#seriously does anyone like it come on give ir some love..

[altontussy]

alton towers, thorpe park...all good of course... but whereare the heide park fans?!?! speak up please i need you?!?! we have vekoma slc's and basically everything those other parks have just slightly worse?!?! i know i dont usually post like this but please whaere are you all..

[junowritings]

Love what you did for the s/o protecting them request, can I get the same request but with riddle, Vil, and Lilia?

I’m glad you liked it hun~! Apologies for the long wait but here’s another installment for the protective S/O, I sincerely hope you enjoy~! ---------- Riddle

♡ Riddle’s a force to be reckoned with - he takes his position seriously and attends to all matters in a manner of care befitting of a dorm head. It’s one of the reasons why he’s so effective at what he does, and the knowledge and discipline at his disposal works in his favor most of the time. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t attract the ire of others in doing so, if anything, Riddle has amassed quite the number of people who have found some kind of issue with the way that he runs things, and they’ve confronted him in a myriad of ways. Ranging from hurling insults to trying to use their unique magic to their advantage, Riddle’s been swift to handle any such altercations before they got out of hand, so they escalate to anything serious thanks to the usage of his own magic. However, the balance shifts slightly after the unbirthday party event.

♡ Sure, he may be...overly harsh, at times, but after the overblot incident he’s been wanting to make a change for the better. Of course this has been a long winded process, full of little steps, but he’s been making good progress - and you’ve been there through the whole thing, with reassuring smiles and words of affirmation during moments of doubt. It seems that in doing so, some bothersome students see that as a moment of weakness and a chance to bring old grievances to light, believing they can finally get payback, and they eagerly circle in to take advantage of the situation.

♡ Riddle sees it coming, or at least notices that they’re approaching him for a fight when some students move in to surround him in the common room. He takes in the sour expressions, watching them look between one another as though wordlessly seeking a spokesperson for their little group, before Riddle breaks the silence to ask if there’s anything they want to say. One of them steps forward, face twisting up in anger as they jam a finger into his face, yelling about how dare he act as though he did nothing wrong - does he not remember the humiliation he put them all through, shackling them with those damn collars and stripping them of their magic?!

♡ The question is useless - of course Riddle remembers every person he’s used his magic on, it helps no one if he forgot who had been subjected to having their magic stripped away. Riddle also remembers all of the reasons that he’s used said magic, and looking up into the faces that surround him, he can pinpoint exactly what it was that got them put in those collars - vandalism being the particular offense of the student shouting in front of him. Bringing up such facts are useless - it won’t do anything to quell their anger - but he does anyway if only to acknowledge that he’s well aware of who they are. He stands by using his unique magic in those instances, because even if he is working to be more lenient he’s not going to overlook offenses that reflect badly on the dorm and put his fellow students at risk.

♡ His comment only proves to rile up the group - a chorus of hisses and whispers break out as the person before him grits his teeth hard enough Riddle can hear them clack as the student pulls his expression back into a snarl. That hand is still waving in his face, and Riddle, finally fed up with the situation, bats it away and takes a step back to create some distance, already reaching for his wand just in case someone gets the wild idea to bring magic into what is seemingly beginning to escalate into a fight.

♡ Someone in the ring notices his hand move and yells, and the student before him grits his teeth again with a growl. The finger in his face fans out into a hand, grabbing ahold of Riddle’s face hard enough that their nails etch violent red crescents into his skin as he’s yanked forward into the centre of the circle. The voices all crescendo into a chorus of conflicting views - some of them are cheering the scene on while others are shuffling nervously voicing their concerns of things going too far - either way the guy pays no attention to their words and tightens his grip, keeping him rooted into place as he winds a fist back. Riddle grapples with the hand grabbing him, teeth gritted and trying to wrench off the grip with no success; the look he gives the student holding him is scathing, eyes narrowed even as he eyes the raised fist with clear apprehension. The first hit makes contact with his cheek, the second Riddle manages to wrench his head enough to the side to just scrape across the side of his head; however the third freezes in its tracks when a voice bellows out across the crowd, and someone pushes into the circle.

♡ All too quickly, Riddle is shoved away and as he brings a hand to cradle his face a shadow moves to stand between him and the student who grabbed him. Riddle recognizes your voice immediately, and your words drip with venom as you lunge forward and shove the student away, snarling as you verbally tear into them and stun the entire group into silence. ♡ Rarely has Riddle seen you so enraged, but the anger flashes in your eyes as your hands balled into fists, just daring someone to step forward and try taking them on. Just like that it’s as though the wind has been ripped from their sails and the angry mob all but deflates, none of them making a move despite sticking you with resentful glares. 

♡ You pay them no mind, backtracking slowly till you’re side by side with Riddle, and the dorm leader admittedly starts when he feels your hands slip around his shoulders, guiding him to move along with you as you start to make your way back towards the door. The crowd is still blocking the way, hesitating, but when you stick them with a scowl and keep approaching them the group parts and gives you a wide berth, and soon enough you’ve led Riddle out of the room and down the hall, not pausing for a second. It’s only once you’re a safe distance away that you actually speak to him, voice quiet yet firm as you ask him if he’s okay. He glances up at you  - your eyes are trained on the walkway ahead, but he catches your gaze occasionally flickering to look at him or, more accurately, the marks marring his face. Riddle can only imagine what he must look like; the nail marks no longer sting, however the side of his face throbs in a way that bodes poorly for his hopes of it not bruising. The thought makes Riddle seethe, and he honestly has half a mind to go back and take all of their heads till they graduate. But then he watches your expression soften, voice wavering with concern as you tell him that you’ll head straight to Crowley and let him know what happened as soon as you got him to the infirmary - it’s likely not needed, but your concern for him gives the dorm leader enough pause on the thought of going back. He can deal with those delinquents later, for now he lets you guide him, giving his shoulders a comforting squeeze and making sure he stays close.

Vil

♡ People know better than to pick fights with Vil - he’s the epitome of the fact that appearances can be deceiving, and it’s something that the first, second and third years have all learned quickly since he’s worked his way up to dorm leader.  Those that have attempted to take him on in the past have severely underestimated his abilities - he’s not just proficient in magic, but in actual physical scraps. You wouldn’t believe it at first glance, but he’s been involved in fights before, and while he would rather avoid them if they do come up he’s not about to turn tail and flee when he can confront them directly and give anyone stepping out of line a brutal lesson.

♡ He fights swift and harsh, ending quarrels with little more than a bat of the eye. Anyone actively picking fights with Vil is either the most competent magic user this side of twisted wonderland, or they’re naive fools - either way Vil refuses to let such quarrels stand for longer than they have to and has learned to handle them effectively. That’s one of the reasons why when people have a bone to pick with him they rarely ever act on it, much less approach him directly about their perceived sleights; so if someone were to try and accost him it would be quite the confrontation.

♡ Vil spots them before they even approach him - the cautious eyes and whispering is nowhere near as inconspicuous as those students may believe it to be, so Vil’s got his eyes on them from the get-go, just waiting for them to pluck up the courage to confront him directly. They’re up front at least, the abrupt shout of his name gaining the dorm leader’s full attention as the self-proposed leader struts forward with squared shoulders and a seething glare. They’re none too happy, and Vil’s face is tempered into a calm expression as he rises to meet them halfway, the other students of their group trailing behind to see the turnout of this conversation. 

♡ Only there is no conversation, as they don’t even give the dorm head a chance to speak before they take a swing at him. An open palm flies up to meet with his face but Vil wordlessly intercepts it, hand wrapping around the student’s wrist and keeping a firm hold as he narrows his eyes, dropping the pleasantries.  They’re taken aback by the action, and flounder in retaliation, attempting to wrench their hand free from his grip with an angry hiss. Vil has half the mind to consider their plead for him to let go, willing to pass it off as an action pushed by emotion if they apologize and back down; however he doesn’t have the time to release his hold when the student throws up their free hand, curled up into a fist aiming straight for his jaw.

♡ That hand is snagged just as swiftly, however it’s not Vil who catches it. Vil inclines his head to the side watching you step into view, grip hard enough that your knuckles are turning white as you wordlessly stare down Vil’s would-be aggressor. The harshness in your expression hardly fits the usual warmness you exude in his presence, your entire demeanour cold and hostile as you squeeze a little tighter. It’s only once you hear the student yelp and try to step away that both you and Vil simultaneously release your grip, giving them the chance to backpedal and, after a moment of looking desperately between the pair of you, flee back to their group and out of the room.

♡ You make a blunt quip about how they trip over their own feet to get away, grumbling about how ironic it is that they’re the same person who thought it was such a good idea to take a swing at your boyfriend. You’re still glowering in their direction when a hand brushing across your cheek directs your attention back to Vil, the anger on your face washing away into a curious look once you get a look at the calm expression on his face. How is he so chill about this? Shouldn’t he be angry too? It’s not like that person even gave him a reason for picking a fight, just swinging out of nowhere without telling Vil what he’d even done wrong! 

♡ Vil’s voice cuts off your stewing, stating that he didn’t quite realize you had such a bite. That gets him a huff in response as you cast another look at the door the group fled out of, and Vil half-suspects that he may have to step in before you decide to go follow them, so he pulls your focus back to him as he continues. His words of praise for having such a ‘dedicated bodyguard’ are earnest, though you don’t miss the teasing edge behind them; you grumble but don’t turn away as you mutter that of course you’d step in - he can protect himself but that doesn’t mean you’re just going to stand there and let it happen - you want him to know he can rely on you. That nets you a smile and another brush of his hand along your cheek, an action that has you puffing out your chest as you flash a confident grin of your own.

Lilia

♡ It’s hard to imagine that many would have the guts to take on Lilia without some kind of elaborate trick up their sleeve. The Diasomnia dorm itself is an imposing dorm, both in appearances and in the students who reside there, with one of the more intimidating dorm heads as their leader to boot. Needless to say its reputation precedes them, so there’s few people who would so openly voice their grievances unless they’ve got the guts and confidence to back themselves up. Lilia himself is no exception - sure he comes off as playful and more than a little mischievous, but many know better than to actually take that at face value. The rumors surrounding his age and ability alone make some shy away from confrontation - some, but not all.

♡ Perhaps it’s the fact that Lilia is more open and welcoming out of the dorm, or maybe it’s just because some people are too headstrong to let bygones be bygones, but when someone’s got a bone to pick with him, Lilia can hear it coming from a mile away - literally. Even without his impeccable hearing, they’re not exactly quiet about their gripes as they grumble their plans amongst themselves; Lilia would have probably ambled over to see what the ruckus was about if they hadn’t finally decided to come over, rolling up their sleeves and sticking close together as they approach him.

♡ It’s a small group - three students that Lilia recognizes from the other dorms, and at the call of his name he turns to look at them, smiling at them as they approach. That smile falters only a tad upon seeing the angry expressions marring their faces as they approach, seeming to only get angrier when Lilia doesn’t even flinch watching them circle around him. 

♡ One student lunges forward and Lilia sidesteps them without hesitation, spinning only to grab them by the back of their blazer and tug them back onto their feet before they can fall flat on their face and make a fool of themselves. They sputter, whipping around to give the still grinning Diasomnia student an incredulous look before letting out a yowl of frustration and diving for him again. That attempt is just as unsuccessful, and by the fourth attempt to grab him, the guy’s little friends deem it the perfect time to try grappling for the boy, each with varying degrees of failure.

♡ It would almost make for a hilarious sight to anyone watching; their movements get increasingly more desperate the longer Lilia evades their grasp, and he just looks more and more amused by the fact that it’s so easy to slip out of their grips. If they’d approached him more calmly perhaps Lilia wouldn’t have minded staying still and letting them speak, but as things stand they haven’t just come to talk things out - they’ve come to pick a fight, so if they want one they’re going to have it on his terms.  

♡ There’s a yell from the other side of the room, and all four heads turn just in time to catch you rounding the doorway, storming over to them with proverbial hackles raised and a deep enough scowl to make anyone tense. If you weren’t terrifying enough, the person who rounds the corner to follow you certainly does. The moment the other students catch sight of Malleus appearing behind you has them shrieking in unison, and the small group narrowly avoids landing in a pile of limbs on the floor as they try to scatter to the winds and flee. Malleus, who hadn’t seen the confrontation, watches them go with a perplexed expression; you on the other hand look ready to burst as you dart past your partner to chase after them, cusses already bubbling on your lips.

♡ Lilia’s grip is gentle but firm as he tugs you back, essentially stopping you from going after his pursuers. You’re none too pleased about being stopped, but you turn your focus back to him just as quickly, swiveling on your heel till you’re face to face and taking his face into your hands asking if he’s hurt. You look this way and that way, trying to discern if they even got a breath of a hit in - not that they would of course, you knew that but it didn’t hurt to check anyway. Lilia seems chuffed at the attention, letting out a content hum as the mischievous grin on his face mellows out into a happier expression, easing your concerns with his words as he assures you that those students did nothing but get a bit too rambunctious, reassuring you despite the way you glare in the direction they’d ran off when he turns to address Malleus.

[tenthgrove]

Hello, I just saw that you opened your request. I'm the one who ended up writing a whole prompt! Imagine this for each member from La Squadra: they had an one-night stand with a random woman, she accidentally got pregnant and decided to have the baby without telling them. After a while, the woman got ill and passed away, but not without before sending her child with their father (let's imagine she has the direction of their hideout even if it's ooc, or she knew where they hang out). So, one day someone knocks the door and introduces themselves as the kid of one of the members/if it's too young, someone left them on the door with a explainatory note... How do you think each member would react by discovering that they have a child and they're supposed to take care of them from now? You can make each kid with different ages if you want, it would be funny to see Prosciutto or Ghiaccio dealing with a rebellious teenage son or Risotto trying to take care of a toddler, but I guess not all of them would want to keep their children. Sorry if it's a lot, haha.

La Squadra did a Diavolo

La Squadra x Reader, Platonic/Familial, SFW

A/N: your idea about mixing up the ages got me thinking, and I ended up using randomisers for the children’s ages (though I did consciously change some of them) and genders. It added a fun bit of chance to this prompt.

Formaggio, with an 8 year old daughter

The whole thing feels surreal to him. There's a little girl on his doorstep calling herself his daughter and by all evidence, it's true. He doesn't really know how to feel about it at first. On one hand it's kind of cool he had a kid all this time and you're clearly a lovely girl, but on the other hand, what the fuck? Still, not being the practical sort, his sense of sentiment far outweighs any question of how he's actually going to look after a child, so without much deliberation, Formaggio agrees to let you stay.

Formaggio isn't too experienced with kids but he doesn't exactly dislike them either, so he figures he knows what to do. At your age you can at least do the basics of looking after yourself, so he isn't too worried. The only problem is that if you ask him to cook for you or help clean your room, his eyes go very wide. He never quite picked up those skills himself, he's afraid, so you're going to have to ask someone else for that one.

The good news is that Formaggio is a very easy-going, fun sort of dad, who is a natural at playing with you and lets you do what you want when he can't be around. He quickly gets used to showing affection to you, letting you cuddle up to him on the sofa in front of the squad and even carrying you around once in a while. He gives amazing piggy back rides.

The bad news (or more good news, depending on how you are) is that you have to leave school. Risotto says that at your age you can't be trusted not to tell anyone your new family is a bunch of assassins, and taking you to and from school each day would be too much of a hassle. Nonetheless, you're welcome to continue your education from home, though Formaggio will hardly push you if you don't keep up with it. Melone is much better on that front.

Despite the risk, Formaggio can't bring himself to force you to lose all your friends, so he lets you keep meeting with them. Furthermore, he knows a few guys in other squads who have kids about your age, so he's happy to introduce you to them if you want a friend you can be more honest about your home life with. Formaggio might not have a clue what he's doing, but he's doing pretty good.

Illuso, with a 3 year old daughter

He's been fearing this day would come for years. A small child knocking on the door of the hideout, holding a note in hand addressed to him, just as a shady looking car drives away. Yeah, Illuso remembers your mother pretty well and he remembers the distinct lack of precautions they took during their encounter. Now, the consequences of his actions are here at his house, and Risotto is currently standing in the doorway of the office looking ready to give him the biggest dressing-down of his life.

After his tongue-lashing, Illuso frantically agrees to take responsibility for what he's done and see to it that you're well cared for, and begins the task of looking for relatives who might take you. Unfortunately, none of your mother's family can be traced, and Illuso can't exactly call up his own right now. Leaving you on the door of an orphanage isn't an option because you're old enough to say where you've come from, so it looks like for the time being, Illuso is stuck with you.

Initially, Illuso is not thrilled. He pawns you off on Melone, Sorbet and Gelato whenever possible and tries to live his life as before. But increasingly, he can't help finding himself visiting your room whenever he's stressed or has had a bad mission. There's something so pure about gently stroking your hair as you sleep. He can't help but feel... attachment, as he rubs his thumb against your tiny palm.

From then on, Illuso starts to make a point of spending more time with you. You're at the age where you just want to touch and explore everything you're given, so letting you make a mess with his makeup and beauty creams is an easy way for him to observe and learn about you. He even starts doing the more practical things like washing and feeding you every so often.

Eventually, Illuso becomes an actual father to you. He loves you as a father should and puts his time into making you happy. Illuso is glad he didn't give you away, as you've opened his eyes to so many things. For the first time in many years, he feels human. He feels redeemable.

Prosciutto, with a 13 year old son

As you tell him your story Prosciutto racks his brains. He didn't have many one-night-stands in his youth but the ones he did have were so far back he barely remembers them, so your mother's name doesn't immediately ring any bells. If it weren't for the striking resemblance between you, Prosciutto probably would have thrown you out for a liar there and then. But as you are, it's clear you're being honest. He lets you in.

After a short interrogation by Risotto to make certain you aren't acting on behalf of some third party looking to infiltrate the squad, it's agreed you can stay, so long as you keep quiet about it to your friends. At your age you can largely look after yourself and all you really needed was a roof over your head, so there's no problem with you moving into the spare room as long as you stay out of the others' way.

Education isn't much of an issue either, since you're likely well settled in your current school and can get yourself there and back. Just whatever you do, don't go telling anyone you live with a bunch of gangsters now. Prosciutto means it, you could seriously put yourself in danger if you do that.

Much to your father's ire, you end up befriending several members of the squad, especially the younger ones like Melone, Ghiaccio and Pesci who have some generational overlap with how you were raised. Prosciutto would rather you didn't do this but at the end of the day, he can't really stop you. God forbid you call him an old boomer again.

Your relationship is overall positive- Prosciutto makes a point of taking you on outings when he has the time, and giving you parental advice when you need it. However that doesn't stop you from making fun of his stuffy, old habits, and playing the moral high ground in regards to his work.

On that note, the problem comes when you develop an interest in the squad's work. It's only inevitable, given how pervasive the topic is in conversations around the house, and the fact you're more than old enough to know what a gang is, but the day you first ask him about it is no less welcome. What's scary is that you're about the same age as Passione's youngest recruits and, well, if you ended up joining them because of him, Prosciutto might never forgive himself.

Pesci, with a 6 month old son

He knew it had been a mistake. Not long after his 18th birthday he'd given in to the squad's pestering about his virginity and finally gotten rid of it just to shut them up. Now he's ridden with guilt. Not only did the poor woman get pregnant because of him but now she's died. He can't help but wonder, the letter attached to the basket you came in was very vague after all, was your mother's death at all related to your birth? If so, Pesci doesn't know how he'll forgive himself.

Pesci immediately panics and stumbles into his Fra's bedroom crying louder than you are. Prosciutto remains calm, advising him to first make sure this actually is his baby through Melone, in case this is somebody trying to trick him, and to then think through his options rationally. As far as Prosciutto sees it, he has two. He can either see to it that you're taken in by a caring, reliable individual, or he can keep you for himself. Surprisingly, Prosciutto's actually okay with the second one, since in his eyes duty to one's family is absolute.

Pesci stammers a bit and asks if he can wait a few days to make his mind up, which Prosciutto permits. But it isn't long at all until Pesci is far too attached to you to ever let you go, and it becomes clear you'll be staying for the long-run. Risotto is hardly happy about this but agrees with Prosciutto's sentiment of family, so he doesn't try to insist you be sent away.

Pesci is an incredibly loving father. He'll dash from the other side of the house at a moment's notice if he hears you crying. That said, being so young himself it's inevitable he requires some help with raising you. Sorbet and Gelato chip in quite regularly, as does Melone when Pesci is desperate enough to fall on using him. Prosciutto helps out too, being your uncle, and occasionally you've even had Risotto answer your cries.

La Squadra can only hope their situation improves somehow in the coming years, since Pesci has no idea how he's going to deal with an older child in a house full of assassins. At very least, being so young it's a long time before he has to worry about things like school. For now, what's important is that you are loved very dearly. Pesci has discovered a new protective streak in himself, something he discovers every time he looks in your eyes.

Melone, with a 4 year old son

When you arrived you were frightened and confused. You struggled to babble out the story you were told to tell as the strange men crowded around you in the front room of the house. Then, a bizarre looking man with purple hair pushed to the front of the crowd, insisting he knew what to do in a situation like this. He carried you somewhere quiet, and gently asked you to repeat your story again. You told him you were looking for your father, Melone.

Melone is elated. He's always wanted a child, but getting into a relationship stable enough to produce one has never been an option with the life he lives. Now the happy accident he never new he had has come home to him! Carrying you back to the living room, Melone introduces you as his son and announces to the team that he will be keeping you.

This is met with some protest. Not only are you of the age where you'll need constant supervision, but quite frankly, nobody trusts Melone to take care of a kid. Melone refutes their accusations harshly, making it absolutely clear he will not be giving you up without a fight. Finally, Risotto surrenders, on the terms that if he catches any signs of abuse or neglect, he will see to it personally that you are re-homed elsewhere.

Melone's parenting style is relatively laid-back. He believes parents should be a 'safe base' from which children should explore the world, coming back when they need advice but ultimately following their own whims within reason. He encourages you to play as you wish and does not stop you from bonding with the rest of the squad. Finding supervision for you while he's on missions proves to be a non-issue, since his stand's massive range means he can often do most of a mission's work at home.

When the time comes to educate you, Melone decides against the risks of enrolling you in school. He is an amazing teacher and can teach you everything you'd need in half the hours of a typical curriculum. Beyond the essentials of literacy and simple maths, Melone largely encourages you to follow you own interests rather than stick to some boring, arbitrary list of useless things a normal curriculum for some reason expects you to learn.

That said, he knows the importance of making friends, so he frequently takes you out to meet with neighbourhood children. All-in-all, the squad is surprised at his sensible parenting choices, and the happy child you are turning out to be.

Ghiaccio, with a 2 year old son

It's almost comedic the lengths Ghiaccio goes to to avoid the problem. As the others crowd around you in Melone's lap, Ghiaccio cowers in the corner insisting that you absolutely cannot be his. It's very obvious you are, of course. You look almost exactly like him, and have a cry to match. You've even inherited the same, mild visual impairments that earned him his glasses. There's no getting away from the truth.

After accepting the truth, Ghiaccio takes you away to his room to 'clear his head' before deciding where to send you in the morning, but when morning comes, that deliberation time quickly turns into a few more days, then a month, then never. It's clear Ghiaccio's become attached to you, and he cannot bring himself to give you away.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have the foggiest clue in hell how to look after a toddler. He has a hard enough time understanding what it is adults want from him, let alone small children. There are times he even considers giving you away again, but they never last long enough for him to go through with it. Bit by bit, he slowly learns how to be a father.

Melone is his primary co-parent. As cautious as Ghiaccio is about letting him around his baby, it soon becomes clear Melone can understand your needs far better than he can. The pair have many sessions together teaching Ghiaccio how to do things like wash you or cook your food. It's honestly a massive help, and probably the main reason Ghiaccio doesn't completely melt down within a month of having you.

These issues aside, Ghiaccio is a person who is very genuine in his affections. He would break the shins of anyone who even looked at you threateningly, and every fibre of his being wants you to be happy. He even learns to control his temper, as he knows from experience just how damaging an angry parent can be for a child. He's going to give you a better childhood than what his parents gave him, and that's a promise.

Risotto, with a 6 year old daughter

Well, perhaps this ought to have been expected. In his early 20s Risotto was really far less careful than he ought to be in regards to his encounters, so he probably had this coming. You are at a difficult age, old enough to understand your father is a criminal but young enough to still need his care. If he takes you in, there will be many challenges. And yet he cannot bring himself to turn you away. Looking at you he feels... obligation.

In the early days he tries his best to shelter you. He keeps you in his room and tells the others not to talk to you. But that's no way for you to live, and he knows it. Eventually, he swallows his fears and lets you explore your new home, even taking you out to the park a few minutes each day so you can run around. He talks to Melone about continuing your education, and asks Sorbet and Gelato if they'd let the spare room next to them be turned into a bedroom for you. He's going to make sure he raises you right.

Risotto may be quiet and introverted, but do not mistake that for emotionally distant. He does not underestimate his vital role in your emotional well-being, and is quick to pick up on when you are feeling sad or lonely. He makes sure to pick you up in his arms and ask what's wrong when that happens.

Though he didn't know her well, he mourns your mother with you, and is very watchful for the signs of attachment issues that may result from losing a parent at such a tender age. Being all you have left, Risotto gains a new instinct of self-preservation. For the first time in years, his life has meaning.

In terms of bonding, he prefers calm activities that allow him to passively observe your interests, such as watching movies or reading you books. When he's working in his office and doesn't need his camera on, he's happy for you to sit in his lap as long as you're quiet. He would ask if you don't read what's on his screen, though, at least not while you're so young. He'll give you a better explanation of what he's doing some day, but not just yet.

Sorbet and Gelato, with a 12 year old daughter

First of all, let's make clear that regardless of which one is biologically your father, they both feel equal responsibility for you. No doubt they were both present for your conception anyway, so as far as they're concerned, if one of them has a secret kid from a hookup, they both have a secret kid from a hookup.

Having always wanted children, they are happy when you appear on the doorstep and introduce yourself as their daughter. Though they don't say it out loud to avoid upsetting you, they kind of wish your mum had kicked it sooner so they could have raised you from a younger age, but they're more than happy to make do with what they've got. There's no hesitation in welcoming you to live with them permanently, and anyone who has a problem with this isn't brave enough to say it.

Right from the get-go they are very permitting parents, awarding you a generous helping of their cash each week and having a rule list that pretty much starts and ends with "don't talk to the police." Despite your age they don't expect you to be independent, and are happy to cook for you and help you out with other things when you ask. It seems parenthood was made for them.

Despite all this, there is one problem in your relationship that is making things difficult. That of your fathers' work. You're 12 years old and you aren't stupid. You know they kill for a living and you know they enjoy it. When you stumble into the bathroom at 1am to find them covered in blood and laughing together, there's no making excuses. No matter how good they are with you, this is going to make you afraid of them.

Sorbet and Gelato are incredibly stringent in solving these early issues. After all these years they've finally got the family they wanted, and they aren't going to let it slip away from their own cruelty. They are honest with you about their occupation, since they want you to know you can trust them, and make absolutely clear it won't affect their care for you. You are welcome to ask questions and receive honest answers, but other than that Sorbet and Gelato will make a point of not accidentally causing you to witness something you shouldn't.

With them, you are welcome to continue your old life in terms of school and friends. They want to spend time with you, but they don't want to overtake your existence completely. When you are up for it, they are keen to take you on outings that interest you so you can spend time together as a family. They hope you know how happy you make them.

[luckychild]

Hey, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the boys responding to hearing “I love you” for the first time - only if you want, of course - you’re blog is awesome :)

I love this prompt (pun intended)! Super cute ask just in time for Valentine’s Day. This turned out to be an x-Reader piece; hope you don’t mind!

(Confession: The Kuwabara scenario is pretty close to how me and my boyfriend confessed to each other. He said ‘I love you’ really early and I came around slower. So that section really means a lot to me.♥ Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Warnings/Tags: Some light cursing. SFW. Gender neutral reader. There’s some Yukina/Kuwabara in Hiei’s section.

Hit “Keep Reading” to dive in!

KURAMA

So… Kurama knows how you feel before you drop the L-word.

He’s perceptive! And you keep looking at him askance and biting your lip all cutely, demurring from answering when he asks what’s up.

You’ve been dating for a long time, so it would make sense you’re finally about to say those three little words aloud.

He has a hunch you’re about to admit your feelings, and his hunches are usually right.

So, smarmy fox-boy that he is, he teases you about it a bit before the weeks leading up to your confession.

He’ll sort of murmur your name to get your attention, look deeply into your eyes, then say:

“I love…” [dramatic pause while you hold your breath and your eyes go wide] “... this food we’re eating right now, don’t you?”

And then he’ll act all innocent and pretend not to understand why you just choked on the food he said he loves so much.

He thinks it’s hilarious to watch your face go supernova.

Kurama is low-key an asshole, but that’s why you love him.

But when you actually do work up the nerve to tell him how you feel?

He’s not laughing anymore.

He knows this is serious for you.

He knows that saying ‘I love you’ makes you feel vulnerable, and he won’t devalue this moment by not taking it seriously.

So he doesn’t make any jokes after you say it and stand there looking at him, shaking like a leaf.

He just smiles, pulls you to him, and presses a kiss against your forehead.

“I love you too,” he murmurs, lips ghosting over your skin—and he only lets you go once he feels you relax against him, relieved to have your affections returned.

HIEI

You know that meme about “alternative responses to ‘I love you’”?

Hiei falls into multiple categories of that meme, cycling through them one by one until he lands on his final reaction.

After you say ‘I love you, he just sort of looks at you. Like, really looks at you with a blank expression on his face, like he can’t quite grasp what he just heard.

And then Hiei laughs.

It’s not a nice laugh.

It’s a throw-back-his head laugh, a harsh bark of sound that makes the hair on your neck stand up.

“You fool,” he spits. “Attachments make you vulnerable. If you’re too blinded by emotion to see that, then you’re not who I thought you were.”

And then Hiei… just kind of vanishes.

You don’t hear from him for a few days, and the hurt you feel is the kind of hurt only someone you truly care for can inflict. It’s proof of your feelings, sure, but…

You spend a lot of time in a glum or agitated mood, because while you knew Hiei wasn’t the most emotional, this wasn’t what you thought would happen when you confessed your love.

Meanwhile?

Hiei’s off training in the woods and attacking trees with 900% more ferocity than usual.

He isn’t sure why he’s in such a foul, vengeful mood at first, but the fact that he can’t get your shattered expression out of his head?

That’s... a hint, he supposes, as to the source of his ire.

Eventually he emerges from the woods and wanders around until he reaches Genkai’s temple, where he spends a good deal of his time when not in the city with you.

Yukina is there (this is part of the reason he goes there a lot, predictably).

So is Kuwabara (this is part of the reason he doesn’t go there all the time, also predictably).

They welcome Hiei into the temple like they usually do, and while Hiei normally leaves as soon as he spots Kuwabara, he allows his sister and her boyfriend to lead him inside for once.

He watches the pair of them cook dinner in silence, observing the way Yukina and Kuwabara talk and laugh with each other, and the way they wordlessly communicate as they work.

It’s… not the worst, he thinks, seeing them together. His opinion on Kuwabara has changed over the years (mostly thanks to you poking him to give Kuwabara a chance) and he knows Kuwabara would give his life for Yukina.

Kuwabara demonstrates exactly this when he opens a cabinet and a heavy pot falls out of the cupboard; Kuwabara leans over Yukina to take the brunt of the blow, sheltering her from harm.

Yukina gasps and grab’s Kuwabara’s arm, inspecting him for damage and fussing over his injury.

But Kuwabara just grins, takes her hand, and asks her if she’s OK.

“I love you,” he tells her when she scolds him for being reckless. “I didn’t want you to get hurt!”

That scene replays in Hiei’s head for a few days afterwards, looping through his head along with the image of your sweet, earnest face when you told him that you loved him.

The image of your shattered heartbreak makes a few appearances, too.

It takes a few more days after that for him to realize something.

Love hadn’t made Kuwabara weak (or any weaker, at least). In fact, love often powered Kuwabara up in fights. It gave him things to protect, a reason for fighting, a purpose for his power—

Hiei goes cold at the realization.

Attachments aren't always signs of weakness.

Attachments can be powerful.

Was he the fool, not you, for rejecting an attachment so quickly?

Hiei suspects he made a terrible error, and the moment he has this realization, he breaks into a run and rushes to your side.

He’s not sure what he’s going to do or say to you to fix things, but he is determined to do exactly that.

Only you can say whether you forgive him or not, though.

KUWABARA

So Kuwabara hasn’t been shy about his feelings for you.

Like… he hasn’t been shy AT ALL.

He sings your praises to anyone who’ll listen.

He tells you you’re gorgeous every single day.

He says he loves everything about you all the time!

It was basically love at first sight for him. (Because that’s just who he is!)

But as for you? It took you a little longer to come around.

It’s not that you disliked Kuwabara or anything.

It’s just that he came on strong and you were a little more cautious about jumping into a relationship than he was, that's all.

And he was totally cool with that!

“Hey, you don’t have to reciprocate!” he tells you when you indicate you don’t feel the same way. “I’d wait for you forever, but if you never like me back, that’s OK, too. I just want you in my life; if it’s as friends, that’s fine, too!”

Your friendship is just as valuable to him as your romantic feelings.

He’s not pushy at all despite his declarations; he’s a gentleman to the extreme, content to love you on your terms and never push for reciprocity.

But after a while, you start to look forward to seeing him.

You start to search for him in crowds, hoping to spot his shock of orange hair.

You start to miss him when he isn’t around, craving his bone-crushing hugs and booming, exuberant voice.

And then one day you see something on TV and it reminds you of him, and you start smiling to yourself as you think about him—and it hits you.

OH NO.

YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH HIM, AREN’T YOU?

But he’s been saying he loves you for AGES… is it awkward that you’re just now ready to say it back?

You argue with yourself for days and days about what to do… but eventually you’re hanging out, and you’re listening to him be his boisterous and enthusiastic self, and it just spills out.

“KUWABARA-I-LOVE-YOU-OK!?” you blurt when he pauses for breath.

But… he doesn't react the way you think he will.

He just stares at you in silence, stunned, and you take that as a bad thing.

You get up to leave, muttering an apology as your cheeks burn, saying you’ll see him later—

His hand darts out and closes around yours.

His face is on FIRE, but he stares up at you in wonder. In awe, even. Like the clouds parted and angels started singing.

“Y-you do?!” he says, voice pitched up quite high, eyes as wide as they can go. “D-do you really? Do you mean it? Do you really love me back?!”

And you start smiling, and you start laughing and nodding, and he laughs too, and then you’re both in a puddle on the floor, arms around each other, just laughing together for the joy of it.

YUSUKE

Yusuke has been wanting to tell you how he feels about you for, uh..

Well. It’s been a long time.

You’ve been dating for a long time, and you’ve been through a lot together, and he can barely even look at you without blushing these days.

He’s been in love with you for a long while, but like hell if he’ll actually admit it.

Yusuke is NOT a mushy person, nor is he very in-touch with his feelings.

In fact, he’d rather take a sharp stick to the eye than ever admit how he feels about anyone.

But when YOU end up saying you love him FIRST, it does something to him.

He freezes. Stares at you. Blue-screens for a second.

And then he falls back on the one thing that has consistently aided him throughout his life:

Snark.

“Well damn, babe,” he drawls with a lazy grin (one that does NOT reflect how rapidly his heart is beating). “I knew I was irresistible, but if you really wanted to get laid, all you had to do was ask.”

You shriek and huff and walk off (and probably swat at his arm, though of course he dodges).

It’s only when you’ve stalked a good dozen meters away that his brain catches up with his mouth and he realizes that he’s fucked up.

Like, really fucked up.

So Yusuke curses and lurches after you and shouts, “Hey, hey, wait a freakin’ second!”

But you don’t stop walking.

You get halfway down the block with him trotting at your heels, telling you to just cool down and let him talk.

Eventually he gets in front of you and holds up his hands.

“Now, now,” he says (nervously; very nervously). “Just give me a chance to—”

NOPE. He ruined what could’ve been a cute moment and you aren’t having it, so you dart around him and keep walking with your head held high (and a tear in your eye).

His arms are around you before you get far, though.

He buries his head in your shoulder and just holds you, and finally you feel it—the way his heart is racing, thudding against your back.

“Look, I… I love you too, OK?” he mutters. “So please don’t go…”

It almost makes you giggle, seeing him blush like this.

Almost, but not quite.

You know how big of a deal it is for him to say those words, so you just hold him right back.

Headcanon & Imagine Masterlist | Tip Jar

[rcsegilded]

RHAENYS

༺✹༻ THE DELICATELY FOLDED PIECE OF PARCHMENT IS thrown across the pages of her book … a gesture accompanied by the sharpened, narrowed eyes of margaery tyrell. rhaenys at once feels herself stiffen. the affection she had felt moments ago in seeing margaery standing there wane, giving way to a frigidness in her demeanor, and a sense of caution to her mood.

she stands, then, setting the book aside but not before taking the folded paper into her hand. she undoes it slowly. she only catches a quick glimpse of the words to understand what it is … and why margaery is so distraught by it.

sparing her fuming lover a look, rhaenys wastes no time in striding across the length of the chamber towards the fireplace. the flames crackle audibly, extending their crimson tendrils outwards in longing. rhaenys quenches its hunger by throwing the paper into it, then watches on as the fire hungrily devours it; paper erupting, then burning, and then cinders. with each sound of crackling parchment, rhaenys’ heart aches. foolish. so stupid.

she cannot say she knew she had lost the page … she had written it in the godswood some days ago, then had tucked it into the safety of her book. it had been foolish to write it to begin with, she knew, but it could not be helped. her mind had been reeling with the memories of aegon’s hand on margaery’s, of her brother being able to kiss her in public, to love her openly. and what does rhaenys have ? ? ? bitter, cruel secrets.

❝ is the future queen giving me a command ? ? ? ❞

margaery certainly cuts the part. standing in the doorway of the chamber, she does not resemble her flowery lover, the girl who falls undone beneath the touch of a dragon princess, but rather a future queen. aegon’s queen.

as the flames consume what is left of rhaenys’ written word, she directs her full attentions to margaery. she deliberates for a moment closing the distance between them, to hover over margaery’s slender frame and yield to her. apologize, confess she was wrong … the other half longs to storm past her.

❝ is it so depraved for me to love you, margaery ? ? ? ❞ rhaenys says, startling herself with the sheer boldness of her words, and the firm quality of her tone. ❝ targaryens are capable of much worse. ❞ she feels herself start to move closer towards margaery, her footsteps slow and deliberate. ❝ do you fear scandal or what aegon would think ? ? ? ❞

It was clear that the princess understood the gravity of the situation, recognized the danger of leaving the wrong words where anyone might read them. The shock was plain in her face, the urgency plain in her body as she relegated the parchment to the hearth's flames. Margaery was glad that she did not have spell out the seriousness of the situation, like a septa disciplining her charge.

But there was little else to be glad of.

Though she could not see Rhaenys's expression while she faced the fire, the tension in her posture was unmistakable. Then, the jab. A soft one for the princess and Margaery did not dignify it with a response. There would be worse to come and she would prefer to preserve her defenses.

But it did hurt. In a single sentence, the princess managed to touch on a subject they rarely broached. For the moment, they were societal equals. A princess royal and princess consort. But some day Margaery would be queen and would outrank Rhaenys. She did not like to think of all that would change between them when the time came. What distance would grow.

Then Rhaenys had whirled on her, eyes burning and her face like thunder. A dragon in human flesh—wounded and roaring. Margaery knew well this side of her but had never before been the object of its ire. It was a frightening thing on some level, awe-inspiring on another, but she did not allow either to rule her. Only her own anger and determination.

“Do you not fear it?” she countered, holding her head high and steady. “If this were to become common knowledge, the harm it would cause?” Gods, the political ramifications alone... Wars have been waged over less. “Especially to those we care for.” She would not speak Aegon's name, not in this place. Not in this argument. Not when Rhaenys had already done her best to poison the air with it.

Margaery held her gaze for a long moment, unwavering and unrelenting. Yet, something within her wished to soften—to yearn for an end to this standoff. A moment of silence passed, then two. She took a deep, steadying breath.

“I am not ashamed of my love for you. I have never been ashamed. Not even for a moment.” It was one of the truer things she'd ever spoken, to this woman she held so dear to to anyone. The inherent infidelity of their relationship could never be reasoned away but it had never felt wrong or sinful or profane to Margaery. Only natural and good and right.

“But I understand that nothing about this is simple. That it will never be simple.” She faltered a little then, her mouth opening and then shutting again. It did not last. “I'm not willing to lose you over something this foolish. Not when it's so easy to prevent.”

The festivities for the King Rhaegar's nameday were well underway. The great hall was lined with tables laden with food and drink, candles flittered in every sconce and even on some of dragon skulls, and sweet music filled the air with merriment.

Margaery and Aegon had entered along with Queen Elia and waited nigh on half an hour the remaining royals to arrive. Still, neither the king nor his daughter made an appearance. Of course, neither were known for their love of such frivolity but it was unseemingly for anyone to miss the celebrations—let alone those two.

For those who knew her, it was clear that the queen was not well pleased with her wayward husband and daughter but she upheld a careful façade as she chatted with a lord seated to her right. Margaery had always admired her goodmother for her poise and grace but surely this particular was testing her limits.

Aegon, however, was not half so composed as his mother. Displeasure was plain on his face and his agitation only grew with every passing moment. Margaery was still discerning the particulars of his relationship the king, feeling out its tears and jagged edges, but 'complicated' did not seem a sufficient description.

When her hand on his knee would not stop his leg from bouncing, Margaery opted for direct action. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, outlining her plan. They would both excuse themselves and split up to find the missing royals: Aegon, the king and Margaery, the princess. The unrest on his face eased just a little and he nodded, squeezing her hand under the table.

One unsuspecting passing servant and an 'accidentally' spilled water goblet later, Margaery was lamenting the state of her skirts and Aegon was escorting her from the hall with a helping hand. It was an effortless charade and she could not help but notice how well they worked together, how seamlessly they moved in tandem and in support of one another. Later, she would find time to admire the fact.

With the doors to the great hall shut behind them, the couple parted ways down opposing corridors. Margaery started at a brisk walk, not waiting for the Targaryen house guards that scrambled to trail after her. A few potential hiding spots came to mind but she prayed she would not need to check all of them. Water stains on silk could only excuse her absence for so long.

And there was a conversation to be had before they could return to the feast.

Whether by luck or knowledge of the princess's preferences, Margaery found her in her chambers on the first try. Lounging on her favorite couch in all her courtly finery...with a large, leather-bound book in her lap. She couldn't help but stop and stare for a few long moments, to take in the sight of her while she herself was yet unseen. But those moments passed too quickly still and Margaery braced herself as she reached for the note.

It was tucked away into the bodice of her gown, hidden but certainly not forgotten as the edges of the folded parchment bit into her skin. Leaving it in her chambers, even in a secret spot, was too much a risk. No one could be allowed to read its contents, not even her ladies or a household servant.

So, she had kept it on her person at all times, waiting for a quiet moment in which to approach Rhaenys on her own. But days had passed and they had not so much as had five minutes alone together. It had to be done now, so she could be rid of the cursed before anyone else could stumble upon it.

Their eyes met and Margaery's heart softened just a little at the momentary wonder in the other woman's eyes. She saw it every time Rhaenys looked at her, in the the first fraction of a second they laid eyes on each other. And gods, it was so hard to hold onto any displeasure when she looked at her like that.

Difficult, but not impossible.

“I found this in the corridor outside my chambers a few days ago,” Margaery said, her tone even but devoid of its usual lightness. In a quick motion, she tossed the folded parchment into Rhaenys' lap.

She did not smile.

“That cannot happen again. Another one of those can never exist. Not ever. You understand that, don't you?”

༺✹༻ THE DELICATELY FOLDED PIECE OF PARCHMENT IS thrown across the pages of her book . . . a gesture accompanied by the sharpened, narrowed eyes of margaery tyrell. rhaenys at once feels herself stiffen. the affection she had felt moments ago in seeing margaery standing there wane, giving way to a frigidness in her demeanor, and a sense of caution to her mood.

she stands, then, setting the book aside but not before taking the folded paper into her hand. she undoes it slowly. she only catches a quick glimpse of the words to understand what it is . . . and why margaery is so distraught by it.

sparing her fuming lover a look, rhaenys wastes no time in striding across the length of the chamber towards the fireplace. the flames crackle audibly, extending their crimson tendrils outwards in longing. rhaenys quenches its hunger by throwing the paper into it, then watches on as the fire hungrily devours it; paper erupting, then burning, and then cinders. with each sound of crackling parchment, rhaenys' heart aches. foolish. so stupid.

she cannot say she knew she had lost the page . . . she had written it in the godswood some days ago, then had tucked it into the safety of her book. it had been foolish to write it to begin with, she knew, but it could not be helped. her mind had been reeling with the memories of aegon's hand on margaery's, of her brother being able to kiss her in public, to love her openly. and what does rhaenys have ? ? ? bitter, cruel secrets.

❝ is the future queen giving me a command ? ? ? ❞

margaery certainly cuts the part. standing in the doorway of the chamber, she does not resemble her flowery lover, the girl who falls undone beneath the touch of a dragon princess, but rather a future queen. aegon's queen.

as the flames consume what is left of rhaenys' written word, she directs her full attentions to margaery. she deliberates for a moment closing the distance between them, to hover over margaery's slender frame and yield to her. apologize, confess she was wrong . . . the other half longs to storm past her.

❝ is it so depraved for me to love you, margaery ? ? ? ❞ rhaenys says, startling herself with the sheer boldness of her words, and the firm quality of her tone. ❝ targaryens are capable of much worse. ❞ she feels herself start to move closer towards margaery, her footsteps slow and deliberate. ❝ do you fear scandal or what aegon would think ? ? ? ❞

[a-clockwork-justice]

Everything I Love About Loser Geek Whatever

So, not too long ago, it was the third birthday of Loser Geek Whatever. Yes, I know the single was released on November 30th 2018 and its considered the song’s official birthday, but the 26th July three years ago was the first showing of the 2018 Off-Broadway revival of Be More Chill and the first time Loser Geek Whatever was shown to the world in any capacity. Therefore, I consider that day to be the song’s unoffical birthday and I’ve been waiting to write down everything I love about it so here I am. (This was originally gonna be posted on the 26th July but I can’t make anything concise so it took longer than that).

I’ve gone on and on about what Loser Geek Whatever means to me personally, how a slew of random chance introduce me to it, got me deep into Be More Chill, introduced me to 90% of my current friends, and overall up-ended my whole life, but now it’s time to dissect the song itself and why it’s so great. As much as I adore Loser Geek Whatever, it could’ve easily been any other song that threw me down a rabbit hole and that I could’ve latched onto- no, wait, it couldn’t have been, because Loser Geek Whatever is unique in that way. I did about a year of music at A-Level so I’m gonna delve into some of the technical aspects here too. I’m chronicling this mostly for myself so I am going as deep as I see fit because this song is a treasure hiding yet more treasures. If you happen to love Loser Geek Whatever as much as I do, this’ll be your goldmine.

So, grab a snack my fellow fans, because here’s a comprehensive list of everything to love about Loser Geek Whatever in roughly chronological order. Long post incoming:

The song starts off strong from the first millisecond - I don’t know what instrument(s) they used but just listen to the single version again - that opening chord blares at you like a siren. It calls for your attention, screaming this is incredibly important, and indeed it is. That chord, an F chord, has no indication as to whether it’s major or minor - it’s just the tonic F with its dominant C and another tonic F above it. In other words, it’s unresolved, it hangs in the air. From a narrative standpoint, Jeremy is at a crossroads, torn between giving into the SQUIP or staying loyal to Michael, and the music paints this. It has the same effect on both the single and album versions - I always hold my breath as it holds, it’s the gap in this crucial transition for Jeremy between who he was and him becoming something he isn’t.

To continue the thread of musical painting, the melody line contains the accidental E-flat which doesn’t belong to the key of F major. This once again illustrates Jeremy’s uncertainty, but there’s more - the whole introduction is a slowed-down version of the Apocalypse of the Damned theme from Two Player Game, arguably the point in the show when Michael and Jeremy’s relationship was at its strongest. Jeremy’s recalling everything he had with Michael, but the slowing down of the melody shows hesitancy, along with highlighting the accidental E flat. These latter points of course aren’t unique to Loser Geek Whatever - they’re also in the section of Upgrade that twins with Loser Geek Whatever. I’m just laying out why they work so well. 

I’m glad I waited until after I saw the show in London to finish writing this - I’m something of a Loser Geek Whatever purist, as made clear by my ire at them cutting it in half and tacking the end of Upgrade back on for the London version. I still enjoyed the show in London though and I’m glad I knew about this change ahead of time, because they did change something about the song that I think really worked - they added two notes in the bass to each bar, like heartbeats, which once again signifies Jeremy’s uncertancy and the importance of this major turning point.

It’s been firmly established by this point that Jeremy is a loser and he knows it. He doesn’t want to be a hero, he just wants to survive, but there’s a difference between that and feeling “inconsequential.” Jeremy is basically admitting that, in his eyes, it doesn’t matter to the world or anyone except Michael if he even survives or not. He’s not just a loser, or a geek - he’s a whatever, with no one caring who he is. And he’s felt this way for years - since middle school began. He’s now in his Junior year of high school - that’s five years of being in this state of being unnoticed at best and picked on at worst. He’s “the one who’s left out”. With just one little line, hell, one word, we’re given more layers as to why he so badly wants to change that.

Moving from the first verse to the chorus, we start to see Jeremy’s attitude shift, from being sad to being angry - he’s frustrated, resentful that he’s spent so long in this state (A lot of people have made similar comparisons about Will Roland’s Jeremy as a whole in relation to Will Connolly’s Jeremy and I think this song exemplifies that). He doesn’t deserve to feel this horrible - not now and certainly not for the next two years until he and Michael can be “cool in college.” When you think about it, what options does he really have? He could either give into the SQUIP or reject it and go back to where he was, still miserable and lonely. Yes, he has Michael and Michael is an amazing, kind, loyal best friend, but as many have pointed out, he’s also dismissive of Jeremy’s feelings of inadequacy whether he means to be or not, which only made Jeremy feel more lonely. Should Jeremy just expect to feel better about himself at some point before college? He’s waited for years, why would that happen at any other point?

More layers baby! Second verse, Jeremy rants on about his father’s advice about following his own instincts and how it’s gotten him nowhere he wants to be. Come to think of it, Michael’s advice about staying the same and waiting for their environment to change can be seen as similar - it’s arguably easier for Michael as he has two loving mothers who undoutably give him plenty of positive reinforcement. Meanwhile, Jeremy’s mother has left them, which likely instilled further feelings of not being good enough, and his father has fallen apart to the point where he can’t even put pants on, let alone step up to take care of his son, meaning that Jeremy likely isn’t going to take his advice very seriously, especially after it’s failed him so thoroughly. But to Jeremy, the problem isn’t necessarily the advice itself - it’s that it’s being followed by him. So now he’s going to turn around and put his life and every choice in something else’s hands, even if - no, especially if it goes against his own instincts. It still doesn’t feel quite right, it “feels bizarre”, but it’s getting him somewhere, so it has to be right in the most meaningful capacity, and to Jeremy, the “most meaningful capacity” is any capacity that isn’t his own.

Now the best line - the one about being a “normal, handsome guy”. Let’s get this on the table - Jeremy is trans. Will Roland himself said that he often thinks of the show’s young trans fans when he sings that line. Naturally, societal transphobia plus gender dysphoria would have a pretty catestrophic effect on the self-esteem of any growing teenager, even more so one in Jeremy’s situation for the reasons I’ve just laid out. He’s probably missed out on a lot of things that “normal” guys take for granted, with most girls barely looking in his direction, let alone in any positive manner. Jeremy’s own sexuality aside, it’s mostly society, and the SQUIP by extension, that considers scoring with girls to be a “manly” or masculine activity, and through Brooke treating him as dateable material, Jeremy feels better about fitting into society’s rules of how a man should be and act. This isn’t the only reason he feels good about Brooke finding him attractive, of course, but it’s just another layer that Jeremy sees more value in conforming to how society says he should be rather than in how he actually is.

I know I just said that the last point was about the best line, but honestly, there’s more than one best line in this song. The bridge is where we start to see Jeremy’s language becoming more technologically inclined - “prompt”, “command” and “bandwidth” are all terms used in computing and used to show how Jeremy is likening himself, or his intentions, to a computer, effectivly merging himself and his SQUIP into one entity and Jeremy willingly giving over his own individuality.

And HERE, we get to the kicker. I’ve talked a lot about layers throughout this whole essay, about themes and motifs building on each other. Jeremy is essentially peeling back the layers of his own situation and only finding reason after deeper reason after deeper reason as to why he should follow the SQUIP and not be a loser anymore. Now, he hits the core, the seed, the crux of it all - “The problem has ALWAYS BEEN ME!!” Everything he is, everything that makes Jeremy Heere himself, is and has always been wrong. This line is a gut punch and EVERYONE knows it - the performer always takes a few seconds to let it sink in before continuing.

As an aside, I wanna mention the differences between the single and the album versions of the bridge. The album version starts of quieter after the vocalising of the last chorus, and builds up to the climactic final line, while the single version is loud all the way through but gets even louder and punchier at the end. Both are good, but I personally prefer the single version - the album sounds like Jeremy is broken and desperate and on the verge of tears as he reaches his inevitable but ugly realisation. The single is also desperate, but it’s pleading and all-consuming and a THOUSAND times more powerful, I get chills every time I hear it. (Side note, the London version starts of loud like the single and ends quieter like the album, almost as if Jeremy is reluctant to admit what he truly believes about himself, and it’s easy to see why, it’s a damn harsh condemnation).

“Take a breath and get prepared” - Jeremy sings to both himself and the audience. The first half has been heavy and we need a breather. Yet just before he goes over the brink, he has second thoughts. His conscience, his own voice in his head, breaks through, warning him that his choice will have consequences for other people than himself. People will get hurt - Michael most of all. Not just by Jeremy ditching him; here’s something else - when Jeremy is the “cool dude”, he might end up being a bully to those who are losers just like him, cutting them down just as Rich’s SQUIP made Rich do to him. Who would be the perfect target for Jeremy’s potential future bullying? His former best friend and fellow loser, Michael Mell. It’s pretty damn likely that if the SQUIP hadn’t optic nerve blocked Michael, it would’ve told Jeremy to pick on him, and even though Michael has ostensibly been pretty good at brushing these things off before, the takedowns would hurt a LOT more coming from his former best friend - and we know this because IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, granted without the SQUIP influencing Jeremy directly (also let’s just clear up that just because the SQUIP wasn’t on doesn’t mean its influence on Jeremy hadn’t disappeared - that’s not how emotional abuse works).

Twelve years of loyal friendship, of borderline unhealthy codependency … can he throw all that away for Christine, a girl he’s thus admired from afar and is only just starting to get to know as a person? Moreover, even if Jeremy gets Christine, what about himself, who he wants to be? He just wants to be something other than himself because he thinks that anything is better but … what? The cool dude, the hero or … whatever. He’ll take anything because he’s that desperate, but what about when he gets it? Will he finally be satisfied? Will it be worth failing his one real friend, an act so scummy that the only way he could possibly stomach it would be to somehow pretend he hadn’t done it?

But none of those questions matter to Jeremy now - he’s fully gaslit into believing that every thought and inclination that comes from himself is wrong and shouldn’t be followed. He needs to sync up with the SQUIP and the rest of the world and mute his own defective inner voice. When you think about it, the relationship between Jeremy and the SQUIP is one of the most intense abusive relationships ever put to fiction - we’ve seen emotional abuse and brainwashing before, but here, Jeremy is literally preventing from THINKING the wrong way because the SQUIP can detect his every thought. See what I mean when I say that doesn’t go away when the SQUIP turns off for a few minutes?!

Throughout all of this is the undercurrent of Jeremy wanting to get better. He’s been trying so hard for so long to have a better life, but nothing has worked. Not listening to his dad, not trying to get closer to Christine through theatre, and certainly not listening to Michael’s advice to wait until college. Why should he resign himself to even more time being miserable with no end in sight? After all, being cool in college isn’t a guarantee. After all he’s been through, it’s his turn to finally be cool, after an eternity of being someone he doesn’t want to be.

Another best line in this song - “I’m Player One.” As mentioned a few times in the show before, like in the Broadway upgrade, Jeremy feels lower even in his friendship with Michael - he’s Player 2 as the more experienced Michael is Player 1. As previously established, Jeremy admits that he’s “not the one who the story’s about.” Now he’s ready to finally take control of his life, be the main character and have good things happen to him, and that means cutting out Michael, the old Player 1. The irony here is that Jeremy is less like Player 1 and more like a video game avatar. In reality, the SQUIP is Player 1, making Jeremy do whatever it demands of him.

More best lines! The slew of insults towards the end serves not just as yet more gut punches for the audience but as a major catharsis for Jeremy - It’s telling that the insults get harsher as his rant goes on, from the “weirdo” to the “weakling freak” to the “failure” to the climactic “please don’t speak”. He’s unloading everything that he’s been carrying over the years, ripping out the bullets that have been embedded in his skin and re-opening all the wounds in the process, but he’s done with the pain and he’ll never ever let himself be hurt like that again, if he follows the SQUIP.

I’ve made a whole post about the significance of the best line “Please Don’t Speak” before so I’ll mostly be repeating a lot of what I said there because it’s been a while since that post and because I want to. Who would’ve said that to Jeremy? Probably not Rich or Chloe, it’s not like them. It had to have come from an adult in a position of authority that could’ve commanded Jeremy not to speak like that - one that apparently did so enough times for him to internalise those words like he did the others. (Even worse if it was more than one adult ...). Out of all of the insults, it’s easy to see how that can easily be the most scarring out of all of them - how would an adult let a child know they’re inadequate? By silencing them. Making it clear that their expression of self not only means nothing, but should be forcibly avoided. Put like that, it makes it much easier to see how and why Jeremy fell under the SQUIP’s influence so easily - telling it was hardly different from authority figures he’s experienced before. In even more sad irony, as Jeremy claims that he’s breaking free and letting go of his past as the “please don’t speak”, he’s just walking right into another, similar trap that he can’t easily escape from. The SQUIP literally vocal cord blocks him during The Play - if that doesn’t say “Please don’t speak,” what does?!

The climax is growing! The music shifts into the relative minor as Jeremy fully gives in to the SQUIP’s evil influence. This is the point of no return, the point where he’s literally being surrounded and overtaken - if you’ve seen this on stage or even just a bootleg, you’ll know what I mean, when the lighting shifts and the circuitry start closing in around him, it’s wonderful. The bass ascends, Jeremy declares once and for all that HE IS NOT THE LOSER, THE GEEK, OR WHATEVER, and he never will be again! As some have pointed out, the sequence of notes on the final “again” is the same as at the end of Be More Chill Part 2, except the last note is different. In BMC part 2, it goes further down by a minor third, but in Loser Geek Whatever, it rises up to the same note it started with. This foreshadows Jeremy’s fate - that he will eventually overcome the SQUIP and that he still has it in him to do so. Man, let me just point out how amazing that last belt is - it lasts for a full 15 seconds in a really high range and takes a LOT of control to bring it back up to the high B without breaking. This song really was written for Will Roland - his voice can pull it off seamlessly, but other actors and understudies have had to find workarounds. No disrespect to them, it’s a damn hard song and it kicks ass all the way through. Scott Folan apparently had trouble with it too, but on the day I happened to see him, he pulled it off without breaking, so props to him!

Overall, Loser Geek Whatever is my favourite song in Be More Chill and not just for its sentimental value to myself. It’s a genuinely deep, complex piece that earned every second of its six minutes. Loser Geek Whatever is definitely the missing piece the show needed - not only is it Jeremy’s solo song, it’s also his “I Want” song and, in a way, his 11 o’clock number all in one, as he’s having a major epiphany after going on a journey, albeit only half of one. It’s easy to see why Joe Iconis dubbed this his anti-Defying Gravity, but it’s also easy to draw parallels to No Good Deed - how both Jeremy and Elphaba vow to become something that society is forcing upon them rather than what they are, even if that society’s will is objectively worse for them. Loser Geek Whatever deserves a thousand times the recognition it has and I still wonder to this day what the fandom reaction would’ve been if it had been in the original soundtrack.

So, that was it. I’m not sorry it was this long.

TL;DR: Loser Geek Whatever is wonderful and anyone who doesn’t think so is wrong.

[warriorsbutnotreally]

Tigerstar And Bluestar Switch Lives/Parents AU

This one is long and complicating

huge warning for Thistleclaw being abusive towards Bluefur in this AU as well as creepy/bloody nightmare imagery!

this is also a long one, but I stop after TPB to avoid to turning into its own giant story sfadkj

Tigerkit [who here is a dark blue-gray tabby with black stripes] and Snowkit are born to Moonflower and Stormtail. Stormtail is rarely around and Tigerkit grows resentful. Even more so when he hears Goosefeather calling him a curse.

Moonflower shushes her brother and scolds him for saying such a thing about her kits

Snowkit, trying to cheer her brother up, has the two running around and playing in the medicine cat den while Goosefeather is out

Snowkit swallows two poppy seeds after Tigerkit dares her. As in canon, they’re caught and Goosefeather assures Snowkit will be okay

Tigerkit blames himself but Moonflower comforts her son and assures him all will be well

Not too long after, Leopardkit and Patchkit become Leopardpaw and Patchpaw. 

Moons later, Poppydawn and Speckletail’s kits are born Speckletail names her kits Lionkit and Goldenkit Poppydawn names Sweetkit and lets Snowkit and Tigerkit name the other two. Sweetkit gives Rosekit her name for her rosy tail, but Tigerkit’s first suggestion - Burrbutt - is rejected. He settles on naming the spiky tom-kit Burrkit.

Tigerkit has a bad dream brought on by the whispers he had heard from Goosefeather and wakes up late at night. He stumbles out of the den and bumps into Sunfall. Sunfall comforts the kit before sending him back into the nursery.

It isn’t long after when Tigerpaw and Snowpaw are made apprentices. Snowpaw is given Sparrowpelt and Tigerpaw is given to Thrushpelt. Thrushpelt is patient and kind with Tigerpaw, even when the apprentice is first throwing fits.

There are whispers of WindClan stealing prey

After a good hunting trip, Tigerpaw is taken to his first gathering. He begs until Snowpaw is allowed to join.

The two return, excited about their first gathering

Goosefeather receives the sign from the vole

The invasion of WindClan goes the same, including Moonflower’s death

Seeing Moonflower’s death, Tigerpaw is furious. He attacks the medicine cat, only to be dragged off by Thrushpelt. Tigerpaw screams and cries as he calls Hawkheart a murderer.

Back at camp, he screams at his father, Stormtail, calling him a coward and accusing him of never loving Moonflower

Swiftbreeze screams at Goosefeather and it takes Pinestar, Sunfall, and Thrushpelt to stop any more violence

Sunfall takes Tigerpaw to the side and the two talk

Tigerpaw asks if it’s his own fault that his mother died and Sunfall assures him that it isn’t anyone’s fault

Tigerpaw personally blames Hawkheart, but doesn’t say so

Moons later and he’s still struggling with the loss of his mother and this has turned into anger issues, with him lashing out at others and even getting into a physical fight with a WindClan apprentice while at a gathering Leaving him temporarily banned from gatherings, though the ban was close to lifting

By now the kits - Lionkit, Goldenkit, Burrkit, Rosekit, and Sweetkit - were apprentices - Lionpaw, Goldenpaw, Burrpaw, Rosepaw, and Sweetpaw Patchpaw and Leopardpaw were also now Leopardfoot and Patchpelt

Sunfall had teamped up with Thrushpelt at this point to keep an eye n Tigerpaw, who was growing more and more frustrated

After an argument with his sister, Snowpaw, Sunfall and Thrushpelt take him aside and talk with the apprentice

There is a lot of yelling on Tigerpaw’s end before he ends up breaking down, claiming it wasn’t fair that his mother died and that everyone could just move on with their lives like everything was okay

Thrushpelt, after this, takes Tigerpaw out on expeditions where he allows the apprentice to be alone with his feelings without the pressure of their Clanmates and helps him go through the process of grief 

It’s quite rough for a while, but he does eventually begin to show improvement

At the gathering where Tigerpaw is allowed, he notices a strange RiverClan tom with a twisted jaw. He isn’t interested in speaking with him, but finds himself jealous when Goldenpaw decides that she’ll talk to the tom then Oakheart, Crookedpaw’s brother, is announced a warrior and Raggedpelt is announced as ShadowClan’s new deputy

He reluctantly joins the conversation and the three end up having a good night together, though once it ends, Tigerpaw is very aware that the RiverClan apprentice cannot be his friend

As he heads back to camp, he notices how Snowpaw and Burrpaw seem close and he wonders if his sister likes Burrpaw

During a battle training, Tigerpaw accidentally hurts Goldenpaw, the two having gotten carried away while fighting He apologizes endlessly and after she assures it’s okay, Thrushpelt points out that he seems to care for her

Tigerpaw is flustered and angry, but Thrushpelt assures he wasn’t teasing the apprentice, but was simply happy that he seemed to be making friends

At first he is hesitant to accept that it wasn’t him being picked on, but after he thinks on it, he knows Thrushpelt wouldn’t do that to him

When they all return to camp, there is a warning that RiverClan is trying to take sunning rocks

Tigerpaw is ready to jump into battle, but is stopped by Sunfall, who tells Tigerpaw that strong apprentices need to stay behind in case anything happens to the queens and their kits

He sees through the deputy, however, knowing that this is the bright-furred tom’s way of stopping the apprentice from having to deal with any more death or loss However, he still takes it seriously enough to sit outside the nursery

Goldenpaw joins him, though she wasn’t told to, just casually stating that she wanted to learn how to defend the Clan by the best apprentice she knew

Tigerpaw is flustered by this

When the Clan returns, Tigerpaw is quick to notice his sister had been hurt. He goes to comfort her, but is told to back off by Burrpaw, who shoots him a nasty look before guiding Snowpaw to the medicine cat den

One day, while out hunting, Tigerpaw meets a strange tom who he quickly realizes is a kittypet. Tigerpaw is about to fight this stranger when Pinestar stops him and escorts him back home. Tigerpaw is sus about Pinestar

Tigerpaw and his sister go out hunting and while he’s half-way through apologizing for his shitty behavior, the two are attacked by a fox

He manages to get Snowpaw to safety before turned and trying to fight the fox. He’s about to be torn to shreds when a patrol comes to save him curtesy of Snowpaw not wanting her brother to die

He goes to Goosefeather, who snaps at him, telling him that his blood-soaked paws will stain the forest

Tigerpaw is about to fight Goosefeather when Thrushpelt stops him and snaps at Goosefeather

The warrior then leads Tigerpaw out of camp, telling him that his destiny is in his own paws and nothing the old tom says will change that

The two return and Tigerpaw notices that Burrpaw is seemingly trying to tear a rift between him and his sister

Tigerpaw and Snowpaw become Tigerstrike and Snowflower

Sunfall allows the two warriors to oversleep, though neither of them are pleased when they wake up and the day is half over

He then sends the two to help Featherwhisker gather catmint

During this, Tigerstrike and Snowflower see Pinestar talking with the kittypet from before on the fence

The two scare off the stranger and Tigerstrike tells the leader to return to camp or Sunfall would be quick to hear about what he was doing

At the next gathering, Goldenpaw drags Tigerstrike back to socializing and the two encounter Crookedpaw - now Crookedjaw - again

He asks Tigerstrike to apologize to Snowflower for him, as he admits he was the reason she was hurt during the fight for sunning rocks. Tigerstrike isn’t pleased to hear this, but Goldenpaw being there is enough to prevent him from picking a fight

After being sent to the Moonstone, Tigerstrike has a nightmare where he is met face to face with a shadowy kit before he starts to feel his stomach begin to bleed. He opens his mouth to scream, but is cut off by him gurgling on his own blood. When he looks at the kit, it’s gone, and his blood begins to soak the forest

When he returns, he finds feathers in his nest and the faint scent of his friend, Goldenpaw, and her brother, Lionpaw. He finds a strange comfort as he lays down in the nest.

During a patrol, Tigerstrike finds that whatever vague general friendship he had with Burrpaw when the two were kits is now long gone as he notices that as he strays from wanting to fight, he is also earning the ire of the apprentice.

As he takes care of the border near sunning rocks, he notices some RiverClan warriors nearby who seem to be watching them. He is immediately on edge, but doesn’t tell his Clanmates.

When they return, they learn that Leopardfoot is kitting While they wait, Goldenpaw and Sweetpaw invite Tigerstrike to share a mouse, though all of them are having a hard time eating as there is concern into Leopardfoot’s wellbeing

A trio of daughters named Mistkit, Nightkit, and Bluekit [who is a blue-ish silver she-cat]

However, before anyone can congratulate her, Tigerstrike is the first to notice that the kits seemed to be struggling to survive. This is confirmed by Goosefeather, though he does not say this to Tigerstrike. He also seems to have an intense interest in one of the kits.

While out on a patrol, a dog attacks. Burrpaw and Tigerstrike team up to chase the dog off and Burrpaw seems to go back to being perfectly okay with Tigerstrike, confusing the warrior

He ends up becoming Burrclaw

The concern into Pinestar’s whereabouts, Sweetpaw’s death, and the passing of two of the three kits go the same as canon

The same goes for Pinestar leaving his Clan a moon or two after the birth of his kits, him giving a specific goodbye to Bluekit, who tries to follow her father, but is stopped by Leopardfoot

Sunfall becomes Sunstar and Tawnyspots is still made deputy

After this, Rosepaw is named Rosetail

Tigerstrike overhears Burrclaw talk about his goal of becoming leader and though he wants to get along with Burrclaw, he thinks of his nightmare at Moonstone and is filled with a strange dread

This becomes worse when Snowflower tells him that she’s expecting Burrclaw’s kits

A few moons later, Whitekit is born

A larger rift has grown between brother and sister and Tigerstrike is painfully aware that Burrclaw is at the center of it

Bluekit and Whitekit, meanwhile, seemingly are getting along

A half-moon later, Frostkit and Brindlekit are born to Robinwing

Goosefeather is distressed and confused now, asking Tigerstrike if he really intends to fight what he is

Tigerstrike counters that he’s not anything more than a loyal ThunderClan warrior

Goosefeather doesn’t seem to believe him, but Tigerstrike walks away before this can escalate. 

While this is going on, Tigerstrike is even closer to both Lionpaw and Goldenpaw, the three forming a tight friendship. While Goldenpaw is away, Lionpaw informs Tigerstrike that his sister likes him. Tigerstrike seems surprised  Lionpaw snorts at the surprise, saying that the tom should’ve noticed since he likes her back

Tigerstrike denies this and the two break into a play-wrestle

Snowflower and Tigerstrike go out and Tigerstrike admits that he thinks something’s up with Burrclaw Snowflower defends her mate and it ends in a fight and Snowflower’s death is all the same, with her dying on the Thunderpath and with Burrclaw blaming Tigerstrike

When Whitekit’s safety comes into question, Tigerstrike, for the first time, actively vocalizes that he doesn’t trust Burrclaw to the warrior’s own face

Burrclaw won’t forget that

Tigerstrike is numb and doesn’t no how to handle the loss of his sister and admits to Goldenpaw that it should’ve been him who was struck by the monster

Goldenpaw disagrees, but also says that it doesn’t mean she blame Snowflower for dying, either

The two sit in silence with each other

Later Goldenpaw becomes Goldenflower and Lionpaw becomes Lionheart

Swiftbreeze has her second litter - Redkit, Spottedkit, and Willowkit

Tigerstrike is unable to go to the gathering, knowing his sister’s death will be announced. Instead he spends the night in the nursery.

Goldenflower goes to check on him and joins him in laying with Whitekit She notes how he’d be a wonderful father, but Tigerstrike disagrees, stating his own dad was barely a dad

Goldenflower counters by saying that he would be a wonderful father because he knows better than to be what Stormtail was

Tigerstrike asks why she cares about him so much She admits that she looks up to him, because he’s seen so much bad but hasn’t let that make him bad

He admits that sometimes he feels like he’s not good

She nuzzles him and tells him that for those times, she’ll be good enough for the two of them

She ends up falling asleep and Tigerstrike watches her until he eventually doses off himself, the two curled protectively around his nephew

He has another nightmare, this time he is being choked by thistles, brambles, and burrs that all wrap tightly around his throat. He chokes out a cry, but no one hears him. He’s about to black out when he sees Whitekit, standing in the open.  The plants are growing close to the oblivious kit Tigerstrike kicks and fights, clawing at the attacking underbrush until he gets to Whitekit. 

He wakes up to Whitekit chewing on his tail and Goldenflower not in the nursery with him, but her scent lingering in the nest.

Burrclaw and Tigerstrike have a tense encounter before the two are sent off on patrol with each other Tigerstrike is tempted to agree with Burrclaw on trying to take on the kittypet, but when realizing the scent belongs to a kit, he thinks of Whitekit and is unable to bring himself to condone what Burrclaw wants to do

They return to camp and he sees Goldenflower playing with Whitekit. Thrushpelt comments privately to Tigerstrike on how Whitekit is already fond of her and how she and Tigerstrike are raising the kit right and how he noticed Burrclaw rarely visits 

Tigerstrike tries to act tough before quietly admitting his fondness for Goldenflower

Bluekit becomes Bluepaw, Burrclaw’s apprentice, and Adderfang temporarily takes over as deputy when Tawnyspots falls ill

Goosefeather warns Tigerstrike not to allow himself or Burrclaw to become deputy

Tigerstrike is frustrated and tells Goosefeather to back off and shut up before going over to Thrushpelt and Goldenflower

Thrushpelt admits to having no interest in becoming deputy, but thinks that if Tigerstrike were to get an apprentice, he’d be a wonderful deputy Uncomfortable, Tigerstrike disagrees

After coming back from battle training one day, Tigerstrike notices a change in Bluepaw’s behavior and how the apprentice is withdrawing from everyone, including her own mother His concerns grow as Burrclaw flexes that he’s going to turn her into a fearsome warrior

When out on a patrol with Burrclaw and Bluepaw, they come across the kit who had been exploring the forest before Bluepaw is hesitant when Burrclaw tells her to attack, but when he whispers something in her ear, it’s enough to motivate her

Tigerstrike, however, manages to tear the apprentice off the kit before any major harm can happen and in return Burrclaw attacks Tigerstrike and ends up blinding him in one eye

The kit is terrified of the fighting and runs off Burrclaw demands Bluepaw chase him down Tigerstrike tries to tell her not to, but Burrclaw stops him Burrclaw makes a vague threat that is enough to get the apprentice to run after the kit and then turns to Tigerstrike and threatens to tear his throat out if he tells anyone who did this to him

Around the time that Tigerstrike is on his paws, another patrol finds them and are shocked to find Tigerstrike bleeding

Burrclaw tells them it was a rogue

The patrol is brought back, though Burrclaw seems to keep wanting to leave to get Bluepaw and is talking about her borderline obsessively while the two are in the medicine cat den

Bluepaw never returns to the camp and the Clan assumes she was killed

Time passes and Whitepaw is now Whitestorm Rosetail had mentored Whitestorm after Tigerstrike talked to Sunstar Tigerstrike is currently mentoring Frostpaw

Goldenflower is in the nursery, expecting her and Tigerstrike’s first litter Tigerstrike is excited but he keeps remembering the day Bluepaw vanished and the kit and it’s bothering him not knowing what happened

He often goes on solo hunting patrols trying to see if he could figure out what happened to them, but turns up nothing

After sunning rocks is taken back by ThunderClan, Tigerstrike tells Goldenflower that something is up with Burrclaw and that he thinks that the warrior was doing something to hurt the apprentice Goldenflower is confused and asks why and he tells her about the patrol, making sure she promises not to tell anyone so that it didn’t make its way back to Burrclaw

The two of them agree to work together to keep an eye on the tom, especially after Goldenflower pointed out that he didn’t mourn for even a moment when the Clan mourned Bluepaw’s disappearance

Things with Tawnyspots lack of recovery, the news on Crookedstar becoming leader, Brokenpaw’s fighting at the gathering all go as per canon A RiverClan apprentice is almost killed by Burrclaw when they were caught too close to the border, but Tigerstrike manages to stop him

Goldenflower and Tigerstrike’s first litter are born; two daughters named Petalkit and Featherkit Featherkit sadly passes away before she’s even a day old Petalkit, however, is healthy as can be

Not too long after, Runningkit and Mousekit are born to White-eye It is also revealed that Goosefeather has returned, Featherwhisker has Spottedpaw as an apprentice, and that there’s been some strange activity near the Southern border of ThunderClan

Tawnyspots’s health is only getting worse and it gets obvious that a new deputy needs chosen There’s whispers of it being Burrclaw During a border patrol where a new deputy is being talked about while the patrol is going on, Tigerstrike notices a ragged she-cat is watching them carefully Someting about her eyes looks familiar to him and in the moment he can’t recall why

A few days later, as Tigerstrike is playing with Petalkit, Sunstar makes the announcement that he’s ready to choose a new deputy, since Tawnyspots is choosing to retire He is about to say who when a yowl is heard in a nearby tree The cats look up and Tigerstrike realizes that it’s the she-cat from before, though it looks like she cleaned herself up

She says that her name changed for moons, but she was once Bluepaw Everyone is shocked that she’s alive Jumping down from the tree, she reveals that Burrclaw had manipulated her and abused her while she was his apprentice Burrclaw tries to brush it off, but Spottedpaw also comes forward, revealing he had done the same to her The Clan is stunned until Tigerstrike and Goldenflower step forward and Tigerstrike reveals what happened to his eye and that Burrclaw had tried to get Bluepaw to kill a kit

The Clan turns against Burrclaw and he is exiled from the Clan Bluepaw turns to go, but is stopped by Sunstar, who offers her a place back in ThunderClan She hesitates before asking if they’d really want her back Leopardfoot, who is in tears, says she’d love to have her daughter back Bluepaw agrees to return and is giving the name Blueheart Blueheart then brings a couple apprentice-aged cats with her after disappearing for a bit and it’s revealed that these are her kits, but she refuses to name a father - her daughter’s name is Coal and her son’s name is Dusk They become Darkpaw and Duskpaw

With all this having gone down, a deputy is still needed. Sunstar asks Tigerstrike if he’d want to be deputy, but he declines and turns his attention to Rosetail, stating that if any cat deserved to be deputy, it would be one with her heart in the right place

Rosetail is named deputy and eventually, after Sunstar’s passing, becomes Rosestar Thrushpelt is made her deputy

In The Prophecies Begin, Thrushpelt, the former deputy, has passed and Lionheart is the current deputy Petalkit is now Petalsnow, Darkpaw is now Darkwing, and Duskpaw is now Duskfur. Goldenflower is in the nursery with Swiftkit and Lynxkit - her and Tigerstrike’s second litter Sandpaw, Ravenpaw, Dustpaw, and Graypaw are the apprentices of Whitestorm, Blueheart, Redtail, and Petalsnow respectively

Rusty joins and is given the name Firepaw He is given to Tigerstrike, who he is a little intimidated by at first, but warms up to

Tigerstrike is a strict mentor, but isn’t cruel

When Lionheart is mysteriously killed on ThunderClan’s territory not long after his kits are born, there are whispers about it being Burrclaw When Firepaw asks who that is, Tigerstrike is honest with him, not wanting to hide any of the painful truth from the apprentice

Redtail is named the new deputy

Things become more uneasy when Tigerstrike and Firepaw see a ShadowClan patrol and there’s a tom Tigerstrike regconizes with them

He is quick to tell Rosestar that Burrclaw is part of ShadowClan

When she confronts Brokenstar about this, Brokenstar says no such cat by that name exists in ShadowClan Burrclaw introduces himself under the new name Nightstorm He is also revealed to be Brokenstar’s new deputy, which sends a wave of dispear through ThunderClan

Blueheart is outraged at the news

It is then revealed that she knows who exactly the father is and without saying who, the implication is that it’s Burrclaw/Nightstorm, which unsettles many cats, as that meant that Blueheart was made a queen at an increadably young age

Darkwing and Duskfur apparently already knew and are just as angry that the tom that sired them is deputy of ShadowClan - refusing to refer to him as their father

Darkwing asks her mother why they don’t just ask help from Scourge, which brings many questions with that, but Blueheart refuses to answer

ThunderClan chooses to fight ShadowClan and as a result, Brokenstar is killed, though it is realized by Firepaw that no ThunderClan warrior killed him This stays a secret between Firepaw and Tigerstrike as they notice Yellowfang is surprisingly calm over the fact her leader is gone, but they don’t blame her

They chase off Nightstorm and some other warriors, but it isn’t long before he’s back in ShadowClan - as Burrclaw and then Burrstar - and he had apparently convinced WindClan that ThunderClan is not to be trusted

No cat is sure how he got his nine lives, but there is fear there

Redtail is killed mercilessly by ShadowClan when they attack the camp and Tigerstrike is injured protecting Firepaw from what would have been a lethal blow

He is made deputy after Redtail’s funeral 

He is uncomfortable with this and Firepaw asks why He reveals Goosefeather, the former medicine cat, only ever saw darkness in him Firepaw says he doesn’t see any and Tigerstrike laughs and says that’d make two cats - including Goldenflower

When Rosestar is killed, Tigerstrike is forced to become Tigerstar

Blueheart is his deputy and this time she talks to him privately about Scourge

There is a lot of hesitation, but he agrees

She brings Tigerstar to BloodClan and at first cats aren’t happy to see her, but when she says she has important news for Scourge, they agree to let her through

When they get there, she talks privately with the small tom, leaving Tigerstar alone to notice that one of the cats - Bone - seems content to have the molly back

Blueheart returns and says Scourge has agreed, but she seems uneasy

While returning to camp, she tells Tigerstar that Scourge has only gotten worse and how if need be, after Burrstar is gone, they need to prepared to see BloodClan as a possible threat

She is proved right when, a moon later, Burrstar is killed and Scourge decides he wants the forest to himself

Blueheart tries to confront and stop Scourge only to be killed at his claws

Firepaw, now Fireheart and the mentor of Cinderpaw, is made deputy

They take on Scourge and BloodClan Darkwing is killed in the battle and Duskfur is blinded - though he remains a warrior Petalsnow nearly dies but is saved by Dustpelt, who later becomes her mate

Some side notes

I image Tigerstar makes it until the start of what would be about the time of Omen Of The Stars Then Firestar would become leader

Cinderpaw is uninjured and becomes Cinderspark

Tigerstar and Goldenflower have one more litter - Brambleheart and Tawnyfur - way later [probably mid TNP]

Mothwing and Hawkfrost are never born BUT Burrstar likely has more kits out there than just Darkwing and Duskfur

Speaking of, design-wise Dark and Dusk are identical twins and look more like their mother - thankfully

[extremelyblackandwhite]

innocence - 08

PAIRING: bodyguard!bucky barnes x innocent actress!reader

WARNINGS: age gap, fainting, anxiety

A/N:  this is a tiny chapter that i wrote while listening to folklore from taylor swift and i just really wanted to share it today. hope you enjoy it. much love xx

NEXT CHAPTER

Y/N rushed off the set, she felt sick, too sick. The scene replayed in her head like a wrapped twisted horror movie scene and everyone around her seemed to look at her, almost as if they knew, shaming her. She continued to run, to run to the car as if going to the car was going to save all her issues. It was Bucky’s car and Bucky made her feel safe, it was safe, it was safe there. However, she could still feel the stares burning on her back like camera flashes and with her hands in front of her face, she ended up going against someone. 

     - Y/N? Are you okay? - the words sounded echoed and she looked up to see Chuck holding her, concerned drawn all over his normally relaxed features. Yet, not even the familiar face seemed to calm her down. She could still feel it, she could still feel his hand on her leg, his rough, sandpaper like skin rubbing against her thigh. Was that why she had gotten the role? Did she had no ability to act? Was it all a way to get her close? She started to breathe in fast, breathing in and out faster than her body allowed her. Soon enough, she felt herself dizzy headed. - Y/N? Y/N, can you hear me?

The sound seemed to dim and the lights got brighter until suddenly everything just collapsed on top of her and she felt herself get heavier and heavier. Chuck gripped onto her as so she wouldn’t fall onto the ground. The man looked around for anyone but there wasn’t anyone who was even looking at him or had even noticed her. As he looked around he did see something, Bucky, staring him down who started walking his way as if he were a lion and Chuck a gazelle. On that moment, Chuck wished he hadn’t been the one who had caught her.

    - She fainted. - he said before he could taste a bit of the former Winter Soldier’s ire. - She was breathing too fast, I don’t know why.

Bucky mumbled something under his breathe, cursing the director and himself for not having been there for Y/N. He took her from his friends’ arms, his own arm going under her knees to pick her up bridal style, her face leaning against his chest. He looked around and people still weren’t interested. At least there was something that didn’t change about the world, he thought. Still selfish, still unable to look outside their own lives to see others. He wanted to be wrong about her being eaten alive, he so wanted to be wrong yet you don’t live to be over a hundred and not know what soft people go through. 

He wanted to be wrong so badly, he wanted to protect her from everything. God, he wanted to be able to tell her it wouldn’t happen again but he couldn’t. He could punch his way through protecting her but he could never tell her that other people wouldn’t try it. In that moment he wondered what was worse, if his past or her present. 

Bucky guided her into the back seat of his car, pulling a quilted blanked, which normally laid on the floor of the car for whenever one of his friends passed out drunk, and laid it over her. Last thing she needed was for some cheeky paparazzo to photograph her unconscious in the back of someone’s car. As he drove, his eyes were glued onto the mirror, eyes on her. He drove the softest and slowest he could, as if he carried a newborn baby. 

He got to her apartment and drove inside the garage, parking next to that oil stain before going to pick her up once more. He probably guessed she had fainted due to fast breathing, probably an anxiety attack. He should’ve gone after her, he told himself as he stepped inside the lift. Some of her neighbours gave him encouraging looks, as if carrying an unconscious woman was something to be proud of. He gave them intimidating looks, exiting the lift and walking straight to her home. Her home always smelled nice, notes of vanilla, apple and cinnamon, probably due to the tea light candles she had scattered around several rooms. In any other situation he would tell her about it being a fire hazard but by the amount of candles, he guessed it probably brought her a sense of comfort to see the twinkling flame and smell the sweet aromas. 

Walking into her room, he pushed the several blankets that decorated her bed and laid her down, pulling the blind down and the blankets to cover her. She will be okay, he told himself. He just didn’t know if to believe himself. 

Y/N woke up not with the sun shining, no, it was night time and she couldn’t remember exactly how she had ended up home. She gripped her sheet and rose her torso up, leaning against the metal framing of her bed while her free hand rubbed the sleep off her eyes. Her hearing was still somewhat echoey but she could hear two people fighting. She rose from her bed and walked up to the door, opening it slowly to check who was fighting.

    - She was feeling uncomfortable and she fainted. Are you seriously gonna give her a talk because of that? - she could recognise Bucky’s voice, seeing his arm from the fringe of the door. 

   - She’s a disappointment for this agency. What if the production had gone on hold? - that was definitely Miss Olson’s voice.

   - She’s human and considering how you and your people treat her, it’s not surprising she hasn’t been completely healthy.

   - You are her bodyguard so I would suggest you stay out of this. 

   - I will protect her from you if it’s necessary now get out. You can speak with her during her working hours like a regular person. - he closed the door on her, the harsh sound making Y/N take in a silent gasp, hand in front of her mouth. She wasn’t entirely sure how the former Winter Soldier would react to someone listening on his conversations so she rushed back to her bed, pulling the bedding up to her.

She felt guilty, guilty he had to deal with her problems and guilty she had put the agency in trouble. She didn’t meant to, she really didn’t meant to cause anyone any harm. Maybe people were right, maybe she should’ve stuck to theatre, that was all she could do. Maybe her father was right, she should’ve made use of the law degree which was gathering dust in the attic. She didn’t know, she didn’t know anymore. The only time the director seemed to be happy was if she was being what he wanted, the agency was barely happy. Maybe she wasn’t a good actress.

    - Y/N? - she turned her head to the side to see Bucky holding a paper cup from the tea shop downstairs. - I got you some tea, thought it’d make you feel better.

    - Bucky, it’s past your clock in time. You should be home with your friends.

   - Well ... - he sat next to her, putting the cup on her bedside table. - I only consider Steve my friend, the others are just people I live with. Besides, it’s Taco night in the tower and I don’t particularly fancy it. 

   - I really fucked up didn’t I? - she sighed. - I’m going to get fired.

   - No, princess, you’re not gonna get fired. - he handed her the tea. - The director personally promised me you’re not gonna get fired. 

   - Really? - he felt the breath that had gotten stuck on his throat leave once he noticed she didn’t seem to realise the pet name he had let slip.

   - Yeah. Come on, you just got nervous, it happens. I got nervous too when I was first drafted. 

   - With all due respect, Bucky but you don’t look like the guy who gets nervous. 

   - When I was first drafted, I spent at least half an hour in the bathroom throwing up. I would say you deal with stress much more gracefully than me. 

   - You’re just saying that to make me feel better. - she laughed, moving her head to look at the blankets covering her legs, hair moving to form almost a curtain which kept Bucky from seeing her soft, almost princess-like smile. Bucky had met several women and taken out some more but none of them seemed to have the softest of movements Y/N had, the elegance which came ever so naturally yet mixed with her natural clumsiness so perfectly. It was a stellar thing he loved to experience. - I don’t know if I’m worth all of that. 

    - Come on, you did so good today. 

    - Sure ... “it’s like he was touching a piece of wood” surely sounds like a great day of acting. 

    - That’s not your fault, maybe your friend just sucks at touching.

    - No, I just suck at reacting to touch. 

    - Mhm ... - Bucky looked at her before an idea popped into his head. He smirked, before his fingers went to touch her torso, dancing around and effectively tickling her. Y/N let out a hearty chuckle, letting herself lay down in the middle of her several pillows while he tickled her torso up and down, head moving with chuckles. He was standing atop her watching her eyes closed, large wide smile, the only type of smile he’d seen in Coney Island which her hands trying to shoo his away while the most melodic of chuckles excited through her still painted scarlet lips.

    - Bucky! - she shrilled as his hands left her torso to instead hold his body, each hand on the side of her shoulders. Y/N gained her breathe, her eyes opening up to stare at his. She wondered why time suddenly stopped, one hand going to cup his face while other pushed some of the hair that covered his eyes away. 

The eyes, you cannot change someone’s eyes. They remain mostly the same from the moment you are born to the moment you die. They remain the same through hard and good moments of your life and Bucky’s had remained the same. They were bright, bright and clear, contrasting his mostly conflicted mind. You could almost see yourself in them. 

     - You have really pretty eyes.

     - Don’t change the subject. - he coughed, trying to maybe get the flush he was getting to disappear. - You seem pretty reactive to touch, I’d say it’s Charles fault. 

     - You don’t need to make me feel better, Bucky. - she sat up. - You really don’t. Maybe I’m just not good enough for all of this.

     - You cannot win every single battle, no one does.

     - Have you ever lost a battle? - Y/N found it harder to believe that the Winter Soldier formerly known as a ghost story for how good he was would have ever lost something. No, she just seemed to be finally waking up that maybe her place was not here.

     - Yes and my loss was pretty much publicised all over the Washington papers. You can Google it, Sam has pretty much all of them framed in the kitchen. I am reminded of it everyday. - he chuckled, turning to face her. - It’s not going to happen again, Y/N. I can promise you that. 

Y/N remembered one thing that her mother had told her when she was little. She was riding her bike and hit a stone making her crumble and fall to the ground, hurting her knee in the process. She didn’t want to get on a bike after that but her mum took her hand and sat her on the bike, told her she believed she could do it again and when she replied she couldn’t, her mum told her “it only really takes one person to believe in you”. She had never thought of it much after, she had never really had someone believing her. She could maybe say her agency did but she was too smart to know what her contract stated. If she did well, they earn money. It’s not that they believe in her, it’s that she’s bankable. However, looking into Bucky’s eyes, hearing his words echo in her mind, maybe someone believed in her.

     - Thank you for defending me today.

     - Anytime. 

taglist: @disasterbii @lookiamtrying @buckysteveloki-me @nsfwsebbie @americasass81 @jamesbarnesappreciationclub @lostinthebeans @mariahthelioness29 @buckyandsebastian @peaches-roses-sins @theadorasabditory @sipsteacasually @tonystankschild @saiyanprincessswanie @booktease21 @noiralei @learisa @everythingisoverrated @uglipotata72829 @naturalthrone22 @husherstan @mandiiblanche @vicmc624 @newyorkgoddess @itsallyscorner @chipilerendi @emzd34 @writerwrites @bluevxnus @that-girl-named-alex​

[aquillis-main]

OWO What’s this? An human adult in Sonic Fandom? One that doesn’t have actual powers?

I alluded to him through The First Meeting, and he appears in both Aleena’s and Slipstream’s bios, and I’m now showcasing him off to you guys!

Harold is... a highly complicated individual, and one of the main things I think people know about him is that he and Ovi have a rather tense relationship. However, I wanted to make Harold a sympathetic (but still troubled) character that has trouble admitting that he’s wrong at points. I hope that it comes across as this in the bio portion.

Anyways, bio time! (It’s been so fucking long OMG)

Harold Jacobs Kintobor

Age: 41

Occupation: Hero (formerly), CEO of Kintobor Enterprises

Personality: Gruff doesn’t even begin to describe Harold’s personality. Often answering with a simple grunt, Harold is the walking definition of ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. When he does properly answer/reply to something, it’s in a matter-of-fact tone that is either ‘perpetual boredom’ or ‘barely restrained rage’. A successful businessman like Harold requires the cold, yet calculative demeanour that allowed Harold to climb up to CEO to begin with. Harold does not like injustices of any kind, and will deal with them in the same seriousness as how he handles his eco-friendly business. He is as cold in dealing with those who commit injustices as he is with most business partners.

With friends and family, however, Harold shows a surprising amount of emotions that he doesn’t show in a board meeting. He’s congratulatory towards his children, loving to his wife, and gives his staff bonuses for the hard work they do, whether they need it or not. However, this does not mean that Harold can’t be misinterpreted by his family due to his stand-offish nature. In fact, one such misinterpretation has caused the rift between Julian and Harold, causing the former to leave the Kintobor Mansion.

Strengths: Harold is stalwart in his beliefs. His strong morality and sense of justice are stronger than even the most honorable hero. He’ll reject easier or more reliable methods if they violate any of his beliefs. His business is one of the top leaders in the most environmentally friendly decisions/materials for this reason -- as Harold allows his beliefs to guide how he wants his company to work. Harold’s way with words is impeccable, able to take the truth and make it impossible to fight against. He’ll make sure that the evidence of one’s misdeeds are front and centre, no matter what.

As for physical, Harold is built like a bodybuilder. While he does not have the same strength as a typical Chaos user, Harold is strong enough to give many non-powered beings some pause. On top of this, Harold’s mind is sharper than most others. While not as intelligent as Dr. Eggman, Harold can manipulate the situation to his advantage before anyone can even figure out his plan in time. Harold has learnt business, martial arts, and a load of general memorization techniques during his travels.

Weaknesses: Harold’s stubbornness has cost him a load of friends and relationships, to the point of his son running away from home. Harold’s own morals often guide him into situations that he can’t get out of. When that happens, he tries to bulldoze his way out of a situation – with little success usually. Worse, Harold cannot ask for help, even when he needs it. He ends up stuck in a hole, shovelling himself deeper because of his refusal to accept help from others. On top of this, Harold’s morals are often the cause of tension between allies and friends alike, causing issues with anyone around him. This has earned the ire of many people, including his son Julian.

Harold cannot take anyone stronger than a non-powered being. As a human, Harold is too fragile to take on anything bigger than a lion without assistance. Harold has walked home too many a time with a severe injury because of it – a good chunk of his bones have been broken in places where it was thought impossible. Luckily, Harold’s spine isn’t as damaged as the rest of him, but he still needs a cane some days due to the beatings he’s taken over the years.

Hobbies: Harold is surprisingly into Realtime Strategy Games. Often playing them during his downtime, Harold gets really into these games – which sometimes causes people to think he’s too into video games to run his company. Harold often thinks to apply the strategies into real life. Other hobbies include:

·        Chess: Harold is into studying all kinds of strategy from all games, but he enjoys watching chess the most. Insisting that it’s due to chess not ‘changing over time’, he actually enjoys learning what strategies are being played by others, and tries to analyze the players behind the games.

·        Speeches: Harold is the master of speech making, often preparing and conducting debates with people he wants to talk with. He loves to hear other people’s opinions in a heated debate, and often wants to excite and prep people up with a good motivational speech.

·        Detective Work: Harold likes to solve crimes to keep his mind sharp, but also does it out of a sense of justice. He wants to help as many people as he can, and often tries to do it in a way without damaging reputations/clearing the truth. He often takes on cold cases, hoping to try and solve the unsolvable. Oftentimes, it doesn’t always happen. Yet Harold enjoys learning about the process nonetheless.

Likes: Progress, justice, happiness, learning how to be open to others, working to make the future better

Dislikes: Himself, destruction, chaos (in order, not the energy), having a split in his family, the damage he’s done.

Backstory: Born to Lady Andrea and Geoffrey Kintobor, Harold Kintobor was raised in an environment of overblown material goods and money. A highly curious individual, Harold collected true crime stories and mystery books from all over the world since he was young. However, Harold’s inheritance came at a cost for relationships – most people around him wanted to be friends with him for his money, not for Harold alone. Over time, he became closed off, unable to feel close when every kid around him wanted his parent’s money instead of him as a person.

One day, after rejecting some people to be off on his own for a while, he stumbles into a teal hedgehog – who proceeds to give him back his wallet, not one penny removed. Looking to the hedgehog, Harold decided to follow the hedgehog, keeping a good distance as he watched him. About every day, Harold got to learn about the positives and the negatives of this hedgehog, eventually deciding that he’d make friends with said hedgehog.

Once he had decided that, Harold ended up helping the hedgehog out of a situation he had gotten into. Since the hedgehog was jumped by a group of people, both the hedgehog and the human ended up beaten on their butts. Afterwards, Harold came to know Slipstream – from his name to his interests (living on his own, which surprised Harold completely, that Slipstream wanted to be a traveller, etc.), and the two became fast friends. The two had their own adventures together – from stopping a robbery to destroying unethical practices of other companies, Harold and Slipstream have done it.

Often upping the ante on their adventures, the two ended up taking Princess Aleena from her home, causing the Crystal Kingdom to chase the trio out. With that, the trio ended up going together, until Harold had enough of Aleena’s and Slipstream’s bickering and left them to their own devices. This proved to be a mistake, as Harold ended up having to look for the two when they fell into a ravine.

Desperately looking for the two hedgehogs, he ran into a person who’d eventually impact his life: Marian. The two worked together to destroy the robot that threw Slipstream and Aleena over the cliff. By the time Aleena and Slipstream came back to fight the last bit of the robot, Marian had disappeared entirely.

After Harold’s adventures with Slipstream and Aleena, Harold went off to look for Marian the same way that he did Slipstream in the past. Over time, the two got to know each other – Marian having fished out Harold quickly, and not up to having Harold stalk her. The two ended up having their own adventures together – destroying scheming companies, learning about Eggman’s plans to conquer the world, and learning about the Changelings from the tombs they visited. In those tombs, the two learnt of the eventual plans of one specific court – the Seelie Court, one that wanted to bring about the rise of the Perfect named Emptiness. The two got close on their last adventure – destroying one of Eggman’s bases after finding a Changeling depository underneath it. As soon as the two finished their last adventure, Marian and Harold ended up getting married.

Life stayed quiet for the two, up until Julian Kintobor was born into their lives. Harold and Marian dotted on little Julian, giving him all the love they could give to their son. When Marian became pregnant again, Harold was beyond ecstatic. He became so enamoured with the newest addition that Marian’s distress —her betraying her Changeling clan -- wasn’t even noticed until Hope’s birth. After Hope’s birth, Marian disappeared, and Harold became devastated.

Harold became despondent, unable to communicate to even his own son about the feelings bottling up inside him. This became a death sentence, as he started to neglect his own children, causing Julian to run away from home. Realizing the folly of his actions had caused both his wife and his son to disappear, Harold decided to take charge in the situation that he put himself into – constantly searching for Marian, Julian, and taking care of Hope while working on his Eco-friendly business.

[astrognossienne]

signs as husbands

aries:  Are often hard-edged, always boiling like acid, either through their need to exert their passion sexually or the need to project their masculinity. Angry and/or quick to anger. Tends to step out on their wives for some extracurricular fun, and when confronted gets very disrespectful and volatile. May even be violent and dangerous. Does things to get their way. But, like Geminis, Aries husbands often use harsh and very cutting humour to diffuse heavy situations. If their wife isn’t very touchy, delicate and sensitive, it can make for an enduring and exciting marriage.

taurus: They are caring and loving men, more often than not.They’re old-fashioned men at heart, and they love their wives to cook, clean, and be traditional wives, as they see this as their wives giving them the respect they deserve. He’s excellent at providing the material needs of his wife and family but often has no time for them. May or may not be emotionally available, but they’ll always make sure their wives are cared for. He is a sweet, caring, committed, patient, and likeable person, agreeing to everything (within reason) that his loved ones desire. But every so often, he explodes even without provocation. Then, everyone has to get out of his way to avoid getting his ire. They’re solid and make time for their family, and are the most loyal and faithful men in the zodiac.

gemini: They are very irresponsible and childish and often use humour as a defense mechanism in order not to face hard truths. Can be quite petty. Moody. Tends not to take too many things seriously. But on the other hand, when Gemini husbands make light of everything, it forges a bond that keeps them together with their wives. He also pokes fun at himself, making him good company. His humour widens both their perspectives and easily smooths over their differences. A Gemini’s marriage is constantly salved by his jokes, and that helps to make it last.

cancer: It seems the spouse of this person has got the best of everything —a loving and caring husband who works hard for the family. He is agreeable to everything that his wife or even other people want. Deep inside though, he is resentful and sensitive to every small offense that comes his way. Very popular with women, but values his guys friends more. Tends to get married young. They’re very clever and know their wife’s weakness and capitalizes on them to get relief from their wife. Doesn’t like to be alone, like Pisces and Libra. Nonetheless, more than anyone else in the zodiac, he puts his wife and his family first, and therefore is able to prioritize his loved ones above others.

leo: These guys feel and want to be treated like kings and can occasionally treat their wives like slaves or take them for granted. But they often have a spiritual side, and they guide their marriage though a higher power. Very romantic. He is a good provider, loves his family and will do anything for them. But he is critical of everyone or anything that doesn’t meet his idealistic and social standards. He expresses himself in a raised angry voice. He is the leader of his family. Providing his wife fulfills his needs and wants, he treats his wife is treated like a princess, she feels loved by him but may be also a bit intimidated by him.

virgo: Sensitive. Tries too hard to put out an image that’s bigger and badder than they actually are. Super critical of their wives and of others. The criticism can be directed at anyone in and outside their orbit. He’s super competitive and insecure and likes to impose his perceptions on others. He need things to be done according to his standards. He experiences constant anxiety, and simply cannot stop himself from wanting to control others. They often don’t have any sense of humour, unless it’s at someone else’s expense.

libra: Are great husbands. Like Cancers, they’re popular with women but unlike Cancer husbands, Libra husbands have more female friends. Libras aren’t always at home but usually at work, and when they come home it’s as if they’re visiting, or like their home is a hotel. Very charming and communicative with their wife and with friends. May talk too much. He’s often successful and loving, and can make everyone laugh. But he is also not shy to talk about his escapades with women, even constantly bragging about them. The best wife for him is a secure woman who knows what she wants. He’s the husband that is great at parties and social get-togethers. The more high-profile and ritzier the better.

scorpio: Can be very sarcastic and snarky. Great at sexually pleasing their wives. Can be very jealous and possessive. Controlling. Very passionate and almost dictatorial. Like Aries, anger is his safe place. Unlike Aries, he uses his anger to dominate instead of to get his way. Often uses anger to show love and care. Very proud and self-possessed. Secretly caring and sensitive. Very devoted and loyal. Private. Loves hard. Likes to live and love their way without any interference from others, but underneath it all he is still kind and has time for family and friends.

sagittarius: Loves to do things on their own without consulting their wives. Won’t be controlled or tamed by any woman, not even their wife. Their marriages often aren’t without some major drama. Loves to hang out a lot with their friends rather than their wife. Not very serious with married life, but when they are, they are very responsible and treat their wife as a partner and a helper. Likes to think of themselves as them against the world. Is very vicious when it comes to detractors or even the slightest criticism of their marriage, no matter if they’re family, friends or otherwise.

capricorn: Can’t make decisions on their own without asking their mothers. Also quite sensitive, but hides it with a cold hard facade. When something is wrong they rush back to their parents instead of discussing it with their wife. Wants their wife to care for them the way their mother did; always compares their wife with their mother. Care what everyone thinks and/or says about him and his wife, since appearances and status are extremely important to this many an his self-worth. As such, his wife is often a trophy wife. Capricorn husbands are very moody, stingy, and petty. Needs their wives (and others) to do any emotional weightlifting that they don’t have it in them to do. They don’t consider the wife’s emotions and they don’t like putting energy in their marriage to make it enjoyable.

aquarius: Often enjoys wives who are into open marriages and/or an open lifestyle. Are friends with their wives first before anything. Needs multiple relationships because he believes that when there is trouble in one, he can find relief in the next one. Unable to recognize the pain and agony he is inflicting on the people around him. He needs love/companionship/mental discourse and it often doesn’t matter who the supplier is. He acts like a single person who is proud of these achievements. Needs a wife who is practical and accepts his libertine lifestyle.

pisces: This guy may look good on paper, but he often maintains a secret life nobody knows about. He constantly makes strange disappearances that goes unexplained. Often doesn’t give his wife give a straight answer, leaves his whereabouts unknown, or gives an inaccurate accounting of his resources. Can be lazy and doesn’t like to work, sticking to his wife because of her money. Uses his wife as a problem solver; he loves his wife when he needs something from her and after that she is useless to him. Very deceptive. He has big plans and loves to talk about them a lot. In truth, he is dependent on others for support. Such is his daily life—the days roll into one another without any achievement or change.

[ninjakasuga]

Sonally Celebration Week, Year 3, Day 2: Mystery

Day two has come for the celebration of one of the best furry OTP’s ever~. @gojira007 ‘s celebration blog @boundforfreedomsonsal of Sonic and Sally continues and here’s my second entry. Enjoy all~

Sonsally Week, Year Three!!

Day 02: Mystery

Foreword: This episode is still set in the Archie-Verse depicted in my fics of last year and day one’s story. This one is set some years after the fall of Eggman, when peaceful times finally settled on Mobius for the first time in ages. Of course, peace doesn’t always equate to ‘easy’, especially when babysitting two spirited scamps.

“Sonia, Manic- WHERE THE FREAKING BLEEP ARE YOU?!!” Shouted an irate, and clearly frustrated blue hedgehog as his right eye twitched something horribly. Standing in the town-square of the rebuilt Knothole Village, his gaze shifting back and forth from the trees, and the various huts of the quiet village. While mostly destroyed during one of Dr. Eggman’s devastating attacks; the entire village was rebuilt as it was during the war era of fighting the original Robotnik. With a few Eggman era buildings kept, and one or two new additions. Knothole was mainly a tribute to the village that sheltered the survivors of the fall of the original Mobotropolis, and became home of the resistance that would become the Freedom Fighters. Mostly a standing all-may-come museum to pay homage to the place that started as a Royal Retreat/shelter, but became so much more. A few of the huts were still livable, home away from home for certain members of the Freedom Fighters who occasionally would return to Knothole with their families to celebrate and remember those days.

Today, it was host to a game of hide and seek, giving the two instigators of the game a plethora of hiding places. One that was driving the elder brother of Sonia and Manic Hedgehog, one Sonic the Hedgehog, former hero of Mobius, crazy!

After tapping his foot rapidly for a scant few seconds, Sonic cupped his hands together again and shouted as loudly as he could manage. “MANIC! SONIA! FOR BLEEPING FRACK’S SAKE YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTTS OUT WHERE I CAN SEE EM’! AIN’T FUNNY NO MORE!” It really wasn’t, Sonic nor his lovely wife, had agreed to hide and seek, but his two younger siblings opted to begin a game without anyone’s consent.

A voice soon called to him, followed by familiar footsteps. “Is there a reason you’re using frack and bleep? Is that a new sibling code of some sort Sonic?”

Speaking of lovely wife’s, there she was. Turning to face his wife, Sonic shrugged with a sheepish expression. “It was censor myself or risk using words I don’t think Mom nor Dad would care for two nine-year-olds to repeat.”

“That is probably for the best.” Agreed Sally, with a tired sigh as a hand went to her rounded stomach. She wasn’t far enough along in her own pregnancy; her movements were not hampered; but the extra weight of the two passengers in her belly was sapping her energy. “Whew, I’ve just been walking but I feel ready to kick back.”

Concerned, Sonic walked over and touched her shoulder. “All the more reason I’m not too happy they started this ‘game’ when I made it clear you can’t be as play-happy as usual because you’re pregnant.”

Shaking her head, Sally reached over to place her hand over his, giving an assuring squeeze as she managed a smile. “They’re just kids, it’s alright Sonic. They probably just want to get some last playtime with us before I’m truly an invalid.”

Sonic had to admit she had a point but his ire was not fully dissolved. “Maybe, but this is still too much. Even Mom n’ Dad told em’ to not get carried away.”

Smirking, Sally lifted an eyebrow as she glanced at her husband. “Sonic, they’re ‘your’ siblings. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. There seems to be an innate sass-o-meter in your family. Pushing buttons seems to be something of a religious doctrine.”

Opening his mouth to counter, Sonic slowly shut it, frowning deeply. “... Fair nuff, but I still say you’ve rubbed off on them if we’re going for sass influence.”

“ME?!” Sputtered Sally, an incredulous frown, forming over her face. Beautiful blue, eyes narrowing almost dangerously. “How pray tell, do I count as a bad influence toward Manic or Sonia?”

Smirking widely as he got her goat, Sonic yanked the chain more, counting off with his fingers. “Well again, you’re the Queen of Sass and not just the Kingdom. When you gotta be right, you will argue til’ the cows come home. Plus you’re good at being playful when you want something, Manny’s baby-of-the-family routine is killer thanks to watching you. N’ Sonia’s all about emulating her Sis-in-law’s fancy mannerisms, and silver tongue. Just the other day she was in trouble and convinced Mom to let her off the hook light with a buncha big words she got from you.”

Almost mirroring Sonic, Sally opened her mouth, then closed it as she thought better of it. “...Touche’, but that doesn’t excuse the bad habits you’ve given them love-of-my-life.”

Laughing, Sonic gave her a big, if careful hug. Letting her have that one as, one it was true, and two, he knew jerking her around too much with hormones a-flame was a bad idea. “Of course, of course, but they also picked up on my coolness factor.”

“Truly…” Replied Sally in a dull, drawl that spoke volumes of how little she believed that. “I just hope our own bundles give us something of a break compared to these two. I can see why your parents are all-too-eager for us to babysit when we can.”

“Knowing us, they’ll drive us insane cuz they’ll be just like us in ways, but we’ll love em’ anyway.” Sonic mused, placing a hand to her belly and leaning in to kiss her gently. Sighing in a content manner, Sally melted into the kiss and hug, feeling a bit of the weight of impending motherhood ease off her shoulders to a degree.

Almost as if on cue, a duo of childish voices are heard uttering, “Eeeew gross!”

Instantly, both Sally and Sonic broke the kiss, angled their heads upward, and pointed as they both cried out in triumphant unison. “AH-HA! THERE YOU TWO SCAMPS ARE!”

“Aw crude!” Muttered Manic, as he and his sister clung to one of the large tree branches, quite a ways up that was connected to one of the tree house type huts.

“Well we gave them the ghost for a good twenty-minutes I’d say we won.” Stated Sonia in a rather faux-haughty manner. The more purple-blue of the two, whipped back her-pink hair? Wait, Sonia was blonde! Plus some of her fur looked more magenta-purple now?

In fact, why was Manic’s fur and quills more of a green-ish tinge than the light-blue they should be? Not to mention that punk-esque quill style... Eyes narrowing, Sonic let go of Sally, zipped into the hollowed out large tree with a hut built around the base. With the same speed, he charged up the ladder within the hollowed out tree, allowing him to come out at the point where the tree-house hut was, and lean out where the landing gave way to a natural, thick tree branch. 

“Oh no, you two did not!”

Putting on the best coy, innocent face he could, Manic twiddled his fingers together in a playful manner. “What’re you talking about Big-Bro?”

“Seriously Sonic, you need to use clear, concise words.” Snickered Sonia.

“You both dyed your hair and fur!” Sonic pointed between each sibling. “Mom’s gonna have kittens!” Growled their elder brother as his mind swam with images of a none-too-pleased Bernadette Hedgehog glaring at her son and daughter-in-law.

Arms crossed, Sally tapped her foot, in a manner not unlike her husband. “You two sneaks lost us to go and do the dye-jobs yourself didn’t you?”

“Maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe.” Both twins chorused.

Sighing Sally frowned more. “Manic, Sonia, you do realize your Mother and Father are going to tan the crap out of your hides. They both told you, neither of you could have such radical dye jobs until you were fifteen, thirteen at the earliest if you both proved responsible enough! Plus, Manic, sweetie, why are you intent on making yourself look like Scourge?!”

“Hey!” Manic cried indignantly, a pout forming on his lips. “I just like the color, it’s not my fault Sonic’s scrub of a doppelganger had the same color-job! It screams ‘me’! Plus I don’t have sharp teeth or those evil eyes like he does, plus my quills are cooler lookin!”

“I’ll give you that li’ bro, on the being cooler looking thing, but dam-er dang it!” Sonic grabbed his own head-quills, mussing them up some in frustration. “Urgh Mom n’ Dad ain’t gonna let us watch you two ever again if you pull crap like this again!”

“He’s right.” Sighed Sally, rather dramatically. “We’ll be seen as so irresponsible they will forbid us from ever seeing you again!” She put a hand to her heart, and the other against her head. Truly, piling on the dramatic flair. “They may even question if we’re fit to be parents ourselves and have our babies taken from us.”

While Sonia rolled her eyes, Manic’s went wide as panic took over his earlier nonchalant attitude. “R-really?! We don’t want that!”

“Manny, bro she’s trying to guilt us!”

“Well it’s working! I didn’t wanna get them in that deep of trouble!”

“Manic she’s the QUEEN!! Mom and Dad can’t do jack to her!” His (slighty) older twin argued, seeing her partner-in-crime was about to fold.

“Wanna bet?” Sonic crossed his arms, smirking fully as he saw the sliver of doubt in the two’s eyes. “Mom can be scary when she wants and Dad, Dad is aaaaaaaaaall about the ‘subtle, quiet big stick’ kind of approach.”

Now even Sonia was doubting if they’d gone too far, especially as it pertained to how much trouble this might land her and Manic. Maybe she underestimated her ability to talk her way out of trouble. “M-Maaaybe we got a little carried away?”

“You sure did you two scamps, now if you come with me down the tree, we might ‘might’ convince Mom and Dad to let you both stay the night, and we can wash out the dyes and treat your fur so they never notice.”

Nodding as they both climbed fast, but still safely across the branch to Sonic. The two younger hedgehogs cling onto his legs. “We give, we give!!”

“Smart choice!” Laughed Sally from the ground, smiling at the won tag-team victory of talking the kids into doing their bidding. “If you two behave onward, there might be my special ice cream sundaes after supper.”

“Really?!”

Maybe handling kids wouldn’t be so hard after all? Sally thought before speaking aloud to them. “Cross my heart!”

“N’ you know Sal’s promises are good as gold.” Quipped Sonic as he guided the two once they stood up towards the ladder down to ground level. “Also, expect to help do some chores as further punishment for this stunt.”

“What?! Oh come on big brother-!”

“Nope, nada, don’t even try to talk me down Sonia!” Sonic cut her off as he coaxed first Manic, then Sonia to climb down the ladder. “Sal’s gotta take it easy and I need help doing this and that.”

“But you guys got a staff at the castle to do stuff!” Pipped Manic, his voice echoing through the hollow tree.

“It keeps us honest to do our own chores.” Quipped Sonic, watching them both get halfway before he started down the ladder himself. “Plus if you want us to keep quiet about the dye-thing-.”

“Oh fine!” Both younger hedgehogs huffed, giving up arguing.

“Being a big brother has its perks.” Chuckled Sonic to himself as he made his way down. Maybe in a few years, Sally and he could return the favor and foist their own kids on Manic and Sonia to babysit. Oh the payback will be sweet!

[magioftheseas]

Take It Like A Man!!

Summary: An alternate scene in which Nidai does It to Matsuda in Chapter 26 of Super Danganronpa 2: Matsuda Yasuke’s Battle of Despair and Wits.

Rating: T+

Warnings: It’s suggestive. Also blood that was in the original fic. There’s specifically a nosebleed.

Notes: Y’all should’ve seen this coming. I don’t know how Nidai became a secondary love interest in this AU but he is one so he’s gonna get his own gay af bonus scene with Matsuda. It’s only fair. Sorry, Owari.

Read this fic among others HERE

Main story is HERE

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“KATSUUUUU!!!”

Owari took off in a dash towards him. Her arms spread out and she propelled herself forward with a leap. Matsuda quickly side-stepped out of the way, and she smashed into the ground.

“Oogh! Urgh!” Owari spat out dirt and grass. She rubbed at her face, voice coming out as a nasal whine. “The hell did you dodge for?! Dirty coward!”

“No,” Nidai said, laughing as he walked up. “Pretty smart on Matsuda’s part! With his frame, he would’ve just crumbled under ya! This is why dodging can be just as effective as throwing a punch! Letting gravity do all the work! Gwahaha!”

Owari let out a groan of frustration. “It’s so cowardly!”

“Sorry if having self-preservation counts as being cowardly,” Matsuda retorted. “Even though pride doesn’t mean shit on death’s bed.” He pauses, noticing the dribble of dark red down Owari’s lip and dripping off her chin onto her shirt. He grimaced, realizing. “You’re bleeding. Come on.”

Owari blinked up at his hand. A grin split her face and before Matsuda was able to fully register the fucking awful mistake he just made—she snatched his wrist and yanked him down, trapping him with a headlock as she furiously rubbed her fist to his hair.

“Shouldn’t have let down your guard, Katsuuuuu!”

Nidai laughed heartily at the sight. Matsuda decided that next time—fucking next time, he was just going to let Owari bleed out and leave her for dead. Especially if she was going to bleed on him. On the clean lab coat he just fucking put on.

He furiously smacked her arm and it probably hurt him more than it hurt him. She dropped him and he unceremoniously smacked into her lap as she cackled. Nidai lifted him up by the scruff of his coat and settled him back on his feet.

“It’s nice that you two are getting along,” he said as he dusted Matsuda off, cheerfully and willfully oblivious to Matsuda boiling with unrestrained ire. “That said, Owari you should go with him to get your nose bandaged. It’s important to take care of your body.” Pausing, he seems to notice Matsuda’s stiff shoulders and moves to squeeze them. “And Matsuda, you should let me do it.”

“You’re gonna do it with him, too?!” Owari exclaimed. “I thought I was special, old man!”

“Matsuda clearly NEEDS it!” Nidai bellowed back. “Do not be so SELFIIIIIIISH!!”

Yeah. Sure. Matsuda thought, twitching. Scream right next to my fucking ear. God. This is why I hate jocks.

Unfortunately, he was now in a situation where fleeing wasn’t an option. Another reason why jocks were the worst. Too dumb for emotional manipulation, too unyielding for any physical backlash from a guy who skipped every gym class to bury his nose in medical texts. There was basically no way of dealing with them.

Matsuda sighed loudly.

“Right. Anyway.” He shuddered when Nidai squeezed his shoulders again. This time had more of a damned effect, proving the power of those strong hands. Damn that meathead. “I have—places to be. I’m going to the pharmacy so I can bandage up the rabid chick’s nose in the meantime if...” Another squeeze. Matsuda bit his tongue to muffle any responding groan before smacking Nidai’s hand. “Stop that! I... Urgh...”

Inventory is important... Inventory... Inventory...

 “Will you come back and let me do it?” Nidai asked with utmost seriousness. Hating himself for feeling his face get hot, Matsuda bit down harder on his tongue.

I did get some lotion from the MonoMono Machine...

He really did get all kinds of weird fucking items. Particularly the lotion in question with its tacky bottle and perverse branding. For rubbing aaaaaaaall over your bear body, upupupu. Something like that. He would’ve tossed it on that offense alone, but it was actually pretty high-quality lotion...

And wouldn’t it feel really nice?

“I guess...there are bandages in my cottage...” He ended up mumbling. “But I still gotta go to the pharmacy...”

“Bwahaha!” Nidai patted his back. “Then you’ll go after! For now... To your place, YEAH?! MATSUDAAAAA?!”

Owari was fuming at him, cheeks an impressive shade of red considering the blood still flowing from her nose.

“Yeah,” Matsuda croaked, electing to just ignore her. “My place.”

--

Well. They were in his cottage and he did get the first aid kit for Owari first thing, but—it was feeling a bit crowded. And he didn’t have a door for his bathroom. He shouldn’t give a damn, he really shouldn’t but...

“Owari, you don’t mind stepping out, right?” Nidai asked gruffly, cracking his knuckles. “The point of it is to get Matsuda to relax. It’d be better if we were alone.”

Owari sighed heavily, pinching her nose as she did.

“I gueeeeeeeeess.”

Still huffy, she still tossed them once last glare before heading to the door. She slammed the door shut hard enough to rattle the hinges. She almost fucking broke it.

Matsuda fumed next except Nidai clapped his hand down on his shoulder. He jumped, staring up stupidly at Nidai’s grinning face.

“Let’s get started. Now!” He bellowed, “STRIIIIIIIIIP!!!”

“She can still hear you,” Matsuda hissed, but he shed his coat anyway. Annoyance couldn’t compete with his resolve and now that he had Nidai in his cottage, he’d be fucking damned if he didn’t see it to the end. “Just don’t shout so fucking much. We can be professionals about this.”

Nidai chortled, but that fire in his gaze burned and burned as Matsuda undressed. Tie. Dress shirt. Pants. Nidai’s gaze swept his frame, but that was an inferno that Matsuda wasn’t going to get caught in right now.

Even if he still felt a little flustered about it as he went to lie down face first on the bed. Only in his underwear. He heard the rustling of Nidai taking off his own jacket.

“There’s lotion in my coat pocket,” Matsuda mumbled before he forgot. “It’s hard to miss. Shaped like a certain shitty bear.”

Nidai harrumphed but he dug out the lotion anyway. He inhaled sharply.

“Ah! This is GOOD stuff! Owari likes it a lot!” Nidai sounded very, very fucking pleased. “Alright, Matsuda! The road to a brand new world is gonna be SLICK!”

Brand new world, huh? He listened to the bottle being popped open. He felt goosebumps rise on his skin despite the temperature being the same as always. It wouldn’t be the first fucking time he was almost naked like this. Unfortunately, it was impossible to pretend that this was just like any physical.

“This your first time?” Nidai asked, and Matsuda doesn’t have to look to know he’s coming closer. He can hear it in those heavy steps. “Has anyone else ever had ya like this?”

It’s not helped by Nidai almost whispering for once. As if he had to be careful with the weight of each word.

“Don’t think so,” Matsuda grumbled. “I’ve just never really have the time.”

Why the fuck am I so embarrassed about this?

He tries not to flinch when the bed dipped significantly under Nidai’s weight. He forced himself to calm the fuck down when he felt Nidai’s smooth, slick hands on his back.

“No good,” Nidai growled. “You need to take time out for yourself.”

Nidai’s thumbs pressed hard into a knot just under his shoulder blades. Matsuda muffles a yelp and he wonders if he should grab a pillow or something—except that isn’t going to fucking work because his body needs to be straight and flat. Dammit.

Nidai worked down his spine and he was helpless. Each twinge was strange, but he still loosened under the ministrations, relaxing more and more. Sparks of pleasure had him groan in relief, and he wasn’t even bothered by the weird ‘ratatata’s being grumbled under Nidai’s breath.

“You like it, don’t you?” Nidai asked, voice low and husky. “Now you won’t be able to live without it.”

God, he’s so fucking ridiculous.

So much so that Matsuda can’t help but laugh.

“Do you have any idea how you fucking sound right now?” He almost chokes on a sudden purr when Nidai kneads his lower back. “Fuck, that feels really nice.”

Sometimes, he can’t help but be a hypocrite, sighing and humming in a way that was almost obscene. He felt himself quiver with a particularly deep press into his nape, and Nidai chuckled softly under his breath.

“That’s it. Feel the POWER of the Ultimate Masseur, NIDAI NEKOMARUUUUU!!!”

“Stop yelling, keep massaging,” Matsuda snapped. He sighed again when Nidai didn’t halt in rubbing down the knots in his shoulders. “Oh fuuuuck, that’s it...”

With each knot kneaded out, it was a lifetime of stress melting away. He could’ve dozed off like this and indeed, he did give in a little and for once in his life, he just—stopped—thinking.

After a while, his eyes fluttered open. Nidai’s hands weren’t on him anymore, but he still felt the other’s weight situated on the corner of the bed. Pushing himself up, Matsuda did in fact feel his body much easier to move. Looser, even. He stretched with a soft whine, and—there. A flinch. From the other party.

When he turned, Nidai flashed him with a broad grin.

“There’s still work to be done on your shoulders, but I didn’t want to disturb ya!” A hearty laugh, but one that seemed more breathless than before.

“You can keep going, then,” Matsuda said immediately and would’ve flopped back down had Nidai not pulled him back.

“Just like this is fine,” was muttered into his hair and those large hands gripped and squeezed his shoulders. In a more cranky state of mind, Matsuda would’ve groused about the sudden strangeness in the atmosphere.

But, Matsuda was feeling pretty compliant. It was clear now how Nidai managed to tame Owari. All Nidai had to do was press his thumb like so into the knot under Matsuda’s nape and Matsuda would jump off a fucking bridge for this.

For now, he just hummed in contentment as Nidai works his magic once more.

Until there’s another pause.

“Ahaha. Haha.” Did Nidai’s laugh sound a bit dry? “You said you had to go to the pharmacist, right?”

He had almost completely forgotten.

“Urgh.” Matsuda groaned as the reality of the situation settled right back in his head. Like a fucking infestation of cockroaches. “Fuck, right.”

“We can continue again later,” Nidai was saying. “Even if you’re not one of my athletes, you’re still...”

He trails off. Matsuda is too busy retrieving his clothes to comment on it, but he does notice the meathead coach’s sudden sheepishness.

He’s not...?

Nidai’s blush darkened when he glanced back.

The reality of the situation settled in. Nidai looked away.

...it’s nothing. It’s just the circumstances that are strange. Don’t—don’t be fucking stupid and look so deeply into something like...

He needed. To get his damn shoes.

But when he swings down to retrieve them, he realizes his door has been opened.

And Owari is fucking glaring at him from the crack.

“What the FUCK?!”

And maybe, just maybe, Matsuda was a little too fucking flustered after all. And maybe he flung his shoe a little too hard. Owari may have taken it like a champ, but like a fucking idiot, she took it to the fucking face. Right on the damn nose.

“You were taking so LONG!” she exclaimed, completely undeterred with her stained bandage. It’d have to be replaced, she was probably bleeding again. “I won’t have ya completely monopolizing the old man’s IT!”

Nidai broke into uproarious laughter and Matsuda cursed himself out for expecting things to play out any other stupid fucking way.

This really isn’t the place for it. So, don’t fucking think about it. If this was a story, it’d be a fucking horror, not a romance.

“Right,” he griped. “To the fucking pharmacy, then.”

He just needed to get dressed. It’d be like nothing ever happened. Nothing at all.

At least it was a lot easier to move now.

I’ll have to see that brand new day again. Preferably soon. And then... I don’t know, maybe things can be normal?

The events transpired as normal. As expected. Whatever.

(But, no, he never got the chance to experience it again. But if he knew it’d be the first and last time on these stupid fucking islands, it wouldn’t have changed a thing between him, Nidai, or even Owari for that matter.)

[greytoiletpaper]

Out on Allen Street, it’s 7 in the Morning

Set in the same-ish Street Siblings universe as First Contact by @cryptids-and-muses and @a-sketchy-character @streetsiblings (they’re awesome), I present my own built-on concept. It’s a bit angstier but sue me I’m an angst ball

AO3 | Deluge

Chapter 1: Drizzle

Jason Todd loved the rain. He remembered it pattering on the roof as he dozed off into the night, curled up with Sparky. Times spent splashing in puddles. Drawing a rare smile from Catherine as bright as the morning sun. Days without Willis, his head stuck in a worn copy of Huckleberry Finn and the ambience set only by the rain as it tracked ran down the window he leant on.

It was raining when Jason woke to his mother’s lax corpse, ears drowning out every sound except the rain’s as it plinked in time with the droplets that dripped down her arm.

--

In front of her, Faizul’s corpse is still. So still that Cassandra Cain can almost block out how the man’s body only radiated pain and fear and agony so strong-and-she-did-that-with-her-hands-her-hands-so-red-and-.

But she can’t, her head is still drowning in the memory, and all she can think about is the fear emptiness that settles in her body. Her gift to understand movement as if it were a language, she learns, is nothing more than a curse when Death comes by her hand. She wrings her red fist, as tainted as her soul because of what she had done. She looks away.

Father David has his arms outstretched, a smile so sharp and so bright that if he were any other man, she would have thought he was proud. He is, but underneath, Cassandra can see nothing but sick and profound glee at what she can do. The decision is easy.

As Cassandra springs out the window, its hinges blew wide open, her father David keeled over, the sky crackles and runs with the long red rivulets off her arms.

--

Now, five months later, Jason ducks his head under the fire escape in an empty alley, the rain in a duet with the nightlife of Gotham. He allows himself some respite as it steadily washes the grime off his surroundings, a pleasant ratatatata above the ambient din that is the dark of Gotham. He is so tired, but he’ll have to move soon if he wants to stay out of sight of kidnappers and killers and whatever else haunts the shadows of Gotham.

A howl slices through the Gotham night as some mug gets his face slammed into a wall. Jason knows this because he can see it right now as the same mook gets decked by a – a girl. Anyone on the streets knows that girls can hold their own but seeing some thirty-something-year-old man get his ass handed to him by a pixie of a girl – he thinks she’s his age, somehow – is something else. Seriously, the guy looks terrified out of his mind as he runs with his tail between his legs after a particularly nasty hit to his crotch.

As if sensing his gaze, the girl snaps her head to him, locking him in place.

“Uh… Hi?” Jason raises his hand in an awkward wave which the girl mimics, albeit a bit stilted, her head on a tilt. The silence between the two of them stretches until the girl seems to see something in him and nods. Out of ideas, Jason digs around his bag and produces a fresh enough apple.

“I’m Jason.” He points to himself.

A beat, and then the girl repeats the gesture.

“Cuh, cuh, cuh,” She struggles with the words, her forehead pinched. “Cuh, ah, ssss.”

“Cass?” The girl nods again, this time rigorously. Unsure of himself, Jason raises the apple to her. “Well, nice to meet you, Cass. You hungry?”

Cass grins, her eyes twinkling as she bites into the apple. Around them, the rain lessens. Just a little.

--

She watches two of her most precious children draw closer, children who will laugh and cry and burn for her love. Gotham watches them come, raises her arms, and weeps with her joy.

“Jason and Cassandra against the world,” Is what Gotham would have said if she had a voice. For years, the city is content to watch her children. She observes Jason and Cassandra as they starve, as they fight, as they grow. On one night, the weather nothing but pluvial, she witnesses them come across the strange car in the alleyway owned by her first child. On that night, she watches as the Dark Knight comes across her most perfect pair of children.

--

“Cassandra,” She looks up at the man they had been living under for the past two months, Bruce. She makes no answer, only staring blankly at him–they were betting on seeing how long it took for the man to get uncomfortable when she does that–who stares back. He continues as if they had not been staring for a full minute, which is not to Cass’ benefit. “Do you know where Jason is?”

Cass, willing to keep trying, keeps her gaze unrepentant. Under her scrutiny, the Dark Knight’s demeanour finally cracks a little. Internally, Cass is ecstatic, but she still really wants to milk it as she keeps up the act.

“Someone call for me?” Jay comes down the stairs. Finally, Cass can break her façade.

“Good morning, slob.” The slob, honest to god, freezes.

“No,” He grinds out of his teeth.

“Yes,” Cass gives him a crooked smile. “slob.”

“Am I missing something here?” Bruce is frowning. Oh right, he was ignorant to their scheme.

“Slob,” Cass repeats with feeling and delights at Jay’s fuming. “S-L-O-B. It means Stupid-Loser-Of-Bets,” She looks Jay dead in the eye again and calls him by the name.

Bruce frowned even further (his body projects such honest confusion that Cass almost laughs). “I was not aware you two had made a bet.”

“A bet I lost because of you, old man!” Jay pipes up, suddenly fuming at Bruce. “You’re Batman, and you can’t even keep from cracking when some girl stares at you for longer than a minute?”

Cass does not hold in her laughter anymore, something she broadcasts to all gathered. Bruce sighs, but at least he waits for her to calm down before he gets to his point.

“Regardless… I need you two to come with me to my office,” As the man leaves, the two share a glance.

“You gonna go after him?”

“You first, slob,” Jay grumbles the entire way to the office, where Bruce waves them in.

For a few seconds, the man awkwardly shifts before he pulls a sheaf of papers from behind his desk.

“I… I quite enjoy having the two of you here. With me,” Bruce admits, looking both of them in the eyes. He takes a deep breath. “I do not want to force this on either of you, but I would love to have you here with me for longer.”

“Permanently, even.”

Bruce lays out the papers on the desk, ‘Adoption Applications’ printed at the top. The letters draw a sharp breath from Jay, and Cass is confident enough with reading to understand what it means.

“Yes,” They both say immediately, and Bruce’s face goes softer than either have ever seen it.

When he asks for their surnames, Cass thinks about saying Cain. Instead, she says Todd.

Shyly, her russet orbs meet his azure ones expecting anger, but everything about Jason only projects love and acceptance. Her grin, something she had not got right yet, is almost identical to the one her brother wears.

“Always wanted a sister. Can’t do much better than you, eh, Cass?”

“Yes Jay,” she pauses. “slob.”

Outside, the sky is open in a light drizzle.

--

If there is anyone in the Waynes that Jason thinks is his favourite, it would be Alfred. An opinion he thinks Cass would be hard-pressed to disagree with. Of course, Cass is still in awe about the fact that Bruce Wayne is Batman (and isn’t that just fucking crazy), so it’s understandable. Conversely, Jason still remembers his first memory of the butler, a kind smile and welcoming arms that promised care for both of them.

“Master Jason,” The boy had looked up to see a crinkle in Alfred’s eyes that he had only ever seen from Catherine. The butler continued, somehow even softer than his usual. “Would you like me to fix that for you?”

Alfred gestured to Jason’s battered copy of Huckleberry Finn that he had cradled self-consciously to his chest. He refused, unsure why the butler seemed to be delighted to see Jason in the way only Cass and his Mom did. But there is something so trustworthy about the man that part of Jason is sure Alfred would do things like that no matter what he asked. So, automatic favourite.

--

Their older brother, Dick (“Aptly nicknamed,” Jay mutters under his breath.), yells whenever he comes to the manor. Most of his visits tend to cycle between him screaming at Bruce or yelling about them. He does make an effort to be a little quieter when he’s talking about the latter. Although, he still looks at Jay with an indecipherable mixture of emotions in his eyes. A pool caught between anger and something unknown to them. It’s not something that upsets Cass, but it puts both of them off, nonetheless.

On the other hand, Barbara is a little more forward in her dislike of the new kids. More often than not, her ire seems aimed at Cass specifically. Privately, Cass thinks Barbara was still angry about Bruce taking her role as Batgirl and giving it to Cass. But, she can see how every time the older girl gets less hostile, another part of her body was long past the role anyway. So, she doesn’t hold it against Oracle.

--

“C’mon Cass, repeat after me,” Jason waves the pages in Cass’ face, which elicits a giggle from his sister. Her giggling unbalances the both of them, so they have to waste another couple of minutes to make themselves comfortable again.

“What’s the use you learning to do right when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?”

Cass repeats the words, but she struggles at ‘troublesome’, so Jason repeats it for her. Silence, and then.

“What mean?” He thinks she isn’t asking about the word.

“Well, Mom used to say that it was just that. It might be harder to do the right thing, but it’d be better since you at least did it properly,” Satisfied, his sister merely nods and tries the words again. This time, she only takes three tries until she gets ‘troublesome’ right.

“I think she would have liked you,” He murmurs between phrases and instantly regrets it when Cass’ head turns to him so sharply she jostles him. He is about to brush it off when she nods her head shyly, snuggling closer to Jason.

He thinks, as they keep reading, that things are going to turn out alright. He has Robin now, and Robin gives him magic. Not only that but he’s also got Cass as Batgirl. Sure, she has that weird stitch mask covering her face, but it’s so fitting that he cannot imagine Cass with any other kind of costume. He knows her, and she knows him. For years she has been the sister he never knew he needed.

Together, Jason muses, they’re going to shake the whole damn world.

--

Whether they're from the Justice League or otherwise, everyone is always ready with a snide comment directed towards them. Or, more specifically, Jason. They use words and insults that don’t make sense to her, but she can see them affect her brother. When she asks, all he does is brush her off with lies and platitudes that they both know are fake. It isn’t until Troia huffs and says something that has waves of hurt rolling off Jason’s body that Cass decides she’s had enough.

“Honestly, I can’t believe you’d think you’d ever be like – ow!” Troia, poise flooded with nothing but condescension (she’s too angry to be elated at remembering a word Jason taught her) that Cass quickly corrects with a sharp jab. Like a deer in headlights, she turns and somehow has the gall to look indignant (another word). “Who did – Batgirl?”

“What, are you doing?” Troia fucking blinks. “Why are you treating my brother like this?”

She doesn’t even look guilty.

“Oh, don’t worry about all that. I don’t think it’s anything you’d understand anyway,”

She bends down towards her, apparently not noticing how still she is. Anyone who knows anything about Cassandra Todd knows her stillness means Death. Evidently, Troia is an exception. She's the only one in the room that's relaxed.

“Some people are simply born for this role. No street rat can ever hope to achieve that.”

Cassandra moves before anyone even blinks, her arms a flurry of jabs and punches and vicious kicks as she catches Troia off guard. Even when she finally regains her footing, the Amazon doesn't stand a sliver of a chance as Cassandra lays into her.

A block from Troia awards a savage stomp on her shin. A punch ducked under and followed through into a sequence of blows to the Amazon’s chest. When Troia grips her lasso and tries to restrain Cassandra, the girl only slinks her way past and wrestles it from her hands. Quickly and efficiently, she wraps it around the Amazon’s waist and pulls. For someone so small, Cassandra manages to lift Troia with the lasso with enough strength that when she releases it, the Amazon goes flying into a pillar in the Watchtower with a sharp crack.

Cass picks up her brother and shields him from the Leaguers, indifferent to their shocked and judgemental eyes.

The message is clear.

Even though they’re lost in a veritable sea of people, it still ends up being just the two of them, and Cass is more than okay with that.

Next chapter

[emerald-amidst-gold]

I'm not immune to the fluff 💖

Hand-holding 32. not really paying attention, both doing something else, but still holding hands Touching 22. falling asleep on the other’s shoulder

AWWW YES! My fluff trap has worked! >:D

Some drabbles! Just for you, friend! <3

Their relationship was confusing for some. Well, most, if Fane was being honest, but he didn't really care what anyone else thought. Not many relationships in this day and age held a candle to what he and Solas had fostered, and that wasn't the fault of those who didn't understand. It was how the world was, and their relationship was complexity incarnate, so confusion was a typical reaction.

And many, many people didn't understand the concept of intimacy in sheer presence. Not all love was shown through acts of intercourse or raw carnal desire. Sometimes, it was as simple as an open palm and a small smile as two hands became as interlocked as a masterwork lock. Even better was when neither party thought of combining tumblers, the act instinctual, the purpose wanted in thought.

And that was very much what depicted their acts of intimacy.

"If I get one more letter from Halamshiral talking about my eyes, I will seriously gouge them out.", Fane growled as said eyes flitted across a piece of parchment; a letter in the most refined and disgusting filigree he had ever seen. He didn't get paid enough for this job.

"I would advise against self mutilation, vhenan.", Solas quipped from beside him, the two of them situated side by side as the mage's desk in the rotunda. His sky was currently reading his own text, but from the view of a small smirk and lax expression, it was far more calming than what Fane was currently having to deal with.

"Just try and stop me.", Fane said with a sneer before flicking the letter away unceremoniously, sighing. "What time is it, anyhow?" It felt late and he knew that because of how his marked hand felt numb and heavier than a dead weight, but also...warm?

"I am unsure.", Solas responded, throwing off his confusion from gentle heat. "The candle is worn down to about half, so I would hazard a guess and say close to midnight." The assessment even, concise, even as the voice that sounded them held the desire to sleep in its lilt.

Fane blinked. "Midnight?", he balked, the mage only letting out a hum in affirmation. "By anything that's holy, Solas, why didn't you--", he went to raise his left hand to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation, but found that it was...heavy? And again, warm? "What the..? Why are we holding hands?", the question slow as his gaze shot straight down to their loosely joined hands and then back up and then back down.

When had they interlocked?

Solas let out an airy chuckle, his head lulling to the side, eyes picking up from his book to give him a look that said, 'Truly?' before the hand adjoined to his own gave a light squeeze.

"Truthfully, I don't know the answer to that question.", Solas admitted, looking down at their joined hands, too with a small smile. "Perhaps it was merely instinctive. I find myself reaching for you without thinking.", more admittance falling like the freshest rain upon a warm brick.

"Do you now?", Fane teased as he looked back up to gaze into the only sky he would ever know from now until the end. Solas hummed, lifting his head back up, the same small smile still in place.

"I do.", he said without hesitation before something akin to shame flashed into blue and grey, blessed warmth beginning to unravel with his slightly larger appendage. "But I can stop if you--"

Fane shook his head, cutting Solas off. "Don't start with that.", he admonished, pulling the retreating hand back to entwine them tighter together before picking up the next letter in his small pile. "You can hold it for as long as you want, my sky.", he said before shifting his gaze away from slightly wide orbs. "...And you're not the only one who finds themselves reaching out. You beckon for the dragon above to land, and I yearn to draw the sky near. So, don't worry about making me uncomfortable because I'm anything but that."

Heat blazed across his cheeks as the words left his mouth, intensely screwing his eyes on the letter in his free hand, but not retaining any of the words. Damn it all! Why did he always get so flustered?! He was just saying the normal shit he always did! So, why did it--!

"Thank you, my dragon.", the words of gratitude sounding like a literal prayer as the voice that uttered them dropped to a reverent whisper, the hand around his reinforcing its grip around his own like molten silverite. "Thank you.."

Fane huffed out an amused breath of air, giving his molten encasing a reciprocating squeeze, further solidifying the bond between them.

"No, thank you. For everything."

****

The Emprise du Lion was cold, that much was a given, but wasn't so bad for Fane. Two layers of fur was more than enough to keep him comfortably warm. Anymore than that and he would melt, his inner core still inherently the same as the one he had possessed as a dragon.

However, others were far less fortunate. Namely, a creature, that for all intents and purposes, should have insulated fur of their own.

"Cold?", Fane asked plainly as he meandered his way over to where Solas was sitting on the log by the fire of the Inquisition's latest reclaimed camp, face calm, but a light shudder through strong, but slender shoulders betrayed the true state of his sky.

"Not terribly.", Solas responded easily, but subtly tried to shift his furs around so as not to make Fane aware. Sadly, keen observational skills and a pinpointing nature were his aces in this particular deck of veiled strength.

"You're cold.", Fane stated matter of fact, stretching one long leg over the log to plop down next to his sky, chuckling a bit when a lightly shivering form instinctively leaned into his own, seeking warmth. "How you think you can hide shit from me is a mystery."

Solas chuckled, actively resting his head against one of his fur pauldrons with a quiet, but content sigh. Fane only rolled his eyes, smirking. For an elf that prided himself on keeping a poised and reserved demeanor, he sure did crumble when around him. Though, that was exactly what Fane sought every time he and Solas managed to get some time alone.

"Old habits are hard to kill, ma'isenatha. Ir abelas.", Solas murmured from where he was nestled on his shoulder, the sun setting in sky-like orbs as they shut, blocking out the orange glow from the fire before them. "It is simply more frigid than I expected."

"I imagine for you, it is.", Fane murmured back, rolling his head to the side to rest it against the top of Solas', who let out another, more tired sigh in response. "Tired, too?" It was a foolish question, he knew, but he was trying to use his voice more. Even if to state the obvious.

Solas nodded a bit. "The red lyrium is especially potent here. It makes it hard to concentrate, thus I expend more energy pulling magic through the Veil.", he explained, no longer shivering form coming closer to where their knees were touching. Fane didn't even flinch, the layers of his armor and cloak making his scars blessedly numb.

"Then sleep.", Fane ordered softly, lightly nuzzling his cheek against the mage's head. "I've been asking a lot of you these last two months, so rest. I'll take first watch." He wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon, anyways. The red lyrium was causing him issues as well. Murmurs in the back of his mind, and echoes of blackness with crimson lights in the distance making it hard to keep his rage in check.

"No, that is unfair on--", Solas began to protest, as per usual, but Fane silenced him with a growl and with a jerk of his arm, fluttering out his cloak to wrap it around his stubborn wolf. The reaction was instantaneous as the mage practically melted into his side with a truly exhausted sigh.

"Go to sleep, you old fool.", Fane said, leaning down a bit to lay a light kiss to a lax temple. "I'm fine. The cold doesn't bother me, and neither does less than two hours of sleep. So, relax and dream." Solas needed the rest more than he did, and he would grant him that.

The mage sighed. "I do wish you would stop calling me that.", the words slurred with approaching sleep, but still held gentle teasing in silk.

Fane shrugged, lightly so as not to jostle Solas too much. "I state what I know.", he said. "And you're old."

"You are older than I.", his sky replied, inching closer and closer to the Fade as his form leaned into him more, the cheek buried in his fur going lax as usually calm breathing slowed even more. Fane smiled a bit at that, bringing his emerald cloak in more to shield his wolf from soft gusts of chilly air.

"Only by about two thousand years. Give or take.", he quipped quietly before laying another soft kiss to Solas' temple. "Now, shut up for once, and sleep. You can glare and raise your eyebrow at me later." Solas only let out a noncommittal hum at his words before Fane saw his face go completely lax, sleep wrapping around a tenacious mind like how his cloak was his physical body.

Fane smile a bit more. "Sleep well, my sky.", he whispered in a voice he only reserved for the one of utmost devotion. "Ar lath ma.", unusual Elvhen rolling from his tongue as he repositioned his head to lightly rest it against the top of Solas' again.

And sadly, he missed the tender smile that rarely graced a stoic face, his words reaching far past the boundaries of the Veil, the Fade, and perhaps, even the Void. The sky would rest in the wings of a dragon. No matter where their mind would take them for their heart, their soul, knew what the mind sometimes did not.

[spiritmaiden23]

FIVE AESTHETICS TAG

EMOTIONS  /  FEELINGS

Optimism.  --  After everything that happened, you manage to cling to your faith. Your optimism shines brightest when placed in others. You unquestionably think the world of them, of him most of all. Everyone has the potential to do their best! Sometimes, they need a little push, but that's something you provide a little too eagerly.

Spirited.  --  You're someone who knows how to find the fun in things. You're a natural lighthearted, and easy-going sort of person. For the most part, that is, because, whenever you get serious, all of those previous traits go out the window. However, despite that, you're always happy to share your joy with others and providing said joy through various means. And teasing others can be pretty fun too, so sometimes you can be a little mischievous! But it's all in good fun, you promise! Just be careful because, sometimes, your positive energy may not rub off too well on others. 

Emotional.  --  Someone who wears their passionate heart on their sleeve. Well tuned with your passions, you're empathetic to a fault. There's nothing too wrong with that, but sometimes you can be a slave to your emotions, not taking much time to step back for a moment. Yet, you have displayed growth in this after your awakening, thanks to a mentor and friend.

Responsible.  --  Responsible is your middle name! You're a pretty reliable person due to how dedicated you are to completing whatever tasks you have at hand. One might say you can be a little too committed, but you never saw anything wrong with that. You will keep whatever promise you can make and see things through. After all, you carried out the goddess' mission to the very end, it's all over now.

Wise.  --  In the end, however, wisdom runs through your veins. While intelligent enough to the point where you will devour any texts you may get your hands on, you carry a deep understanding of the world. Though a bit more emotional, logic will persist in the end, and you have learned to fall back onto wisdom more than ever. Certain choices hurt so much, but you know this to be the right one no matter how much pain it may cause to you and others around you. 

COLORS

Pink.  --  An adorable color you've been fond of since your youth! You have a weakness for all shades. It's not a stretch to say you love any bright colors the warmth of them all is appealing to you. 

White.  --  The color that has been with you throughout both lives. You feel a little conflicted about this color, you admire its purity. But. It's stifling in a sense where the color reminds you of your past life and your duties. 

Lavender.  --  This color is more bearable than white. There's a soothing sense to it, and you feel calm and assured. 

Green.  --  It should be pretty clear why you have an attachment to this color, no? The surface greeted you with warm greenery, the goddess of courage proudly wore this color, the spring comes painting the world in this color, and your dear friend was simply made for this color. It evokes bravery to you, strange as that may sound to others. 

Blue.  --  Blue skies still hang over you as you stand on the earth. The stretch of blue has always been a constant in your life, and now you can't imagine your life without it. And, during your long sleep, his blue eyes were all that you saw within your fleeting dreams.

SCENTS

Earth.  --  You fell in love with nature and everything it'd provided for you, including the scents. While fresh air is always refreshing, you adore the smell of Faron Woods the most. Namely during springtime! 

Cotton.  --  A funny choice, huh? But it's something you worked around for who knows how long now. The nights spent sewing or knitting away were comforting moments for you. 

Books.  --  Some may call you a bookworm but, in your humble opinion, there's nothing better than the smell of fresh pages, thank you very much! Although you do carry a soft spot for more ancient pages too. 

Floral.  --  You don't ask a mother to pick her favorite child, so how can anyone ask for you to choose a favorite flower when you adore each scent?! They're so comforting, each scent unique as the flower itself. Sometimes, you'll collect a few from Faron Woods and create a nice little bouquet. Filling your home with a floral scent all while brightening up the place.

Leather and iron.  --  It... uh, it sounds unique. Some might even call it strange, but the smell brings you back to the days where you trained to become a knight alongside classmates and your dear friend. 

CLOTHING

Ribbons.  --  You have a pretty fun way of putting ribbons in your hair! Rather than a simple bow, you like to wrap various ones around your hair framing your face and low ponytail or even wrap it around with other hair styles like braids! Sometimes, you'll put it around like a headband, and a little bow. Hey! You like to switch things up a bit!

Bracelets and necklaces.  --  Such cute accessories you love which can go with almost any outfit you decided to wear that day! Sometimes, you find yourself fiddling with them, but you'll try to wear one or two or more every day! Yet, there's only one bracelet that you cherish more than anything. A lavender set, where you gave one half to your friend. Yet, she'd returned it to you. And you didn't even get to thank her face to face for everything that she has done. You don't have earrings, strange... 

Dresses and skirts. -- What can you say? You have a fondness for those articles of clothing. Of course, because you're pretty active and always running around the place, leggings are also part of your ensemble, but you tend to wear skirts that come to your shins which helps with...!

Boots.  --  Showing off your nice leather boots, of course! You prefer boots above all other shoes, they're perfect for travel, and very comfortable too. The sandals you wore while traveling around the surface were nice, but boots would've been an ideal choice. 

Belts and sashes.  --  A nice way to finish off your outfits! You're a girl who loves to dress cute, and dress to impress more yourself, and perhaps a certain hero. Once, you wore the sailcloth around your shoulders, you'd like to try doing something like that again.

OBJECTS

Books and scrolls.  --  Since you were young, you always found yourself spending nights in your father's archives reading whatever you could. Your room's filled with so many books it can leave someone's head spinning. Whether fictional novels, textbooks, historical books, etc. You loved to read them all, the sky's the limit!

Harp.  --  It's a lovely instrument, and you prefer to hear the hero play it more than yourself. It sounds more enchanting whenever he plays it. You are aware its your bias staining your views.

Yarn, knitting needles, and sewing supplies.  --  It's a past time you adore, even to this day. Without your handy little kit, you wouldn't be able to make any of the incredible stuff you had!

Strange green doll.  --   You saw him in a dream and saw the little guy pop in various texts as well. A man dressed in green who believed himself to be a fairy. Or chosen by the fairies? You can't exactly remember the details, but he was apparently a charm for safe travels and good fortune. It couldn't help to find a few rupees here and there. You're starting to think that perhaps you should make more of this fella for friends...

Wooden Indigo carving.  --  A wood carving of your beloved loft wing made by your dear friend. It was one of the first items you took when moving down to the surface! Whenever you would look at it, you can't hide the glee that makes your heart flutter. Your friend is amazing in everything, isn't he?! You're pretty proud of that fact.

(bonus) Master sword. -- It's not something you own, nor do you have any plans to own the sword. But she's someone who you hold dear to your heart. Without the spirit inside of the sword forged by your hero, you couldn't even imagine how things would've turned out. Fi was a companion that your friend bonded with during his search for you. You're grateful for how Fi helped him out. 

VICES  /  BAD HABITS

Stubborn.  --  You may call it tenacious and see nothing wrong with it, but others will call it as it is: stubbornness. Once you have your mind set on something, there's no stopping you. At times, this can get you into deep trouble.  

Worrywart.  --  You transform into a different person when it comes to this! You can be nosy and interfere with whatever business someone may have and step on in without input. It does not help that you tend to jump the gun. You're a restless busybody, many would say. It comes from compassion and concern, but it can annoy or anger certain people. While the damage is done, you are pretty remorseful of the fact and try to make up for it however you can.

Overly encouraging/positive.  --  It somewhat goes hand in hand with your worrywart tendencies. It's because you see the best in everyone that drives you to be a busybody in the first place. That said, while a positive attitude isn't always bad, it can across different to someone depending on the time and situation. You can make naive choices and even come across as a bit insensitive whenever your attempts at cheering up others may not translate well. 

Temper.  --  Not something that pops up very often, but there are chances of it nevertheless depending on how wronged you feel or if someone were to do something you don't agree with. Bullying is a big one for you. You don't exactly hold grudges, as your anger is pretty short-lived, sadly not many people take your ire seriously either. It's something you can't hope to understand why. You tend to scold people more than anything. 

Self-sacrificing.  --  Oh dear, it plays into how responsible you are to a fault. You are not afraid to give up your all if it means saving everyone. You tend to keep your intentions a secret and run off on your own to finish the job. Placing you in great danger since no one's around to help. Not that you intend to have anyone help you, it's something you want to do with your own hands. You love too much. You care too much. You are willing to do anything to protect the lands and people in it, loved ones and him. Ah... you have died because of this... twice. But, it seems like this part of you will never go away, huh?.

BODY LANGUAGE

A bright smile on your face, her pink cheeks becoming darker! You're full of good cheer and very expressive. Sometimes, you'll even do that encouraging fist pump! It's easy to read your mind since your face is an open book. While your soft giggles are sometimes hidden behind your hand, you're someone who likes to laugh aloud. Towards the one you like, you're not afraid to lean forward just a tad bit. Sometimes, you'll push someone off of some high place. 

Laced hands and a gaze filled with concern. You'll press your lips as you try to figure out just how to ease your said concern. Until resolve enters your gaze, sometimes some might take that as not being a good thing.

You liked to hug the goddess harp close to your chest during your journey. Sometimes, you still do this whenever you go off with it to pray to the gods. It's a bit of a comfort thing and something you wished to protect. At the time, you couldn't understand why but now...

Holding someone's hands, hugging, whatever other contact you're not shy about showing skin ship towards friends and loved ones. It's your way of showing, shoot, everything! 

Your hand on your hip is never a good sign when it comes to you. Your eyes are usually narrowed here, and once you open your mouth this is when you start your lecture. Although sometimes, this position can just be you taking charge too. 

Hands covering your face as tears roll down your cheeks. You're smiling, though, because it's finally all over. You save your tears until the very end. Or try, telling your best friend of your plans did have you cry a bit. 

AESTHETICS

Birds, free as can be, flying off into the distance. Whether loftwings or the smaller birds found on the surface, it's a sight that you'll never grow tired of.

Streaming rivers and comforting holy springs. Water dripping from golden hair and your fingertips. You have an affinity for water, something tied closely with the goddess of wisdom. 

Gold spilling from your hands, beautiful, warm gold. The gold of the goddess harp. The gold of the triforce. It's a lovely power, tied to the divine. Something you're both a part of yet not. 

Leaves dancing with the morning wind, grass with dew on them, the early sun vanquishing the night air in that soft glow. another great day is ahead! so you're up with the world, now time to wake up a certain sleepyhead!

tagged by: @personnages​ (thank you my goodness this was fun!) tagging: whoever hasn’t been tagged yet! ​

[raendown]

Another follower milestone gift fic, this one for someone who asked to be identified as anon. ^_^ The prompt word for this is woolage!

Pairing: KakashiSakura Word count: 2273 Rated: T+ Summary: Sakura could really use a taste of her own medicine. No, really, she needed some healing before this concussion made her do something that stopped Kakashi's heart entirely.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

A Rock and a Hard Place

Swaying gently on the rock that served as her stool, Sakura blinked up at him owlishly as though her dazed expression could in any way be half as terrifying as the full force of her usual ire. When he failed to look properly cowed she narrowed her eyes but doing so only seemed to rob her of what little balance was left. Kakashi didn’t bother trying not to laugh when she careened sideways off her perch. 

“Not supposed to laugh at me,” she grumbled. “So rude.” 

“Maa, and you weren’t supposed to leap straight in to the radius of my paper bomb. I think that makes us about even.”

Sakura gave an indelicate snort only to break out in a coughing fit when it sent up a small cloud of dust around her face, mashed in to the dirt as she was now. For a good handful of seconds Kakashi seriously considered being a good person and helping her sit upright. Then he discarded the idea. Watching her deal with the early effects of a concussion while her depleted chakra recovered enough for a bit of healing was so much more entertaining. It wasn’t like she had any other injuries from getting tossed back in to a tree, just a routine bump on the noggin, nothing that any shinobi who’d been on the field for longer than two missions hadn’t suffered through before. 

“It tastes really bad down here,” Sakura told him. 

“Probably because you’re practically eating dirt,” he pointed out helpfully. 

“Oh. Yeah. Hey what happened to my rock?” 

“You must have misplaced it.” Kakashi flopped down on to the rock himself and leaned over his mission partner with one eye turned up in a friendly smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you look for it.” 

The gratitude in her eyes when she thanked him for being so nice set him to laughing again. Amazingly, Sakura didn’t even seem to mind. Infamous for her temper as she was, it was a rare opportunity indeed that she let someone laugh at her misfortune without answering their mockery with a swift punch. Kakashi was pretty sure if she tried to throw a punch right now she would be just as likely to find her own face with it.

Shading his eye with a hand, Kakashi made a show of scouring the landscape around them in search of the rock he was currently sitting on. When his search yielded no results he relayed as much to his companion and chuckled as Sakura rolled over to stretch out on her back. 

“It’s not fair,” she grumbled. “Rocks don’t just get up and walk away!” 

“Well, not most of them.”

“Oh! Maybe it was a doton!” 

“Maybe,” Kakashi agreed. 

Did it make him a bad person to wish he got to see her in this kind of state more often? It probably did. He would never wish more harm on her, of course, it was just that seeing her with absolutely no walls around her heart and all inhibitions gone was a very rare treat. Even on the rare occasion she joined her friends for a night of indulging she wasn’t quite this open. Where most people seemed to loosen up with alcohol, Sakura only seemed to make a trade of good balance for more energy without falling victim to the loss of self that led Naruto to confess his love for several different trees in the park near his apartment. 

Really it was good that there was no one else around for Kakashi to justify his actions to. He was fairly sure any of their mutual friends would call him all sorts of unflattering things for enjoying this. 

But really, he would challenge anyone in the world not to be amused at the way Sakura, so famous for her competence and independence, struggled valiantly with the simple task of getting her body upright again. When they made it back to the village he was going to enjoy taking every opportunity possible to laugh about this - where she couldn’t hear him, of course. Kakashi enjoyed a good joke as much as the next man but he also enjoyed keeping his spine inside his body where it belonged and Sakura was more than capable of removing that for him if she was angry enough. 

“Hey, hey, come here.” Waving one hand, Sakura beckoned him with her eyes set somewhere vaguely over his left shoulder. It seemed not only her good sense had been affected by the concussion but her good vision as well. Not an unusual symptom. Kakashi moved to crouch down in front of her as bidden. 

“You called, my lady?”

She laughed a little before nodding. “I think the ground is trying to keep me.”

“Well I certainly can’t blame it for that.”

“Huh?”

“I would try to keep you too if I had you.” 

The way her eyes widened made him chuckle but it was a nervous sound, hopeful that she wouldn’t remember any of this once she was able to heal herself. Sakura hummed thoughtfully. 

“Help me up,” she demanded. 

“Someone’s feeling bossy.” Despite his words he was already holding out one hand even as he spoke. 

It very quickly became clear that more than one hand would be needed to keep her steady as Kakashi hauled her up on to her feet, quite happy but just as ashamed to stand there holding all of her fingers entwined with his own while she swayed dangerously back and forth. He could see the trajectory of her fall when it finally came but watching her face plant against the buckles on his vest was so much funnier than doing anything to catch her. With the careful distance that had always existed between them before he expected her to push away immediately. Maybe to giggle a little considering her almost inebriated state. He certainly didn’t expect her to just stay there and wriggle about until she had freed her face to look up at him with a smile. 

He should have known right there that something was about to happen but even if he’d tried to brace he never would have been able to prepare himself for two hands suddenly winding themselves about his neck as Sakura pulled her face right up close to his own. Kakashi was abruptly extra grateful to his mask for covering any traces of what was surely a very deep blush on his cheeks. 

“I am the boss,” Sakura declared. 

“Maa, if you want to be,” was all he could think to say. His agreement seemed to please her, which she showed by pulling even closer until she was up on her tippy toes. 

“What I say goes!”

Kakashi swallowed, imagining all the things she could say and how eagerly he would do them. “Right. And what are your orders, Sakura-sama?”

The tinkling giggle she made at being addressed so formally was like the ringing of little silver bells. 

“I order you”-her fingers were already moving even as she spoke, giving no quarter and no time for protest-“to let me play with your hair! I’ve always wanted to know!”

“A-ah. Kn- oh my. Know what, exactly?” 

Breathing, he discovered, was incredibly difficult with such a pretty face so close to his own. Add to that the warmth of Sakura’s body seeping through his clothing plus the heavy weight of guilt knowing that she was not in her right mind and Kakashi found that he simply didn’t know what to do. Obviously the right thing to do would be to push her away but it was possible he was over-interpreting this. In this state Sakura might not even realize the implications of their position.

Her actions certainly supported that theory. Despite the intimacy she had pressed herself in to she seemed interested only in the spiky rough hair she’d gotten her hands on. Another tinkling giggle escaped and while it was indeed a very pretty giggle Kakashi absently noted that he preferred her usual brash laugh. It suited her so much more. 

“I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like! And if you might like it when I pull on it.” With a beguilingly empty smile Sakura tugged ever so gently on the small fistful she was holding, her eyes very carefully watching the spot just next to his own. 

“Why...would you want to pull my hair?” Kakashi asked. 

“Duh, to see if you like it.”

Frowning, he was almost distracted as he asked, “Why would I like it?”

“Oh I dunno. Some people like it when you pull their hair in bed, y’know? I like it.” Sakura’s face morphed in to a heated expression as if she hadn’t just floored him with a couple of boldly spoken sentences. “Do you wanna pull my hair, Kakashi?”

“I found your rock! Let’s get you back on the rock, okay!?” 

“Mou, but I wasn’t done!”

Kakashi ignored her protests, slipping away from the grip on his hair and trying not to be too obvious about the panic attack he was currently having. As he settled his mission partner back on to the rock she’d fallen off before he made the mistake of looking away for a crucial few seconds. It was all the time she needed. Before he could even get his eyes back on her Sakura was lunging forward to bury her fingers in his hair again, trapping him in place, leaving him utterly helpless to do anything but listen as she murmured excitedly to herself.

Obviously it wasn’t the first time he’d been this close to a woman. It wasn’t even the first time he’d been this close to Sakura herself. The problem was that it was the first time that didn’t involve fighting for their lives together or sparring or even medical attention. Kakashi knew he should find an excuse to move away before his poor depraved mind could start feeding him images from the last time he’d dreamt of something disturbingly close to this. And he really would have, honest, if not for the fact that even concussed Sakura had a very strong grip and Kakashi wasn’t the most vain man in the world but he didn’t really want to walk around with several chunks of his hair missing.

“It’s always so messy,” Sakura breathed. “How...how does it stand up on it’s own!?”

“Natural talent,” was all Kakashi managed to wheeze in return.

“Does it smell nice?” 

With an oddly gentle pull she dragged him in close enough to bury her face in the very top of his head, breathing deeply while Kakashi did his best not to take advantage of the angle he suddenly found himself in. He might appreciate her chest in the privacy of his own fantasies but he liked to think he had more tact than to do so now. Despite his many other flaws he wasn’t a total creep. Just a little bit of a creep. A little wasn’t too bad.

“Maa…” he managed to choke out eventually after the silence began to stretch on. “Does it?” 

“Smells like dirt. And sweat. And just a little bit of citrus. Why do you have lemons in your hair?”

“That would be my shampoo,” Kakashi told her in a strained voice. 

“No, I’m pretty sure there’s lemons in here. Don’t worry, I’ll find them!” Sakura’s face lifted off the top of his head but there wasn’t much relief to be had when her fingers continued to poke and prod, shift and dig, all but massaging his scalp in a fuzzy-minded search for fruit that wasn’t there. Kakashi prayed for strength when she added in a mumble under her breath, “So much hair, so messy, gonna take a while to find those lemons…”

Feeling rather like his presence had somehow been forgotten, Kakashi very slowly shuffled around until he’d curled his body in to a position that wouldn’t start to ache before he was finally released. Who knew how long this wonderful torture would last? A part of him hoped that Sakura’s chakra levels would recover quickly so he could be free but another very shameful part was more than happy to remain exactly where he was and just let her do as she pleased. It was very possible he should have been thinking of some way to help that first part along. Instead he only settled both hands in his lap and closed his eyes when Sakura’s fingers dragged against the natural grain like she could somehow know how much he liked it. 

Maybe, he thought to himself with a hint of wry humor, he should finally man up and just ask her out. One dinner together wouldn’t hurt anyone, probably wouldn’t wouldn’t ruin their friendship if it didn’t go well. He would have to gather his courage - later. 

A quick peek up even at this angle told him that Sakura was still just as out of it as ever, no closer to returning her own good sense, which meant he would probably need to deal with this odd behavior for a while yet. When she did come back to herself Sakura was no doubt going to be mortified at her own actions and Kakashi very much wanted to be able to tell her with perfect honesty that he hadn’t taken advantage of the situation beyond getting in a few laughs. With any luck his honesty would earn her favor. 

Then with even greater luck he would take his shot and maybe, just maybe, he might have the honor of feeling those deceptively small fingers in his hair again for an entirely different reason.