#ooc: if y'all need someone to help with anything

[friendball-irl]

...that's not her anymore.

...

...my friend really did die on that island.

[glitch-karma]

Hii! Can you do Vanitas x sleepy reader? They’re kinda just sleep deprived all the time, hehe. Sorry if I’m bothering you, I hope you can do this request! <3

✧Me who started this at 2:35 am:

✧One shot

✧Cw: Gn!Reader, Fluff-ish, Reader is a vampire and Vanitas's assistant, reader struggles with insomnia, maybe ooc Vanitas, complicated relationship (still romantic-ish)

✧ probably not proof read

✧theres always crumbs for vnc so here y'all go

It was a slight chilly night as Vanitas sat on the roof of the Hotel Chouchou. The breeze of the night came through slowly, the wind flowing through his hair lightly. It was funny, how the city of Paris still looked almost alive at night. The soft glow of lights speckled the city.

Vanitas wore a dully melancholic expression as he stated at the city. It was eerily quiet as he numbly stared out.

The sound of soft foot steps approaching notified him someone was near, though he stayed perfectly still. "... It's late y'know?" He said, his face shifting to a light smirk as he looked behind him. There you stood, the eye bags under your eyes evident as you stared down at him, before turning to the city. "You're up too, non?"

He huffed as he looked away, placing his hand to his face. "This is why you're so exhausted all the time y'know?" He scolded you lightly. "It's fine." You nodded.

There was silence as you stood behind him quietly. Vanitas glanced behind him, noticing how you wore the same, dull expression he'd worn not so long ago. What could you be thinking about? Sometimes it was hard to remember that you were also a broken person such as himself. Honestly, he'd rather not think about it.

You let out a light yawn as you finally sat down beside him. Vanitas chuckled at your drowsiness as he looked back out to the city again. You sat there for a long while, just the two of you and the sounds of the dead Paris Streets.

Vanitas could feel you shiver beside him lightly as he sighed. "Why are you out here anyways? You're obviously exhausted." He said annoyed. "I'm always like this." You shook your head. He scoffed out a chuckle as he nodded. "Well duh, stating the obvious."

The eeiry silence once again enraptured the two of you. Vanitas mentally scolded himself as his thoughts couldn't be cleared of you. Your presence beside him somehow managed to break through the barriers he'd carefully constructed. It was exhausting, the way his mind couldn't ever stop thinking about you.

"I don't get it," he muttered, a hint of frustration tainting his words. "Why do you push yourself so hard, running on empty all the time?" His gaze shifted to you, attempting to decipher your expression.

You shrugged with an indifferent expression. "Dunno.." at this Vanitas stared at you more. Your gaze met his, and for a moment, something softened in his eyes. Uncomfortable with the vulnerability, he turned his attention back to the city lights.

"I guess I've been like this for awhile." You mumbled out. Vanitas glanced up at you again. "Sleep just doesn't really come that easily, even if it's all I crave. You know, you're not the only one with demons," you said softly, your gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "We all carry our burdens, Vanitas."

He scoffed, his wall being built within him once more. "I don't need your pity." "It's not pity," your tone was gentle. "It's understanding."

For a moment, Vanitas looked away, not wanting to listen. Then, with a sigh that carried the weight of unspoken emotions, he spoke. "Understanding won't change anything."

"Maybe. But I can hope it helps ease it.. Just being there. Even in the silence of the night." You finished.

Your words hung in the air as another silence engulfed the both of you. Vanitas found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

As Vanitas tried to regain his composure, he stole another glance at you. There was a softness in your worn out eyes that echoed the vulnerability he often tried to bury. It was a vulnerability he couldn't quite comprehend.

Vanitas sighed as he looked away again. "You talk too much." He huffed out. You merely shrugged, a small but genuine smile playing on your lips. "It's a talent, I suppose."

He let out a scoff, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—perhaps a hint of gratitude. After a few moments, another yawn escaped your lips. You glanced up at him slightly. "It's weird.. you're one of the most unbearable, scary people I've ever met." "Okay, ouch." He commented, letting you continue.

Your eyes closed for a second before opening again in defiance, "But I feel the most relaxed when I'm with you." You finished.

The contradiction between tonight's conversations and the usual banter between you two left him momentarily speechless. His attempt to mask his surprise with a scoff was futile as he grew embarrassed.

"You're delusional if you think I'm someone you should find relaxing," he retorted. Yet, the subtle tint of pink on his cheeks portrayed the effect of your words. "Probably." You mumbled out, slowly blinking.

Your yawns persisted, and a drowsy smile lingered on your lips as you observed Vanitas's futile attempts to deflect your words. "You're just spouting nonsense because you're half-asleep." He shifted away from you. "Sure, that's what I'm doing."

The silence made him glance up again, noticing you staring into the city lights, closing and reopening your eyes every few seconds. He couldn't help but stare at you for a bit, before jerking his head back to the city himself.

"You should.. Let yourself sleep." He mumbled out. You looked over with slightly surprised eyes, before your face slowly softened. "..thanks, Vanitas."

"yeah, yeah whatever.." he embarrassedly mumbled, looking away from you. You chuckled, continuing to stare at the beautiful pairs sky together.

[wishset]

i don't smoke, until i miss you boothill x reader

summary: Boothill was never a greedy man, he didn't ask for much yet he received the whole world. Just you and your child, he really didn't need much else, yet the cosmos seemed to have made a mistake and tried to rectify it by taking everything away.

explored themes. possibly ooc or lore inaccurate. 1k+ words, fluff to angst. written in 2nd pov. play i don't smoke while reading this, trust. can potentially be interpreted as platonic, if you squint rlly hard.

from author: i haven't played hsr in a while, yet researching boothill's lore just struck the rdr2 writer in me. per usual, i can't let myself be happy with anything but angst so grab a tissue. i haven't posted a work like this online before so i'm highkey nervous, but i'd love to hear what you think! there is some bonus info at the end, but i hope you enjoy this! (she said knowing this is what she ends up writing:)

Boothill was never one to smoke a cigarette, the most he would get close to one was standing next to you under a tree after a long day. You'd still offer him one, even though he always said no, as an act of acknowledgment. He couldn't do that now, though, the smoke would damage his robotic body even if he weren't the one inhaling it.

He'd be perched down on a large root of the tree you leaned back on, staring at your boots in his peripheral as you watched the sunset. The river running in the distance, your horses chewing on the grass below y'all when they weren't nipping at each other, the livestock settled down in the barns, and dinner sat on the warm fire for when the two of you returned.

"What's next?" He asks, his eyes following the line of your boot up to your face.

You always shrug, as if you never thought so far ahead. He did, fairly often in all truthfulness, and you only knew that because of how often he asked.

"'Suppose not much next, is there? Keep doin' this, 'till we're old and gray, then someone else takes over. Life goes on," you answer, flicking the ash out the tip of your cigarette.

He watches the ash burn itself in the grass as he thinks about your answer. It was food enough, neither of you learned much besides farm life. No such thing as anything more for the uneducated, which Boothill wouldn't have any other way.

He didn't mind waking and talking to Nick about the farm as he waited for you to come down for breakfast. He didn't mind wounding up the cattle every day while you watch or watching the horses while they round about the fields with you. The crops wouldn't harvest itself and there's no one else he'd rather harvest it with than you.

Life was good and Boothill was fine with it.

Would he have been so fine with it if you hadn't been hired by Nick and Graey when he turned a teen? He was glad he wouldn't have to find out. They hired a farmhand and he got a best friend, even if he was jealous they hired you in the first place.

He thought it meant he wasn't enough for them, not helpful enough, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth and you taught that to him.

And, while Boothill never liked to say he was right all along, there was more for the two of you than the repetitive cycles you'd fallen into. Matter of fact, he couldn't believe he was so content with just that now that you both had a daughter.

Maybe if you hadn't left your cigarette pack up in your room, the both of you wouldn't have returned when you did. Maybe if he wasn't waiting on the porch downstairs for you to return so you could join him at your usual place, he wouldn't have heard crying a little ways off from the house.

"What am I supposed ta' do with her?" He looks up at you when you find him. The cigarette pack falls into your pocket as if the box itself might contaminate the bundle of purity crying in Boothill's arms.

"Dunno. She like ta' join us?" You propose, motioning towards the tree up on a hill that waited patiently for you two. (Now, three.)

Boothill stood, joining you at full height. "Looks like she might."

The red-faced babe looked between the two of you, tears staining her little cheeks. How long has it been since you seen a baby? Quite a while, yet your first instinct still is to smile.

"Looks like it indeed."

From that day forward, you and Boothill were parents. Not even Nick or Graey questioned it when you both returned with a child. Finding one seemed to be common 'round those parts.

And boy, did parenthood change just about everything? She already had her first pony picked out before she could even walk, little boots and a hat, a sass about her, too.

Boothill couldn't recall the last time he was near a cigarette, not after you gave them to him to dispose of so that your little girl would never find them. It was never just the two of you at the tree again, always you three. Two grown horses and a little foal, growing along with her.

Now this he'd have no other way.

He was perched down on the large root of the tree beside you, where you sat as well. He could see the little girl in your lap in his peripheral, which he turned to look at when she called him. 

For her, it wasn't Boothill, something more like "Papa." She had this little giggle in her voice when she said it and even after the most tiring days, Boothill never had been happier.

"What's it, sugar?" He asks, turning to look at her. You look as well when she crawls out of your lap and stands, waddling her way over to him.

Was this how the mares felt when their foal stood and walked over to them for the first time? If it was, he was jealous it took him so long to figure it out for himself. You looked just as surprised as he felt and neither of you knew how to respond. Nick and Graey taught him everything he knew, yet the two of you taught him more every day.

Boothill was never one to smoke a cigarette, but now he was the one flicking ash off the tip and watching as it burned the knee of his pants. Now he couldn't get the stench of smoke off of him.

It was nice, even though his metal body hissed in disagreement. He took another puff, then another. Would you feel betrayed that he never really disposed of the pack of cigarettes? He didn't know. But it was late nights where he thought of how he got them in the first place he was glad he didn't.

It was a brand new pack when you came down from the house, now it was nearly halfway empty.

Was this what it smelt like when the house burned? Did it burn the same way? ─ No, it couldn't have. This burn burnt good, this burn was all he had left of you. This burn reminded him of you and the sacrifices you made for your daughter, this burn reminds him of the two of you and all the sacrifices he'll make for you.

bonus information: | more here.

[ 1 ] "It was a new pack when you came down from the house, now it was nearly halfway empty." That's about how many times Boothill found himself thinking of you, so much so he needed something palpable. Y'know, because everything was burned so all he has is this vague smell of you? I'm sorry. He also has blown through other packs when he just wants to remember the comfort your presence had brought him at one point, he only uses your pack on those nights.

[ 2 ] Wanna know another kicker? Boothill knows for a fact you wouldn't have been happy if you knew he smoked, before his enhancements and after. You used to tell him that they were bad for him, which he already knew, but that was very long ago in the overall timeline of this fic. When he thinks about those times, he smokes another.

[ 3 ] He doesn't have anything to remember your daughter by, he might've if the IPC nuke came a little later so that she could've given him the gift she'd been working on. You might've been able to give him your gift as well, so he had something healthier to cling on to. Those are long since burned and buried, though.

[ 4 ] In the image thing, my brain is blanking on what it's called, the "Everyone you love is dead anyway" is a reference to "You're going to die anyway". Yes, that is the front of a Marlboro pack, lol.

[ 5 ] Alright alright, you've cried enough tears, but if you notice any other little details, I'd love to talk about them/hear your thoughts. I poured my soul into this so many thanks for giving it a shot!

all rights reserved to wishset. do not copy, translate, or repost. can only be found on tumblr as of 06.30.

[togenabi]

the language of flowers

gojo satoru x reader (royalty au)

♡—All your life, you have been training for the role of Empress... But nothing could have prepared you to be Satoru's wife.

word count♡— 4.7k (I came back swinging y'all)

genre♡— fluff, royalty au

aged up characters♡— 18+

content notes♡— arranged marriage, romance, crown prince (maybe ooc) gojo, flowers, no use of y/n, afab!reader, ur a princess we're all princesses, minor chara oc's, mentions of my other au's, reader's father is a jerk, reader is tough but falls hard, not fully proofread

author's note♡— this took a while! september was ridiculously busy for me but I did my best with this to compensate! this is also very self indulgent, but I hope you enjoy it! xoxo, belle

As a child, you found out of your engagement to the Crown Prince by accident.

On a chilly winter's evening, you had been chasing the Royal Secretary's cat around the palace. Your father, the King, would frown upon you playing games at this hour. You should be writing essays, learning dance or banquet etiquette.

But all that can wait, you think. You've just spotted the end of a fluffy tail dart around the next corner.

When you catch up to it, the orange tabby is curiously peering into a room—whose grand double doors are slightly ajar. Eyes widening, you quicken your steps but make sure to minimize any sound. The last thing you needed was to be spotted skirting your duties right in front of the King's study.

You let out a huff of relief once you've gently picked up the cat, your arms hugging it to your chest.

Just as you're about to sneak away, however, you hear your name.

From the gap in the door, streams of golden light pour out; contrasting with the darkness of the hallway. The silhouettes of your father and his Secretary leave shadowed patterns on the floor.

You listen, as these silhouettes plan your future without you.

“Ha!” The King bellows. “My daughter. Empress. I never thought I'd see the day.”

Your heart stutters. What?

“When will you inform her, Your Majesty?”

The shadow on the painted tiles waves a hand dismissively as your father does.

“I'll leave that to you, Montgomery. Tell her that she should be honored.”

Heavy footsteps sound as he paces. “It was concerning to have a daughter as a firstborn. I knew she couldn't be made to rule what I've built, but I'll finally have a steady pawn in The Empire once she's sent away.”

Pain shoots into you. Your eyes begin to sting. You had always known your brother was the favorite despite all the hard work you've put in, but to be spoken of as a pawn... Could it be that you have not worked hard enough?

You suddenly remember where you are. Remember how slacking off brought you here. Heartbroken, you hug the cat tighter.

The words your father speak as you walk away deepens the dagger in your chest.

“Do not settle for anything less than perfect for her coursework. She's to be Empress, after all.”

On that chilly winter's evening, your heart froze over like the snow-covered branches looming outside.

...

Several years later.

The carriage goes over a bump in the road, but you do not show discomfort or act without grace. Your expression is controlled and your posture is correct as you balance yourself.

Across from you, Secretary Mont holds a newspaper up, the front page faces you as he reads. Large bold letters take up the entire upper half of the paper:

‘CITIZENS QUESTION IF EMPRESS-TO-BE IS WORTHY OF THE CROWN PRINCE’

You scoff. It makes Mont meet your gaze over the paper before flipping it; he frowns disapprovingly at the front-most article.

“Do not mind them, Your Highness.” He folds the paper and sets it aside—as if it would help prove his point. “The people are not used to your presence yet, but they will be. They will see how you are the perfect choice for Empress.”

The Princess is power hungry, someone who was interviewed had said. You wanted the Empire for yourself, apparently.

Jealous. Vain. Possessive. Dramatic.

Shifting your gaze to the window, you contemplate what you had done to garner such a negative image. Could you have done anything differently?

Your father's face appears in your mind's eye. That same ever-present scowl on his face as he says you should do better. You should be grateful. You should be nothing less than what you've been preparing all these years for. Everything must be perfect.

The Imperial Palace comes into view. It stands high and grand, shining under the bright midday sun. The cloudless blue sky above it makes the scene picturesque.

After the wedding in four months, it is to be your new home.

The Imperial Princess, your betrothed's younger sister, greets you when you arrive. You curtsy to each other, and she surprises you by reaching out to take your hands in hers. She gives them a firm yet friendly squeeze.

“I'm pleased to welcome you, my sister-to-be.” She beams, and you return the look with your own small, composed smile.

“I am honored to be here. Thank you for taking the time to receive me personally.” You gently lower your hands, letting her go.

She leads you inside, passing lines of palace staff as you enter.

“Congratulations on your own engagement, by the way.” You say honestly. After assessing her for a moment, you carefully remark, “I hear you and Prince Toge are quite happy.”

“We are.” She nods, smile glowing even more at the mention of her beloved. “Please allow me to say that I hope you and my brother find your own happiness, despite the ‘political arrangement’ of it all.”

“I thank you for your well-wishes.”

“Would you like an escort to your chambers?” The Princess offers once you reach a grand curving staircase.

“If you have other duties, I will not keep you.” You give her a bow, the ends of your dress brushing the polished marble flooring.

“Very well.” She nods. “A servant will inform you when dinner is ready.”

Gathering your skirt, you make your way up the steps to the east wing, where the guest chambers are.

Your eyes find the path to the west wing, where the royal families' rooms can be found. Soon enough, you would be heading there instead of east. Hopefully, the Prince will be amicable to live with.

The chambers reserved for you are exactly how you remember them. It's spotless and feels homey despite you only visiting a few times a year.

This is the only place you can be truly alone. Your father, try as he might, has no power here.

You step towards the balcony, opening the glass doors that lead outside. The wind caresses your skin like a soft kiss to your cheek, and you take a deep breath to savor it.

Four months.

That's all you have left. Four months of freedom here.

Another breeze passes. It carries with it a tiny dandelion wisp. Catching it almost feels like holding onto air, and yet it is there between your fingers. Small and weighing nothing, but there nonetheless.

For such a small thing, it strengthens your resolve.

You're not here for freedom. You're here to be Empress. And that's all that matters. You will not let anything get under your skin and interfere with your responsibilities.

...

So you said, only to find yourself in a very unexpected situation.

Dinner was uneventful, your only gripe was that your betrothed was not present. You had hoped to show everyone that you got along well... Even if you've only really spoken a handful of times.

However, once you returned to your chambers, you spot the balcony door open once more. Beyond it, looking out at the view of the city, was the Crown Prince himself.

You try not to let your unpreparedness get to you. Bowing respectfully, you greet him. “Good evening, Your Highness. May I ask what brings you here?”

The Prince turns to you, crossing one ankle over the other as he casually leans on the balcony.

“There you are.” Satoru says, his head tilting as he observes you.

You eye him warily, trying to decipher his intentions. If he wanted to see you, he could have simply shown up to dinner. “What are you doing?”

He steps forward. You step back. “Is it a crime to want time alone with my—”

Sighing, you should have expected him to want more time with the future—

“—wife?”

The word knocks the wind out of you.

Of all the names you have been called, ‘wife’ is a new addition to the list.

You are your parents' daughter, your country's princess, and are to be the Empire's most powerful woman.

And yet, to one person... to Satoru, you are to be his wife.

It's almost strange to think about. Your earliest memory of your betrothed is back when he was small and scrawny. It was difficult to take him seriously back then.

Now, something has changed in him. Or it could also be that he's always been like this, and this is a side to him he doesn't show to others that often.

Satoru watches you process the word, seeming to have something to say, but decides against it. You half expected him to tease you for being flabbergasted, but he patiently waits for you to speak first.

“Why are you here at this hour?”

He grins, eyes bringing shame to those distant stars hanging in the sky behind him.

“I didn't want our first meeting in ages to have so many spectators." Satoru explains. “If I had shown up earlier, the scribes would have taken note of how many times I blinked or how fast I chewed."

His jesting does not put you at ease at all. “I have a feeling you have something to say that should not be recorded or overheard.”

“That's true. However,” Satoru says pointedly, “The hour is far too late for all that I wish to say, so I will simply bid you goodnight with this...”

Out of nowhere, he pulls out a red flower with curling petals.

You keep your eyes on his as you reach for the flower's stem. Satoru watches you back, smiling softly. He's backing away before you can thank him, but he doesn't look like he minds. He seems to be happy you didn't reject it.

“Goodnight, my dear.” He bows, and makes his exit.

...Through the balcony. Again.

You step out and try to find where he disappeared to, but he's gone.

The moonlight out here allows you to get a better look at the flower. How curious. Usually, people in the Empire give roses, don't they?

The red carnation twirls between your fingers, and you think of how much more grand and tangible it is compared to the dandelion wisp that found you before dinner.

...

Carnations mean many different things, according to this book on the language of flowers you picked up. It all depends on the color.

Pink carnations symbolize fondness and remembrance. Some also consider it to mean not being able to forget someone.

White carnations mean purity, good luck, and new beginnings. It's a common way of wishing someone safe travels.

Yellow carnations have varying meanings. Sometimes, they are used for apologies. But most often they are given to express disdain, symbolizing a hopeless state of mind. You stare at the illustration next to the passage. The yellow watercolor is so bright and vibrant, it makes you wonder what it did to deserve such sad connotations.

Setting the book down for a moment, you rest your eyes by scanning the library. Countless shelves with even more countless books. A golden candlestick here. A priceless painting there. A stack of yesterday's newspaper lying a few tables away.

Something unpleasant settles in your chest. You ignore it and resume reading.

Naturally, as is the case for most red flowers, the red carnation means love. True, passionate love and affection.

You shut the book softly, tracing the embossed petals on the cover while thinking of the red carnation sitting on your bedside table.

Things could have gone worse, you suppose. At least Satoru didn't give you a striped carnation, which has no other meaning than rejection.

Secretary Mont enters the library before you could dwell more on that thought. He's arrived with several palace staff for additional wedding plans.

“Your Highness,” Only Mont greets you, but they all bow in unison.

You nod, and gesture to the table. “Be seated. Let's begin with the urgent concerns first.”

Apparently, the most urgent problem was that Satoru had not approved any of the table dressing color schemes. When you review the options, you think you can assume why. There can only be so many shades of white and cream and pearl.

“What shall we do, Your Highness?” One of the butlers ask.

“Give me a few samples, I'll talk to the Crown Prince myself.”

You almost regret saying that, because once you did, several staff began tripping over themselves, requesting you bring up other preparations with Satoru.

Secretary Mont asks if he should schedule an appointment with your betrothed, but you decline. Something tells you that he will show up again tonight.

And so, here you were after dinner in your chambers. A box of wedding planning materials rests next to you on the bed. You left the balcony doors open this time, and he shows up just as you predicted.

“Aw, were you expecting me?” He's smiling at you as he approaches, but it falters once he sees the box.

He lets out a loud breath before settling on your bed too, the box sits between you. “Alright, let's do this.”

“Start with these.” You hand him some fabric swatches, he looks at them in disdain.

“Pearl, then.” He says, barely even looking through all the options.

“Don't decide hastily.” You can't help but reprimand. “It's not just the color you have to consider, but the material as well.”

Satoru blinks, but presses his fingers to feel the texture of the fabric at your suggestion. “Is pearl not good then?”

“It's pretty, but it's too shiny.” You explain. “The sheen doesn't make it soft or comfortable to use.”

“Ah.” He breathes out, understanding what you mean.

You tell yourself your heart doesn't beat louder when he picks the one you had your eye on. Satoru holds the sample fabric up, the label attached reads ‘Snow’.

A clean, classic sort of white. Soft to the touch, almost fluffy. You don't have to tell him that you agree, he can already guess from the way you glance at him.

He doesn't need to know that your eyes strayed to his hair. Soft. Fluffy.

Clearing your throat, you change the subject by bringing out some tableware samples. “Shall we discuss these, next?”

An hour and thirty kinds of invitation cards later, a short break is due. You're writing down your decisions when Satoru calls your name.

You've moved to your desk by now, since your bed has become some sort of wedding moodboard. Something clinking together reaches your ears, and you turn to find that Satoru had tea brought up. He pours you a cup and carefully hands it to you.

“Thank you.” You respond gratefully, taking a sip before turning back to the lists in front of you.

“Aren't you tired?” Satoru asks, reading your writing over your shoulder.

“This is actually quite easy for me.” You admit. “Wedding planning is unexpectedly... Pleasant.”

Satoru laughs softly. “You're probably the only one in this palace who thinks it's pleasant to work with me.”

After a moment, he continues. “I suppose... That's a good thing, if we're to be wed.”

His words make you pause writing. You suddenly feel shy, warmth spreading on your cheeks. The kind you're sure isn't from the flame crackling in the fireplace.

How silly that you're becoming bashful after being engaged to him since you were children. The thundering of your heart can wait.

“I agree.” You respond, not turning to face him. You will not allow him to see you uncomposed like you did the previous night. “I wasn't sure what to expect from our marriage, but I would appreciate it if we were companionable.”

The rest of the evening proceeds smoothly, though you do notice Satoru becoming more silent as the night goes on.

The next day, you spot Satoru speaking to foreign delegates. Something is different in the way he carries himself in front of them. His posture is that of a proper Emperor, not a cheeky prince that sneaks into your room at night.

... It's probably best that no one finds out about that, lest a scandal breaks before you even get married.

When the delegates leave, you're about to approach and greet Satoru when he, unmistakably meets your eyes, then walks in the opposite direction.

You're left there, confused and perhaps even a little hurt. But you stone your expression and carry on as if nothing has happened. Your lessons taught you to be graceful, even in times you feel anything but.

By late afternoon, it's painfully obvious that Satoru is ignoring you. When he rushes through his lunch and gets up right when you take your seat, you try your best to look unaffected.

Hopefully, you're the only one who's noticed so far. If word reaches Secretary Mont, word will reach your father... That troubles you more than you can put to words.

Satoru doesn't show up for your scheduled wedding planning session with the rest of the staff. You're careful not to say that you'll speak with your betrothed, and thankfully no one mentions it even if it shows they wish you did. You're not even sure if he'll show up at your balcony tonight.

When the hour turns ten, the time he's usually here, he isn't. You sigh and can't help feeling a little disappointed.

Perhaps you said something wrong last night. Maybe you should apologize for something. Or he could just be busy, you tell yourself. You can't expect the Crown Prince to always have time to sneak away to you, can't you?

Something taps against the glass of the balcony doors. It breaks your train of thought, and causes your heart to leap just a bit.

But when you go to check, no one's there. You open the doors to find a single red carnation, just like the one he gave the first night.

You're only barely successful at hiding your relief. You reach for it and glance around once more, just to make sure if he left any other trace of him. There are none, but after you lock the doors and turn in for the night, two carnations in a glass vase calm you in a way you hadn't let yourself feel in a long time.

...

A maid knocks at your door a tad earlier than you're used to. When you ask about what's going on, she says she has to prepare you for the Crown Prince's departure.

“He's leaving?” You ask as you rise from bed, already headed for the bathroom to clean up.

“Yes, Your Highness.” She sifts through your wardrobe for your clothes. “He is to go on a business trip to settle trade agreements.”

“How long will he be gone for?”

“I cannot say for certain, Your Highness.”

Pausing in thought, you look to the balcony doors.

A rush of determination fills you as you ask the maid, “Could you prepare something for me?”

The head butler said that he could be gone for two or three weeks. Weeks before you see that face of his, which has a surprisingly forlorn expression on it.

“Thank you for seeing me off.” Satoru acknowledges you with a smile, but his eyes reveal how tired and troubled he truly is.

You say nothing at first, silently taking steps closer to him. You could practically feel the air freeze over as everyone watching holds their breath. This is the closest the two of you have appeared in public.

You reveal a white carnation held in the hand you hid behind you. The stem is cut short, just enough so that it fits into the pocket on his coat.

“I will take care of things here while you're gone.” You assure him, taking a step back to admire how the white flower suits him.

Satoru seems to be at a loss for words, but his eyes regain their usual spark when he addresses you again. “It seems I have nothing to worry about, then.”

You feel stares at your back as the carriage departs, but pay them no mind. You intend to keep your word and perform your duties while the prince is gone.

On your way to the library, you overhear the Imperial Princess and Sir Nanami speaking to each other.

They're in the next hallway, and you were just about to turn to it when you hear your name spoken. You press your back to the wall and listen.

“I'm glad Her Highness seems to have liked my brother.” The princess says. “And of course, I know Satoru would have been over the moon because of that flower.”

Sir Nanami hums. “His concerns were nothing to be worried about after all.”

The princess laughs. “Oh, what was it again that he said? That she friendzoned him?”

“It was that she companion-zoned him.”

You huff quietly. So that's why Satoru had been ignoring you yesterday.

“I look forward to their blooming relationship. I'm sure Her Highness will come around.” Is the last you hear of their conversation as they continue on their way, their footsteps fading further into the hall.

Come around? To what?

A grandfather clock chimes to signal the change of the hour, and you realize you've dilly-dallied for long enough. The rest of your way to the library has no people whispering about you and your betrothed or the flower you sent him off with.

But you would be lying if you said you'd forgotten about what the princess said.

...

Ever since Satoru left, he's been writing you letters. He said his sister gave him the idea.

You've given up on replying on every letter he sends. It seems as though he writes to you daily, and you simply can't keep up. He insists on writing no matter how busy he gets.

His fifth letter is so short that it should be called a note:

‘The flowers here are lovely. I had a bookmark made for you.’

That same bookmark, a dried pink carnation, sits between the pages of the novel you're currently reading. It makes you consider pressing the red carnations Satoru had given you so that they're not just left to wilt.

You write back once a week. But what you lack in quantity of letters you make up with the number of pages you write, and you tell Satoru as such. There are many things you want to report, so you don't hold back on anything.

Well, perhaps you don't quite tell him that you can't fall asleep until you spot the moon through the balcony glass. Or that you think of him whenever you're not distracted enough.

In Satoru's fifteenth letter, he brings the unfortunate news that his return will be delayed. He will have been gone for four weeks before he comes home, and the journey back will take three days at the latest.

Unable to express your disappointment outright, you instead imply that he should make haste for the wedding preparations. That he shouldn't miss the food tasting or the floral arrangements.

‘I trust my wife to make all the right decisions. Even if you don't, I'll consider them right anyway.’

There he goes again, calling you wife when you haven't married yet. It also dawns on you that Satoru has only ever called you by name, or addressed you as his wife. He's probably the only person who hasn't referred to you as Empress-to-be.

You're quickly learning that with Satoru, you're finding yourself again. It's rare for you to feel more than just a princess or Empress in training, but he makes it effortless with just a few words.

...

You begin counting down the days when Satoru writes that trade negotiations have finally concluded. He should be home in four days, and you can hardly wait to see his face again.

But of course, Satoru finds a way to bewilder you by arriving home early. In the middle of the night, no less. And naturally, through the balcony.

Wiping the sleep from your eyes, you try to decipher if his visage is a dream or a trick or the light. But when he laughs, and tells you he missed you dearly, you need no further proof.

Satoru clasps your hands with his, running his thumbs over your fingers and knuckles. Your eyes travel down to his boots, which are filthy with dirt and grass. His hair is ruffled and windswept.

“Did you,” The word settles on your tongue when you pause. “...Rush here on horseback?” You ask incredulously.

Satoru laughs again, and wraps his arms around you. “Are you complaining?”

You blink, and tentatively wrap your arms around his middle. “No. I'm glad you're home.”

Satoru is so warm compared to the night air that surrounds you. You almost complain when he pulls back, but the serious look in his eye makes you keep your mouth shut.

He clears his throat and rubs your shoulders before taking your hands again. You're completely shocked when he sinks to one knee.

“I know that we're already engaged.” Satoru begins. “I know that we've been preparing for this for years, but I just wanted to ask you properly. Because you deserve it.”

He pulls out a ring, a diamond shines at its center.

“Marry me, and I shall spend every moment of my life proving my love for you.”

“Yes. I will.” You respond, and he slips the ring onto your finger. How does he keep getting more and more lovely?

You place your hands on the sides of his face, pulling him up to you. You kiss him, and the air ignites like a spark brought to life.

It's tender, and careful, and carries all the things you wish to say to him. How you missed him. How you love the flowers he gives you. How excited you are to have him by your side for forever.

When you break apart, he seems surprised to find you reflecting his happiness back at him. He's about to speak, but not before he can resist the urge to kisses you again.

You smile into the kiss, but place a hand on his chest, pushing him to ask, “You were about to say?”

“...I've always known I would treat you right when we got engaged. That was always a given.” Satoru cradles your face gently, making you feel like the most precious in the world to him. “You were chosen because you're smart, and you worked harder than anyone else.”

“...But I saw you one day, when we were kids.” He speaks carefully. “You were trying your best to impress your father, but not at all happy...”

“From then on, I decided to make it my mission to make you smile.” To prove his point, he places his thumbs at the corners of your mouth to drag them up playfully. You laugh and swat his hands away.

“A real smile, just like that! None of those diplomatic half-smiles you always throw out to please people. That won't work on me.”

“Before you are the Empress, you are my wife. And I will love and treasure you as such.”

...

He says those same words at the wedding. You jest that he has no originality, but it brings you to tears just the same.

The wedding happens in the palace gardens, surrounded by countless beautiful flowers that dance and sway under the sun when the wind blows. Everything is, in every sense of the word, perfect.

For this moment, you are not the Empress. Not yet. The world can wait a day, you decide. Everything else can wait while you bask in the glowing warmth this man offers you.

As you leave the ceremony behind with your arms linked together, Satoru leans into your ear so you can hear him over the cheering crowd. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Petals shower you both on your way, and you can't help but smile. “Just that we're perfect together.”

Satoru laughs in agreement. “Damn right we are.”

Several staff are positioned at the exit of the gardens, ready to escort you both to the carriages that will take you through the Empire to greet your subjects... But something makes you pause at the end of the aisle.

You pluck a red carnation from one of the floral displays before turning to your husband. You tuck the flower into the chest pocket of his suit, snug in front of his pocket square.

When you glance up to see his reaction, he's already beaming at you, looking indescribably happy.

“I love you too.” He says, taking your hand and pressing the softest of kisses on top of your wedding ring.

When you sent him away back then, you remember thinking how the white carnation matched well with him. Looking at him now, however, the red flower over his heart seems to overflow with all the love and all the words that need not be spoken. You like this one much better.

He leans down to pluck another identical flower, and gently tucks it behind your ear.

Satisfied, he holds your hand tight, leading you to the rest of your lives with the assurance that he will never let go.

© togenabi 2023 | see here to be added or removed from my taglist

taglist♡— @flowerjun @mellozhi

[kyuseiki]

"My dear, oh darling."

>This is my first time writing something so don't be surprised when the plot is really boring or doesn't make sense at all (⁠・⁠–⁠・⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ

GENDER NEUTRAL READER!!

If you're struggling with these types of thoughts and or problems please reach out for help!! Stay safe ❤️

OOC Dazai??

WARNING: suicide, depression, etc you get it. Bad grammar!! (⁠；⁠^⁠ω⁠^⁠）

A lot can happen in 8 minutes.

I cleaned my room in 1 minute, it still looks messy. I'll be gone soon anyway I couldn't care less.

7 minutes left

I wrote notes to my parents, colleagues, friends and most importantly, my darling. Osamu Dazai. I was a fast writer. It took 2 minutes.

5 minuets left.

I sent my goodbye messages to people important to me, thanking them. I didn't know what else to write to them, besides my hands were freezing.

Now there's 3 minutes left.

I went to the balcony, I took in the beautiful night sky before me. Having the last glimpse of my home before I'm finally free.

2 minutes left.

I stood on the railing, my legs were wobbling and my hands were clenched into a fist. Heart pounding so fast, almost as if it's trying to tell me to get off and think about it once more.

1 minute left.

I shut my eyes, leaning into the wind. I thought about him, Osamu Dazai. Would he be mad? Or would he be upset. Who knows, I'd be gone by then. I fell, I fell to the ground. The last thing I could hear was an oddly familiar voice screaming, shouting for me. It felt cold, I felt cold.

0 minute left.

"Please, dear. Please don't do this to me." the brunette cried out, holding onto the corpses cold hand. He sobbed uncontrollably, refusing to accept the reality.

The ambulance came, rushing you to the hospital. What's the point of it anyway? You're already dead. But to Dazai, you aren't. He doesn't want to believe that you're dead. After all, anything he never wants to lose is always lost.

2 days after your death.

You were put in a casket, hand holding a beautiful fresh bouquet of lilies. You looked as if you're just sleeping.

Everyone you knew attended your funeral. Your parents, friends, colleagues, relatives. But someone is missing. It was your darling, Osamu Dazai. He was missing. He doesn't want to see the state you're in. Locked up in your shared apartment, scattering through things. The house was an entire mess. He was a mess. He found the notes you left him. It read:

"Dear Osamu,

If you're reading this, then I'm assuming I'm already dead. For 3 years, you made me change completely into a different person from who I was before. I was a mess, I felt incomplete. But after meeting you, you made me into a better person. You made me feel complete. You were the best thing that happened to me. Thank you for all those 3 years. I truly am.

Love, Y/N"

His hand trembled, tears rolling down his cheeks. How stupid was he? Why didn't he notice earlier? Your behaviour, your mood swings. It was obvious, it was all on display. But he didn't pay enough attention.

3 days after your death.

He lied in your shared bed, empty eyes staring at the ceiling. Laying in the cold and empty bed. His phone had hundreds of missed calls, hundreds of messages concerned about his well being from his co-workers.

Trash piled up in the room, stacks of empty bottles of cheap sake. His cheek stained with dried up tears, eyes red from crying. Did he really need to keep going? Even after losing his dear? He lost his entire will to live after you died.

Was it really worth it? Sure, it took away all your pain and suffering. But was it really worth having your darling suffer, just because you want yours to be gone?

-END.

I really don't like the way I wrote it (• _ •)

Likes and reblogs are appreciated (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

Lmk if y'all want an alternative ending!!!!!!

[linawritestwst]

𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚡 𝚝𝚠𝚜𝚝'𝚜 𝚋𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚐𝚜 (𝚐𝚗!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛)

I'M FINALLY DONE. I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THESE YANDERE READER HEADCANONS.

okay, so, i should probably explain how these headcanons work and how i chose characters for them.

each character gets a yandere!reader with a specific personality trait and there will be different yandere types too. you can read more about yandere types online, i personally used information from the dere wiki.

about the title.. i agree that most twst characters can be called red flags (btw i mean it in an affectionate way.. with some characters. some of them are red flags in a derogatory way to me sdhdkjsdks) since almost all characters are based on disney villains, however, i decided to go with the ones i personally consider to be a little bit less sane than others <3 also i just used those characters who i wanted to see in a relationship with a yandere!reader, so don't come at me, okay sdhjsksksk i know that i should have included some other characters too, like now i'm thinking that i probably should have added cater, azul and a few other characters too but. i'm tired, okay. if people will be interested in seeing a part 2, sure, i might write one, but for now, just take this.

characters: riddle rosehearts (listen, i know that he's not as bad as other characters, but hey. yandere!reader x riddle makes me 💞💓💗💖💕) , jade leech, floyd leech, jamil viper, rook hunt, malleus draconia, lilia vanrouge (again, he's probably not that bad, but it's the vibe, okay) rollo flamme.

warnings: possible ooc, general yandere themes, themes of obsession, mentions of manipulation, murder and death, implications of suicide. if you're not comfortable with yandere/horror content (i think it has some angst too?), i suggest you skip these. stay safe, love y'all.

also i'm sorry if this has typos or anything like that it's kinda late and i wrote this instead of doing my hw

(divider link)

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character: riddle rosehearts

yandere type: training type

personality trait: cheerful

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♡ you remember meeting riddle for the first time like it was yesterday. of course you would remember it well, you knew that he was the one right when you saw him. riddle wasn't like most nrc students. he was responsible, hardworking, he followed the rules instead of breaking them. he definitely was your type. he was so cute too! it's so easy to make him blush and sweat and stutter, his reactions are always so fun and entertaining!..

♡ but there's this one small thing that annoys you a little. why do all other students say that riddle needs to chill and that there's no point in following all those rules? can't they see how amazing and talented he is? of course you're more loyal than all those traitors, you would never go against your queen's orders. in fact, you actually think that riddle should be even more strict. you remember hearing about his unique magic for the first time and being so excited to see it, "off with your head" means that he can easily cut anyone's head off, right?.. oh, so he just stops them from using magic.. man, and here you hoped that you will finally see those rulebreakers' heads on the floor.

♡ most people find it weird how even though you're always so cheerful and you love to have fun, you still think that riddle is right and you continue to support him. well, maybe your idea of fun is simply watching your classmates cry because they forgot to study for today's test and now it's too late to do anything! <3 actually, you're a bit scared that someone will try to change riddle's mind and make him become more relaxed and forgiving of those who break the queen's rules. you can't allow that to happen! you must make sure that riddle stays the same.. actually, what if you tried to help him become even more perfect than he already is? riddle will never forget about anything if he has someone like you by his side. he will study even more because you think that he's not working hard enough. he will try harder to impress you because you're the only person in this school who actually gets him.

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character: jade leech

yandere type: obsession type

personality trait: shy

➽───────────────❥

♡ jade is one of the few people in this school who actually understands you. he never judges you, he never forces you to socialize, of course, he does say that it would be nice for you to talk to others more, but he doesn't think that you being an introvert is a bad thing. he doesn't think you're weird, he listens to you when you talk to him about your interests and his face expression never changes. he always has a smile on his face no matter what you say, he never looks disappointed or confused or scared, he genuinely likes spending time with you and you know it.. or maybe that's just what he wants you to think.

♡ but even if he actually doesn't have feelings for you, you definitely are in love with him. anyone would fall in love with him if they were treated the same way. for someone as shy and quiet as you, meeting jade was the best thing that could ever happen to you. if it wasn't for him, you would be so.. lonely. actually, you just stopped caring about making more friends after meeting jade. jade is the only friend you need. you don't have to talk to anyone else. they will just laugh at you or call you weird and you're too tired from dealing with people like that. you think about jade so often, his own brother finds it concerning. you couldn't care less about what floyd thinks though.

♡ .. but what if jade actually finds it creepy too? no, no, that thought scares you so much, you can't stand it! jade loves you, right? he wants to be more than friends, right?.. but what if he doesn't even think of you as a friend? what if he just pretends to be nice, what if it's just him being polite? it's so scary to think about and you can feel your heart breaking, but.. what if it's true? you have to make sure that he loves you back. you have to talk to him about it. yes, you're shy, yes, you're quiet, yes, it's hard for you to talk about your feelings, but you have to know the truth. and if it turns out that jade is actually a huge liar.. haha.. at least one of you will die, that's for sure.

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character: floyd leech

yandere type: self-sacrifice

personality trait: cold

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♡ most people find it hard to talk to you. you're known for almost never showing your emotions and always looking like you want to kill someone even though you don't even look angry or anything like that, there's just something about your eyes and the way you look at people. so yeah, most people just ignore you or even run away every time they see you. it's not like you're mad at them, really. you don't mind spending most of your time alone. but it still.. hurts a little. haha.. so you actually can feel emotions after all. so when floyd suddenly started talking to you more and even gave you a cute nickname, you were surprised (though it was hard to tell from your face expression) but also.. maybe even happy?

♡ floyd doesn't exactly have the best reputation either because of his.. uh.. interesting personality, so of course you two would get along so easily. honestly, you even start to feel like you're.. it's so weird to hear yourself say it, but it feels like you're actually in love with floyd. he's the only one who can make you feel something and react to things, he's the only one who can make you smile or cry or feel fear. and he gets excited when he finally sees your face expression change too. however.. his mood swings do scare you a little bit. sometimes, when you're not showing any emotions and his tricks aren't working, he suddenly says that he's bored and just leaves you. huh.. a-are you not interesting enough for him?

♡ you knew it. of course, you knew that someone like you isn't good enough for floyd. he's always so full of energy, he needs someone who can keep up with him and you're not like that at all. but you need his attention. you just want him to look at you one more time. you really hope he will stop ignoring you if you just.. start acting differently. what if you start acting more like riddle who he loves to annoy so much? what if you start acting more like kalim who's just as energetic as floyd? you don't care what other people think of you, you just want floyd back. you're so scared of disappointing him again, you'll be anything he wants you to be.

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character: jamil viper

yandere type: protective

personality trait: soft

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♡ you admire jamil so much. you have no idea how someone can be as perfect as him. he's so patient, so hardworking, so good at everything he does.. and he also has to deal with kalim all the time. you talk about jamil so often that some people start to think that you have a crush on him. whenever they make jokes about that, you blush and deny everything, but you know very well that you really are deeply in love with him. you really want him to love you just as much as you love him. but how are you gonna make him notice you? well.. maybe you should help him in some way?

♡ but how exactly can you help him? you doubt that you can help him with cooking or his vice dorm leader duties.. ah, it must be hard for him to be kalim's vice dorm leader. maybe you can tell kalim to be a little bit more responsible? you know, so that jamil won't be overworked. you try to have a conversation with kalim about it and he promises that he won't push jamil too hard and he will try to be a better dorm leader. you apologize in case you have said something rude, but he claims that it's fine and that you're actually right. he really should pay more attention to jamil's well-being. he thanks you for caring about jamil so much and you say that it's not a big deal while trying to hide just how red your face currently is.

♡ .. kalim is a good guy. he really is. but he's not good at keeping his promises. no matter how much he tries, he still forgets things and jamil has to do everything for him. and even if kalim tries to do something without anyone's help, jamil still ends up doing it for him because he doesn't trust kalim and he doesn't want him to accidentally ruin anything. it hurts seeing jamil work so much. despite your best efforts, his situation never changes. well.. you didn't want to do this, you really didn't. but if there's no other way to solve this problem, maybe you should.. you know.. remove the person who's making all of this happen? ah, and if any other scarabia students get in your way or try to make jamil's life miserable as well.. it's okay, you can take care of them too. it's all for his sake.

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character: rook hunt

yandere type: monopoly + removal

personality trait: popular i know it's not really a personality trait but still

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♡ you're loved and admired by many nrc students. they have many different reasons to love you: your beauty, your intelligence, your sense of humor, etc. and you enjoy being this popular, even though on the outside you look like a gentle and even kinda shy person. however, even though you have such a good reputation and you're loved by so many people.. you're still not satisfied with it. why? well, the thing is.. no matter how many nrc students love you and say you're the most beautiful person in twisted wonderland, you just want one specific person to call you that. but he's never gonna do it. because he thinks all people are beautiful in their own way and he never stops complimenting them.

♡ rook is an interesting person. you have to agree that he can be a little.. weird sometimes, but for some reason, his behavior and personality intrigues you and you can't help but find him fascinating. and of course, he's one of your many admirers. he's not immune to your charms and he certainly finds you beautiful. however.. it's not like he thinks you're the most beautiful person here. he changes his mind like every few seconds, you swear, if you could put him in the same room with you, vil and neige, he would probably explode or something. but you want more than that. you want him to call you the most beautiful person he has ever seen. i guess you could say you want him to call you the fairest one of all, haha.

♡ so how can you make this happen? how can you make rook look only at you and nobody else? this is gonna be hard. you can't exactly get rid of just one person or even two people, because rook finds everybody beautiful. but uh.. maybe you can just remove the strongest rivals first? and if that's not gonna make him pay more attention to you, you'll have to get rid of more people then. and more. and more. you will make sure rook has his eyes only on you in the end because there will be nobody else to look at. too bad, you don't know that rook thinks that when someone is covered in blood and their heart had already stopped beating, that person is still beautiful in some scary, twisted way. so even if you do kill all those people, his thoughts will still be about them.

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character: malleus draconia

yandere type: loneliness induction

personality trait: manipulative yes i know most of them are manipulative shhh

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♡ oh, poor malleus. everyone finds him so scary because of his intimidating aura, it's impossible for him to make friends or even simply talk to people without making them want to run away. he's so strong, so powerful, of course people would be scared of him. well.. it's their fault for being so weak then. no, it's just not possible for them to become stronger. even if they do, they will never be as amazing as malleus. you don't think that malleus not having any friends is a bad thing, really. those other students don't deserve to even breathe the same air as him. he's just better than them and that's why they don't want to talk to him. they can't accept the fact that they're weaker than him.

♡ it's okay though. you're more than happy to be malleus's only friend. yes, he doesn't need anyone else but you. you've told him that many, many times before. at first he wasn't sure about it, but now.. he doesn't even talk to other diasomnia students that much, including lilia, silver and sebek. actually, sebek acting like his usual self annoys him now. he'd much rather hear you saying that you're ready to do anything for him. sure, you will say that. it's not like you actually mean it though. you agree that malleus is better than others and that you're the only one who's allowed to talk to him, but you do have your limits. it's not like you're okay with dying for him. you won't let him die for you either.

♡ you just enjoy him being obsessed with you a little too much to die for him. maybe malleus could make more friends if it wasn't for you. maybe he could find someone to be in a more healthy relationship with if it wasn't for you. but the fact that a strong mage and a prince of briar valley depends on you so much that he refuses to talk to anyone else makes you too happy to let him form bonds with other students. you repeatedly tell him that other people don't deserve him and that he doesn't have to spend time with them if he doesn't want to. it's okay if you're his only friend. it's okay if you're the only person who cares about him. you will give him more love than all those people combined.

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character: lilia vanrouge

yandere type: dependent

personality trait: innocent

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♡ you know that most students find lilia a bit strange, but you think that he's one of the most reliable and trustworthy people here. sure, he loves to pull pranks and mess with people, but you actually do think he's funny. you always laugh at his jokes and even though you get scared after he suddenly appears right in front of you out of nowhere or you see him hanging upside down, you still enjoy his company. in fact, you enjoy it so much that it's a bit.. hard to imagine your life without him. it'd be so lonely without lilia by your side.

♡ lilia is always there when you need someone's help and he's always there to support you and cheer you up when you're feeling down. no matter what other people say you know that this man is one of the kindest people you've ever met. he often says that you should be more careful since it's not like he can always come to your aid, even though he wants to be your hero so much. from his tone it sounds like he's joking, but he actually really is worried about you. you often look like a lost child who has no idea what to do and who will trust anyone no matter how suspicious they look. sometimes he jokes about you acting like this to get more attention from him. little does he know that this actually might be true.

♡ you need lilia to watch over you. you need lilia to come to you when you're sad and lonely and tell you that everything is going to be okay. most of the time you're not pretending, you really are this pure and innocent, you still have no idea how you can act like this while attending a school full of villains. but sometimes you do pretend to be a little bit more naive than you really are. you just like it when lilia acts protective and you're so, so afraid of him leaving you one day because he thinks that you're gonna be fine on your own. if he thinks so, then he's wrong. you will do anything to make lilia stay. you will do anything to make him believe that it's impossible for you to do anything without his help. haha.. maybe you should start getting into more dangerous situations on purpose. maybe if he sees how you almost die, he will understand that he just can't leave you. he's not allowed to leave you.

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character: rollo flamme

yandere type: worship

personality trait: flirty

➽───────────────❥

♡ it's hard for other people to say if you actually do have a crush on rollo or you're just messing around. you don't act like this with others though, so maybe you actually do have feelings for him?.. but again, it's hard for both rollo and those people to take you seriously. also, other nbc students just don't understand how a person like you ended up falling for someone like rollo. like.. he's probably not your type, right? you're so outgoing, talkative and energetic, you're not like him at all. actually, shouldn't you find him annoying? you two are just so different.. well, in your case, opposites attract.

♡ you don't hate rollo. actually, it's hard for you to say that you have a crush on him either. what you feel for him is much stronger. it's like.. he's so different from all the other people. he's basically flawless to you. even when you find out how much he hates magic, you still agree with him. if you are a magic user, you will gladly die for him to show just how much you respect him and how far you're willing to go for him. if you are not a magic user, you will be more than okay with killing as many magic users as he wants you to kill. hm? he's a magic user as well? ah.. well, he's just different from them. he's just better. also, he would never use magic in the same way as all those other mages.

♡ it takes a lot of time for other people and even rollo himself to realize just how deep your obsession with him is. you always play it off as a joke and if rollo asks about it, you smile and wink at him while saying that you just love him so much, your feelings for him often make you say the weirdest things. it's so fun to see him react to your words too. haha, if he can't handle you simply saying that he's cute, then maybe you really should keep your obsession with him a secret for now.

[giggly-squiggily]

Babysitter's Guide To Watching Eri (My Hero Academia)

Heyo! This is a gift for the ever amazing @thatbigbisexual29 A while back we were talking about Bakugou and Eri and how cute they'd be as a duo, and thus; this fic has been born! This is pretty self indulgent and likely OOC but who cares- it's Bakugou and Eri! I hope y'all like it! :D

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@myreygn @duckymcdoorknob @baby-tickles2022 @cupcake-spice13 @backy-san @nutzgunray-lvt @sarahmaystock5578 @rachi-roo @mochigiggle @chibisstuff

Summary: In an unexpected turn of events, Bakugou is tasked with babysitting Eri for the day.

When it came to looking after Eri, a few faces immediately came to mind.

First of course was Mirio. The kind hearted hero adored the girl and would bend over backwards to entertain her whenever Aizawa and Mic had hero work to attend to. It didn’t matter what was going on- he was ready to rush over and play whenever needed.

The next was Midoriya. If Mirio was busy or they simply desired another playmate, they’d grab the freckled boy from his studies and invite him over. He’d run through the door with a proud “I am here!” that left Eri squealing in glee and Mirio chucking at how into his role he got for the little girl.

There were others; Nejiri who was always down to play dress up and princess tea party with Eri; Shinsou who helped her with her drawings and watched movies with her; and the U-A girls like Uraraka and Tsuyu who always took her to fun places like the space zone or the aquarium, pointing out cool things and treating her to snacks.

Alas- none of those options were available today for Eri. Mirio and Nejire had work, Midoriya and the girls were finishing their internships, and Shinsou was in extra classes for the hero course. Things were rather…tense as the realization hit them.

“What are we gonna do? We can’t bring her with us during our patrol!” Mic was pacing around the room back and forth in thought, just barely avoiding pulling out his hair. “And all the pro’s are busy- oh man why of all the days!”

“We’ll figure it out. We just need to find someone on short notice.” Aizawa slumped forward in his seat, trying to think. Who was available with no plans today? “Yaoyorozu maybe?”

“Yeah! No…wait- Midnight needed her.” Mic deflated. “Oh! What about Tokoyami?”

“Hawks.” They said at the same time, shaking their heads. “Nearly all the students are being taken up for missions right now- it’s not fair to expect them to bail for our sake. What do we do…” Mic doubled over the desk, holding his head.

Just then- an answer walked through the door.

“Hey- Mr. Aizawa, Best Jeanist texted. He said he wouldn’t be able to take me with him today- some emergency came up.” Bakugou knocked before poking his head through the door, looking a bit disgruntled. “Should I see if Endeavor needs more hands?”

Aizawa and Mic looked at eachother.

“Endeavor has plenty of hands.” Aizawa spoke, finalizing their decision. “However, we do need a favor…”

~~~

A babysitter job. Him- babysitting!

Good grief.

“Okay- here’s everything she’ll need. Eri’s fairly independent, so really the only thing you need to do is entertain her while we’re gone.” Mic had handed him a whole list- A LIST! Of things Eri liked. Everything from her favorite toys to her favorite drinks and snacks- all the movies she loved and games she usually played, etc. etc.

“We should be back a little after lunchtime so if you could take care of that; we have pre-made meals in the fridge, you just need to heat them up. Oh- and careful with the microwave; we don’t know what happened but it’s acting weird. Try not to hit any odd numbers, kay?”

“Odd numbers-wait; how long did you say?” Bakugou stammered as Mic bounced out the door, putting on his hero face. “Is this an all day thing?”

“Is that a problem?” Aizawa raised a brow. “Do you have anything planned today?”

“Well…no, I just…I’m not-” Bakugou waved his arms, feeling a bit helpless. “I’m not exactly great with kids.”

Aizawa softened, reaching out and patting Bakugou’s shoulder. “From what I’ve heard, you did fine with the kids during your remedial classes.”

“That’s only because they were a bunch of snot nosed brats. Plus I had help” Bakugou grumbled.

“That was a bunch of kids. This is Eri- the farthest thing from a brat.” Aizawa squeezed his arm before pulling back, adjusting his scarf. “She’s a good girl and doesn’t need much. Try not to scare her. You know how you can be.”

“I’m not-” Bakugou growled, then snapped his mouth shut when he realized he was proving Aizawa’s point. “Fine. I’ll be…gentle.”

“Thank you again, Bakugou. We truly appreciate it.” Aizawa nodded before heading out, officially leaving Eri in the teen’s care.

“...Heh. Okay, squirt- where do we even-” Bakugou turned to face her but found…nothing. She was nowhere to be seen. “Eri? Hey, where are you?”

Poking his head down the hall, he found her hiding behind a door frame, peeking at him. “You good, kid?”

Eri seemed…scared. Bakugou winced at himself; he hadn’t even talked to her today yet and he already scared her. Sighing, he squatted down to her level, offering a hand. “Look- I know I seem scary, but I promise I’m not gonna yell at you. Whatever you want to do today, we can do, alright?”

The girl seemed to relax some, her expression still nervous. Slowly, she crept towards him, little hands folded on her chest as she looked at her feet. “Sorry…”

“Huh? Why are you apologizing?” She winced at his tone. He internally punched himself. “Er-sorry. Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You have to watch me. I ruined your day.” She sounded close to tears. Bakugou felt his chest hurt. Did she hear him calling after Mic?

“No, no kid- you didn’t ruin anything. My day hasn’t even started yet.” With some hesitation, he reached out and patted her head, making her look up. “If you heard me talking to your papa, it wasn’t anything bad about you, I swear. I just don’t know how to…” he waved a hand between them, shrugging in such a manner that he got a smile. “But we can figure this out. We can play whatever you want- including…” He looked at the list, wincing. “Fairy Princess Ball.”

Eri giggled, her nerves easing away as she bounced up to him. “I love that game! But I always play it with Neji. I want to play something else.”

“Sure kid, let’s see.” Bakugou looked at the list once more, but Eri put her hands over it, pushing it down with a headshake.

“No list! I want to play something new.” She looked up at him, eyes dancing. “Something you came up with…erm…”

“Bakugou.” He gave her his name, watching her light up. “But I guess Katsuki is fine if  you want.”

“Ba…Baku..” She stammered on the words, then she looked at him. “Kacchy.”

“Close enough.”

~~~

“Ahoy my crew! We’re approaching deadly waters!” Eri cried from her pillow fort on the couch, holding a circular cushion in her small hands like a steering wheel. “They say a mean old sea monster lives here- we must be careful!”

“Oi who you calling old-er I mean…Grrrrrrr!” Eri giggled at the growling heard beneath a nearby blue blanket, slowly getting closer and closer to her “ship”. Behind her, her crew of squishmellows sat aligned, all dressed in pirate outfits and ready to assist.

“Do you hear that? It’s getting closer!” Eri looked around, pushing up her pirate hat as she searched for the monster. “Let’s turn to-”

“ROAR!” Bakugou shot from the blanket, a dragon hat on his head as he raised his arms high. Eri squealed, falling back in her pillows with a giggly shriek. “I’m a sea monster! And I’m gonna eat your boat!”

“Noo! Quick- Yuki! Save us!” Eri chucked her nearest Squishmellow at him, watching it bounce off his chest harmlessly. Bakugou flailed backwards anyway, pretending to be hit. “Go, go!”

“Gah! No! Not the dreaded squish!” He cried out as she assaulted him with squishmellow after squishmellow, finally jumping on him when she ran out. “Ah! No! It’s the Pirate Princess Eri!”

“That’s right! And I’m gonna take you out, Mr. Sea Monster! Take THIS!” She shot her hands out, scribbling them all over his belly with reckless abandon.

“AH! Ahehahahahhaa! Whahahahit- wahahhhahait I didiihihihihn’t agrehehehehehehehee to thihihihihiihs!” Bakugou spasmed with a yelp, not at all prepared for such acts! Semi buried beneath squishmellows, the blonde laughed and squirmed, fighting the urge to curse in front of Eri. “Ehahhhahahhaha, you brahhahahahhat! This ihihhihihihisn’t fahahahhahair!”

“He he he! Looks like you’re no match for the great Eri-EHH!” The little girl squealed when Bakugou suddenly lunged, gathering her up and gently tickling her back. “Ahehahahahahahahaha! Kahahhaahahahchy!”

“Who’s Kacchy? I’m the dreadful sea monster, remember? Forget eating your ship, I’m gonna eat YOU!” He roared playfully as he carried on tickling her, making Eri squeal and kick in glee. “I’m gonna roll you in flour, bake you and then eat you up bones and all!”

“Ahehahhhahahhaa! Nohohohoohohohoo!” Eri rolled out of his arms, running for her boat. “Stahhahay awhawhhahahay!” She squealed through her giggles as she grabbed her squishmellow, smacking him with it. “Tahhake that!”

“Oh, it is ON!” He grabbed the smallest squish he could find, lightly swatting back at her as she laughed herself silly. For someone so small, she sure could pack a hit!

RIIIIIP!

“Oh no!” Eri cried, freezing Bakugou in his spot. The squishmellow she was using to attack had suddenly ripped open- a huge gaping hole in the side. Stuffing rolled down the couch, littering the floor. “Yuki…”

Yuki…oh shit. That was one of her favorite toys from the list.

“Oh man, kid…” Bakugou paled upon looking at the mess. Eri’s eyes filled with tears.

Bakugou looked at her, then at the toy. Then he sighed, pulling off the dragon hat.

“No tears, Doctor Eri. We have a patient to fix.” He announced, making her look up. “Hang on- I have something that can fix Yuki.

~~~

“I didn’t know you could sew!” Eri sat wide eyed as she watched Bakugou carefully stitch back up her toy, his handiwork slow but consistent. “Where’d you learn that?”

“A hero has tons of tricks.” Bakugou grinned at her, pushing the fallen stuffing back in as he went along. “My parents are in the fashion business. My dad makes clothes while my mom models them. I helped them out a few summers- mainly just taking care of rips and tears in the clothes.”

“Wow…” Eri leaned into her hands, taking it all in. “Papa…he got me Yuki as a present when I first started living here.”

Ah. That made sense why the plush was so faded. It also explained Eri’s reaction. “Did he now?”

“Mm-hm! He came home with it one day- told me it was a present for my birthday!” Eri smiled at the memory, cheeks flushing with fondness for her adoptive parents. “It wasn’t really my birthday, but it was the first real gift from Daddy and Papa- I love it very much.”

Bakugou didn’t have much to say about that, finishing off the last stitch before puffing Yuki up some. “There we go. Good as new- er; minus the big scar.”

Eri practically tackled him, hugging his arm with a teary grin. “Thank you, Kacchy. And I don’t mind the scar. All the people I love have them.”

That’s when he realized she was looking at him too, at the faded scars along his bicep.

“Heh, I guess they do.” He laughed through a thick voice.

~~~

“Alright- let’s see…which one kid?” Bakugou presented both meals to Eri, watching her look each one over. It was around the afternoon when he got a text from Aizawa; turns out they weren’t gonna be back until late that evening; meaning it was up to Bakugou to prepare her meal.

“Hmm…this one!” She pointed, pleased with her decision. Bakugou nodded, putting the other away before popping the pre-made meal into the microwave. “Daddy makes the best food!”

“He does.” Bakugou agreed, knowing just how good Aizawa was as a cook. “He once made-”

The microwave beeped and shook. Bakugou paled upon realizing his mistake.

Don’t press any of the odd buttons!

“ERI MOVE!” Bakugou ran at her, gathering her up and leaping just as the microwave exploded. Glass and semi cooked food flew across the kitchen, the smell of smoke strong as the inside of the microwave sizzled. A small flame remained within.

Bakugou blinked, then he looked over Eri. Besides looking utterly shocked, she didn’t have any wounds or burns. Nodding, he quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher, putting out the remains of the microwave. Once done, he grabbed a wooden spoon and batted out the plug. “There. Eri, are you okay?”

The girl seemed stunned, wide eyed and shaky. Bakugou kneeled before her, voice gentle. “Eri?”

“Erm…yeah. I’m okay.” She nodded, shaking out of her shock as she met his eye. “What about you?”

“Nothing broken here. Sorry I blew up dinner.” He laughed some, looking back at the mess. “Er…want pizza?”

~~~ “And that is that.” Bakugou huffed as he and Eri flopped into the couch, fairly exhausted. The kitchen was clean once more, and a box of pizza with only the crust remaining laid on the coffee table. In the background, a movie with talking fish carried on. Eri insisted it was a great movie. If he were being honest, she was right. “What a day. Sorry I kinda messed everything up, kid.”

“What do you mean? I had so much fun today!” She smiled up at him, sleepy. “We played pirates and sea monsters, you fixed Yuki, and we got to eat pizza and watch movies! I’m glad you came today, Kacchy.”

Bakugou grinned, something warm setting in his chest as she scooted closer to him, lying against his side. “I’m sure Mirio or Deku would have been better.”

“Maybe. But you’re great in your own way.” She yawned, huffing some before closing her eyes. “Thanks for being here, Kacchy…I appreciate it…”

“Eri?” He looked down to find her sleeping with a happy smile on her face. Chuckling, he petted back her hair away from her peaceful expression.

“Glad to be there for you kid.”

Thanks for reading!

[ryethebrokengae]

Platonic König x reader whose family forgot their birthday (head cannon)

}König knew your birthday was coming up, and he was excited to celebrate it with you, he had a whole day planned. Making sure his leave ended up being when your birthday was.

}When you call him sobbing, he immediately knows something is wrong. Since you only cry when you're tired or having a meltdown

}You sob into the phone telling him how your family planned for an insurance inspector to come to the house on the day of your birthday. And you were the one who is going to be showing them around.

}You knew Köni was going to be there for your birthday and knew he had a general plan to make your special day, well, special.

}König was furious, he tried not to let it bleed into his voice. Knowing you just needed comfort at that moment

}You explained to him how you knew they would probably fix it if you just said something, but that you didn't want to bother and would just deal with it.

}You decided to deal with it because your entire life that has been what your parents have encouraged.

}You're not a push over. Far from it. But this is the third(3rd) year in a row they made your birthday about someone other than you

}Now you had two(2) older siblings. And this never happened to them.

}What made König even angrier was that he knew about all the shit your family had put you through. And how your siblings were appreciated in the family so much more than you were.

&A/n: now I know that if this was for real with König he would fuck shit up. But this is comfort for me. So you get ooc König. Enjoy.

}Because he's still deployed he can do anything to come to you right then. But he promises that he'll still be there on that day.

}He promises that you two(2) will figure out a way to celebrate anyway.

}He tells you he'll help the most he can to take at least some stress off of your shoulders

&A/n: Anyway enjoy this. It's not great but as I'm sure you can guess, I'm having a shit day. Make sure y'all drink some water.

[askgreenswordsman]

He knew he should have just left that time, but damn, he couldn't turn down some sake. So here we are, celebrating another victory for the StrawHats-Crew. And he can't help but smile as he takes another sip.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, he can see someone watching him not too far away, and he sighs. "Damn..." He got up from his seat and walked towards the person, thinking that they wanted something. He stopped in front of them, crossing his arms over his chest "So? Why did you keep staring at me? Do you have something to tell me?"

Admin: @foxnikki [16]

Timeline: post-timeskip

Other informations: character's responses will be in "", instead mod messages will be in []. Descriptions will be in italic.

Rules for this RP-Blog:

↪everyone can interact, as long as you are a decent person. So, please, no homophobes, racist, pedophiles, sexists and those kind of people here.

↪don't send hate! Those kind of asks will be deleted.

↪NSFW is not allowed here, sorry! [Also because admin is a minor] And please don't force romance!

↪you can send anything. Random asks? Ok. Canon characters? That's ok too. Oc's are fine too. If you sign up as a character from another fandom I need some more information to know more about them! It would be helpful!

↪remember that behind the screen there's a real person, so you have to be patient...

I think that's all, if you want to know more you can just send an ask.

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Named anons/ocs

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Charanons

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Tags

#ooc - out of character post #zorojuro-kun - answer to inbox content

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Also, I may allow also asks to Sanji and Luffy, because I found some cool icons and yeah, I don't want to have too rp-blogs since I already have six including this lmao. So, I might add some tags with the time, but for now I'll wait.

Hope y'all enjoy!

[101crows]

Invaluable Asset

AN: this could be a series, but for now I'm going to write it to be a stand alone. Please let me know if you want to see more! This takes. place in season one, sometime after episode 16. Ressler might be a little OOC.

"You're trying to tell me you don't know a single person good enough to steal these cars?"

Reddington sighed deeply, "Of course I do. But they lack a certain talent for subtlety that's necessary for this task. I'm not some type of magician, I can't just pull criminals out of my hat for you."

Cooper turned sharply. "And how exactly do you expect us to find an actor turned car thief willing to go undercover for us?"

"I can't possibly imagine how that's my problem. Either you figure it out or Amíl will be gone in less than a week. And once he's gone, you'll never so much as hear of him again." He placed his hat back on his head and turned to leave, strolling to the elevator with the same easy confidence he always seemed to have.

"For now, I have other matters to attend to."

The elevator closed just as Red finished speaking.

"Well?" Cooper asked Liz, "How do you suggest we go about this?"

Surprisingly, however, it was Ressler that answered.

"I think I know someone."

~

You were just pulling the muffins out of the oven when the doorbell rang.

"One second!" You called, hoping they could hear you as you pulled out the second tray and placed it onto the waiting trivet. You removed your oven mitts and set them on the counter between the two trays, then made your way to the front door. Your eyes lit up as you spotted Donnie through the tall windows. Taking two long strides to reach the door, you flung it open, a wide grin dancing on your lips.

"Donnie! Hi, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

It took everything in you not to pull him in for a hug, but you knew he didn't like spontaneous physical contact, so you abstained. Donnie coughed and shifted uncomfortably and you finally registered the two others standing next to him.

The brunette had an apologetic smile on her face, but the older man looked more amused than anything.

You scanned them briefly. Deciding they looked harmless enough, you stepped back to let them in. Besides, you trusted Donnie not to bring anyone dangerous to your door.

"Nice suit. It looks good on you. Come on in, we can talk while I make the drizzle for these muffins. I hope y'all like lemon,"

You turned and led them through the house and into the kitchen, humming at the thanks you received for the compliment. You also fought off a smile when you heard him mutter something about 'good taste' to the woman.

"So," you said, carefully adding powdered sugar to the bit of lemon juice you had left, "I'm assuming this visit is for business rather than pleasure?"

"Unfortunately. I have a favor to ask of you."

"Alright," you replied. Deciding the drizzle was at the consistency you wanted, you began to spoon it over the muffins. "I can tell this is serious, and the kitchen counter is no place to discuss serious business. Donnie, could you grab plates for everyone? We'll talk about this further in the living room. Please try to keep crumbs on your plates, I cleaned the couches yesterday."

~

You stared incredulously at your friend and his two companions, whose names you'd learned were Liz and David, though you suspected the man was lying.

"I'm sorry, let me get this straight. You spent three years trying to get me to stop stealing cars and remove myself from this life of crime, you helped me move to get away from that life and be closer to you, and now you're telling me you want me to go steal cars in your name?"

David smiled and leaned back in his chair, "Yes."

"No." Donnie glared so hard you thought he might punch David in the face before returning his gaze to you. "Of course I don't want you to go back to stealing cars. But we need someone to go undercover for us, and unfortunately I seem to know the only car thief good enough at acting to help."

"Ex car thief, Donnie. I don't do that shit anymore."

You sighed and buried your face in your hands, dragging them down until your eyes were uncovered. "But you're my friend, and I help my friends. What do you need me to do?"

David sat back up and turned to the woman, who hadn't so much as touched her muffin.

"You really ought to try the muffins. They're incredible. As for what you need to do, we'll need you to get the attention of a certain criminal, so you're going to need you to break into his car. Don't take it though, it needs to look like you did it just to prove you could. Once you've done that, you'll have to convince him to let you join his operation instead of murdering you. Can you do that?"

You weighed your options silently. On one hand, what they were asking of you was incredibly dangerous, and even though you knew it was necessary, the idea of purposely being caught set every part of you on edge.

On the other hand though, Donnie would never ask you to do something like this unless he was truly desperate, and you trusted him not to let you get hurt. Still, he couldn't prevent every danger and doing this would be taking a huge risk.

"Which criminal?"

Liz finally added her two cents into the mix.

"I'm terribly sorry, but that's classified. Unless we have positive confirmation you'll be helping us, he'll have to remain unnamed."

A sharp, angry smile made its way onto your face.

"I'm sorry, you're not just asking me to put my life on the line, you're also asking me to risk everything I've worked so hard to build. Even if I do this, and by some miracle this man doesn't murder me, soon everyone will know who I am and what I did, and if my old employers get a hold of that information, I will be hunted, tortured, and killed. So you can either tell me who's car I'll be stealing and take the risk that I might say no, or you can get the hell out of my house right now and know for certain that you squandered your best chance of catching this man. Do I make myself clear?"

Liz opened her mouth to respond, but David cut her off before she could say anything else.

"Vicente Amíl."

"Jesus fucking Christ," you muttered.

"I'll do it. But just so we're clear, you owe me. Big time."

You locked eyes with Donnie, who sagged with visible relief.

"Thank you, (Y/n). You have no idea what this means to me."

You shook your head, standing. "I'm the stupidest person in the entire world. I can't believe I'm doing this for you. Also," you added, turning back to Liz, "It's incredibly rude not to eat food someone serves you in their home. If you didn't like lemons, you should've said so before I served you."

You turned your attention back to the boys. "You, on the other hand, should take a few muffins to go. Thank you for being so polite. You're welcome back anytime. Donnie, always good to see you, even if you are requesting impossible things from me. Please see Liz out."

Donald raised an eyebrow at that. "Just Liz?"

You glanced back at him and smiled. "And yourself, please. Do come back later though, I'm dying to catch up. David and I are going to get him his muffins."

Though polite, your tone left no room for argument and you could faintly hear Donnie and Liz arguing as they walked to the door. Once the door finally closed, you turned your attention back to the man in the center of your house.

"Wonderful. Now that they're gone, may I have your real name please? I do tire of calling you by your alias."

You watched as he chuckled and rose from his chair, strolling towards the hall leading back to the kitchen. "Raymond Reddington, at your service. It's a pleasure to meet someone so very talented."

"Please," you replied smoothly, "The pleasure is all mine. I meant what I said, by the way. Feel free to drop by whenever. I'm usually off Friday through Sunday and there's a good chance I'll be baking something else. Helps relax me, and my coworkers enjoy whatever I make as well."

He smiled as you handed him a Tupperware container with four muffins safely nestled inside. Placing his hat back upon his head, he made his way to the door, and you took notice of the glint in his eye right before he left.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you quite soon, (Y/n)."

You leaned against the wall and watched him saunter to the car waiting for him. A different car than Donnie and Liz took, by the looks of it. The corners of your lips twitched up as you watched him go.

"Raymond Reddington, huh? What an interesting man."

P.S. The muffins mentioned are real muffins. Feel free to let me know if you want the recipe.

[alphabetatoes]

Sanji vs. NNN (x reader fic)

a.n.: hey hi hello. its november so y'all know what that means. time for the sanji simp to write a nnn fic! aka the one where sanju tries to make it through the month without release. (also very vague timeline of events) (zoro and nami peace out towards the beginning of the fic) (and maybe possibly accidental blue balling) (a part 2 maybe?)

c.w.: afab!reader (though no explicit mention of body parts!), language, possibly ooc, angst?!, inconsistent timeline

w.c.: 1082

After what felt like an eternity at sea, you and the rest of the Straw Hats  had finally reached the next island on your journey through the Grand Line. The island was a tundra, and a vast departure from the long list of tropical islands you had hit for the past few dockings. Chopper had lived on an island of extreme cold temperatures his entire life and was the first choice to navigate the terrain. Luffy, of  course, was hell bent on finding a buffet- if not, any sort of local delicacy would do. Robin and Usopp were picked to pair up with the aforementioned Straw Hats in the event that they would need to split up. Therefore, you, Nami, Zoro, and Sanji were staying behind on the Going Merry. Nami's log pose would take about a month to record its magnetic field, so you were stuck in each other's company for the near future.

Late one night on the ship, you had decided to propose a challenge to better pass the time. It was a drunken idea, but the four of you were determined to see it come to fruition. Zoro and Sanji were sharing stories of past flings for the umpteenth time and you decided to make things interesting. Nami was the one to lay out the ground rules for the bet.

“How about this? I bet the two of you can’t make it a full month without getting off. Both by yourself or with the help of someone or something else.”

“And if we win?”

“I’ll drop the interest rate for your debts by 25% all December. Otherwise, it’s being doubled for six months.”

“Y/N?” Sanji looked at you, eager to gauge your response.

“My prize is getting to watch the two of you struggle for the next month.” You raised your eyebrows, ogling at the idea of it.

It went without saying that Sanji had a crush on you. Vinsmoke Sanji was infamous throughout each of the Blues for his romantic tendencies towards women, but it wasn’t just lust with you. You were something different. He needed your approval, and craved your praise.

“Mosshead already has the advantage of being asleep the majority of the time, so I guess it’s up to me to keep the bet going.” The bitter tone in the blond’s voice was ever present. You knew he was at somewhat a disadvantage. It was hard not to be when he wore his tender heart on his sleeve.

The first two weeks were a living nightmare for Sanji. Every look you gave seemed to linger longer than necessary. He wasn’t completely to blame for his circumstance though. To circumvent Zoro and Sanji staying in their rooms all day, you and Nami had decided to enforce a lockout. Rather than camping out in your respective rooms all day, everyone was expected to be out and about while the sun was up. Restrooms were fair game, with the caveat that anything over 20 minutes would be seen as an admission of guilt and an automatic loss of the challenge. 

That didn’t mean you were going to make it easy on the boys, especially the first couple of weeks. Zoro had managed to stay true to his word and keep preoccupied, but Sanji wasn’t as lucky. It was almost like you made it a personal mission to get him to break. Clothes somehow managed to look tighter and skimpier, and every sentence you spoke had a hint of innuendo.

On the sixth day of the challenge, you had accidentally brushed up against him trying to grab something from the pantry and he could’ve died right there. The warmth of your skin brought him a jolt of goosebumps. 

By the third week, he had found a routine to fall into, a way to devoid himself from falling into the trap of lust and losing the challenge. He knew his triggers and how to avoid them. Instead of having dinner together as usual, he’d drop yours and Nami’s meals off in your room. If you were outside doing chores, Sanji was burrowed in the kitchen and organized every square inch. With his flip in attitude, you decided it would be best to just give him a break for the rest of the challenge. Even though the ship was huge, personal space was still a virtue.

November 29th. 

Sanji had made it a full 29 days without incident. And then you came out to the deck of the ship that night to clear your head. You weren’t dressed sexy by any means. But seeing you adorned in your favorite pajamas, he would have sworn that you were something divine sent down just for him.

“Hey.” Now seemed as good a time as ever to exchange pleasantries, testing the water given his recent stint ignoring you. Sanji looked over at you, slightly jumping at the sound of your voice. 

“I need you. Now.” He was ready to disregard all the rules of the challenge for the chance to show you hoe intense his feelings were.

“You’ve seemed pretty blasé recently- I would’ve assumed you’d ask me to leave. Get yourself to the end of the challenge y’know?”

“Please.” Sanji wasn’t even begging at this point. The cadence of his voice made it seem like a need more than a want. Struck with an affliction only you could solve.

“Don’t you have, like, one day left? I don’t think you’d want to risk 6 months of increased interest for me.” Teasing him was fun in the beginning, but your question was truly in earnest. You couldn’t help notice the dwindling space between the two of you though. Sanji was trapped in a trance, gravitating toward your voice. Hungry for release and desperate to show you how pent up you had made him for the past month.

“You really don’t get it, do you? It was never about the challenge. You aren’t just some consolation prize to me.” Sanji’s face was a mix of frustration and need. “I would have taken you the first day you joined the crew if I could.”

“Sanji.” You knew you’d never hear the end of it from Zoro if you were the reason Sanji lost the challenge. But Sanji would have paid 1000% interest for even a second to show his devotion to you. He was close enough now that you could feel his breath hit your skin. 

“Let me show you how much I need you.”

[redhairedanswers]

When he heard the bar door open, he looked over to see who it was. Maybe he was a regular customer... He shrugged as he returned drinking. He heard someone stand next to him, probably the person who had recently entered, but he noticed that they stayed in silence.

He placed the bottle on the table as he turned towards them "So, what good wind brings you here?"

Admin: @foxnikki [16]

Timeline: post-timeskip

Other informations: character's responses will be in "", instead mod messages will be in []. Descriptions will be in italic.

Rules for this RP-Blog:

↪everyone can interact, as long as you are a decent person. So, please, no homophobes, racist, pedophiles, sexists and those kind of people here.

↪don't send hate! Those kind of asks will be deleted.

↪NSFW is not allowed here, sorry! [Also because admin is a minor] And please don't force romance!

↪you can send anything. Random asks? Ok. Canon characters? That's ok too. Oc's are fine too. If you sign up as a character from another fandom I need some more information to know more about them! It would be helpful!

↪remember that behind the screen there's a real person, so you have to be patient...

I think that's all, if you want to know more you can just send an ask.

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Emoji anons [if you want to sign off as one]

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Named anons/ocs

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Charanons

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Tags

#ooc - out of character post #captain-sama - answer to inbox content

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Also, I may allow also asks to Benn Beckman, because I found some cool icons and yeah, I don't want to have too rp-blogs since I already have six including this lmao. So, I might add a tag with the time, but for now I'll wait.

Hope y'all enjoy!

[k4txlulzz]

i HATE angry, dark and broody dick grayson

i tolerate the oversimplified himbo version of him, at least it doesn't make him into a jerk and i understand that people want him to be imperfect but do y'all REALLY think his guilt complex and anxiety would ever let him be even slightly mean to someone??? i absolutely think he's honest and will call ppl out when needed but it would be EXTREMELY unlikely for him to lash out so often at his loved ones, to the point of it becoming a reoccurring character trait--from personal experience i can say that his kind of mindset does not work like that

the negative emotion has to be REALLLYY really overwhelming in order to overpower his guilt complex but: his resilience seems to really help him repress these negative emotions-->this is why he's very good at bottling things up(which can be both good and bad); this allows him to stay "whelmed"(LOL) at least for a little bit, thus there is no longer a need to lash out on someone

i absolutely believe he would lash out but only rarely + he is more likely to take out his emotions on objects, rather than people

i LOVE cheeful, silly and quippy dick grayson not only because thats part of what makes him so fun but also because humor seems to be a coping mechanism to keep him from snapping which is interesting. i would also like to point out that the goofiness doesn't contradict his mental problems. if anything, him making jokes in serious situations is incredibly unhealthy and further underlines that he is not really well(lol).

i do not care that titans nightwing/grayson is not ooc and is very accurate to the old comics, that characterization of him as an asshole makes zero sense and NEEDS TO GO. this man should theoretically bottles up 90% of the anger because thats what would happen logically speaking (at least thats the way i see it)

reject the jerk dick grayson agenda and embrace his cutie patootiness

[skyfallslayer]

The Daughter of The (Dare)Devil - Story 10

Series Masterlist

Series Summary: A Series of stories revolving around the MCU timeline of Matt Murdock and his Daughter, Kaila. Being the child of a vigilante can be hard and scary at times, but it doesn’t mean she ain’t going to enjoy the most of it.

(Can be read as Y/N if you’d like)

Story Summary: Relieved that his daughter is finally home safe, Matt makes two life changing moves. First is to stop and help Frank Castle in any way he can; The second one? Finally asked Karen out on a date. A date that might have to get cut short when someone from his past shows up unexpectedly (Set During 2x04 & 2x05, “Penny & Dime” & “Kinbaku”).

Date: 7/26/23

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 14,016 (Y'all deserve it)

Warning: Possible OOC (?); Karedevil; The Murdocks Are Stubborn People; Angst; Heavy Language; Allusions To Mental Illness; Bullet Wounds/Recovery; Child Abuse; Blood and Gore; Violence; Heavy Injuries; Talks of Death/Murder; The Murdocks Could Use All The Hugs In The World; A Brief Near Death Experience; Matt Being Overprotective (He Needs A Warning, I think?); Past Toxic Relationship(s); Elektra Could Use A Warning Herself; Suggestive 18+ Themes; READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

- Let me know if I missed anything, please.

A/N: First off, a small apology. Like I was replying to a DM a few days ago, I don't know what really happened. Despite the fact that my laptop took a dive, I ended up on a unexpected hiatus. Which... I think was a good thing for me. It gave me enough time to take a step back after slowly becoming burnt out from writing. But I'm back! I promise I won't go MIA without saying something next time. So, sorry again! But the story you all have been waiting for has returned!

Secondly, Don't let this story fool you, I don't necessarily hate Elektra. I just don't like the fact how toxic she was for Matt and how she tried to change him after finally getting in a good place in his life. So I'm going to change Canon a little bit (Which shouldn't be a surprise since I've been doing that already). Other than that, Enjoy, my loves!

- Fifteen Years Ago -

His only comfort was the pittering of the rain against his window. He sat on his bed, feet touching the ground, his phone in hand; His finger hovered over the voice command. His mind racing over and over and over with the question of– 

Should I? 

He wants answers. Sure they didn’t leave on a good note, but shouldn’t she give him some kind of explanation? It’s only been two weeks, surely she hasn’t left the area already…

Right? But even a part of him knew she probably was long gone just like the cops said, yet he still held on to some kind of hope that’ll he be able just to talk to her at least once. To just ask the “simple” question of… ‘Why?’.

He rubs his face with an open hand, fingers massaging the dark circles under his blind pupils. He didn't need sight to know they were getting worse and worse everyday. 

He sighs.

Loudly.

Heavily.

He let every ounce of emotion into that one. 

He didn’t care.

I’m really drowning right now. And indeed he was, however– 

His thoughts immediately fade away when he hears the familiar cries he’s gotten used to. Out of instinct, Matt lets his phone slip away as he slides down to the end of his bed, shifting his body down to carefully take his baby in his arms from the bassinet. He remembers how he was taught to hold his child properly, a consistent drill from the nurses and Mrs. Nelson badgered him with (mostly from Mrs. Nelson). 

He shushes quietly in the attempts to calm her. “Hey, hey. Shush. You’re okay, you’re okay.” He whispers, exhaustion in his undertone. 

God, he was so tired.

He whispers some more, his daughter starting to calm down into tiny whimpers. His face quirked into something bittersweet. 

“Did you have a nightmare?” He asked, wanting to stroke those little teardrops away, but he was too afraid to free one of his hands out of concern of dropping her. “I have those too sometimes.” He chuckles humorlessly. “I guess those can be hereditary.”

He still has those kinds of dreams. Memories from his childhood. All the dark shit he’s been through, he’ll see them every once a while. His father’s dying day, His time in the orphanage, His roller coaster of past relationships. It’ll take turns haunting him. Taunting him. Egging him to give back in, crawl back into that dark hole. Jump off the edge.

It eats him alive every single time.

Matt’s lip twitched. “Sorry. That was a bad joke.” He admits, trying to look on the positive side. “Although, your Uncle probably would have come up with something more corny than that. Right?”

He could feel her tiny gaze, something he was still trying to picture what it meant. Happiness? Sadness? Confusion? 

He sighs. “I wish I could see you. It’ll make this easier.” So much easier. “It’ll make your life easier. I’m not going to be the… typical parent of the group. So, I’m… sorry.”

How the hell was he going to do this? How was he supposed to help her through life? Through her first steps? Through school? Through any hardships she faces? How was he supposed to help when he feels like he’s drowning?

How am I supposed to be a father when I don’t know what I’m doing? How am I supposed to be a father when I can’t even see your face?

He heard the front door open and close. The person entering was setting their bag aside and kicking off their shoes and heavy jacket before strolling over where he’s been sitting for who knows how long now. Matt could smell the sweat on his friend’s brow and a light drum beat from his chest that told him his friend had been in a hurry to get here.

“Matt?” Foggy said, peeking inside the bedroom. A look of relief crosses his face upon seeing his college buddy. “Sorry I’m late.”

Matt couldn’t help but smile at his consideration. “Nah, you’re good, Foggy.” He said, half heartedly (he just hopes he doesn't have a look of desperation plastered on). He felt those hazel eyes scanning him head to toe, concerned.

“Have you been up since this morning?” Foggy asked, remembering he had called around eight this morning. There was a pause of hesitation from the blind man before he ended up nodding. He frowns worriedly. “Matt–”

“Please, don’t lecture me.” Matt said, sounding like a little kid cowering with fear. 

Foggy felt his heart hurt from it. “I wasn’t.” He promises, his frown deepening. “Have you eaten?”

Another small nod. “Yeah. I ate a little.”

“Showered?”

“No.”

“How come?”

“I…” Matt felt his chest get tight as he stumbled with his words. “Don’t want to leave the room for too long.” 

Foggy couldn’t help but laugh. “Matt, you can take her in the bathroom. Just put the bassinet by the door.”

His face scrunched up. “Isn’t that weird?”

Another laugh. “Okay, how old is she again? Two months old? Even if she sees you naked she’s not going to remember.”

Matt closes his eyes to sigh. “Yeah, yeah. I guess…”

Foggy shakes his head. “You need to sometimes turn that Catholic brain of yours off, Murdock.” He replies, coming to sit down. Upon sitting he felt something underneath him and pulled out his friend’s phone. It didn’t take long to figure out what he was doing. “Did you call Mary?”

“Tried…” Matt chews on his cheek. “I uh… I just want some answers. I mean she’s… the mother so, I would think she would be… more capable at this. I mean why would she give her kid to a blind man who has no idea how–”

“Okay, going to stop you there.” Foggy butts in, hand coming to rest on the troubled man’s shoulder. “Even if you thought Mary was more capable, you’re still the father, you know? Blind or not, parenting isn't easy. Trust me. My own parents made that very clear. I’m sure your dad told you something along those lines too.”

Matt grew quiet for a second, thinking. “Yeah. I guess you have a point.” He shifts his gaze in his direction. “But it’s just… it’s frustrating. I-I can’t see so I… I-I have no idea how she’s feeling half the time. I’m scared that if I get that wrong I’m going to hurt her.”

Foggy squeezes his shoulder comfortably. “I know, man. I know.”

“And she’s… s-so tiny, Foggy.” He whispers, fearfully. “So tiny and I’m… a big guy. I-I feel like I’m… like I’m drowning because I don’t know what to do.”

Now it was his turn to get quiet. Foggy was trying to figure out how to phrase the next few words without striking too deep. “Do you regret your decision to keep her?”

“No, no, no.” Matt shakes his head. “I just… I-I love her, she’s my daughter. But there’s… times I wonder if…” He swallows. “If she would be… better not in my care.”

Those words hurt to even say, but it was true. Maybe this would have all been better if he went through with the adoption.

As the processing time ended, Matt felt Foggy’s arms wrap around his shoulders, cautious of the baby, and placed his head against him. Matt couldn’t help but lean into the touch he felt like he suddenly craved, and tried not to cry.

“Matt–” Foggy begins, his voice full of warmth and love. “You’re going to do great. Sure it’s hard, and it’s always going to be hard, but under all that exhaustion I can see how much you love this kid. You’re going to be an amazing dad.”

Matt chuckles, somewhere between disbelief and relief. “You r-really think so?” He said, swallowing again as his throat tightens.

“I know so.” Foggy pulls back. “Trust me, Buddy. I’ve seen the emotions you pack. I can already picture you picking her up on her first day of school, or helping her get a summer job, or walking her down the aisle for her big day.”

Matt raises an eyebrow. “Who says she’s getting married?”

“See?” Foggy lightly slaps him in the arm, grinning. “You’re already accepting the universal dad laws. Never letting your daughter near a boy her age. You know when my niece was born, my brother was pretty much ready to lock her in a tower far, far away. Surrounded by a dragon that was fifty feet tall, which breathed hot fire.”

Matt laughed again. “Uh, not sure if Amazon sells dragons but… the tower I can find and work with.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m pretty sure New York has some of those.”

“How will I know they do?”

Foggy snorts and gives him a small shove while playfully saying his name. He finally felt a bit of success bloom when he noticed his friend’s happy face staying the same. “You’re doing great, man. But if you ever need help, Me and The Nelsons are here to help.”

Matt’s smile widens genuinely. “Thank you, Foggy.”

“Don’t even mention it.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

-Present Day-

Matt’s eyes open at the shift in the bed, he sets his blind gaze in that direction, quietly listening to see if she is awake. 

She wasn’t. Good.

She needed to sleep.

It’s been about a week since the incident, and they’ve just gotten out of the hospital yesterday, and to his surprise (Well, he really shouldn’t be), his daughter wanted to stay pretty close to him for a while; Not that he was complaining. He wanted this too.

He shifted his own weight too, rolling to his side for a better view. She had gently wrapped herself in his blankets, and had carefully propped her injured leg on a pillow. His daughter finally looked like she was at peace, especially since he could tell she wasn’t suffering anymore night terrors.

Good. She doesn’t need that right now. He remembers she had one after Brett left the hospital room, her body finally giving out after the nightmarish incident. He remembers she bolted up, drenching in sweat as her heart raced a mile a minute. She was hyperventilating in a way he’s never heard before as she started muttering. ‘Where is he?’ or ‘Where am I?’. It broke his soul to her muttering, to feel her shake in his arms as he calmed her down. He never wants to go through that experience again.

I wonder if Brett’s figured anything out? The whole kidnapping situation still wasn’t adding up. Why was this… man who claims to be their first client’s brother kidnap his daughter? Because… what? Nelson and Murdock ‘failed’ him? This just didn’t sit right with him. And Matt recalls when the man said something about a Boss. Boss? What Boss? Who could this Boss be? Who wanted to hurt Matt Murdock more than the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen? It just didn’t make any–

His daughter’s phone chimes loudly, the sound of a notification hit his ears quickly. Despite not being able to see it, he tries his best to reach over to the side table to hit the button to mute the sound. However his speedy actions cause a stir in his bed.

Kaila grumbles in her sleep, eye opening half lid. “Is it morning yet?”

Matt shifts back around, frowning at himself as he shakes his head. “No, no. Not yet.” He replies, gazing at her. “Go back to sleep.”

“Are you going out?”

That was like a little needle in chest, and made his face soften. “No. I’m not going out.”

“Shouldn’t you though?” She asked, dazed and confused.

“No. Not until I know you’re okay.” He brushes some of her stray hair out of her face, tucking it away gently. “Go back to sleep, baby girl.”

She hums at his touch and words, closing her eyes again, snuggling up the mattress some more. “M’kay… love you…”

He smiles. “Love you.” He waits for her to fall back to sleep before he does, closing his own eyes and forcing himself to sleep lightly for obvious reasons.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

He opens the door to the light knocking, a soft smile on his face as he senses who it was. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Karen said, with a small wave and her little quirky bow of her head. 

“I'm just about ready.” Matt explains letting her in and walking towards his living room to finish up.

“Okay.” She closes the door behind him, watching him closely as he struggles to finish his tie. “Uh, here, let me help with that.”

“Oh, thanks.”

She hums in reply, getting real close to help him out. She mentally curses at herself when she could hear her own heart in her ears. Now that she knew his secret, she felt embarrassed by everything she did in the past.

Karen bites the inside of her cheek, keeping her eyes on the fabric in her hand. “You feeling any better?” She asked, knowing the last few nights were rough in the hospital. 

Matt nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good… Now.” He swallows and whispers as she finishes, “With you.” He felt her curious eyes on him, now he felt embarrassed by what he just said. “Uh, not that I can verify, but you seem good at this.”

She brushes off her flustered face with laughter. “Uh, well, my brother wasn't, so that's where I came in.”

“Your brother must have been lucky for you.” He soon regretted saying those words as soon as it rolled off his tongue. Matt didn’t miss the goosebumps suddenly covering her body, and how her heart rate went up three notches. He frowns, concernedly. “Karen… You okay?”

She pales. “Um–”

“I thought I heard Karen.” Kaila says, coming into the room (unknowingly saving the day). She had her backpack in hand while her free one was gripping the crutch she was given for support.

In a motherly way, the blonde comes over to take the bag. “Let me grab that. That looks heavy.” She replies, slinging it over her own shoulder despite the teen’s protests.

“I can carry it.”

“The doctor said nothing too heavy, which…” Karen gestures to the bag and makes a face. “What’s in this?”

Kaila shrugs. “I gotta keep myself entertained somehow, because I ain’t doing you guys’ paperwork when I get there.”

Karen shakes her head, turning away towards the front door. Matt comes over next while sliding his jacket on, worriedness creeping on his face.

“You feeling okay?” He asked, hearing her crack a smile.

“Yes, Dad. I’m good. A little sore, but I’m alright.” Kaila replies, honestly. “So…” Her eyes flickered to the woman by the door before back at her father. “When’s the date?”

His eyebrows shoot up. “The what?”

“The date?” She chuckles at his puzzled expression. “Come on, Dad. I see the googly eyes, and you can cut the sexual tension in here with a knife.” She jabs him in the arm as he mouth becomes agape. “So when is it?”

“There’s no date.” He says, expressionless.

“But you want there to be.”

“Uh, well–”

“She knows you’re the devil, and she didn’t run away. I’d say that’s a keeper.” She walks past him, hand patting him on the arm. “Come on, we’ve got work to do.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“He’s lucky to be alive.” Karen says, as Kaila holds up an x-ray of the Punisher’s skull for them to see. “This is all of the stuff that the DA’s collecting for her case. And most of it’s about the Punisher’s victims. The Dogs of Hell, the cartel... But this was in the middle of it. Not someone he shot, him.”

“He’s insane.” Foggy says, as he, and everyone in the room, looked unwell by the picture. “Maybe he shot himself.”

“But he saved me.” Kaila points out, puzzled and baffled at the same time. When she learned that this was the man that helped save her from Baldy, the man known as ‘Punisher’, she was honestly surprised by how much of a bloody trail he’s really left behind.

“I know, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t.”

“I-I thought about that, but at that close of a range…” Karen trails off, waiting for someone to finish.

Which was Matt with, “Yeah, he’d be dead already.”

“Okay, not to go all tin-foil hat here, but Tower obviously slipped this to me for a reason. What if the Punisher isn’t the worst of it? What if Reyes is trying to cover something up?”

Now it was Foggy’s turn to look surprised. “You think that murderous psychopath isn’t the worst of it?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “And I think our best shot at protecting Nelson and Murdock is to find him.”

“It’s our best shot at career suicide or just getting shot.”

“She kind of has a point, Foggy.” Matt says, hands on his hips.

Foggy blinks in disbelief. “How?”

“I owe it to Frank, alright. He saved my daughter.”

“I know that. But what if he was just trying to get something out of you? Like an IOU? Or maybe he’s trying to pin the blame on you? Have you thought of that?”

“I have. But I don’t think those options are logical.”

“How? In what way is it not?”

Matt frowns. “He told me, ‘He expects me to do the same. Father to Father’. He’s a family man, or at least he was, I get the impression.”

Foggy sighs. “Look. Even if he is, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a dangerous man that tried to kill our client and a couple other groups of people.” The phone starts ringing and he gets up. “Just think about what I said, okay? I don’t want you getting shot again.”

Karen looks Matt’s way, confused. “Shot again?”

“Uh, he…” He clears his throat, blind gaze going somewhere else. “Kind of shot me in the head when I first met him.”

Her eyes widened. “Huh?”

“It was the day you came for a visit and I was pissed at him.” Kaila replies, setting the x-ray down after gazing at it for so long. “He went temporarily deaf too.”

“You went deaf?!” Karen said, scolding. She watches him shrug sheepishly before sighing. “And I thought I was insane.”

“Welcome to having a Murdock in your life.”

She sighs again, rubbing her face. “Okay, I… I know this Punisher, or Frank, is a lunatic, but–”

“But you care, anyway?” Matt finishes.

“I wouldn’t say that, it’s more like curiosity. In between these files and… Reyes’ obsession and the fact that humans are a pretty complicated species to begin with, I just feel like there’s gotta be more to the story.”

He hums. “I think you are.”

She scoffs. “Oh, my God, you think I'm insane.”

Matt chuckles at her reaction. “I’m kidding. You’re compassionate. It’s a good quality, Karen. Stuff of saints.”

Karen frowns. “Yeah, well, I’m no saint…” She mumbles, looking away (Kaila does too for obvious reasons).

Matt, sensing something was off, replies with, “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.”

“Matt!” Foggy calls from his office. “We have real, live, non-criminal clients who need our help.”

“Excuse me for a second.” He excused himself and entered the room. “Tell me.” 

“Mr. DiPesta defaced the elevator in his building.”

“Which, technically, makes him a criminal.”

“That’s what his slumlord, excuse me, landlord says, but look. He’s got no AC, no hot water. This has Nelson and Murdock written all over it. But we gotta file today. Kar–”

“Dad!” Kaila shouts, and the boys immediately run back to the front at a quick speed. She was standing at the door that was open. “Karen told me she’d drive me home later and then left.”

“Maybe she just stepped out for some fresh air.” Foggy suggested just as Matt suddenly had a sinking feeling.

“Did she take the files?” The blind lawyer asked, worriedly.

“I think so. She grabbed some folder quickly that I didn’t see.” Kai continues, as her father feels around her desk; His head drops immediately while sighing.

“Shit.” Foggy rubs his head.

“I have to find her.” Matt said, already shedding some of his work attire for some street clothes. 

“Find Frank first.”

“Already planning on it.” 

“But, Dad–” Kaila begins, watching him slide a sweatshirt on. “You didn’t bring your suit.”

“I don’t need it.”

She blinks. “Huh?”

“I’ve been waiting to pick up my new one. Reinforced alloy.”

“Which means…?” She trails off with her eyebrow raised.

And with a ghost of a smile he says,

.

.

.

“Which means I won’t get shot again,”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Thanks to Karen’s A+ detective work, she manages to track down George Buck, a nurse with an… interesting past experience. It took a little bit to convince him to walk along the Hudson, just a small bribe of getting coffee.

“You were with him when this was taken?” She asked, ready to jot down the mental notes in her head.

“Yeah.” He replies, nodding. “That bullet tore through his head. Not many people survive that.”

“Well, I’d like to know what you remember.”

“John Doe. Guy was a total vegetable. I guess that’s why they decided he only needed one nurse.”

“Any family or visitors?” She knew Frank was a father judging by what he said to Matt, but still wanted to know if they were still around.

“No. I mean aside from the suits.”

“Suits?”

“Yeah. Uh, sometimes men, sometimes women. You can tell ‘em ‘cause they all wear the same ear pieces. That and the black suits. Kind of like uh…” He trails off while gesturing to the open air, hoping she gets the idea.

“Got any idea who these suits were?” She asked, curiously.

“No.” He shakes his head. “Uh, but they had their run of the place and they were the ones that pushed for the, uh, the DNR.”

She tilts her head. “A ‘do not resuscitate’?” 

“Yeah. They had the paperwork. And I was there when the doctor pulled the plug.”

“I…I’m confused.” This wasn’t making any sense. “You’re saying this guy died?”

“Yeah, for about a minute. It’s crazy, but they say it happens sometimes. You know, one minute, flatline, then boom.” George’s eyes widened with the shock that was still there. “His heart starts back up again. On its own. He just didn’t wanna die. Within ten minutes of being awake… h-he reaches up and grabs my scrubs, yanks me down, and says, real close ‘Take me home’.” He frowns, guilty. “I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have done it. I should’ve known it’d get me fired.”

Now this got her interest peaked even more. “His home.” She tests out, hopeful. “Do you have an address?”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

As the sun finally kissed the sky goodnight, Frank was reliving his gut wretched past. He could still hear the music from the carousel; His children’s laughter; His wife’s beautiful words.

All of it.

The lights of the morbid thing only go off when the ride stops and everyone walks away with a smile on their face. Now all he sees is the silhouette that haunts him in his dreams. And with his extra sense, Frank quickly notices the mysterious man sitting on the next bench over, grinning like the son of a bitch he was.

“Nice night.” Is what he said, causing the ex-soldier some confusion. Before Frank could say anything, the man, who’s name was Rory, flashed the gun in his belt and replied, “I’m not alone.”

Right on cue people were coming in every direction, an expressionless feature greeted him.

Rory continues to boast saying, “You wanna come with us? Or you wanna make a mess?”

Frank, wasting no time, goes for him and starts beating him up, not caring that Rory had stuck some kind of needle into his neck. Rory’s guys move in only for Frank to take them all out with a single bullet each. But as soon as he thought the fight was over, someone knew entered the ring and shot his challenger.

The Punisher stumbled on his own two feet as the sedative kicked in, but his spirit wouldn’t be broken yet until he knew who this other person was. 

The Irish gang leader, Finn, strolls over with his own set of individuals, looking more cocky than the man before. “Well, thanks for thinning out the herd. You’re surrounded, son. Now be a good lad and drop the iron.” He says, just as his men pointed their laser at his prey’s chest. “Come on. You seem like a smart one.”

With strong will, Frank tries to advance, only to be shot with various tasers and rendered unconscious.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Matt waited until he came out from the crime scene from the Irish themed bar. He stayed in the vibrant black and red light, ignoring the gun that was trained on.

“I need to know what happened here.” Sounds more like a demand than a question.

Mahoney looks behind him, nervously. “I’m not telling you shit.” He whispers, harshly. “You helped us catch Fisk, that don’t make us friends.”

“Was this the Punisher?”

“Jesus. The Irish, okay? To find the Punisher. They put a bounty on his head. Now people all over the Kitchen are getting hurt. It’s the goddamn Wild West out there.”

“Have the Irish found him?”

“As long as we keep getting calls like this, I guess not.” Mahoney watches as the vigilante seems satisfied with his answer, and was about to leave, although the cop was concerned for his safety. “Hey, stay out of it. You hear me?”

“I just wanna help, Sergeant.”

“No, you can’t help this one.”

“We’re on the same side, you and I.”

“Listen, You’re–”

‘2-Adam, shots fired. 65th Street transverse, by the carousel. All units to back.’

Mahoney touches his radio, eyes moving away. “Fifteen Sergeant responding, Central.” He replies, just as Matt makes his move to leave. Once seeing this, he couldn’t help but shake his head.

Jesus, Murdock. Stay out of this for once.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The window rolled down completely to see Foggy’s smugged face. “Ah, look who finally showed up. Did Cinderella really want to go to the ball that bad?” He asked as Karen sighed apologetically. 

“I’m really, really sorry, Foggy.” She says, honest.

“It’s okay, just remember, we’re your friends. We worry.” He says, as she apologizes again. “It’s okay. Seriously. But don’t run off like that again. I’m still technically your boss.”

Karen snickers. “Alright, Boss man, I’ll remember to ask.”

“Thank you, my lovely co-worker.” He smiles and gestures for the teenager to come over. “Ready, K-Pop?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Kaila replies as he opens the passenger door. “Thanks.”

“Sure you don’t want a ride?” Karen asked, as he shook his head.

“No thanks. You know I live in the opposite direction.” Foggy said, waving them goodbye. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.” 

The girls wave back as he takes a few steps down the sidewalk looking for a cab. As the young Murdock starts putting her seat belt on, she could see the blonde’s mind practically racing over something. It especially was clear when she was gnawing on her bottom lip and her fingers lightly drum the steering wheel.

You can really never turn that Reporter brain of yours off, huh Karen?

“You ready?” The blonde asked with a ghost of a smile.

Kaila tilts her head, feeling her out. “You’re taking me back home, right?” 

“Yeah.” Karen said, nodding.

The teenager raises a knowing eyebrow. “But I can tell you don’t want to.” She says, ignoring Karen’s shocked face. She sighs and rolls the window back down, poking her head out just enough to still see her Uncle. “Hey, Foggy!”

The man perked up at his name just as he was raising his hand for a cab. He wastes no time to jog back over, concern on his features. “What’s up?”

“Get in.” Kaila jerks her head towards the backseat. “We’re breaking and entering.”

Those hazel eyes of his batted quickly, bafflingly. “What?”

“I said, get in the car. We’re going to need a lawyer if this goes south.”

“...What–”

“Just get in the car, Foggy.” Kaila said a bit more stern, which managed to get his ass in the back seat, muttering about what was going on. She pays no heed to him for a second and looks back at Karen who still had the same exact look on her face from a moment ago. “All yours, Cap.”

“Huh?” Karen looks between the teenager and the road ahead of her, debating. “Kai, I really shouldn’t–”

“Listen. I don’t really know who he is, but he saved my life. Whatever you have in mind, we owe it to him.” She smiles bittersweetly. “It’s the least we can do. Right?”

Karen took a minute to let it sink in, before putting her game face back on and taking the car out of park. While she starts pulling away, their guest in the back still seemed clueless about what this really was.

“What exactly is going on here?” Foggy asked, watching as the two girls give each other a look before deciding on a way to spill it to him.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Rory did his best to pretend to be dead, but once the Irish took away the Punisher, he made his move.

Somewhat.

His leg was dead weight from the bullet wound, so his only option was to crawl across the grounds around the carousel. He was using all the adrenaline he had to make his getaway, but that dream seemed short lived when the Devil was suddenly peering down at him. He was soon pinned against the ride, his wrist broken so fast when he tried to use his gun, causing him even more agony than necessary. 

“Who did this?” Daredevil snared, still holding a nice grip on the man’s wrist.

Rory clenches his jaw as he tries to catch his breath. “People you don’t mess with.”

With the subtle tilt of his head, he replies, “You’re bleeding out. And I got all night.”

“Go to hell!!”

Matt twists his arm, getting him to cry again. “Who did this?”

“The one they call Punisher.” 

“Where is he?”

Rory lets out a laugh. “It doesn’t matter ‘cause when we’re done with him, he’s as good as dead.”

Matt mentally sighs, “That’s helpful.” He mumbles, and twists a bit more, causing a louder scream. “But it’s not what I asked.”

His voice grows darker just as the sirens around them become louder and louder; and with a look of fear in his eyes…

Rory spilled everything.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

So this is the Castle family’s house? The trio was thinking as they parked their car across the street before trekking along the darkness to the back door.

“So, what are we doing here again?” Foggy asked, feeling like he was still in the dark about everything.

“We’re going to find anything that can help us with understanding Frank.” Karen explains, surveying the area. 

“And how are we going to find something by looking at a house?”

“Because we’re going to be looking…” She slowly gestures to the back door. “Inside the house.”

His eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“What– Karen, we can’t just–” Foggy trails off when he notices the teenager, crouching down carefully and jiggling a lock with a bobby pin. With a disapproving touch of his hand on her shoulder, he says, “Uh, excuse me, young lady. How do you know how to do this?”

Kaila smirks. “Remember that ‘secret’ candy drawer in your apartment?”

“Yeah…” He gasps quietly. “You were the one stealing from there?! Why?”

“Because–” She shrugs. “I wanted candy and you weren’t giving me any.”

He scoffs and shakes his head. “You’re in so much trouble. I interrogated a lot of people over that!”

“Yeah, and I lied. Sorry,” She pauses for a second. “Huh, and my dad knew the whole time.”

“You’re so grounded.”

She continues jiggling the lock until they hear a small ‘click’. She grins, standing up and grabbing her crutch as she moves inside, the other two following swiftly. The first thing they noticed beside the darkness was how cold the house was, and how you couldn’t hear anything. It made them all get goosebumps and a slight shock up their spines. 

All having the same idea, Karen, Foggy and Kaila slowly start walking around the house with their phones’ flashlights. Going from the kitchen in the back to the main area. When they slowly start to make things out, Karen pulls a tissue from her purse, carefully grabbing and examining things as Foggy looks around, paling.

“This is really eerie, Karen.” Foggy replies, feeling his heart skip a beat.

“Well, I wasn’t really expecting a picnic in here either.” She says, feeling the same way.

But to add more to their emotions, the three of them nearly jolted out of their own skins when Kaila’s crutch hit a small toy frog on the floor, activating it. 

“Jesus…” Kaila muttered, holding her chest before sighing with relief. “What was that?”

Foggy shines the light where he heard it land, frowning. “It’s a wind up toy.” Then the realization hit. “Oh, God… He really was a father.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Matt arrives at the scene just as Frank manages to get himself untied and kill Finn while muttering a very… interesting phrase. He knocks out the two that would have put a few more bullets into Castle’s brain before cautiously walking towards him, but there was still a concerned aura around him.

Frank’s face twitched in anger. “They’re gonna pay. Every single goddamn one of ‘em.” He spews with boiling venom.

“They will.” Matt agrees before shaking his head. “But not tonight. Move. And no killing.”

Frank gives him a glare. “Altar boy.” He replies before grabbing something he could use as a weapon.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

After a while, it was starting to become more and more heavy. It hit even harder when they came across the table filled with very depressing items. It made the whole situation worse than they thought.

Kaila stares at all the bouquets of flowers sent with condolence cards. The cards were addressed to none other than Frank Castle himself. She finds herself feeling very teary eyed.

“This is really…” She trails off, heart hurting. She couldn’t find the right word to say. Losing your entire family? In one night? She could only imagine what this must feel like.

So this is why Frank wanted to help my dad.

“I guess this explains his actions as the Punisher.” Karen said, standing next to her, looking the same. “I guess anyone would do the same thing in his shoes…”

“No shit.” 

“Looks like he was a war hero, too.” Foggy calls out to them, getting them to turn around to face the wall of memorabilias. Sure enough there was Frank in uniform in several pictures, and a couple of his metals were on display. “And this is where his sniper skills come from.”

“Now it all makes sense.” Karen said, looking over them carefully, imprinting the images in her head. 

“True. But–”

On cue, the three of them immediately turned their flashlights off when a vehicle pulled in front of the house. The headlights powered off just as Karen decides to take a peak. And just like the nurse from earlier was describing, here comes both men and women in black suits strolling out of the yellow van.

“Shit…” She whispers, letting go of the curtain.

.

.

.

What the fuck do we do now?

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

On the other side of town, after an intense battle for their lives, Matt found himself carefully setting down a heavily injured Frank Castle against a tombstone. The man grunted at the way his body seemed to mold against it, his adrenaline finally wearing off.

“Hey.” Frank begins, panting. He spares the blind man a glance. “Not bad.”

“Thanks.” Matt said, breathing through his nostrils. 

“I guess I, uh… I guess I was wrong.”

A tilt in his head. “About?”

“About you being a pussy.”

“Don’t get all sweet on me now, Frank.” Matt said, getting a laugh which soon turned into a coughing fit. He frowns worriedly. “Help’s on the way.”

“Nah.” Frank shakes his head. “You should go. I’m past saving. At least I’d have company, right?” A sigh. “I think I might cash out. You’d have made a hell of a Marine, Red.”

There was a twinge of guilt as he could hear the sincerity from his voice. Although Frank was the definition of ‘rough around the edges’, he could still see the soft and wonderful man he really was underneath. 

It made Matt feel like shit to even think about.

“That rhyme. What's it mean?” Matt asked, genuinely curious while crouching down.

This catches Frank off guard for the first time in a while. “What’d you say? …Huh?”

“The thing you say. Right before you pull the trigger.”

“What do you… You heard that?”

“Well, when you’re a blind man, your other senses get heightened so… yeah, I heard it.”

Frank blinks in disbelief. “What the…” He sighs, not even going to question it. “I gotta say, sometimes... Sometimes I think you really just might be the devil.”

Matt nods in agreement. “Sometimes I think I might be, too.”

“It’s, uh…” Frank begins, already getting choked up. “One batch, two batch. Penny and dime, you know. It was her favorite book. You know, you… You gotta cross the ocean… and go fight. You see… whole time you’re thinking you’re gonna be scared, right? But then, you’re not. See, that part of it was always easy for me. Killing. Even watching my buddies die, it just… it didn’t mean nothing.”

His face twitches. “The first time I got scared was on a plane on the way home. I kept thinking God was gonna pull the rug out from under us, you know? Shit, that’s his kind of funny, you know. But the plane landed safe and we were home. Driving through traffic. Yeah, you pass fast food and donut shops and all that… that greasy shit. It’s the shit you fought to protect and then the car stops. We were outside her school. I get to her classroom, right?”

Frank keeps going as Matt slowly sinks himself into the ground, listening wholeheartedly. “She’s in there… but she’s got no idea.” His dark eyes glisten with tears. “She’s got no idea that Daddy’s home. I walk in, these kids, they’re not even studying, they’re–” He chuckles. “Doing some kind of yoga. Yeah. You know? She’s there. She’s doing her poses, you know. She’s bending and, you know, she’s moving. She looks like a flower. Yeah. And, you know, you can’t even understand it, you know, how does something like that have... How does something that beautiful– How does that… does that come from me, you know? I know you probably do. Don’t you?”

Matt nods. “Yeah. I do.” He could relate to that. Sometimes his daughter was so pure compared to him. So innocent despite the things she’s seen. It hurts a lot to think about sometimes.

Frank smiles brightly. “And she looks up and she sees me. I see her. By God, that’s real. That’s real, Red. Boom. In an instant, she’s across that classroom floor, she’s in my arms. She’s squeezing me so tight, I swear I was gonna bust a rib, you know? We just stayed there like that, we’re holding each other. Teacher, she’s filming the whole thing on her phone, you know, she’s gonna put it on YouTube or some shit. She can’t hold the thing steady, because, you know, she’s… she’s bawling so hard, and the kids are all wailing, you know, they’re screaming. And me? Shit, I’m the worst of all. I’m a… I’m a rubber-face clown, you know. I cried so hard.”

He looks up to the sky, trying to hold the floodgates from opening. “But not my baby. Not my girl. You know, she’s my girl. She’s… She’s not crying, she’s holding me up. My girl, she’s keeping me on my feet.” He sucks in a shaky breath. “She says, ‘I knew it, Daddy. I knew it.’ And then we go home. Wife, the boy. Place is the exact same. It’s like it was just holding its breath waiting for me to get back, you know? Then it hit me.”

Now he sounds desperate. “All of it, you know. The first time I felt how tired I was, you know, I was just tired, you know? You… Y-You ever been tired, Red?”

“Yeah.” Matt nods, sadly, knowing that feeling so very well. He’s known it his entire life.

“So, you know. It’s just, I couldn’t do nothing, you know?” Frank's lip quivered. “All the things… I couldn’t take my wife to bed. Ball with the boy. Shit, I was too tired, I couldn’t even drink a goddamn beer, you know. But not her. My girl was up. See, she wanted me to, uh… she wanted me to tuck her in. She… She outgrew it, she knew it, but she didn’t care. She wanted it. She had that book. Her favorite book was out on the pillows.

“‘One Batch, Two Batch Penny and Dime’. Yeah. I read her that book every night before this shit. I read it every single night, but, see, that was over now because Daddy’s home now. She looked at me and she begged me, Red. She begged. She begged. I said, ‘No… Daddy’s too tired, see. But I’ll… I’ll read to you tomorrow night. I’ll read to you tomorrow night, I promise’. Yeah. Never think that… for her there was not gonna be any tomorrow, see. The last time I’d see her, I’d be holding her lifeless body in my arms. Meat was spilling out of her, Red. The place where her face used to be.”

Frank casts a glance at the vigilante, pity on his features. “As much as I hated you for interfering with my work… I couldn’t stand the thought of another father going through that. I don’t think I could stand seeing you holding your daughter in your arms like that. Wailing like a baby, praying that the clock would turn back and the bullets would come for you instead. I didn’t want that for you.” He sighs, letting go of everything. “No. I think I’m done, Red. I think I’m done.”

Matt opens his mouth to speak, but a cop car pulls up with two officers hopping out, drawing their guns from their holsters.

“Police.” Brett said, walking at them at a steady pace. “Don’t move. Hands where I can see ‘em.” He sounded and seemed so disappointed. “Shots fired. Bodies, mayhem and shit. How come I just knew you weren’t going to listen?”

“I have something for you, Sergeant.” Matt said, standing up and giving them a view of the Punisher.

“That’s him?” Brett asked, getting a nod. “Cover him and get EMS.”

“Yep.” His partner replies, and moves around the Daredevil for the other man.

“And you, you incredible pain in my ass.” Brett continues, sheathing his gun as he makes the man before him kneel, hands behind his back. “I really wished you listened.”

“Get him help.” Was Matt’s reply.

“Shut up.” He starts pulling out his handcuffs. “I don’t want to do this.”

“Take the collar.”

Brett falters his movements. “What?”

“You heard me.” Matt replies with a bite. “You caught him, not me. It can’t be me, it has to be you.”

“Why?”

“To protect the Kitchen. For law, for order.”

“You’re telling me how to file a report now?”

“Yeah.” Matt scoffs. “Take the collar. Take the credit. Get a promotion, if you can. You’ve earned it.”

Brett purses his lip. “Bullshit.”

“No, people have to know the system works. Not his justice and not mine. Vigilante days are done in this town. The police are in charge.”

“That’s not how it happened.”

“Then make it how it happened.”

The cop closes his eyes, realizing he is speaking the truth. “Shit…”

“EMT and backup on the way. Two minutes out.” The other officer calls out.

Brett sighs, and pulls Matt up from the ground. “Go. Go!” He shouts, making the devil run off into a sprint, leaving him with a newfound understanding.

Now I really know that’s you, Matt. A smile graced his lips for a split second just as thunder rumbled the sky and rain started to fall.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Miraculously, the troublesome trio somehow got out of the house without being seen. Which ended up being Karen taking Kaila’s crutch from her hand, and Foggy throwing the girl over his shoulder like a shake of potatoes. On the drive back was a mixture of anxiety and small bickering. How in the world are they going to explain this to their vigilante friend? As Foggy puts it, they’re ‘so fucked’. 

But they eventually could release a breath of relief as they arrived back in the city, and back on route to where they were supposed to have gone in the first place. And despite their protests, the exhausted teenager went inside the apartment alone as the adults watched from the car.

“Think she’ll be okay by herself?” Karen asked, being a mother hen she was.

Foggy nods. “She should be fine. She’s just going to sleep.” He sighs, running his fingers through his hair. “Matt’s going to be so pissed when I tell him what she can do. Fuck. He’s going to be pissed at all of us.”

“I’ll take the blame again.”

“Oh, hell yeah you are.”

Suddenly her phone starts to ring, a picture of Matt appears along with his favorite song. 

.

.

.

Oh, yes…

Perfect timing Mr. Daredevil.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

After picking up their important guest, who had slipped a long coat over his costume, he had Karen drive them all back to the same apartment, watching/listening to the “news of the year” on the phone:

‘Frank Castle, the gunman wanted in connection with the Metro-General shooting and linked to dozens of recent gangland-related killings throughout Hell’s Kitchen was apprehended just hours ago outside Saint Michael’s Cemetery. An NYPD spokesman says, “Tonight, New York has Sergeant Brett Mahoney of the 15th Precinct to thank”.’

“Gotta hand it to Brett. He seems to follow you wherever you go.” Foggy replies, sending a look at Matt from the backseat.

Matt ignores that jab and says, “I’m glad people like him are looking out for Hell’s Kitchen.”

Foggy chuckles. “Yeah.”

“And I’m glad someone was looking out for him.”

“Oooh… I wonder who.”

“Press are calling Castle ‘a cold-blooded psychopath’.” Karen said, scoffing. “The DA’s gonna have a hell of a time using his prosecution to turn herself into a hero. It’s all working out perfectly.”

Now it was Matt’s turn to laugh. “Wow, way to bring us down, Ms. Page.” He says, smirking. “I think we've had enough Punisher for one evening. We’ll worry about the rest tomorrow.”

“Amen to that.” Foggy agrees, and Karen sighs again (Only Matt noticed something underlining there).

“You okay?” Matt asks, hearing her shift in her seat.

“Yeah.” She breathes, just as his eyebrows shoot up, not buying it. “Okay, that wasn’t convincing, was it? Um, I don’t know, I just, uh days like today remind me how precious life can be, you know?”

Matt and Karen exchange loving glances and that’s when Foggy, who was grinning like an idiot, made up an excuse to leave.

“You know what? My apartment’s kind of far. I-I should get a cab.” He explains as he starts gathering his things. 

“A cab?” Karen asked, confused. She swears she convinced him earlier it was okay for her to drive him. What changed?

“You know we don’t mind driving you.” Matt adds as his friend shakes his head.

“Nah, that’s okay. Cab’s fine.” Foggy continues.

“It’s raining.”

“A little rain never hurts anyone.” He smiles and clasps a hand on each of their shoulders. “Well, you two have fun, have a drink for me, maybe play a board game, and try to keep it PG with your daughter in there. Okay? Goodnight!”

He wiggles himself out of the car with his belongings, leaving the two of them staring in disbelief…

Before both turning beat red.

Karen buries her face in her hands. “Oh, Foggy…” She said, making them both chuckle. “Uh… should we… um…?

“...ignore… him?” Matt says slowly.

“Uh, y-yes? Maybe?” She starts hearing him laugh again. “I don’t know.”

“Uh, m-me neither. So…”

“You… Um…” She fiddles with her hands. “Actually…”

He tilts his head. “Something you want to tell me?”

She shakes her head. “Oh, I’ll tell you tomorrow. Promise.”

He smiles. “Okay.”

“I’ll walk you inside.”

The two of them get out of the car, Karen taking him by the hand and pulling him towards the door. The warm rain soaking them immediately, but neither of them minded. They walked the concrete path, touching the edge of the steps with their toes when Matt suddenly tugs them both to a stop. The atmosphere was so light and comforting; It made them feel like they were on cloud 9.

Matt’s fingers ghosted her arm, trailing seductively up to her shoulder as she quietly gasped at his touch. Finally he cupped her cheek, some of her golden locks getting entangled, trapping his fingers like a spiderweb. And with hope in both of their eyes, both of them leaned in for a (long overdue) blissful kiss. Short and sweet, but it was breathtaking, exhilarating. And when they broke apart, they let their foreheads rest against each other, smiling.

“Can I take you to dinner?” Matt asks as he couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Yes.” She replies, happily.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

His smile grew, his chest feeling a thousand times lighter now. “Goodnight, Karen.”

She mimicked him at this very moment as well. “Goodnight, Matt.”

With a new pep in her step, she heads back to her car which was just the cue Matt was waiting for to head back inside. He couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he climbed the stairs and entered his home. Setting his things by the door, he starts heading in the direction of his room. If his daughter was still up then–

Oh, boy. He thought, only imagining what her reaction would be when he tell her the news.

Kai’s going to have a field day with this one.

But just as his hand was reaching for the door handle, his senses suddenly caught onto something. He jolts in his stance, spinning around with his fists up, ready to fight. He tunes in on a figure -a woman- in his kitchen, twirling with one of his knives. With that sweet, sweet voice of poison he remembers so very well, she says,

“Hello, Matthew.”

With his heart in his throat he croaks, “Elektra.”

Her sharp eyes stayed on him for a while before she stopped her movements to take a swig of the drink she stole from the fridge. “Mmm! German beer. Tastes like piss.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” He says, lowering his hands slightly, focusing completely on her.

“You’ve never been hard to find.” 

He clenches his jaw. “That’s not what I asked.”

“At least your furniture’s improved.” She said in her attempt at small talk. She sets the bottle down and starts making her way over.

“Kinda liked my old futon.”

“I liked breaking it in.” She says, seductively. “Nice place. Too bad about the clothes, though.”

He holds his hand up, a sign she took for her to stop as she entered the living area. “Why are you here?”

She sighs. “Would you believe it if I said I missed you?”

Not missing a beat he says, “No.”

“Smart man. Columbia education really paid off.”

“No thanks to you.” He bites back.

She chuckles. “I’m in New York for a meeting. I thought I’d pop by.”

“Well, you’re not staying here, so…”

“Fine.” She shrugs. “My penthouse in midtown will just have to do, then. We spent some nights there.”

He mentally cusses, holding back an eye twitch. “Look, if you came here to walk down memory lane, I don’t really have the–”

“I’m sorry. I’ve spent years trying to convince myself that things happen for a reason, that you and I were not meant to be. But I know now. That wasn’t fate. It was a choice. My choice. And I’m sorry. I’m alone in the world, Matthew. Do you know what that feels like?”

Matt scoffs in disbelief. “No.”

She seemed disappointed. “Of course you do. You–”

“I really don’t.” He snaps, bitterly, honestly. “Not in a long time I haven’t.”

Elektra sighs. “Well, you must know what it’s like to clean up your father’s messes. A long time ago, before he died, my father did business with the Roxxon Corporation.”

Matt raises an eyebrow. “Roxxon?”

“Energy, cleaning supplies, macaroni and cheese. Child labor, slave trade. They have their fingers in everything. I believe it’s called diversification. And thanks to my father’s shitty investments, they hold most of his wealth.”

“Yeah, okay. I–”

“I have a meeting tomorrow with the board at the Yakatomi Building. And I need your help, Matthew.”

“How am I supposed to help you?” He asked, puzzled. 

“I want you to use that expensive legal training of yours to help me get my money back–”

“See, I’m a defense lawyer.”

“I’ll pay you well.”

Matt laughs, shaking his head. “I’m not taking your money. And, even if I accepted, there’s not enough time.”

“For what?” Elektra asked, confused.

“Oh, just research. Accounts, shareholders, hierarchy of the–”

“You have fifteen hours.”

He blinks. “Fifteen hours, Elektra, are you insane?”

“Matthew.” She sighs his name. “You’re the only person I–”

She trails off like she suddenly listening for something, and Matt was puzzled on what until–

Nobody could miss the way he tenses and holds his hands up. “Elektra.” He starts warning, as he could hear her gripping the kitchen knife. “Wait– Don’t!!”

He manages to snag the knife midair just as the bedroom door slide opens, his quick action startling his poor kid. He winces as soon as the blade makes contact with his skin, and lets it go immediately. 

“Shit!” He cusses, blood pooling from his open palm.

“Are you okay?!” Kaila gasps, shifting her weight onto her good leg as she tries to look at his injury.

“Matthew?” Elektra’s voice broke through making him stiff up again. “Who’s that?”

He hides his pain quickly, and uses his non-injured hand to push his kid behind him. “You need to leave.” He said, stern and underlining cold.

Kai casts a glance at him. “Dad?” She whispers, scared.

Elektra looks between the two, puzzled. “Dad?” She asked, hurt in her face as she looked at her ex. “You have a daughter?”

“Dad, who’s is–”

“You need to leave. Now.” Matt repeats, tougher.

“Since when did you have a kid?” Elektra asked, pain in her voice as steps closer. “And with whom?”

Matt pulls his daughter completely behind, a subtle sign to tell her to stay back. “Does that even matter?” He asked, not even letting her answer. “You have no right to ask me that. Leave.”

“Matthew–”

“Leave.”

If anyone else was in her place they would have trembled under his tone of voice alone; But even Elektra, who claims she knows the real him, seemed taken back. Not even saying another word, she left out the front door like she was a guest and not someone who trespassed (which seemed to piss Matt off more than it should have). Matt almost didn’t want to relax, he knows she’ll come back. She always does. She always seems to–

Kaila nearly fell to the ground if he hadn’t been standing there. Her name passed by his lips quickly as he caught her, leaning her against him.

“Why are you walking on your own? Where’s your crutch?” He asks, getting them both settled down on the bed. 

“I kind of leaped out of bed ‘cause of concern.” She replies, before grabbing a gentle hold onto his wrist. “Your hand.”

“It’s okay. I don’t think I need stitches.”

She stares at his palm, carefully feeling around the cut to confirm his words before asking, “Who is she?”

He frowns, slightly ashamed. “She uh, is an old… flame of mine. Second year. My uh… party boy era.”

“Party boy era?” She watches him nod. “You told me some stories. But you never mention a girlfriend.”

“She’s… not my proudest accomplishment.”

Kaila frowns, sadly. “Was she before my mother?”

“Before Mary, yeah.”

“So what happened with… her?”

He sighs. “After a while, she started doing stuff that… I didn’t like. The last thing she did was pretty awful. When I comforted her about it, she yelled at me and then disappeared. That’s the last time I ever saw her.”

“Damn.” Kaila muttered. “That bad, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

“Well…” She starts leaning forward to grab the first aid kit under the bed. “You might have dodged a bullet there, dad.” She pulls out some disinfectant wipes and a gauze. “She seems… violent.”

Matt chuckles dryly. “Very.” His expression fades back into worriedness. “You’re not going to ask more questions?”

“I’ve heard enough. You told me enough.” She starts looking around for her phone. “Besides–” She snags it off the end of the nightstand. “If there’s more to what you need to tell me you will. But if it doesn’t affect our lives, then I’m not worried about it.” 

She smiles up at him, and he couldn’t help but copy her.

“I really lucked out with you as my daughter, Kai.” Matt said, making her snort.

“Well, that’s good, ‘cause you’re stuck with me. Here–” She hands him her phone that had the flashlight on. “Hold this up for me.”

“Can do.” He lets her do her thing, taking this small moment and cherishing it despite the circumstances leading up to it. “Thank you, Dr. Kaila.”

She smirks. “Hey, that’s Dr. Murdock for you, sir.” Kaila replies, cheeky just finishing up. “‘Least it was your non-dominant hand.”

“And I’m grateful for that.” He says, handing the device to her. Just as he does, the teenager’s phone buzzes and he feels her gaze immediately lock with it, disappointment registering on her face. Matt latches onto this quickly. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s… nothing.” 

“Doesn’t sound like it. You seem… upset.” He uses his non-injured hand to tilt her head towards him. “What’s wrong?”

She frowns. “It just… I met someone at work–”

“You met someone?”

“A friend. His name is Jayden–”

“His name?”

She rolls her brown eyes. “Dad, stop.”

“Sorry.” He apologizes. “Continue.”

“Anyway, we started talking and texting one another, and we even made plans to hang out, however I got… you know… kidnapped.” Her frown deepens as she crosses her arms. “He texted me if I was okay, I said I was, and then… that’s it. He hasn’t responded to any of my texts. It’s… weird.” A sigh. “Do you think I did something wrong?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “Of course not.”

“Then how come he’s ignoring me?”

“Well… maybe he doesn’t know how to respond after what happened to you. Maybe it just feels awkward for him. It’s not everyday that someone’s friend gets kidnapped.” 

Kaila nods slowly, processing his words. “True.”

“He’s also probably taken back by how you responded. To him, you might have sounded… too okay with a text. It might have been different if you two would have talked on the phone or face-to-face.”

“True.”

“Just give him some time. If he doesn’t respond, maybe try giving him a call. Okay?”

She sighs. “Okay. You’re right.”

“Good.” He says, as a smile starts to grow. “Well, on the bright side–” He nudges her a bit. “I’ve got good news.”

“What?”

“Your old man might have… put a move on a certain blonde tonight.” A gasp. “And I might have asked her to dinner tomorrow.” Another gasp. “And she might have said yes.”

She squeals. “Dad, that’s awesome!” She shouts, making him laugh. “Awe. Do you have something to wear? Or do we need to go shopping? Or–”

 “Kai–”

“We could go to that new tailor store up the road. Or we could go into town square for the day.”

“Kai–”

“What about places to eat? Do you have any idea where you’re going to take her?”

“Kai–” He laughs again at her enthusiasm and grabs her by the forearm to stop her. “Relax. You’re way more excited about this than I am.”

“Sorry.” She said, blushing. “You haven’t been on a date in a long time. One that you actually seem happy for.”

“Well, I…” Now it was his turn to get red. “I like Karen. She makes me feel… good. Happy. Warm.”

“Awe.” Kaila threw her arms around his neck. “I’m glad you feel that way. Although… I can’t believe Karen of all people is trying to take my number one spot with you.”

Another laugh. “Oh… baby girl–” He kisses her temple. “You'll always be my number one.” 

And that was the absolute truth.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Morning.” Kaila said, as she and her father entered the office the very next day.

Foggy smiles, eyes still glued to the newspaper he was currently reading. “Murdocks.”

“We, uh, have anything for breakfast?” Matt asked as he started pouring himself a glass of water from their filter.

Foggy raises an eyebrow. “You hungry or hungover?” 

A brief pause. “Both.”

Kaila gives him a look as she sits down. “Since when did you have a drink last night?” She asked, and got a shrug in return.

Foggy chuckles. “All right, you need some potassium, some electrolytes, and a jolt of caffeine. I’ll give you, uh…” He looks around before snapping his fingers at something. “-The last piece of Mrs. DiNizio’s peach cobbler, which is… the last piece of anything in this office.”

“I guess our finances haven’t improved since last week.” Matt said, frowning.

“Yeah, well, clients don’t respond well to a ‘closed’ sign.”

Kaila looks between the two, concerned. “Should… I be worried?”

Her father sighs and shakes his head. “No, baby girl, don’t… it’s my fault. I’m sorry, Foggy.”

“Don't be.” Foggy replies, taking a seat next to his niece, still reading. “You got Punisher off the street. I’m hoping Reyes will get her jackboot off our neck and this office can go back to normal.”

“Can you though?” Kai said, getting their attention. “I mean with everything we’ve gotten entangled with… can we be normal again?”

Before the boys could process her words, Nelson and Murdock’s last employee finally arrived.

“Matt–” Karen enters the room, startling herself as she tries to balance a tray full of beverages. “Uh, good morning.”

“Hey, Karen.” Matt said, a little smile ghosting his face.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Uh, not so much. You?”

“Me?” She slurred, closing the door with her elbow. “Yeah, sure. Uh, I-I mean–”

“Is that coffee I can smell?” He said, feeling his heart race.

“Hmm?”

“Coffee.”

“Uh, yeah, um… Yeah, arabica for all.” She chuckles and starts handing the cups over. “For everyone.” She hands over the last one for Kai. “Uh, Chai for you.”

The teenager’s eyes light up with happiness. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

“Yeah, Thanks. You’re a goddess.” Matt said, still grinning.

“Okay, you two.” Foggy cuts in, still smiling like a goof. “Let’s talk business. Potential clients. Real ones. With bank in the bank.”

“Uh, actually, yeah, can we, uh, talk about these first?” Karen asked, holding up some paper. The boys follow her as she stands behind her own desk. “The, uh, press is still painting Castle like he’s nothing more than some deranged lunatic.” 

“Well, it’s not like our boy was out collecting for the Red Cross.” Foggy points out, even after knowing what he discovered last night. 

“I know. I know, but–”

“You think there’s more to the story.” Matt finishes, already knowing this was going to be true (everyone did).

“Exactly. I mean, five different papers and not a word about the bullet he took to the brain, or his military record, or his family.” She continues, running a hand through her locks. “So we know what he said last to you about his daughter was true. W-We found this photograph. It’s of him and his wife and kids at the carousel–”

“We?” The Blind man asked, confused. “You mean…” He points between his friends. “The two of you?” He didn’t miss the way their heartbeats flickered. “You guys found it where, exactly?”

“W-We… sort of broke into his house last night.” 

“Broke in? Last night you–” He trails off at a realization, and with a steady expression he turns in his daughter’s direction who was nervously sipping her drink.

She eventually just shrugs. “Murdock curse…?”

“I… shouldn’t even be surprised at this point.” Matt said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Anyway, I get what you were trying to do, but that still was dangerous and illegal.”

“I know, I know. Sorry.” Karen said, apologetically.

“For the record, I didn’t know that’s what we were going to do. I just thought we were going to look at the house from afar.” Foggy said, holding his hands up. “But, I will still take some of the blame… but your daughter knows how to pick locks.”

Matt looks her way again. “You know how to do what?”

“Why are you throwing me into this?” Kaila asked, dumbfounded. “Shouldn’t we be listening to Karen? I mean, I know Frank is a lunatic, but he threw one of his missions away to save me. Shouldn’t Nelson and Murdock at least try to see if they can help him?”

“No.” Foggy shakes his head. “No. I mean, yeah he saved you, but come on, we successfully dodged a metaphorical bullet and quite a few literal ones. We need to be done with the crazy, guys. We need normal.”

And with that said he stormed into his own office.

“I’m sorry.” Karen said, bowing her head. “I’m really sorry if I– I pushed it too far.”

“It’s okay.” Matt said, with a light laugh. “Just Uh, I don’t think you’re wrong about him, I feel the same way too, but it’s really simple, Karen. Just I don’t want you to get hurt. Not like I have…”

She lets those words sink in before deciding to test the waters somewhere else. “So, uh... Last night.”

“Last night?” He pinches his brows together, all tongue and cheek. “I don’t– What happened last night? At Josie’s? With Foggy?”

She giggles. “You…”

“Did something happen?”

“Yeah.”

“Anything else? I don’t–”

“Yeah?”

Matt laughs quietly, softly. “Yeah, it was great. And I like to think I can do better, if we’re still on for dinner.”

“Uh, yeah. It’s a date.”

“Holy shit!” Foggy said, coming back into the room. “That was the bank.”

Karen frowns with dread. “Oh, no.”

“No, it’s all good.” Foggy continues, still stunned by the news. “There was a deposit. A big one.”

“What?”

Kaila’s eyes widened with realization before looking at her Father. “Dad–”

“Uh, actually, do me a favor, don’t spend any of it.” Matt blurts out nervously.

“Dad–”

Foggy gives him a strange look. “Why not?” He asked, concernedly.

“I-I was hit up by a potential client yesterday, so, I just–” Matt tried explaining but his friend was now nervously saying things.

“Is it dirty money? Are we doing that again?”

“No! No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just, um– I’m not sure it’s gonna work out, let me… Let me just–”

“Dad!!” Kaila shouts, getting him to stop. “Enough lying! Just tell them the truth. You promised no more secrets.”

With those words, she trapped her Dad like a deer in a headlight. He felt everyone’s eyes on him, puzzled and on the border of hurt.

“What secret?” Karen asked, with a tilt of her head.

“Okay, who’s this client, Matt?” Foggy asked, bracing himself for the answer.

Matt lets out a sigh knowing he’s been pinned down. And with a small shift in his stance, hands on his hips he says, “It’s… Elektra.” And he didn’t need sight to know that his college roommate’s eyes were slowly bugging out of his head.

“Wait…” Foggy mumbles, hands waving around, grasping something imaginary. “Elektra?” He tests out the name that burns on his tongue. “Psychopath Elektra? Your old girlfriend from college?”

Karen immediately copies his expression. “Old girlfriend?” She asked, looking between the two.

“Yeah!” Foggy boasts, arms flinging out in a dramatic way. “I-I mean she was beautiful, b-but fucking off the walls crazy!” He stares at Matt in disbelief. “You mean she showed up back in your life?”

Matt nods. “S-She… was at my door when I came home last night.”

Karen crosses her arms, intrigued. “W-What did she want?”

“Uh, basically, long story short, she wants to get her father’s wealth back from this company called Roxxon. She wanted me to be her lawyer. I told her no, but apparently she didn’t listen.”

“What do we do?” Foggy asked, while rubbing his tired face.

“I’m going to have to talk to her, I mean we’re defense lawyers. What can we do?” 

“And you’re talking to her as… Matt Murdock? Or the other guy?”

Matt frowns. “Not sure yet. I’ll be back.” He says, making his way where he left his walking stick. His gaze soon leads to Karen. “I’ll make sure to be back for tonight.”

Foggy raises an eyebrow between the two. “What’s tonight?” He asked, confused by this potential memo he missed.

“They’re going on a date.” Kaila sang, grinning ear to ear while making the two adults blushed.

“What?!” Her Uncle said, baffled. “Are you serious?” He gets a quick nod of confirmation from his niece before throwing his arms in the air. “Finally!”

Matt listens to his daughter’s giggle before touching her shoulder, grabbing her attention. “I’ll be back.”

Kaila nods as her expression fades. “Be careful.” 

“I will, but–” He taps the top of her phone, knowing exactly what she was doing on it. “Worry about meeting your friend.”

Her eyes widened. “How did you know I was texting–” But he leaves without another word, and she’s left staring at her device.

Once the door closes, Foggy reverts back to a curious fellow. “Your friend?”

“Uh–” Kaila meets his eyes for a split second before looking away. “I made a friend at work, and I’m… having some trouble with him.”

“Him?” He asked in the same tone of fashion her father had the night before.

She almost visibly eyerolls. “Okay, I don’t need the protective lecture again. He’s just a friend that happens to be a boy. Alright?”

He shakes his head. “Sorry. Habit, you know?”

Suddenly the office phone rings and Foggy excuses himself to go answer it just as Karen takes a seat next to the teenager.

“Need some advice?” She asked, softly.

Kaila shrugs and sighs. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Well… what’s this boy like? Is he nice? How did you meet?”

“I… I met him before the summer, right around the time you guys were about to bring Fisk down. I met him, Jayden, at that coffee shop I like to go to sometimes. We talked, just a short little conversation as we waited for our drinks, then that was it.” Kaila explains slowly, shifting in her seat. “Then, about a month into my job, he started working there. Maybe it was just a weird coincidence, but I took it as a sign that maybe the universe was finally giving me a friend.”

Karen tilts her head again. “Finally?”

The young Murdock shrugged. “I never really had friends growing up. Everyone was also so cliquey. It was strange. I was basically the girl you invited to a party because you felt bad.”

The blonde frowns. “Kai…”

“It’s fine, really. I’m not bothered by it as much as before. I mean, I did have one friend who I considered my best friend in the sixth grade, I mean we did everything together.” She slouches in her chair. “But the day she and her parents met my father, she never spoke to me again. Her parents were the helicopter ones, strict about everything. And… they obviously didn’t like blind people. Rich jackasses.”

“Kai, that’s horrible.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I like Jayden because we have a lot in common. Same music taste, we love scary movies, love books, I could go on. But ever since the kidnapping, he texted me if I was okay, I replied back and that was it. Dead silence.” She continues. “I want to go talk to him, but I don’t know where he lives, and I can’t exactly go back to my job because I’m on temporary leave, and to quote my Boss, he said, ‘If I see you set foot in this store instead of being home healing I’ll fire you’. And I kind of like my job, so… yeah.”

“Huh.” Karen said, thinking. “Have you talked it over with your dad?”

“He suggested I should give him a little bit before calling, but I don’t know. Should I even wait?” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t.” And just before more could be said, a certain DA’s right hand came strolling in. Karen stands up, surprised. “Mr. Tower? I, uh, wish you’d called. I’d have something set up.”

“Are they in?” He asked, quickly. And right on cue, Foggy peaks from his office door.

“Just the Nelson half.” He replies, puzzled as well.

“We need to talk. In private.” Tower replies, ignoring the many jabs the people in the room were giving him as he entered Foggy’s office.

“Asshole.” Kaila said, once the door was closed.  

Karen chuckles. “Can be…”

“Why don’t you do what you have to?” The Murdock gestures towards the exit. “I know that detective brain of yours wants to work on the Castle case.”

The blonde looks surprised again. “You sure?”

“Of course. There’s not much I’ll be able to do since I don’t know what you’re looking for. Besides–” She holds her phone up. “Maybe I should try.”

Karen smiles and grabs her purse. “Good luck.”

“You too.” Kaila waits till she leaves before scrolling to his contact and hitting the phone icon; She lifts it to her ear, waiting to see if it’ll stop ringing.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Hours later after their separate adventures, both Karen and Matt made it on time for their date. The blonde was nervously flipping through the menu as the lawyer stayed silent, just listening.

“D-Do you drink wine?” Karen nervously stutters. “I should know that.”

“I… don’t drink anything they don’t serve at Josie’s.” Was Matt’s answer, which got her to laugh.

“Yeah, well, I don’t see swill on the menu.”

Their eyes locked for a moment before getting preoccupied again. Eventually they both tried to speak at the same time. “So how was–/So what did–” A laugh. “I’m sorry–/I was just gonna–”

Karen smiles, setting the menu down. “Uh, you go ahead. Go, go first.”

Matt copies her. “How was your day?”

“Fine. Uh, yeah, just a regular day at the office.”

“Well, it’s a nice change of pace, right? Not being shot at?” He nervously laughs. “That’s gotta feel good.”

She hums, and takes a sip of water. “Yeah.” She sets the glass down, folding her hands on top of one another. “You, uh… how’s the, uh, new… you know. Elektra.”

Matt inhales deeply, clearly still frustrated over the mess. “Honestly, I didn’t get the chance to talk to her. I kind of…” A slight shrugged. “Eavesdropped on the meeting.”

“Is she… in trouble you think?” Karen asked, genuinely curious.

He sighs. “I don’t know. Maybe. But I don’t want to get involved. Like I told Kai last night, she left many years ago, I’ve forgotten about her, and that’s all I want to do.”

Karen looks at him worriedly, finally seeing the hurt he’s been through appearing on his face. “I’m sorry. It… sucks when your past comes back to bite you. I know I’ve… I’ve had my fair share of that.”

Matt’s heart clenched, frowning sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He whispers, and there was a brief pause before they both recollected themselves. “Well, uh… that covers work.”

She changes her expression to a joyful one like earlier. “Uh, well, it's a start. Um–” She pointed to a corner of the restaurant where the bathroom was. “I’ll be back in just a minute. Order something fantastic.”

“Sure thing.” He says, hearing her leave. Once she does he lets out a sigh, embarrassed how this was going. He thought maybe his struggles would be helped when the waiter suddenly appeared by his side. “Look. If I had to seem like I knew everything there is to know about wines in the next 60 seconds, what would I… what would I order?”

“Matthew Murdock?” The waiter said, sounding all buddy-buddy.

Matt tilts his head in confusion. “Yeah.”

He holds out a phone. “You have a call.”

“Oh.” Matt takes it. “Thanks.” He lifts it to his ear. “This is Murdock.”

‘Sorry to bother you while you're out, but you have a few moments before she returns, right?’

Matt mentally curses as soon as he hears her voice. He clenches the phone, and hiss, “What do you want from me?”

‘You should ask yourself the same question. That rooftop act was cute.’

“Yeah, nothing compared to your damsel-in-distress one.” He grits his teeth as she laughs at his reply.

‘Oh, you’re right. I didn’t actually need you. I told you, maybe I just missed you. But don’t worry, you can keep the money.’

Matt chuckles sarcastically. “Aw.. Go to fucking hell.”

‘If you really want to be done, consider this me firing you.��

And then he was met with the dial tone, supposedly ending this ‘nightmare’ (or maybe it was just starting it). 

“Hey.” Karen’s sweet voice broke through, pulling him away from the memories of his past.

He flashes her a reassuring smile. “Hey.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah… th-they ran out of wine.”

She chuckles at what she thought was a joke. “No.” She frowns when she sees he wasn’t laughing back. “Wait, seriously? Matt–”

“I-I don’t I don’t like this place, you know?”

“Is it the place? Or is it–”

“It’s definitely not you.” He quickly says, truthfully.

“You’re sure?” She said, heart skipping a beat.

“Yeah.” He hears his own heart flutter, getting back into the groove. “I’m positive.”

She bites her lip seductively before taking him by the hand. “Come on. I know where we can go.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Thank you.” Karen said to their new waiter at their new date spot. 

“Wow, this smells amazing.” Matt replies, the curry and other spices hitting his nose blissfully. “What is it?”

“Um…” She laughs at herself, not knowing either. “Who cares? They have wine.”

Matt finds himself grinning ear to ear. “Right. That’s…  You know, I’ve always felt more comfortable with the cheap stuff. You know?”

“Yeah? Well, here, I’ll drink to that.” She holds her glass up waiting for Matt to do the same before clicking.

“Cheap stuff.”

She grins too. “Cheap stuff.” She sets her glass down after a sip, grabbing her fork to dig in. “You know, I never even had Indian food until a few months ago.”

“How is that possible?” Matt asked, surprised.

“Well, my hometown in Vermont had about 400 people, so the most ethnic food it offered was French fries.”

“So that’s why you, uh, came to New York? For the food?”

She shakes her head at his cheekiness. “Uh, no. Although, if I knew places like this existed, I’d have left Vermont ages ago.”

“You see, that’s why I love this city.” He says, hearing her hum to continue. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and the place never stops unfolding new secrets.”

She nods in understanding. “Yeah, you know despite the crime, and the darkness, every once in a while, New York makes me feel…

“Like, safe?”

“Yes, is that weird?”

He shrugs. “Well–

“Huh.”

“I get it.”

Another flutter to her heart as she leans in closer. “I wish you could see this place.”

Matt smiles. “I can, if you describe it to me.”

She hums again, setting her fork down and using her hands to speak. “S-So, anyways, my favorite part… is the ceiling. It’s literally dripping with thousands of lights. They’re shaped like chili peppers–” She holds her hand up before he could protest. “Which sounds really tacky, I know, but it’s um, it’s not. Just… It’s magic.”

“Magic?” 

“Yeah.” They lock eyes again. “Magic.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

After dinner, the two of them took a lovely stroll hand and hand. It seems like this wonderful night would last forever, until they arrived just outside the Page residence.

Karen looks torn as she pulls them both to a stop. “This is me.” She said, before laughing nervously.

“Are you sure you don’t… live two more blocks?” Matt asked, feeling the same way. “Maybe three?”

“I wish.” She shifts her towards him. “We could sit.”

“Yeah.” He guides them down on the steps, and he pulls his shades off, taking this moment in. He chuckles, scooting closer. “All right, I’m gonna kiss ya.”

And she lets him.

They both started off sweetly before turning it up a notch, hands gripping onto each other’s clothing like it was a life line. Maybe in some way… it was.

“You can come up… if you like?” Karen asked in between their kisses.

Matt hums against her lips, smiling. “I’d love to.”

And he kisses her again.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Okay, so how many voicemails did you leave?” Foggy asked his Niece as they walked from the office back to her home. He wasn’t surprised when Karen left earlier in the day to do some research, but he was taken back by how his Niece seemed very repetitive with her moves today.

Looking quite embarrassed, and not even looking at him she said, “...Eight.”

“Eight?” He replies, shocked. “Jesus, Kai. I don’t think I’ve seen you stress something over like this before.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He frowns at how disappointed she sounded. “Kaila–”

“It’s okay, Foggy. I’ll be alright.” She says, as she heads up to her apartment entrance, keys in hand.

“Hey.” He says, getting her to finally turn around to look at him. “Try not to stress over it. I’m sure he’ll come around. And if he doesn’t…” He shrugs. “Fuck him. You’re too good for him anyway.”

Kaila cracks a smile. “Thank you, Uncle Foggy. Goodnight. Love you.”

“Love you too, kiddo.”

She unlocks the front door and heads inside, carefully guiding herself to ride the elevator. She sighs after hitting her floor number, a wave of exhaustion hitting her hard.

He’s right. I shouldn’t be stressing over this. And she shouldn’t, but it still hurts to admit that.

I finally found someone that I consider a real friend and he ghosts me. Lucky me…

The elevator dings and opens, and she slowly moves across the hallway to the very end. She fishes around her key ring for the right one–

“Hey, Coffee girl.” A voice erupts behind her, making her nearly jump out of her shoes.

Head whipping around quickly, she blinks upon confusion. “...Jayden?”

The dark haired boy looks nervous, and out of place, but still manages to give her a wave. “Hi.”

“W-What…” She shakes her head, recollecting herself. “What are you doing here?” 

“Uh, I… got your voicemails.” He holds up his phone before putting it back away. “Can we uh… can we talk?”

“Talk…?”

“Yeah. Can we?”

She doesn’t know if this was a dream or not, but if it isn’t, something was telling her to cease this opportunity or else. Finally relaxing her tense body, she replies,

“Sure.”

-Taglist is open if anyone wants to join-

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[pinkcatcafe]

Mirror Mirror On The Wall...

As you were pushing away the wet hair stuck to your forehead, your mirror started to ripple, and before you had any time to process what was happening, a boy appeared on the other side. You both seemed to have the same reaction, and jumped away from the mirror with a yelp.

A/N: Aka you meet Riddle through a mirror before you arrive at NRC. First post, accomplished!! This is my first time writing a full drabble/fic, so I hope its not too all over the place. There's probably some inconsistencies with the twst canon so keep in mind it might be a bit OOC. Might do some of the other characters if this does well :3 Anyways, hope y'all enjoy! Apologies for any grammar mistakes. small note, I write NRC as an actual college, so everyone will be At Least 18.

Tw: None

Today was not a good day.

First you forgot to set your alarm and woke up late, which meant you had to rush and get ready for class. And just your luck that you were late for the class with your meanest professor, who chewed you out in front of all your classmates and you heard them snicker at your misfortune.

Then, as you were getting ready to go back home, it started to rain. In your panic to get dressed and out the door before your class started, you forgot your umbrella. How lovely. Complaining wouldn't do anything about the rain, so you just suck it up and run back home, hoping your bag won't get too wet.

At least you had some of your comfort food waiting for you at home, right? Nope. You were supposed to go buy some groceries today, but the rush of everything made you completely forget, which also meant you had none of your favorite foods in your fridge. You probably had enough to make the worlds saddest sandwich, but even thinking about it made you want to cry.

Finally having had enough of this terrible day, you decided to just go to your room and lay down for a while, maybe take a nap and sleep this bad day away. You open the bedroom door and head over to the dresser mirror. You kind of looked like a wet dog. A sad, wet dog.

As you were pushing away the wet hair stuck to your forehead, your mirror started to ripple, and before you had any time to process what was happening, a boy appeared on the other side. You both seemed to have the same reaction, and jumped away from the mirror with a yelp.

"What the fuck?!" You yelled, thinking perhaps the all-nighters you pulled the past few days had finally caught up with you.

"Who are you?!" Yelled the boy back at you, his eyes darting around the mirror, probably wondering how this was all happening.

"Why-" You start off, rubbing your eyes, unsure of what to say, "How is there someone in my mirror?"

You both looked at each other for a moment, and you came to the conclusion that either the boy in the mirror was real or you were in serious need of mental help. You stop thinking about having possibly lost your mind for a moment to look closely at the boy in front of you. He had bright red hair, with two small pieces of his hair forming a heart (which you thought was pretty cute... Maybe you could try a similar style sometime), and big grey eyes that seemed to be calculating your every move. His skin was pale, and his posture was (after regaining his composure) pin straight and perfect. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then started to talk.

"I take it you aren't the one who did this, considering how shocked you are. And if you did do this, I assume you wouldn't show up soaking wet." He says, quite matter of factly, and you remember your current appearance.

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock. How would I even do this? By all means, this-" You say, motioning towards the mirror with your hand, "-should be impossible." You say, a bit annoyed at the fact that he also seems to think you look like a wet dog.

"Somebody must have put a spell on our mirrors, though I wonder who would dare step into my room to pull such a childish prank." He says, and his face starts to get a bit red from anger. You scoff at him, and he turns towards you, annoyance gracing his features as he raises an eyebrow.

"A spell, seriously? What are you, five?" You tell him, though it's not like you have any logical reason as to why a random boy has appeared through your mirror. You take a moment to quickly look behind your dresser mirror, but you only see the wall. The redhead scoffs at you, and you look back at your mirror in time to see him narrow his eyes, looking as if you were starting to get on his nerves.

"Yes, a spell! What else could it be? It seems like it might have been someones Unique Magic, considering the distance between our mirrors, since you don't appear to be a student at NRC." He says, annoyance slipping out in his tone, though it's not like he could hide it with the way he was looking at you.

"What are you even talking about? Magic isn't real." You say back at him, and he raises his eyebrows at your statement.

"What are you talking about? You must live under a rock if you think magic isn't real. You are from Twisted Wonderland, aren't you?" You go quiet at his remark, confusion showing on your face.

"Hold on, we definitely aren't even close to being on the same page right now. How about we start over and see if we can actually understand each other, deal?" You offer, and the boy takes a deep breath, before nodding along to your request.

After calmly (or as calmly as you possibly could) talking with the boy, you had learned a few things about him.

His name was Riddle, and he was currently a first year student at Night Raven College, which was somewhere in a place called Twisted Wonderland. After introducing yourself and telling him where you were from, you both concluded that Twisted Wonderland wasn't anywhere on Earth, and vice versa. You truly had no idea how something like this could even happen, but if you put any more thought into it you were sure your head would explode with unanswered questions. That was something for future you to think about.

You also learned that magic was a real thing in Twisted Wonderland, which is why he was so annoyed at your disbelief that someone had casted a spell on your mirrors, but when you explained that magic wasn't a thing back in Earth, he understood your reaction.

"Well, I must go. It is almost time for me to go to bed." Said Riddle, which made you look at the time, almost 9 o'clock.

"I have to go as well, I need to change out of these clothes before I get a cold or something," You say, pulling at the damp clothes stuck to your body. "But I'll see you later, I guess? If the mirror happens to do it's thing again."

"I suppose so. Goodnight, until we meet again." Riddle says, and as you wave goodbye, the mirrors surface ripples and the boy disappears from your sight.

Standing for a few seconds more to gather your thoughts, you wonder if maybe this really was just a dream. A weirdly real feeling dream. Whatever, you can think about it later. Right now you needed to take a warm shower and go to sleep.

You saw Riddle a few more times after that, and it was a nice surprise whenever you saw his reflection on your mirror. You would talk about how your day went, occasionally venting about what was bothering you, and Riddle offering advice when he thought you needed it. He would tell you about his studies and classmates, and you laughed at how often there seemed to be chaos at NRC.

You came to learn that he was a stickler for the rules, memorizing hundreds of them for 'when he became a Housewarden' he said.

"I will become a Housewarden next year, and to be a Housewarden of Heartslabyul I must know all 810 rules of the Queen of Hearts. How else will I guide my dorm?" He said with a smirk, and when you said that seemed way too excessive he went on an hour long rant, in which you decided to not mention the ridiculousness of the Queen's rules ever again.

You also learned that he had a big sweet tooth. His eyes would light up at the mention of sweets, and he loved to learn about the different sweets in your world, as well as comparing them to the sweets from Twisted Wonderland. He also told you about his friend, Trey, and how his homemade sweets were some of the best he had tasted. You were a little jealous that you couldn't have a taste.

There were times when you managed to make Riddle smile or laugh, and your chest felt warm each time you managed to make it happen. The first time this happened was when you tried baking on your own. Riddle had been bragging about some sweets Trey had made, and you thought 'what the hell, it couldn't be that hard, could it?'. You were just about to start your recipe, when you accidentally knocked the bag of flour off the counter, and in your haste to try and save the bag you got flour absolutely everywhere in your kitchen (and all over yourself). You heard Riddle calling from your dresser mirror and trudged over to your room, cursing at the mirrors timing and trying not to get flour everywhere. He heard the door creak open and looked up to see you covered head to toe in flour, an angry look on your face which looked ridiculous paired with the flour, and before he could stop himself he burst out laughing.

His laughter made such a beautiful sound, and his smile was just as lovely. You stood at your doorway, stunned, processing the fact that you made the ever serious Riddle laugh. Your previous anger at the mess you made seemed to melt away at the sound of his laughter, and you couldn't help but join in and laugh at the entire situation.

It wasn't very often when he laughed, but every time you heard his soft giggles, your chest got all warm and fuzzy. You were quite proud of yourself whenever this happened.

Riddle would never admit this, but he was also starting to grow fond of you. Aside from Trey and Che'nya, he felt like he had gained a new companion, and although you both didn't always see eye to eye, you were able to have fun and comforting conversations together, which Riddle greatly treasured. He always looked forward to the next time you would appear on his mirror, though he kept his excitement hidden.

Even if you did think he was too strict sometimes, with himself and others, you became quite fond of Riddle as well, which is why you were sad to see that his appearances on your mirror were starting to dwindle. The last time he appeared was about a month before the start of his second year. He told you he was chosen to become Housewarden, and you excitedly congratulated him on his accomplishment.

"It will become difficult to meet once I start my second year, due to my Housewarden responsibilities." Riddle told you, and while you were sad about that fact, you were also very proud of his accomplishment.

"Yeah, but I'll be cheering you on from my side!" You said, and Riddle felt his chest warm up at your enthusiasm.

You spent the rest of that evening catching each other up on everything that had happened in your lives since the last meeting. The mirror started to ripple, which meant you had a few seconds to say your goodbyes.

"Good luck Riddle! I know you will be an incredible Housewarden!" You said with a smile, waving goodbye to the smiling boy.

"Goodnight, until we meet again. And... thank you." Riddle replied, albeit a bit bashful at your well wishes, and his voice faded along with his reflection.

Neither of you knew that the next time you met would be marked by your arrival at NRC, but if someone had noticed how Riddle's cheeks were dusted in pink once you ran towards him and grabbed his hand, they kept quiet, lest they get collared by the blushing Housewarden. And if Riddle's heart skipped a beat once he met your gaze, well, that's only for him to know.

[merrock]

HAPPY AUGUST !

It's the last full month of summer here in our sleepy little town! As such, we have some fun things planned, so read on to hear about all of the events happening in town. Please also take time to note the important things and areas of improvement, as we really want to nip some issues in the bud and make sure that we're moving out of summer and into fall with clear heads and a fresh start for everyone who might need it! xx

ON THE CALENDAR !

august 1st -- CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DAY -- come down to Flour Co. for a cookie making class.

august 7th -- LIGHTHOUSE DAY -- tours of the historic lighthouse along the coast, with drinks & snacks.

august 9th -- BOOK LOVERS DAY -- a day to swap books, donate books, and read books!

august 12th -- VINYL RECORD DAY -- big sales all day at the Vinyl Hub for music lovers.

august 17th -- THRIFT SHOP DAY -- enjoy Treasure Chest, Sprouts & Polished Brass for good deals!

august 22nd -- BINGO NIGHT -- the once a month night to play bingo and raise funds for the firemen.

august 27th -- JUST BECAUSE DAY -- do nice things for each other & people in town... just because!

august 23rd - 25th -- END OF SUMMER BEACH BASH -- more here!

IMPORTANT STUFF !

the rule page has been updated just a smidge, so please take the time to read that over and familiarize yourself with our rules.

any corrections or updates that were sent to me have been updated on our end, but the inbox is always open if you need something.

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT !

please be sure that you are taking the time to reply to open starters. you must reply to opens before creating your own unless you are making a starter from a new character (then you get a freebie, take advantage!). but some of the best interactions come to you randomly, so spread some love!

equal love, y'all. this goes for the characters that you play, and keeping them all equally around, the threads that you have, and giving them all attention, and making sure that you interact with everyone in the group regularly (ooc love is good, too).

be deliberate with your activity. if you ask for plots and people reach out, respond. if you agree to a thread, and someone starts it, reply -- and keep it going. if you truly do not have muse for an idea, say so! work something else out.

please know that i say all of the things above because we want to see this group continue to thrive and flourish for a long time. we want everyone to feel included and important, and know that in a group setting, it's on all of us to make this place great!

A WORD FROM THE MOD !

Over the past month or so, we have received a couple of anons that either never followed through with communication, or were unable to be posted due to the lack of context and the admin team being unsure of the intent behind them. We are always, always here to listen to you and help you through anything. If you have a concern, we want to hear it. If you need advice, we want to give it. If you have criticism, help us grow and let us know. But I cannot help with situations that I do not know anything about, and I will not post anonymous asks that may upset other people (or even are upsetting to us) without us knowing the intent behind them or what the context is. We all agree, when sending in apps, that we are 21+, which means we are all adults. We can all speak to one another as adults, and that's all that we ask. If there are issues with the group, you are more than welcome to come speak to us so that we can help you out, know what's going on, and solve issues, or you are welcome to find a group that better suits your needs. We'd always rather it be the former, but if you can't or don't trust us, we understand if the latter is a better choice. xx

HAVE A GREAT AUGUST !