#she is literally like cringing and crawling on the ground like i am so mean to her

[pippindot]

We are taking a break from rally trials after our last competition weekend cause I felt our connection was not where I wanted it both days. Our first day back in class after two weeks off and she TAKES OFF AROUND THE RING. stinker. I've been humbled. But it's good for me to practice patience. I was getting too excited and competitive I think.

It happened right after I asked if she wanted to try the broad jump (she didn't, and told me so). She did NOT come right back when I called (thank god didn't not run into other rings). It could be the jump BUT it also could be that we were out of cheese (it went bad) and so the pipmoney is not as good. Low value reinforcer (I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD OK) has made her behave like a kicked dog before so it might just be that lol.

[justauthoring]

The Matter of Significance

Prompt: The moment you’ve both been waiting years for -- too bad it had to happen under such shitty circumstances.

A/N: It’s about damn time I wrote Iwaizumi. I literally love him so much ya’ll. Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime x F!Reader Also, yes, Iwa-chan, go get those assholes flirting with your girl.

“You’ll come by for practice?”

“Hm,” you nod, “I might be a bit late though. I have to grab a book from the library for the weekend.”

Iwaizumi nods, but one small glance from the corner of your eye and you know he’s not all that happy about what you’ve said. With a light laugh and a shake of your head, you pull his eyes on you as you set your hand on his arm. “I’ll be fine, Hajime,” you sigh, “what could possibly happen in the ten minutes it’ll take me to get there and back to you?”

He frowns. “Lots could happen.”

Slowing to a stop when you notice your locker out of the corner of your eye, you move to put the combination as Iwaizumi falls to a stop next to you. Your eyes flicker on him as he leans against the locker next to yours, practically pouting. 

“It’s not a good look on you,” you hum teasingly.

“What?” Iwaizumi questions, brows furrowing in confusion as he turns to look at you.

“The pouting,” you smirk.

His face softens at that, and the look of amusement in his eyes tells you he understood you were only joking. However, you don’t expect him to push up from the locker, and take a step towards you. You blink at his sudden closeness, turning to look at him with a blink of the eye, bafflement flooding you at the somewhat dark look in his eyes.

You shuffle back, falling back against your locker as he traps you, his hand falling on your waist while the other falls next to your head, leaving you nowhere to look back at him.

“Hajime?”

Your voice is soft, somewhat hesitant, as you blink up at him.

And there it is, Iwaizumi realizes, though it’s completely his fault. The feeling of that line, the one between friendship and more, thinning as you stare up at him with this sort of dazed and heavy-lidded expression. Whether you mean it to be or not, it has Iwaizumi’s heart and chest constricting at the alluring nature of the look. 

Having you so close feels nice, really nice, and he wants to cross the line that the two of you have been teetering between for months right there and then. Press his lips against your own like he’s been dying to you, pull you into his arms like he’s been dreaming of, and for you to be his completely like he’s thought about time and time again.

It’d be so easy. So simple. And you’d love it even the flush on your cheeks and you’re sudden shy attitude is anything to go by. If the flirting that you’ve been reciprocating yourself for the past months is any tell.

He doesn’t want to just be your best friend anymore, he wants--

“Iwa-chan!”

And just like that, the moments gone.

Iwaizumi lets out a heavy sigh, one you easily notice, and you can’t help the way your body sinks in disappointment when he pulls away and inevitably his attention is stolen away by none other then Oikawa.

“What do you want, Shittykawa?”

“So mean,” Oikawa whines, coming to a stop before the two of you. “You were suppose to help me with some serves this morning, remember? Where have you been?”

“Sorry, Tooru,” you smile abashedly, glancing over at the taller boy. “He walked me to school this morning.”

Oikawa pouts, shoulders dropping. “The two of you always do things without me! Aren’t we supposed to be best friends?”

“We are not best--”

Slapping a hand against Iwaizumi’s shoulder, you cut him off with a sharp look, before smiling over at Oikawa. “Next time I’ll ask you to walk me to school, Tooru,” you sing cheerfully, “I promise. I can barely resist when you look so adorable pouting!”

Iwaizumi frowns at your words, shaking his head when you send him a teasing glance.

Oikawa grins, sticking a tongue out at Iwaizumi; “see, Iwa-chan? See how nice Y/N-chan is?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

The bell rings then, and you quickly move to grab your books. “I’ll see you both at practice later,” you call, moving to walk off, “be good, okay?” And your words are clearly directed at Oikawa.

“Of course, Y/N-chan!” Oikawa calls after you, waving as you make your way down the hall and eventually, getting lost in the crowd of people. A minute later, Oikawa’s sighing; “you should really just tell her, Iwa-chan, instead of cornering her against her locker and leaving her all flustered for the rest of the day.”

Sending a sharp smack to the back of his friends head, Iwaizumi scoffs; “first off, I was not cornering her against her locker,” he huffs, before his shoulders fall. “And secondly, trust me... I’m working on it.”

-

“Don’t you think Y/N���s been taking a long time?”

“Hmm?” Oikawa calls back, somewhat distracted, “what do you mean?”

“She still isn’t here.”

Licking his lips, Oikawa glances over at his friend, watching the way he hovers by the door to the gym, constantly glancing out and then back down at his phone. 

“How long did she say she’d take?” Oikawa questions, making his way over to his friend after a quick glance at the rest of the team to make sure they were still practicing. 

“Ten minutes,” Iwaizumi frowns, “and she texted me that she was at the library fifteen minutes ago.”

Oikawa frowns. That was oddly long, especially for someone who was usually punctual about her timing. “Well,” Oikawa mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck. “It is a bit odd, but--”

“I’m going to look for her.”

“Iwa-chan--”

“I’ll be back in five.”

And in the next second, Iwaizumi is out the door.

-

“I-I’m sorry, Takahashi-san, but--”

“Oh! Come on! I just want your number.”

You cringe as the boy takes a step closer to you, effectively making you press your back against the wall behind you so as to create as much distance between the two of you as possible. He barely left you any room to breathe, let alone think rationally, both of his hands positioned next to your head, effectively caging you in his arms. 

It’s been ten minutes since he found you in the library, and another five since he’d followed you out into the empty hall and cornered you. He just wouldn’t take no for an answer, no matter how much you insisted you really weren’t all that interested. It didn’t help that school was over, so basically every one was gone, and you couldn’t pull out your phone to call Iwaizumi without him thinking you were finally giving him what you wanted.

“Honestly,” you persist, voice shaking somewhat as you press a hand against his chest to try and push him back. It doesn’t work. “I’m just not really looking for a relationship right now, so--”

“You seem to be pretty close with that volleyball player, what’s his name... Iwaizumi, I think?” His face hardens, and you wince at his next words, “what? Am I not good enough for you?”

“No-No!” You insist, shaking your head, “we’re close friends, that’s all. Childhood friends,” you desperately explain, “we’ve always been--”

You flinch as he slams his hand against the wall behind you, before moving to grab the hand pressed against his chest and slamming it firm against the wall. A gasp of shock leaves your lips in response, and the panic suddenly triples when you realize how tight he’s squeezing and how he’s leaned even closer towards you, forehead practically against your own.

Anger flares up inside you too.

“Okay, I was trying to be nice, but you need to let go of me,” you hiss, eyes narrowing up at him. “Now.”

Takahashi only laughs. “You think you can make demands now?” He scoffs, “I’ve been waiting weeks for my chance, worried you and Iwaizumi were actually together. When I found out you weren’t, I realize I couldn’t let you slip through my fingers again. Now,” and then he shifts, the grip on your wrist still tight, but a smile on his lips, “I promise, if you let me take you out on one date, I’ll make it worth your while.”

Without a second of hesitation, you bring your knee up, nailing him in the crotch. His grip on your slackens, and you shove him off of you, instantly turning and picking up the speed in your step. You just need to make it to Iwaizumi, the gym wasn’t that far, and then you’d be fine. Be safe--

You yelp as your wrist is grabbed again, yanked back on your feet so hard it has you stumbling back in surprise. You loose your footing, and you’re sure you’re going to fall, as the panic crawls up your throat, before the grip suddenly disappears from your wrist and you’re in a pair of arms.

Blinking, your lips part at the sight of Iwaizumi.

“Hajime...”

He’s breathing heavily and his eyes are narrowed darkly. You glance back ahead of yourself, surprised at the sight of Takahashi on the ground before you, holding his cheek as he groans in pain.

“What the--!”

However his words fall instantly silent when he catches sight of just exactly who punched him.

As Iwaizumi helps you to your feet, gently pushing you behind him, you don’t blame Takahashi for being as scared as he is. Iwaizumi looks absolutely feral and you’re sure in all the many years you’ve known him, you’ve never seen him look quite so angry.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk away.”

Takahashi doesn’t need another warning.

There’s a moment of silence, his footsteps echoing, where you feel you can finally catch your breath.

“Hajime--”

He spins to you, and suddenly you’re in his arms, tucked tightly against his chest, a hand nursing the back of your head. You feel then, so tightly pressed against him, the way his heart is beating madly and the slight shake of his arms as he holds you, and you slacken in his grip, wrapping your arms around him without another thought.

“I got so scared when you weren’t replying to my texts..,” he breathes, voice a soft whisper. “Are you okay?”

You nod, humming softly. “Yeah,” you echo, “just... spooked. He... wouldn’t stop.”

Pulling back, you blink up at Iwaizumi, unsure of how to respond to look he’s sending you. The deep focus of his gaze solely on you, unwavering, and the way he’s refused to lessen his hold on you. He keeps you close, steady against him, and there’s passing moment, fleeting second, where it’s almost like you can hear him say fuck it.

And then his lips are against yours. Soft and warm. Gentle and reassuring.

And it’s everything you’ve been waiting for.

[whitestaghere]

Don't be late - Levi x reader

Hey!! So I had this in my drafts for a while and finally decided I'd continue with it.. Happy reading❤️

Warnings :- none xd.

Y/n's pov

Waking upto the sound of my alarm I groaned; mindlessly patting the air to turn it off. Stretching my arms and legs, with eyes half closed I looked back at my clock. Still trying to adjust to the lighting, my eyes widened when the display cleared up.

7.54 a.m

Screaming I jumped off my bed.

Now.. imagine a human, spinning like a hurricane and circling a room? Yeah that's an actual representation of what I looked right now.

Normally, I'd not wake up this late. But today.. today was different. Let's just say I had a long night talking with my best friend, which ended up with me sleeping in really late and well here I am now. Besides who could reject a call from their best friend am I right?

Dashing out of my house (reader locked the doors, yes she did) I shot down the streets. Thanking the heavens that I was able to run this fast; then again, that also had it's downsides. I managed to avoid running face first into a lamppost but in the midst of dodging that, I ran into something else.

Huh.. not that hard for a lamppost..

Stumbling backwards and losing my balance, I met with the cold ground. I groaned as I thought of how my day could get any worse.

"Tch. Watch we're your going," a male voice spoke.

Standing up slowly I dusted my clothes mumbling a string of apologies, "I'm sorry I was running late an-"

My breath hitched as I locked eyes with the man in front of me; steel gray orbs glaring daggers at me. He was clad in a black suit, jet black hair slightly toussled and he wore a crav- wait-

That's when I noticed how I was a few inches taller than him. It took every ounce of energy within me to hold back my laughter; no height idealogies but with that stoic expression and this height, he looked absolutely adorable.

I was broken out of my thoughts when he scoffed; I had been staring.

I shifted uncomfortably as he continued to keep his piercing gaze on me.

"Are you going to move?" voice laced with annoyance.

I raised an eyebrow at his words, what does he mean? He had all the time and space to-

"You're blocking the door," I turned around and realised that I was indeed blocking his way.

"S-sorry," I mumbled shuffling to the side.

His expression remained stoic as ever even as he got ready to walk away but he stopped abruptly. I watched as he bent down and picked something.

"You dropped this," he turned around holding out a book. I gasped recognising the cover, "oh my- thank you."

"Don't mention it brat," I reached out to take the book from him all the whole giving him a look of disbelief.

"Hey you can't call me that.. and yes I should mention it, because my friend would have thrown a tantrum had I lost her book," suddenly realisation struck me and my eyes nearly fell out their sockets.

WHAT WAS I DOING?! I was wasting time, that's what I was doing!!

So I ran, without a word I turned around and ran, leaving behind a very confused man.

Levi's pov

Next thing I know, she ran.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but decided to brush it off; only then did I notice the book in my hands.

Tch that brat, how could she be so forgetful?

Sighing I contemplated going after her or hoping that I'd see her sometime later so I could return it. I went with the second seeing that she was already long gone.

*time skip brought to you by the fidget spinnerrrrr*

There I was in the local tea shop sipping on my usual cup of tea.

What I loved about this place was how calming it was, not too crowded, the fresh smell of tea and coffee filling the air, making me feel at ease, but not today. Today was different.

My gaze kept shifting between the book I was reading and the book that belonged to the girl from before.

I had gone with the second option of hoping I'd see her again or that I'd find any details in the book, but to my luck I found nothing of the sort.

How was I supposed to return this thing? I can't just leave it can I?

I sighed running a hand through my hair, "shit."

The sound of the little bell filled through the air signaling either someone's entrance or departure. Not wanting to look I kept my eyes locked on my book.

Suddenly there was a voice, an all too familiar one which broke me out of my own world. I glanced up from my book and caught sight of a very familiar face.

Hanje.

By her side stood two other girls, engaging in a conversation with her. The bell filled the air again, and in came a girl with (h/c) locks.

My eyes widened, was that her?

I hadn't seen her face yet but sure enough it had to be her, she had the same hair length and wore the same attire from before.

Once again I debated with myself, should I just go upto her and give her it? Maybe I should just wait till she sees me..

She turned around and sat a few tables away from me, still she hadn't noticed. Her two friends and Hanje had disappeared off to somewhere.

This is my chance

Y/n's pov

I couldn't help but sigh in frustration, how could I have been so forgetful? He literally held the book in front of me and I left without it.

My mind was mangled with the same image of him holding out the book to me repeating over and over. Then it stopped, it stopped right on his face and I felt the heat rush up to my cheeks.

What was I thinking? I mean he's a complete stranger, who also not to mention, called me a brat, I shouldn't be so flustered. As if on cue, the book came back into my mind and I rolled my eyes at my own forgetfulness.

It was right there.

I kept my gaze locked on the table, too stuck in my own self-pity to notice the person that stood right in front of me. Then there was a book pushed into my line of sight.

Great, now you're hallucinating y/n.

There was a clear of throat and I snapped my head up. Wait I wasn't imagining it-

For the second time that day, I locked eyes with him.

"You forgot this."

I stood up immediately causing the chair to scrape against the floor. The man visibly cringed at the sound and I began to stammer upon my words.

"Y-YOU! My b-book! How? How did you- no no wait- thank you so much!"

Placing the book on the table I turned to him and took his hands in mine, "you're a life saver I tell you!!"

He only stood there in shock; although I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, his cheeks were tinted a faint pink.

"Don't mention it," with that he returned to his stoic expression.

The air around us was beginning to get awkward with none of us moving or saying a word.

Finally deciding to break the silence I cleared my throat, "I-I'm y/n.. what's your name?"

"Levi."

I coughed awkwardly at his blunt reply, the sound of my heart thumping suddenly filling my ears.

"We're back! Y/n-" relief washed over me at the return of my friends but that relief disappeared just as fast as it came.

They stood there eyes wide and mouths agape.

I felt a tug at my hands and that's when I noticed how I still had Levi's hands intertwined with mine. Gasping I slipped my hands out of his and moved away slowly.

"Y/n? You didn't tell us you had a boyfriend.." I widened my eyes at this and waved my hands frantically in their awe struck faces, "what noo!! He-he's just-"

What was I supposed to call him? We just met, so I couldn't call him a friend. At my loss of words my friends smirked mischievously.

Then a loud voice boomed through the shop causing a few heads to turn in our direction, "LEVI?!!!! SHORTY IS THAT REALLY YOU?!"

Hanje knew him?

Levi scoffed at her in response.

"Oh my gosh! Well isn't this a big coincidence, are you really dating little y/n here? Why didn't you tell meeee?!" she poked Levi's cheeks repeatedly.

"Tch, keep it down four eyes and no, we're just friends," Levi grunted swatting her hands away. I choked on my own spit and glanced at him immediately.

He gave me a look and I instantly nodded my head in agreement, "yeah, we're friends.." I tried to bite back the smile that crawled up my face at his words.

My friends shrugged and made their way back to sit down. Meanwhile, Hanje nudged at me curious to know why I hadn't told her I knew Levi.

"Well you see-"

"We met today," Levi cut me off.

Hanje let out a hearty laugh and patted my back, "well isn't that nice! Now y/n, shorty here can be a little bit of a grumpy man sometimes so I must warn you, but overall he's an absolute bab-"

"Oi that's more than enough four eyes," Levi hissed and Hanje laughed in reply.

She moved her glasses to a side to wipe away her fake tears and continued, "but y/n here is an angel, so shorty you better not treat her wrong or I don't think I would even need to come when she unleashes her inner bea-"

"HANJE," I whined tugging at her arm in attempt to stop her. She grinned in response and pinched my cheeks, "well I'm going to go make our orders okay? I'll see you later Shorty!" with that she ran off to the counter.

"Thank you for that Levi," I smiled to which he only replied with a grunt.

"You thanked me enough for today brat."

I rolled my eyes at the nickname, "I told you not to call me that."

"Tch," with that he walked back to his table not sparing a second glance.

Levi's pov

Snap out of it Levi, you've done your job now read in peace.

I stared at my book finding myself reading the same sentence over and over. Glancing up from my book a little I'm met with the not so subtle looks of y/n's friends.

Why were they looking at me like that? I noticed how Hanje had a smug grin on her face and I rolled my eyes.

What was she smiling about?

My gaze shifted towards y/n who was listening intently to one of the girls. Suddenly the room felt too hot to my liking and I reached for my cravat, loosening it a bit. My breathing increased a little as her (e/c) eyes met mine.

She gave me a warm smile to which I felt my gaze automatically begin to soften.

What's wrong with me? Snap out of it Levi.

Soon enough I heard them get up.

Don't look.

But I couldn't help it.

Eyeing them as subtly as possible I realised they were going to leave as they picked their things up. I tore my gaze off and returned back to my book with a sigh.

Y/n's pov

"Say do you like Levi?"

I choked on nothing but air, "Hanje! What? Noo! I just met him and that would just be wierd-"

"Oh so you're saying you'd like him in time?"

"No wait what? I mean I-" I couldn't find the words to reply to her and seeing this she took the opportunity to give me a proud smile.

"Guys, we should leave.." Riley spoke up as she looked out the window.

"What why?" Hanje frowned.

"It's going to rain and it's a little bit of a walk back to y/n's place right?"

I hummed in agreement seeing as the sky was getting gloomy by the second. Everyone got up and gathered their things and headed for the door.

I stood up last and just as I was about to leave I heard a voice call out for me.

"Oi, are you really going to leave it again?" I saw Levi walking upto me.

"Huh? Leave what?"

He pointed at the table and I noticed a book on it, but not the same one. This one belonged to Hange.

"Oh that's Hanje's she must have forgotten it," I reached out for the book and simultaneously, he did the same.

I pulled my hand away as soon as it landed on his, but he swiftly took my hand in his. With the other he rummaged through his pocket and stuffed a piece of paper in my hand.

"What's this?"

"See for yourself."

I unfolded the paper slowly and when I did, I swear my heart skipped a beat. I tried my best to swallow the lump in my throat, and force some words out.

"W-what is this?"

"Tch. What do you think?"

"I-"

"You what?"

"I-yes.."

For the first time that day, I saw the corner of his lips curl into a small smile. It was a smile that lasted only for a few seconds alright, but it was enough to make my heart flutter.

"I'll see you later brat.." he walked past me towards the counter but not before calling out for me once more.

"Oh and y/n?" he looked at me over his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Don't be late," he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

I shook my head with a quiet laugh glancing down at the paper in my hands;

Tomorrow noon, here. For tea? - Levi

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Hope you all enjoyed❤️ stay safe and keep smiling..

Ps :- I can't wait for Season 4 part 2!!! 😭❤️ So excited to see all of them again, though we really are in for a lot🥺💕

⚔️Shinzou wo sasageyo⚔️

[staywritten]

Misunderstanding│Lee Felix

Synopsis: Sometimes a simple conversations could save a lot of heartache Genre: Fluffy, Angsty, smutty, fluffy, romantic in that order lol. Oneshot Word Count: 3877 Masterlist. AO3

“Baby~” Felix whined as he attempted to get out of bed for the umpteenth time. Your face buried in his chest, as your legs had him in a vice grip around his middle. He always loved when you koala hugged him, but this particular morning it was making it rather difficult to get up for work. He chuckled seeing you pout. “I wish I could stay in bed with you, but I have to go to work”

Leaning your chin on his chest you looked up at him, giving him your best puppy dog eyes. “Stay with me instead” you whined, placing little kisses on the light dusting of freckles on his skin. “Please”

“I can’t flake on Chan-Hyung this time, he will kill me” he laughed showering you with kisses “I’ll make it up to you tonight” he gripped your chin, tilting your head to look up at him. He pulled you into a deep kiss, his lips molding against yours. “Mmm…” he pulled back just slightly to really get a good look at you. It took a lot out of him to get out of bed. He loved seeing you first thing in the morning. Hearing your sleepy voice beg for him, seeing your body covered with one of his t-shirts. The way the sun shined on you through the blinds, and how mused your hair was. It was his favorite sight. He caressed your cheek lovingly as he took you in. Almost like he was trying to memorize every inch of you. “I have to go now”

“Fine” you sighed, kissing him one last time before unhooking your legs from around him.

He watched as you reluctantly detached from him before turning on your side, hugging his pillow. His heart-melting at just how cute you looked. He pulled you back into his chest, laughing softly. “I mean- I can be a few minutes late” he showered you with kisses, not wanting to part from you just yet. 

Your airy laugh warmed his heart as he pinned you beneath him. His soft hair falling over his eyes. “I thought you couldn’t be late today” you teased, running your hand into his hair. 

“Just a few minutes…” he playfully tugged your shirt upward, lowering himself between your legs. “I don’t have much time… but I can do a little bit…”

“Mmmm glad you could pencil me in…” you watched with heated eyes as he hooked your legs around his shoulder before burying his face against your panties. His teeth grazing the outside of the cotton, just moments before he heard a knock at his door. He shot up, brows furrowing before looking at you. “You expecting someone?” you asked, moving back and covering yourself with his blanket. 

“No? Maybe it’s a delivery?” 

“Maybe it’s Chan sensing that you’re about to flake on work” you giggled watching Felix crawl out of bed, padding out of his room. You watched anxiously from the crack in his door. Felix wasn’t really one for guests, sure he lived alone but all of his friends had a key to his apartment, and wouldn’t know how to knock to save their lives. Your ears perked up hearing a woman’s voice before seeing Felix envelope an adorable woman in his arms. 

“Mum?” he grinned hugging her tightly. “What are you doing here?!” he pulled her back at arms length just to get a good look at her. 

She beamed. “Your sister was looking at some schools in Seoul, so I wanted to surprise you! Are you surprised?” she gently smoothed down his hair, giving him a little pat. 

“I’m so surprised!” he chuckled, hugging her tightly. “I missed you Mum!”

Meanwhile in his bedroom you scrambled for your clothes. Meeting your boyfriends mom, was not on your to do list today and this sure as hell wasn’t the first impression you wanted to make. Immediately you changed out of Felix’s T-shirt and into your bra and blouse, frantically buttoning it and hunting down your jeans that had been haphazardly tossed aside the night before. 

You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, your hair was frizzy and messy and there were little bruises on your collar bone thanks to Felix getting handsy after your date. After a few minutes of sprucing yourself up you managed to look halfway presentable. Just a touch of make up, and your hair tamed for now. 

You were just about to walk out and introduce yourself when Felix walked back into his bedroom and stopped you. “Alright I bought us some time-Oh good you’re dressed” He grabbed a shirt from his closet, slipping it over his head. “Ok, I’m gonna take my mom to the office and I’ll do breakfast with her there with Channie-Hyung and you can sneak out after we leave.” 

“What?” you watched him in disbelief as he changed into his jeans and brushed his hair back. 

“You won’t have to wait long, but I would say like ten minutes just to make sure we’re out of the building when you come down.”

Crossing your arms over your chest you sighed. Was your boyfriend of five months really not going to introduce you to his mom? “Are you serious?”

“What?” he looked over, surprised at just how angry you looked. “You don’t wanna wait? I mean you could just go through the fire escape but I thought that was kind of dangerous-”

“Felix?!” his eyes widened when you called his name, he covered your mouth, shushing you. “What are you doing?” you moved his hand from your mouth, shooting him a glare. “You’re seriously not going to introduce me to your mom?”

“I’m her only son I don’t want to worry her. What am I supposed to say? Hey Mum thanks for traveling ten hours just to surprise me but I want you to meet my friend that I sleep with pretty often”

“Did you just…” you took a step back from him, holding your arms up. Your eyes instantly glazing over. “Did you just seriously…” you felt a sob, bubbling up. But you were going to fight to make sure you didn’t cry in front of him. “I’m just your friend that you sleep with? How many other friends are you just sleeping with?”

“-I…” he faltered seeing just how angry you looked. He’d never seen you like this, not ever. Your eyes were red, your hands physically shaking. He called your name softly. He wasn’t sure what he could say that would make this better but he knew he had to say something. 

“I’m an idiot for thinking these five months meant anything to you…” A stray tear fell down your cheek as he shook your head. “I guess it was my fault for assuming I was your girlfriend” you wiped your tear away before grabbing your purse.

“Wait...Please… let’s talk about this…I-”

“You know what Felix, I’m pretty sure I don’t ever want to talk to you again.” you ran out of his room, mumbling an apology as you passed his mother who was startled by your appearance. You slipped your shoes on in a hurry before making a bee-line for the elevator. 

His mom looked back at him before staring back at the door. “Who was that?”

“My girlfriend…” his voice was so soft as he watched, you leave. 

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend” she looked at her son seriously. 

“Me neither” he whispered to himself. 

You stormed into your apartment, closing the door behind you and throwing your bag on the ground. Your roommate laid on the couch, petting one of his cats. “Hey, long night?” Minho looked over at you, watching you flop on the couch beside him, taking Sooni into your arms. 

“Oh you know same old same old.” you huffed. “I finally find myself in the healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in and I’m literally falling in love and come to find out Felix only thinks of me as a friend he sleeps with” you rolled your eyes “Meanwhile my dumbass thought I’ve been dating him for the past five months so, ya know just my luck with relationships.”

“Woah, how’d that happen?”

“I was at his place and then his mom dropped by to surprise him and I thought this was a good time to meet my boyfriends mom and he thought it was a good time to suggest I sneak out using the fire escape.”

Minho cringed and gave you a little pat on the back. “Ouch, ok that’s a pretty big fuck up.”

“A fuck up is an understatement” You slumpped on the couch letting his cat, cuddle against your stomach. “You wanna set me up on a date?”

“You sure you don’t wanna talk it out with him first?”

“I have no desire to talk anything out with just a friend I occasionally sleep with.” you snapped. 

“Alright, alright I’ll set you up on a date” he held his hands up in defeat.

Across town Felix sat with his mom in the cafe. He awkwardly drank his coffee, occasionally glancing up at her. Almost anticipating being scolded, but her silence was almost suffocating. “Mum?”

She sighed and set down her tea. “Yongbok you’re an adult, you’re not in trouble for anything so relax” She laughed seeing her son visibly relax. “Now tell me about your girlfriend, why was she upset and why didn’t you go after her?”

“This s kind of awkward to talk to you about?”

“Why? I was your age once?”

“I know but it’s just...I…”

“Spare me the gorey details, how long have you been seeing her?”

“About five months...I guess there was just a misunderstanding...and I thought we weren’t officially together, like dating something casual but not in a relationship...I didn’t know that she considered me her boyfriend…”

“Ok that’s understandable. So I’m guessing she was disappointed when you didn’t tell her you thought of her as a girlfriend?”

“Not disappointed….She looked… heartbroken…” he looked down. “I’ve never seen her look so sad before...She’s not the type to runaway...Normally she talks everything out but she just left. And I let her… I didn’t know what I could say.”

“Well are you dating anyone else?”

“No… just her… It’s always just been her… She just makes me feel so happy...” He met you through Minho because he begged him to introduce you. He saw you by chance when you’d dropped by the dance studio, occasionally bringing Minho food or his extra clothes. At first he thought you two were dating but after Minho assured him you guys were just roommates he made his move. 

One date turned into another, and the next thing he knew he was in a routine with you. A routine where he was used to hearing your voice before he fell asleep. Feeling the weight of your head on his chest, hearing your giggle when he had to pry your arms off him so he could run to the restroom.

He’s spent almost every single day with you over the last few months and suddenly the prospect of you not being there not only made him anxious, it broke his heart. 

More than anything he didn’t want to scare you away. He never wanted to be too clingy, or too needy. You were chic and independent, a little older than him, and more experienced. How was he supposed to measure up. 

What if he asked for something more exclusive and you denied him, and suddenly he didn’t get to have you anymore. He’d rather be blissfully ignorant than knowingly heartbroken. 

His mom took another sip of her tea. “Yongbok, do you want her to be your girlfriend?

“Yeah… I do…” he smiled to himself. It was the first time he really gave it a thought. “I want her to be my girlfriend.” 

“Then what’s the problem? You want it, it’s obvious she wants it. This is the best problem to have”

“She said she didn’t want to see me again” 

“I don’t think it hurts anything to ask, you’ll never know if you don’t ask” she looked at her phone. “I have to go pick up your sister from her campus tour. We’ll be in town for the weekend, so let’s do dinner tonight” she stood up and walked over to his cheek. “If you can make it to dinner, I hope you can bring your girlfriend” 

There wasn’t much that you could do about the morning, but you were attempting to salvage what was left of your day and your dignity. You treated yourself to your skin routine, a deep conditioning hair mask, and a nice long soak in the bath.

Hearing a knock on your bedroom door, you wrapped your towel around your body before opening the door. “Minho? I thought you went to work already-” you sighed seeing Felix standing there with a bouquet of flowers. 

“How’d you get in here?” you crossed your arms over your chest. 

“Minho-Hyung let me in on his way out.” He sighed setting the flowers on your dresser, seeing that you refused to take it from him.

“Traitor” you rolled your eyes. “Well help yourself out, I’m getting ready for a date”

“A date!?” his brows furrowed “So that’s it? You’re done with me?”

“I’m done with-” you scoffed in disbelief. “You have the nerve to sound disappointed in me? You’re the one that said we weren’t anything.”

“So this is just some new guy? You weren't seeing him the whole time?”

“Believe it or not Felix, I thought we were in a relationship. So no, I wasn’t seeing this guy. I haven’t even met him yet. It’s a first date. So if you’ll excuse me I have to get ready-” You stopped yourself taking a deep breath and rubbing your temples. “Felix, I spent every waking moment I could with you over the last few months. I have more clothes in your apartment than I have in my own. You met my parents, my cats love you. I even brought you as my date to my best friends wedding… Every moment with you was very real to me.” your shoulders slumped. “But I made the mistake of assuming we were in a committed relationship without talking it out. I got my heartbroken because of it and that’s not your fault.” 

He opened his mouth to say something but you held up your finger. “Hold on Felix...Just let me finish because if I don't say it now I’m gonna lose my nerve.” He nodded, letting you continue. “I… wanna respect your boundaries. I can’t make you be my boyfriend and if you want something casual and something that’s just physical than that’s fine. I have to respect that.” your eyes watered feeling that you were on the cusp of a break up of a relationship that technically didn’t even exist. “But I’m not looking for something purely physical. I want a committed relationship.”

“Then let me try…” he whispered, looking at with those beautiful warm brown eyes. “Please don’t go”

“Give me one good reason not to”

“Because I wanna date you. I want you to be my girlfriend” he took a step closer to you. “I told my mom about you…” he took your hands in his as he gazed into your eyes. “And I just want to be with you.” he walked you deeper into your room, until your knees hit the foot of your bed, making you sit.

“If you mean that...Then why did you say that earlier?” 

“I was scared… I… you are so out of my league… And I know I was falling hard but you were the first person I dated like that...I just didn’t wanna fuck it all up and talk about relationships if you were trying to keep it casual. I didn't want you to think I was some needy kid.”

“Felix… What's wrong with being needy? What’s wrong with knowing what you want and holding on to it?”

“I don’t want to date anyone else… I just want you…” he inched closer, taking you in. Trying to read your expression for any form of hesitation or doubt. “Please don’t give up on me...Not before I have a chance to fight for you” 

A soft smile graced your features as you gazed up at him. “Are you sure you want this? I don’t want you to cave into something you don’t want just because you’re scared.”

“I want nothing more than to call you my girlfriend and properly show you off” He cupped your face making you look at him. His face inching closer to yours but stopping short. His lips close enough to graze yours as his nose brushed against your skin. Your breath became more shallow as he searched your eyes. “May I?” 

“Are you asking my permission to make me your girlfriend or to kiss me?”

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling in the corners while he laughed. “Yes.”

“Then yes, you may” you grinned letting him pull you into a deep kiss, your arms wrapping around his shoulders as you pulled him into your bed, making him fall. 

Catching himself he giggled “You’re chaotic.”

“I missed you”

“It’s only been a few hours.”

“And you didn’t miss me?” you smiled into the kiss

“Of course I did”

“Then show me…” you bit your lips, playing with the hair on his nape. 

“I thought you had a date.” his tone, a little pouty. 

“I’ll text him later.” you sighed blissfully as he kisses your neck. 

“Why wait until later, let him know now.” he  bit the base of your neck. “Let him know you won’t be needing him now or ever. Better yet call him now.” he licked the skin that he’d been nibbling on. 

“Felix” you scolded, watching him pout “There’s no need to pout, I never even met the poor guy”

“And yet I still kinda want you to call him, and have him hear me fuck you while you tell him why you can’t go” his eyes darkened, the corners of his lips tugging into a smirk.

Your face warmed as you stared at him, too flustered to reply. After a moment you swallowed hard and shook your head. “Felix!” 

His cocky little smirk turned into that cute little smile you loved so much “I’m just kidding” He laughed pulling off his own shirt. “But after I make love to you do you think you could manage doing dinner with my mom and sisters? They wanna meet you”

“I- of course I want to do dinner with them but” you covered your face and groaned in embarrassment. “You can't say something like that and bring up dinner like it’s casual”

He smirked, quirking his brows. “I like what you look like flustered” he pinned your arms to the bed and pecked your lips again. “I like that I’m the only one you make that face for…” his low voice, husky against your skin. He took you in, almost hungrily. From the way your eyes sparkled at him, the flush of your cheeks, the rawness of your lips. His eyes following the curve of your cheeks, the sweet path of kisses he led down your neck to your collarbone. The way that your towel still clung to your body. “Can I really call you mine?” he whispered, more so to himself. 

You nodded leaning over to kiss his wrist softly. “I’m yours…” 

He lost himself in kissing you. There were so many things he wanted to do, but there was nothing quite like kissing you. The taste of coffee and cream on your lips, he’d grown accustomed to. The way you moaned his name when he kissed you in those sweet spots. Just below your ear, in that little curve of your neck, over your breast. The way your toes curled when his kisses turned into love bites and how your head fell back on to the mattress. 

 He loved that when he kissed you, you’d giggled. He loved how you’d tangle your fingernails in his hair and scratched his scalp. He loved how whenever he broke a kiss you’d chase his lips. He loved how you'd’ run your nose against his before kissing him again. He loved how your thighs felt around his head when he delved his tongue in deeper to kiss you there. The way your thighs tightened and you squirmed; his tongue flicking at just the right angle. 

He knew he had you when you desperately reached out to grip the bedsheets, grasping at nothing, but arching your back for him. The way you shuddered for him, blissfully whimpering when you came from his tongue. 

Your towel, tossed aside and long-forgotten when Felix pulled back. Wiping the slick from his mouth with his thumb he gave you a heated look. “You’re so beautiful...” he pecked your lips again before bucking his hardened length against your sensitive core. Not giving you much time to recover. Rubbing himself against your slit “Say you’re mine again” he smiled seeing you move your own hips against him. 

“I’m yours, I’m all yours” you whined feeling him tease you more. “Please Felix Nnn..” you closed your eyes feeling him sink into you. He took his time, basking in that sweet feeling of stretching you out. 

You looked up at him as he pumped into you, your fingers laced with his free hand while he held your waist with the other. His hips finding a rhythm against yours, while he desperately tried to find more and more ways to make you moan his name. 

He made sure he worked you over again and again until you were a wanton mess. Leaving love bites over your collarbone and breast. Even covered in sweat he was breathtaking. You brushed his hair out of his face, beaming up at him. Those heart shaped lips that made you feel so wanted, those freckles that mapped his face that you loved to count, those dark doe eyes that held the stars, and those slender but strong arms that made you feel home. “Are you mine?” you asked him with the softest voice, your fingers running through his hair as you held his gaze.

“I’m yours” he shuddered, loving the sound of those words on your lips. His body reacting on pure instinct as he came in you. More than your body, more than your voice, your words were enough to finally push him over the edge. His nose softly brushing yours as he peppered sweet kisses on your lips. “I love you...I don’t wanna be anyone else's...”

You couldn’t stop the bright smile that graced your features. Kissing him back, and hugging him tightly when he collapsed beside you. His body worn out from loving you. “I love you to Felix...” you giggled as he buried his face his your neck. “We need to get ready for dinner with your mom”

“We could take a shower together to save time” he quirked his eyebrows playfully.

You laughed and nodded “Not a bad idea” you kissed his hair, sighing softly. “By the way, what did Chan say when you flaked from work today?”

“Oh fuck-”

End..

I didn’t mean for this to be so long D: But I hope you guys enjoyed that

∘Tags List:

@skzsprinkles @tophuphu @hugs4chan @channieboyo @tonfilm @soobinssmile

[greekbros]

"greek-Bros: Phallic Judgement"

*Surprisingly, Dionysus had gone back to Rome to cause more mischief with Hermes, this time they've brought Ares along*

Dionysus: *again disguised as a wine seller* ok gentlemen, behold. The foulest creatures to crawl on the face of the earth. *Shows just random Roman citizens*

Ares: *who for some reason decided he wanted to disguise himself as the world's most intimidating slave* ......ugh....the goats? *Sees a goat*

Hermes: *cleverly disgusted as farmer* haha no. You see, these guys are absolutely weird. They insist of "rationing" Sapa, they have taxes for literally existing and above all.....their wine is watered down! But they have the best bread I've ever tasted though.

Ares: ... really?

Dionysus: don't be fooled by their baked goods my dudes. These are cruel and unrelenting scum folk. Uncultured, ignorant, and above all....they've inslaved every single country they've conquered.

Hermes: .....it's mostly about the wine isn't it?

Dionysus: ....*turns dramatically* their most unforgiving sin.

Ares: *has wondered off to see a statue of himself*.....my dick isn't THAT small.......*looks at the name plate saying "Mars"* ......I can't believe these guys misspelled my name....*takes some charcoal, scratches out Mars and writes Ares*

Centurion Gaurd: Excuse me slave! Where is your master! Slaves are not allowed near the devine statue of the gods.*sees that Ares has wrote his name on the statue's nameplate* What the?

Ares: *doesn't know the centurion was referring to him considering he's in disguise* .........*turns to the see the back of the statue* ....at least they got the ass right.

Centurion Gaurd: EXCUSE ME! Please stop making remarks about the sacred statue! You've defaced sacred property!

Ares: *slowly peaks over to the centurion* ....hey ugh there's a thing on your helmet*

Centurion Gaurd: oh really? *Pats around his helmet* where?

Ares: *points to the centurion's face* There's a shit attitude a little all over your FuCkInG ugly mug.

Centurion Gaurd: *realising what he meant* YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!

Dionysus: *walks into the situation* Oh there you are Skippy! Bad boy I thought I told you to stay close to me and not open your mouth! *takes a little stick and weakly whips Ares's shoulder with a single thing of wheat*

Ares: *confused* ...wut?

Centurion Gaurd: Is there YOUR disrespectful slave?

Ares: wait you said I was going to be a noblem-*gets a loaf of bread in his mouth by Hermes*

Hermes: please shut up or we'll leave you here to fend for yourself.

Ares: *kinda just enjoying the bread* hmfhmf.

Dionysus: You see my good sir, my slave is extremely stupid, dumb and has testicles the size of grapeseeds. He was used as a human kickball when he was an infant and was raised by goats. He can't help himself sometimes. *Tries to clean the charcoal off the statue*

Ares: *angry noises* ?!?

Centurion Gaurd: .....Ok...you have the pay the "Disrespectful Slave" tax fine.

Dionysus: .....*grumbles and takes a bag filled with gold coins* ....*gives it begrudgingly* .....*grits his teeth* have....a...good day.

Centurion Gaurd: *takes the gold and sees that it's drachma* .....hmm.....*takes out a piece of paper with a semi-crude wanted poster of Dionysus, Apollo and Hermes* ......hmm.....I watching you....sir. *leaves to find Mortus*

Dionysus: *turns to Ares and glares at him* ....you owe me 20 drachma.

Ares: *has finished eat the bread* Why? Don't these mortals know we're gods?

Dionysus: No! We're here in disguise so that was can destroy the city again. You are here to make sure the country doesn't get a chance to get back up.

Ares: Fuck yah. *Literally has no idea what he agreed to*

Hermes: *saw the wanted poster in the centurion's hand* ugh...guys we REALLY need to finish what we came here for because they're definitely on to us.

Dionysus: yeah yeah I know....come on let's go. I want to destroy the coliseum again.

Ares: what's a coliseum?

Dionysus: *suddenly a huge grin forms across his face* Hermes .....is the coliseum....open?

Hermes: let me check. *Literally speeds next to the coliseum and saw a Roman sign that says "Grand Re-Opening" and zips back to Dionysus* yeah. It's open.

Dionysus: perfect. *Pops a waterskin filled with wine, and chugs it* oh gods I'm FuCkInG dry. It's like this place sucks your very essence or something.

Hermes: hmm....yeah, shame really. *as he was following Dionysus and Ares, he accidentally dumbs into a familiar face* oops sorry miss.

Octavia: *turns around with a baby in her arms that looks suspiciously familiar* Oh pardon me sir. I didn't mean to bump into, the market seems rather busy today doesn't it?

Hermes: It's ok, I was just heading to-*knotices the baby* .....ugh...

Caius the baby: *smiles at Hermes as if he knew Hermes was his dad* ba-ba :D

Octavia: Oh sweetie, daddy is working. Oh children are so wonderous, even at a few months old, they have such an imagination. By the way, have we met before? You look so familiar....are you from the countryside?

Hermes: uuggggh *trying his best to not look Octavia in the eye* yeah, I get that all the time. Trust me I have some of my own, I mean children that is. Also no I don't think I have? *Literally hoping she doesn't recognize him even though he shape shifted into her husband a year ago*

Caius: *still happily cooing over his real dad*

Dionysus: come on buddy le-*put two and two together and scowls at Hermes* ......you didn't.

Hermes: ugh....

Dionysus: nevermind we're off! *He pulls Hermes to the direction of the coliseum*

Octavia: hmmm what a strange young man. He's handsome though.

Caius: *coos in disappointment* :(

*later*

Dionysus: *rubs his hands* hehehehehe....

Hermes: this better be worth it. I thought we would write our names on the temple walls here or something.

A Roman Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen! This grand reopening of the Coliseum shall be in honor of our Lord and Emperor Caeser!

Caeser: *does the Royal British wave*

Dionysus: peeeeerfect.

Hermes: ......hey I got to ask...why did you bring Ares?

Dionysus: some bulky bastard is currently the head champion gladiator here, he use to live on Crete before the Romans decided to kidnap a few warriors there....let's just say my pettiness will come with effort.

Hermes: ......ok seriously man what are talking about?

Dionysus: look no one says that their dick is bigger than mine and actually gets away with it.

Hermes: ....you know....you could just smite someone. I mean it's not graceful....but it's effective.

Dionysus: hoho, I'm going to make this extra dramatic.

The Roman Announcer: And now! You're great champion, Maximus the Well-Endowed!

Maximus: *a huge, hulking man came out, roars out* HAIL CAESAR! *Leans to the announcer* I am going to get my 20 hot virgin women after this right?

Announcer: *whispers* yes yes. AND HIS CHALLENGER *looks at a note which was scribbled on his hand* ..... "Skippy the Not-Well-Endowed"! *Looks back his hand still not believing what he had read*

Ares: *is just happy to get into a fight, however was oddly enough only was only wearing a loin cloth and a helmet, armed with a shield and spear* ......oh boy, a whole stadium just for killing? These people rock!

Hermes: ........you didn't....

Dionysus: yep.

Ares: *steps side to side like an exited kid* comeoncomeoncomeonstartthefighting.

Maximus: Alright Skippy, time to end your tiny dicked existence. *Raised his sword on to Ares but Ares was able to break it with his helmet* !?

Ares: ....that's it?

Maximum: *confused* ugh....*waves to order in more weapons, all of which fail to hurt Ares*

Ares: .......aw come on...you guys have some shitty ass weapons. Bet YOUR weapon is just as shit.

Maximus: grrrrr.....YOU PUNY SLAVE! *Rips off his armored skirt* See! You're fucking wrong!

Roman crowd: *gasps*

Dionysus: .....

Hermes: *whistles* holyshit....dude this guy is hung.

Dionysus: If there's one god who can contest me....the only god who's dick is so epic, so powerful, so irresistible, so near perfect......that Aphrodite can't FuCkInG resist it on a daily basis.

Hermes: Heracles?

Dionysus: No buddy, Ares. Ares is the guy who's dick is better than mine I mean come on a guy who shags the goddess of love more times than any living thing HAS to have something going on down there

Some Roman Karen: EXCUSE me is pronounced Venus! We don't use greek words here.

Dionysus: Please leave me alone lady.

Some Roman Karen: *rhees in anger*

Dionysus and Hermes: *both are struggling to ignore her*

Ares: ....ok...that dick of your isn't that great.....*rips off his loin cloth* .....THIS....is a dick.

Crowd: *the women and gay men swoons over the perfect of Ares's bare body, men quake and cringe at their own feeble members and put to shame*

Caesar: *completely unimpressed and decided to leave* hmf. Pathetic.

Maximus: *wriggles in shame* HOW c-C-C-could this be?! The most PERFECT COCK? Oh my gods why is it fucking glowing?!

Ares: ....what you don't shave yourself weekly? I mean come on man that's how you keep the ladies coming back?

Maximus: *starts crying a little*

Dionysus: *cackling uncontrollably* SO THATS HIS SECRET! *writes on a piece of paper saying "shave, dick, weekly"*

Hermes: *still not fully understanding why all of this* ........you brought Ares here JUST to emasculate some gladiator?

Dionysus: Oh much more than that Herms.....much much m-

Roman Karen: EXCUSE YOU SIR ITS MERCURY!

Dionysus: *has had enough and turned her into a chicken* there much better.

Hermes: .....are you ok? Did you have your wine today?

Dionysus: I RAN OUT OF WINE LONG AGO!

Hermes: *deep sigh* not again.

Ares: *now in full naked display* ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!? *The crowd roared and cheered*

Dionysus: well....yah want to set the animals free from their cages?

Hermes: fuk ye-*feels a tough and strong hand practically crushing his shoulder* .....*turns to see an old man who clearly was Zeus* .....

Zeus: .....boys.....

Dionysus and Hermes: .....Uh Oh.

Zeus: *took each of them by their ears like a discontented mother* you're BOTH grounded for bothering these mortals and above all abusing the dark, unholy power of the sacred male member ....if I had a third arm it would be reserved for Ares. *Looks down at Ares now just doing some naked dance for the crowd*........*deep and disappointed sigh*

Dionysus: but dad, I do that like everyday.

Zeus: I don't care if I don't discipline you or Hermes right the now, Hera will have MY male member nailed to the wall.

(Later that day)

Mortus: *inner noir detective monologue* after several months, nothing. Absolutely nothing. The suspects disappeared from the face of the empire. Likely their crimes have caught up with them. My only consolation to solving this case....is the mysterious birth of my son and my faithful wife. .... speaking of which...why does Caius have blue eyes? Me and Octavia have brown.....did ...she?....nah that's impossible.

The Centurion from earlier: MY LORD! I FOUND THE SUSPECTS!

Mortus: *dramatically turns around* This better be the right ones this time.

*much later after apparently an orgy broke out at the coliseum*

Mortus: .... Absolutely disgusting. Practicing Sexual Festivities without a license is punishable by crucifixion, Mark.

The Announcer (Mark): B-b-but sir! It wasn't my fault! Some slave was to challenge Maximus and they just decided to remove their clothing and everyone went wild! ....to be fair the slave did look a little attractive BUT the fornicating ceased once the slave disappeared.

Mortus:....was he accompanied by a portly, dark haired ..... individual?......an extremely attractive blonde slave and a thinner more athletic young man with brown hair?

The Announcer: ...hmm...well yes minus the other slave.

Mortus: Hmmm.....the plot thickens.....are these the mysterious criminals that destroyed the coliseum last year?....What is the motivated behind these depraved individuals?.....

The Announcer: ugh...why are you talking to yourself?

[themanicgalaxy]

SPN 7X4 Defending Your Life

I'm making an exception today, because I've figured out QUITE a bit about my own stress response

oh right the monster Dean killed

also to recap: my period has every sign of starting(including cramps) but nothing, I've been horribly nauseous all day, I feel a hunger response when I'm DEFINITELY not hungry(stress eating and it's the only thing that makes the nausea subside) and headache(altho that could be the lack of sleep). Also emotions all over the place(Crying, happy, very on the hat etc)

and the WORST part is I can NEVER tell until I have physical reactions. I can NEVER TELL WHAT MY EMOTIONS ARE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN I THOUGHT I WAS PERFECTLY OK OR NOT FEELING ANYTHING

ooo chase scene

gHOST CAR

ooo good segway into intro

that cut coping mechanism does NOT seem like it's healthy

mONSTER OF THE WEEK

oh COME ON HERE's THE LYING

the visuals are cool

"license to kill"

no come on sam that was a good one.

"dead and sober, dead and crappy" no Dean, please, you need to figure that out

ah yes tortured soul

FL OW ER SH O P

that was suspicious

oh

it's just because she's dead and dead at 10

oh

the CAr

"makes you wonder if the guy who was drunk ran her over" *drinks beer*

O H H H H H HSIDOFAHPAS

GHOST RIDER

at least I know they're nerds, whoever wrote this

is it manifesting their guilty conscience

aw but the dog is so fluffy

*lies down, bounces back up again* lmaooo

Dean is Tired

didn't they DEAL With a ghost car?

it's people that kept going?

DEAN IS RUNNING ON SO MUCH EMPTY AHAHAHA

A H CUZ HE DIDN'T SLEEP BECAUSE THE GIRL HE KILLED

that took me as second

"If I ate apples" DEAN

also they're really doing license plate shots above how Cool the Impala is shots now, lil thing

"you won't even believe me" ahaha

...courtroom?

fUCKING NEAL'S TAVERNNNN

we kind of specialize in crazy ahaaha

"except that's complete crap"

"everyone judges all day long"

He just..takes punishment?

ahahah N O P E GREY AREA

no this is way more watchable

SA M SOUNDS SO TIRED AHAHA

*whispers* "stay put"

he DOES look good though

ok fine just gonna tune out the flirting

they ARE both pretty

is it that guy

the creepy guy in the shadows

how much is in scotch I have no idea

ah the red, what people were clawing

THAT'S NOT HOW OSIRIS WORKS but fine ok let's go

THAT'S NOT

ok fine

"it hones in on people who feel guilty, N OW WHO DOES THAT SOUND LIKE TO YOU" oh boy literally both of them got it that was hilarious

this does seem like he's talking himself into a role

the salt...might not work for osiris

shit she really is pretty

AH RED SAND ok ok yeah I see it ok

a h egyptian shit

ALL YOU NOTICED WERE THE SYMBOLS LMAOOO

THAT DOOR SLIDE WAS SO FUNNY

He's cool though, I like the pagan shit

"Sam, you're not a lawyer" "yes I was pre law" "pre"

"good one" "I saw that on the good wife"

THIS IS HILARIOUS

J O

oh no

the mining itself sucks but this concept is good

took his breathing away?

It reads a bit as excusing them for everything

She backs them up at least?

I miss her

see here's the thing, it kinda reads like they're out of ideas, but like...it's a good concept

ah so the stuff at the beginning was them showing their guilt

I like how he just says "them's the breaks"

yeah like Dean is ever gonna believe he's innocent

"dog food" oh they so desperately wanna say dog shit

"they want to be judged" echoes Dean

SAM IS TALKING COMPLETELY OUT OF HIS ASS

HE'S GETTING HIM OUT OF HIS GUILT COMPLEX OH THANK GOD FINALLY

"that it just...blows"

no one, including Dean, ever questions it, so the grief stews

oh

he does actually have some way with words

Dean please tell the truth

mate I get the impulse but still

dammit

ahaha Temporary but Long Temporary

"make sure it's a sharp piece" lmaoo

man I miss Jo

ah here we go

sam: u h

JOOOO

"you deserve better" on both ends

Dean Eldest Daughter Syndrome

"hunters are never kids, I never was"

he does Internalize things

that's why we kin

90% crap

"i get rid of that what then" "you really wanna die not knowing" HOLY SHIT

HOLYSHIT OH MY GOD OH MYGOD

ah the gas stove

"he's making me do this" oH NO

"just kind of faded...maybe a little bit happier"

hell was Sam's slate? huh

"I kind of feel good, Dean" I am glad he's happy, I don't know if I agree with the message

1. SAMMM. Dean was acting off the shits, so he had to step up and exasperatedly handle everything, and piece stuff together. Like mans is actually quite smart and quite resourceful when he has to be, and it's nice seeing that. It's also fun FINALLY seeing him lighthearted again, even if I don't like how.

2. Dean's guilt complex. Man internalizes a lot of things, and while they BARELY make sense(thin veneer, easily cracked) he hides it enough so that no one asks(and he represses so he certainly doesn't), and he can continue feeling guilty. Now here's the thing. He feels guilty, Sam doesn't, the middle ground is where they should be(taking responsibility) and they like...never do it.

3. monster of the week. No but having monsters switch to grey instead of black and white, and having Dean comment on it is SO good, because he's like...that Masculine Parody/Ideal depending on who's writing him, and like he was written to be the hero. any gray was always overridden by that. But with kripke gone, they start actually doing grey, and there's nothing simple anymore. Like I like with how off the shits it got, they still kept the theme of "it's more grey now" but like kinda for real(where Dean and Osiris said the same thing). ALSO, I think it would be useful as a scale back. I know they'll not do it because EVEN BIGGER DBZ LAZER is fun, but I think having more monsters of the week by choice and not "oh god we have runtime" would be really good, because that's where this storyline SHINES! it's got a lot of characters, a lot of lore, and a lot of issues to pick through, a monster of the week is WAY more effective than a longer story, and would help the scaling back issue.

4. pontificating about the season/why it's easier to watch. Like is this season as good/vibey? probably not really, but honestly I can actually stand watching it. Like it's very cringe in places but also, it doesn't hurt me or make me feel uncomfortable as kripke stuff does. It matches the vibe of "after work/school show" perfectly for what it is.

5. the vibes/Osiris. I like the idea of osiris and going to the bars, and the courtroom and the RED! SAND!! I got that one. But I'd also like to say that Dean saying the SAME thing that osiris said was like...he's not villainized, but I think they're trying to make him slowly grow as a character. It's like sympathy/he sucks kinda/we like him for him a sa character and I think that was really neat.

also barkeep lady pretty holy hell

6. it felt a little bit like excusing tho. Like if Sam is the good one, then it felt like excusing them of the harm they cause people. I want them to change their behavior! not beat themselves up over it or think it's fine cuz he went to hell because of it!

I'm so glad Sam is happy again but N O

7. J O. the "no autonomy, he's making me do this," the being able to see through things(and no longer hungering for something that she doesn't really know) (like...she wants SOMETHING, has it crawling under her skin but doesn't know what, and that's gone when she's dead) and that whole thing where she asked Dean if he wanted to die as a persona. Oh my god.

8. Dean persona. Yeah the whole thing where he had to convince himself to be a womanizer, the "I"m 90% crap line" OH MY GODD THAT HIT. That man is also a persona. maybe a commentary on american masculinity in general, maybe not. Also, eldest daughter syndrome, he internalizes everything and everything is his responsibility("I didn't get a childhood")

I feel like you can also make an argument how trauma makes you the extreme of something(uncaring for smol sam, internalizing for Eldest Dean), and it breaks your ability to do what you need to(empathetically do your fucking job and not be pieces of shit).

I see why this show was so popular amongst mentally ill people(myself included) holy christ

[purplerose244]

Thoughts journal Ninjago season 13!!! 🤩🤩 (3/4)

I am enjoying the season A LOT. The reveal has been thrown already, everything seems to be leading towards something special about Rock Mom and I couldn't hope for something better!! I know Lou will be back so I guess a flashback?... I'M SO EXCITED 💕💕

Alright, let's start!!

DUNGEON PARTY!

Side note, we're past the season and no Nexo Knights reference. Me sad, but me not quitting like ninja!! 💪💪

Korgran of METALONIA?!?! WHERE KARLOF COMES FROM!!! Oh you just love to feed me with good throwbacks, now do you Ninjago crew 😍

Plundar the thief, yeah, the attire gives it away although it is nice. And Fungus... huh... well that explains the mushrooms on the hat I guess 😅

Yep, there we go, a party of adventurers, the DnD situation promised 👈👈 He said loot, I saw a 20 faced dice, nice nice

In these recent seasons adventurers just won't like to do adventures for one reason or another, first uncle Powers, now these guys? I mean Ninjago is in danger every freaking time and you risk your life at every step and there's a new formidable villain every like five seconds but... huh... what was my point again?

THE ANIME STYLE IS BACK 😂😂 Oh boy I can tell we're in for a train to crazy town

I'm thinking this dude looks a lot like He-Man... of course he does, the HECK, am I noticing this just now? 😑

I do agree with mister Korgran's father reluctance about talking like that (I saw too many anime characters like that 😂), but Karlof uses the third person too. Either it's common in Metalonia, or there's a general lack of education there 😅 (I LOVE METAL BOY I MISS HIM 🖤🖤)

Talking axe that doesn't talk, nice 😂

Okay... okay, I need a moment

This is too cute. I know her head is a bit too big but LOOK AT THEM 💛🤍💛🤍 Has Chompy never grown?... wait he did got big that one time... okay... okay, never mind

Well that's a pretty nice party, you got your barbarian, your magic user and your rogue. Kinda misses a healer but still... tomorrow I'm doing a DnD session with my friends and I wanna sound like I know stuff 😂

I just noticed that I haven't seen hidden trap doors like that since Chen, the ABC of villains right there my friends 👆

So the King didn't become evil just because of the skull, he actually wished to obtain it and use the dark power. I get that he wants to defend the city but he is basically remorceless about everything else, so he is guilty. Also DRAGON ABUSER 😡

Poor Vania, but she overcame her Skylor situation very quickly. Proud 💛

There we go with the encouragement, you go Rocky!! We have a crazy Skull dude to turn into dust!! 👿👿

Wait, a promise he made a long time ago? Rock mom?

DUNGEON CRAWL!

ROCK MOM!!! YAAAASSS!!! FINALLY SHE'S HERE!!! 🖤🖤🖤

Oh holy FSM, my heart 💔

MY HEART HURTS SO MUCH. Cole as a kid, Lou is back, Rock Mom IS SICK AND WILL DIE, all the drawings, the picture of them together 😭😭

I cannot, freaking, this kid doesn't want his mom to be sick and he's gotten into troubles at school and she wants him to fight and be strong and right and SHE HAS HIS SAME EYEBROWS 😢😢😢😢😢😢

This scene was really heartbreaking, such a genuine situation with a kid that wants her mom to be fine and proud of him 🖤

Just looked at her VA and it's Erin Matthews 🤩 So first I'm counting it as a Nexo Knights reference just because MACY AND ROBIN ❤🖤❤🖤 Second, wasn't "the mom" going to be voiced by Jillian? Is it... is it Maya? Is she coming back? MAYBE NEXT SEASON??? NYA SEASON?!?!? 🤯🤯

Oh, we're moving on? So... so there's still the stuff about Rock Mom's past to uncover, still unsure if she was the one of the blades for the two tribes

PLUNDAR WE DO NOT DISRESPECT COLE INTO THIS HOUSE VANIA MY GIRL YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR ME TOO 💪💪

The connection between Cole and his mom is the earth itself, I'm loving this concept so much. It's true that he never found himself this deep into his element before, the Caves of Despair were mines but never this deep. This really is rock bottom... HECK YEAH

Well Cole...

Welcome to the colored eyes because of elemental power ninja team!! 💚❤🧡 (without counting the forbidden scroll moments) I LOVE WHEN IT HAPPENS!!! I'M GETTING SO PROUD AND EMOTIONAL!!! I'M PROUDOTIONAL!!! 🤯

Aww, Cole saving his son sensei, very nice. They did save each other a lot 🤷‍♀️

This place reminds me a lot of the Fire Temple where Kai got himself into trouble in season 1 but then saved Lloyd, one of my favorite and most memorable episode of the show... I'M TOO NOSTALGIC RIGHT NOW LET'S MOVE ON

NEVER MIND COLE IS TAKING CHARGE LIKE OLD TIMES HE IS FINALLY THE LEADER AGAIN I'M GONNA CRY ROCKY I'M SO HAPPY YOU DESERVE THIS 🖤

Wu's spinjitzu!! Always nice to see it 😊 And yes Adam is a good boy, and for my arachnophobia is a little freaky saying it 😅

Ah, good Plundar, Cole needs all the appreciation of the world because HE IS SUCH A GOOD PERSON AND AMAZING WARRIOR AND I LOVE HIM AAAAAA

This is probably my favorite episode for now, got Rock Mom, got elemental powers, got a lot of Cole in all of his glory: the leader with a clear smart mind able to lead even strangers, with big heart for what's important 👏👏

I feel like this season is giving him glory, I'm curious about how it will end!!

GRIEF-BRINGER

Okay I know it's the name of the dragon... and it gets me a little antsy 😅

Back to the munce! Still doing as good as ever I see! 😅 And lol, you can't blame Nya for not being nice Jay! Although she is kinda best friends with Ronin who double crossed her multiple times... okay, I see your reasoning Bluebell

There we go, Nya making them listen. I honestly could have seen her just grabbing one of them and make them fly through the the room, still cool though 😎

Back to the geckles! Also doing as good as ever! 😅 These little purple guys are so dang cute, seeing my flame babe trying to lead is so PRECIOUS, and even more PRECIOUS is Zane giving him support... and a rock in the face 🤍🤍

Gotta say

I'm more and more fascinated by their culture 😂😂

Aww little Gleck, everything had started with him after all... wait... HER NAME IS LILLY?!?! ROCK MOM HAS A NAME!!! AND SHE IS GILLIE/MILLIE!!! I KNEW IT!!! 🤩🤩

I think I saw the name somewhere, didn't think it was actually her. I always headcanoned her as Gaia, but Lilly is a very sweet name too 💕

It is pretty nice that even though we as viewers didn't know what happened to Lilly, the ninja knew. It's obvious, they've known each other for so long, but still. It feels nice to see this 😊

Oh-oh, Skull dude is up to something... and he said the title 👈👈

Zane keeps being the sweetest thing ever created, le cute dude 🤍🤍 Never thought I'd see Tin Can and Hothead discussing about lies while two slugs race each other...

I don't know if it's the new animation but the armored suits look CRAZY GOOD, the metal and the details are awesome!! I approve the suits of this season 👍

Pff, they are talking down his sister, if he knew they would be literally toasted 🔥

HUG HUG BEAUTIFUL LEGO HUG!!! And she lifts him up, omg the Smith siblings are back and they are so CUTE 😍

Yep, only he can talk down his sister... and possibly be annihilated right after 😅

Oh, the dragon that almost destroyed the two tribes... OH THE DRAGON THAT ALMOST DESTROYED THE TWO TRIBES!!! 😱😱

NO GUYS DON'T LEAVE LLOYD AND ZANE BEHIND, THEY ARE THE MOST PRONE TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES 😭😱😭😱😭😱

The cringe Kai, the cringe never leaves you alone you beautiful idiot ❤

I cannot believe the animators managed to make Lloyd's LEGO hair swoosh, I must applaude them 👏👏👏 Also POOR BABY ON THE GROUND GIVE HIM A VACATION FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

Well aren't things getting even more complicated 😅 Where is Cole? We need season superstar pronto!

MASTERS NEVER QUIT

Awww, major throwback to the show's most famous motto right in the title! NINJA NEVER QUIT!!! LET'S GO THEN!!! 🤩

The upply team! With the lava beast back... I could easily make comment about how it could be a representation of Cole's feelings since it's LAVA with EARTH and FIRE, and he is running from them... I'M JUST RAMBLING MOVING ON 🖤❤🖤❤

Cole misses the Caves of Despair maybe, he wants to have a round with the carts like in Possession 😂 Was that why he knew it was going to work eventually? That would be histerical, especially since back then they all almost fell into the lava 😅😅

The Heart of the Mountain? Secret temple of the masters of Earth? Possibly hidden in Shintaro? Spinjitzu Burst? Wu, let me ask you this... just in case... is there... perhaps...

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US??? 😡😡

He is definitely and officially old, only reason why he keeps forgetting to warn people about stuff 😑 I mean, it's not major like with Morro or Aspheera, I guess it's an improvement?... kinda?

So you learn spinjitzu burst if you're surrounded by your element, that sounds pretty awesome! I wonder how it could be with all the others, this can open up kinda like a quest for the true potential but with different places and lots of OP powers and I'M INTO IT 🤩🤩🤩

Okay season, I get it

YOU WANNA MAKE ME CRY 😭😭 I love this aztec vibe, so cool and appropriate she looks STUN 🖤

I didn't expect this much introspection about Cole, I thought it was going to be kinda last minute like with Jay in Prime Empire. I'm so thankful it's not like that, freaking yes. YES. GO COLE BURST OUT!!

... okay, take your time sweetie, no rush. The other ninja are just going to be fried but eh, happens all the time 🤷‍♀️

VANIA MAH GIRL 💕 I understand Wu, I mean the guys kinda learned all they needed already back when they started to train Lloyd. Ever since then, they had been not master and students, but just family. And you always need family, no matter how far you go 🖤

Awwww, Wu! You got your own development too! 👍 So nice to hear "ninja never quit" again, can't be too sure but it's been a while 😍

Let's hope the guys are doing fine resisting while Team Cole arrives 😎😎

[impossible-rat-babies]

If I can still ask, can we have a few samples of the lines that need to be reused?

totally! there’s only a few in there right now lol it’s my dumping ground for little lingering paragraphs at the end of fics after i’ve finished them:

“You want a whole cork board of vile plans, or an evil experiments station?” Pollux scoffs, but it’s hardly a joke.

“Is there yarn connecting the evil plans?” Ortega asks and Pollux grimaces, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yes. It’s orange and the papers are all about making a safe new life for myself where I won’t have to look over my shoulder and wonder when I’m going to be dragged back to a literal hell on earth. All terribly evil shenanigans.” Pollux shoots from the hip with biting words and Ortega cringes.

“Sorry...”

--

Trial and error until they figured out how to sleep together —several nights where one or the other was ushered off to the gues room or the couch. Half a dozen times where Ortega would get kicked in the ribs, or Pollux would wake in a sweaty start, too unsettled and jumpy to fall back asleep.

Pollux actually sleeps through the night without a nightmares most of the time now, only a few stray occasions where it’s not enough. It’s better than before—leagues better.

--

“Didn’t think I’d do it either, but when you’re a recovering drug addict, you’re kinda unceremoniously pushed into it.” He admits and Nat pauses, her silver rings no longer clicking as she pauses drumming her fingers on the counter. He watches the question bubble up and die before they reach her lips, brown eyes finally looking up at him.

“I-I’m sorry, Pollux, I didn’t mean—“

“Don’t...” He cuts her off with a wave of his hand, putting a thin smile on his lips. “It’s fine, really. I shouldn’t have said it so crassly, I apologize.” He picks his lip with his thumbnail.

Nat glances down and she shakes her head, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “You shouldn’t apologize either. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“You would’ve found out regardless, one way or another. I’d rather you hear it from me.” He tells her with that same tense smile, scratching his thumb against his chin and the sparse hairs there from not shaving for a few days. Nat slowly nods, looking back down at the book, eyes scanning across the pages, finding other dates like the one from before scattered about the month.

“It was during college...” He speaks again, his back now turned to her as he fusses about the stove once more, the smell of fresh tomato and herb reaching her nose. “I wasn’t well for a long time before that—college certainly didn’t help. Partying lead to alcohol, which lead to...other things. I just wanted to turn my brain off for a bit, stop all the,” He twirls his fingers around his head like mining gears spinning, “stuff in my head.”

He sighs and Nat waits, waits for him to stop or continue, still in her seat at the bar.

“It got bad. Ended up in places and people I shouldn’t have been with. They got me into a lot of trouble.” Pollux chews his lip and he turns back to face Nat. Grey eyes looking over her shoulder at something she can’t see, like a memory playing on repeat in front of his eyes.

“Woke up one morning, in a dumpster of all places, with Mum bawling her eyes out.” His lips thin until their lost against his pale skin, his freckled cheeks and he crosses his arms over his chest, shoulders hunching.

--

“At four am? Breaking a mirror?” There’s annoyance poking into his tone as he gestures back to the sad broken mirror, chunks still dropping to the wood floor like punctuation in the silence. Felix’s brow draws in as they dance around things Pollux won’t say.

“I couldn’t sleep and this tires me out.”

Pollux provides, refusing to spare a glance anywhere but at the ground. He still catches as Felix’s posture tenses and Pollux clamps his mouth shut, biting the inside of his cheek. He’s digging himself into the ground now and he knows it.

“You don’t have to lie to me, Pollux...” Felix speaks quietly, a quiet little ache behind his words, enough to pull on the aching under his ribcage, draw his eyes to look him. Felix meets his eyes and there’s a silent plea there, a glow in his amber eyes begging him to tell him the truth.

“It’s not...” Pollux starts and trails off, catching his teeth on his lower lip to keep him from trembling. “I just...don’t wanna talk about it. I can’t talk about it.” He finally whispers, eyes fixed on the ground, bare feet staring back up at him.

He could shout out every single deep seated, rage filled memory stuck behind his eyes--stuck between his teeth--and make it all feel better. Maybe it wouldn’t feel like drowning in his own lungs, or feel like scratching his own skin off when the dreams crawl under his skin, burrowing down deep. But he can hardly admit that it hurts, pain that sitting in his skull and it closes around his throat, choking the words out of him until they’re a strangled jumbled mess. Even now the hand clenches around his neck, keeping it locked away tight.

--

“You don’t have to not touch them....” Pollux says softly, quietly. He doesn’t look up at Ortega, feeling his eyes on him instead. “You’ve already done it.” He glances at his still bare arm and further down across his stomach. Orange lines spiraling from the barcode out, still shiny and slick as ever.

“I know.” Ortega says softly and Pollux looks up, finding his eyes on the same spot on his arms. Pollux doesn’t flinch as his eyes wander up his arm and down his chest. It’s different than any other look someone has had for his body—examining yes, but for different reasons.

Pollux wonders to himself exactly what he imagined under his clothes before this, if it was always picture perfect skin. Were their scars? Terrible markings of self conducted surgery, the hurt he’d been through? Was this the body he expected wrapped up under layers of clothing and secrets?

“What did you expect to find?” He speaks before he can stop himself, words running out in a rush of breath. Ortega’s eyes snap to his and he has the decency to look guilty for having been staring.

Better than everyone else before that’s seen them.

“Well...” Ortega half chuckles, staring off at a point just above his head. “Beyond the obvious, I don’t know...I mean, I knew you had...” He waves his hand around and Pollux chuckles a bit, glancing down at his chest.

“Yeah I get it.” A smile pulls at the corner of his lip.

Ortega nods. “But...I don’t know what I expected. Not this, but who does?”

Pollux looks up at him and his brow is scrunched together, confusion plain on his face, mouth trying and failing to the words he wants. Like he’s still not sure what this means for him--what any of it means. Navigating the new--secrets kept for a decade now breathing in the space between them.

“I don’t hate it.” He almost reaches out, fingers almost touching his shoulder and Pollux doesn’t pull away, lets his hand hover, an almost touch.

Pollux catches his hand. Soft, the faint static of the emitter against his palm, narrow wires under the skin. Splaying his fingers and he presses them against his chest, above the hollow where his heart sits. Hand warm against his cold skin, a pleasant feeling as it spreads out across his skin, across the tattoos. Ortega doesn’t pull his hand away, his fingers lingering and his thumb brushes against a swath of tattoos.

“I expected them to feel different...” Ortega mumbles and Pollux shrugs, lips pursing into a thin line

“I don’t hate you Pollux.” He says softly.

[wastelandcrown]

logan lark’s adventures in trying to appease his parents

CHAPTER 1: anybody have a map?

Summary: Logan Lark is a fairly average high school student. By all means, he should be impressing his parents on all grounds. Except...he doesn’t exactly have a social life. So after his parents give him puppy dog eyes, he decides to join the local theatre's youth production. Good grief...His life is about to get weird isn’t it?

Warning: Potential ooc behavior, Roman is a theatre brat to the highest degree (Sorry Roman stans)

Notes: This fic is based off an idea from @under-the-blue-moonlight who very graciously let me use it! I’ve made a couple changes, mostly surrounding Virgil’s involvement and I gave Logan performance anxiety because I thought it would be neat. There will be warnings on the chapters that have potentially triggering talk.

Pairings: Eventual Intrulogical, Eventual Rociet, Eventual One-Sided Logicality, Platonic Analogical, Platonic DRLAMP 

Word Count: 2584

There he stands, at the precipice of his own destruction. By all accounts, it is fair to say that Logan is blowing this out of proportion. Wildly. Though he was doing much more than adequately in school, had a fairly stable mental health, and was better than most teenagers in regards to his physical well-being and room upkeep, it apparently wasn’t enough. Don’t misunderstand, his parents were in no way vindictive or cruel. Just...positive. Overtly so. In a way that made Logan cringe. How he, a man of logic and science, was ever made from these two extremely lovey-dovey saps, we will never know. Despite all his successes his parents still encouraged him to partake in activities with his peers. ‘Oh Logan, why don’t you join the school football team?’ ‘Logan, wouldn’t it be nice to make some friends at the local animal shelter?’ ‘Why are you always by yourself? Wouldn’t it be nice to make some friends?’ No, it would not. Not for him. Other people are stupid, especially teenagers. His whole life was planned on the cork board above his desk, and there was nothing important enough to make him deviate from his goal. 

To him, at least. To his parents, his social life being active was figuratively their number one priority. He’s been hoping for a calm dinner with his mother and father, he even enjoyed it most nights. He and his mother would discuss new things going on at the schools they respectively learnt and taught at. His father would discuss his work managing the popular local theatre. Discussing his father’s work tonight was a mistake.

“You know, Logan,” His father begins, and he knows where this is going, “The youth production is going to be starting up again soon.”

His mother smiles, taking his father's hand, “Loganberry, we think it would be good for you to join. You’re in your second year of high school and you don’t even talk to the kids in your class!”

“Mother, please try and understand, I really don’t think it’s necessary for me to find friends. I don’t enjoy having acquaintances, let alone having close personal friends.”

“Logan-” His father starts again but his mother pats his hand, and he quiets. 

She smiles at him and reaches across the table to put a hand on his cheek in a caring motherly gesture. 

“I know you don’t like other kids dear, but...think about it this way! It could be a fun experiment!”

Logan pauses, leaning into his mother’s touch, and nodding to show he’s listening. 

His mother started again, “You can gather data on a lot of different kinds of people, and then find out who you most enjoy hanging out with so that...in your...career…” 

Even though she’s trying, she stumbles, and his father picks up the slack, “So that in your career, you can find the people who you think are easiest to work with and be more efficient that way!” 

He knows what they’re doing. They’re buttering him up with some flimsy science experiment and explaining their position with a strange metaphor. But when both his parents are smiling at him like that...he can’t bring himself to say no to them. When he looks at them like this, he suddenly remembers how similar he looks to each of them. His mother’s dark brown hair, His father’s icy blue eyes, the glasses that sit snugly on both their faces...They smile at him so brightly that he just can’t say no to them. 

“Fine. I will do it, just this once.”

His parents erupt into literal cheers. He finds it a tad too much, but as long as they are happy he supposes he can put up with socialization and scheduling conflicts for a few months. 

That’s how he ended up at the theatre with his father at eight in the morning, on a Sunday in July. If it were his choice, he would be eating Crofter’s by the spoonful and reading some classic literature. Instead, he’s here. His father did get them both coffee, however. So he stands there awkwardly, nursing the cup that’s gone lukewarm, and he starts to feel nauseous. As he follows his father, he can hear the other kids. They’re loud. Too loud. Logan is going to hate this, he already hates this. He’s overthinking a bit, eyes trained to the floor when he accidentally trips. He’s bracing to be smacked in the face by the floor and his coffee when someone taller than him places a hand on his chest and props him back up. 

“Hi there!” Says the smiling man, who is tall with brown hair and brown eyes. He looks very kind and is wearing a Steven Universe t-shirt. 

“I-I apologize for that, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Logan manages to stammer out. Had he been this nervous the whole time? He takes a deep breath and tries to get a grip. 

“Oh, no problem!” The man nods to his dad, “Hey, Edward! This is Logan?”

“Yes, he is! He’s usually a little more focused, though.” Edward nudges Logan with a smirk, and Logan has to nod and concede. He’s right, of course. He is usually more focused. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Logan! I’m Thomas Sanders, I’m the head on the performance department here! Your dad’s been talking you up for weeks, you’re going to fit right in.”

With these words, Logan feels himself flush a little. Leave it to his father to talk him up for no good reason. He had never even been in a performance before! 

“Uhm-Yes. Thank you-” Logan begins and is cut off by a large crash.

Thomas lets out a deep sigh and turns, motioning for Logan to follow. His dad gives him a big smile and a double thumbs-up, Logan gives him a small and tired smile in return. He wishes desperately he had refused his parents the second he enters the auditorium. On stage, an adult in an orange beanie is reprimanding a boy dressed like he just crawled out of the mosh pit of a rave. The boy is laughing maniacally as off to his side, a nearly identical boy in a strangely put together outfit is pouting and crying crocodile tears. Logan makes a note to steer clear of the neon-garbage-rave kid. 

“What did you do now, Remus?” Thomas asks with a sigh, as the kid points off stage and cackles. 

“Remus started this year off by glue-and-feathering Roman’s make-up bag.” The adult in the beanie says, and Logan looks shocked. They’re certainly going to kick this guy out, right? Right!? 

“Remus...Dude…” Thomas grimaces, making his way over to who Logan assumes is Roman and supportively patting his shoulder. 

“What!?” Remus nearly shouts through his laughing, “It was funny!”

“It was not!” Roman cries with such an intense amount of drama. 

This only makes Remus laugh more. 

He’s watching so intently that he doesn’t notice that someone has entered and is standing next to him. 

“Oh, Hello.” He politely mutters, turning to look at the person. He’s shorter than he is, and definitely a lot bouncier. Even at eight am, he looks joyful. His eyes are a lighter blue than his, and his head is a mess of blonde curls. He also has round-ish tortoiseshell glasses. He isn’t unpleasant to look at, aside from the fact that he’s wearing cargo shorts and socks with sandals. 

“Hi! Don’t worry about them, Remus does something like that every year! He likes a-uh...fun start!” The kid starts talking, and even his voice is joyful and bubbly. 

“I’m Patton Foster, it’s nice to meet you!” Patton offers Logan a hand, which he takes and gives a firm shake. 

“Logan Lark. Is it typically this rambunctious, or does it calm over time?” 

Patton looks down, a little sheepish, then offers Logan a smile, “It’s always like this. Sorry!”

“It’s not a problem. I’ll just need to adapt to my circumstances.” As he says this he knows that it is going to be an especially arduous task. 

Pointing to his cup, Patton starts speaking again, “Is your coffee getting cold? We have a microwave backstage if you want me to warm it up for you!” 

The offer is sweet and genuine, so he lets Patton take the cup and run off behind the curtains. If he’s going to be here, he should start on that experiment, so he thinks. Patton seems sweet, potentially too sweet. It may be a ruse, but if his behavior is genuine Logan thinks he might be able to get by in his interactions with him. At least he’ll be able to send him off to do polite tasks if he ever needs to. 

Returning with his coffee reheated, Patton is nearly bouncing on his heels. Throughout the early morning, Patton drags Logan around and Logan realizes the bouncing is just how Patton is. He scoots by as Thomas introduces the staff. The person in the orange beanie, Joan, is the stage manager. Stood quietly beside them is a darkly dressed kid who only acknowledges the audience with a nod, his name is apparently Virgil Storm and he is running lights and sound for the show. Logan wishes desperately he could be up there on that stage. Not because he’s decided he wants to be here, but because he wishes he had known tech was an option. Damn his father for making him act. There are only about twenty kids in the audience, and by the time Thomas is done explaining the rules and conduct, the time is reaching noon. When Thomas announces that the production they will be putting on is called “Hamilton” and is a musical, the others begin to cheer wildly. Now, Logan has no clue what Hamilton sounds like, but he knows it is about the Founding Fathers. Musicals have never interested him, and especially not one about men who owned slaves and were all hoity-toity. He’s heard of it, of course. His father talks about how it revolutionized musical theatre, but Logan has never been interested enough to ask any further questions. As everyone is buzzing, he turns to Patton and taps him on the shoulder. 

“Is that a good thing?” Patton looks a little puzzled and goes to answer before he hears an offended gasp from behind him. 

“A good thing!? Is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s pride and joy, the musical that revolutionized musical theatre, the Emmy Award-Winning show Hamilton any good!?” Roman gawks at him and sputters like he’s never heard something so blasphemous in his life.

“I have no interest in musical theatre, therefore I was asking to gain clarity.” Perhaps saying this is a mistake because there are many gasps from other students, and Logan is pretty sure someone yells ‘Sexy!’

Roman snaps at him loudly and rises from his seat, “Why are you even here then!? You look like a nerd!”

“Roman!” Patton stands up and now Logan is cornered between them, “Don’t be rude!”

“Wha-Well I’m sorry that I’m confused as to why he’s here if he doesn’t even know about Hamilton!” He steps closer, cornering Logan even more.

Then he stands, “My father enjoys musical theatre and asked me to join, I don’t see what the issue is with my joining but if it truly perturbs you I suppose I will take my leave.”

He’s really grateful for this opportunity to abandon the theatre, and he turns to try and leave and ends up nearly chest to chest with Patton. 

“Hey now! There’s room enough for everyone here Logan!” Patton says brightly, and from the stage, Thomas nods. 

“Patton is right, Roman. We welcome everyone to try their hand at theatre, so please sit down so I can let you all go have lunch.” Thomas looks exasperated as Roman sits with a huff, followed by Patton and Logan.

On the stage, Thomas continues to explain what they will be doing, and then they’re being released to lunch with the goal of listening to the musical and beginning to practice their audition material. 

Logan manages to slink away from Patton, who had started talking to Roman about being nicer to the newbies or something. He had forgotten to bring lunch, which was probably fine. He’d just have to go and find his father and ask for some money. Pushing the auditorium door open, Logan finally notices he has attracted someone’s gaze. He makes eye contact with a glaring boy in a bright yellow hoodie, and he nods. The guy looks away and Logan shrugs him off. The front desk happily calls his father, who comes and brings him some money for the lobby vending machines and promises to buy him something more filling on the way home. This would severely throw off his new healthier diet, but he caves. After this day he would probably need some disgustingly greasy fast food to make him feel a little better. After the stunt with Roman, he’s not sure he’s going to go unnoticed. He buys a bottle of water and a granola bar from the vending machine and decides to sit at one of the lobby chairs to avoid the others. As he turns to find a space to sit, a voice from beside the vending machine makes him jump. 

“You’re not going to fuck up the show, are you?” The voice says, and Logan turns to find the same kid who was glaring at him before. From up close, he’s around the same size as Logan. His eyes are green-brown heterochromic, his hair is messy and brown, and one side of his face has vitiligo in a pattern that looks eerily similar to a reptile’s scales. He is glaring Logan down and he can’t help but feel a little intimidated.

“I don’t plan on it, no. Just because I am here against my will does not mean that I am going to attempt to make the show disreputable in any way.” He tries to say this confidently and he thinks he succeeds when the boy grins and offers him a hand. 

“Janus Devine.”

“Logan Lark.” And then he stops, and realizes he recognizes the origins of that name,“Are you by any chance named after the Greek god of doorways?”

Janus blinks, seemingly not expecting that reaction, “Shit-Yeah-How did you even know that?”

“I pride myself on being well-read.” Logan adjusts his tie as he says it and Janus gives a little chuckle. 

“Very good to know.” Someone yells from down the hall, and Janus rolls his eyes at the noise, “How would you like to come to join me and my...friends this afternoon?”

“It would probably be of good use to me.” He replies with a small shrug of his shoulders. Hopefully, these friends are nicer than that Roman fellow, but not as nice as Patton. 

“Oh no, it’s going to be totally useless. We aren’t going to get anything done.” Deadpans Janus and Logan just stares at him a little confused.

“That was sarcasm, specks.” His counterpart tacks on when he sees the confusion on his face. 

“Oh, right” 

All he can do now is follow Janus as he walks down the hallway towards the loud group of people. Logan follows behind and watches Janus’ movement. He walks so confidently that it’s almost like sauntering, but it’s too slow. Too smooth. It’s like slithering. 

Taking a deep breath, he prepares himself for whatever horrible experiences await.

[dreamcatcherfication]

Ask Me Who I Am, Pretend You Know My Face

Let 👏 Anne 👏 Have 👏 Feelings 👏 And 👏 Character 👏 Depth 👏

AKA Anne has an existential crisis. Anon requested “this isn’t you sounds very much like something happens to Anne and she just shuts down...? Maybe Beheaded Cousins?” And I’m happy to oblige. I’m not a big fan of the ending, but I didn’t know how else to tie it together. Not sure what went through my mind when I wrote this, but have it anyway. Sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors, I’m now a war veteran.

Writing Masterpost

If you want to send a request or a prompt, my inbox is always open! I publish a story at 8:00 AM PST everyday, so I’m always in need of new ideas. If you want to be tagged in my works, just let me know and I’ll be sure to tag you!

Prompts | More Prompts | The Trifecta of Prompts | Original Prompts

Trigger Warnings: Existential crisis, anxiety, cursing

Anne Boleyn was many people. She was the temptress history remembered her as. She was the carefree gremlin that the queens’ show presented her as. She was a woman wrongly beheaded by her vengeful husband. She was the mother of one of England’s greatest monarchs and more. 

Of all things Anne was great at, it was acting. She had been doing it long before her second life, and now it was her profession. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t playing a role and charming someone. And it took a toll on Anne, to the point where she never stopped acting. Even when she went to bed, Anne gave her mirror a charismatic smile and winked, making sure her mask was on. Playing a role was easier than playing herself. 

It was easy to distract historians who came to interview her. Anne was the most well known queen, so she often had solo interviews to deal with from pushy historians. At first it had been a lot to deal with, but Anne had grown used to their invasive questions. They were almost always the same, so she had her prepared answers. They never wanted to know about her opinions or choices, they wanted to know about all the drama and ‘seduction’ she took part in. 

It was Anne’s offday and she had a plethora of interviews scheduled. It wasn’t her chosen way of spending the day, but she needed to get them done anyway. She wasn’t one to turn interviewers away without even meeting them, so she decided to make a day out of it. The first interview wasn’t too bad, actually starting out on a relatively high note. The interviewer was a big fan of the show, and she wanted to know about the dynamics of the queens and what it was like being reincarnated. She made sure Anne knew she didn’t have to answer a question if she was uncomfortable, and Anne was grateful for that. 

The second interview was fine. The historian wasn’t too pushy and seemed generally respectful, but he kept asking questions that dragged up bad memories for Anne. By the time the interview was over, she could feel herself settling into a frustrated mindset. This third interview would not go well, and Anne knew that the second she walked into the small office.

This historian was an old white man with greying hair and ancient glasses. She could already tell he was one of those snobs who would argue that his opinion was fact. But rather than judge him right off the bat, Anne put on her excited persona and gave him the benefit of the doubt. “Hello!” she spoke happily, giving him a dazzling grin.

“Ah yes, Anne Boleyn,” he spoke in a rickety old voice. He pulled down his glasses and gave a smile that seemed to physically pain him. “I’m Director Hoffman, pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s mine,” Anne replied, shaking his hand. This was the third time she’d gone through the motions today, but she acted as if it was her first.

Director Hoffman leaned back into his seat and sighed. Anne sat in the seat across from his desk and put her hands in her lap. He had a pen and paper in front of him, as if he could record the entire interview by hand. Anne already had a bad feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, but she attempted to stifle it. “Let’s get started, shall we.” Anne nodded silently, waiting for his questions. “What made you go after King Henry VIII?”

Cringing, Anne realized he was jumping right into the thick of it. “Really it was my father. He pushed me to get involved with Henry for power. It wasn’t so much my choice.”

“But,” Hoffman pushed, “that’s not what historical records say. In fact, most everyone agrees that you were highly calculated in your bid to steal the King from his wife.”

Anne clenched her teeth and attempted to stay civil. “Well history tends to be misleading about a lot of things. As someone who lived the experience, I can tell you for a fact that those records were not written with me in mind. They paint Henry as a saint while putting me and his other wives down, painting us as horrible when that wasn’t the reality of it.”

Hoffman didn’t write any of that on his page. “I find that hard to believe,” he stared at Anne. “How is it that this airheaded girl you appear to be broke England from the Church?”

“This might be hard to believe,” Anne’s voice dripped with malice, “but men tend to over exaggerate when they let their dick decide.”

The director’s eyes widened and he grew aghast. “What an improper thing for a lady to say!”

“Freedom of speech,” Anne shrugged. “Another thing we didn’t have back then. All your documents you rely so heavily on, they only say what Henry wanted to hear. It’s all biased.”

Director Hoffman absolutely refused to listen to what Anne was saying. “You, Anne Boleyn,” he practically hissed, “are a disgrace to the historical figure this country remembers. You are a disgrace to Elizabeth and all English monarchs. You should be ashamed of who you are.”

Biting her cheek to keep from screaming, Anne slammed her hands on Hoffman’s desk. The old man leaned away from her, fear creeping in behind his eyes. Restraining herself, Anne stepped back and marched out of the room, not so much as glancing back.

On her way back to the queens’ house, Anne hadn’t lost any of her anger. She couldn’t take it anymore. Everyone telling her who to be when she was already trying to cater to them. She tried and tried and tried and they were never happy with what she gave them. Maybe she was broken.

Storming into the house, Anne didn’t acknowledge any of the other queens. “Anne? Where are you going?” Jane called from the dinner table where all the others queens were conversing with each other.

“Leave me alone,” she said, continuing through the room to get to the stairs.

“Hey, don’t leave Anne,” Aragon told her, standing up. “You should at least come eat.”

Freezing but not turning around, Anne growled, “I don’t want your food, okay?”

Cathy frowned and put her fork down. “Anne, is there something wrong? You can tell us -”

“Nothing’s wrong!” Anne yelled, still staring at the wall. “Or maybe everything’s wrong, I don’t know. But nothing’s changed, so you don’t need to worry. Go back to your food.” And then she left the queens, and shut herself up in her room. 

The other five queens all shared confused glances around the table. “I’ll handle this one,” Kat said, standing up.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Anna asked, her eyes flicking to the stairs where Anne had just been. “She doesn’t seem to be in the most forgiving mood.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kat made her way to the stairs. “She’s my cousin and I’m going to try and help her.” And then she was gone as well, disappearing up the stairs to (hopefully) make Anne feel better.

Muttering, “Godspeed,” Cathy gave the air a small salute.

As Kat traveled up the stairs to Anne’s room, she couldn’t help but hold her breath. Literally anything could be going on with Anne and she had absolutely no grounding with how to deal with it. Still, this was her cousin and she would try her best. “Anne?” Kat knocked on her door. “Can I come in.”

“I can’t stop you,” came Anne’s defeated voice from inside. 

Gently opening the door, Kat made her way to Anne’s bed. The girl in question was lying face down on the bed, her limbs spread out at awkward angles. “Hey Anne… how are you doing.”

Anne scoffed into the bedsheets. “What do you think Kat?”

“I think you’re pretending to be angry to hide that you’re hurting.”

Kat noted the way Anne reacted to her words. She sat up from her position and faced Kat with a defensive glare. “I’m not hiding anything. I’m fine. Good and dandy! Happy fucking Christmas,” Anne snarled, her upper lip starting to curl.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kat quietly asked, moving closer to her cousin.

Anne pulled away, creating distance between her and Kat. “I don’t need to talk about anything. Why can’t you let that go? Crawl back to Jane and leave me alone.”

A pang of hurt went through Kat, but she brushed it off. Anne didn’t mean it, even if her words still stung. Biting her tongue and glancing down at the floor, Kat summoned up her courage. “This isn’t you Anne.”

Chuckling ruefully, Anne fiddled with her bedsheets. “Was this ever me?” That definitely wasn’t the response Kat was expecting, but she kept quiet as Anne started to unravel. “I’ve never been me, have I?” Her voice started to quiver, a sign that she was holding back tears, or something much worse. “I’m the temptress or I’m the falsely accused. I’m the ditzy stage girl or I’m the chaotic wingman. I’m the slut or I’m the King’s prize. But I’m not me.”

Of all people Kat would think to have an existential crisis, it was not Anne. Her cousin always seemed so confident and sure of herself, but here she seemed so confused and broken down. “Anne, you aren’t defined by just one thing.”

“Then what am I defined by?” Anne shot back, her eyes red. “The documents of history? They’re bullshit,” she spit. “Am I defined by my show persona? It’s seventy-five minutes, that can’t be it, Kat!”

The genuine fear on Anne’s face as she tried to figure out how to define herself frightened Kat. “I know the real you.”

“Do you?” Anne asked, the pleading in her voice real. “Please, tell me who I am, because I can’t take this any longer. I’ve tried so hard to do what they want,” Anne’s voice broke. “And they’re never satisfied.”

Grabbing Anne’s hand and pulling her closer, Kat made sure they were face to face. "You are my cousin. You're loyal and caring and you would kill anyone who looks badly at your friends. You're the life of the party, always encouraging people to be their best self. You are educated and smart, even though you tend to hide it. You're human and you have emotions just like anyone else. You are Anne Boleyn."

Choking back tears, Anne threw herself into Kat’s arms. “What if I can’t be that? What if I’m not who you want me to be?”

“Oh Annie, I don’t want you to be anyone but yourself. No matter who you are, I’ll still love you.” For a moment, Kat thought Jane must’ve been rubbing off on her because of the sudden role reversal. But Kat didn’t mind being the one to comfort her cousin, especially when she needed it so badly. 

Anne flopped back on her bed, taking a giggling Kat with her. “Can you stay with me tonight?” Anne asked, her voice small.

Rolling to the side so she could face her cousin, Kat immediately agreed. “I’d love to stay with you Annie. But we should probably change into pajamas. And you need to eat something for dinner.”

Kat started to get up, but Anne pulled her back down, hugging her tightly. “No, Cousin Cuddles first.”

“Cousin Cuddles are the best cuddles,” Kat mumbled contentedly.

Before they knew it, both cousins had fallen asleep together, safe and sound.

----------------------------------------

Tag list:

@radcowboyalmondtree@boleynhowards@annabanana2401@babeebobo@dont-lose-your-queerhead@everything-insanity

[tobirama-says-fuck-the-uchihas]

Hashirama & Tobirama With a Little Sister Headcanons

HASHIRAMA

( as children )

♡ butsuma was never really a good father. he was constantly pushing his children into war one way or the other, so i headcanon him as being, to put it bluntly, a very abusive father.

♡ i imagine butsuma being absolutely infuriated when he finds out that his youngest child is a girl

♡ "what am i going to do with this? she won't ever be as strong as my sons!"

♡ with this being mentioned, hashi and tobi's little sister grows up constantly being called a 'total misfire'

♡ so, with that in mind...

♡ get ready for a whole lot of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

♡ GOD, hashi just loves her SO MUCH

♡ when she was little, hashirama would play with her in her room like, all the time. no buts. all the time.

♡ "wanna play with the blocks? you want the green one? here you go!! i love you so much!!!"

♡ he can't believe he has a little sister! three brothers it took to get him here and now all he wants is to play with her constantly

♡ when kawarama and itama become fatalities to the uchiha clan, hashirama has a newfound drive to protect his youngest sibling. he vows to never, ever let anything happen to her, may god help him.

♡ stands up for her against their father. butsuma is furious, but hashi's little sister never forgets that. hashi made a vow to protect her, and that's exactly what he's gonna do.

♡ whenever she has nightmares, he's always there to comfort her, no matter what. if he has a curfew and has to be in his room and stay in there at a certain time, he'll sneak out and crawl through the halls just to get to her room. #goodfam

♡ during the colder months he likes to wrap a long scarf around his sister and throw one of the ends over her head, just for shits and giggles

♡ she doesn't mind, she's giggling too

( as teenagers )

♡ when things get a little more rocky in their lives now that hashirama is older, he finds he doesn't have enough time for his baby sister anymore. right around the corner he'll be in his twenties, and his baby sister is still only barely past the age of ten. now that he's much more stronger and able to provide more for his family, he's willing to do anything it takes, even if it means he won't always physically be there for his sister.

♡ when butsuma passes away and hashirama becomes the head of the senju clan, there's a lot of strain on him, but he manages to pull through

♡ his baby sister is always getting noogies or having her hair ruffled by him

♡ once she was complaining about her hair getting too long and how she didn't like it, so hashi sat her down and cut her hair for her. he was like "OMG KSJGFSHGBJRGH IM GONNA CUT YOUR HAIR ARE YOU READY? im not the best at cutting hair. like, TERRIBLE. im TERRIBLE at it. but i hope it'll look good on u!! cus ur so cute!! look at those squishy cheeks!!!!"

♡ his little sister is like "uhh, on second thought???"

♡ he does a terrible job

♡ he cuts it at about a few inches above her shoulders but it's so UNEVEN

♡ he tried his best

♡ she cries because it looks so bad but can't get mad at poor hashi

♡ his little sister enjoys practicing being a homemaker before fighting other clans, so that's what she does. while hashi and tobi are out, she stays at home and sweeps, scrubs the floors on her hands and knees, does the dishes, washes the laundry as best she can, etc

♡ by the time hashi and tobi get home she's fallen asleep on the floor

♡ "HEY (NAME) WANNA HEAR ABOUT THIS CRAZY THING THAT HAPPENED TODAY"

♡ when she woke up nothing went well.

♡ if his little sister wants to dabble in some medical ninjutsu, hashi complies immediately. 3 seconds after the words are out of her mouth hashi is dashing out of the house towards the medical quarters to see if he can find a nurse nin to teach his lil sis

♡ oh, btw, lots of "sis"'s

♡ and hugs

♡ and cheek kisses

♡ he can't resist he loves his baby sister SO much. like, 100/10 would fr die for her

TOBIRAMA

( as children )

♡ he comes off as a bit cold and distant sometimes, but he really does care about his little sister, especially after itama and kawarama.

♡ whenever she'd come up to him wanting to play he shrugged her off and made her cry quite a handful of times, but every time he'd cringe at her sniffling and would be guilt-tripped into stacking blocks with her or some shit like that lmfao

♡ tobi definitely would not go to hashirama's level of affection for their little sister. it's just... it's just kinda nasty to him

♡ he hates the idea of receiving such affection and wouldn't "obsessively" kiss or hug his baby sister like SOMEONE he knows

♡ although once in a while he'll lay a hand on the top of her head

♡ she doesn't really know what's happening but he takes it off after .2 seconds

♡ he just aint that kinda brutha

♡ one time his sister started uncontrollably crying in the garden outside of their house and when he came to see what was wrong she pointed at a dead lizard on the ground and "i stepped on him!" poor babey

♡ tobirama honestly doesn't see how that's a problem. big deal, how many, i dunno, ants has he stepped on before? he never cried about that. he just cant understand what the big deal is. it's a lizard. there's billions of them.

♡ "so what? he was bound to be caught by a bird sometime or the other."

♡ in which the crying ensues, again, and tobirama begrudgingly places a hand on his sister's shoulder in some way to console her, but that's the best he can do. if his sister jumps at him while she's crying for comfort, he may lay a hand on the back of her neck while cries on him. that's it though

( as teenagers )

♡ when he's in his late teens, he's constantly out of the house preparing battle strategies just in case. he's virtually never at home except for when he gets off from his strategizing earlier than normal. when he's out late, he doesn't come home till past midnight probably or he'll be pulling an all-nighter. it's just who he is, and battle strategizing in case of a uchiha attack is necessary. someone's gotta do it

♡ now that his sister is older, she now has a bit of knowledge in the kitchen, and sometimes makes a little, small snack for her brother if he gets home late. it's not much, but it's the best she can do. probably something like a little tiny cupcake or a small dish of sliced fruit for him

♡ he appreciates it, but will never ever say that to her. his pride wouldn't be able to take it, showing thanks to a little girl when at the very least it should be him cooking for her. but we all know he doesn't have time for that

♡ once hashirama switched around the salt and sugar jars by accident since he just. he just doesn't know anything that goes on in the kitchen. it was a mistake. their little sister decided to make a little treat for tobirama when he got home, and she put salt in the cupcake instead of sugar. made it all nice and as neat as an eleven-year-old could, even put only a very small amount of icing on the top, just how tobi likes it

♡ when tobi got home he found it sitting out on the kotatsu in the dining room and decided to take only a bite before getting ready for a much-needed hot bath

♡ and promptly spat it out on the floor

♡ he was SO angry. ???????? like??????? did she do this on purpose??? was she messing with him?? was she angry that tobirama couldn't stay home the other night to eat dinner with her???? she knew that he had a busy schedule, so her giving him this garbage was unacceptable and selfish

♡ he's just a big grump

♡ when he confronts her about it the next day, shes like ??????? huh??? i didn't put salt in the food, get your mouth checked

♡ and then hashirama, amidst the loud arguing, is rubbing his neck like ...... hey guys, i have a confession to make

♡ when konoha is formed, tobirama is old enough to have his own home, and hashirama is arranged for a marriage with a woman named mito uzumaki. so tobirama moves out, and brings his little sister with him

♡ she runs the house while he's out being hashi's right-hand-man and whatnot

♡ y'know, slaving away, but now, thanks to hashi, pretty good at medical ninjutsu

♡ now that they're living alone together, tobirama has a bit more time for her. when he's free, he takes his sister out to a secluded spot to practice battle moves with her, pretty much trying to show her everything he knows, as much as he can. if his sister has an affinity for water like him, then all the more convenient. this gives him a much larger platform to teach her on

♡ she lowkey hates his style of teaching though

♡ "i can't be hitting you that hard" headass

♡ tobi she's like, thirteen, with barely any battle experience. you're a grown adult male whom has literally wasted some people, including that spikey-haired angry man's brother, ok

[smallcrystals]

17 SCIFLASH PLZ

JSHDJSJ YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND

———

The sound of fingers hitting the keyboard slowly grew more apparent to Flash’s ears as he stirred awake. The boy caught himself drifting away from his dream and turned his head the other way in an attempt to fall back asleep. Though, unfortunately for him, the sound grew louder and he furrowed his brows, a silent, breathy groan escaping from his lips.

He blinked again to clear the blurriness, only to squint when a bright light pierced his sight. Flash whined, lip curling in frustration as he covered part of his sight. The room was dark, lights turned off, but there was a low purple hue painting the room instead of the usual monochrome colour. Flash rubbed at his eyes with his left hand, gulping down a shiver from sleeping shirtless, and he narrowed his eyebrows even more when he spotted Twilight sitting by her desk, typing away at her laptop with her hair in a mess, glasses slightly wonky on her face.

“Babe?” Flash said, pausing at how hoarse his voice sounded.

Twilight shot her head to him, eyes adorably wide, hands freezing on the keyboard. “Oh! Y-you’re awake!” She squeaked, putting on a smile, one Flash knew was a tired and forced one. Twilight turned to her laptop, slightly baring her teeth in regret. “Sorry… did I wake you up?”

Flash wet his lips. He went with: “You kinda did.” He jerked his right shoulder a bit since he had it under the pillow ever since he fell asleep. “What time is it?”

Even with the room being so dimly lit, Flash could see his girlfriend’s face going a little red and he wasn’t really sure why, but he had a number of guesses.

“Um…” Twilight stole a glance at the bottom corner of her laptop screen and bit her lip. “Twelve am…?” She said with an awkward smile. Flash cocked his head, arching a brow, sitting up on the bed. He slipped his right arm out from under the pillow, leaning on it. Twilight blushed more.

“Don’t lie to me, Twi,” Flash said with a slightly smirk. He knew her too well; it was most definitely not twelve am. “What time is it?” he asked again.

Twilight’s shoulders sank in defeat. “Two thirty-four am.”

He sighed loudly, running his free hand through his hair. “Twi…”

“I know, I know,” she started, wincing. “But I need to get this done!” She gestured to her laptop’s blaring white screen. Flash moved to see what was on it and it was the damn Chemistry project they were assigned to do in pairs.

Flash rolled his eyes playfully. “That’s due for another three weeks!” he yelled in a whisper.

“Do you know me?” Twilight scoffed, fixing her glasses, much to Flash’s misery. She looked cute, he pouted internally.

“Twi, come on,” Flash shoved the covers off with his foot and pulled himself up, sitting at the side of the bed. He stirred a bit at the sudden movement since he was still half-asleep, voice deeper than normal (especially since they had to keep it down, Twi’s parents were home), and then shot her a look. “Just finish the sentence you’re on and come to bed,” he said.

“Flaaaaash,” Twilight whined, tightening her already knot-filled ponytail. “It’s just a little bit! I can finish it, you go back to bed.” She returned to clicking on her laptop.

“Twilight, come on, we’ve got school tomorrow,” Flash groaned. He stood from the bed, lifting his sweatpants further up his hips, and walked over to her desk in the corner of her room. The light from her screen grew brighter, annoying Flash’s already crappy eyesight. “And you need sleep.”

“Sleep is for the weak.”

She said, in a struggling, exhausted voice.

“Twi.”

“Don’t,” Twilight said, grasping the top of her laptop and pulling it away from Flash even though his hands were nowhere near it. “I can finish it in time!”

“In what time?” Flash’s shoulders dropped. He honestly just wanted to be back in the comfort of Twilight’s bed covers, not standing by her desk which was by the window, meaning he could feel the night breeze coming through the gaps. He rubbed his bare arms. “Twilight, we can do it tomorrow during our free period. I know you’re tired.”

The girl looked up at him, taking in his concerned expression. Flash watched her façade fall under his eyes, the confident grin collapsed to a fatigued smile, eyes cascading down to the ground.

“Hm?” Flash rested his left hand on her shoulder, the other coming up to cup her jaw. He gestured to her bed.

“I…” Twilight looked at her document. “I just want us to get a good grade on this.”

“And we will! I trust us, Twi, and I trust you. You've never gotten us a bad grade on any of these projects and that isn't going to start now. But you need sleep, baby.”

She gazed between him and the Chem project. “Only if you promise not to leave it until last minute, okay?”

Flash smiled and nodded, shaking some sleep off with that. “Pinkie Promise.”

The end of Twilight’s eyebrow rose at that and she pouted. “Do it properly.”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Happy?”

Twilight nodded cutely. “Very.” She nuzzled her cheek into Flash's hand, planting a light kiss on his palm before glancing at her screen, checking if her file had saved before shutting her laptop off to sleep. Flash took a step back as she packed away her resources, slotting them into their correct and original places. His eyes darted back to the BTS posters he got for her on her birthday and smiled at the way she quickly checked to see if they didn’t fall off.

“Did you go to the bathroom?” Flash asked in a soft voice. Twilight took off her glances and placed them on the bedside table, wandering towards Flash.

“Yeah, I did,” she said, resting her head against Flash’s bare chest. In his hold, she felt so heavy already. She definitely needed sleep.

“Okay, good.” He let her go first, watching her slide gingerly into the covers, trying to keep her balance. She sat on the bed to fix her hair and Flash giggled at the way she cringed at the mess. “Dealing with that tomorrow?” he asked.

“Dealing with that tomorrow.”

He crawled into the covers with her, sighing at finally returning to the warmth – that now doubled due to her with him. He loved holding her, Twilight holding him, just feeling her body warmth radiating onto him. Everything about her was warm.

Twilight made grabby hands at him, to which Flash had to control the urge to coo at – God, she was so adorable – and he moved closer.

She touched her nose with his, giggling ever so lightly, before leaning in and kissing him on the lips. Flash’s fingers found their way to her soft jaw, holding it as he deepened the kiss a little. After three, no, wait, five kisses, he nuzzled his nose against her cheek, reveling in her giggles.

Her hand came down to Flash’s waist, and of course Flash didn’t miss the way she slid her hand up and down the side of his torso (the girl took a massive liking to Flash’s slightly hourglass figure), and rested on the dip, pulling him to her so there wasn't a gap between their bodies.

“Goodnight,” Flash whispered against her lips and he felt Twilight smile in the dark.

“Goodnight.”

———

sooo uh i got a little carried away with this one, it’s literally 1.2k words SKDKSKD but i hope you guys enjoyed this!! sorry it's a little late 🥺 ♡

[drabbletrashcan]

Dovakhiin

It is said that only a Dragonborn can kill a dragon. After the Dragonborn kills a dragon, he or she will devour and consume its soul. Over the centuries, this has proven to be true. Man can most definitely weaken and injure a dragon but can never put an end to its life. Only the Dragonborn has accomplished this feat.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Bishop dove behind a boulder just in time. He could feel the blazing heat all around him, and his heart hammered thinking about how his companions could easily be caught in that inferno. Karnwyr whimpered, huddling closer to his master. He was scared out of his mind.

Casavir thank the gods above for blessing him with such luck. He had managed to find a small cave he could barely fit in but provide shelter from the hell outside. Yet, his eyes scanned his surroundings frantically, searching for the others.

How lucky to be quick on your feet. Cael had taken cover in the dense vegetation, unseen, unheard. All he had to do was wait it out. Where the hell were the others? Oh, gods, what if they were caught in the fire?!

A loud roar shook the earth, fire hailing from above. The dragon swooped low, searching for his prey and leaving destruction in its wake. Cael finally spotter two of his companions. As the dragon rose up into the sky, he dashed towards Bishop, the closest one, and crouched behind the boulder.

“What the fuck are we going to do?!” Bishop yelled. “We’re dead. We’re just a late afternoon barbeque!”

“Please calm down, Dark One, this is not the time and place for more agitation.”

Bishop’s jaw tightened visibly, holding himself back from decking the blonde in the face. Managing to grab the paladin’s attention and beckoning him over to them, the small group hid behind the boulder, praying to whatever god out there that the dragon would not find them.

“Oh, gods.”

Casavir let out a horrified whisper, his eyes widening. He turned to the two men, fury and desperation burning in his eyes.

“Where is Ava?!”

A question that made their blood run ice cold. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh please gods no. Cael grabbed Bishop and Casavir’s arms, his hands resembling iron claws. He pointed towards the open field the dragon was circling.

With wild blonde hair fluttering in the wind, there stood Ava in all her glory, clad in her steel armor. She unsheathed her Warhammer, staring at the dragon ferociously, just daring it to try and attack her.

“Has she gone completely mad?!”

The dragon finally noticed her, and it swooped down. It opened its mouth and let out a mighty roar before a river of fire poured down upon Ava.

“NO!”

Bishop and Cael and Casavir froze, not believing what they had just witnessed, not wanting to believe it.

The fire cleared up, leaving charred vegetation in its wake. In the middle of a blackened, ashy field, there stood Ava. The ward she had cast wore off, and she gripped her weapon tightly. The dragon came circling back, this time intent on tearing its prey into pieces. It got closer and closer, its maw opening again.

“Fus…ro dah!” a large blast on energy launched itself from Ava towards the dragon, knocking it out of the air and crashing ungracefully in the dirt. Wasting no time, she lunged at it, bringing down her weapon and impaling its skull. Blood spurted out, coating her armor in a shiny ruby red. The dragon let out a roar of anguish as it got its bearings back. Ava attacked mercilessly, dodging the dragon’s fire storm and countering it with her own Shout.

By now, she had rendered the beast incapable of flying. She let out streaks of lightning through her fingertips, her eyes blazing with magicka.  

This was her only opening.

Letting out a scream of effort, she launched herself off a cliffside, landing on the dragon’s back. The beast shook, trying to knock her off. Jumping up, she brought her Warhammer down, its blade burying in the dragon’s scull.

For a few seconds she was in the air before crashing against the ground. She wheezed for air, struggling to stand up. The dragon wobbled towards her, not intent at dying at the hand of a mortal. Ava unsheathed her sword. She trust it upwards, the blade going straight through its scaly throat.

She stared the beast in the eye, watching the life drain out of it. It let out a final roar before collapsing.

Ava crawled out from under it, scrambling to her feet as she clutched her side. It hurt like hell. But it wasn’t over yet. She limped towards the corpse and dislodged her weapons from it and placed her hand on the snout of the animal.

A single muffled boom resonated throughout the valley as the wind started to pick up. She was absorbing the dragon’s soul. Multicolored lights surrounded her body, and she felt the familiar energy of the soul entering her body.

Blood oozed from her side, staining her armor and fingers. Yet she continued to ignore the pain, for now came the hardest part.

Explaining to the boys.

Bishop, Casavir and Cael emerged from behind the boulder, walking towards her slowly. She turned towards them, exhaustion visible in her eyes. Without a word, Cael sat her down and tended to her wound. She looked down, avoiding their gaze. Bishop crossed his arms, piercing her with his icy glare.

“Hey, ladyship,” he said, painfully monotone. Ava cringed before looking up. “You mind telling us what this is?”

Ava bit her lip. “Well…I’m Dovakhiin…it means Dragonborn in the dragon tongue…”

“Yeah, I got that. What I want to know is why you didn’t tell us sooner?” he asked in an accusing tone.

“I…I don’t know…”

“Oh, you don’t know? Well what do you know, Ava?!”

“Stop it, Bishop. What is your problem?” Casavir gently pushed Bishop.

Bishop pushed the paladin back, annoyance evident in his golden eyes. “You want to know what my problem is? My problem is that after months of travelling with us, she never thought for a second to tell us who she actually is!”

“Enough, Bishop,” Cael stood up, running a hand through his blond hair. “I understand your anger, and if anything, I agree with you to some extent. But this isn’t what she needs right now.”

“No, what she needs is to stop lying to us and tell us everything she’s been hiding!”

Ava’s eyes shot up towards Bishop. Lying? The bastard. She stood up, radiating anger.

“Lying? How the hell have I been lying?”

“You literally hid your identity? Don’t you think it would have been useful to at some point come up to us and tell us you’re the Dragonborn?”

“At some point I would have told you, you ungrateful ass!”

“Ungrateful?” the ranger scoffed.

“I just saved your sorry ass from a fucking dragon, and this is how you treat me, you bastard?!”

“Oh, yes, please, excuse me for having the audacity to not kneel down in front of you and kiss your boots. See, this is why I have trust issues in the first fucking place.”

“What the fuck do you have against me?!” her accent became more noticeable.

“I don’t trust you! All you do is drag us into abandoned caves and hide behind us, then expect us to follow you like lost puppies. And on top of that, you’re the Dragonborn. The person who’s, you know, supposed to be saving the world, but instead you go and prance around Skyrim, with not a care in the world. You’re pretty useless for someone who’s supposed to defeat the World Eater.”

Ava froze. Hurt, betrayed, insulted. This was what she was feeling. After everything she had done for him. After nearly sacrificing her life to save him. After hoping one day he would notice her feelings for him. Finally, something snapped.

She stepped forward and put her hands against the ranger’s chest. And pushed him. She pushed him so hard he stumbled backwards before falling on his back.

“Useless? Useless?! Is that what you think of me?! Then do yourself a favor and fucking leave, you mean, annoying, greedy, selfish, perverted piece of shit! How dare you?! After everything I’ve done! You have the nerve to call me useless?!”

Her screams echoed throughout the valley. She could feel hot tears streaming down her face. But she didn’t care. Bishop looked up at her, surprised. Heavy sobs started to rack her body, yet she didn’t stop.

“You want to know why I didn’t tell you?! Do you?! Here’s why: I’m fucking scared! I’m terrified out of my mind! Do you think I want this?! My life is literally written in stone. I am the Dragonborn. I’m supposed to sacrifice my life to save the world from Alduin. Do you know how it feels to literally have the weight of the world on your shoulders?! No, you don’t, you run away from responsibility all the time. I don’t want this! I never wanted this! So fuck you, you asshole! Fuck you and everything you stand for!”

The words lingered in the air before disappearing, and with it Ava felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She hung her head, wiping furiously at her eyes. Bishop slowly rose and stepped towards her before stopping.

“I’m going back to Whiterun. If you want to keep travelling with me, I’ll be at Breezehome. You’re free to leave at any time, all of you.”

 *

 The smell of baked potatoes and chorus of yells made Ava wake up, furrowing her brow in confusion. What the hell? She threw on some clothes and grabbed her dagger, just in case. Walking downstairs, she stopped and stared at the scene unfolding before her.

Bishop, clad in his leather armor and a chef’s apron, was stirring at the cookpot, mumbling something about how he does everything in this household. Casavir and Cael were fighting over which set of plates to use. Casavir insisted to use the blue china plates, while Cael stressed about how they should simply eat off of the usual metal plates. Karnwyr, who was lounging by the fire, perked up at the sight of her and gently rubbed his head against her. The house looked brand new. Her weapons, sitting neatly on the weapon rack, were polished with great care. The floor had been swept and polished, her books organized, her potions and alchemy materials neatly stored in the cabinets, and not a stray of dust was visible.

Noticing her, the boys froze. Awkward silence settled between them. Ava raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting around the house, examining every detail. Finally, Cael cleared his throat, walking towards her.

“Morning, sparrow! Uh, why don’t you take a seat?” he led her to the table, pushing down on her shoulders.

“Did you sleep well, milady?” Casavir set a blue china plate before her, earning an irritated glare from the Forsworn.

“Uh, yeah, I guess.”

“How’s that wound? I should change the bandages…”

“Milady, would you like mead or milk? Oh, there’s also some wine…”

“My sparrow, I remember you had to do some tasks for the Jarl, but Casavir, Bishop and I can take care of it. You should rest for today…”

“Ok, wait. What the hell is going on?”

Casavir and Cael exchanged looks before looking at Bishop, where he still stood stirring at the cookpot. Ava raised an eyebrow, shifting to face him fully. Bishop rolled his eyes and scratched the back of his neck, approaching hesitantly.

“Um…look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I said.”

Ava stared at him for a few seconds before rising from her seat. She stood in front of Bishop, staring into his golden eyes. He avoided her gaze, studying the tip of his boots. Ava smirked and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. Her action made Casavir’s and Cael’s jaws drop. She could feel Bishop tense in her embrace, his arms suspended awkwardly in the air. She pulled back and embraced the other two men.

“You’re all idiots! But you’re my idiots, and I’m glad you decided to stick with me.”

[luckyfirerabbit]

Jaune Doe: Pt 1

It was phoned in as a noise complaint, not unheard of in a busy city like Argus, but still a cruiser with a pair of officers was sent out to have a look if for no other reason than someone's peace of mind. Lie Ren and his partner, Nora Valkyrie, drew the short straw and were dispatched just before midnight.

It's a Sunday night and schools were in, so most of the neighborhoods were quiet and functionally traffic free at this hour, but Ren still drives like it's rush hour: both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road with his back straight as a board. His partner, on the other hand, slouches a little with an elbow propped on the door to brace her jaw. She consciously resists the urge to prop her feet on the dash board, knowing Ren doesn't like it and not being in the mood for his trademark gentle lectures.

"So what do you think it is?" Nora asks, anything to break up the dull roar of the engine.

"The caller said it sounded like broken glass, but there was a lot of noise just after it. Might be a jumper."

"God, I hope not. I don't need that right now." Nora visibly cringes. "But they didn't see anything?"

Ren shakes his head, flipping the signal before turning through a quiet intersection. "They were out on their fire escape when it happened, said it sounded like a couple buildings down from them."

Nora shifts in her seat, sitting a little straighter but still looking uncomfortable when she settles. "I really hope it's not a jumper."

"I'll take point when we get there." that way, if it is, he'll see it first and she won't have to see it at all.

(--)

The fall was jarring, painful, worsening the state of his threadbare consciousness that makes him teeter on his bare, bloody feet that much more. There's glass in his hair, his hands, his heels, and he absently wipes at his chest in a reflexive attempt to tidy up. He blinks furiously, hands haphazardly rising in front of him as if to ward off obstacles that he can't possibly see. Everything is broken, blended, like the world is made of spiderwebs being simultaneously squashed together and pulled apart. His stomach lurches and he hits his knees, another shock of pain that does nothing to ground him.

He crawls then, still no thought towards his direction or destination, on that it's less painful this way. The dead heat in his throbbing brain keeps him unsteady, his shoulders and hips swaying like a lame animal's would. He tips against a wall of brick, jolting and whimpering at the awful, abrasive and unforgiving masonry. He's panting so hard, broken ribs struggling to contain his lungs and his speeding heart. But no amount of air is enough to quell the desperate clawing in his guts, the feeling like he's dying.

Somehow he pulls himself up, forgets that he even did it as those dragging seconds blink to the moment he realizes he's upright again. He's wiping at his front again, pushing off the buildings sharp corner and hobbling out of the shadowy alley and towards the curb. Just before stumbling into the street, headlights flash against him, seeming to carry its own sort of invisible force as he simply drop to the pavement. It was just too much, he couldn't take any more. When the singular bright light is joined by flashing red and blue ones, his arms flop across his eyes, but it isn't fast enough to stop him from throwing up.

The driver door on the police cruiser swings open, voices of a harried back and forth coming from the opening before the officer does. Ren puts his partner to task radioing dispatch before rounding the door to approach what looks like a man lying in the street. He had seen streaks of blood in the headlights, but he would have stopped regardless after seeing him collapse. For safety's sake he's pulling on latex gloves before kneeling down.

"Sir?" Ren tries, shying a little as the man lurches with a wet groan. "Sir, can you hear me?"

Maybe. Maybe not. Right now all he can focus on is the need to lay on his stomach. The asphalt is cool and he wants the chill in his skull.

"Sir, I'm officer Lie Ren of the Argus Police Department," he doesn't try to move him, much less touch him just yet, "can you tell me your name?"

Nope. That's burned right out of his head.

"Sir, I can see you're banged up pretty badly, my partner is calling for an ambulance, okay?"

The man flops on his back with another pained groan, eyes tight against the still too bright lights. Now Ren can see the glass and the blood on his face and the almost unnatural amount of sweat pouring over his skin. With a gentle hand keeping him still, Ren pulls the penlight from his breast pocket. "Sir, I need you to open your eyes for me. Just for a second."

He shakes against the command he barely understands. Something primitive in him knows eyes plus lights equals bad. Then there's one frantic burst of confusion as something touches his face, easing the lids apart and exposing him to a horrific instant of brightness that makes him shout out loud.

"I'm sorry, sir," Ren immediately removes his hand from the man's face, put keeps the one on his shoulder in place to stop him from thrashing. His now free hand touches the radio at his own shoulder. "Nora, please expedite those responders, his pupils are blown." Overdose, maybe. Is he our jumper? How did he make it out here like this? If it's drugs...what is he on? "Just take it easy, sir, help is coming."

(II)

Pyrrha Nikos scowls as she walks through the halls of the hospital, her scroll pressed between her cheek and shoulder so she can open the lounge door without missing a word from the other end of the line. Still listening she sets down her briefcase on one of the empty tables, her brow only seeming to tighten as she makes way for the communal refrigerator.

"You do remember what joint custody means, right?" her voice is both stern but hauntingly soft. "Do we need to go back to court?"

"Come on, Pyrrha, think about what that would do to Diana." shrugs a man's voice from the other end.

"If that's what you're worried about, maybe ask her what being kept away from me is doing. I get her on the weekends, judge's orders, and this will be the fifth weekend in a row you've kept her."

"What do you want me to say?"

"That's you'll stop this nonsense and adhere to the agreement."

"The judge wouldn't hear it the last time you filed a complaint, doubt that'll change."

Pyrrha's nostrils flare as she tries to tame herself. "Don't make me push any harder than I am already. This doesn't have to get ugly."

"That sounds an awful lot like a threat, Pyrrha. Be careful, or I'll have to tell the judge you're harassing me." The tone toes the line between smug and feigned concern.

"Cardin," she bites.

"Fine. You can pick her up tonight before I leave for work. If you're late she's going to my moms, and you can sort it out with her if you want."

Pyrrha exhales. "Thank you. I'll see you later." Then she frowns when there's nothing but a click from the other end. She'll buzz her lips, trying to push it down in the same way she pushes her scroll into her pocket.

"Piece of work, that one."

Pyrrha jumps, air hissing between her teeth in surprise. "Gods, Billy, I didn't see you."

The hulking, silver haired faunus chuckles as they lounge back in their chair. "Sorry to startle you."

Pyrrha laughs at herself a little as she tries to get back to what she was doing, which was making herself a cup of tea. "Are you usually here this early?"

"Had a special admission last night, had to stay late." They reach up to stretch, yawning. "I'm just waiting for Starborough's night report before I go home."

"Oh yeah? That bad, huh?"

"Bad enough to need both of us." they nod. Billy is head of security at Argus' Northwest Municipal Hospital and has been for more than a decade. "In fact, after I go over said report, it's going into the case file that will eventually be on your desk."

"Oh, you shouldn't have." Pyrrha grins, finding the tea bags and setting them out on the counter next to the water heater. "Can you give me anything right now? Kind of brief me?"

"I don't have much, but," they shift in their seat, propping one elbow on the table. "Your buddy cops brought in a guy, early to mid twenties, kinda noodly, no shoes, no shirt, no service; poor kid was strung out of his mind."

With her back to them, Pyrrha winces to herself.

"He was real dazed when he first got in, cooperative because he didn't know any better, I guess. Cut and bruised all to hell. But he got real mean when they tried to put an IV in him."

"Understandable, I mean," she turns, waiting for her water to heat up, "I hate needles too."

"Not like this you don't. It took me and Starborough and your buddy cops to keep him still enough for the coats to hook him up. Damn near climbed Starborough to get out of that bed."

"Gods have mercy." Pyrrha's eyes are wide and disbelieving. Sahv Starborough, a tusked faunus, was comparable in size to Billy, maybe wider in the middle but no less built. The two of them had nicknames: twin peaks, push and pull, double trouble, and that's just the one's that Pyrrha knows about. The idea that anyone could almost overpower either of them just seems ridiculous.

"But you know Sahv took it in stride, it's because of all the time she spends working with the little ones an the old folks." then Billy chuckles again. "But this guy literally had a hold of one tusk, and she's keeping it together enough to use her soft voice, you know?"

Pyrrha just nods, smiling, able to hear it in her head. Sir, I know you're upset, and that's okay, but I need you to let go of my face, please. She shakes her head, turning back to the water heater when it chimes. "I'm assuming, since you're here, that he eventually calmed down?"

"Not when I last checked, no." all the humor is gone from their voice now. "They had to strap him down so he didn't hurt himself, and they can't give him anything to mellow him out until they find out what's up with his blood work."

Pyrrha is quiet for a moment, dipping her teabag in the foam cup she pulled from the cabinet. Then she sighs. "Poor guy."

"Yeah. But maybe he dozed off on his own...it's been quiet down there for a couple hours."

"Here's hoping." She leaves the bag at the bottom of the cup to steep, then moves to retrieve her briefcase from the table. "You'll drop the file off when it's ready?"

"Sure." one curt nod followed by another yawn.

"And will you stay long enough to show me pictures of that beautiful baby of yours?"

Billy just blushes and grins, all teeth. "Yeah, sure. See you then, Nikos."

**********

threw this together in a couple hours, and in the meantime Wild Hunt is just sitting there mocking me. Probably will do more, just don’t expect a schedule.

[crimsonrae]

Across the Road, At the Brothel

Chapter Six

Summary: Jaskier fell in love any day that the sun rose in the East. It was a trifling, pleasurable experience for him. Even when he was jumping out a window to avoid cuckolded husbands. So what happens when his trifles start to become more significant? Jaskier/OC. Some Yennefer/Geralt

A/N: Jaskier is just too adorable not to write about. This is a relationship development story with an OC. There will be smut in later chapters and plenty of angst.

Warning: Past Mentions of Rape

Rating: Mature

Questions of Comfort

The ice was back.

Lyrra shivered and felt tears begin to burn at her eyes.

She didn't want to be in this place.

"Shhh, Princess." A voice of smooth whiskey soothed as she felt a hand brush over her shoulders.

She hated that voice and his touch, but she knew any disobedience would make this worse. She closed her eyes to try and hide her fear.

"You're trembling like a leaf, little one." His breath was hot and moist against her cheek.

She choked on a quiet sob, still refusing to open her eyes.

Papa, help... Please come save me.

"Drink your drought, now."

No.

She didn't want it.

"It'll make you relax."

The glass chalice was pressed to her lips.

No.

She clenched her teeth together.

A chilled hand clutched painfully at her jaw. Forcing her mouth open and the liquid spilled down her gullet.

She was so cold.

"Lyrra."

What?

Confusion tore through her, he never called her that.

"Lyrrana."

Her eyes slid open almost unwillingly and she stared into his cold dark sea eyes, "Lyrra..."

That wasn't his voice.

Lyrra tilted her head as something gripped her and began to pull her away from her monster with the dark eyes. The world faded around the edges and turned black

"Lyrra."

A heat smoothed over her cheek and she felt her eyes flutter open again – when had she closed them?

Jaskier hovered over her anxiously. His eyes were blue too, she noted distantly. Not like the sea, but like the sky on an early spring morning, "Jaskier?"

He quirked a relieved grin at her and answered her unspoken question, "You were having a nightmare."

Lyrra blinked, cobwebs of sleep still clung to her mind. She was in his room. A vague memory of disrobing to her chemise and climbing into bed – no, she had nestled into Jaskier's arms as willing as a foundling. She nearly sighed before his words penetrated. Nightmare? She shivered and suddenly the cold place loomed up from the shadows of her mind. It wasn't a nightmare, it was life. Her life. Her fingers twitched with the need to move.

Warmth, she wanted warmth.

A soft brush against her face drew her back to the present and she realized that Jaskier was cupping her cheek. His thumb swept soft circles over her skin, leaving a pleasant tingle in its wake. She was surprised to find she didn't mind his touch at that moment. He was watching her, waiting for something. A reaction, a response? She wasn't sure, but she knew he was warm.

Not ice.

Not cold.

She wanted warmth.

Unthinkingly, she leaned up and brushed her lips against his. He stilled before pulling back slightly. His gaze searched hers curiously and she was glad for it. Glad that he hadn't surged forward and pressed for more – even though she wanted more. Lyrra smiled almost shyly at him as she wondered if this was just another dream. A good one. He was gentle and warm...good. This time she didn't just lean up. Her hand came to brush across the back of his neck, the short hairs at the base of his scalp tickled her palm before her mouth crashed to his again.

He kissed back.

Slowly, tentatively as if he were working out a puzzle. This kiss like the first one was chaste, but then there was another. Just as slow. Curious, even. Lyrra didn't mind. His hands left trails of fire across her skin as they came to settle at her waist. He was taking the cold away. She nipped gently at his lip and she felt more than heard the moan that rumbled through his chest. Her other hand trailed a path from his jaw down his neck to the opening of his shirt where her fingers brushed against the coarse hair that peaked out. It dawned on her that he felt solid – real beneath her hand, but the realization wasn't enough to make her stop.

Lyrra tugged insistently at his shirt and he sat back long enough to let her pull it over his head and drop it to the floor. Their breathing was audible now as he reclaimed her mouth and her fingers began to explore the new territory that had been exposed to her. She discovered hard, lean muscle as she traced the sinews of his abdomen, the small hairs dipping below his trousers tickling her skin as she plotted her path. He was soft skin and hard lines, smooth muscle and rough hair, and she needed more. An ache to be touched, to be filled began to echo in her. She pushed against him wantonly, searchingly as she broke their kiss and trailed biting kisses down his stubbled jaw.

Jaskier breathed a faint moan at her attentions, his fingers twisting in her thick mane as he pulled her head back to taste her again and he flipped their positions. Instinctively, her legs widened to straddle his waist, her chemise rose up her thighs as she did so but he didn't move to recline back and her hips fell to meet his. She gasped as his hardness pressed against her center and she ground down.

He visibly shuddered at the contact as he drew away from their kiss rather reluctantly and leant his head against hers. His voice was a strained whisper as he uttered, "I'm very much going to regret saying this, but Lyrra, we need to stop."

Bemusement was the only emotion she was capable of conveying in that moment, "Something wrong?"

"No...and yes." He murmured almost piteously with a dour cringe.

Lyrra pulled away slightly, feeling suddenly uncertain and a little embarrassed, "Wha...?"

Jaskier sighed, his hands reflexively finding a place at her hips, "Have no doubt that I very, very much want to plunder your depths right now."

"Good, I want that too." She didn't doubt him, she could feel his want quite clearly. She brushed her lips against his and had to bite back a smile when his fingers curled into the folds of her gown.

"You are not making this easy." Jaskier mumbled as he pulled back again, "Lyrra..."

She nearly scowled in frustration as she frowned at him, "Jaskier."

He frowned back and released his grip on her to frame her face with his hands, "Lyrra, I'm not bedding you tonight. Not tonight."

She stared at him silently stunned. It took a minute for the implications of his words to find meaning. Not tonight? Did he think her so fragile? A thin strand of indignant anger slithered through her blood, but she pushed it away as she studied the firm set of his mouth and the almost sullen glint in his azure eyes. Behind that, she could see a quiet plea, "Is tonight really so different from any other night?"

"Yes." He said quietly.

Lyrra hesitantly reached up and placed a hand over one of his, "Jaskier, are you... are you trying to protect me?"

He smiled dully, "Is that really so strange?"

She caught a fleck of hurt in his gaze – she had wounded him. She hadn't meant to. Her fingers tightened over his as she pulled his hand from her cheek to place a lingering kiss on his bandaged wrapped palm, "I'm afraid it's a service with which I am unfamiliar. You are not what I expected, Jaskier."

"Is that a bad thing or a good thing?" He asked gently.

She flashed him a faint smirk, "Right now, it's just plain annoying. You don't need to protect me, you know?"

"Maybe not, but surprisingly, I do have a few scruples." Jaskier replied pointedly, "We've both had a rather dramatic day. Between finding out you're my betrothed, you being accosted, me actually punching someone, and..." He broke off and shook his head in almost disbelief, before leveling her with an intent stare, "Our first time together won't be out of a need for comfort and distraction."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

"You're not the only one who needs comfort and distraction."

Lyrra sighed quietly as they stared at each other. She didn't know what to do, mostly because he wasn't wrong. For whatever reason, the cold and lingering shadows seemed to dissipate when he was near her. His mere presence brought her comfort... it was odd, but she was loathed to let that small peace go. In a parrot of his earlier actions, she brushed her hand gently across his cheek. She ignored the faint flush she could feel rising up her neck as she haltingly asked, "Then. Then can you just kiss me?"

Jaskier smiled with a look that could only be described as affectionate as he murmured, "Gladly."

She smiled back as his arm wrapped around her and she fell into his attentions.

»»————-　　————-««

Jaskier grimaced slightly as he washed his hands in the cold water of the stream near Lyrra's cottage. His knuckles stung from the sudden contact, but luckily the skin didn't break open. The sun had barely begun to crest the horizon when he had left Lyrra's side to come check on Geralt. A feat that had been much more difficult and also more of a relief than he had anticipated. The image of her half-hooded grey eyes watching him drowsily as he pulled on his boots made him smile. A lingering goodbye kiss nearly had him crawling back into bed with her.Instead, he had taken matters quite literally in hand once he had left the inn – something he hadn't had to do since his days at Oxenfurt. Wasn't that just...something.

He rubbed tiredly at his face, not sure what to make of everything. Well, if he was going, to be honest, what to make of Lyrrana. By the Gods, how she had bewitched him. He had run the gamut of the emotional scale in the past twenty-four hours and he placed the blame of that solely at the former princess's feet. Never before had he felt the need to protect someone as he had her, never had he been so scared for another being either. He didn't care for it.

Then there were the more intimate events of the night as well. Not just their amorous explorations of each other, either. Lyrra hadn't cried, but she had been vulnerable in front of him, had let him hold her, and care for her in his own way. He didn't regret any of that in the least, but the lines were beyond blurred between them at this point. They weren't exactly friends. Despite what he had told her, Lyrra had been right, friends don't kiss each other the way they do. They hadn't crossed into lovers, yet. Nor were they exactly courting. There was no doubt he cared for her, but what exactly did that mean?

With heavy steps, he turned from the stream's banks and sauntered slowly through the fields to the path that would lead him to the cottage. He arrived at the ramshackle little building sooner than he had intended and with none of his thoughts any clearer. The moment he crossed the threshold he knew Geralt had been up again. He rolled his eyes – stubborn to a bloody fault. The pot that had held the burnt stew was now clean and back in its proper place. The table cleared of its food remnants. Well, no one could say that the witcher made a poor guest.

"You know..." Jaskier called as he moved for the bedroom, "Housework doesn't typically fall under the category of resting."

Geralt didn't look up from his place on the edge of the bed as he did up his arm braces. He looked better than he had in ages, but he still looked like shit, "I've rested enough."

The bard quirked a brow as he leaned into the doorway, "Yeah? There's an angry-looking gash in your shoulder that says different."

"I'll live." Geralt grunted as he finally looked up. His golden eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Jaskier's swollen hand, "What happened?"

The bard followed his gaze and flexed his fingers experimentally as he recalled the rage he had gone into as he had slammed his hand repeatedly into the foul creature that had attacked Lyrra. He hadn't been able to stop until the Rose's barkeep had hauled him off the man, "Lyrra was attacked outside the tavern last night."

Geralt seemed to sit up even straighter at his words and Jaskier offered a semblance of a reassuring smile, "She's okay."

It was Geralt's turn to raise a brow, "And you came to her rescue?"

A thrill of indignant hurt welled in Jaskier at the question. Why did everyone seem to think him heartless enough to leave another in trouble? Granted, he tended to avoid conflict as much as possible, but really. He sent the witcher a baleful look as he crossed his arms, hiding his hand from sight, "There were three men, according to Lyrra. She killed one and incapacitated the other. The third got ahold of her and that was about the time I showed up. His face was harder than I expected. I think I'll leave the hitting of things to you from now on."

Geralt rolled his eyes and grabbed his cloak, "And she thanked you by taking you to bed."

Jaskier's eyes widened and he bit back the sour retort he had on his tongue, "Believe it or not, no. At least not in the way you're thinking. She was a bit upset and I'm not in the habit of bedding traumatized women."

That made Geralt pause in disbelief as he pointedly stated, "You smell of her... and other things."

"Gross." Jaskier pulled a face of disgust. Sometimes, he didn't envy the abilities that the witcher was embued with, "Not that it's any of your business, but the reason I smell of Lyrra is because I slept next to her last night. I wasn't all that comfortable leaving her alone after everything that happened. And as for the other stuff... Well, you try waking up next to a beautiful woman and not physically react."

While it wasn't the whole story of what happened in either instance, Jaskier wasn't about to expound on the precious hour he had spent tasting Lyrra's lips. Geralt seemed to know he wasn't speaking of everything as an amused glint entered his eyes, "Explains your surly mood then. A hand's a poor substitute."

The bard scowled, "Gets the job done."

Geralt snorted and passed him into the main area. Jaskier turned as he watched the older man deftly find his swords and few select accruements. He must have been watching with some intensity as Geralt sent him a curious look, "What?"

Jaskier shrugged as he continued to mull over the events of the past day, "Just thinking."

The witcher shook his head, "Don't hurt yourself."

"Haha." Jaskier retorted with a sigh as he began to gather his things, as well. He got halfway through packing his bag when a dandelion stem fell to his lap. He smirked as he picked up the sad little plant, echoes of Lyrra's laughter wafted through the air. Well... shit, "One of the men got away."

Geralt stilled, his jaw tensing as he turned to stare at the bard. Jaskier knew that Geralt didn't go after humans, not unless provoked, but that wasn't what he was silently telling his friend, "I don't want to leave Lyrra alone... Maybe we should stay here for a few more days?"

"Hmm." Geralt grunted as he tilted his head at Jaskier and waited.

"It's just a few days. I mean -" Jaskier rushed on as he snapped his bag closed and leant it against the wall, "She did kill this man's friend. What if he's still hanging around?... Waiting for that perfect moment to strike again. Besides, you kind of owe her. She didn't have to take you in or care for you..."

Geralt blinked slowly, "Jaskier."

"Yeah?" The bard replied hopefully.

"Shut up."

Jaskier deflated, "Really!? That's it! We can't just leave her."

"We're not." Geralt said as he left the main room for the bedroom again. Jaskier stood there confused until the witcher returned carrying Lyrra's sword. He slid it in the sheathe holding his own weapons, "We'll stay here. Lyrra will at least get her room back."

Jaskier grinned as the older man turned back to him, "Geralt, are you being gallant?"

Geralt leveled him with an unimpressed look as he replied deadpan, "Tell me, Bard, if all you did was sleep next to her last night, where did the love bite on your neck come from?"

Unthinkingly, Jaskier slapped a hand against his throat as if he could feel the hickey as he stared with wide eyes at his friend. Geralt scoffed under his breath and exited the cottage. The duo made quick work of getting back to the town and the bard was pleased to see more of a bustling street than he had the previous few days and his fingers itched for a quill or a piece of charcoal. He hadn't had time to grill Geralt on his fleder feat and he was due a new song.

As they neared the Rose and Pine, a cart wheeled out from the side alley. Atop it lay a body shrouded in a grey blanket and Jaskier knew without a doubt who resided underneath. His lip curled slightly at the sight and felt his hand twist into a fist.

Geralt watched him from the corner of his eye before noticing the chain that led off the carts back. There stood a second man clapped in irons. One eye peered darkly at the bard, the other too swollen to even open. His whole face was a dark smattering of purple and blue. The witcher wasn't sure he could readily identify the man once the swelling disappeared. He raised a surprised brow in Jaskier's direction, "Are you sure your hand's not broken?"

"No." Jaskier murmured lowly as he continued to glare ahead.

"They'll be takin' to Toussaint's Alderman fer judgment."

A brash voice said behind the two. Jaskier barely looked back to acknowledge the barkeep, "Should just string him up here."

"Aye, but then we'd 'ave to deal wit 'heir stench." Hillard muttered dryly as he nodded hesitantly at the witcher before turning his attention to the bard, "See if ye can git the lass to go 'ome for a bit, would ya?"

Jaskier looked at the man perplexed before glancing toward the inn. Lyrra should still be there resting. She had promised him, but even as he was thinking it his eyes landed on a familiar form. She stood on the other side of the cart. Her arms crossed as she watched the proceedings of carting off the dead and guilty. He began to scowl as the cart was finally taken down the road and he had a clear path to her.

"Lyrra?" She glanced toward him in surprise and Jaskier nearly rolled his eyes, "What are you doing out here? You said you'd stay inside and rest."

Lyrra offered him a faint smile as he loomed over her, "I'm rested. I wanted to see if there was any more news."

Jaskier frowned at her, "You should have stayed inside."

Exasperation coated her stare, but she said nothing before she caught sight of Geralt and raised a disapproving brow, "Speaking of staying inside. You shouldn't be about yet."

"I'm fine." Geralt muttered lowly as he gave her a critical once over as if she was the one horribly wounded, "You can have your bed back."

Lyrra frowned at his words as if she were given a puzzle, "Why do I feel like there's a caveat to that statement?"

"There is." Geralt replied bluntly, "We're staying with you for a few more days. At least until your missing attacker is less of a concern."

Lyrra stared at both of them before turning a baleful look on Jaskier, "Really?"

Jaskier smiled sweetly at her as Geralt grunted and headed into the tavern. The couple barely noticed as they held their staring contest. Lyrra was the first to break as she huffed, "I don't recall asking for protection, Jaskier."

"I don't know why you're so surprised by this." The bard replied with a shrug and leant down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead, "Humor me, please."

She sighed wearily but refrained from further comment as she slipped past him to follow Geralt. The bard trailed after more sedately as he wondered how he had become acquainted with two such stubborn people.

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[starlightinhumanform]

The Art of Love: Chapter 9

Fandom: She Ra (2018)

Ship: Glimadora 

Summary: The morning after a very chaotic and impactful night, Glimmer and Adora have to face each other for the first time in daylight. 

Warnings (for this chapter): Mild language, (please tell me if anything needs to be added)

Genre: High School AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Rivals/Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Fluff

A/N: Not a lot to say about this chapter except that I hope you enjoy! Reblogs and feedback are always appreciated and encouraged! Love you all 🖤✨

Ao3    The Art of Love Masterpost    Fic Masterpost    Fic Request Info

Glimmer woke up to the chimes of her phone screaming somewhere and she really didn’t care where it was because she didn’t have any intention of moving to turn it off. It was six AM, soft sunlight was struggling to reach the bottom of Glimmer’s window, and everything around Glimmer was soft. And warm. And now it was moving and Glimmer cracked one eye open, glancing down at the pale arms wrapped around her waist. Oh, right.

Adora made a muffled sound and tried to bury her face away from the alarm, simply digging her nose into Glimmer’s shoulder blade instead.

The reality of the situation hit Glimmer like a two ton truck speeding down a highway and straight into her gut. The domesticity of it all, the way the warmth drifted from Adora’s closely pressed chest on Glimmer’s back, the way the sunlight glanced off Adora’s hands- gold on gold. It made her choke awake; literally, eyes snapping open as she shuddered out a cough that Adora could probably feel through her dreams.

She cleared her throat and shifted to lie on her back, wondering if it would make Adora let go; if anything, Adora’s arms only began squeezing tighter. In this position, it would’ve been natural for Glimmer to stare up at the ceiling but she felt her eyes keep drifting towards Adora. Her face was once more uncreased, relaxed in her own personal pool of early morning light. A sheer veil of blond hair flitted across the bridge of her nose, moving slightly as she breathed. Adora’s arms felt secure as their steady pressure wove its way around Glimmer’s stomach. It felt safe, a lifeline tied around her waist and grounding her to how real everything was. She really couldn’t believe any of the past 12 hours, but the weight across her side and the hands clasped loosely right where she could hesitantly place her own over them- lightly, of course, just in case she needed to remove it any given moment- well, it at least gave her a sensation to cling onto. Something undeniable.

The alarm had given up while waiting for Glimmer’s pining ass to get its shit together but started screaming again to remind her that she actually had things to do. This time, Adora began to stir and Glimmer hurriedly moved her hand from Adoras’ and turned the chimes off for good.

Adora sat up, bleary eyes staring straight ahead. The sudden movement of Adora jerking away jarred Glimmer into a deceptive appearance of alertness. She blinked up at Adora who to continued to where a dazed expression for a few seconds until she seemed to suddenly flicker to life.

“Time to go then?” The coldness of Adora’s tone was early as alien as the scowl stretching across her face.

“Um, yeah I guess so,” Glimmer ran her hands through hair and knew it wasn’t looking the best, managing to be flattened and frizzy at the same time. Sometimes Glimmer reminded herself of a bright pink lollipop that had been left out on the counter. As her hands made their way through the somewhat greasy waves, she let the pads of her fingertips press through to her scalp and held the strands between her knuckles for a second longer than she should have. She hoped the sharp tugging sensation and dull rub of her fingers would help wake her brain up enough to avoid making a complete idiot of herself in front of Adora.

That option flew out the window when Adora turned to look at her, scowl dropping and melting into a soft smile, “Morning.”

“Morning?” The molten quality Adora’s expression would have been startling enough if she hadn’t been wearing its opposite only a second before.

“Sorry about that- I tend to wake up kinda fuzzy and, er, weird,” Adora seemed to read Glimmer’s mind- either that or her expression was just that obvious. Adora was waving her hands around her head to illustrate her point and grinning like an idiot.

“Apparently you also wake up five times more stupid than you usually are,” Glimmer grinned before realizing it could come across as flirting and- nope, nope, nope, we are not doing that. Glimmer flopped backwards onto the highly inviting pillows behind her. Adora smiled at her and Glimmer was sure something inside of her was overheating- maybe some sort of little laptop fan whirring away inside of her just a little too quickly.

Adora feigned over exaggerated offensive, slamming her hand against her chest and letting her mouth drop open, “You say that as if I’m not always stupid??” 

“Oh no, you are. Just especially in the morning and at around two AM.” 

“So…” Adora glanced away with another sudden, jerky movement, “I should probably get going soon if you want me to avoid your mom.”

“Um, yeah right- right, of course,” Glimmer was still internally sleeping. She sat up again but her head was full of cotton.

Adora pulled her phone out of her pocket and Glimmer realized she hadn’t seen Adora use it the entire time. A picture flashed up on the screen as Adora pressed her thumb down to unlock it. It was a selfie and Cat- a frozen moment of Cat cackling into the camera, Adora only a little to the right with her eyes squeezed shut as she laughed. It made Glimmer cringe inside, knowing she could never have that.

Glimmer flicked her eyes away, pretending she hadn’t been staring at Adora’s screen. Little clicks sounded as Adora tapped her thumbs rapidly across the keyboard. It was obvious she was texting someone and Glimmer didn’t want to seem like a creep just watching her.

She pulled out her own phone and stared at the bright images without actually taking in what any of them were. Because how could she? How could she be thinking about anything at all right now as Adora- the girl she had hated for months- sat right next to her like they were nine year olds who had just woken up at a sleepover. And the worst part was, she didn’t hate her anymore- in fact, she kind of liked her. She was funny and smart and kind and pretty... maybe Glimmer had been hypnotized by her, tricked into liking her just as the rest of her school had been, but she welcomed the mesmerization. Glimmer knew, deep down, that she had no chance with Adora even as friends but... Glimmer’s heart was sold even as it broke.

Adora turned and Glimmer’s head flicked up in her direction probably too quickly. She told herself to stop acting like a weirdo and to just behave like normal except this wasn’t normal and she had no idea what was going on. She was torn- but then again, when wasn’t she? If this was going to be her last interaction with Adora this way- this relaxed and beautiful and real and perfect way- she wanted to be able to remember the conversation without cringing. But of course, there was a desperate monstrosity that dragged itself from a place Glimmer had never acknowledged before; because she didn’t want to let this feeling go, didn’t want to let Adora go. The person Adora simply was made Glimmer different; made her a happier version of herself. Adora made Glimmer feel more comfortable in herself- something that very few people had ever accomplished. But it was more than just that; the version of Adora that was sitting next to her was flawed and genuine and so different from what Glimmer saw at school. She had been right- Adora did wear a mask at school but the kindness was real, it was the chips and dents that were hidden. They were chips and dents that Glimmer was beginning to grow highly fond of. She liked to think that this was Her Adora, that Adora only crawled out of her glossy, perfect shell when she was around Glimmer. She knew it was ridiculous and completely unrealistic, but she held on to the notion with a clenched fist.

She breathed in Adora only inches away and it felt like she was breathing in a Van Gogh painting. Adora smelled like sweet grass, swirling stars, warm cream, soft earth. She also smelled like a greasy teenager but Glimmer wasn’t going to admit that while she tried to capture her perfect moment. Her eyes soaked Adora in as she sat there in all her soft, warm, paint covered magnificence. Adora’s hair was far heavier looking than usual as she reached up and tied it back. Her shirt showed the signs of a worn out and overly used article of clothing. Her skin looked oily and her face was framed by clay and contoured by paint. Glimmer wished she wasn’t obsessed with those stupid features in front of her.

Adora was talking and Glimmer forced herself to concentrate on the words- not the moving lips, “Cat’s gonna pick me up down the street in a few minutes. That’s ok, right?”

Glimmer swallowed thickly because in her head a voice was saying No, please don’t go. Please don’t leave. Please- “Yeah sure. That’s fine- do whatever you want.”

Adora nodded slowly like she was mulling over something. Glimmer’s hands fidgeted in her lap as she waited for the other girl to speak, watching with big eyes.

When she finally spoke it was with an anticlimactic, “Hey, I’m going to use the bathroom before your mom comes in, ok?”

Glimmer let her head tilt up and down numbly, lost in her own her own thoughts. The spell was broken; she could no longer watch in a honey-glazed stupor. That would mean getting hurt when Adora left and if there was one thing her brain was good at, it was telling her not to get hurt- even if the walls she built as a result made her feel ripped apart.

Adora got up silently and picked her way through the wreckage of art supplies sprawled across Glimmer’s floor. Glimmer remembered with a grumbling sigh that she still had to finish wiring the model together.

Once Adora had ghosted out of the room and carefully clicked the door shut behind her,Glimmer clambered out of still highly welcoming sheets of her bed. She stretched, hoping the movement would clear the fog out her mind as well as the stiffness of her body. Of course, it did little to improve her situation and she shuffled over to the tangle of wire, muttering all the way over.

She plopped herself down on the ground and got to work. It was easy- the type of mindless, repetitive movement that let Glimmer space out while she worked and she got finished just as Adora slipped back into the room.

Adora walked over to Glimmer, standing close enough for Glimmer to feel her presence in her space without actually seeing her. It was a sort of pressure, pressing from the outside on Glimmer from Adora’s proximity. Or made the pressure was growing from inside? Either way, it made Glimmer grit her teeth and wish Adora would move.

She could feel Adora’s smile encroaching on the edges of her consciousness before she heard it, “That turned out so great!”

Glimmer acknowledged Adora’s voice with a noncommittal grunt. 

“The best part is definitely your paint job,” Adora gave Glimmer’s side a light nudge with her foot and Glimmer didn’t know why the contact made her clench her fists, “This will definitely help you get your grades up!”

“Since when are my grades any of your business?!” Glimmer snapped, immediately regretting the harshness of her voice.

Adora stepped back slightly, voice small when she spoke, “Oh right, sorry.”

Glimmer hung her head. She didn’t know what the hell was going on inside of there, “No, look- I’m sorry.”

“No it’s ok, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Adora- stop!” Glimmer spun around, “Look, I’ve been a bitch to you for long time and I didn’t even have a good reason. Just let me apologize- just once.”

Adora looked down at the ground, gaze shifting across the floor from one side of her feet to the other before finally stopping the movement to look at Glimmer. She gave a timid smile, “Apology accepted then.”

Glimmer nodded as if she were satisfied but the shift in her head was making her uncomfortable. She wondered what Factory Setting switch had been flipped on inside of her, reverting her reactions to Adora to exactly where the had been before... before everything. The feelings of disgust and dislike were so automatic, it made her feel powerless- no control over her most basic thoughts. Glimmer hated it but that just added to quickly rising levels of animosity that writhed in her body.

Adora sat down next to Glimmer, still quiet. She seemed hesitant as she shifted closer to her, then back away again; seemingly afraid to even make eye contact. Glimmer could feel the discomfort edging onto herself and it made her blood boil. She was already feeling weird, she didn’t need Adora adding to that.

“Can I help you?” Glimmer gave a disgruntled sigh, “Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?”

Why is she acting so strange? Did I do something in my sleep or... say something? If Glimmer was in a cartoon, an over exaggerated sweat drop would have been forming along the edge of her brow.

Adora ran her bottom lip under the edge of her teeth, “I just wanted to say about last night- or, rather, this morning- I know I was acting weird and I’m sorry. I crossed boundaries that I shouldn’t have and I’m sorry and I’m sure I made you uncomfortable.”

Glimmer blinked up from where she had been uselessly fiddling with a some random piece of the model- Does she think I’m mad at her?

“It’s ok- it wasn’t too weird,” Glimmer couldn’t contain the smirk that slid across her face, “You’re kinda funny when you’re loopy.”

Adora blushed pink, “Oh, yeah, um that’s something I do. I probably should have told you that but I didn’t think we would be up so late. I honestly didn’t think I was going to stay the night.”

Glimmer studied the red spreading across Adora’s cheeks, trying to find its cause. Did Adora really think that after all the dumb things Glimmer had done, all the stupid breakdowns she had fallen into in just the past 24 hours- did Adora really think that after all that, Glimmer would really judge her for making some dorky jokes and getting a little clingy? Ok so she had gotten really clingy but it’s not like Glimmer could really complain. Glimmer had never been cooed over and had never been snuggled up against by anyone like the way Adora had simply wrapped and draped herself over Glimmer that early morning. And Glimmer was never going to flirt with her- she was probably never going to flirt with anyone- so she held onto the memory fondly.

She didn’t want Adora to think she disliked the contact and the smirks and the winks; she would’ve loved to encourage it if she could, but that would give her away. She couldn’t seem too eager, couldn’t simply say Oh yes, Adora, I love you hugging me and holding my hands and giving me that smug look that makes my toes curl and heat bubble comfortably my stomach.

So she nodded with the most sagely expression she thought she could muster, “It’s ok, though. I really didn’t mind.”

Shit. Well there goes Glimmer’s plan of Not Acting Like a Desperate Weirdo.

Adora’s brow creased together and Glimmer officiated the fact that she had screwed up. Adora remained silent for at least a minute, rocking her knee back and forth like a pendulum- towards Glimmer, away from Glimmer. Shifting sharply from side to side just like Glimmer’s thoughts- This is horrible, I never should have talked to her swinging all the way to She’s sweet and kind, stop pushing her away. She makes you happy so there’s really nothing to regret, right? Glimmer grimaced into the silence between them, watching Adora from the corner of her eye as they both stubbornly remained lost in thought.

After an eternity of 60 seconds, Adora stood up with a stiffness that didn’t fit her grace and brushed off the front of her shorts without any real purpose in the movement, “Well, I should probably get going now.”

Adora stood standing there for another moment and Glimmer knew from the way she swung her hands back and forth that she was waiting for Glimmer to say something.

Glimmer tapped her finger tips along her thigh, wishing she could reverse time and bring it spinning back to the darkness of four AM where Adora’s laugh ran through her room and through her mind. She wished Adora’s head rested on her lap instead of her sweaty palms that she pressed into her leg. She wished her mind was filled with fuzzy, blissful exhaustion instead of the growing darkness of negativity that was filtering its way through her thoughts.

Glimmer rubbed her eyes and tried to return to the present situation, “Yeah, ok.”

Adora nodded again like she was coming to terms with some grave news; the hateful little voice in Glimmer’s mind slipped past the gates she had spent last night struggling to build and it whispered to her about what an annoyingly strange person Adora was.

Glimmer glared down at the floor as Adora flit her way to the door frame. Again the yearning came rushing in, the wish that she could fight nagging advocate in her head. She set her jaw and spoke with a tone that struck even her as brutally flat, “Hey you- be careful.”

When Glimmer hazarded a glance over at Adora, the girl was smiling at her and it made something Glimmer hadn’t even been aware stop its frantic fluttering around Glimmer’s rib cage and settle finally.

“See you at school?” Adora sounded like she was asking for permission.

Glimmer gave Adora a small smile, “Yeah, see you.”

Adora moved past the door frame but froze suddenly, pausing to turn and look back at Glimmer as her face broke into a beaming grin. She gave a tiny wave before disappearing down the hall in a prancing jog.

Glimmer sighed at the empty space Adora had filled only seconds before. Her room resembled the wreckage of a natural disaster but she couldn’t describe it as anything but empty with Adora missing.

Glimmer looked past her blinds into the gray fog that had moved to fill the sky but as she remembered the last smile Adora had given her, she could swear the sun was still shining.