I could heal his injury, but Shouji kept me where I was.

“With those injuries, both of you should be laid up in bed recovering.” I grimaced at Shouji’s words. I knew I couldn't have done anything about the broken bones, but I had entirely forgotten about healing his injuries in our combined worry for Koda, Shoto and Bakugo. “But, both of you wanna save your friend, no matter what the cost.”

“That thing just now… Wait… Don’t tell me…” Izuku trailed off.

“Yeah… If we wanna get through here, we’ll have to face Dark Shadow first.” Shouji told us. The roar Dark Shadow let out made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. 

“That should be easy. I’ve been training with Tokoyami, he should be able to handle Dark Shadow with my help.” I managed to slide down, shaking off my own fear… Or at least trying to…

“Hino, this is worse than what you’ve been training against. Tokoyami lost control over Dark Shadow this time.” He told me.

“What?” I turned to him, even more worried about my friend now.

“Stay away from me! You’ll die!” I heard Tokoyami’s cry.

 

“Tokoyami, no!” Izuku exclaimed. "But, how did he even get this way?!” Izuku exclaimed in shock.

“Keep it down. After Mandalay told us what was happening, and that we shouldn't engage, we were both on high alert. Still… One of the villains got the drop on us. I hid in the bushes and tried to cover Tokoyami, even though one of my arms was cut off.”

“Really?” Izuku asked, looking worriedly at the wound. Finally having my chance, I took out the vial of healing tears and used it to heal what I could of Izuku’s injuries.

 

“It looks bad, but it’s not like it’s lost forever.” Shouji told him as I finished healing what I could of Izuku’s wounds and healed Shouji too, him giving me a look of appreciation. “My Dupli-Arms are capable of making duplicates up on duplicates. One of those was cut off… Thing is, he couldn't stand seeing me injured like that. The Quirk he’d been suppressing began to rage and take over.” Dark Shadow roared just then, interrupting Shouji. 

“The darker it is…”

“The less control Tokoyami has. He said it was dangerous, but I had no idea Dark Shadow could explode like this… I’d always wondered if there was an external factor other than darkness…” I trailed off.

“It’s probably fueled by his righteous indignation and regret. He’s tried to hold it back, but they made it wilder.” Shouji stepped back a bit, but his boot snapped a twig, making a small sound that caused Dark Shadow to attack where we were, but it missed us by a hair as we dodged. “It started lunging at any sound or movement, a beast lashing out with indiscriminate attacks.”

“Forget about me! Go! Find out classmates! Help them instead!” Tokoyami called to us, sounding on the verge of tears as he strained for control with Dark Shadow. “Stop this! Calm down, Dark Shadow!”

“His Quirk has a weakness to light. If we can lead them to a fire or back to camp, We could contain it…” Shouji trailed off before Izuku gasped, turning to me.

“Hino, do you think you could…” I shot down Izuku's question with a shake of my head.

“No, he was never this big during our training… I doubt I have enough strength to give off a fire bright enough to calm Dark Shadow down from this. Maybe if I had Todoroki or Bakugo… Maybe both, but alone? No way.” I answered. As much as I wanted to help him, I had a feeling that any attempt would be in vain.

“Midoriya, Yagi… I know these are strange circumstances, but I can’t just leave a suffering friend behind. You forced your broken body to get you here because you were worried about Bakugo. If both of you still wanna save him, I’ll distract Dark Shadow for you… And you can run.” Shouji told us.

“Hold on…” I tailed off.

“The fire and camp are pretty far away. You'll be in danger if he-” Once again, Dark Shadow heard Izuku and attacked where we were, with Shouji and I barely managing to dodge out of the way. 

“I know that. But, to save people, you have to take risks. That's what makes a hero a hero. Will you stay with me and help Tokoyami? Or will you rush to Bakugo’s side?” Shouji asked us. “You have to make a choice. Right now.”

“Maybe we don't have to.” I spoke after a minute, both of them looking at me. “I’m gonna need backup getting Dark Shadow to calm down anyway, and Bakugo and Todoroki both have abilities that Dark Shadow is weak to. We lead Dark Shadow to them and have them help us bring Dark Shadow down enough for Tokoyami to control.”

“We know at least the general direction they’re in, this could work.”

“Yagi, you might be the craziest of us all.” Shouji told me.

“Yeah, yeah, judge me later.” I waved him off. I whistled to get Dark Shadow's attention and started running, Shouji not far away from me. We had to dodge attacks pretty much left and right, but it was working. I did try blocking them, but like I thought, I wasn't able to calm Dark Shadow down enough on my own. Before long, we spotted it.

“There! I see ice, they’re fighting!” Izuku called out.

“Bakugo, Todoroki! One of you, give us some light!” Shouji yelled at them.

“Dark Shadow’s on a rampage and I can't calm him down alone!” I added, barely dodging as Dark Shadow attacked again.

“More flesh!” A dark figure yelled from above us, and I stupidly tried to use my wings to shield myself as I dodged, crying out in pain as a metal blade pierced a hole in my left wing and flung me against a tree. I got the wind knocked out of me pretty good and once I finally got breath, I coughed before groaning.

“Okay… That was stupid.” I scolded myself as I sat up, tucking my wings away so they could heal. Dark Shadow attacked my attacker though, Shouji barely managing to dodge out of the way.

“Kacchan!” Izuku called out to Bakugo, who only looked more pissed.

“Shouji, Midoriya, and Yagi… And is that… Tokoyami?” Shoto asked, and I heard Dark Shadow roaring again.

“We need light now, he’s out of control!” I yelled to those lovable idiots.

“He’s attacking blindly, I’ll use my fire.” Shoto set down the guy he was carrying, only to get stopped by Bakugo.

“Not so fast.” He told him.

“Flesh. Slabs of meat. No good. Can’t allow it. I’m the one that gets to slice them open! Don’t steal from me!” Geeze, this guy creeped me out even more than Major Musclehead. He tried to attack Dark Shadow, but of course, it didn't work.

“You don’t matter, insignificant bug!” Dark Shadow broke the blades he’d caught, having the villain in his grasp. Bakugo looked feral, grinning madly.

“Now finish him.” Bakugo muttered, Dark Shadow roaring and slamming the villain through several trees before throwing him against the one that knocked him out cold.

“Not enough! It's not enough!” Dark Shadow growled.

“BOYS, NOW!” I forced myself up, igniting my entire body as bright as my flames would go as I lunged for Dark Shadow from behind, the boys meeting me as they came at different sides, Bakugo using a bright explosion and Shoto using his fire. The light made Dark Shadow squeal and finally die down. We kept our light up until Dark Shadow was all the way down, Tokoyami left panting.

“And once again, I’m a terrible matchup for you, bird boy.” Bakugo told him as we let the light go out. 

“Thanks. You saved me.” Tokoyami was sweating from the excursion he’d just been through. 

“We could barely defend against that guy, but you beat him instantly.” Todoroki trailed off.

“My friend. Are you okay?” Shouji asked him. “You did what we needed you to.”

“Shouji, I apologize. You too, Midoriya, and Yagi. I’m still far too immature. Anger consumed me, and I let my Quirk take over. The influence of the darkness, combined with my fury, spurred Dark Shadow into a frenzy. Until it got so strong, I couldn't contain it and I ended up hurting Shouji.” Tokoyami apologized.

“We’ll deal with that later. That's what you would say if the roles were reversed.” Shouji told him, a sign of forgiveness that Tokoyami wasn't expecting judging by the look on his face. 

“Okay, I don’t know if you heard Mandalay, but I found out the villains are after Kacchan and Hino.” Izuku brought up. Oh great… I thought, trying to stand but collapsing. The adrenaline I’d been feeling since earlier had finally run out. Maybe I did go too far this time… Oops. 

“Bakugo and Yagi? Are they trying to kill them? Why?” Tokoyami asked. 

“I’m not sure, but I think we should get to camp. It’s the safest place now, so long as Vlad King and Mr Aizawa have regrouped there.” Izuku replied.

“I understand.” Tokoyami complied.

“Whoa, wait a minute, I am not putting everyone else in danger by leading the villains where everyone else is, you know how nuts that is?” I interjected.

“So our mission is to get Bakugo and Yagi back to safety by serving as their protectors.” Tokoyami kept going.

“Are you idiots even listening to me?!” I snapped, only to find myself ignored once again. 

“It’s possible the Pussycats are still fighting in the clearing. Going that way would draw the attention of the villains, plus it’s longer. We should cut straight across.” Izuku planned.

“We don’t know how many enemies there are. We might come across some by chance.” Tokoyami pointed out. I glanced at Bakugo, but he looked… To be honest, I didn't know if it was confusion or shock.

“We can use Shoji’s search ability and Todoroki’s freezing power… And if Tokoyami’s okay with it, we can always use Dark Shadow now that we can actually control him.” Izuku replied. “Honestly, with a group like this, we could probably even go up against All Might.” Bakugo seemed to snap out of it when I tried to stand up to object again and almost fell to the ground again.

“Careful, idiot.” He chided as he caught me, easily picking me up and holding me bridal style. “I’ll carry you.”

“I can walk by myself, idiot, I don’t need you to carry me.” I protested.

“Says the one who can barely stand for five seconds.” Bakugo’s voice had a teasing tone. I blinked in silence for a minute before mumbling a,

“Shut up…”

“Don’t drop her, Bakugo.” Shoto warned.

“I know that, idiot!” Bakugo snapped back at him. “Besides, I’d be fine by myself!” 

“We’ll surround the two of you as we walk.” Shoto told him.

“I don’t need any of your protection, dammit!” Bakugo fired back, and I flicked him in the forehead for yelling when I was right next to him.

“Let’s go.” Shouji told us as he started walking.

“Don’t ignore me!” Bakugo yelled again.

“Just make sure you keep up.” Shoto told him.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Bakugo growled. I rolled my eyes. But, something still felt off... After a while, a sudden movement caused me to hit the ground. I was no longer in Bakugo’s arms that much was certain.

“Blasty, what the he-” I went to scold him for dropping me, only to find Bakugo no longer there, and glancing behind me, I realized Tokoyami was gone too. Bakugo hadn't dropped me... He'd tossed me out of harm's way... “Shit! Guys-” I coughed just then, black stuff emerging from my lungs. No, no, no! I thought, panicking. “Shoto! Izuku!” I screamed to them, only to cough again as an onslaught of the crap came out, obscuring my vision. I couldn't call for help anymore, much less breathe… Shit, shit, shit! I thought, panicking more as my vision went black, my hand outstretched towards where my friends had gone….

I could only hope that they would be safe...

(Taglist: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @iheartbarbie )

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

I wanted to post this last night but I fell asleep but we so so need to talk about Axlerod's little "navigating the world without GPS" thing because the movie literally INTRODUCES him with Mel Dorado(news anchor) talking about it and one of the first things he mentions is how Axlerod was PRESUMED DEAD FOR THIRTY DAYS. Until he just like. Showed up or something. Why is this not talked about(I say that as though there are more than five people on the planet that like him). But it also begs the question for me of like.. how much of it was just a bit or like..notttt entirely true. Cause the whole Allinol thing was a sham and supposedly his little expedition was the kickstarter for him getting the idea for Allinol and making the all natural fuel and whatnot so like. I mean he is a land rover, which is basically the UK Jeep in nearly every aspect including history, which basically basically means he is a car that could essentially drive whenever whenever with little to stop him, so it wouldn't be IMPOSSIBLE.

Also also. What are we defining as "Around the globe"? Cause at first I just pictured like across the equator or something but I don't know how much that makes sense. Surely he at least had a plane or something for the oceans. Is around the globe just going and hitting every continent?(excluding the Arctics). Is Australia ever included in an around the globe destination cause it is its own place?

Part of me is leaning towards it not being a sham, I don't know why. He looked absolutely knackered so I feel like SOMETHING happened. But then that also begs the question of like, how did they even have a clip of that anyway. Was he vlogging the whole thing. Please tell me he was. Which I suppose could also be a reason for him getting presumed dead if it suddenly ended and there was nothing. Even if it was faked that man was still presumed dead. But there's also the alternative of they found him and were just like "wait WAIT this'll be great for the press." Or again, it could possibly been faked, but for some reason I'm leaning towards saying it wasn't. Maybe I'm somehow a little biased? But I don't know why I would be cause I know the whole Allinol thing wasn't true, and him converting to an electric was PARTIALLY true, he just didn't have the engine change of going to an electric, so really he's like a funky hybrid, I do have my own little facts to support this if anyone is curious, but the movie was mostly focused on the engine. But I did stare at him and the turntable he has on YouTube for about far too long.

Also also also I want everyone to know that the person who wrote "rakish" to describe Axlerod and his grin in the newspaper that gets shown on the screen for a few seconds was absolutely absolutely me. Which is funny because I always figured Axlerod would be more on the unconventional side like all the other lemons are. But that's all the more reason I wrote it. And the other word in there that gets to me that someone would ever describe him like that but I can't remember off the top of my head. Go watch his turntable I think that exudes rakishness.

It's been two years and I'll still never come up with a proper answer for what happened there, or maybe I will eventually, but man. I almost want to post a picture of how he looked because he was BEAT. He was literally crawling he like forgot he was a car or something. He was covered in leaves from tropical looking trees and there was like a banana bunch on him and I think like a coconut or something. Which I suppose could give me a lead to where he went for his "around the globe" thing but I'll save that botany research for another day. I'm not even going to get myself started on the bit of the press surrounding him before he set off and he had all this equipment and gear and stuff and. I need to stress the fact that he does a wink to the camera before he goes off. It's more of a I-normally-dont-ever-wink-at-all wink but it still makes me giggle.

[strawberryvanillablast]

SMRPG: Geno's Nightmare

Summary: Geno has an unsettling nightmare.

Notes: Based off of Woody's Nightmare from Toy Story 2 and Pomni's nightmare in the second episode of The Amazing Digital Circus.

Geno opened his eyes to find himself in the center of Rose Town. The Star Guardian would normally be calm and collected, considering the town, but an unsettling feeling hung in the air. It was quiet, too quiet.

"Mario," He called out. "Mallow? Princess? Bowser? Where are you?"

There was no answer to his calls. Nothing but silence surrounded him as the sun continued to shine down on the town. It was as if everyone disappeared in an instant. Geno rubbed his arm uneasily, only to stop at the cold touch of metal. A sense of dread bubbled up inside him as he heard gears moving about slowly. He looked down at his arm.

It was slowly turning into a robot's arm.

His fingers were already metal, cold to the touch. The roboticization's working its way up through his arm. New metal replaced his arm. His wooden elbow turning into a gear. Geno shook his head in horror.

"No," He mumbled before screaming. "NO! NO!" He looked around in a panic. "Mario! Princess! Bowser! Mallow!" They were nowhere to be found. He knew, he had to get out of Rose Town immediately. He ran.

And felt himself falling into a void of darkness. No, he felt cold, rusty, sharp metal drag him underneath wherever they were taking him. He screamed as he tried to claw his way through the discarded metal. It was then that he could see his friends looking down at him from the hole.

"Guys," He smiled in relief. "You're here -" His smile vanished when he saw their faces. They were disappointed, distant, like he failed them.

"Sorry, Geno, but we can't be on this journey anymore." Peach said in a faux mournful voice.

"Tch. I've got better things to do with my time than to hang out with you." Bowser grumbled, crossing his arms.

"You're on your own, Geno!" Mallow cheerfully waved.

"Bye Bye." Mario waved to him in a faux-sweet manner.

"No," Geno whispered, eyes wide in horror. "NO! Please don't leave me behind! Please! Please! Mario! Mallow! Princess! Bowser! No! NO!"

He could feel himself falling, falling, falling into the mess of metal and rust. He felt himself slowly getting colder as darkness overwhelmed-

.

"Geno."

"Geno."

"Geno!"

Geno jolted, his mind still foggy. He felt his neck still wrapped in that horrible grip and tried to shake it off, panic still overriding him. But it felt odd. It wasn't the cold grip of metal, it felt like...wood? He blinked as someone gently removed the grip from his neck. He took slow and deep breaths to reorient himself.

"Geno," Mallow's voice asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I," Geno stumbled over his words. "What happened? What time is it?"

"Don't-a worry," Mario replied. "It's-a still early in the morning. You-a looked like you were-a having quite the nightmare."

"It was just a silly nightmare. It's no big deal." Geno tried to laugh it off.

Mario and Mallow looked at each other, unconvinced. Geno himself was still shaken by the nightmare. He looked at his hands carefully, making sure that they were still wooden and not metal. The metal crawling up his arm like an infection still made him shudder.

"We-a still have some time before we-a depart for the next Star Piece so why-a don't you get more sleep?" Mario offered.

"Oh no, Mario," Geno replied, attempting to stifle a yawn. "I...I need to be alert...and..."

Geno couldn't finish his sentence before his eyes closed exhaustedly. He rested his head on Mario's shoulder, snoring softly. Mario smiled a little as he tucked the Star Guardian back in bed.

"I wonder what he was dreaming about..." Mallow mumbled sadly.

"Me too," Mario nodded. "He'll-a tell us in-a due time. For now, let's-a let him rest."

[chop-zulyzulyyy]

Throne and Sickle Ch.2

Chapter 2: Sweat Tea Manners

Turtle bros x fem!parkour!reader

Summary: In which the turtles record their training one fateful night, and find the rooftops hold stories with a beginning...and an end.

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Author Note: I hope everyone is staying warm! It's cold out here. Please enjoy Chapter 2!

Disclaimer: I don’t own ROTTMNT, sigh.

Genre(s): a bunch of stuff, really. You'll figure it out ;)

WARNINGS: Heavy topics NOT for the lighthearted; like seriously it’ll get dark in some parts. Mentions of s*xual assault, bl**d, sh*rp objects, and more. I will do my best to organize in a way that readers can identify the warning sign!

A daydream is an evasion... - Thomas Merton

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If the morning consisted of a bright sun, warm and not harsh, if the birds chirped their pretty songs, or the plant leaves were covered from the dew drops, if the level of noise pollution was less compared to the other times of the day, only the morning birds knew. It was early enough for anyone barely get out of the warmth of their bedsheets. And alas, warm light streaming from the kitchen coupled with the faintest tunes of humming could be heard where an orange terrapin poured batter onto a sizzling pan.

With the many hours of sleep (that could technically count as hibernation), Mikey was physically up to par. The entirety of planning Supernova didn’t allow a decent alternative to avoid being so drained, and he could still feel the eraser shavings all over his floor from pages ripped, pages crumpled, pages smudged full of past ideas. Putting aside a mental note to create papier-mâché with those later, Mikey pondered. Everything played out much better than he hoped, at least.

Well. Almost everything.

Chopping up some bananas, he chewed his inner cheek. Mikey remembered: woke up in his bed around the late hours and hearing his bros hushed whispers from the main room. He would’ve gone right back to sleep had he not heard their Pop’s voice join in. Last time that rat woke up for squat he snuck out of the lair in ugly clothes. He sat up and rubbed his eyes when Leo peeked inside his room. Mikey asked what happened, only for him to shrug it off with ‘we’ll talk about it in the morning’, coaxing his baby brother back to sleep afterwards.

Allowing for the pancakes to finish, he moved on to slice avocado. Where Mikey loved pancakes and fruit, Donnie always preferred avocado toast topped with tomato and three cups of dark roast (those ratios dear Lord). Mikey to this day has to fight him to eat some more fruits. Raph enjoyed anything as long as there was sausage- it needed to have meat, Raph told him. Leo barely strayed from Mikey’s special omelettes- mushrooms and bell peppers were nonnegotiable. It didn’t bother Mikey much, at least he enjoyed a mountain of chopped bananas with it. Pops was traditional: give the man a small cup of tea, steamed rice, miso soup, and tamagoyaki and he was off to a great day.

Mikey flipped the pancake over. Breakfast was soft pancakes and berries, as warm as they would be in the sun, maple syrup threaded upon the top with a gallop of butter. It remained his favorite breakfast, but it had nothing to do with the food. He loved it because he was surrounded by his family at that time of day, because there was softness and vulnerability shared before the events of training and battles and enemies caught up to their brains. Compared to dinner there’s the same sentiment however by then everyone is too exhausted, and their thoughts are a befuddled mess. It’s odd how emotions are transferred. Mikey smiled, soft and small. Whatever was going on…he’d offer all the food he could make to keep them happy.

“Hey, Angelo.”

The orange terrapin turned to the doorway to find his brother yawning still…equipped with gear-“Tell me you did not pull an all-nighter again, Donnie.”

He shrugged, “There was no way to silence the genius that is my brain.”

Mikey put his hands on his hips, unimpressed. Donnie avoided his reprimanding gaze, sucking his teeth, “Sigh. Alright fine. I’ll set up appropriately for bed tonight.”

Mikey smiled, “Good.”

At that moment Splinter and Raph entered the kitchen where the former hopped up to the chair unaffected from the early morning hour, being a morning person himself as Raph gave Mikey a head pat.  

“Morning! Where’s Leo?” Mikey swatted Raph away when he stole a few berries from the bowl.

“He went to pick up April. Just a heads up in case she hasn’t eaten anything yet.” Raph muffled, mouthful of berries. Mikey nodded, pouring a second batch of pancakes onto the pan. He sprinkled some chocolate kisses in the batter and a few of Leo’s banana slices when a blue portal appeared at the doorway. Leo trudged through with a sleepy April tucked under his arm rolled in a pink blanket, accompanied by Mayhem. Donnie snorted at this, grabbing a second mug from the cabinet above the coffee maker as Mikey set everyone’s plates on the table.

“Morning Leo! April still out, huh?” Said turtle groaned, setting April upright in a chair and settled himself beside the girl. He flicked her forehead, jolting her awake.

“This girl could sleep through a demolition on her own building! I’m so done with morning pick-ups.”

“So, anyone gonna tell me what happened last night?” April yawned, cutting into her pancakes. Mikey turned to them, fork stopped halfway in the air. Donnie sipped his coffee with a finger up.

“Well,” he started, “we have reason to believe the Robin Hoods know…about us.”

Her neck should’ve snapped in half with how she turned so fast, seriously. “You mean- hold up we’re talking about that parkour group right? Same guys making cops run around like crazy?”

Raph nodded as he cut into his egg with a sigh, “We don’t know exactly much, either. We got through Mikey’s showcase, he passed out. Next thing we know someone was watching us without the cameras picking up on ‘em. Last thing she did was leave a note with ‘S.O.S.’ on it and coordinates with a date.”

Mikey blinked in surprise, “Aw man! I missed all that? So then are we going?”

“Absolutely not.”

Everyone faced Donnie.

“What is disturbing is their motive, not to mention the many variables in question. How long have they known, why was this Robin Hood alone, their purpose of their group, does it affect us in a negative light? Too many questions and no answers.”

Mikey hummed, “Yeah, but if that girl came alone then that might mean her group doesn’t know?”

April shook her head, “That’s not always the case, Mikey. Sometimes a group can send one of their own as a middleman- the messenger of sorts.”

“True…”

Leo pointed a fork covered in omelette at Donnie, “Then how about we send our own middleman? Not one of us, obviously, but S.H.E.L.D.O.N? You said he’s got all the cams, the feeds, Megan Fox’s phone number for pizza’s sake,” he waved the fork, “we could totally use those to see what they want.”

Donnie crossed his arms, one hand covering his chin in thought. While that was true, he didn’t know if their numbers would be a problem. A hacker on their team was the last thing he needed. Not that he wouldn’t wipe the floor with them but still. One of their best surviving attributes included stealth- it’s how they remained hidden for so long- and now that somehow these Robin Hoods know, it just didn’t sit right.

Donnie relented, “Very well. I’m going to retrieve the cubes first and go over a few things before we do anything.”

“Sounds Gucci to me,” Leo grinned, “I’ll come with. Last thing we need is for people to spot a purple UFO. Donnie’s got enough of that E.T look to him.”

This earned a cube of tomato to the forehead. The others remained silent, peacefully eating while watching the other go back and forth with each other.

Splinter swallowed his tamagoyaki, “So, my sons. When do they request to meet?”

“Midnight Friday.”

April swallowed her food, “That won’t be for another three days. How about in the meantime I scope around the city, ask around and get the deets?”

Splinter nodded, “And I will search the hidden city.”

Raph nodded, “Great idea. Let us know any updates.” He gave a thumbs up in her direction.

And with that, conversation soon trailed off into different topics as they enjoyed their meals. Mikey felt a hand on his head and turned to face Splinter. He smiled.

“I heard you did a wonderful job, Orange. Soon you will be as spontaneous as Lou Jitsu!”

Mikey laughed, “Thanks, Dad. Now stop taking my berries, I saw you take them with your tail!”

“I recall no such thing.”

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Clinking of teacups, mugs, and metal spoons as they twirled drinks into perfection were the makeshift alarms for rousing New Yorkers in the diner, hushed conversations shared so as to not disturb other customers. Streams of golden light were beginning to peak over buildings, creating a rainbow of colors if it passed through glass of any kind but no warmth could be felt yet. It was too early. Outside the diner, shop owners could be seen pushing metal port doors up, rumbling as they rolled into place. Other early risers were getting a jog in or a bike ride, or just barely heading out to work before the morning rush. Cab drivers lined up against the curb on standby.

“Good morning, sugar. Can I get you something to drink to start off?” A sweet, middle-aged dark-skinned woman asked, a notepad in hand. She untucked the miniature pencil from behind her ear.

“A coffee, please. Vanilla creamer if you have any.”

Scribbling, she nodded. “Of course. Are we ready to order or you need a minute?”

“I need a few minutes, if that’s alright.”

She smiled, warm and understanding, “You take your time. Seems a little early for a high school student to be out. Studying for an exam?”

“U-uhm, no. I graduated a long time ago.”

The waitress blinked, “Hush your mouth! Baby you look like you’re fresh out of the oven. Now what kind of skincare do you use? Spare me some of those secrets?”

This earned a lighthearted laugh, “I get that a lot, but you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

“Mhmm, I hear ya. I’ll go get that coffee right out for you, sweetheart.” With a wink, the waitress left. She greeted the chef over the counter who nodded his head to her customer.

“Morning, Udora. Miss give you her order?”

Udora shook her head, brewing a fresh pot of coffee. “No not yet, but table three is still waiting on their eggs, Alan.”

“Ah, geez!” He scrambled to scramble the eggs, the silly cowboy. “I gotta say, I’ve seen that girl around these parts a few times. For all the clouds I’ve seen in Texas, there’s never been someone with their head in them as much as her.”

Udora sighed, “You of all people know it is never our business to meddle. Our job is to give these kind customers their meals. Your mama never told you ‘nun?” she teased.

Alan rolled his bluebell eyes, scratching his scruffy beard. “All I’m saying is young people should be enjoyin’ life, getting some girlfriends and boyfriends, going on dates, and buying clothes. They’re all worried too much these days. Too young to stare out windows like Miss over there.”

Udora smiled. Alan was an old diamond in the rough, but she’d never tell him that. He’d just respond with ‘what do I need diamonds for, just get me a can of beer and a radio’. Alan was an ex-marine, born and raised on Texas soil who yearned for a fresh start, and found himself here in Maraschino’s where somewhere in time found himself a friend in Udora. She herself sought out a new beginning in her prime, away from New Orleans. They’ve seen thousands of faces, heard a million stories, and always wondered where fate took people. In this morning’s mysterious customer, they had a feeling it was one of those times when life became everything at once. Udora glanced towards the booth; a petite little thing she was. She leaned against a hand over her mouth, peering out with a glazed look, the other hand curling around her arm. It wasn’t that cool out to warrant a jacket, but Udora worried she’d catch a cold with just a thin long sleeve. Not hair out of place, not a wrinkle on her skin but the shadows Udora herself fought to escape in her years made her appear… haunted, despite sitting in the glow of the sunlight streaming through windows. Udora prayed, as she set the coffee mug in front of the young woman, that she’d be able to feel the warmth of the sun one day.

“Here you go, baby. Anything to go with that coffee?” She coaxed. The young woman welcomed the mug with a grateful smile and pointed to the menu.

“Yes, I’ll have your pancakes and fruit please.”

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🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎

Fun Fact: Red Eared Sliders have poor hearing but good vision and are very sensitive to vibrations. When startled or threatened, they will quickly slide off rocks/logs back into the water (hence the name).

🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎