#she probably had to float to reach him xD

[ammonitetheseaserpent]

Final chapter? FINAL CHAPTER- IT’S HAPPENIN-

Sooo yeah, we’ve reached the final chapter of Tide of Tied Minds, and… wow. I remember when I first started jotting down ideas for the first chapter in my journal, and the idea of writing the final one seemed like a world away. And now we’re finally here? Weird.

Anyhoo, I wanna thank everyone who joined me on this little ambitious undertaking, and those who’ll come to read it still. It means a lot to me that you all like like my random lil jottins. >w<

I’m glad I took this small step beyond my writing norm, too. My usual fare of writing one-shots is something I find very freeing - I can just take an idea and write a quick little thing for it, and bam. Writing this, though, felt that much more rewarding. They’re both satisfying in different ways, y’know?

I think this chapter is the one that’s changed the most throughout this. I originally had a whooole different plan on how I wanted to end this fic, but after WAD, I got a new, small idea and it grew into what you see here. I did keep the idea of having a flashback at the start, though. Also, the original title was Time Well Spent, as kind of a placeholder that looked like it would become the final title, and I was not planning to make another title a song reference after 3 and 4 - buuut as you can probably see, my inner music geek won out in the end. XD

Done with the 6 chapters of TOTM, eh? Well, I am, anyhow - for those of you clicking on this post for the first time, there’s still one more ride left…

Tide of Tied Minds

Chapter 6: The Stars Are Projectors

Summary: The Collector reflects as they prepare for their favorite human’s celebration.

Chapter Word Count: 2,578

Trigger Warnings: Discussion of death; discussion of trauma

-

Their powers were fading - thanks to Belos’s green goop spreading up their wrists - but they were not about to let anything happen to all the people still in the Archives.

Puppet strings snagged each jutting spike on top of the building, and the Collector put all his strength and willpower and adrenaline into keeping it upright. Some of the people in there walk into his line of sight, looking shocked, a few pointing up. He smiled down at them to tell them everything would be fine; they’d all be safe because he’d make sure of it.

Finally, the house stopped falling - just in time, too. The Collector’s strings all snapped, and all the tension sagged out of their body at once.

It had taken pretty much everything they had, but they’d done it; they’d saved the Archive House and all the people in it from collapsing into the Boiling Sea.

Cool; just gonna… rest now, for a few billion years. Maybe more, he thought as he flopped down onto a travel star.

The star floated down until it gently put the Collector down onto the front of the Archive House’s balcony, where he flopped down sprawled on his stomach, breathing heavily.

A group of Luz’s friends/classmates approached him, led by a purple-haired witch girl - Amity, their mind supplied.

He shrank away from them, expecting them to scold or punish him, to hate him for all he’d put them through.

But when that didn’t happen, they caaarefully peeked an eye open - and saw Amity offering them a hand, a small smile on her face.

Happy and relieved all over (which caused more of that weird wet stuff to well up in their eyes), they took it, and she helped them to their feet. A woman who looked like Luz walked up to the front, approaching the Collector. Her face carried a kind of warmth they’d never recognized before. “Thank you for the help, pequeño amigo.”

-

During their last visit to the Owl House for a short while, the Collector had spent some time getting to know the others.

Amity, the sorta sassy abomination-focused witch and Luz’s girlfriend, who treated them with an almost expert patience.

Willow, the super-strong plant witch who looked out for all her friends, whether that be through gentle caring or kicking someone’s butt with vines.

Gus, the fun-loving illusionist who could rival the Collector’s chaotic energy, and who excitedly told them all his favorite things about the human realm.

Hunter, the Grimwalker that he’d finally gotten to know as his own person, not just another one of Belos’s toys and attempts to bring back his brother.

It was a breath of fresh air; getting to kick back, make some new friends and just… be a kid for a while.

After a while, though, unwelcome thoughts and memories started to settle back in, the closer he got to the group. They initially tried to shove these to the back of their mind, wanting desperately to have as much fun as he could, and not fall back into being slammed with things he didn’t want to think about. But the more time he spent among mortals, the more reminders he’d get, until they were all-encompassed by the now-unavoidable notion.

The notion that finally made their decision for them.

They were going back to the stars.

Not permanently, of course - but there were some things he felt he could only sort out away from the Boiling Isles, and some things he was sure the people of the Isles could sort out most effectively with some space from him. There were a lot of… complicated feelings the Collector had that were tied to the place; it was where they’d been imprisoned, where they’d met and been pulled into a false friendship by Belos. He wouldn’t blame the people of the Isles if they held complicated feelings toward him in turn as, sure, being kept in the Archives had kept them from being swept up in Belos’s takeover of the Titan, buuut being turned into puppets and used as playthings was evidently not an easy thing to be put through - if the way a lot of people had regarded him with fear and still seemed wary was anything to go by. That was part of it, too; guilt over what they’d done.

But bigger than each of those things, perhaps, was the notion they’d been trying so hard to avoid this whole time - he had terrifyingly up-close knowledge that mortals could break for good, but a lot less knowledge on what it could take to break them. That scared them more than they’d probably admit, especially considering how powerful their own magic was; he could hurt someone before he even knew it. It was better, safer, he thought, to keep a distance from these new friends until he’d learned more about how to control his powers. Maybe King could also teach them more about mortals, too - after all, they could (and most definitely would) be in touch with him whenever they wanted.

Besides all that, they haven’t been to space since they were trapped, and, well… they really wanted to see it again, wanted to explore far and wide just like they used to, now that he could. Space was familiar, home-ish and comfortable in a way the Isles wasn’t quite yet. He didn’t know how long it would be until it did become that, or until he could be among his witch and human friends without feeling all jumpy that any of them could get hurt at any moment - but they did feel that those things were very much within reach.

When the Collector first told everyone he was leaving for a bit, and explained why, some people seemed worried. Luz and Eda asked him if he’d be all right on their own, and it was stressed to him that he could always come back, that they had a place here, should they need it.

Everyone said their goodbyes, and he gave Francois back to King. Just as the Collector was about to step outside, though, they were stopped by King. His Titan buddy pressed the rabbit plush into their hands; a gesture of trust, a reminder that the Owl House would always be open to them, and a way of ensuring they’d never really be alone again.

Then King pulled the Collector into a hug, whispering “I hope I see you again soon,” into their ear.

At that, they almost broke down right there, out of pure sentimental joy.

He didn’t, of course. But he came close.

-

During that time since they’d overrun - and then helped save - the Boiling Isles, the Collector kept in touch with their friends and family, and visited them often. They’d left the door wide open, after all, and he was more than happy to make use of that as often as he pleased inbetween their little space escapades.

This particular visit was a little bit different than usual.

Luz had told them about the upcoming celebration of her birthday - or quinceañera - during his most recent visit. According to the people they’d asked, a birthday was meant to commemorate the passing of a year in someone’s life. It never failed to fascinate the Collector how, in the face of their relatively short lives, mortals came up with all sorts of ways to celebrate and make the most value possible out of their time.

At the notion of celebrating such a meaningful event for his pal Luz, well… when he went back to exploring space that day, he miiight’ve dream-visited King and told him about something special they wanted to do for this day.

Their first trip back in space was a blast. Everything they’d missed about the place was there for him to get into all over again! He counted stars, slept in the nooks and crannies of slow-moving asteroids, and saw loads of different planets. King kept them updated whenever the mood struck him, and gladly answered any questions they had. The little exploration had lasted about a month or so before they’d decided to see the Boiling Isles in person again. He felt like he was ready to see everyone again, safely this time.

When he came back, he wasn’t sure what to expect, or how much he’d be welcomed. That almost didn’t matter when they entered the Owl House and were greeted by Eda and King like an old friend. Luz was further back in the house with her mother Camila, and gave him the same welcome when he saw her - this was also when he met her basilisk sister Vee, who was (coincidentally enough) also having her first visit to the Isles in a while.

They stayed on the Isles a long while, almost twice as long as their space trip, getting to know everyone all over again and learning what they’d been up to. He was surprised at how natural it seemed, talking to all their friends and listening to them talk with zest and zeal. He got closer to everyone; closer than he’d ever been.

The place they spent the most time, though, was at the Owl House, which pretty much became his home on the Isles. Luz, King, Eda and Raine (Ray-Ray) all helped him figure stuff out about himself and the things and people around him, and showed them things they’d never known before - like family. A long time ago, family hadn’t meant much to him. From the Archivists and their constant, annoying dismissals of their little sibling, to Belos and all the Grimwalkers he only pretended to love, but who all had no worth of their own to him as long as he could make more. This, though, was different. This felt… right, as weird as it felt to call anything in his life that. It was a strange feeling, having people who understood him. They remember how Gus told them he knew what it was like to think someone was your friend, only to find out they were just pretending in order to use your abilities for their own gain.

A few times, during their visits, he approached some residents of the Isles and offered to help with the rebuilding, partly to test how they felt around him - and while some were still kinda wary, they never protested the idea of the Collector willingly helping take back some of the damage he’d done to their home. It gave him hope, and made him realize that he’d begun to find not just friends and family, but a community. For all the differences and knotted-up feelings between them, there was one thing that inspired some solidarity among them all in general - the same guy had once had them dancing to tunes of his choice. This was something they all understood, even when it came to the Collector. He got a taste of this when Hunter told him about the things he was forced to do under Belos, and how he coped with it.

The rebuilding took a long time and was not easy, as the former ruler’s final act had dealt a looot of damage to the Isles. There was definitely a lot of deeper damage the guy had done, that wasn’t as simple as being repaired. All the same, the Collector got the sense that, given enough time, things would (eventually) be okay, especially as people were now able to put energy into doing things they enjoyed without fear or restriction. Once, at his prompting, Willow had told him about flier derby, and how it gave her a sense of freedom and fun she hadn’t had a long time before. He sensed that all over - how, even if things would never really be the same as they’d once been, people could come together and find ways around that, to be able to flourish and be free again.

One time, Luz gathered a bunch of kids around herself and Amity, and together they regaled the group of a tale they’d told the Collector briefly before - how Belos was finally defeated. The kids watched, wide-eyed, as the two recounted the moment he was ripped from the Titan’s heart and melted by boiling rain, before being stomped on and finished off for good. For all his palisman-prolonged life, death had finally caught up to him.

Death…

It’s something the Collector tries not to think about, as much as that doesn’t do to actually stop his mind from going there. It’s something they’ve seen only a few times and still don’t completely get, but they hope beyond hope to never see it again. Sometimes, on bad days, just a glimpse of the decaying bones the adult Titans were reduced to brings on memories of their hands shaking and stained with red, or grasping desperately onto an orb of light.

Just like the Isles and the people on it, there are things in his life he’ll never fully be able to heal, but they’re learning to be able to live with that.

Four years. A pretty insignificant chunk of time by his standards, and yet so much has changed.

The Collector peers down at the Archive House, resting on top of the Titan’s skull like a crown. The huge left hand that reaches up, fingers poking just above the planet’s atmosphere - almost as if in greeting to the cosmic deity, or wanting to reach out and cradle them on its palm.

Come to think of it, there was one other thing Luz had told the Collector.

At first, he didn’t get how she’d been able to fix herself, when even he couldn’t fix her. Well, not until she told them that it was the Titan - the Boiling Isles - King’s Dad - who had given her his last bit of life to bring her back from wherever she’d been (which also explained why the big guy’s glyphs weren’t working anymore).

She’d also told them that the Titan had confessed they’d made a mistake by trapping the Collector.

The Collector goes into a dive toward the outstretched hand, then spreads out his arms at the last second to slow their fall and land gently onto its clawed thumb. He reaches out one of his hands and gives their perch a little pat. “Farewell, big guy.”

Just then, small, bustling sounds catch the Collector’s attention. Leaning forward and zooming their vision in, he browses around Bonesborough until his eyes reach the Owl House - where they see a crowd milling outside, coming to greet Luz and her mother Camila with lights and a huge banner. Whoop! The Collector quickly jumps up, hovering a few paces above the thumb. The celebration’s starting, and they will not let the fun end without doing his bit.

Time to put on a show. Grinning gleefully, the Collector conjures a ball of cosmic magic and raises their arms to light up the night sky.

Once they start wrapping up their display and turn to leave, he hears a faint sound - a massive chorus of “byyyeee!” from a gathered crowd in front of the Owl House, all waving excitedly to him.

The Collector laughs, the sound tingling through their whole body and making it feel lighter, a sound of pure, hearty jubilation. He waves down to his people as he flies off. “Kthanksbyyyeee!”

[lycanlovingvampyre]

TMA Liveshow Relisten

Activity on my first listen: cutting the jasmine and Buddleja in my garden.

ALEX: "The audio in today’s episode was recorded at our first Magnus liveshow as part of the London Podcast Festival Presents audio drama event in 2019." First (?) Magnus liveshow? Just curious, were there more than one shows? I only ever saw content from this on.

ALEX: "The events take place prior to the first episode of The Magnus Archives, and can be considered canon." Canon you say, eh? So does this mean, occasionally, The Magnus Archives actually IS a workplace comedy???

JON: "Right. Well, I’m sure I can figure it out, I was – (shaky inhale) – thinking of, uh – digitising some of the more commonly accessed statements and then – some – general… (trails off) …archiving." Everybody always asks "What is archiving?", but nobody asks "How is archiving...?" xD (plus it’s a show called “Archives” and nobody actually knows what that means in a workplace environment XD Comedy at its finest xD)

I love how with the laughs and how the actors actually... pause for laughter this actually feels like a 90s sitcom!

ROSIE: "Miss Robinson was getting… on, a little bit- and it must have been very hard for her. Did, um. Did you ever meet her at all?" JON: "Erm – not really; a few times – I don’t think she liked me much." [[SCATTERED LAUGHTER]] ROSIE: (audible grimace) "…No." So is it true, what the Stranger was leading on. Gertrude would have been so disappointed to see Jon become the new Archivist and how that's going.

JON: "I mean, there were a lot of rumors, floating around Research, obviously. According to them, she  (sensationalizing) ‘died at this very desk.’" Always the curious one, always asking one too many questions.

[IMMEDIATELY, HE REACHES FOR A GLASS OF WATER, DRINKS IT, THEN PUTS THE GLASS DOWN WITH A HEAVY, CONTENTED SIGH.] [[AUDIENCE LAUGHTER]] Apparently drinking water was funny? xDD

MARTIN: "Hey, sorry; you haven’t seen a dog, have you?" I love that we get to see that scene! It has been already established in the launch trailer (the one with the vigilo audio opperior whisper) where Jon says "I swear, if he’s brought another dog in here, I’m going to peel him." after calling out for Martin.

JON: "I’m s– Sorry, what?" MARTIN: "Um – Uh, a dog, a-a Spaniel, I think." JON: "In – In general, or?…" And that was the last time, Jon said anything not laced with contempt to Martin for about a year!

It's so funny how extremely anxious Martin is here. Because when we meet him for the first time in MAG 22 he doesn't sound THAT intimidated by Jon at all. Still, I guess it's pretty stressful already fucking up on the first day of your new position.

JON: "So I’m your boss." [PAUSE.] MARTIN: "I mean, I guess." [SMALL HEH.] [[SLIGHT LAUGHTER]] JON: "Which means that technically – (small, smug *heh*) – I have the power to – dismiss you, if this dog situation is not resolved immediately." [SLIGHT LAUGHTER]] MARTIN: "I mean, yeah, probably." [HE GIVES A SMALL LAUGH.] [[LAUGHTER]] Martin is just too deep in the gay headspace to realize that this has a subtext.

JON: "Well that’s – (exhale) not ideal." I mean, I kinda get it... He took a job he knows he's not qualified for. He asked the person to move down to the Archives with him who actually is qualified for this Job and is constantly overshadowed by her. He takes the job over from someone who mysteriously disappeared or died with the possibility that she had been the victim of a crime. The Archives are in an absolute state of chaos and he realizes he probably bit off more than he can chew. He gets that creepy feeling of being watched. And then, someone who at least seems less qualified than him (he later learns that Martin also might be more qualified and then again later learns that Martin is indeed super not-qualified at all...) has been assigned as his assistant without him knowing anything about it and that very person let a dog into the Archives! I'd probably be on the verge of a breakdown (without being an asshole though, most likely I’d beg the others to help me.)

So the statement of MAG 2 takes longer than the ambiance track xD

TIM: (coming into view) "Right, yeah. Oh! The Gillespie statement! That’s a proper weird one, right?" Ah, the old Tim energy!

TIM: "Oh, uh, yes, uh – mm. Hypothetically –" [[LAUGHTER]] TIM (CONT’D): "What would you say, if I said that there was a…" [HE TRAILS OFF. THE ARCHIVIST SIGHS.] TIM (CONT’D): "Dog." [[UPROAR OF LAUGHTER]] TIM (CONT’D): "Situation. In the Archives." Seriously, I'm pretty pleased with the amount of jokes there are in TMA, there are sooo many good ones. But I surely wouldn't mind something like these three scenes every once in a while as bonus! So I hope this stuff keeps coming occasionally in Protocol. These three scenes here are such a gem!

JON: "I would ask if it was getting worse?" TIM: (relaxing) "Okay, alright, cool, so, right –" Tim be like "Okay considering Jon's grumpy worksona, this is going pretty well so far!!"

JON: "Tim." TIM: "Hypothetically –" JON: "Tim!" TIM: "I – Yeah, yeah, there’s a dog situation in the Archives. There’s a – there’s a mess –" Tim gave up, he knows that Jon knows, no way to salvage this xD

JON: "Come on, let’s – (inhale) Let’s deal with this before it escalates." I love how they all went to hunt that dog down together xD Right after the pack dynamic domain episode!

TIM: "Oh, recording equipment, um – (blows air through teeth) Oh! Yeah, the – I think there are some old tape recorders in the storage." [BRIEF PAUSE.] JON: "That could work." You know, that is not sooooo out-of-this-world-ish... Just 2 weeks ago I came into the office fully bracing myself that I had to use the tape recorder that day because there was a big maintenance the week before (that was actually the reason I even showed up at all. Usually I’d stay in home office). System shutdown for several hours. Turns out, no one wants to use the bloody tape recorders anymore, so god knows what they did during maintenance.

Magnus outro song starts. Everybody sitting on nails like "Say the line, Alex!" Alex: "The Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill and licensed under..."

@a-mag-a-day

[kagaminelen]

okay last episode EVER

I have seen this before but that is purely my fault XD

I never understood that liminal space that they were in to begin with. Why is there a bunch of floating furniture.

Satoko you fucking child. You hating studying. So you were gonna kill your friend. What. Ever.

I wonder if Hanyuu is alive.

I got my answer.

blah blah blah never give up yadda yadda this is all so boring for the amount of drama happening. At least Hanyuu is gonna kill this lady.

Bro stop bringing up Keiichi-tachi man. No one in this series gave a fuck about them. In Kai they were FRIENDS and played a part!!! They were just background characters here. Wasted potential. How about we have the original crew minus Keiichi and have Satoshi instead uwu

okay so the whole time I thought it was weird that Hanyuu was a little girl, but apparently that was due to her horn.

why did they change the art style. this is so unserious

Rika does not need to be the one apologizing. This is so stupid. "Sorry for leaving you on your lonesome" AFTER TRYING TO REACH OUT TO HER AND BEING DENIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sounds like Satoko needs to keep her looping powers and use it to study cause my god how is she so stupid. Whatever. They need to go along with my original plan and just transfer to a school that isn't so difficult. I'm sure Rika would be willing to compromise

I FORGOT ABOUT KEIICHI'S DUMB ASS SWEATER DSFAL;KJASDFKJLLK;SADJFFSLADK;JNKMLSDFANKLSXCFNLK;SDAFKLJSDAFLKJSDAFKLJSDF NEVER CHANGE BABY NEVER CHANGE

as much as I talk about replacing Keiichi with Satoshi I do really love him. Also Mion is so me coded, being like "oh my goddd we're all friends can you just talk it out"

so this was all about drifting away from friends and how that's okay.

I'm so fucking sorry I cannot take a word this boy is saying seriously. Dumb ass prep outfit. Also Mion is so fire emoji she is soooo attractive in that outfit

WHY ARE WE ACTING LIKE RIKA NEEDS TO LEARN ANYTHING??? SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG

I CAN'T OH MY GOD KEIICHI LOOKS SO DUMB IN LITERALLY EVERYTHING IT'S SO CUTE

I didn't mention Rena but she's always cute :3 that pink outfit she has on is soooo cute

Okay good so Rika did not fucking compromise for Satoko. Cause she was never wrong to begin with.Satoko is just not gonna graduate from middle school ig. Since she hates studying and allat actually she'll probably just graduate from Hinamizawa

I don't get this ending. What is this nonsense. I thought they didn't loop anymore. Why would they still be looping. What is all this about running away from each other

NOOOO WHY IS THIS SONG MAKING ME CRY I PERSONALLY HAVE NO CONNECTION TO IT SINCE IT DOESN'T REPRESENT THE SERIES FOR ME REALLY

IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL EVEN IF THESE TWO SEASONS WERE GOD AWFUL I AM NOT SAD THIS IS OVER SINCE I CONSIDER THE SERIES OVER SINCE KAI

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY SATOSHI YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY BEST DAY OF MY LIFE JUST KIDDING THIS SERIESZ ISN'T A SACK OF TRASH

ALSO WHY IS TEPPEI SO NICE?????? HE WAS ONLY NICE BECAUSE HE REMEMBER PREVIOUS LOOPS????

YAAAAAAAAAAY SHION MWAH MWAH MWAH GOOD FINALE GOOD FINALE GOOD FINALE I GOT EVERYTHING I WANTED!!!!!!!!

HOW IS SATOKO NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS LIFE???????? actually nevermind the evil is leaving her body we're good.

I absolutely did not need Dear You playing as Satoshi woke up. That was far too much. Also Teppei, Shion, and Satoko getting along <3 in a different life she hated that bitch so much she wanted to (and probably did) kill him.

why am I crying at the end of this?????????? these two seasons were the worst anime watching experience I had in my life????????? I hated damn every near second of it???????????

ooooh they are so lucky I love this fucking characters and therefore still have an emotional attachment to them despite this nonsense.

Fuck you Gou, fuck you Sotsu. What a waste of my time. We would all be better off if there was just an OVA of life after Kai and it was just this last episode. I'm so serious. Who needs Kira fanservice when you could legit just have that. I would almost be willing to give up bunny Satoshi if it meant I just had this as an OVA and Gou and Sotsu never happened.

I think I will actually never ever watch anything but the original Higurashi and maybe Kai again. I barely remember Rei aside from Saikoroshi-hen. Like the first episode was some stupid pool shit and the last episode......was it Hanyuu finding little Rika? Was there a single meaningful thing in Kira? Or was the little Rika episode a part of Kira? idk. in any case, Nekogoroshi-hen is also completely skippable.

I wouldn't have listened to this advice, but watching just the OG and Kai is all I recommend. I never want to skip stuff or whatever cause I am just curious and want to know everything. I am so serious when I say those two are the only thing worth watching (now I know absolutely nothing about the games or manga, so don't quote me on that).

And then watch the back half of the final episode of Sotsu and ignore the weird talk that Rika and Satoko had on the train. Like that is literally it when it comes to the anime.

back on the higurashi after a hiatus

finally remembered read mores existed teehee

episode 7 of sotsu, here we come

interesting eau (I always forget the order lol) refers to Rika as a cat. It reminds me of Onikakushi where Keiichi referred to him and Shion as cats when confessing to Rika about going into the storehouse

I think the story would be better if Satoko felt even a little bit bad about doing this to Rika. She sees it more like a necessary evil, but an evil she enjoys participating in. Like, she is smiling and thinks it's fun. If she felt bad about it the entire time, even midway through being like "I don't want to do this to Rika anymore!!!! She's my friend!!!!!" would be enough for me, tbh

Also, interesting rule that Satoko can't die before Rika. idk why it even matters

I sure hope Rika isn't actually listening to the hogwash Satoko is spouting because Rika knows damn well that Hanyuu wanted out of there as well. It wouldn't make any sense for Oyashiro-sama to punish her for wanting to leave, if Oyashiro-sama ALSO wants to leave.

Unfortunately I'm getting better at identifying which loop we're in.

In fact, it hardly makes sense that the same two week period would create this many different situations, no? If most of the characters have no idea they're in a loop, shouldn't they be acting the exact same in every situation?

In any case, it honestly was better the OG had several different arcs because having the exact same loop only works for a movie, not something with 26 episodes

I think taking a break between answer and question arcs in this series is best because I'm now only vaguely aware of what's supposed to happen and I'm not totally bored out of my mind watching it

I think if I accept Teppei as a different person in Sotsu than he was in the OG I can live with liking him. NYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SATOKO IS GONNA FUCKING GET THIS GUY ARRESTED FOR NO REASON AT ALL

okay I think I actually detest this girl. She abuses the one person who she loves because Rika doesn't want to stay with her. And she manipulates everyone into seeing Teppei as an abuser. It's not even just that she brought him back here, she also acts like she's been abused whenever she's out in public. This man is truly full of sorrow and pain for her and she lets him get his reputation ruined. If he didn't act all rough and tough to everyone by default, people might not do anything or even believe Satoko is lying. But because he acts like that, she just lets everyone assume the worst.

I just genuinely don't like her anymore.

I forgive Shion because she had Hinamizawa Syndrome and was acting on behalf of what she thought Satoshi's wishes were. She usually always does, but in that timeline she just thought Satoko being punished is what he would have wanted. In most worlds she adores Satoko and is willing to put her life on the line for her. Satoko is just being a selfish piece of shit. Like there is no rason for her to be this messed up. No logical explanation. Everyone else has the excuse of Hinamizawa Syndrome. There's just something wrong with that girl

[coffingeist]

Hello @biteghost!! It’s been a while since I did a little fan art but now that I’m done with university I finally had the chance to make one :3 (planning to do more uwu)

I hope you like it quq <3

When your nearly noseless daughter boops a cute tengu dude with a long nose xDDDD

[asset35-maya]

I am sleepy but I gotta make a request before the busy tomorrow so 2 things on my mind! Sleepy and the 'oh my god they were roomates' vine xD with any characters and aus I love everything you write anyways xD Happy timezones and best vibes your way >^<!! 💖💞💕💕

Oh my god, they were roommates…

//

“The rental market in Detroit is absolute shit! How dare these bloodsuckers charge such high rates for the most under-developed properties! This city’s going to the dogs!”

“Uh-huh.”

“You have to pay your own weight in gold just to live in a shoebox for a year. Nonsense!”

“Uh…”

“Are you even listening to me, Tina!

Tina?

Goddamnit Tina!”

Gavin thumped his fist on her desk, but Tina’s eyes barely flicked up from her phone.

“Oh my god, you sound like my grandpa…”

Gavin turned red and his brain buzzed with a thousand colourful retorts. He was just about to pick one when Tina stopped scrolling and turned her phone screen towards him.

CYBERSCALIA @ NEW JERICHO

The suburban paradise for executive androids and humans alike. Located 25 minutes drive from downtown Detroit, with a full amenities.

Gavin’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He balked at her.

“You’re joking? How could I possibly…?”

“Get with the times, boomer…”

Tina lazily skimmed her thumb over the screen. The webpage promised plenty of greenery, good infrastructure and modest but spacious rooms. The extremely reasonable price tag was Gavin’s dream come true. He’d spent weeks apartment hunting in the wake of an early lease termination by his cantankerous landlord. Gavin knew he’d never find a better deal.

“Shit, this is so good, T! Why the phck does it have to be in that- that place!”

His friend arched a sceptical eyebrow.

“What place?”

“The Tincan ghetto!”

Tina smacked him on the arm. None too gently.

“It’s subsided public housing located in an android-friendly estate… because they’re the ones that need it most right now. And frankly, you seem to be in just as much need, so you should really get off that high horse.”

“Fine, fine. You’re right. I should seriously consider this place, even if my neighbours are gonna have more in common with my car than me. But damn, it seems a little too good to be true. There’s probably some fine print, hidden costs that’ll come out later.”

“Hmm… let’s see…”

Tina scrolled further and then let out a half-laugh. She held her phone up again.

“Nothing shady about the rates, but there is something you should know…”

At the risk of being called old again, Gavin squinted at the screen and read aloud.

“Bearing in mind the founding principles of New Jericho, all human occupants may only apply for tenancy in co-habitation with at least one android citizen of the United States of- JESUS PHCKING CHRIST! Absolutely not! I am not going to live with a plastic prick!”

//

Gavin had to get through half a bottle of wine before he could bear to scroll through the rental listings. Unlike other humans who had happily moved into New Jericho with their android friends or partners, he had to find an android who was also looking for a flatmate.

Some listings came from ardent supporters of Markus. These were the androids who wanted to ease the post-revolution transition by reaching out to humans. Some listings were put up by the android equivalent of frat boys. These individuals were clearly looking for someone on the fringes of human society, someone who could show them a good (if not illegal) time.

Other posts came from eccentric androids who craved company but had likely been rejected by their own kind. Gavin felt a strange twisting sensation, almost like pity, when he came across a post written entirely in third person by someone called Ralph.

He had almost given up hope when he came across a simple little listing for a two bedroom apartment in Cyberscalia.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87: Seeking a neat, self-sufficient co-renter. Human or android, no preference. I spend most of my time working and will be out of your way for the better part of the day. I only ask for silence during my nighttime stasis cycles, timely payment of dues and upkeep of cleanliness.

Gavin sighed in relief.

//

“Your room is the first door on the left, mine is the second. The bathroom, laundry and kitchenette are shared, as is the living room. I scarcely find use for the latter, so you need not worry about my intruding on any of your social gatherings, or vice versa. As long as you adhere to the terms of the agreement, our paths will not cross much.”

The tall, stiff-necked android dropped a set of keys, both mechanical and digital, into Gavin’s open palm.

“Er thanks.. RK… sorry I forgot your full model number…”

“You may call me Nines. Although, I’d rather you didn’t call me much of anything. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

In a swish of black fabric, the android turned on his heel and disappeared into his room. Two rapid clicks indicated the shutting and locking of his door.

Gavin sighed and looked around the open-plan living room. It was nothing fancy, but it was far beyond any of the other properties he’d viewed in weeks of unsuccessful house-hunting.

He sat down on the simple black couch with a huff and contemplated his situation. He’d ended up where he’d truly never expected to go, but objectively speaking, things were good… barring the high-handed manner of his robot flatmate, but who gave a shit about that.

He pulled out his phone to text Tina his thanks.

//

“I can’t! I refuse to! It is a violation of my personal ethics and I will simply not take this assignment any further. Good day to you sir!”

Gavin nearly dropped his bowl of cereal one morning when his roommate burst out of his door and rushed into the open balcony.

He hadn’t seen Nines in days, which was perfectly normal. The android came and went at odd hours and made hardly any noise. It was almost like living alone. The only reminder of Nines’ presence was the sight of several dark shirts and trousers regularly hung out to dry on the rack above the washing machine.

Gavin set his bowl down and watched the android tightly grip the bars of the railing and take several unnecessary breaths to calm down. He’d seen deviant colleagues express emotion many times before, but this was the first time he witnessed such a potent mixture of rage and sorrow from a synthetic being.

Out of empathy, but mostly curiosity, Gavin approached cautiously.

“Hey Nines… is everything alright…?”

There was no response for several moments. Then Nines turned around with a grimace and hands held upwards in a placating gesture.

“I apologise for the disturbance. It was hypocritical of me to disrupt the very peace and quiet I demand of you.”

“Uh… no worries…? Are you okay?”

There was a flash of steel blue eyes.

Gavin kicked himself mentally as he realised too late that he’d broached uncharted territory. Their interactions didn’t extend beyond curt nods on the rare occasion they found each other in the same space. It was almost as if Nines engineered the lack of contact, which wouldn’t surprise Gavin at all if it were the case.

“I’m fine. I merely experienced some frustration with my work.”

Perhaps it was boredom, perhaps it was his usual lack of self-preservative instinct… Gavin threw caution to the winds.

“What do you actually do?”

Nines’ expression remained stoic but his LED went through a spectacular series of colours and flashes. His next words were reluctant.

“I’m a private investigator.”

“Oh shit! I’m actually a cop.”

Gavin pointed dumbly at himself and then let his hand drop when he saw absolutely no surprise cross the android’s face.

“I know. That’s why I let you stay with me.”

“For safety?”

“Certainly not for your fashion sense.”

“Wow okay, I didn’t think I’d be much protection for a big scary droid like you.”

Nines hummed dismissively and started to move out of the balcony, body language fully indicating the end of the conversation.

Unable to help himself for some strange reason, Gavin blurted out another ill-advised question.

“What pissed you off so much?”

Nines paused halfway through side-stepping the human. A thrill went through Gavin at the shards of ice he observed for the first time up close in Nines’ irises.

“If I tell you, will you promise to stop asking pointless questions?”

Gavin nodded earnestly, and frankly… rather foolishly.

“I helped a client gather evidence to initiate divorce proceedings on the grounds of infidelity. I provided ample photo and video evidence for his lawyers to work with. Now they want me to keep following the spouse to capture more details that could gear any future settlement in his favour.”

“So what’s your problem?”

“They’re offering me an incredible amount of cash to follow her 24/7. To stake out her workplace, her gym, her parent’s home. They want me to crouch under the window of the bedroom where her children sleep. I can do a lot of things, but not that. It’s deeply insulting that they even asked. That’s why I was so… pissed.”

Nines slipped past and was nearly back to his bedroom when Gavin spoke.

“I respect that.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I know, but for real though, I think ethics are important in our line of work. Not just because of we need morals or a sense of right or wrong blablabla, but because we need… clarity.”

Silence floated through the hallway as Nines paused with a hand on his doorframe.

“Clarity?”

“Yeah, like a sense of direction. We don’t just take cases right-left-centre because they make us money. I mean, we could, and people do… but they never become specialists or experts of any kind. You gotta strategise if you want a career. Ethics helps with that. I think…”

Gavin wasn’t sure what made him say any of that. He was neither one for small talk, nor a man of many words… but something about Nines prompted that unusual level of introspective discourse.

“Sorry that was weird. Never mind.”

“That was actually… very astute.”

Their eyes met and Gavin could’ve sworn he saw the hint of a smile.

“It’s good to see that not all humans are as one-dimensional as I thought.”

The door clicked shut, but there was no locking sound.

//

Since the morning of Nines’ uncharacteristic outburst, the frequency of their encounters in the common areas of the apartment increased. Wordless nods became hellos, and hellos eventually became full sentences.

Not that he’d admit it, Gavin actually looked forward to enquiring about the android’s day and the cases he was working on. It was utterly fascinating to hear about legal investigations without the constraints of police procedure.

For his part, Nines would share as much as he had the patience to, before disappearing into the confines of his room. Though the time he spent outside steadily increased every day.

Another morning, while Gavin was making his coffee, Nines emerged from his room, still in his pyjamas and looking as livid as he had the time before. Gavin had never seen him in anything but crisply ironed businesswear. Before he could voice any concern, Nines stiffly asked Gavin to keep a lookout for a homicide suspect.

He nodded and immediately reached for his phone to text the sergeant on duty at his station. By midday, there was an arrest.

That evening, when Gavin settled in front of the TV with his usual glass of wine, he heard the familiar sound of Nines’ door opening. The couch dipped beside him.

“Thank you.”

“Just did my job. I should thank you for the tip.”

“Hmm.”

Gavin chanced a glance at his roommate, and found him looking right back.

“What?”

“Nothing… I just had the realisation that much of my work is impotent without the authority and means to take any kind of action.”

The sitcom began to play and Gavin thumbed the remote to reduce the volume.

“Takes all kinds to keep the streets clean. PIs can do things cops can’t. We rely on guys like you for intel all the time, you know.”

“I know.”

No words were exchanged for a while thereafter. Gavin found himself unable to focus on the TV show with all the brooding energy emanating from his right.

“If you feel like being a private eye doesn’t make enough of a difference, then why didn’t you… um… you know…”

“Join law enforcement?”

“Yup.”

“Plenty of my fellow androids have done so. I know for a fact that my predecessor model chose to remain there. You might know him.”

“Connor? Yes. Very annoying.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

“Totally. But why didn’t you join too? You’d be brilliant on the Force.”

“My skillset is certainly well-suited, but I didn’t want to become another puppet of the state.”

Gavin really didn’t know what to say to that. He nodded uncertainly and looked back at the television. He wasn’t sure why Nines was suddenly this social.

“What are you… watching?”

Androids could scan and detect just about anything in the world, so there had to be something else to the question. Gavin, strangely, was happy to oblige.

//

Nines made an appearance every evening, without fail. He would sit through the TV shows if they were of interest, or he would bring his case material and notes to the coffee table to work in silence beside Gavin.

Sometimes Gavin liked to work on jigsaw puzzles on the dining table. Nines would sit beside him, pretending to read a paperback novel, but actually scanning the puzzle and passing the right pieces over from time to time.

Against all odds, an evening ritual and a tentative friendship developed. It was simple, but it was warm. Comfortable. Like nothing Gavin had ever had before, even with humans.

//

He awoke one morning with a slight crick in his neck but the feeling of being very well-rested.

His eyes flickered open and fell upon the window. Familiar greenery came into view… but wait… had everything slightly shifted to the left? And was that the New Jericho Capitol building? He couldn’t see that from his room! There was a tree in the way! A tree that was now a few feet away from where it used to be.

Gavin sat up in alarm as he realised that he was not in his own bed. His heart flew into his throat as Nines walked through the open doorway. Shirtless and carrying a mug of blue liquid.

“Oh good, you’re up.”

“Wha-what happened!?”

Nines frowned and sat down on the edge of the bed. He set the mug on the floor and pulled on a plain black t-shirt.

“You passed out on the couch last night. I think you finished a whole bottle waiting up for me? Sorry, I was out working later than expected.”

Gavin looked down and sighed in relief as he found all his clothes still on him.

“I didn’t want you to injure yourself sleeping at an odd angle so I brought you here. Your door was locked.”

“You could’ve easily opened it.”

“Yes, but that would’ve been an invasion of privacy. I reserve that for working hours alone.”

Gavin looked deep into the sparkling blue eyes and as usual found no trace of humour.

“Thanks…”

“Don’t mention it. Now get out. You’re ruining my silk sheets.”

//

Against his best efforts, Gavin could not keep the thought of being carried to bed and tucked in safely out of his mind. How many years had it been? Since something like that had been even remotely possible for him?

He knew that Nines was just being kind in his own pragmatic little way… but Gavin found that he wouldn’t mind the prospect of waking up in the android’s bed in a wildly different context.

He realised he had it bad when Tina caught him smiling to himself at work one day.

“Why so happy?”

“Oh… nothing. Just remembered something my roommate did… He’s a… funny guy.”

“Huh. Well, look at you getting along so well with androids.”

“Android. Singular. Just him.”

“Wowwww… he sounds special.”

//

“Who did this?”

“Gavin, the damage is merely superficial-”

“Who phcking did this??!”

He reached forward and gingerly touched Nines’ split cheek. His synth skin was smeared with blue blood and glitching in and out. Nines winced at the contact.

“Shit, sorry. That must hurt like a bitch.”

“Androids do not feel pain.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m merely experiencing a surge in sensory input wherever my chassis is exposed. I’m fine.”

“Shut up and give me your first aid kit or whatever toolbox equivalent you tincans have.”

A shade of embarrassment appeared over the android’s features.

“I… actually don’t have one. I didn’t think I’d ever need it.”

“Didn’t think anyone could kick your ass, huh?”

“No… I didn’t think anyone would ever spot my hiding place.”

“Huh. How’d that happen?”

Nines’ eyes dipped, but as always, he answered the question.

“I was… distracted.”

Something in the air solidified and both of them felt it. Gavin cleared his throat and slapped his knees like an old man about to stand up.

“Right. Let me go check if the neighbours have anything that might help with your face.”

//

“So who’s this dapper young gent you’ve brought to the party, Gavin?”

“Er… he’s my uh… roommate.”

Captain Fowler nodded and winked.

“That’s what they called it in my day too.”

Nines shifted beside Gavin and cleared his throat.

“He’s a PI. But I think he’s wasting his talent taking pictures of cheating spouses. He’s quite interested in police work. Maybe we could get him to assist on a couple cases now and then?”

Fowler put down his drink and extended a warm hand to Nines.

//

“Oh thank RA9!”

Nines came running to the cluster of police cars and enveloped him in a giant hug. Gavin laughed as he patted him weakly on the back.

“Watch the ribs, big guy.”

“I was so worried.”

“Why? Your info was good. No chance of error.”

“I meant about you.”

Gavin pulled back and regarded Nines with confusion. The flashing red and blue lights of the cars made it hard to read his LED.

“Why?”

“I can’t believe you have to ask.”

The android pulled him into a bruising kiss. The officers standing nearby broke into wolf-whistles and applause.

“What the-”

“Oh I take full credit for that, sir.”

Fowler glanced at Tina.

“The case, Chen?”

“Oh of course. I solved the whole thing. But I mean that specifically.”

She waved a hand in Gavin and Nines’ direction. The two held each other tightly and seemed unlikely to come up for air anytime soon.

“Like I helped Gav find an affordable place in New Jericho and then he met this handsome investigator droid and they were roommates.”

“Oh my god, they were roommates…”

“Yeah legit.”

//

\\\

Thanks so much for the request @jude-shotto

This ended up being a lot longer than expected, but I couldn’t help it. Your prompt just took me on a whole journeyyyy <3

[samsexualdeancurious]

Not a Duet But a Holy Trio | Chapter Nine

Pairing: Wincest, Wincest/Reader

Total Words: 2,165

Summary: When Sam finally arrives in Heaven for the last time, he discovers that, somehow, he has TWO soulmates - his older brother and a complete stranger.

Warnings: Reader Death, Canonical Major Character Death(s), WINCEST, eventual threesome smut (vaginal sex, anal sex, probably some oral, I’ll try and update this as we go), some made up lore shit for plot reasons. If the SPN writers can do it, so can I xD

Header editing by me.

---

You feel like you’re floating on cloud nine as Dean helps you mount your chosen wooden horse. You’re probably grinning like an idiot but that’s okay because so is Dean. He swings up onto the horse beside yours, looking almost comically large on a seat probably intended for a large child, and he immediately reaches across the gap between you both to take your hand.

“Haven’t been on one of these in years,” he admits, a little sheepish. “Sam and I didn’t really have time for them. Not since we were young.”

“It’s definitely been a while for me, too,” you say with a soft laugh, imagining Sam on a carousel. If Dean looks a little silly, Sam would look absolutely ridiculous. “Do you think Sam would like coming to a carnival?”

Dean shrugs as the music gets louder and the horses begin to move. “Maybe? We’ll have to ask him.”

It’s been so long since you last rode a carousel. You’d forgotten how soothing and almost peaceful the regular up-down motion of the ride is, even with the loud music and the chatter of the surrounding crowd. Dean’s hand is firm in yours even though his horse is moving in the opposite direction from your own, up when you go down and vice versa. When the ride comes to a stop, he slides from his horse and helps you down after him, his hands firm on your waist. Your face burns when he pulls you close to press a kiss to your cheek and you duck your head, feeling shy under all the attention.

“You hungry?” Dean asks, helping you step down off the raised platform of the ride.

“Definitely.”

“Me, too. How does the Roadhouse sound?”

Ellen’s burgers sound like the perfect end to the night and you tell Dean so. He weaves his fingers through yours and leads you across the street. It’s a bit of a walk but the night air is cool, especially once you escape the press of the crowded carnival and make your way out into the parking lot, and Dean’s the best kind of company for a night like this.

“My lady,” he says cheerfully, holding the Roadhouse door open for you.

“Dean Winchester!”

He grimaces but he’s still smiling when Ellen makes her way across the bar to hug him.

“Next time you leave for a week, I expect at least one phone call,” she scolds before turning to you. “Y/N, sweetheart, how are you?”

“What, she doesn’t get a telling off?” Dean pouts.

Ellen glares at him with no real heat. “Pam brought her over for dinner the other night while you and your brother were gone without a word.”

Dean’s face turns red and he at least looks a little ashamed of himself. You give his hand a squeeze.

“He and Sam apologized,” you assured Ellen. “We’re actually having our first date tonight.”

That gets Ellen in a good mood. She ushers you to a booth with menus and a promise of dinner on her, despite Dean’s protests.

“Sorry about her,” Dean says when she’s gone to get your drinks. “She can be a bit much.”

“It’s because she cares about you.”

His cheeks burn brighter and he rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess I’m just not really used to having people outside of Sam who do.”

You can see that. From the sounds of it, the two of them really only had each other for most of their lives. They’ve gotten used to not being able to depend on anyone outside of their partnership. Friends have come and gone but Sam has been a constant for Dean through it all.

“Well, you have me now,” you tell him and he smiles, taking your hand over the table.

“I do,” he agrees. “I honestly don’t think I could have ever imagined something like this.”

“I don’t think I could have, either” Your cheeks are warm. Again. These boys are experts at making you blush.

You both get one of Ellen’s classic burgers and they’re perfect, as always. The Roadhouse is pretty busy, probably as a result of the carnival across the street. The crowds aren’t nearly as intimidating now as they were earlier in the day, though. You had just needed to jump right in the deep end, honestly, and while you’ll probably never be a huge fan of crowds, you can definitely brave them in favor of a good time.

Date night with Dean definitely qualifies as a good time.

--

Sam’s still up when you finally get home, full of burgers and fries and still riding the high of the new developments in your relationship. He’s sprawled on the couch with a beer in one hand, a plate of pizza crusts on the coffee table, and what looks like a nature documentary on the TV. He sits up when the front door opens, smiling over the back of the couch at you. His smile widens when he sees your hand in Dean’s.

“It went well?” he asks, flipping the TV off as he stands.

“I’d say so,” Dean’s grin mirrors his brother’s. He gives your hand a squeeze and turns his smile to you. “Did you have a good day?”

“I had a great day,” you answer honestly, leaning your arm against his. “The carnival was a lot of fun and we went to the Roadhouse afterward for dinner.”

It’s clear Sam has questions but he doesn’t press. Instead, he gestures to the stairs. “Well, Dean. Walk her to the door like a gentleman.”

You both laugh and Dean does just that, leading you to the bottom of the stairs.

“I had a really great time tonight,” he says softly, turning to face you.

“Me, too.” You lean into Dean as he sets his hands on your waist. “I’m excited to see where this goes next.”

“Yeah?” Dean’s tone is hopeful and eager. “How about a kiss to start things off?”

“That I can definitely do.”

He brings one hand up to cup your cheek and draw you in for a kiss, just as soft and careful as the first time. You loop your arms around his neck and hold on just a little longer, soaking in every moment of this until Sam lets out a low whistle that has you breaking the kiss with a laugh.

“Fuck off,” Dean chuckles.

Still laughing, you press a kiss to the corner of Dean’s mouth and step away. “I’m gonna go get ready for bed.”

Dean lets his hands slip from your body, a little reluctantly, and nods. “Omelets for breakfast?”

“That sounds fantastic. Goodnight, Dean.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight!” Sam calls, still grinning that proud little brother grin. You give him a little wave as you head up the stairs.

As soon as you reach the top of the stairs, you can’t help an internal squeal and a little happy dance. You feel as light as air as you get ready for bed. You can hear the low rumble of the boys talking downstairs. You don’t listen close enough to make out the words but you can tell from their tones that it’s all good stuff, probably Dean updating Sam on all the details of the evening. You have a feeling you’re going to do the same in the morning when you get your chance alone with Sam.

For now, you get to dance around your room like you imagine a teenage girl would do after a first date with her crush. Never once in your whole life did you ever think you would have a soulmate, let alone two, and you’ve had so many anxious thought spirals wondering if they would even want you but now those doubts are being drowned out by the high of tonight. You’re so happy that you’re a little concerned about whether you’ll be able to sleep but thankfully the long day at the carnival takes care of that and you’re asleep within minutes of crawling into bed.

--

You wake up the next morning in just as good of a mood as you went to bed, especially when you’re greeted by the delicious smells of a Dean Winchester breakfast. You quickly get ready for the day and hurry downstairs to find both Winchesters already awake, Dean at the stove working on food and a sweat-soaked Sam finishing off his water bottle.

“Good morning!” you say brightly and they greet you with just as much enthusiasm.

Dean leans in when you’re close enough to press a kiss to your cheek. “Coffee’s in the pot and your omelet is almost done.”

“You’re the best.” You give Dean a little hug, sliding around between him and the island to get to the coffee machine by where Sam’s standing. “Did you go for a run?” you ask, eyeing him appreciatively. His t-shirt is clinging to his torso in all the best ways, his hair damp and curling gently at the ends. His breathing is still heavy from his workout and your eyes linger on the curve of his pecs as you fetch your mug from the cupboard above the coffee machine.

Sam is nodding. “Yeah, I figured I’d better get back into the habit since we can leave now. I found a little trailhead that loops back around. It was a great start to the day.”

“Sounds like it! Maybe we can hike it sometime?”

“I would like that,” Sam replies as you fill your mug with coffee. “How does tomorrow sound?”

“Tomorrow sounds great! It’s a date.”

That response makes Sam light up. “Yeah?”

You smile back at him, leaning against the counter with your coffee in hand. “Yeah. It’s about time, honestly.”

“Really is,” Dean agrees, turning to set a plate with a steaming omelet on the island. “Here you go, Y/N.”

You make a happy sound and round the island to take your usual seat, pulling the plate across the counter to you. “This looks amazing, Dean. Thank you.”

“I’m gonna jump in the shower,” Sam says, setting his water bottle in the sink.

“Make it quick and I’ll have an omelet waiting for you.”

“Egg white?”

Dean rolls his eyes but tips his chin up to accept a kiss from his brother. “Only for you.”

You dig into your omelet, humming softly with the first bite. It’s hot and fresh and absolutely perfect, as always. Dean gets to work mixing up an omelet for himself and then an egg white only one for Sam.

“Did you sleep well?” he asks, pouring his omelet mix into the pan.

“Mm-hmm.” You sip your coffee, swinging your feet a little. “The carnival really wore me out.”

“A long day in the sun will do that,” Dean agrees. “I crashed pretty hard, too. Not until I gave Sam all the details, though. I swear, he’s like a teenage girl sometimes.”

You laugh softly, cutting another bite from your omelet with the side of your fork. “What did he think?”

“He’s really excited.” Dean leans on the island, eyes impossibly green in the morning sun coming through the high windows. “I’ve put you guys through a lot, making you wait for me on this, but it means a lot that you let me take my time.”

“Of course!” You shoot Dean a bright smile, which he returns. “I’m excited to finally be taking these next steps with you guys.”

“Does that excitement include meeting our parents tonight?”

You grimace, laughing. You’d kind of forgotten about tonight’s Sunday dinner plans. “I am but I’m definitely also nervous.”

“Don’t be,” Dean says, reaching over the table to give your hand a little squeeze. “They’ll love you.”

You hope Dean is right. All of the Winchesters’ other friends and family you’ve met so far have welcomed you with open arms but that doesn’t help you feel any less nervous. You poke your omelet with your fork as Dean turns back to the stove to finish up his omelet. You’ve never met a partner’s parents before - you’ve never had a partner before, let alone two - and you’re not sure what to expect. What will they think of you? Of their sons sharing a soulmate? Sam and Dean said they’re fine with it but are they really?

“I can hear you thinking too hard,” Dean says without turning. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“What’s going to be fine?” Sam asks, emerging from the bathroom. His hair is still damp, though from the shower this time, and he’s dressed in his usual jeans and flannel.

“Dinner at Mom and Dad’s place tonight,” Dean answers. “Right on time, Sammy. Your omelet’s almost done.”

“Thanks.” Sam slides onto the stool beside you, bumping your shoulder gently with his own. “And Dean’s right, Y/N. Don’t tell him I said that, though.”

Dean flips him off over his shoulder and Sam loops his arm around your waist as you both laugh. You lean into him, feeling much better already.

—

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—

Team Forever: @mrswhozeewhatsis @manawhaat @books-and-icecream @laughing-at-the-darkness @tumbler-tidbits @emoryhemsworth @imsuperawkward @onethirstyunicorn

[m-jelly]

Good day Jelly and Happy Holidays! Can I request a modern AU fic of Levi and the reader based on the K-drama My love from the star (hehe i hope it's not too much to ask it's my favorite k-drama but you're free to do it on your way). The reader is a famous petty actress and Levi is a college professor/alien who has superpowers like teleportation, time manipulation, telekinesis, super hearing and super strenght. It's up to you how they met, how they fall in love and how their love bloomed, the climax of the story and their happy ending.

Thank you Jelly, Have a Great Holidays!

Happy Holidays to you too!

Well, first I want to say sorry! I have only ever watched one K-drama. It's difficult to get a hold of it in the UK. So, I am not familiar with this. However! I will try my best to make something for you following this concept. It probably will be nothing like the series xD Let's give this a go then!

The Actress and the lover from across the stars

Pairing: Reader x Levi

Genre and tags: Romance, fluff, superpowers, falling in love, Modern AU.

Concept: Reader is an actress, but feels like she isn't listened to. Levi is a college professor and alien with powers. Their two worlds collide in a chance encounter and love blossoms in time as the two connect.

Levi stood in front of his class with a book in hand as he talked to them about space. Levi was the expert at the school on all this space and galactic. He missed out on the parts that humans didn't know yet, even though he wanted to so desperately tell them. Space was dangerous and the only reason he and his friends were here was that they had to leave their plant due to the titans destroying it.

He looked up as the bell rang. He slapped his book closed and looked to the class. "Off you go you lot. Don't forget about your presentations next week! I expect you to teach me something new about space!" He sighed and packed his things away to see three girls in front of him giggling. "Tch, what can I do for you three?" He winced a little as they talked loudly about different things. "Look, I'm glad you're excited about space, but unless you need help with work you should move on to your next class." He looked at his watch. "I'm done for the day."

One girl pouted as Levi walked off with his bag. "But professor!"

He looked over at her before he left. "Don't beg. Dogs beg." He closed the door and left them in shock. "Tch, damn it I'm tired." Levi clicked his fingers making him teleport to his new home. He looked up at the apartment building and sighed. He had to move because some of his students found out where he lived. So, he moved to get some peace. "Finally."

Levi walked inside to the lift and scanned his card. He pressed for his floor and leaned against the door as he went up and tiredness took over. He stumbled out into the hall, then walked to his door. He paused and frowned a moment when he heard a woman crying. He looked to the door next to his and used his super hearing. He could hear very clearly a woman sobbing, but it wasn't a simple sob, it was a heartbreaking one.

Levi looked away from the door and went into his room. "Not my business." He locked his door and pulled his things off. His new clothes floated towards him as his old ones went for a wash. He jumped in the air for his trousers to be pulled on. He reached out and caught his tea as it landed in his hand. "Perfect."

He walked out onto his balcony, then leaned on the railing and enjoyed the views. He knew he'd picked the right spot as his home. He loved how clean it was and quiet. He knew he could get peace here. He missed his home planet and not being able to be near his mother's grave, but this planet wasn't so bad.

You walked out onto your balcony and leaned over the railing. You gazed at the floor and watched a tear of yours drop towards the road. You rubbed your tears away, then looked up at the sky and wished you could be far away from this place. You felt so trapped. You got into acting because you loved bringing characters to life, but now you were locked into a contract and being forced to act in things and be someone you weren't. You felt trapped.

You sighed, then turned to see Levi. You screamed, then placed your hand on your chest. "Shit, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scream. I'll leave you to your peace."

Levi stared at you and didn't understand why a pretty thing like you was crying. "Tch, it's fine. Your balcony, not mine. You can do as you please."

You gulped hard. "Thank you, but I still shouldn't be here." You turned away and blushed in embarrassment.

"Why are you crying?"

You flinched, then slowly turned to Levi. "I wasn't. I mean. Well."

Levi raised a brow. "Oh, so water running from your eyes aren't tears?"

You pouted a little and blushed making you look adorable to him. "Well, maybe I'm practising for my next acting gig."

Levi hummed and didn't believe you one bit. "I know the difference between fake crying and real crying. No one cries like you do if they are acting. You sounded like your heart was breaking."

You sighed. "I'm locked into a nasty contract and I'm being forced to play roles I don't want. I know it's stupid to moan about." You hugged yourself and sat on the floor. "I wanted to bring characters to life. I want to be a brave hero, a knight, a villain or some scientist. I have to play the love interest, the pretty princess, or the main girl." You put your head in your hands. "People praise me for it and give me great reviews, but I think I'm terrible! I tried talking about something new, but they shut me down and said they own me." You sighed and looked at Levi. "Sorry, I should push my troubles onto you."

Levi did feel for you. He could understand the frustrations of doing something you love, but being restricted. Levi loved teaching about space, but he couldn't teach people the full wonders of the universe.

He sat on the wall between your balconies and smiled a little as he felt a connection. "I think you have every right to fight this. You deserve to do what you love to its full extent."

You smiled at Levi as you took in his handsome features, his perfect raven hair and that chiselled jawline. You looked into his steel-blue eyes. "You have the most beautiful eyes."

Levi blushed. "Tch, what?"

You blushed bright red in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry!" You laughed a little which sounded like music to his ears. "I can be pretty honest sometimes."

Levi hummed. "Honest, huh? I like honest. You want a cup of tea or something?"

You smiled and nodded. "Yes please."

"Levi."

You said your name. "Pleasure to meet you."

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

Levi had been getting closer and closer to you each passing day. You'd meet on the balcony and talk until you were both tired. Levi would teach you about the stars and you would teach him a few acting techniques to help him with his kids in class. You two were as thick as thieves with unspoken feelings. Levi wanted to tell you what he really was, but he was scared you'd run or hate him.

Levi cared for you, so he couldn't lose you. He worried about you. Something had been off about you and he wasn't sure what. He waited on his balcony for you with a bunch of flowers to cheer you up. He held his breath when he heard you talking. He listened closely to hear you talking to your manager about a stalker.

He moved back into the dark as you walked out onto your balcony and begged for him to believe you. Levi felt his heart ache for you as you pleaded with your manager to listen to you, but he wasn't having any of it. The manager was saying having a stalker was a good thing.

You ended the call, then turned and walked back into your place. You tossed your phone on your sofa and hugged yourself. "Why won't anyone listen?"

"I will." A dark voice spoke from the darkness of your room.

You gasped and backed up. "Oh no."

He walked closer and opened his arms. "My love. My darling. I'm the only light in your life!"

You stumbled back. "Get out of my house, now."

He clenched his jaw in anger. "It's OUR house."

You kept moving backwards. "I don't know you."

"Don't lie! You are the love of my life." He said your name and reached for you. "You and me, forever."

"There's no me and you!" You backed up to the balcony. "Just leave me alone!"

He welled up. "You selfish BITCH!"

Levi hurried out onto the balcony to watch a man shove you over. His heart stopped when he heard your screams. Levi grabbed the railing na dlooked over. "STOP!" Time around him paused. He panted as he saw you paused there with fear in your eyes. Levi climbed onto the edge, then dove at you and wrapped his arms around you. Time started again cuasing you both to fall. He closed his eyes. "Please don't hate me." He clicked his fingers making you both appear in your room. "I've got you."

You looked at Levi as you panted. "You...you."

He cupped your face. "I know. I'm sorry. Just know, that I loved every moment with you." Levi kissed your forehead, then stormed over to the man and grabbed him. He lifted him up into the air easily and snarled. "I could break your neck easily, it'll be like breaking a toothpick. Now, get the fuck out of this woman's home and never come back."

The man gasped. "Y-yes!"

Levi dropped the stalker and watched him flea out of your house. "You should increase your security here, or live with someone." Levi stumbled and grunted when you charged him and hugged him tightly. "Brat?"

You squeezed him. "Thank you."

He frowned in confusion. "Are you not scared?"

You pulled back and shook your head. "No, never. You saved my life. You're amazing." You blushed a little. "Plus, you are very dear to me."

Levi softened his gaze and held your hand. "You are dear to me too."

You held his hand and walked closer. "So, you said I need to stay with someone and seeing as me and you are close." You looked him in the eyes as you blushed. "Could I stay with you?"

Levi blushed and nodded. "I'd love to have you over." He pulled you close and clicked his fingers making you and him appear in his living room. "I'll make some tea."

You patted yourself, then looked to Levi. "How did you do that? What are you?"

Levi made his tea things float around as he thought about what to say to you. "I won't lie to you brat." He sighed and sat down on the sofa, then patted it. "Sit."

You sat down next to him. "I'm all ears."

He frowned a little as he tried to piece things together in his head. "Well, I'm not human. I'm from a different planet."

You stared at him for a moment, then hummed. "I guess that explains how you know so much about space."

He smiled. "You're right." He looked outside at the sky. "Me and my friends were in the military fighting an alien race known as the titans. We fought them for years and stopped them, but by the time we did the planet was fucked. So, Hange, Erwin, Mike and myself left and came here to Earth. We wanted a better life. Humans might not be as advanced as my kind, but we like it here." He looked to you. "There are things here that make us stay and be happy."

You blushed. "Your work?"

Levi moved closer and took your hand. "You."

You took his hand in yours and squeezed. "I'm glad you feel the same way."

"I have come to adore you, brat."

You hummed a laugh, then kissed him. "Sorry, I should have asked if I could. I just..." You hummed. "I like you."

Levi cupped your face and pulled you into a kiss. "I enjoyed that and wish to do that more."

You smiled as you felt happiness fill you. "So, what else can you do? You teleported me."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I can manipulate time. When you fell, I paused time. I have telekinesis, which is why things can move around me. I have super hearing, which is how I heard you crying the first day we met. I also have super strength."

You gasped and marvelled at Levi. "You're amazing!"

He blushed. "I'm normal on my planet, but I guess here I'm special here."

"You're still the same cute neighbour to me, who is a little grumpy." You ran your hands up his chest. "Who I've had feelings for, for the longest time." You sighed and shook your head. "I know I'm not special, but I care about you."

Levi hugged you tightly. "I'm scared of hurting you with my abilities. Humans are so fragile, but I will do everything I can to protect you."

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You and Levi had explored each other. You no longer lived in your place, but you stayed with him. You and Levi were hot and heavy. You spoiled him with your hard earned money and he spoiled you. You met his friends and got on so well with them. Life was getting better. Levi even got Erwin to help you with your contract and broke you out of it. Erwin became your new manager and you could play roles that you wanted.

Levi doted on you and wanted you to know how much he loved you. He might not have taken you out on many dates in the city, but he did the best at home dates. Levi would plan them out to make sure they were perfect, then he'd surprise you. Recently, you'd been working hard on a new movie, so you were exhausted. You'd worked all night and day, so you were napping the afternoon away.

Levi gently woke you up and smiled. "Hey brat."

You hummed and smiled. "Hey."

"I have a surprise for you."

You leaned up and gasped. "At home date?"

He nodded and brushed your hair back. "That's right."

"You shouldn't have." You wrapped your arms around him. "Thank you."

He gave you a big squeeze, then let you go. "Come on."

You took his hand and walked with him. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere nice." He clicked his fingers making you both appear on the roof of the building where a bedding area was set up, candles were lit and flowers rested around the bed. "I thought we'd do your favourite thing. You love hearing me talk about my home and the stars. So, that's what we'll do."

You ran over to the bed, then twirled and flopped back on the cushions and pillows. "This is perfect."

Levi joined you and sighed. "Really? If you want me to take you out."

You shook your head. "You don't like going out, so home dates are the best." You held his hand. "Plus, I'll just get recognised and we won't be able to date in peace. This is a dream right here."

Levi smiled at you. "I'm glad you like it."

You kissed him and smiled. "I love it and I love you."

"I love you too."

You looked up at the stars. "So, what have you got for me?"

Levi hummed a laugh, then looked up and started telling you all about the stars and space. He loved watching your emotions change, along with the bright sparkle in your eyes. He loved everything about you and knew he would never want to leave this planet, unless you were with him.

You looked to Levi. "Do you think we're safe?"

Levi hummed. "Maybe one day something or someone will come here to hurt humans, but I promise you that me and my friends will protect you. If we have to leave, we will. My home is you. So, wherever you are, I'm at home and I'm happy."

You smiled and hugged Levi. "Me too Levi. There is no happiness, home or life without you."

[limitlessgojo]

Blood Bound: Red Strings of Fate (Ch. 11)

Warnings: Action, Coarse Language, Fighting, Descriptions of Blood

Previous Chapter: Invisible Ties

Next Chapter: Goldenrod

Tags: Soulmates AU, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Fem!Reader

Taglist: @lessie-oxj @rizzo-nero @whoreuc @fkngkumiko @isl3t @gojoussunglasses @onepotatostand-blog @s-t-f-u-b-i-t-c-h @sunaswife

Notes: If you want to be tagged for every update, please mention it in the comments below ty <3

Additional notes: This is so funny but I made a mistake in assuming the previous Goodwill event was held in Tokyo. Rewatched JJK and found out it was in Kyoto so I had to rewrite it XD.

Chapter 11: Kyoto-Tokyo Goodwill Event

Breakfast was a quiet affair. He brought out a short table and you had the meal side by side.

It was grilled salmon and miso soup. You both stole glances at each other when the other wasn't looking.

A domestic life with Noritoshi. Yeah you could get used to this. "Thank you for the meal Noritoshi." You smiled and offered to wash the dishes.

He stood behind you in the small kitchenette as you did, humming softly to yourself. Noritoshi was holding your waist gently and leaning his forehead against your shoulder. Thumbing small circles into the sides of your hips.

You quietly smiled at yourself, not expecting Noritoshi to love physical affection this much. After washing the dishes, you laughed as you placed your ice cold hands on his neck, forcing him to let go of you and flinch back with a frown.

Leaving Noritoshi’s dorm after breakfast had terrible timing apparently. You bumped into Todo senpai on your way out.

“Ah.” You both stared at each other for a bit. Noritoshi was still behind you, the door to his dorm room open. It didn’t help that you had your pillows and blankets in your hands.

And you were still in pajamas.

“So is this like a thing now? Congratulations on getting together.” Todo smiled down at you.

“Ah uhm- we- I- “ You stuttered, but Noritoshi wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you to him.

“Yes we are dating. And what of it?” He stared Todo down. You were flustered but incredibly pleased upon finally hearing a solid label between the two of you.

Todo just grinned. “So you actually have decent taste in women huh Kamo?”

“The best.” He replied dryly. You flushed and whined at Noritoshi, pawing at his robes. He just pulled you closer and hid your face in his chest.

“Didn’t know you had this shy side Tsuchi chan.” Todo was laughing. He bid both of you goodbye, and by the end of the day the entire campus knew both of you were dating.

But of course the both of you didn’t know it yet. “So…. you’re my boyfriend now Toshi?” you reached up to twirl his hair in your fingers as you made your belongings float in midair.

His eyes sparkled at the nickname. He leaned down close to you, “So it seems. Are you unhappy?”

“No. I’m happy.” You leaned up to press your lips against the corner of his.

Noritoshi sent you off, only letting you go after he had gotten a huge hug from you with a deep kiss to the cheek. He realized with a small jolt that he was pretty much touch-starved (no surprises there).

Wishing for more of your hugs and kisses already, and you just left for a few moments. He sighed heavily and shook his head.

Later that day, you bumped into Miwa as you were leaving your dorm. It was the weekend so you all had no classes and missions. She hesitantly called out a “Congratulations. You finally got together with Kamo senpai yeah?”

You looked at her in surprise. “How did you-”

“Todo senpai.”

“That man really doesn’t keep his mouth shut.”

◇◇◇

It was a different experience, having the other students tease the both of you about your new relationship as a real boyfriend and girlfriend. You felt weird by calling him your lover.

"I called it!" Mai proudly smirked down at you. "We all did Mai chan." Momo senpai giggled, bumping her hip with yours as you looked shocked over the bets they placed.

Noritoshi always had a soft smile for you. He recently managed his time better, finishing his studies very early so he could spend more time with you.

Not shy to take your hand whenever you meet in the hallways and drag you for a picnic under the huge Plum Tree or just to hug you quickly before going off to a mission.

You were more open, hopping up to him in the hallways and greeting him cheerfully. ‘It was nice’, you thought to yourself.

Ever the overthinker, you at times think of the secrets he mentioned having. Probably personal matters he wasn’t ready to talk about. That’s fine, you had your own fair share as well. Time will heal and bring whatever it may to the both of you.

◇◇◇

The Kyoto-Tokyo sister school goodwill event was drawing near. You and your fellow first years wished all your participating seniors good luck.

“I heard they also have a Special Grade 1st year student in Tokyo Tech.” You perked up at that, “Is that so?”

“I highly doubt they’d come though. Just like how you aren’t participating, Tsuchi. Usually 2nd and 3rd years are the ones participating. It is going to be held here in Kyoto Tech since we won last year.” Todo grinned.

You wondered about that.

◇◇◇

Just a few days before the goodwill event, Utahime texted you and said Noritoshi was injured from a mission. So of course you flew as fast as you could to his room, where he was being treated.

"Noritoshi!!" You wheezed out, entering his room in a burst of wind. You had come back from a lunch date with an old classmate from elementary.

You hurried over to his bedside and looked him over. He slowly turned to you, eyes widening. He smiled, "An angel is here."

You flushed and laughed out loud, "Noritoshi you've lost it. It's just me. Y/n." You brushed some stray hairs out of his face.

He continued staring at you dreamily, “Angel”. You were all dressed up, face fully made up. Rouge lipstick with a light touch of blush on your cheeks. You had your round shades on, prettily framing your face.

He used a free and uninjured hand to reach and cup your cheek. You leaned into his touch before pushing his arm back down. "You need rest." You said gently.

You placed your hands over his chest and activated your reverse cursed technique. He groaned as he felt his skin stitch back together. "Shhh, it will be fine."

He wasn't that badly injured thank goodness. “Angel, have you seen my y/n? I miss her.” He whined. You patted him on the forehead and shushed him with a quick kiss.

Why was he behaving like this?? You turned to the nurse packing their things from the corner, “I put him on anesthesia. He will be loopy for a bit.”

“Ah.” This might be a little bit fun. “Toshiii~ It’s me y/n how could you not recognize me?” You pouted. Noritoshi pouted and whined in return. The nurse pointedly ignored both of you and quickly left the room.

He stared at you with the biggest eyes he’s ever made, seemingly thinking hard. “Don’t think too hard, you’ll lose brain cells.” you whispered.

“Hold me.” He demanded not unlike a child asking for candy. And so you sat beside him and held onto his hand. You watched as he fell asleep, clinging onto your hand.

This loose-tongued and childish side to Noritoshi was just too adorable.

◇◇◇

Noritoshi stirred awake, seeing you so close to him. You were laying on top of his chest, one hand holding onto his.

He stared at your profile half sprawled over his blanket and reached to put a hand on your back and rubbed it soothingly. Then let his hand rest on the back of your neck while tracing small circles on it with the pad of his thumb.

You were so sweet on him. It was a wonder to Noritoshi, who felt as though he was always lacking in physical affection. To see someone sincerely take care of him without requesting anything in return was refreshing for a change.

He watched as you stirred, then your hand tightened in his and you brought it close to your lips, all while you were still fast asleep. Noritoshi’s eyes twinkled. What were you dreaming about? Was it about him?

He watched as you slowly woke up. “Mmmm Toshiii~” you blearily reached out for him. You were able to wash up and change your clothes while he was asleep.

He pulled you into his bed, making your half sprawl over his lap. “Why didn’t you get in bed with me? Surely your back must hurt? It’s late now, sleep with me.” You looked at the clock and to your surprise it was indeed late. 2am.

“Okayy” you were still whiny, half asleep, and slightly grumpy from waking up. You both settled in the bed and fell asleep holding hands.

◇◇◇

It was finally the day of the Kyoto-Tokyo Goodwill event. You were all out, 1st, 2nd and 3rd years with Utahime sensei and Principal Gakuganji, waiting for the Tokyo group to arrive.

Then you felt this ominous presence from afar. You took a few steps back, cursed energy flaring and winds whipping around you. Everyone looked at you in concern and Noritoshi whispered as he squeezed your hand, "Angel, you okay?"

You still found it funny how he now takes to calling you his angel when it’s just the two of you after you told him about his embarrassing moment when he was loopy on sedatives.

You stared off at a distance. "Everyone... Something… big is coming." You didn't realize that you felt Rika's presence from afar. Everyone tensed and looked in the same direction you were as the Tokyo participants came.

There were some really loud 2nd and 3rd years, but the one that stood out was a rather reserved boy with black hair. He had a Katana bag hooked over one shoulder. And a massive curse looming over him. ‘How is that thing not exorcised yet?!’

"Yooooo Everyone from Kyoto hello!!"

That voice. Your eye twitched. "Nice to meet you all again." Gojo Satoru cheerily yelled. Introductions were exchanged. The group challenge on the first day is Capture the Flag. The details for the individual battles tomorrow are yet to be announced.

Everyone was surprised to hear that the first year, Okkotsu Yuuta, the special grade cursed human, was participating to even out the numbers.

Based on that amount of cursed energy…. Tokyo school might win this year, you thought grimly. 'As long as there are no casualties please.' You prayed to yourself. You wished Noritoshi good luck with a quick hug.

After the participants were dismissed and released to their positions, the Kyoto 1st year's followed the two principals and Utahime sensei.

"Neko-chaaaan! How cruel, you don't wanna greet me?" His damn voice was so fucking loud everyone in the vicinity turned to Satoru.

(His nickname for you was cute but the story wasn't. When you were 4 years old, the Tsuchi family cat always ran away from you. You tried to be more catlike to befriend it, which Satoru found hilarious. Ergo, he started calling you Cat or Neko chan.)

Your eye twitched again as always does with Satoru. "Toru nii, it's been a while." You said, looking at the man leering down at your figure. He pulled you in for a side hug and ruffled your hair. "I missed you loads, it's been a while huh. How's school?"

"Not too bad." You fixed and patted your hair back down, aware of the eyes on you.

"Mmm, I bet." His bright blue [six] eyes could see the red strings linking your pinky to Noritoshi's. "You got a boyfriend by any chance y/n?"

You stopped at that and looked up at him. "Did Hiroki tell you anything?" "Nup" he always pops his P's obnoxiously.

You looked to the side and murmured "I do."

"You have a boyf-ooms" You slapped your hand over his mouth, floating up to his height. You could practically see his blue eyes gleaming behind those white bandages. "Keep your voice down dimwit." You hissed.

He licked your hand. "You're gross as always Toru," you wiped it on his sleeve as you walked on air to match his height.

"You should have told me you got a boyfriend. Anywayss, my students are gonna kick ass. Yuuta is pretty strong and he's the type to go all out you know?" He nudged you.

"Noritoshi and the senpais won't go down without a fight." You said. “Heehhh, is that so?”

You caught up a bit with him, making small talk as you made your way to the viewing rooms.

◇◇◇

Miwa later pulled you aside, "You know Gojo Satoru?! Isn't he, like, super famous?!"

"Uhhh?? He is?? … uhm I don't know. But we are family friends, he's like a brother to me really." You said confusedly. "The Tsuchimikado and Gojo clans always got along. His dad and my dad are friends."

"Ahhh I see." She nodded. She was still unfamiliar with the Great 3 clans and minor clans of Jujutsushi so it was understandable for her to be curious.

The rest of you filed into the room. The teachers allowed all of you to watch on the screens, so that you can get familiar with the goodwill event.

"Psst! Y/n sit beside me." You laughed as Satoru eagerly patted the seat beside him, sounding more like a teenager than a teacher. You scooted over to his side as he brought out snacks, chips, and popcorn. You stared at him. "You think this is a movie?"

"It's free entertainment." He shrugged.

And the event started. You all watched on the screens as both schools fought against curses while defending their home base flag and trying to take down the enemy's flag.

Todo, of course, was on the front lines, recklessly plowing into Tokyo high's home base. Hakari, a 3rd year, was facing him off, somehow holding his ground against him.

Noritoshi was following Momo around, taking down curses and stopping the other team's students from charging in.

But before they knew it, Yuuta was on the other side, flag in his hands. It wasn't a quick match but a rather rough one. At the very least, no one was injured badly.

Your eyes watched Okkotsu’s movements. It was very obvious he was new to fighting, but his brute force of cursed energy played well to his strengths. You were looking forward to tomorrow's matches.

Blood Bound: Table of Contents

[sullina]

I mean, presumably that role would have been the Commandments role if the war and conflict with the goddesses didn't exist (according to fanon). They were the strongest of the strong so Melioda sprobably knows how to handle Indura... the problem comes with the fact that presumably the Commandments worked in teams and the Sins struggled against that Indura kn the movie and Meliodas himself had said he wasn't as strong as he used to be in a flashback to Danafor. Which was before he'd even met Zaratrus.

I imagine they might be able to eventually take the Indura down, perhaps it was a juvenile or a transformed Indura so difficult but not an impossible battle. Afterall like you said, they did struggle against the baby and that was after specifically training to fight demons, a Indura in Liones pre-commandment release would probably go more along the lines of the s1 climax where everyone was fucked simply due to just how weak the Knights were beforehand. They'll beat it but it won't be pretty nor easy and Meliodas will have a lot of explaining to do since eyes the resident demon realm expert, being a native of the place and all.

I can imagine Meliodas standing with a sign saying no trespassing next to a giant hole xD

For real though, they'd probably post Guarda to stop ppl from entering with the warning that the place was full of toxic mist, Meliodas may even need to give a demonstration of sorts. Plus the trip is supposedly a really long one full of very steep and dangerous points so a lot of ppl probably wouldn't even want to go in there far enough to actually hit the demon realm. I can see Zaratrus maybe asking Meliodas to give him a tour at soem point but likely nowhere near the demon realm itself.

yeah, that's true, it was probably among the commandments' duties. We can't know for sure tho since we don't know much abt the demons outside of the whole war thing. The only reason we can assume that they lived in cities or city-like structures is bc of that one flashback from Derieri when she died (at least to me those stone pillars looked like they might be some kind of homes or maybe a defensive structure like guard towers? My guess is on homes tho). We know the demons also had social structures similar to knight orders bc of the "six knights of black", it can be safe to assume that orders like that were founded for all kinds of reasons, including outside of the holy war with the goddesses. To be honest though, I think the one thing that Liones CAN do to defeat the Indura for sure is for Meliodas to either use his revenge counter or for him to do the whole "power-up ping pong" strategy he did when finally killing the DK for good, yes I'm seriously calling it that.

LOL, or Mel installing some kind of alarm system to keep ppl out and when they tresspass, he swoops down from the sky and goes "no", scaring the shit out of whoever tried to go down in the cave XDDD

The entrance we saw in the cursed by light movie was long and dangerous. That was one entrance. A different entrance might not be. There's also the matter that the entrance seen in the movie seemed to connect the demon realm to a regular cave in the human realm. They did also find a fish in a river in the cave and idk if it was clarified whether that fish was of the human realm or the demon realm or somewhere in-between. The connective cave between the realms likely also kept the miasma mostly at bay from the human realm. We know it's some kind of gas or gas-mixture, but can't travel on its own, so it's unlikely that any miasma or a significant amount ever reached the other end of the cave, a.k.a. the entrace on the human realm side. If the entrance that this Indura came from is just a giant hole, it might also be leaking miasma into the human realm. Depending on whether the miasma floats or sinks in the air of the human realm, this could be a minor or major problem. Oh my god, now that I think about it, it's essentially a hole in the earth. Diane can controll the earth. She can literally just seal the entrance up.

[thefanficmonster]

Real Friends

Valkyrae & Reader (Male)

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: SMAU, Platonic fluff, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: Following an accidental and not very consensual face reveal, Y/N’s dealing the sudden shift of the spotlight on him even more than it was before. Being the big deal he is on social media, the internet has every right to be freaking out. Luckily, he’s got a friend to help him cope with it all.

Requested by @iawaythrown Hii! Thank you so much for your request! I’m so sorry for how long it has taken me to complete your request and post it but here it finally is. I’ve never written a SMAU before so this isn’t the classic SMAU format but I still hope you’ll enjoy it! Love, Vy ❤

Imagine you end a toxic relationship of almost a year and go to bed feeling like a ton of bricks has been lifted off you, like you can finally breathe properly and like you’re finally getting a taste of freedom. The very freedom you chose to lose by getting in the toxic relationship in the first place. Of course, I didn’t know it was toxic at the time, probably cause it wasn’t, but it gradually turned into a nightmare.

A nightmare that keeps haunting me even after I thought I had put an end to it.

Apparently, that was wishful thinking cause I woke up this morning to find an unbelievable number of notifications and messages from friends, family and my manager and associates. Being in the music industry as a faceless creator, I keep my circle tight and it only consists of people I can trust so to see them all freaking out at me at once, even the most level-headed ones, freaked me out too. Quickly, I opened the first notification I reflexively tapped on and it opened a post in which someone had tagged me.

A picture taken of me while I was asleep, no doubt one taken by my ex. That being said, I think we can all have a guess at who posted it in the first place. I didn’t listen to my manager when he told me to not allow anyone I trust 1000% into my inner circle. I was foolish and at the peak of my career, feeling on top of the world and feeling invincible which was rare for me. I’ve always been insecure about many things in my life, growing up with a lot of judgy people made me be that way. Not to mention that I didn’t want to be the victim of the internet’s racism either. People turn a blind eye most of the time, but it’s still there, it still exists and looms over all social media platforms, disturbing people’s peace left and right.  You see, I didn’t want people to have an opinion of my art based on my appearance or associations with other creators. I’m pretty good friends with many content creators, especially in the gaming industry, but I’ve never wanted to be put in a box as one of the many friends of someone famous. I made a name for myself without anyone knowing who I am exactly.

And now they all know because of this photo that my ex sent to float down the rivers of hungry social media:

Damn am I gonna get an earful from my manager or what. It’s still rater early though and I’m really not about to deal with this drama on a caffeine-free brain so if there are any calls, emails or messages that need answering - and yes, there are PLENTY of them - they’ll all have to wait until I feel like dealing with them. I’m glad I don’t have to keep up this unbothered charade at home since I live alone cause I seriously don’t feel ok with this. I mean, I could probably report it, but what use would that be when my brand now has a face and a huge chunk of my privacy has already surfaced against my will.

As I sit in my kitchen, sipping my coffee, I finally gather the nerve to at least scroll through the notifications that I’ve received. Fans reaching out, relatives, friends, pissed off people that are there just to exist and try to disturb my peaceful existence but all they’re gonna get is a hard DELETE from me. I have offers on top of offers for modeling pending, waiting on my response. I’ve never considered it, being a faceless creator and all, but my manager will definitely want to milk some cash from this too. That thought makes me sigh in defeat. I have no one to blame but myself for trusting my ex. No one made me do it, no one made me let them in, but I still did, fucking myself over insanely. Just like they’ve now fucked me over.

Amongst the sea of notifications and yet to be opened messages, one in particular stands out and makes me do a double take. It’s a message from my friend Rae - Valkyrae, as she’s known online. She’s one of those gamer friends I mentioned earlier, probably the one I’m closest with. Her and I talk on the regular so seeing a message from her in my inbox is nothing unusual so I wonder why that was the one that stuck out to me. Regardless, that’s the only one I feel like opening and replying to at the moment.

V ~ Hey Y/N, you doing ok? This all must be really hard on you so don’t feel obligated to reply. Do so when you can or want to. I’m here if you wanna talk

Of course Rae would be the one to know how I truly feel in a situation like this. I can act and cover up all I want but she knows exactly what’s underneath the surface of my façade. That third eye friends have for each other, it’s incredible.

Me ~ Doing ok. Wasn’t expecting to wake up to this but now that millions of people know what I look like it feels oddly bittersweet, you know? Like I don’t have to go out of my way to hide anymore but I’m also gonna miss that privacy I had while I was a phantom

Me ~ On the upside: people want me to be a model now XD

My message goes to Seen almost write away, the Typing icon appearing shortly after the messages were read. I wait for Rae’s reply, sipping my slowly cooling coffee with little interest due to how invested I am in our conversation. If there’s a person who can make light of this situation, it’s Rae, no doubt about it.

V ~ I know what you mean. It’s not gonna be easy to adjust to but you will get used to it eventually. I’m sure you’ll even grow to like it. Promise you, it’s not that scary to be exposed, there’s literal millions of people who support you wholeheartedly :) 

V ~ Us, your friends, are here too! Never forget that, we’ve always got your back, Y/N!

V ~ Oh and you really should be a model! Whoever’s saying that has got the right idea. Maybe don’t fear this new change, but embrace it! Take this new turn in your life confidently. Sure, it was out of the blue, but do you really want the person who exposed you to feel the satisfaction of bringing you down? That doesn’t sound like you at all tbh

The epiphany strikes me as soon as Rae’s words sink in as I read them. She’s 100% right. The last thing I want is for my ex to think they’ve won. I refuse to give them the pleasure of tasting victory on the expense of my mental health and career progress. In fact, imma show them just how much they benefited me. But first...

Me ~ Thank you so much, Rae. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this eye-opener

Me ~ I owe you one <3

I sure as hell owe her one, but for now I have other battles to win.

Rifling through my gallery, I find one more recent picture and without a shred of doubt or hesitation, I go straight to Instagram to post it.

~ “Since y’all were curious...And since y’all wanna see me model, you’re welcome” ~

Within seconds likes and comments start flowing in like a riptide, taking over my phone that, despite being charged all night, is already at half of its battery life.

I refresh the page with the post to look at the new comments that have come through, all supportive and complimenting me, some are real thirsty and some are incredibly kind. And even in that sea, her comment still sticks out to me, making me grin like an idiot.

“That’s what I was talking about! Work it, Y/N!“

[behindheremeraldeyes]

sasusaku month 2021

day 1- glances

title: I see you

summary: high school AU— they’re in the middle of biology class when Uchiha Sasuke realizes that there are way more interesting things that deserve his full attention. [Ao3] [ffnet]

.

.

.

He’s doing it again.

From the corner of his eyes, he can see as she eagerly writes down her notes on her biology book. She uses her small fingers to tug a stubborn strand of her pink hair that has been falling forward since first period, and he watches as the sunlight highlights her soft skin. An absent smile graces her lips, and he supposes it’s because she’s enjoying whatever it is that their teacher is saying. He hasn’t been paying attention to the class for a while now, his concentration completely switched to the girl sitting next to him. Last time he checked, though, they were discussing genetics. Or could it be fungus? He doesn’t know.

Lately, he’s been doing that a lot— the whole staring thing, that is. Though unaware, at first, now he knows exactly when his attention drifts towards her. It happens when he’s at ease or when anxiety is starting to grow inside him. When he’s calm and relaxed; or when he finds himself in need of a familiar face not to blow it all away.

Sakura has this effect on him. Even without really saying or doing anything, her sole presence is enough to warm his chest. It’s as natural as the clouds floating in the sky, and sometimes, when they’re not in the same room, he finds himself missing her figure. With her green eyes and pink hair, she has become a constant presence in his life, and if anything, Sasuke likes constant. Always has.

He also likes her, but that’s not been questioned right now.

He’s acknowledged his feelings for her for almost three months now, and he figures he’s still trying to get used to the idea of seeing her as more than just his best friend. It’s not that their relationship has changed that much from what it was before, but everything around her just feels different ever since Naruto pointed out the obvious. Sasuke has accepted this new side of him, and perhaps, the biggest change in his young life is the fact that he has to constantly remind himself that he no longer needs silly excuses to hide his feelings for her. He has to keep telling himself that it’s not an absurd for a boy like him to consider making a move in a girl like her. He can dare to reach out for her hand or— if he’s feeling bold enough, and the situation calls for it— kiss her lips.

It’s weird to even think about doing that to the girl who has been by his side since they were in dippers. She‘s still the same Sakura, but now that he has allowed himself to picture them together, she’s just different. He’s different, too, and he can’t really say he hates it. Quite the opposite, in fact.

And right now, while he’s still trapped in his thoughts, he also has to remind himself that staring at her is not as creepy as it would be if he was just a stranger.

It isn’t, right?

Perhaps he should stop, then. Or maybe—

His thoughts are suddenly interrupted as a folded piece of white paper shows up on his desk. He quirks his right brow in confusion, and without thinking twice, his eyes drift to Naruto because— well— who else would’ve thrown that at him in the middle of the class, right? However, much to his surprise, his blonde best friend couldn’t have done such a thing, no. He’s fast asleep on his desk across the classroom, and the Uchiha is almost sure he can see drool sliding down his open mouth.

That loser, he thinks. If he’s not going to pay attention to the class, he might as well try to pretend otherwise in order to avoid a future lecture. Maybe he really deserves it, after all.

Still, if the idiot didn’t throw the folded paper, then who did it?

He arcs his brows again, and before trying to reach another conclusion based solely on his speculations, Sasuke decides to read the hidden note. Carefully, then, he unfolds the paper, only to be surprised by the familiar and delicate handwriting in it.

“Shouldn’t you be paying attention to the class?”

A smirk crosses his lips as he reads those words, and he knows he’s been busted. Dark eyes, then, turn to his right only to find green ones already staring back at him. She offers him a teasing smile, using her index finger to point towards the blackboard, to which he simply shrugs. Apparently, Sakura has caught him staring for a little too long, and if he were to be honest, he’s glad she did because now he has an excuse to silently flirt with her.

Now, he has an excuse to observe and to be observed by her emerald eyes.

If he had to pick, that’s probably one of his favorite activities of the day now that he has decided to build up some courage to make a move. He likes to tease her without using words just to see all of her unique reactions flourishing. He likes to see the many shades of red that tinge her cheeks whenever she’s embarrassed and the way she sometimes has to cover her mouth to suppress a loud laugh. He likes when she bites her lower lip whenever she’s thinking about something, and he sure as hell loves it when he sees one of her soft smiles slowly making its way up to her bright eyes.

She really is the cutest girl he knows. Not that he will ever admit that to her.

Without thinking twice then, he grabs his black pen and rips a piece of paper from his notebook. He scribbles around, folds it and expertly throws it so their secret lands on her desk. She spares him a knowing look before unfolding it, and he watches as she silently grows embarrassed at his written words. Her cheeks are flushed pink, and the pout that takes over her lips is enough to tell him his silly message worked. It was just a regular compliment, but he knows she’s never been good with those ever since he called her annoying on second grade.

One would say he’s to be blamed for her complex, but he likes to think he has only helped her develop one of her unique traits.

Sakura shakes her pink head, then, and he watches as she rips another piece of paper so they can continue their sneaky conversation. They certainly look like children right now, especially since they both know they can just pick their phones from their pockets and text each other. It would be easier, sure, but not half as fun.

“Very charming. Still, you’ll need more than, that if you want my notes!” is her answer, with an exclamation mark written with a big dot on the bottom, and he pretends to be taken aback by those words. She’s still blushing, he can tell, and he feels oddly proud for that. Maybe he shouldn’t, though, because he knows she dreams of becoming a great doctor someday and she just loves biology so so much that, perhaps, he should really just leave her to her studies.

But it’s stronger than him. Having her reactions and her attention all to himself makes him selfish, and even if he hates to act differently than what he’s used to, he doesn’t complain one bit when he does that for her.

It’s all for her. All because of her.

He’s but a teenager living his first love, and that alone should give him the right to enjoy this fleeting phase next to her. People say it’s the best moment of life, and even if he doesn’t know wether it’s true or not, he’s ready to, at least, try to make the best of it.

So, yes, Sasuke is going to keep sending her notes during her favorite class if they make her smile. He’s going to keep choosing the right words to make her blush and he’s going to keep stealing glances, hoping to be caught, until the day comes when he doesn’t really have to steal anymore.

fin

——-—

a/n: okay, first of all, HAPPY SASUSAKU MONTH, y’all! Here’s to another wonderful month filled with love and sasusaku! Let’s all have fun and celebrate our beloved ship! Now, to the story... honestly, I hate it so much. I think this is one of the worst things I’ve ever written, but at least, it’s over now. Nothing came to me when working with this theme and I really just wanted to move on with this already. I thought about writing something about Sasuke making amends with his newfound love for Sakura in a high school setting, but it’s just meh. Sorry for that. It’ll get better, I promise XD Still, hope you have fun!

[joezworld]

Any headcanons about Ever Ace and the other new A-class Evergreen ships? This totally isn’t just because I love your version of Ever Given and want more of her and her family XD

The following is an excerpt from How to Avoid Huge Ships, Or: I Never Met a Ship I Liked by Capt. John W. Trimmer (National Writers Press, 1982)

Chapter 14: The Emotional State of Ships

For most captains, the emotional state of a seagoing vessel (other than your own, of course) is often seen as irrelevant - after all, who cares if the seven hundred foot tanker about to run over you and your ketch is a nice person or not?

However, like many common beliefs in the marine industry, this is an incorrect one. The mental state of vessels is vital to continued safe navigation.

First, we must mention the obvious: An unhappy ship is a dangerous ship. Think about the last time you drove to the store while upset. Now pretend you weighed several thousand tons and required a mile and a half to stop in an emergency. I imagine your car insurance premiums might be a bit higher, no?

Then we must mention Fleets.

Allow me to explain: While this may be seen as a massively reductive statement, most large vessels (and most living machines for that matter, including commercial aircraft, railway locomotives, and even large dragline cranes) are best viewed as pack animals. When left alone to their own devices (and the growing economic benefits of 'machine autonomy' have meant that more shipping lines are allowing ships to go off by themselves!) vessels will often form a "fleet", as they call them, which substitutes for what we humans would call a joint family.

A fleet may include any number of vessels and relationship combinations, ranging from a number of single vessels who consider themselves siblings, to sets of separate married couples, and even groups of non-monogamous vessels whose conduct would make a Mormon blush. That being said, regardless of type, bonds formed in this manner are extremely strong, and will often overcome any difference between vessels - see the growing trend of former US Pacific Fleet vessels and their former Imperial Japanese Navy spouses!

Now, what does any of this have to do with the continued safety of marine navigation, I hear you ask? Well, let me put it to you in the simplest terms possible:

If you were to wrong me in some way, I might decide to take legal action against you, or I might lick my wounds and walk away. I might even go to the police if the offense were serious enough.

If you were to wrong a ship, and the offense were serious enough, they wouldn't lick their wounds, they wouldn't pursue legal action, and they most certainly would not go to the police. Most ships believe quite strongly in the merits of what could be charitably called 'extrajudicial punishment'. Most ships, if they are in such a relationship, would bring this to the attention of their fleet-mates, at which point you would not have one, but several, maybe even a dozen, extremely large and extremely angry ships going after you.

-

Of course, any discussion of the often-overlooked subject of Fleets is incomplete without at least a brief mention of the US/Canadian Great Lakes Fleet, which has managed to continuously add to their numbers through a process they call 'Lake-napping'...

-----

April, 2021 - Great Bitter Lake, Suez, Egypt

The Egyptians were insane, Given concluded. Aside from the obvious - where in the name of all that floated was she going to get nine hundred million US Dollars? - they'd actually called their Navy on her, like some kind of Triad enforcer making sure a mark didn't get away without paying.

He was a tiny ship, really - some old design that made its priorities clear, judging from his open-air flying bridge and thick hull, but the massive anti-ship missile pods on his aft deck showed he could punch well above his weight.

She'd tried speaking to him, but they didn't have a language in common - and that was impressive all on its own. From the short, clipped sentences, and badly accented Arabic, he seemed both Eastern European and decidedly unfriendly.

As the sun set on the end of the first week of what might be a very long stay in Egypt, she wondered if the line might abandon her here. The cheap fucks had already been making noise about replacing her with another, bigger ship, but Ace - still in the shipyard, but already proving herself to be just as loud and annoying as any proper 20,000+ TEU ship, bless her - had made enough noise about "not being a rebound date" that their hand had been forced.

Of course, that was all before the Egyptians decided that they wanted nine hundred million dollars, so who knows?

Another ship went by - the backlog still wasn't through, and convoys continued at all hours. This one was one from CMA CGM, and while she couldn't quite catch his name in the dark, she could absolutely catch the scathing French insults being hurled her way as he passed by.

"Je parle français, toi voilier sans hélice." She sniped at him, relishing in the startled yelp that trailed him into the night. The tugboats pulling him along laughed, and he growled at them as he moved further into the lake.

The missile boat looked at her with what might have been admiration, but it didn't stop him from keeping his guns trained on her as he changed his watch position to a spot off of her stern.

She honestly considered running - the mockery she'd get once she left Egypt might be too much.

As the next ship in line approached, she got a ping on one of the company radio frequencies.

Tuning in, her brow furrowed in confusion - now that everyone had satellite internet downlinks, internet chatrooms had become the primary communication method across the fleet. Evergreen Lines ships had all gravitated towards Discord instead of WeChat or Line, but their server had been strangely silent for most of the last week.

Opening the channel, she caught a flash of a call sign - What was Elpida doing out here? Wasn't she on the Australia run?

"Don't say a word, we've got it under control."

"You what? Who's we?"

Elpida swept past , literally - she was breaking the speed limit for this part of the lake, and had probably been doing so in the Canal too - the ropes to her tugs were taut, and judging by the Arabic screaming, they were trying to get her to slow down or at least let go. She was high in the water - her decks empty of containers - what the hell was going on?

Given was too big for the swells to affect her, but the Egyptian Navy ship wasn't, and he yelped in whatever his native language was as he rocked and rolled in Elpida's wake.

Behind her, a distant cry that sounded suspiciously like the word "Now!" rang out, followed by a deafening cacophony of foghorns.

She'd shut down her radar - because what really was the point? - and it took a worrying few seconds for the Furuno system to spin to life and return a clear result.

Or... what might be a clear result.

All hell seemed to be breaking out behind her - the convoy had broken formation and was going in what seemed like every direction possible. At least ten ships were now going berserk behind her.

The Navy ship, by far the smallest vessel out there, (except the tugs, who were fleeing for their lives, it seemed) spun around towards the main shipping lane.

Collision alarms immediately started wailing on the Canal's common channel as a very large blip on the radar screen (Who turned off their AIS transponders in the Canal?) slowly swung towards him.

The Egyptian seemed stunned for a moment - he'd drifted back into Given's range of vision, and his expression ranged between sheer horror and mildly poleaxed - before he calmed himself and stood down the ship bearing down on him.

That calm look lasted for a few minutes, but as the blip got closer and closer his confidence faded. The doors to his missile pods swung open, but his nerve broke before he could fire them, and the water around his stern frothed up into a roiling tempest as he set off at full astern.

It wasn't enough. He'd held his ground for just long enough for the other ship to reach him.

Slowly - this whole event was playing out in breathless slow motion, because nobody was actually that speedy - a bulbous bow, riding high out of the water without a load of containers, ploughed towards him. It was followed by a bowsprit, one that was so huge it looked like it could have been Given's own.

Then came the name: EVER ACE.

Then came the collision.

Ace (?!) didn't so much collide with the Egyptian ship as she drove over him. His low freeboard meant that the impact with her bulbous bow had his far side dipping into the water. Once his deck hit the swells, it acted like a giant scoop, and his keel was to the night sky within a few seconds. He'd been hit at an angle, so once he'd been pushed free, he slowly rolled back up, a much more traumatized and injured vessel than he had been a minute ago. More importantly, the water gushing out of his missile tubes meant that he was no longer a problem.

"Hey!" Ace boomed as her pilothouse drew even with Given. "Best Sea Trials Ever!"

Behind her, another ship - this one laden and looking a lot like Golden - steamed by. "Stop hanging around and get her out of here!"

"That would be my cue." Another voice called from behind her.

"Tex?" He was in Manila!

"Who else would it be?" Texas Triumph, thick Texan accent and all, steamed up. "now let's jus' get you settled up here and we'll blow this joint."

"This is a rescue?!"

"For sure pardner! We've been planning this since those highwaymen said they was keepin' ya here."

"Stop talking and get her out of here!" Golden bellowed from further up the river. It seemed like she was now intimidating some other tugboats from intervening.

"Well, ya heard 'er." Tex said. "Les' go!"

Given had been so distracted by the appearance of so many members of her family that she hadn't even noticed Tex slipping lines through her hawseholes until they went taut and she was yanked from her moorings by Tex steaming out in pursuit of Ace's retreating form.

She just barely managed to get her anchors retracted before Tex really put some power on, and began to pull her across the lake entirely.

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

Later...

The War Zone

Ever Given Escapes Custody Suez Canal Authority claims no responsibility, Egyptian Navy vessel possibly damaged. BY TYLER ROGOWAY April 17, 2021 THE WAR ZONE

📷@mahmou10_ships VIA @SUEZWATCH_EGY

SHARE TYLER ROGOWAY View Tyler Rogoway's Articles @Aviation_Intel Details remain limited at this time, but there was an incident in the Great Bitter Lake. At least one Egyptian Navy vessel has been severely damaged, and MV Ever Given, who had been held in the Great Bitter Lake by the Suez Canal Authority, has now fled the Canal into the Mediterranean Sea.

Again, details are extremely limited, but based on social media reports, marine tracking data, and radio reports, at approximately 11:47 PM Egypt Standard Time (EGY) a disturbance was reported by the Egyptian Navy craft - their identity is still unconfirmed, but images posted to social media seem to indicate that the vessel is a former Soviet Osa-class missile craft. The vessel reported that "A convoy has gone mad" and he was "under attack from multiple vessels".

While a convoy had transited the canal at that time, it is unclear if they were involved in the attack, or if one occurred at all.

We've reached out to Evergreen Lines, The Suez Canal Authority, the Egyptian Navy, and the individual ships believed to be involved, including Ever Given.

We will update this piece as more information comes available.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com

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[onlyhenrys]

Pool day

A funny pool fic where one almost drowns because they keep laughing in the water and both end up swallowing gallons of water. Someone slipped on the edge of the pool because it was slippery and the dog ran past and startled them - @iloveyouyen 

eeehm, yeah...... It’s a little different XD 

Credits to @demivampirew for the gif <3

It was quite the sight, the mighty Captain Syverson, THE future of the American army, floating in the middle of the pool on a giant unicorn. His legs rested on each side of the unicorn, his ankles cooling down in the water. It took you almost half an hour to stop laughing when he came back from the store with the thing, a proud smirk on his face. As punishment, you weren’t allowed to join him as he was relaxing on top of it. 

You laid on the lounge chair at the edge of the pool instead, a mojito in one hand, a book in the other. Sy had fallen asleep ten minutes ago and you could hear his deep breath as his broad chest rose and fell. A giggle escaped from your lips as you gazed at him and you fondly shook your head before looking around, searching for the German Shepherd. You whistled, a high tone that you knew she would recognize and she came running, her tail wagging as she gazed at her owner. 

You took another glance at the dozing Captain before leaning closer to the dog, caressing her thick fur. 

‘’What do you think, huh? Are we gonna startle your dad?’’ 

Aika tilted her head, her tail still wagging, a look of mischief in her dark eyes. You smirked and pointed to the water, giving her a silent order. The dog released a soft bark and dived for the water, creating a wave of water that sprayed Sy, startling him awake. 

He scowled as his eyes roamed to the edge of the pool, where you were waiting, a big smile on your face. His cerulean eyes grew huge as he understood your plan and he tried to untangle himself from the unicorn as fast as he could. 

You stretched your arms above your head and dived, landing on top of Sy, dragging him underwater with you. You surfaced first, pushing your hair away from your face, searching around for the captain, who suddenly emerged from the water, spitting out a gallon of water. 

You leaned back against the edge of the pool and waved, your teeth showing as you grinned at him. “Hello there.” 

His burning cerulean eyes focused on you and you unintentionally shrink away, scared of what the muscular man was planning. 

He dropped his chin, his eyes alert as the two of you gazed at each other. He was waiting, probably for you to scramble out of the pool, but you knew that wouldn’t end well, so you stood your ground, your grin never faltering. 

“I’m not coming closer,” you told him. “You will have to force me, and I won’t make it easy for you, I will fight tooth and nail.” 

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, the muscles rolling as they strained. “I don’t suspect any less from you.” He tilted his head. “But I’m not gonna hold back either.” 

He dived for your waist, faster than you’ve ever seen him move and you didn’t get the chance to fight back as he had already thrown you over his shoulder, finding his way to the middle of the pool. You looked up and locked your eyes with Aika, who was sitting next to the chair you were previously on, her tongue out as she was panting. “Aika, help!” You begged, giggling as Sy tickled your waist, making you squirm. 

“If you’re looking for a fight…” his voice sent a shiver down your spine and goosebumps appeared on your skin, causing you to stop squirming. “You’ll fight me, princess.” 

He lowered you from his shoulders and pressed you against his chest, his lips pulled up in a smile before suddenly falling backward, switching positions halfway through the fall, so you hit the water with a big splash, you back aching as a thousand needles trailed their way up to your spine, leaving a throbbing pain. 

He trapped you underneath the water and you swallowed tons of water as you tried to fight his tight grip on you. He didn’t move an inch and an idea suddenly popped into your head. 

You stopped your fighting and let your body go limp, pretending to blow out the last of your breath, watching how the little bubbles of air slowly reached the surface before closing your eyes. The strong hands immediately dropped from your shoulders and you were pulled out of the water, shivering as the cold air kissed your skin. 

Sy cradled you against his chest and brushed the hair away from your face, revealing your closed eyes. ‘’Y/N?’’ he murmured and his thumb started to trail small patterns on your cheekbone. ‘’Can you hear me?’’ 

You remained motionless and you could feel how his hands started to tremble, how he grew more desperate. ‘’Wake up, please.’’ 

You opened your eyes and pushed yourself off his chest, spraying him with the water you had collected in your mouth before he dragged you back to the surface.  His eyebrows were knitted together in a frown as he gazed at you, his eyes clouded with hurt. ‘’Why would you do that? You scared the fuck out of me.’’ 

You crossed your arms in front of your chest as you lifted an eyebrow. ‘’I had to do something! You tried to drown me, for fucksake.’’ 

He averted his gaze. ‘’I would’ve pulled you up in time.’’ 

You moved closer to him and locked your arms around his neck. He sighed and pressed his forehead against yours, fluttering his eyes closed. ‘’I’m sorry, I - ‘’

‘’Sy, listen - ‘’ 

Sy opened his eyes and the two of you gazed at each other before breaking into laughter. You clutched your sides as you tried to contain your giggles. ‘’This was not how I imagined my plan to work out.’’ 

He grabbed your waist and moved you to his back, urging you to piggy ride him as he made his way to the edge of the pool before answering. ‘’How did you imagine it would work out?’’ 

‘’With some laughter and a kiss.’’ You held on tight as he climbed out of the pool, your legs intertwined to keep yourself steady.

He sat you down on one of the chairs and moved to straddle your legs. ‘’We can still arrange that.’’ 

You smiled as he leaned down to press a lingering kiss on your lips, shaking as his wet skin touched yours before melting into his arms. 

His eyes sparkled with mischief as he pulled back and his gaze flickered from to the pool to you, a boyish grin on his lips. ‘’You ready for another round?’’ 

[crystalirises]

Even Gods Bleed

Hello! So this is a prompt given to me by chaoticbandito in ao3 and I have their permission to post it on Tumblr :)

Also, slight explanation Quackity still has some beef with Techno here but Fundy is not part of the Butcher Gang and instead lives with the SBI (why? Because I said so.).

Tommy is rescued from exile instead because Phil can be a good dad in this prompt XD. Lastly, the differently formatted one lines (bold or italics) are meant to be the voices.

Did I forget Ranboo? No. He's sleeping, I swear!

Yes, I forgot about Ranboo because I am a fool ;-;

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Techno let out a tired breath of air, glancing down at his younger brother who was busy tending to their sheep companion. Ghostbur glanced over at him, a toothy grin on his face as he gave Techno a little wave. A trail of blood was left in their wake as they stumbled towards the cabin they're entire family lived in. Techno wondered when Quackity would finally realize that attacking him was fruitless… and to think the duck hybrid had tried to drag Ghostbur into it. Techno growled under his breath, wishing that Quackity would just get the message and leave them all alone.

"Are you sure Quackity will be alright? I think you killed him with too much force this time." Techno grunted at the question, slightly irritated that Ghostbur had completely forgotten what had just occurred a moment prior. He casted his blood red eyes at his transparent younger brother, feeling all sense of annoyance disappear as he looked into those warm brown eyes. Ghostbur needed to forget, best not let him remember Quackity threatening to kill Friend in front of them. Techno would give up a life if it meant Ghostbur could never remember his trauma. "Friend says thank you, by the way. I don't know what for but I'm so glad you two are getting along. You and Sally used to fight a lot when she…"

Ghostbur stuttered to a pause, an eerie silence following, only interrupted by the occasional loud gust of wind. A blizzard was in the air, he could sense it. Techno simply sighed, knowing what came next. "Oh. Hi, Techno!"

"Hello, Ghostbur." Techno winced, gritting his teeth as though speaking took too much of an effort. He shrugged it off, too focused on getting his younger brother home before any other nuisance decided to show their face. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, the harsh chill of snow biting at the tips of his ears as he took in another deep breath. He'd never thought he'd hate the cold as much as he did right then. "We're headed home."

"Oh? Where did we go before?" Ghostbur's airy voice barely registered, his mind stuttering to a stop as he strained to remember what his brother just said. Ghostbur floated into his view, his eyebrows drawn together. "Techno?"

'Uh oh…'

'Do we tell him?'

'Duck's fault'

'TechnoPain'

'awwww concerned Ghostbur…'

'snow is cold'

'DO WE TELL HIM???'

'no, you nerd'

'Blood…'

'let him find out—'

"Techno?" The voices ceased their chatter, their whispers disappearing into the back of his mind as he simply gave Ghostbur a small nod. Ghostbur placed a hand on his shoulder, eyes narrowing as he searched for something. Techno patted the ghost's hand before trekking back towards the cabin. The sooner they get home, the sooner Techno could retire to sleep. Although why he felt the need to sleep was beyond him. After a few minutes, the pair stopped a few paces near the entrance. Ghostbur still hovered behind him, gaze strangely fixated on Techno's side. Techno gave him a short glance before reaching out towards the nearly frozen doorknob. Darkness had begun to seep into their surroundings, the brutal tundra air beating at his exposed skin. Techno shivered, clutching his blue coat with his free hand. "Techno, why didn't you—"

He threw the door open, cutting off the ghost's sentence as he stumbled his way into their warm home. He waited as Ghostbur and Friend made their way inside, closing the door with a soft thump behind them. Techno didn't stay behind to listen to whatever it was Ghostbur had wanted to say. Quickly draping his coat on the coat hanger, Techno walked deeper into the cabin, intent on making his way to bed. He wanted to sleep. His body ached for it.

"Hold on a second, mate." A familiar chuckle reached his ears as a pair of injured white wings blocked his path. Phil emerged from one of the rooms, a soft smile on his face. "Dinner should be ready soon, would you like—"

'potato soup again?'

'hmmmm no dinner tonight…'

'this should be fun'

'oh whoops'

'potatoes have ruined our lives'

'Phil'

'Tell Phil'

'Philza'

'Dadza'

'DADZA—'

Phil was not a man who was scared easily, having spent nearly half of his waking days nursing his one remaining life. No, he was not a faint hearted man. Once, he was a king. An angel whose very presence struck fear into all those who heard the flap of his wings. He was Philza Minecraft, after all. Yet, as he watched his eldest son topple to the ground, his breathe stuttered to a stop. He stood there frozen for a moment, heart beating madly in his chest until he finally found it in himself to move. He crouched down beside Techno, his hands hovering above his son's all too still form. A metallic scent reached his nose, his eyes flickering about until he saw crimson seeping out of Techno's side. He heard the crack of feathers, his wings morphing into sharp steel at the thought of anyone daring to even hurt one of his sons. Phil tried to keep himself calm, revenge could wait. He had a son to take care of, "Fundy! Tommy! I require a bit of assistance here, please!"

He hears the rush of footsteps from above as he tried to press his shaking hands against the wound. Ghostbur floated into view, his pale ghostly face turning nearly transparent as he took in his brother's unmoving form. Phil wished he could comfort his son but he couldn't, not when he himself was too busy trying to bite down the panic and rage that threatened to spill from his chest. How dare… how dare they try to take away another one of his sons? Phil bit down the bottom of his lip, forcing his mind to concentrate on Techno. His poor son who looked too peaceful, felt too cold to the touch. Phil was going to rip into whoever had the fucking gall to come to their territory and attack one of his sons. He gritted his teeth, nearly cracking them as he tried to quell his fury and horror.

'Killza…'

'Killza…'

'Killza…'

His blood was wet with blood, reminding him of a time where he had been in this situation, where had to watch one of his sons die by his blade. Phil held back his sorrow. Techno wasn't going to die. Phil won't be losing another son anytime soon. It was a deep cut on the side, but Techno will survive it. He will survive it. Techno wasn't going to lose one of his lives like this. Not if Phil had anything to say about it.

Tommy and Fundy finally reached him, their faces stricken with surprise as they saw the limp form of Technoblade. Phil bit back his dry chuckle. Of course they were surprised, no one had ever seen Techno so vulnerable before, but Phil had… once. They quickly snapped out of it, reaching out to help Phil as they all made their way towards Techno's room. They struggled to place the pig hybrid onto the bed, but after a while, they finally did it.

"Tommy, can you get me some bandages and a healing potion." Phil's voice was but a whisper, yet he heard Tommy leave the room anyway. Phil placed a hand on top of Techno's head, petting his son's soft pink hair.

"He'll be okay, right? He isn't…"

"He'll be fine, Fundy."

"... Technoblade never dies…?"

"That's right." Phil smiled at his grandson's words, that old phrase bringing a bit of comfort to him as he glanced over at Fundy. He placed a hand over Techno's, his fingers cold to the touch. Fundy didn't need to wait before grabbing the folded blanket, placing it over Techno to keep him warm as they waited for Tommy to come back. Fundy twitched, picking at the sleeve of his shirt, his gaze never leaving his uncle's form. Phil knew how sensitive Fundy could be at the sight of… probable death. "Thank you. You should probably go check on Ghostbur, I'll handle it from here."

Fundy gave him a small nod before rushing out of the room, nearly bumping into Tommy who had brought more bandages and healing potions than necessary. The blonde tried to mask his fear, but Phil knew his sons, knew their small gestures and what they meant. Tommy's bright blue eyes were blown wide open, his fingers twitching as he made his way to Phil's side. Phil gently took everything from his son's hands, holding onto one of the healing potions as reached out towards Techno. As he slowly helped Techno drink the potion, he could hear Tommy pacing behind him, his sneakers scuffing against the wooden floor. "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch who did this. Ohhhh, when I get my fucking hands on them— I mean, h-how dare they come in here and hurt Techno? What fucking—"

"Tommy, I'm going to need you to calm down. We'll talk to Techno in the morning and strategize, but for now you can help Fundy with Ghostbur." Phil slowly sat back down, empty bottle in hand as he turned to face his youngest son. Tommy looked like he wanted to argue, his hands curled into fists as he glared at the wall. If there wasn't an impending blizzard, he had no doubt Tommy would be rushing to fight whoever had done this. "Tommy, please."

"Is Techie going to be okay?" Tommy turned to him, the shine of tears in his eyes as he rubbed a hand at his mouth. His poor son… they'd recently just saved him from exile. "He's going to be okay, right dad? He's Technoblade!"

"He'll be fine, Tommy."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now, go ahead. I'll stay here."

Tommy hesitated for a minute, his brows creasing together before he finally stomped off into the hallway, screaming profanity at an invisible enemy. Phil shook his head, taking one of the bandages as he focused his entire attention to Techno. The wound was beginning to heal, the potion's effects fixing the damage done against his son. A scar would remain but he knew Techno wouldn't mind it, scars already littered most of the piglin hybrid's skin, what was one more to him? Phil began to dress the wound, knowing that Techno would still feel sore tomorrow regardless of the potion. He nearly cursed as he dropped the bandage, his hands still shaking from the sudden scare he had just gotten.

New L'Manburg was dangerous, far too risky and too paranoid than any nation he's visited. To come to their home under the pretense of hurting one of their own was an unofficial declaration of war. Phil reached for another roll of bandages, wrapping up the wound the best way he knew how. A part of him thought of how he shouldn't be so well-practiced in dressing wounds, thoughts of the times where he's had to help his own sons flashing through his head. Though he knew quite well that at least two of his son's were grown adults, he couldn't stop the undeniable guilt of knowing that they'd been exposed so badly to the cruelties of the world. He'd lost one son to death, and yet it felt as though he'd lost all three.

Techno was plagued by voices.

Wilbur was dead . His poor son is gone .

Tommy was haunted by his exile.

Phil laid his head against the mattress, a hand still holding on to Techno's. He was going to keep his family safe. He'd let them heal here… in their cabin. Phil wasn't going to let them break. Never again. He was here, and he'll die before anyone dared try to hurt them.

He stayed and fell asleep by Techno's side, his hand's hold never wavering even as he woke the next day. As he glanced up, a pair of warm, blood red eyes greeted him. A smile found its way to Phil's lips.

"Good morning, Techno."

"Good morning, dad."

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

;-; I've never even written Phil or Techno ;-;

[anon-rebel-writes]

Of Pink Fairies and Teenage Boys - 2

Hi everyone! I hope your day has been going well!

The second chapter is finally here! I’m really sorry for the long wait! I found myself writing the future chapters instead of the chapter that I needed to upload XD

This part is a bit shorter than what I wanted it to be, but I still like it! I hope you enjoy it too!

It begins under the cut! <3 Ao3 Link

Soft humming pulled Luka out of his sleep. He turned his head towards the sound and saw Marinette floating around, cleaning and tidying his room. Marinette, the fairy girl, because his life totally needed more chaos than normal.

She must’ve heard him shuffling around because she whipped her head to him and flew up to his face. “Good morning, Monsieur Couffaine! How was your rest?” Luka managed to sit straight and wiped his face quickly to help wake himself up. Usually he would wake up with his back feeling strained, but surprisingly he felt pretty good.

Well maybe not surprisingly, Marinette probably had something to do with his relaxed body, seeing as her magic is what made him fall asleep. But he couldn’t help feeling bad about it all, this poor girl was using her magic on him. Suddenly his mind filled with cloudy thoughts, he was supposed to help people, not the other way around.

Taking a deep breath, he plastered a smile on his face for her. “It was great! I’m feeling a lot better now. I don’t want to bother you anymore than I already have, so you can leave if you need to.” Marinette gave him a big pout for her little body, her hands landed on her hips as she glared at him.

“Monsieur Couffaine, I’m not leaving you. I can feel how unhappy you still are. Fairies can detect emotions very easily, especially human emotions, you’re all so transparent with your feelings.” His facade disappeared and he ran his hands through his hair. “Right. Sorry, I just don’t like bothering people,” he looked down at his lap and let his hands play with the fraying hem of his shirt.

With his head down, he couldn’t see her pout disappearing and a sympathetic look took over. Before she could give him encouraging words, loud groaning came from the other side of the divider. Luka’s eyes flew wide open and he tried to grab Marinette to hide her. “Miss Fairy! You have to hide!” The divider flew wide open and a very dazed Juleka appeared, “What did you just call me?”

Her sluggish eyes pierced through him as she scowled, “I’d be offended, but I’m honestly way too tired to care about it.” Luka’s eyes flew to Marinette but she set a finger on her lips and winked. He stared at her a little longer before Juleka walked over to him and the tiny fairy fazed through her body. “Dude, are you good? You’re acting weirder than usual, and you’re usually pretty weird,” Juleka squinted and leaned towards him. “You seem off.”

This was crazy. Yesterday Luka learned that fairies were real, now his fairy (his fairy, wow that sounds insane) could faze through people? And Juleka couldn’t see her? Maybe this was a dream and Marinette wasn’t even real. While a huge part of Luka wanted to scream from the utter chaos that was running through his mind, a tiny part of him was hurt.

He’s been off for a while, didn’t she notice that before? He tried to push the bad thoughts out of his mind and faked a smile for her. “Sorry, Jules. I just had a weird dream. Don’t worry about me, okay?” Although Juleka didn’t seem convinced, she also appeared too tired to argue.

She scanned him over one last time before shuffling out of the room. Once they were sure she was gone, Marinette popped in front of Luka. The bright smile on her face completely contrasted Luka’s disoriented expression. “Yeah, uh, what was that?! She can’t see you?! Are you even real?”

Marinette rolled her eyes playfully at him and sat on his shoulder. “You’re not crazy, Monsieur Couffaine. I’m hiding myself from other humans for my own safety.”

Luka narrowed his eyes at her and lifted a hand to catch her. She moved into his palm and he brought her to his face. “Hey, why do Fairies wanna help humans anyways? Didn’t you say humans were known to attack you or something?” Marinette sighed and began running her hands along the lines of his hands.

“Fairies get our magic from emotions. Human emotions are strong and powerful, so we come here to feed off of them. Negative emotions happen to be the strongest, so we come by whenever humans feel depressed. It’s a symbiotic relationship! We get the magic so we can stay alive and healthy, and you end up feeling better!”

“So if you take my negative emotions, I don’t have to feel sad again?” Luka sat back down on the bed and let her lay on his lap. He was beginning to understand the situation. She shuffled to get a better seat, “No, we don’t take the emotions away. Just- oh! Think of it as a pond with lily pads!”

And he was lost again. “Your emotions are the water, and the lily pads are the magic you give off. You’re a fish living in the water who can’t use the lily pads. So we fairies take them off the water and it helps bring light into the pond. Make sense?”

“Other than the fact that you compared me to a fish? Absolutely.”

Marinette giggled and flew out of his lap. He watched as she dove into his dresser and pulled out a pre-planned outfit for him. It was a simple t-shirt, one of the few ones he had that hadn’t been ripped, and some simple blue jeans. Luka lifted an eyebrow at her, a smirk tugged at his mouth. “You’re planning my outfits too? A fairy who loves fabric and plans outfits.”

Marinette’s face lit up and she threw the outfit at him, moving to sit down on his amp. “Looking good means feeling good! I don’t know if you could tell, but I always look good.” She pressed her hands together and gave him a little pout, “Please trust me, Monsieur Couffaine? I think the outfit looks nice...”

Her pout made his stomach do weird flips. He sighed and laid the clothes on the bed next to him. “You can call me Luka, y’know. ‘Monsieur Couffaine’ is way too fancy for me- and please don’t say that ‘Sounding Nice means Being Nice’ because I promise you, I’ll find a way to make it awkward.”

She gently shook her head and waved her hand at him. “Fine, ‘Luka’. I’ll call you whatever you want. But I’m still trying to get a feel for you, so if you don’t like the outfit, we can find something better later, okay?”

While he knew he would like it, considering how simple of an outfit it was, he still was thankful she was willing to be patient with him. He finally stood up and began fiddling with his shirt. “Just - um - Look away please?”

Marinette quickly nodded and fazed through the wall to give him privacy. But Luka was sure that her glow seemed a little brighter than normal, although it could’ve just been his imagination. Honestly after finding out that fairies were actual creatures, he wasn’t sure what was real anymore. He was still doubting Marinette’s existence.

After changing and letting Marinette inspect the outfit to make sure it was perfect, he quickly waved goodbye to Juleka and began to head out the boat. The fairy sat on his shoulder to keep up with him.

“So where are we going next? Oh, let me guess! School, right? I’ve heard about human schools. They seem so fun! I’ve always wanted to go into a school and pretend to be a human! ‘Hello my learner-person. I am a human girl, Marinette! Give me my learning please!’ How was that?! Convincing?” She was so enthusiastic about school, honestly it made him feel a little bad that he wasn’t going there.

“Very convincing. With a little more practice, you could...totally pass for a human?”

The way she wiggled her feet in delight made his cheeks burn. He couldn’t help but imagine her reactions to other human things, everything about her was so cute. “Thank you! But I don’t think I could ever actually be a human, being a fairy is way better. I’ll leave the humaning to the humans.”

They shared a small laugh before he began riding his bike to pick up his deliveries for the day. “But um- We’re not going to school. It’s the summer, school is out. I’m actually going to my job.” She hummed an acknowledgement as she held tightly to his shirt.

After collecting his first round of pizzas, he decided to let her sit in his basket. They rode in silence for a while, with the occasional gasp and excited shriek coming from Marinette as they passed some interesting humans.

“So...how long are you supposed to be with me? Not that I mind- I mean, you’re cute- Or uh, fun. Sorry, I never usually stutter like this. Not that there’s anything wrong with stuttering- wow I suck at words…” Marinette looked up at him and gave him an easygoing smile, which used to be his thing but clearly life has been against him lately.

“Well that kind of depends on you? However long it takes you to become happy, that’s how long I’ll be around. Hey, speaking of happiness and jobs and happiness for jobs, how does your job make you feel?”

Luka looked at the basket filled pizzas and the little fairy. While she was adorable, it was clear she wasn’t much better with words than he was, which comforted him a bit. Luka obviously wasn’t a huge fan of deliveries, but he needed the money. More specifically, his family needed the money. “I mean... it’s a job. I don’t think anyone’s job makes them happy. Especially not when they’re my age, most people would rather never work again, right?”

The fairy stared at the sidewalk they rode on. She seemed stuck on contemplating his question, her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes seemed distant. “Yeah, I guess so.” Luka wanted to ask what she meant, but they reached his first delivery, a simple apartment complex. He grabbed the order and let Marinette sit on his shoulder.

Walking to the specific apartment, she stared at everything they passed in awe. She made small comments on a few people they passed and a few pictures they saw on the wall. As they got to the specific flat, they waited for the person to open the door.

“So what're your career goals?”

Luka looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow. “You’re still thinking about that?” Her eyes brightened and she quickly nodded her head. “Of course! I’m very interested in you! I mean- not interested! I am! But in a professional way! Not in a weird romantic way! Oh gosh, imagine! It’d be another Adrien situation-!” Marinette covered her mouth as she realized what she said.

His brain felt like it shut down. Interested? In me? He tried to shake away those thoughts and focused on something else she said, “Adrien situation? What’s that?”

Before the fairy could answer, the door swung open. After a quick exchange of pizza and money, they made their way back down the apartment building. “So… how about those career goals?” Luka looked at Marinette and saw she was obviously trying to avoid the previous topic.

“Well...I’m really curious about the Adrien situation. If you can’t talk about it, I understand, but I would love to know?”

Marinette grew quiet for a bit. He grew nervous that he overstepped his place. “Sorry-” “He was my friend.”

Luka sat her back down in his basket as he began riding down the sidewalk. “Friend?” She looked up at him then moved her gaze to the path ahead of them. “Well, he was more than my friend. I...might’ve had a huge crush on him...”

Fairies having crushes was definitely a strange concept, but he supposed that it made sense. Since their magic had a lot to do with emotions, it seemed reasonable that they felt love too. Although for some strange reason, his heart felt like it was tightening.

“He never felt the same way. Which was fine! I didn’t mind. But he ended up falling in love with a human girl, I think her name was Kagami? He was so...in love.” Her demeanor turned bleak as her glow dimmed. Luka was about to stop her before she started weakly laughing. “That’s okay though! I’m happy for him, really. But because she was a human, that meant he couldn’t be with her. So he gave up his powers to live in the mortal world.”

Luka made his way to the next stop, a small, cosy house. He stopped his bike and waited in front of the residence while she talked. “You can do that? Fairies can just...give up their powers? Can you get them back?” Marinette shook her head. She quickly looked around and noticed that they already made it to their next destination. “But that’s fine! Like I said, I’m happy for him! Come on, Monsieur- I mean- Luka. We should continue your job! Then you can tell me more about yourself!”

He gave her a sympathetic smile and began moving the pizzas to get this next delivery. “Y’know, I may not be a fairy and magical like you, but I’ve heard that I’m a good listener. If you ever wanted to talk- Or not, I mean you don’t have to.” His hands felt a bit clammy. Why was he feeling so strange? His chest felt like it was being pushed down, was it her magic?

Marinette flew up to his face and gave him a sweet smile. “Luka, it’s my job to make you happy. Not the other way around. Come on, let’s go! I wanna get all your sad juices outta ya!”

She flew ahead of him towards the door, completely ignoring how her words made his face change colors drastically.

The rest of the day went fairly normally, aside from a few strange stares from people they passed by. This confused Luka until he remembered that he was the only one who could see the tiny floating girl in his basket. By the time they got home, the sun was starting to set. He made his way into his cabin, seeing as his mom and sister weren’t home yet.

Once they entered his room, Marinette flew into her hoodie/bed and stretched as she snuggled into it. “Today was fun, I love learning about humans… especially about you. Your life is so fun…” Her words slowed as her glow dimmed. She seemed to be falling asleep already.

Luka rolled his eyes at her playfully before laying down on his bed himself. “Yeah, I love having you around. Having a fairy friend is pretty cool. It’s nice having someone to talk to.” Her eyes opened slightly as a lazy smile took over her face. “Fairy friend?”

He chuckled at her and pulled the hoodie a little more over her body. “Yeah, Fairy Friend.”

[lily-mj-fae]

If your prompts are still open. Az has gone missing on a mission that he’s been undercover for 6 months and Elain’s worried sick and a vice a versa of the “I’m getting her back” moment. Where Elain uses her powers to find him and save him 🤗

We have more things outside my comfort zone xD But I like action like this and I can use it to play off of some things floating around in my head. Also, I totally loved that Azriel was like “I’m being a part of this mission to save elain. No one is stopping me” because YESS. Also, this is difficult, at least for me to do as a one shot. SO I am sorry for the wait, it’s only been 20,000 years. But I hope that you enjoy it regardless. It ended up being almost 3000 words. Which is a lot for me.

Az had always found a way to contact her, even when he likely shouldn’t have. It’d been a way to reassure her that he was safe. After the times Feyre disappeared and they never heard from her (though part of that had been a whole other mess), it had been comforting that he would let her know he was safe.

After 3 months, the communication stopped. She waited a few days, then a couple weeks. And soon it’d been four months since he’d left, and a whole month without any communication. She was worried at that point. But when she’d brought it up to Nuala and Cerridwen, they had somewhat helped ease her worries. Sometimes, no matter how much Azriel might want to try to keep in touch, he would have to forgo it sometimes.

And that worked to calm her for only another month. When another month passed, and she hadn’t heard from him, the worry began to return. But he was supposed to be home soon. She could wait and count the days.

But once it’d hit the mark that he’d been gone for six months, she was beyond reasoning anymore. He was supposed to be home. He should have been home, and if he wasn’t going to be home, he would have told someone…anyone that he’d been delayed. Even the others were worried though they tried to rationalize it. And they’d never say anything to her. But they didn’t know she’d been learning from him and the shadow twins. So she knew even they were worried.

So it came down to Elain. She would find him, if it was the last thing she did.

When Nuala and Cerridwen entered her room, she was dressed in a way she’d never been dressed before. She had on pants, and tunic, held together with a belt. A dagger that Azriel had gifted her at his side.

“Lady…” Nuala had started.

“Nuala,” Elain interrupted. “Something has happened to Azriel, and I know it. And no one else is as concerned as me. They don’t know that they should be worried.”

It was Cerridwen who gave a subtle nod. Followed shortly by her twin.

“I think I can find him,” Elain continued shortly. “But…I don’t know if I can help him alone. But I have to go after him. I have to find him and I have to do whatever I can to help him.”

It was a plea for them to help, though she couldn’t find the words to directly ask them. That was something she still struggled with. Something she wasn’t sure how to overcome. Perhaps it was guilt, from being so reliant on Feyre for so long, and not feeling able to do more for her. And now the idea of relying on anyone for help, it brought back feelings of guilt and shame. At least, with the important things, the bigger things.

The shadow twins, for everything they’d done to help teach her, seemed to understand. And this was why she was relieved when they gave another silent nod. It was the middle of the night. Rhys and Feyre had retired to their room long ago and would hopefully either be too preoccupied to notice her leaving, or fast asleep already.

She paused though, opening the door a crack to close a letter into it for Feyre. She didn’t want her sister to think she’d been taken. Or that she’d run away. But she intended to ensure that Feyre didn’t follow after her. She could do this, and would. Azriel and the shadow twins had taught her a lot.

Feyre,

I’ve left to get Azriel. I couldn’t sit and wait any longer. I know something has happened. So I’m going to find him. Don’t worry. I have help. And I know we can save him. I’ll be back.

Elain

Then Elain followed the twins out the front door of the river manor, and they stepped into shadows. Traveling through shadows had probably been the strangest thing that Elain had learned from Azriel. It was almost like winnowing (though she hadn’t been able to learn that), only instead of feeling like she was in a void, she felt wrapped in mysterious fabric. She preferred it. She wanted to be well outside of Velaris before using the Map she’d packed to try and find Azriel. As far as she could be from both sisters in case they tried to trace her using her powers.

Once they were in the woods, hiding in a cave, wrapped in shadows, Elain pulled out the map and laid it out flat. She’d only used this particular piece of her abilities twice. And even then, it’d only worked once, when finding the suriel for Feyre. But Nuala and Cerridwen each put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she closed her eyes. She focused on Azriel. On the way his scars looked and felt. On that sometimes faraway look in his eyes. On the way his wings shifted when he moved. She focused on the sound of his voice, the sound of his laugh.

And then her hand was moving, pointed finger tracing along the map until it stopped. She took a moment before opening her eyes. And then she was filled with such a deep rage as she’d never felt before that she was moving. Leaving behind the map, and nearly the twins as she moved. She let herself move through shadows quickly and without thought. Nuala and Cerridwen barely kept up with her. Until she started slowly from exhaustion. But she kept trying to push herself until the twins grabbed her and held her.

“You can’t keep going, lady,” Nuala said gently.

“You’re exhausted. You won’t be able to help him if you use all of your strength now,” Cerridwen reminded. 

And because they’d stopped moving, Elain felt the exhaustion truly hit her. And she nearly fell back into the females. So she nodded and set down her pack. She grabbed a blanket, and smiled slightly to herself when she saw the twins with their blankets from Solstice. It didn’t take long for sleep to claim her though as she wrapped herself with her own blanket, huddled with the two shadows. 

When Elain woke, she knew more time than she’d have liked had passed. But Nuala and Cerridwen had food. 

“You need to eat too,” they chided. And Elain listened, taking the food. She ate it, feeling her stomach grumbling anyway. She even pulled out the apples she had packed and handed each of the twins one and ate one herself. Then she made quick work of packing everything up and getting ready to move again. She would get to Azriel today. She didn’t care what it would take. 

Once the three women had their things together, she left the map for last. She checked again, focusing in on Azriel, letting her finger come to rest on his location. He hadn’t been moved. She felt both relief and fear there. She could still find him. But what if it meant a worse fate for him than she expected? She didn’t let herself consider the worst. She needed to keep it together as she put away the map and joined the shadow twins. 

Together they kept moving even as they reached where the wall had once stood. It felt strange, passing through that spot. Elain could still feel the remains of the immense power that it had possessed when it had been standing, though they were able to cross the invisible boundary with no problem. Soon she came to the fortress that she could never forget. She imagined that in a few centuries, it would be crumbling while she would look as she did now. That was strange.

“You two will need to disappear into the shadows,” she said softly. “If anything happens, you’ll need to be able to save him. It’s better if they think I’m alone.”

The two gave silent nods. Elain had no doubt that there would be some conflict if things came to turn. And likely they’d be trying to save her. But she was not the one needing rescuing today. 

Elain marched through the gate to Graysen’s family’s estate. The dogs approached, some growling. But some still recognized her for who she was. And they seemed almost confused, staying back. But Elain paid them no mind as she marched to the door. And then she banged her fist against the wood. Probably with more force than she intended, ultimately leaving a small dent in the spot. 

When the servant opened the door, Elain saw the flicker of surprise and recognition, and then terror as she took in the distinctly fae ears.

“I must speak with Lord Graysen,” Elain said, her tone as soft as she could allow it to be while demanding her ex-fiance’s presence.

“He will not-”

“He will come speak to me, now, or I will be forced to enter myself. Do not make me do that.” It felt wrong, made her heart skip and race with nervous energy to be so harsh. She did not like it. But she didn’t have time for politeness. Az needed help, and she was the only one coming for him.

The woman seemed to understand that Elain wasn’t going anywhere and nodded before leaving. Elain waited, taking deep breaths to calm herself. It had been a few years since she’d seen Graysen. And even then, it had ended horribly. It didn’t matter that she’d prepared herself to face it either, it had broken her and she’d been unable to hold it together. She could not fall apart again. She couldn’t afford to, Az couldn’t afford it.

The door opened, and there stood Graysen. The years hadn’t changed him, not yet. His hair was still a deep brown, his eyes blue like the ocean. But gone was all the warmth that had once been directed at her. Instead, he stared at her with cold hatred. 

“You are not welcome here,” he growled out at her. 

“Where is he?” she demanded in kind.

“Where is who?” he asked. “Surely not that mate of yours. I let Jurian deal with him. And your kind isn’t welcome here.”

Elain glowered. Both at the mention of Lucien against her, and the way he spoke of her. It wasn’t as if she’d asked to be kidnapped in the middle of the night and tossed into the cauldron. It wasn’t as if she’d asked to be fae. “I know he’s here,” she said in a low voice. “I am giving you the chance to free Azriel, or I will take him myself.”

“You know what my fortress is like, Elain. You wouldn’t make it. You’d die first.”

“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you Graysen.” 

“I caught your friend didn’t I?”

“Wasn’t he here to talk about the Mortal Queens? You don’t kidnap and hold those who are trying to help you.”

It made sense now. Azriel hadn’t told her everything. He was going to gather more intel on the mortal queens, and then relay them at a meeting. She hadn’t really thought about it much, assuming it would be with Lucien and Jurian as well. But instead he ended up being held by Graysen.

“What does it matter to you? Don’t you think that you’re spreading yourself a little thin. A mate. This...creature. Are there other men? Perhaps Jurian and he just wants to keep that tidbit to him-”

Silence followed the sound of skin hitting skin. Elain’s hand dropped. Greysen’s head was turned, his hand cradling his cheek as blood started to pool at the corner of his mouth.

“Do. Not. Try to shame me. Not for what I am. Not for Lucien. And not for Az. I loved you. With all my heart once upon a time,” she ground out. “I did not ask for what happened. I did not want it. I wanted to be here. With you. You rejected me. I didn’t ask for a mate. I didn’t want one. You were the only person I wanted. And you will not shame me for moving on. I will ask only one more time, Where is Azriel?”

Graysen looked at her with a mixture of deepened disgust and yet also fear. He hadn’t expected her to do that. Or for her to be so strong. 

But he did not answer her. So she stepped closer. Glaring up at him. “It would do well to not hurt those who are trying to help you. Not when you know the mortal queens and most of Prythian couldn’t care about any of the humans here. Or you’ll likely find yourself isolated. And you and I both know you wouldn’t survive in the end,” she said. “And I can promise you, you’ll be lucky if you don’t die for whatever harm you’ve already caused. My sister, and her mate, are rather protective of their friends.”

He glared back at her, but said nothing. She knew he was considering her words carefully.

“You have ten minutes,” he told her. “Ten minutes to find him and get out before I let loose a hunt on the grounds.”

She sighed. It was likely the best she was going to get. So she nodded. And then closed her eyes, Holding Azriel in her mind. 

“Aren’t you going to go look for him? You’re wasting precious time,” he mocked.

But she ignored him. She reached for Azriel. And let herself walk, without opening her eyes. She stayed focused on the male she loved. Her feet moved light and quick, and she was even sure she’d likely slipped into the shadows to move even faster.

“Elain?”

She opened her eyes and found Azriel chained to the wall. Immediately she recognized the Faebane. And she wondered if Graysen had made sure to collect some when Hybern’s camps and armies were being raided. She was shocked she’d even managed to find him. She remembered Feyre describing how hard it had been to find Rhys when he’d been bound with it. But perhaps being cauldron made was her own private advantage. 

She smiled at him. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed in her time to find him, but she knew regardless it was dwindling. “Don’t worry, we’re going to get you out of here,” she said softly.

“We?”

Elain didn’t need to elaborate as the shadow twins came out of shadows, stepping forward. They began working on the locks to the small cell Azriel was in. And Elain barely waited for it to open before rushing in to him. She threw her arms around him. 

“Has he hurt you?” she asked, something dark in her voice. 

She was focused solely on Azriel as the shadow twins picked the locks on the cuffs. She made a mental note though to add that to the things she learned. 

Azriel shook his head. “Not really,” he groaned. “Caught me by surprise and knocked me out. And then locked me down here. He questioned me a lot. Nothing more.”

Elain wasn’t sure if he was being entirely honest. But she didn’t have time to spare for making Graysen pay. Not when she had to get Azriel out of there. His arms fell free, wrapping around her. And she soaked up that embrace. 

“We have to go,” she murmured. Graysen gave me ten minutes to find you and get off his land. After that, if we’re caught we’re in trouble.”

He nodded, and she stood, offering him a hand to help him up. It was clear the male was weakened, and it infuriated Elain. But she had to get him to safety. That was the only thing that mattered. The only thing that she could focus on.

To hide all of them as they moved, Elain had to work with the shadow twins. And she knew time had run out when they heard a guard running down a hall. They managed to just duck into a quiet room, sitting in the dark. When they’d passed, the group moved again, swiftly and quietly. 

There were a few close calls. But they managed to stay hidden, alert the whole time. Instead of fleeing towards the wall, Elain took them to the ruined estate that had once been home. She wanted Azriel to have some time and space to rest, and she set up a spot for him, starting a small fire and watching as he slept. He seemed restless in his sleep, and it worried her. So she placed a gentle hand on his head and stroked his hair, until he seemed to relax a bit. She’d done it. She’d saved him. She hadn’t been sure she’d be able to. But she had. And now it was time to take him home.