#recovery fan fiction

[daflangstlairde-art]

Gladiator (What if I Can't Let Go?), part 4 of the series I Still Feel Alive, is officially finished! At 43,624 words.

And so is the series! At 190,347 words.

I Still Feel Alive series summary:

Leo's stay in the Prison Dimension was not only longer, but a lot more painful, with only the company of a violent alien and the ghost of his future self. Miraculously, however, he survived, and his family got him out in the end. But then he—and the ghost—find they have to actually face and process the hardships they've endured. Along the way, they have to learn how to hold onto hope; how trauma most often affects you after the fact; how to be vulnerable and connect with your loved ones; what real strength is; and how to move on and live, amongst other things.

Feat. a lot of bad jokes.

Gladiator (What if I Can't Let Go?) work summary:

On pawns and queens, rabbits and wolves, and becoming the monsters that haunt us. Or, Leo has developed plenty of pretty good coping mechanisms, he needs to fulfill his quota on the bad ones. Anything to fill the absence that awaits him. Or, “Everything I've ever let go of has claw marks on it.” —David Foster Wallace

Writing Masterpost

[nehswritesstuffs]

HEART PIRATES WEEK 2024 - Day 2 of 9

I told myself last year that I was going to participate in Heart Pirates Week this year, and by thunder I'm going to participate in Heart Pirates Week!

Day Two: Shachi - Celebration

472 words; this prompt’s potential sfw disqualifier is swearing, but it’s no different from what you’d hear in middle/high school, so there’s that; this came so late bc I was very cocky and did not finish the draft in time for the whirlwind of the past few days I’ve had so my apologies; still very, very not beta’d, so don’t be surprised if this tweaks slightly later

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He did it. The bastard actually fucking did it.

Okay, sure, he’d had his doubts about the plan from the get-go, something that had seemingly been cobbled together on a whim but Shachi knew was much older than that. It made sense that people who became Warlords did so for their own reasons, and not all of them pleasant, but after what Blackbeard had pulled in Impel Down and Marineford, one would think that the military was about to vet their candidates a bit better…

…and as it turned out, the bullying that Law did was barely even necessary. They were getting so strapped for bodies in the seats that they were more than willing to negotiate.

“Way to go, Captain!” Shachi cheered, knocking his tankard into his crewmates’ as they finished another toast. “Now we’ve got a universal pass to do whatever we want!”

“No, we don’t,” Law reminded him, the man sourly bunched up at the end of the table. Most of the crew was there and it was clearly making the room feel way too small. “As long as we don’t piss off the Government while doing shit for them, we’ve got a conditional pass. I still need to build the clout to get to where we need to go.”

“Always such a grump,” Shachi huffed. “Why are you like this?”

“Like what?” Law scowled.

“Always being gloomy before you know what the weather is—you haven’t changed since we were kids.”

“Can you blame me?”

“Yes.” Shachi stood and, after finding his balance, caught Penguin’s eye on the other side of the mess hall. “Oi! Peng! Cap’s got a lot to celebrate, doesn’t he?!”

“What… you mean more than strong-arming himself into the Shichibukai…?”

“Duh… like… literally everything!”

“Alright,” Law sighed, “you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Pshaw—as if,” Shachi scoffed. He threw an arm around Law’s shoulders and leaned into him. “I’m only four drinks in. I can go all night.”

“Can you not go while hanging all over me?”

“…and miss embarrassing you? No fucking way.” He gave his captain—who by all accounts was basically his younger brother at this point—a shit-eating grin. It was easy to imagine they were teenagers again, fresh off their first “fundraising” raid and so high on adrenaline they were all practically vibrating out of their skin.

…but now? While they had a Warlord to celebrate? The crew was going to fucking party until they couldn’t anymore and nothing was going to stop them, Shachi was going to make sure of it. He downed the rest of his beer and took his weight off Law. “Who’s up for another round?!”

Everyone in the mess hall, aside from Law, cheered. Shachi could see his captain’s face grow a little darker in blush and he knew he fucking nailed it.

[rhiandoesfandom]

Chapter 1: "Just Hanging Out"

Summary: After the events of Apology Tour and the rest of Season 2, Blitz and Stolas decide to try a real relationship. But how much do they really know about each other? And how much of each other's past are they willing to endure?

Notes: I just had to write this whole summary again so I am tired. I have not had much motivation recently so these chapter releases will be slow.

[megsiepoo]

            "You were right, Shamura. I was greedy and careless. I didn't care what it took to get what I wanted back then. And what's worse, I hurt you too. I cannot hate you without hating myself in turn. I don't want to hate you." He gave a gentle smile, reaching up with one hand to wipe their tears. "Our whole family has made tragic decisions in the past. We’ve all hurt each other irreparably. I'd much rather spend the rest of our lives together being happy and rebuilding the bonds we once had." Shamura sagged as they released a shuddering sigh, nodding their head numbly.             "Yes, yes I would quite like that. I do not understand your relationship with the Lamb, but it brings me immense joy to see you, not only happy, but at peace. And I consider it a blessing simply to be part of your life again." They clapped their hands together, a bright smile returning to their face. "Now! Let's get you ready!"

Yee new fic up! I don't think I'm very good at fluff, but this was just a fun idea. Can't have happy good times without a little angst though!

Hope you guys enjoy! Feedback appreciated as always

[king-starscreams-fics]

Brain Fog

Megatron is recovering post surgery in the quarters that he shares with Optimus in their new lunar base. He has taken to writing, which has acted as an escape from his situation. Enter a new, hidden menace: Brain Fog.

Written for prompt 17 of Sicktember 2024: Brain Fog/Spaced Out – submitted early as per reasons given in the A/N.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandoms: Transformers Generation One Transformers - All Media Types

Relationship: Megatron/Optimus Prime

Characters: Megatron (Transformers) Optimus Prime

Additional Tags: early sicktember; Sicktember 2024; Brain Fog; Shock; Grief/Mourning; post operation; Recovery

Language: English

Stats:

Published: 2024-07-12

Words: 2,447

Chapters: 1/1

Stories list

[justalittleconfusing]

I am going to do something hard tonight. I am going to tell my story of being a survivor to try to influence my local school district policy for how they handle threats and violence against girls.

I spend the last three days reading incredible works by @corneliaavenue-ao3 and @whinlatter and @seriouslysam8 and @takearisk-ao3 and many others. And I know it may sound silly, but in the darkness of the night when I was debating if I should open these wounds, do I tell my story publicly and risk more shunning and ridicule, I found hope in reading versions of Ginny in these womens’ stories.

I think many of us who experienced things as younger girls are drawn to the character Ginny. We see Ginny’s survival after the chamber - how she never forgot, “lucky you”, but how she was able to forge forward and keep fighting as a role model and a path forward.

As a child of the 80s and 90s, we didn’t have role models of successfully speaking up. There was no Me too. We saw women who spoke up (Anita Hill, Monica Lewinsky, so many others) publicly shamed and torn down and ripped to shreds while the men who hurt them got to keep power.

It’s still going on. We are told it’s okay to “grab them by the pussy”, you can still be president. We are seeing Feminist become a dirty word. But at least now, more of us are sharing our stories and saying this stops with me. This isn’t okay and isn’t right. Change needs to come.

In Ginny, see saw the basilisk get slayed, our girl gets her dreams. Our girl is a warrior who goes on to live her dreams of being a sports star and live for herself. She married for love, has her family, has a career, and finds happiness and peace and love. The trauma may be there but it doesn’t define you.

And so, after reading all that Fan fiction and remembering the women who wrote it, and how so many of them have stories like mine, I am going to publicly speak at a school board meeting tonight. I am going to tell my story and try to stop the next generation from having to be forged in fire. I am going to say what’s wrong publicly and loudly and with all my heart.

Thank you to the writers.

[thatphantomtroupelady]

~A WEB OF GUILT~

Ingredients: kurapika x leorio, depression, alcoholism, recovery, hurt/comfort, angst

A one-shot with Kurapika having a bad case of revengicitis and Leorio subsequently having had enough of him pushing everyone away

word count: 1.5k

"I'll not be able to attend Killua's birthday party." Kurapika sighed, sitting down on the couch beside him. "I'm sorry but I have work to do. It was hard enough to find time for this meeting."

"Seriously, Kurapika?" Leorio frowned. "And what does that work include, huh? Blackmailing more people?"

Kurapika sucked in a sharp breath. "Yes." His eyes grew foggy. "Perhaps it does."

"Kurapika." Leorio shifted closer to him. "Kurapika, look at me."

"I-"

"Just do it."

Kurapika slowly raised his eyes to his.

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe your clan would have never wanted you to turn out like this? Really, if someone else had survived instead of you, would you have wanted this path for them?" Leorio took his friend by the shoulders. "Be truthful."

"I wish..." Kurapika lowered his gaze once more. "I wish the Spiders killed me too. So I could die with them in peace."

"Kurapika." Leorio's voice softened. "That's... that's a normal thought, you know. Sometimes, when it gets so hard, I start wishing the same. That doesn't mean it's okay though."

"Nothing's okay, Leorio. Nothing." A stary tear trickled down his cheek, dripping onto the cheap leather of the couch. "Everything's so screwed. I'm so screwed. If only I would have killed the Spiders back in York New City I- it would have been so much better. If the fucking Spiders hadn't killed my clan in the first place, everything would have been so fucking better."

"You can't change the past, Kurapika. But you can change the future. I want you to-"

"There's nothing left for me." Kurapika lashed out, getting up to turn away from him. "Nothing." His breath came out in irregular gasps. "My clan is dead. And soon, I'll die too. That's it-"

I'm here for you, Leorio wanted to scream, yet nothing came out. Instead, he felt a sudden heat of emotion in his chest. Sadness? Anger? Rushing forward, he grabbed Kurapika and pinned him to the wall with a kiss. Hard. Angry. Compassionate.

As the shock passed away, Kurapika shoved him back. "No." He whispered, wiping his lips with trembling hands.

Leorio suddenly felt ashamed. "I just-"

"Get out." Kurapika whispered, shaking his head as he struggled to breathe. "Leave."

"Kurapika, just listen to me-"

"Fuck. Off."

With tight shaking fists, Leorio walked out of the hotel.

_____

It had been a week since then, and Leorio couldn't stop thinking about it. He could barely sleep, tossing and turning all night- thinking about what he could do for his friend- or more than that? Was he more than that? Wasn't that just a hurried move? He had not truly meant the kiss part, had he?

The next morning, Leorio decided to quit running away from his problems. When dialling Kurapika's number didn't work, he drove back to the shabby hotel.

"Is Kurapika still registered in Room 203?"

The receptionist gave him a disgusted look. "Oh yea. Him. He's still here." Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the computer. "All I keep seeing from him are booze orders, booze orders, and booze orders." She dramatically counted on her fingers.

Leorio fought the urge to punch her. Or punch anything in general. Especially Kurapika.

Running up to his room, he knocked on the door. "Open up, you idiot!" When that didn't work, he tried the handle of the door. Easily, it bowed down.

"Hey! Why the fuck is the door unlocked, huh?!" Leorio yelled, entering the room. "You even there?"

His gaze travelled through the gray cement walls, the empty couch, and the herd of empty cans and bottles covering the ground. "Seriously, you drank this much in just a week?"

"Gosh this place stinks." He muttered. Failing to find him in the kitchen and the bedroom, he moved to check the bathroom. And there he finallt found him, curled up on the floor beneath the sink.

"What the fuck?" Leorio cursed under his breath, instantly crouching down to check his pulse. Stable. He had only passed out.

As gently as possible, he carried Kurapika to the bed, laying him on his side. Just in case, he also placed a bucket near him.

While waiting for him to wake up, Leorio decided to start cleaning up the place. There was no room service- guests were expected to clean up after themselves- only a janitor down in the lobby, always to be found sitting in a corner and playing games on his phone. Borrowing a few supplies from him, Leorio got to work.

First, the collection of empty cans and bottles. Tying it all neatly- along with some other trash- in black plastic bags, he carried it out to the dumpster in the back of the building.

"Cleaning up for your friend?" The receptionist rolled her eyes as he passed by. "Oh, how sweet. Or did he just call you over for a clean up?"

"None of your business, hag." Leorio rolled his eyes back at her.

The receptionist smirked.

When he got back up, he found a puddle of vomit underneath Kurapika's face. Cursing himself for ever leaving him alone, he began wiping away at his face and hair. Once satisifed, he carried him over to lie down on the couch instead.

He took off the bedsheet to wash in the sink, wiped the mattress, and continued his flow. After vacuuming the place, helping the unconscious Kurapika throw up once more, and a few smaller chores; Leorio finally settled down on the floor against the couch, feeling quite pleased with himself... but also, hungry.

"Alright, I'll just order takeout." Leorio mumbled to himself.

"Hungry." A weak voice replied back.

Leorio smiled, turning around to face him. "Finally awake now, huh?"

"Leorio..." Kurapika whispered, barely able to even keep his eyes open. "... I'm sorry."

Leorio felt his chest tighten. "We can talk about it later. Do you want some water?"

Kurapika slowly nodded.

By the time Leorio returned from the kitchen, Kurapika had pulled himself together enough to sit up, albeit still needing support from the backrest.

"Drink up."

With a small nod, Kurapika took the glass in his shaking hands. Leorio watched carefully as Kurapika drank it, ready to catch the glass during a potential slip of hands.

Kurapika returned the glass and curled up further into himself, anticipating another argument.

Instead, Leorio gently prompted. "Do you want to talk?"

Kurapika stared at his knees. "Maybe."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath Leorio sat down beside him, further away than he'd have liked. But he should give him space. "So... to be blunt, I think you should stop with your whole mission and find something better to do with your life. Thoughts?"

Kurapika back bowed further, nose touching the knees. "It'd be a betrayal." He whispered.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because, and get this in your head, it's not your fault. It's not your fault the Spiders did what they did. Even if you were with them at the time, you would not have been able to save them. Yeah?"

Kurapika suddenly looked angry. "Yeah? What, yeah? You're doing the exact same thing I am- dedicating your life to lost loved ones. You're only working so hard to be a doctor because you feel guilty about letting your friend die."

"You're wrong."

"No."

"Yes." Leorio clenched his hands into a tight fist, digging them into his thighs. "There's a huge difference between what I'm doing and what you are. You wanna know? Sure. You're avenging the dead while I'm making sure what happened doesn't happen again. If I would be going for revenge like you are, I would have been trying to kill the doctors or politicians or whoever due to whom my friend wasn't able to get medical attention. But instead, I'm going to be a doctor. I'm going to be a good change in the world. It's a much less selfish cause than yours is."

"What now..." Kurapika's eyes dimmed. "You expect me to do what then? Be a bounty hunter? That's no better-"

"You're missing my point, Kurapika. If you really wanna deal with your guilt, you should do it in a healthy way. Being a bounty hunter isn't a healthy way either, at least for you. You could... you could maybe help conserve other small clans like yours?" Leorio smiled, proud of his own ideas. "Yeah yeah yeah! You could totally do that, Kurapika! It won't be easy to let go of your habits but won't it be a much better way to honor their memory?"

"...and the scarlet eyes? I should just let them stay in their dirty hands? And the Spiders... they should just- just roam around freely?"

"No."

"Then-"

"You will do all of that too. But not alone, Kurapika. Never alone again. We'll figure something out. There's Gon and Killua too. I bet they're way stronger now. We could add more people in the group. It'd work out, I promise. We'll do both the Spiders and scarlet eyes thing, and the clan saving thing. Just don't- just don't drift away."

"I don't want to involve-"

"Kurapika, we're friends. That's what friends do!"

Kurapika closed his eyes, taking a deep shaky breath. "Just friends?" He turned to look at him, a small smile on his lips.

"Is that- is that a... yes?"

Kurapika's smile widened and that was all the confirmation Leorio needed.

[summersnow82]

Oh, the Turtles You'll Meet: Part 7 of That Familiar Feeling

Or....

Leo does a deep dive into his counterpart's memories, and here we are. Enjoy.

Fanfiction_TMNT Bayverse/ 2003 crossover

Author’s note: Part 7 of That Familiar Feeling. Hello, my lovelies. Thank you for reading. I've got a few other fics I've been neglecting, so it may take a bit to get the next part written. Please bear with me.

.....

The first time they’d laid eyes on her she’d been an open wound; a massive, bloody, pulpy mess they could barely distinguish as female. The whirling vortex spit her out into the lab like it was trying to remove a bad taste from it’s mouth. Her body slapped against the ground, a motionless heap, and the portal closed; it’s business was complete.

The autodocs had their work cut out for them, and as Donnie was quick to note, had they been in another time with lesser technology they would’ve been burying a body instead of trying to heal one. It was weeks before she began to look human again, and even then Donnie cautioned against lowering the force field. Until she was stable he refused to move her.

“Do you think she’ll ever wake up?” Leo asked one morning as Donnie was running his ritual diagnostics.

“The autodocs have done some amazing work,” Donnie said, his hand waving over the tablet in his hand. “I think she’s got a chance.”

“I still say we shoulda dropped her at the hospital,” Raph grumbled. Leo said nothing, but he knew Raph was still grumpy over their experience with Dark Leo.

“She came out of a portal, Raph. That doesn’t intrigue you just a little?” Donnie asked.

Raph shrugged. “More like what happened to get her in that kinda condition in the first place. I mean, what the shell happened to her?”

No one answered that question. They’d seen a lot of terrible things, but nothing like the bloody pulp this woman had once been.

“Once she’s stable I’d like to get her cleaned up,” Donnie said. “The autodocs can only do so much.” He finally raised his eyes from his tablet. His voice sounded tenuous as he asked softly, “Any volunteers?”

Mikey was standing right outside the force field’s barrier. He’d been unusually quiet when it came to their mystery patient. “I’ll do it,” he said, raising a hand to signal Donnie’s attention.

It didn’t surprise any of his brothers when Mikey followed through on his word. Donatello had laid out several thick towels on a stainless steel operating table, and the brothers gingerly transferred their now stable but unconscious house guest onto the towels. Her clothes had been tattered and torn, and there wasn’t much left, so they placed more towels over her body to offer her some privacy. Mikey washed her hair until the water was no longer brown from the caked on blood, and he delicately sponged her body clean. They would later lie and tell her the autodocs were capable of this work to spare her modesty, but if you’d asked Michelangelo he would’ve told you there was nothing remotely arousing about caring for someone so badly abused.

His care for her didn’t end there, though. When she’d finally woken up he’d spent hours outside her locked bedroom door just rambling. He talked about the Silver Sentry, the Turtle Titan, skateboarding, the future, their home in New York, life in the sewers, his favorite pizza – anything to give her a sense she was safe. It was a well known fact people who want to kill you don’t sit outside your door reading you comic books.

At least, that’s what Mikey told his brothers when they’d ask just what the shell he was doing.

Sometimes Cody or Donnie would join him. They all took turns bringing her food, and speaking (or in Raph’s case grunting) through the door, but Mikey was the consistent one. He was the one who heard her crying, or groaning in her sleep, and all too often, he heard her scream. He promised himself then and there he was never going to let anyone else hurt her ever again.

Of course, Mikey was still naive enough to believe every promise made can be kept.

…………..

When she finally did come out of her room for the first time it was when she suspected everyone would be sleeping. She crept around the penthouse taking in her surroundings, and only forgot herself when she looked out the window. The futuristic New York skyline was nothing short of breathtaking, and it was even more incredible at night.

“Pretty, ain’t it?” She spun, pressing her back against the glass, and stared at Raphael. He’d seen the looks before; the fear, the confusion, the disgust. Something about the way this woman was staring at him felt different, though. “I ain’t gonna hurt ya,” he said gently, holding his hands up, and taking a few steps back. “Began to wonder if you were ever coming outta that room. Ya hungry?”

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, and she frowned. “Is this,” her voice came out broken and raspy from disuse, and she swallowed hard. “Is this real? This place? You? Me?”

Raph nodded. “Yup. ‘Fraid so. Not a big fan of the future, but here we are.”

Her frown deepened, and she looked down. “Future,” she murmured. She looked up quickly, her eyes wide with fear. “There was a man,” she started.

“No man. Not here. You don’t gotta worry about him hurting you again. Promise.” Raph clenched his fists as he spoke. He’d had plenty of time to stew over just what kind of torture leaves a human body looking like a bloody wad of meat, and he had strong feelings of retribution.

She shook her head, and he noticed she looked more upset now. “No. There was a man with me. Tall, blonde, blue eyes. He must be here. He has to be.” Her voice was still broken and cracked, but it was getting louder with the stress of her words.

Raph frowned. He wasn’t the best with emotions, and an emotionally distressed woman was out of his wheelhouse. “Listen, lady, I’m tellin’ ya you don’t have to worry about it. You’re safe. There’s no man here.” He took a step forward, and she slammed her back against the glass.

“No no no no no no no no no no,” she cried, thrusting a hand over her mouth to muffle her cries.

He froze, suddenly quite fearful himself. He’d experienced fear before – shell, sometimes he even liked it – but he’d never witnessed anyone this terrified. “I ain’t gonna hurt ya,” he whispered softly, desperately.

She was sliding down the glass window, biting her knuckles to muffle her cries. “He’s dead. Oh my gosh, he’s dead. He’s dead. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. Oh, God, please no.” Her pleas were rising in volume, and before he could react she bit her knuckle hard enough to draw blood, and let out a devastating wail. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she opened her mouth to scream again.

“Raph, what the shell?” Leo’s eyes were wide as he burst into the room with Splinter and Cody on his heels. Donnie and Mikey were seconds behind, and they all took in the woman before them in the throes of a full blown panic attack. “Miss?” Leo asked softly. He was moving slowly closer to her, and when she realized it she thrust out an arm, and scrambled away until she hit a corner in the wall.

“Don’t touch me, please don’t touch me. Please don’t touch me. Please don’t hurt me.”

“Leo,” Donnie cautioned.

“I won’t touch you,” Leo promised, crouching down to be on her level. “And we won’t hurt you. I promise.” She’d closed her eyes again, and was trying to get control over her labored breathing. “Our autodocs were able to heal you, but you’ve been out for weeks.” He tilted his head. No response. “Is there someone we can call for you?”

She shook her head, but refused to meet his eyes. “I need Sean. I need Sean. He has to be here, but he’s not which means he’s dead, which means they killed him too, which means…,” her voice broke off into a sob, and she buried her face in her hands. “I can’t do this without him,” she whimpered.

“I’m sorry,” Leo said gently. He felt helpless – what could he say to her?

“We could try to locate this Sean for you,” Donnie offered, and once again Leo was thankful his brother was so kind and gentle.

She shook her head. “If he’s not here… if he’s not here,” her voice broke again, and she tucked her knees up to her chin. “I can’t do this without him,” she repeated in a barely audible whisper before her sobs took control again.

………….

It was, unsurprisingly, Master Splinter who was able to calm her down. He moved slowly, kneeling down a foot across from her, and waited. When she did lift her head she gasped, hiccuped, and made a valiant effort to control her breathing. “You are safe here, Miss.”

She swallowed hard, wiped her nose on her sleeve, and nodded. “I know.” She hiccuped again. “Bad guys don’t save a nobody just to kill them later.”

Master Splinter tilted his head to the a touch. “I do not think you are a nobody. I do not think anyone here thinks that.” He paused. “I am called Splinter. These are my sons: Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael,” he said, gesturing to each of the turtles. “And this,” he waved a hand towards Cody, “Is Cody Jones, our benefactor, host, and inventor of the technology that saved your life.” He looked back at her, a gentle smile on his furry face. “May I ask what we should call you?”

Her eyes darted to the side, and she gave a shaky exhale. “Sean says we shouldn’t use our real names. It’s not safe, and…,” she stopped herself, and ducked her head again.

Donatello’s brow furrowed. “Does this have anything to do with the whirling vortex that spit you out a few weeks ago?”

She blinked, surprised, and sat up a bit. “I landed here?” They all nodded, and she looked even more surprised.

“We arrived here in a… similar fashion,” Leo said.

“Time travel,” Cody added, moving closer.

She sat up straighter, and her grip relaxed a touch. “You too?” Again, they all nodded.

“Perhaps now you would feel comfortable sharing your name with us,” Master Splinter suggested, but she still seemed hesitant.

“My friends call me Belle,” she said softly, tucking her head back behind her knees.

“It is an honor to finally meet you, Miss Belle,” Splinter said, giving a small bow. “I know you have many questions for us, and we for you. Perhaps this conversation would be more pleasant at the table with some refreshments.”

“I am a little hungry,” she admitted, almost as if she were embarrassed by it.

“I imagine you are. Let’s see what we have.”

She was bashful requesting food, hesitant to lift her head to meet the eyes of those around her, and very wary of any potential contact. She answered questions slowly, cautiously, and as briefly as possible, so Splinter took the opportunity to tell her the story of how he came to be a single father of four turtles, how he named them, taught them, and how they came to be here in the year 2105.

“When your portal opened up there was a spike in the seismic readings. It was brief, and most wouldn’t think anything of it, but I could certainly run a report to see if there have been any other similar spikes. Maybe Sean came after you when it was safer,” Donatello offered. Her eyes remained lowered, but a small smile graced her pale, cracked lips.

“Yes, thank you. I would appreciate that.”

“So this Sean guy’s a friend?” Raph asked, cocking his head to the side. He still felt strangely protective of the meek woman sitting across from him.

“He’s my best friend,” she answered softly. “He’s family.” Mikey noticed how she seemed to shrink further into her chair, and the fat teardrops that rolled silently off her nose onto her clasped hands.

“Here.” He held out a tissue to her, and she swallowed hard, accepting it without meeting his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m not normally like this. Before…,” she choked, and ducked her head trying to regain her composure.

“What did they do to you?” Cody asked softly.

“Cody!”

“Dude!”

“I’m sorry,” Cody said. “I’ve just never seen anything like…,” he trailed off, realizing how his words sounded. “I’m sorry.”

“It is late,” Master Splinter said. “And such matters take time to discuss. Perhaps you will feel comfortable enough to share with us at a later time, but please do not feel pressured.”

She nodded. “I…um…I know I’ve been an inconvenience to all of you. I promise I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“An inconvenience?” Leo asked, arching an eye ridge, and exchanging looks with his brothers.

“We don’t have hair,” Mikey chirped. “I mean, Cody does, and Master Splinter has fur, but we don’t. Besides, a pretty girl like you is never an inconvenience.”

“I’m not pretty anymore,” she whispered. “Not after what he did to me.”

Again, the turtles exchanged looks, but no one spoke – they didn’t know what to say.

Finally, Cody said, “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. It’s been pretty lonely with just Serling and me. I appreciate the company.”

Later, when she was better mentally and physically, she would tell Cody how much his offer meant to her. In that moment though all she could do was bury her face in her hands and cry from relief.

[starlightvld]

Trading Pain for Panacea

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: Teen Relationships: Sheith (Shiro/Keith) Chapters: 1/1 * Words: 3,695 * Status: COMPLETE

In a post-war universe in need of healing, Shiro gets sick, muses over his relationship with pain, and comes to some realizations. As always, Keith is there to take care of him.

... As he dragged himself into the apartment he shared with Keith on Atlas, he remembered pain. Every muscle, every ligament ached, and exhaustion weighed him down. Altas hummed in the back of his mind, and pressed forward encouraging thoughts of going to Medical. But Shiro had faced far more painful things than this. Surely he just needed some sleep. He managed to pull off his uniform jacket and collapse on the couch before passing out. He woke to a cool hand pressed against his forehead. "Stubborn man," murmured a voice he'd know anywhere. "Only you could sleep through something like this."

Read on AO3

Written for the @ficwip Hey, Sweetheart 2023 event.

[waveofahand]

Chapter 47: “Tearing out the Jagger Temptation”

In Chapter 47 of “Hello, Goodbye”:

Things are getting better between John and Paul. They couldn't have gotten much worse. But as we saw in the last chapter, things are beginning to mend between them, thanks in no small part to John Lennon realizing he needed to step up his game and John Dawson's helpful letter to Paul. He has a lot to say in his diary -- and the time, finally, to say it. Let's just say he's a man in love.... You can read it at A03. 

[triscribeaucollection]

Anytime

It took two days for Inko’s fretting to ease up enough for her to approve another attempted training session after the villain attack. Izuku, at least, seemed to bounce back pretty quickly, insisting that he’d felt something when pushing Tenko out of the way and practically demanding the chance to try channeling it again.

Toshinori, faced with overwhelming youthful enthusiasm, put on his widest grin and of course agreed. When Izuku darted off to change into gym clothes, however, that expression faded into something much more concerned. Tenko made a point of sidling up to him and gently giving the man a nudge. “This is what he wants to do, remember?”

“I know,” his uncle murmured. After a moment, he went on, “I admit, until now I’ve held a, a rather rose-tinted vision in my mind of what Izuku with One for All will look like. It’s only just clicked, though, that he’s going to start throwing himself forward with greater abandon from now on.”

“He is the kid who threw a shoe at All for One’s face,” Tenko agreed in a dry tone, making Toshinori snort. “But I think UA will be good for him. If nothing else, Aizawa-sensei is very practiced at knocking hard heads together until his students learn to be careful with themselves.”

“An excellent point, my boy.”

---

So. Good news! Izuku figured out how to activate his new Quirk.

Bad news - turning it on at full power apparently shattered all the bone and muscle in his arm.

---

Tenko first met Recovery Girl when he was a kid, and visited her infirmary a few times during his high school years. During those brief visits, he’d never seen anything besides her gentle, generally kind bedside manner. Witnessing that grandmotherly demeanor turned from a passive to almost weaponized state proved to be... an interesting experience.

For one thing, she managed to thoroughly chastise both his uncle and cousin without once ever raising her voice or using foul words. Her Healing Quirk was of course beyond impressive, and watching her hold up a piece of candy close enough to Izuku’s face to make him go cross-eyed looking at it almost made Tenko burst out laughing.

“Are you going to make sure this doesn’t happen again on a whim, young Midoriya?”

“Yes, Recovery Girl.”

“Good. Take this and get out while I fuss at your father some more.”

Both cousins were rather red-faced as they stepped out of the infirmary, Izuku from embarrassment and Tenko from trying to hold back his amusement. The little old woman’s voice started up again right as the door closed behind them, but rather than linger to try and eavesdrop, Tenko went ahead and pulled his cousin along towards the elevator. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Izuku admitted, listing a little to one side as he walked. “And, confused - Dad never said anything about this happening to him.”

Tenko hummed, thinking of the couple of pictures Gran Torino showed him once, of a very young and very tall and very buff Uncle Toshi in his UA gym uniform. “Pretty sure he was about twice as big as you when Grandma Nana first gave him One for All.”

His baby cousin pulled a face at that, and Tenko gave in to the urge to ruffle his messy hair as the elevator doors opened for them. “It can’t just be the difference in muscle mass, can it? I mean- the other Bearers, it isn’t likely all of them were the same size-”

“Ah, I’m gonna stop you right there. What is One for All, at its core?”

Izuku blinked at him, gaze going a bit distant as Tenko pushed the button for his personal floor. “...it’s a stockpiling Quirk.”

“Mmhm. Meaning, as each Bearer wielded it, One for All kept getting stronger with every generation. Uncle Toshi got it from Grandma Nana, and spent decades using and strengthening and adding more to the stockpile.” He paused for a moment to let that sink in. “You’re now carrying around more power than any other Bearer before you, Izu, so I can’t really say I’m surprised it’s proving to be overwhelming at first.”

“But I’ve got to master it, I can’t let Dad down-!”

Even as the doors opened for them, Tenko tugged on Izuku’s hair until the boy looked up to meet his serious gaze. “You won’t. You could decide to bail on being a Hero and just open up a bookshop or something, and he’d be proud of you. And so would I. What you decide to do with your life isn’t nearly as important as how you live it.”

“...but I’ve got One for All now,” Izuku muttered, hunching his shoulders a little. “I can’t just let it go to waste.”

Tenko shrugged, catching the elevator doors before they could close again and nudging his cousin out. “I mean, the whole point of all the other Bearers building it up was so that it could be used to beat All for One. Uncle Toshi did that. What you choose to do with it now is up to you.”

Izuku didn’t say anything else, as Tenko got him settled at the kitchen table with a mug of warm tea while the young man fixed them both some lunch. “...Tenko?”

“Mm?”

“Thanks.”

He shot a smile over his shoulder. “Anytime.”

---

I am still working on this next chapter for Double Take, but I promise it’s not abandoned - I just need to make it to the start of Izuku’s school year, and then some of my pre-written snippets will kick in.

[therealcocoshady]

Literally me, every time I see your comments and asks after I post a new chapter on this blog 😭❤️

[bardic-tales]

Title: Healing

Pairing: Bianca (F!OC) / Sephiroth

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 374

Fandom: Final Fantasy 7

Warnings: Dark themes, emotional trauma, emotional vulnerability, implied torture, mental anguish, mistrust, physical abuse, psychological conflict, PTSD, scars, strained relationship, supernatural powers, toxic relationship, trauma recovery, trust issues, unresolved conflict.

Summary: Bianca struggles to trust Sephiroth due to the physical and emotional trauma inflicted by his future self, despite his efforts to heal her and provide comfort, leading to an unresolved emotional conflict between love and fear.

Squared Filled: Trust Issues

Created for: @whumptober

1.

“Why are you doing this?” Bianca shied away from his hand, as her breath hammered in throat. Ugly marks ringed around her wrist: crimson against the delicate skin. The raw skin ached when it was touched, as small, bloody lines amalgamated with the dark purple bruises.

“I would never hurt you, Bia.” Sephiroth knelt before her. A forest green haze oscillated around him, raising up off of his shoulders like fine mist before twisting around, descending, to rejoin the rest of the wispy veil that covered his body.

As he gently grasped Bianca’s arm, he brushed his thumb over the marred flesh. The coiling, wispy, green mist floated from his fingertips over to Bianca like threads snaking out and wrapping around her forearm. Despite the magic bathing her in its calming embrace, the doubts and insecurity bubbled to the surface like the various Mako fonts around Gaia.

“How can I trust you when you look so much like him?” Bianca said as she tried to remove her hand from Sephiroth’s tender touch. He held onto her, allowing his limited magic to wash over her wounds, knitting the flesh close and repairing the damaged muscles.

Sephiroth wanted to help her, but she couldn’t calm the suspicion flowing through her thoughts like the Lifestream, the river of memories and souls, streaming within the Planet. Once again, she tried to pull her hand away but he held her still.

There was no resolution, but Sephiroth continued to hold her in his arms, trying to blot out all memories all the pain and torture that his future self put her in like an eclipse beautiful and dangerous to look at but protecting her from the harsh rays of the sun. He couldn’t reach her, but she knew that he would be strong for her. Sephiroth always was. He tried to be her rock, the very essence of her soul, but she couldn’t see past the gray hair, the cyan eyes, and the soft, whisper-like voice that he shared with his other half. She stayed completely still in his embrace with her arms hanging down to her sides like wet noodles. How could she trust him when he looked so much like the One-Winged Angel? Bianca asked herself again.

[illusioncanthurtme--art]

These are a couple doodles from yesterday, Gideon as a younger teen, before the growth spurt, maybe 14? He's discovered he's a vampire, and has a lot of recovery to do, since he's severely blood deficient.

I'm gonna let myself explode about my vampire gideon ideas, under construction, under the cut: (I don't write fanfiction, I just throw up my ideas on a tumblr post, apparently :'D)

This is what I love about tumblr - it's a place where I can throw the doodles (something that isn't finished *artwork*), and let myself be really delusional about fictional characters. So I'm gonna take a moment to ramble about the ideas I have for Gideon as a vampire.

If you're a fellow Gideon Head, HI THERE... anyway, here's my thought process on a potential vampire-gideon backstory???

I've always liked the idea of gideon being a vampire, and also becoming a much better person when he's older. And that got me thinking, maybe those two things are linked. Maybe the vampire thing is somehow tied into his reformation.

But I tend to lean towards building my ideas off canon (as opposed to making an AU). And if gideon was a vampire, and knew this during the events of the show, it would have come to light at some point. So, either he doesn't know he's a vampire, or he becomes one later. Becoming one later works narratively, but he's already so vampiric, with the white hair, pale skin, sunscreen, evil, etc. So I'm like, let's go with that.

So, gideon has gone his whole life without knowing he's a vampire, and without drinking blood. I'm thinking that being a vampire in this case (my gravity falls fan version of what a vampire would be) wouldn't adhere to typical vampire conventions. You don't NEED to drink blood to survive.

Here's the idea I got yesterday: after the events of weirdmageddon, gideons experience motivated him to become a better person. It was the awakening, basically. But in the subsequent years, he's still a little shit. Maybe he's in juvenile detention, or prison again. But now, he has the self awareness to know that what he's doing is wrong. This is where my ideas get a little fuzzy, so bear with me. Bud has his suspicions, and as a last resort, puts gideon on some sort of mission trip type of cross country trip, when he's in his teens. And along the way, maybe at the end, there's this secret group of vampires that open gideons eyes to what he really is.

Basically??? Without blood, gideon is very evil. He's an evil little shit. This may not be how it is for every vampire. Maybe some grow very sickly without blood, just get hungry, etc. The effects of blood deficiency vary from vampire to vampire. But Gideon becomes very unhinged. And he'd essentially been Blood Hangry for his whole life. That being said, some of it was just his personality that he needed to work through, but drinking some blood helped a LOT. Blood isn't food for him, it's more like his medication.

Once he has that discovery, he spends a long while, I'm thinking maybe even a year, just recovering from the deficiency. He's almost always drinking blood to keep up his levels, and he's very rarely seen in public to keep the vampire thing a secret. That's what these drawings were supposed to be, him in his pseudo bedridden state. This period in his life would be one big blur; mostly spent binge watching soap operas and being all cozy. In contrast to his usual suit + tie, he's dressing for max comfort: sweatpants, sweatshirt, a knit hat over his ridiculously big hair, and always wrapped in a blanket. Not sure if somehow he feels cold when drinking blood?? But for some reason, I feel like he'd always be wearing like 10 layers and laying under a heated blanket or something.

Eventually, he'd only need to drink blood about once a month for maintenance.

Character development wise - even as an adult, Gideon isn't sure if he's truly a good person. Is the blood deficient version of himself the true gideon? Or is this well adjusted man who he truly is? And there's an issue of the chicken and the egg, too. Gideon was born a vampire. Did these genes activate because he was predisposed to being evil? Or did the vampire thing happen by coincidence? Does being a vampire make him evil, or is it the other way around? He doesn't know, and he never will.

The one thing I'm not sure I like about this idea: i'm worried that I'd be writing off his villainous personality as an illness that can be cured with a thing. Obviously, it would be better if he faced that head on, and figured out how to be better. So I'm still grappling with that. But for now, this is an idea I'm entertaining. Of course, I think it would be interesting if there was a plot point where his usual source of ethically sourced human blood was compromised for a time, and he had to grapple with his personality going topsy turvy.

It's actually embarrassing how much I just wrote???? If you've made it this far, wow, I applaud you. I guess this was just my idea of having a good sunday night, writing down my silly thoughts on gideon gosh darn gleeful. Let me know your thoughts too!!!! I'd love to know if you have any ideas, or questions, or ways to strengthen this potential backstory.

[drag0nalias0]

Gotten to chapter 17 so ive read all thats out so far!!

I cannot stress this enough, this fanfic (and fanart) are amazing!!!!!

for the new chapter of “A Long and Slow Recovery” by @ardenrabbit

[fastandcarlos]

Stuck With Me : ̗̀➛ Jack Doohan

summary: as jack signs his contract with alpine, you soon realise that actually you’re pretty happy to be stuck with him on the team for a little while longer

pairing: jack x f1academy!reader

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by olliebearman, pierregasly and 179,503 others

jackdoohan: always fun spending race weekend in the garage and learning, thank you as always alpine for having me, plenty learnt to take with me moving forwards 🏎️💙

27,052 comments

username1: I wish it was you we got to see in that car instead 😭

estebanocon: awesome to see you, good luck for the rest of the season ☺️

username2: buzzing to see you back in the garage again jack!!

liam.lawson: sweet talk them some more and you might just get a seat 😉

jackdoohan: @/liam.lawson saw right through me huh 😂

username3: wishing that alpine saw how talented you really are and signed you up 💔

ynusername: nice to see you, and maybe show you a thing or two too 😂

jackdoohan: @/ynusername I’m always learning from you 😊

username4: alpine are so damn lucky to have you 🥺

username5: not long until you’ll be behind the wheel jack 🤞🏻

pierregasly: thanks for all your help on the car this weekend!

username6: please make sure you’re at the rest of the races this year, you’re my favourite face on the screen

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by estebanocon, racerbia and 36,068 others

ynusername: another race, another win!! so proud to have got the win here in zandvoort and get plenty of momentum behind me moving forwards as we look to finish off the season strong 💪🏻🏆

4,947 comments

username7: you were amazing out there today 👏🏻

racerbia: can you save some race wins for the rest of us??? 😘

username8: so proud of you yn, controlled that race from start to finish!!

jackdoohan: who knew you were so talented 🤯

ynusername: @/jackdoohan my parents always believed in me thank you very much 😭

username9: formula 1 academy world title pending…⏳

pierregasly: good job out there, glad I got to watch you race again ☺️

username10: can’t believe I finally got to watch you race today, you were electric ⚡️

dorianepin: congrats yn, I’ll get ya next time 😂

username11: you never fail to make your fans so proud 🥺

olliebearman: that race was awesome, you gotta show me how you handled turn 2 like that for next year!!

ynusername: @/olliebearman gimme a time and date and I’m there 😂

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by liam.lawson, oscarpiastri and 58,401 others

jackdoohan: a week off means getting plenty of recovery in and getting back of the waves. amazing to spend it with my favourite person too 🫶🏻

7,052 comments

username12: I’m sorry since when were you a taken man???

oscarpiastri: I’m just going to pretend that middle photo doesn’t exist 😭

username13: you can’t just throw something like this at us jack wtf!

arthur_leclerc: I thought I was the only lover in your life 😭

jackdoohan: @/arthur_leclerc you’re my one true love, this is just a fling bby

username14: you mean to say our fictional relationship can’t come true now 😭

liam.lawson: there’s a whole chapter we seem to have missed out here my friend…

jackdoohan: @/liam.lawson I’ll fill you in at the paddock 😘

username15: have I ever told you how much I hate soft launchers!?

danielricciardo: proud of ya kiddo 😉😉

username16: I want to say congrats but inside my heart is breaking 💔

ynusername: that’s some pretty cool waves you’ve got yourself there 🏖️

jackdoohan: @/ynusername waves aren’t the only thing I’m riding this holiday 🙃

username17: not me more focused on how incredible that body looks in a swimsuit 😂

kimi.antonelli: are we just going to pretend that this middle photo doesn’t exist??

username18: as long as you’re happy jack, most of us fan girls are happy for you too 🥺

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by pierregasly, ynusername and 73,038 others

jackdoohan: such a proud day for me and my family to share that i have officially signed to drive with the alpine f1 team next year. thank you to my team, family and friends for constantly supporting me through the years 🏎️💙

16,968 comments

olliebearman: can’t wait to enter my rookie era with you 😘

jackdoohan: @/olliebearman wouldn’t have it any other way sweetie 😘

username19: there’s never been anyone more deserving of a contract than you!

pierregasly: can’t wait to drive alongside you next year - it’s gonna be awesome!!

username20: can’t wait to see you out on the grid next year 🤩

oscarpiastri: congratulations future formula 1 driver 🤝

username21: you and pierre are gonna be the dream team i can already tell 🤩

ynusername: congratulations ✨ can’t wait to have you officially as part of the team!

jackdoohan: @/ynusername guess you’re officially stuck with me now 😂

username22: can’t wait to be your biggest fan for all the races next year 🥹

username23: future world champion for sure!!!

danielricciardo: another aussie on the grid 🇦🇺🦘

username24: we’re all so proud of you jack, you’re gonna smash it 💪🏻

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by dorianepin, jackdoohan and 23,950 others

ynusername: end of the season and new adventures on their way. looking forward to the next four weeks with my favourite human being 🥺

7,403 comments

username25: wait since when has this been a thing!? 🤯

racerbia: really out here living your best life ain’t ya? 👑

username26: have i woken up from sort of dream to see this 🤔

jackdoohan: what sorta boyfriend would take you out on a zip line like that? 🤔

ynusername: @/jackdoohan definitely one cooler than you 💆🏻‍♀️

jackdoohan: @/ynusername good job I’ve got my own girlfriend to explore with then 🥺

username27: so glad to see you enjoying your break so good yn 🥺

username28: what is it with drivers and teasing us about their partners 😭

landonorris: since you won the championship you’ve really gone for that aesthetic blog look eh!? 👏🏻

username29: as impressive as that last photo is, my eyes can’t look away from the middle 👀

hausmann.tina: idk what your secrets are but I need to know them asap 😂

username30: favourite human…who is this favourite human you speak of???

pierregasly: please do not break a bone on holiday or alpine will lose their minds 😁

username31: all I want is to know who the lucky guy is…

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by pierregasly, oscarpiastri and 22,859 others

ynusername: starting off the season strong with pierre, whenever you fancy showing your face around here @/jackdoohan that would be lovely 😂

4,859 comments

username32: not jack already being thrown under the bus by his fellow drivers 😂

olliebearman: nothing like impressing the bosses on the first day jack 🤦🏻‍♂️

username33: anyone else think jack and yn seem to be suspiciously close to each other 🤔

pierregasly: at least I can rely on you to be on time yn 😂

ynusername: @/pierregasly 🫡🫡🫡

username34: why do I get the feeling pierre and yn are gonna gang up on jack this year 😂

kimi.antonelli: you get used to his poor time keeping I promise you yn ⏳

username35: it really is pick on the rookie season rn!

jackdoohan: some of us wanted to take the time to make sure we look presentable rather than like we just rolled out of bed ☺️

ynusername: @/jackdoohan that’s a harsh thing to say about pierre 😂

username36: I am OBSESSED with the interactions between these two!!!

username37: you know when someone pretends to be mean to distract from something…I wonder 🤔

estebanocon: sure you’re not missing me yet???

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by olliebearman, kimi.antonelli and 59,301 others

ynusername: i guess i can’t keep him a secret forever 🥺💞

12,067 comments

username38: how did no one actually figure this out 🤦🏻‍♀️

olliebearman: at least I don’t need to ask you how your summer break was anymore…

pierregasly: everyone please pray for me having to work alongside these two 🙏🏻

username39: okay but it’s undeniable that these two look incredible together

jackdoohan: I loved being your little secret, but I love being your boyfriend to the whole world more 💕

username40: I thought they hated each other, turns out they love each other 😂

dorianepin: breathing through the pain of knowing you didn’t tell me about this 💔

ynusername: @/dorianepin I’m sorry just didn’t want to risk anything 🥹

liam.lawson: thank god I don’t don’t have to keep my mouth shut anymore 🤐

username41: they really managed to fool us all…

oscarpiastri: wow you two did not hang around did you 😂

username42: imagine having to be the poor head of pr at alpine right now 😬

danielricciardo: ik I joked that f1 was good for the ladies jack but this isn’t what I expected 😂

jackdoohan: @/danielricciardo what can I say, when you know, you know 💞

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by danielricciardo, landonorris and 97,402 others

jackdoohan: an f1 contract wasn’t the only prize I managed to bag myself last season ❤️🌊

24,958 comments

username43: not jack coming at us with the cheesiest caption known to man 😂

arthur_leclerc: I don’t even recognise you anymore 😂

ynusername: turns out you signing for alpine was a pretty cool moment for both of us 🥺

username44: damn he really is a man in love!

username45: already obsessed with this duo and what they’re gonna do on the track this year

pierregasly: fyi there’s a clause in your contract that bans pda in the paddock (definitely didn’t just make this up!)

username46: we need a ship name asap 🛳️

landonorris: the real question though is which prize was better? 😉

jackdoohan: @/landonorris you don’t even need to ask 💕💕

username47: how did none of the grid manage to figure this out!?

username48: this is certainly one way to make sure everyone knows your name 😂

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗