#so I wanted to give him a chance with someone while introducing a new character

[prinzrupprecht]

When someone else gives you gifts

Featuring: Tesla, Apollo, Qin, and Thor ( part 1 )

Part 2 will be different characters

CW: mostly fluff and jealousy. Yandere tendencies with some of them

Tesla

He came home from a long day of work expecting you to be asleep but he noticed you on the couch reading a book. “Why are you awake? You didn’t have to wait for me.” He was right, it was nearly midnight while you waited for him.

He was very into his research and his passion for science sometimes made you question your insanity as to why you fell for this man if science was more important than you— his partner.

“Oh, I did? I guess I was too into this book. Also, thanks for the flowers hun.” You walked over to him and raised your toes to kiss him on his nose. He looked at you with confusion. Flowers? He didn’t get you flowers.

“Flowers? I didn’t get you any,” he felt bad when he saw the large bouquet on the table. Did someone give these to you? An unknown feeling formed in his chest.

Quickly he walked over to it and grabbed them tossing them in the trash. “Hey! Why did you do that?!” You shouted angrily but he stopped you from taking them out of the trash.

“We’ll plant a whole garden of roses, besides…” he grabbed your waist.

“I prefer if other men didn’t give you such things when I am the only one that has that privilege,” he kept you close while your heart was racing in your chest. A whole garden? You liked the sound of that instead.

Apollo

He noticed it right away. The new necklace that you were wearing. “This is new.” He lifted the chain up with one finger, but he knew it was a stupid question. You most likely found it in the pile of jewelry he has given you over the years.

You were dumbfounded at first and looked down at the necklace. “One of your followers… he— he gave it to me as a gift,” you stuttered. There was a long pause between you two before he clipped the necklace off.

Apollo didn’t like the idea of another giving you luxury things. He was trying to keep calm but he laughed while holding the necklace in between a few of his fingers while holding it up over his head.

“A cheap thing like this? I could give you anything you want," Apollo pulled you closer to him with his arms tugging around your small body. You knew you were trapped with him and he wouldn’t let go. Was he afraid that someone would steal you away from him? Nobody could steal you away from him. More so you used to be jealous of his herd of women and used to ignore him. He took more interest in you than the other way around in the beginning.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I— I won’t accept any more gifts from your followers.” Apollo liked hearing that as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

With you being his only beloved, he would be the only one to give you things. Was he jealous? He wouldn’t admit if he was. He believed that jealousy was a disgusting trait and nothing beautiful about it.

With you in his arms, he deeply sighed dramatically. “Now my dear, go put on something nice that was from me this time.” his lips were near your ears as his breath tickled down your spine. Without any hesitation, you nodded happily to your beloved before retreating to go back to your shared room.

Qin Shi Huang

You knew Qin as a child because of your affiliation with Chun Yan who introduced you two. You were treated like a daughter to her but she wasn’t your biological mother. You treated Ying as everyone else and not some creepy kid that everyone thought he was. Over time this made him fall for you and ask you to stay with him even after Chun Yan died.

Fast forward to the present as Qin Shi Huang— also known as Ying Zheng became king as he promised to Chun Yan. You still were by his side even when other nobles offered their daughters to him as concubines or an arranged marriage, he dismissed them all. Normally jealousy filled you and you thought there was no chance for a commoner like you could be his empress.

As you wandered the halls of his palace, you ran into one of the young maids who told you she had something for you. It was a very fine patterned robe that only nobles were granted to wear. “I can’t wear this, it’s forbidden for someone like me to—” she cut you off by telling you that it was fine and Qin said so. Qin?! Were you going to believe her? Did she have some ulterior motive? You reluctantly tried it on. It was dark red with flowers on it. The maid wasn’t around which was odd. Your former clothes were gone as well. Huh?!

You found the main hall looking for your room to possibly change, but Qin noticed you even with his blindfold on. Thank god he can’t see you with the noble robe on, right? “There you are, you had me worried for a minute.” He grabbed your arm but that was a mistake. He felt the expensive silk of the robe. The sleeves were long so of course he knew what kind of material you were wearing.

“Oh? It’s not like you to be wearing such a thing.” He chuckled before a smile appeared on his lips. He wasn’t mad?!

“Your maid told me to wear it and said that you were fine with it, but she left and took my clothes…” you frowned but Qin was more upset that someone was trying to get you in trouble. He could never get mad at you. You were too pure and kind. You had accepted him for who he is and stood by his side.

“Now tell me who it was, I’ll make sure she’ll get punished later.” You wanted to object but you can’t because he was your king. You nodded and felt bad that the maid would most likely lose her job. He still held onto you even though you were shaking a bit. He told you to wear more of those robes since they look good on you. Even just hearing him say that brought a bubbly feeling in your heart.

Thor

You were again stuck inside the Asgard palace bored again… The entire city was nearly destroyed by titans and many civilians were rebuilding their homes and businesses. You looked out of the window and spotted Forseti talking to a few of the officials. You loathed the man, he didn’t do anything during the invasion and only worried about Thor.

A knock was heard from your room, you had expected that Thor had returned but then you remembered he doesn’t knock. You grumbled a lowly come in and of course, Loki was at the door looking smug than ever. “The hell do you want?” You frowned, why would you ever be so hopeful that Thor would free his time up for you? You two weren’t even married either but acted like it. Odin had tried to forbid any relationship between you two, but Thor didn’t obey that order.

“Why so snarky? I just wanted to come to check up on my future sis-in-law,” he mocks that last part since the marriage thing was off the table. You didn’t say anything. Was he here to try to make you angry?

He quickly changed the subject and pulled out a small doll he made. “I made this, it does look like you, right? Here take it,” he put it next to you. It sort of creeped you out but you kept quiet. Were you terrified? Maybe.

“Why are you making voodoo dolls?” You detested the plushie and hoped Thor would come back sooner.

“Who said it was for that kind of sorcery? It’s just a gift! I swear!” Loki was faking his emotions while you quietly mumbled ‘whatever’ and reluctantly accepted it while holding the doll as he took his leave. What a weird guy…

Hours had passed by as you fell asleep on the couch but you had awoken to someone moving you. “You’re back?” You looked up to see Thor holding you with both of his arms. His expression wasn’t calm like usual. He seemed irritated. Did something happen?

“Mhm…” he was quiet but you saw how different his expressions were than usual.

“He came here when I was gone,” he grabbed the doll that was next to you squeezing it so hard that the head of the doll popped off. How his cousin was gifting you such things. Creepy things. Thor wanted to beat sense to him but held back his anger.

“Sorry, I didn’t know what he would do if I rejected it.” You frowned but Thor's left hand touched your cheek as you stared up at him. He genuinely smiled.

“He won’t hurt you… I’ll make sure of it.” The reassurance you wanted the most as you buried your face in his chest. You just wanted his comfort and nothing else.

Note: no eta when part 2 will come but if I do another it’ll probably be Susano’o, Buddha, Loki and Anubis. Edit: I forgot about Poseidon. So probably 5 characters for part 2.

[halfmoth-halfman]

forever is mine with you

Pairing: Kyle “Gaz” Garrick x F!Reader Word Count: 3.2k Warnings: cheating (reader gets cheated on) & fluff Prompt: Neighbors Disclaimer: I do not own modern warfare or any of the modern warfare characters. A/N: we've got more gaz for @glitterypirateduck’s GazFest 2023 💜

January

Kyle's new neighbor moves in the day after New Year's.

He hadn’t even known his old neighbor had moved out, so rare was it that he spent time at home. He sees the moving van just as he’s returning from his morning run, slowing to a curious pace as he passes by to get into the apartment building. The van doors are wide open, revealing a few larger boxes and a long, black couch, but there’s no one around. 

He knows this area is safe, that there’s very little chance of someone making off with any of the boxes–and no chance of someone getting away with the couch–but he’s a worrier at heart. So, he hovers near the entrance, pretending to be occupied on his phone while keeping an eye on the van through the large glass windows of the building.  

His breath hitches in his throat the second you step into the lobby. You look positively exhausted, dressed in an oversized sweatshirt and leggings with stray pieces of your tied-up hair sticking to your sweaty forehead. Deep bags run under your eyes as you blink away sleep and what Kyle suspects is remnants of a New Year’s well-spent. Despite your tired appearance, there’s a wide smile spread across your face that has his heart skipping a beat as you head out to the van and start pulling out another box. 

The box could be heavy, Kyle thinks, watching you slide it across the floor of the van. It would be rude not to offer help. 

He gets two steps toward the door when someone rushes past him, and a man hurries to the van to lift the box from your hands. You stick your tongue out at him and lean over the box to give him a quick kiss before you disappear into the van again. Kyle decides to wait to introduce himself and, with one last look at your grinning face, turns to head back to his flat.

February

He doesn’t see you again for a month. 

It’s not that he didn’t want to properly introduce himself, he just never had the chance. It seemed the two of you were operating on different schedules, only catching small glimpses of each other like ships passing in the night. 

He has one week of leave left, and Kyle intends to make every second worth it. He spends the day outside, enjoying the fresh air and treating himself to his favorite takeout. He’s reluctant to return to his flat, but the moment he steps onto his floor he can’t seem to remember why. 

All of his thoughts go straight to you, and the way you’re standing outside of your door looking like something straight out of his dreams. 

Not that he would ever admit to dreaming of you, of course.

You’re all dressed up, more beautiful than anyone Kyle has ever seen. Hair done and decorated with tiny pearls to match the string of pearls around your neck, makeup flawless right down to the velvet red painted on your lips, he can’t seem to take his eyes off of you. It’s the dress that does him in. All crimson silk as it clings to every curve of your body, a slit in the leg that is so sinfully high. 

You must feel him staring because you turn your head and meet his eyes with shocking quickness. Kyle composes himself, not wanting to be labeled as the creepy neighbor, and gives a wave with a polite, friendly smile. You smile back, almost bashful, as you shift on your feet. 

Say something, he scolds himself, don’t just stare.

“What’s the occasion?” he asks once he’s managed to find his voice. You raise a brow, something like amusement crossing your face. 

“Valentine’s Day?” you laugh softly with a tilt of your head. 

Right. It was the 14th, wasn’t it? It’d been so long since he’d celebrated–or had someone to celebrate with–Kyle had stopped thinking about the holiday. 

“Fun plans, then?” he says, nodding to your dress and trying his hardest not to stare at the way your pearl necklace dips into the deep neckline. 

You shrug, and there’s a quick, nervous glance back to your door, “Not sure, yet. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

Your smile falls just a bit before you overcompensate and replace it with an even bigger one, but Kyle–too observant for his own good–sees right through you.

“Not a fan of surprises?” Kyle asks before he can stop himself. 

“I–”

Your door opens, and Kyle notices the way you jump at the noise. He keeps the smile on his face, but he can feel his jaw tensing as your boyfriend steps out in his crisp black suit and red tie. He ignores Kyle altogether, sliding a hand around your waist and pressing a kiss to your cheek. The two of you exchange quiet words before he begins to guide you toward the lift. 

You glance over your shoulder, giving Kyle a quick smile. You turn away before he has time to smile back, and Kyle resigns himself to a night alone. 

April

He’s gone for a month, but he thinks about you every day. 

He tells himself it’s curiosity, that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to get to know the new person living next to him. It’s all purely platonic. 

He knows he’s lying. 

When he finally returns home, after a draining month of blood and dry sand, he finds himself hoping to see you.

He doesn’t, not for a few days anyway. You don’t appear until he’s coming back from his morning run. He’s walking into the lobby, too busy looking at his phone, just as you’re walking out, too focused on the drink in your hand. 

You collide with him, falling into a tangle of limbs and hot coffee. There’s a flurry of apologies from both ends, only worsening when Kyle notices the coffee stain on your cream sweater. You shrug it off, telling him you weren’t going anywhere important anyway, but the guilt is still there. 

He knows he should make it up to you, so he does the only thing he can think of.

He offers to bring you up to his place and take one of his sweaters while he cleans yours.

Your face drops into an expression of shock, and worry courses through him, but you shake yourself out of your daze and, surprisingly, you agree. 

He tries to ignore the hammering of his heart as he leads you up to his flat. You don’t seem bothered, perhaps a little too trusting, following him inside without comment. 

The first thing you do is compliment his home, and Kyle feels shyness creeping up his spine. He points you to his bedroom, telling you to pick anything you want while he waits in the kitchen. He makes himself a cup of tea, trying to soothe the nerves building up in his chest. 

This isn’t how he expected his day to go, but he’s not complaining. Not when you’re feet away in his bedroom, looking through his closet so you can wear one of his shirts. 

She has a boyfriend, you idiot. Stop it. 

No matter how much he bullies himself, Kyle can’t find it in him to care.

“Military, huh?”

Kyle looks up, ready to give some snarky retort, but he sees you wearing that worn grey sweater with his last name faded across the back and his mind stops working. 

You stare at him expectantly, clearing your throat as you hold out your ruined sweater. “You alright?”

Kyle snaps out of it, taking the sweater with a sheepish smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” 

He most certainly is not fine and is quick to distract himself by setting your sweater on the counter as he fills a bowl with warm water from the tap. You take a seat at the counter, watching him mix vinegar and dish-washing detergent together with an adorable curiosity. 

“I had a cousin in the military,” you speak, leaning your elbows on the counter. 

Kyle chuckles, taking a rag and soaking it in the bowl. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you nod. “He never had any interesting stories, though.”

Kyle glances up at you, right in time to catch you looking at him with a sly, curious smile on your face.

“I take it you think I do?” he asks, smirk pulling at his lips as he dabs at the coffee stain on your sweater with the damp rag. 

“Do you?” You lean forward slightly, eager interest laced in your voice.

If you were anyone else he would say no, shut down the conversation before it could even begin. But you’re not anyone else, and all it takes is one look at those eyes for him to give in. 

He keeps things vague and harmless, enough to be interesting for you without revealing any important information or going into gory detail, and you hang on to every word with a refreshing fascination. You ask thoughtful questions, laugh at his cheesy jokes, and listen with an intensity he’s rarely seen, even on base. 

You urge him to continue once he’s done, pressing for more, and he’s all too happy to oblige. 

You spend the entire day with him, moving from the kitchen to the living room once your sweater is coffee-free. You don’t bother changing out of Kyle’s, far too interested in what he’s saying to consider even a few minutes of distraction. 

When the conversation shifts to lighter subjects, neither of you seems to mind. In fact, Kyle offers to make lunch, and you agree with a speed that has both of you laughing.  

You’re so easy to talk to, Kyle finds. He would talk to you forever if you allowed it, and he hopes you feel the same. He thinks you do, judging by the way you ignore your phone every time it chimes in favor of continuing your conversation.

Eventually, the sun begins to sink behind the horizon and your phone starts ringing. You roll your eyes, answering with a calm voice despite the way your shoulders tense. 

The conversation is short, and you hang up with a huff. 

“I should probably get going,” you sigh, offering him an apologetic smile. 

“It’s alright,” Kyle shrugs, an easy smile tugging at his mouth. “It’s not like you don’t live right next door.” 

You excuse yourself to change back into your sweater and bid him goodbye with a sweet smile that almost has him begging for you to stay. 

He finds his sweater folded up on the end of his bed, and his heart aches at the lingering scent of your perfume.

August

In the following months, you and Kyle become close friends.

Almost as close as he and Soap, which is saying something.

When he has to leave again, he lets you know, and you surprise him with a care package of homemade cookies and a letter the day before he leaves. You say it’s from you and your boyfriend, but you both know it isn’t; the man has actively ignored Kyle despite your best efforts to introduce them. 

Soap eats most of the cookies, but Kyle doesn’t mind, too enamored with your letter. Your letter is as cute as you are, well wishes for him to come home safe, and carrying the soft scent of your perfume. He reads it almost every night, and Soap has no problem making fun of him for it. 

“Some friend, ye got there,” Soap laughs. “Sure that’s all it is?”

Kyle knows what he should say. 

She’s seeing someone else. We’re just friends.

But Soap gives him that knowing look, and Kyle knows he can’t continue to lie to himself. 

It’s not like you’re happy with him. He’s heard you and your boyfriend fighting through the walls–voices raised, but not quite yelling–and he sees the irritation that causes you to tense when he calls or texts. You don’t smile the same when you’re with him, not like the happy carefree grin you give Kyle.

When the mission is finally finished, and Kyle is granted permission to go home, he’s made up his mind. He’s going to tell you how he feels, and let you decide where to go from there. 

Or that was the plan until he knocks on your door and you answer with red eyes, obviously swollen from crying. 

You don’t give him a chance to ask what’s wrong, throwing yourself into his arms as you sob into his chest. He guides you into your entryway, closing the door behind him with his boot. He calms and soothes you, cooing soft words and light kisses of comfort into your hair as he runs his hands up and down your back. 

He lets you cry as long as you need to, and it takes almost an hour for you to calm down enough to tell him what’s happened.

You had come home from work two days ago to find your boyfriend with another woman in your bed. He used the excuse that you had Kyle, so it was only fair that he got to get some for himself too. You had screamed and yelled and raged, throwing him out that same day as he spewed obscenities at you.

The crying starts again, and Kyle is quick to calm you, assuring you that everything’s going to be alright. 

“Didn’t need him anyway,” he huffs.

“Yeah, fuck him,” you pout, and Kyle agrees wholeheartedly.

The wallowing takes its toll on you, cries shifting to a long yawn as your eyes begin to droop. You lean your head on his shoulder, body sagging against the solid weight of him. Kyle urges you to get some sleep, offering to take the couch if you need him there. 

“No,” you mumble. “I can’t sleep here. Not in that bed.”

If he were a better man, he’d suggest the couch while he slept on the floor. 

Instead, he leads you next door, straight to his bed, where he helps tuck you in. Your eyes shut the moment your head hits the pillow, and something tugs at his heat when you subconsciously curl into his blankets. 

He turns to leave and let you have your much-needed rest, but the moment he does, your hand reaches out and wraps around his. You blink at him, eyes wide and sad, and whisper into the room, “Stay.”

And in that moment, Kyle knows he’ll never be able to deny you anything.

December

Kyle insists on taking time for yourself and letting you properly heal before jumping right into things with him. 

He’s frustratingly right, and you appreciate his concern for you, but that doesn’t change how much you feel for him. 

Your now ex-boyfriend had been right to an extent; you certainly felt things for Kyle you hadn’t felt for him in a long time. Of course, you never acted on those feelings–unlike him–staying close to Kyle while keeping things platonic. 

You’d seen it coming for a while, if you were honest with yourself. The new place was a temporary fix, a flimsy band-aid slapped over an ever-growing crack in the glass of an aquarium. You knew you deserved better than his dependency and weaponized incompetence.

You knew the flood was imminent, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.  

But now he’s gone, and while you know you need time to recover, it’s hard to concentrate when Kyle hands you a key to his flat and tells you you’re welcome anytime. 

You try to tell him you’re fine, that the ending of your relationship had been more like a weight lifting from your shoulders, but he insists you take at least two weeks and one therapy visit before making your decision.

You oblige, and you have to admit he knows what he’s talking about. When the two weeks are up, you tell him you need more time, ignoring the smug grin on his face. He doesn’t say it, doesn’t taunt you with an I told you so, but you can see it in his eyes. He does tell you he’s proud of you, and you ride the high that gives you all the way to your next therapist visit. 

Kyle leaves in the last week of August, letting you spend his last night with him in his bed. He doesn’t make a move on you, simply holding you close while murmuring impossible promises of safety and success to your sleeping form. 

It’s agony waiting for him to return, never knowing what could be happening to him while you’re safe and sound in the comfort of his home. The space is good for you, though. It gives you time to process things, to really talk through your emotions and concerns with your wonderfully patient therapist. 

You’ve barely been in your own home in the past few months, the anxiety and betrayal that stalks the halls too much for you to handle, and she helps you realize that you need to make some changes. 

So, when Kyle returns at the end of November, he finds you in his kitchen, dancing along to a song on your phone as you cook something that smells positively delicious. 

He’s content to watch you, welcoming the sight of you after a long and tedious mission.

It’s something he could get used to coming home to. 

When you finally notice him, it only takes a second for the realization to hit you before you’re leaping into his arms with an excited cheer. Kyle wastes no time, wrapping his arms around you as tightly as he can, welcoming your familiar warmth and scent. He tries to lean forward to tuck his face into your neck, but you stop him, placing your hands on his jaw.

He stares at you curiously, watching your eyes dip down to his mouth before you pull him forward to close the gap. A year’s worth of swallowed emotions pour into the kiss, and when you pull away, Kyle chases after you to kiss you again. 

You spend the rest of the night attached to one another. Kyle “helps” you cook, keeping his hands on your hips as he peppers smiling kisses and gentle nips down your neck. You push him away with sweet giggles, but he always comes back seconds later. 

When dinner’s done and eaten, he pulls you to the couch into his lap, so he can continue smothering you in kisses. You meet him kiss for kiss, unable to get enough of him. It takes nearly an hour before you’re able to separate yourself from him to give him your news. 

“I’m not renewing my lease,” you murmur against his kiss-swollen lips, a shy glance up to look him in his beautiful, brown eyes. “Figured I should look for a new place that isn’t littered with memories of that bastard.” 

Kyle hums thoughtfully, trailing kisses along your cheek. “Plenty of room here.”

You click your tongue, laying a hand on his cheek to turn his face to look directly at you. “Kyle–”

“It’s not like that’s not where this was going anyway, right?” He gives you another chaste kiss and a cheeky smile. “You already have a key. Might as well–”

“Make it official?” you laugh. 

“Exactly.” 

You let out a long, exaggerated sigh with a dramatic roll of your eyes. “Fine, you’ve managed to convince me–”

You don’t get to finish, as Kyle cups your jaw and pulls you into another kiss.

January

After a long night of celebrating and congratulations from his teammates, Kyle’s girlfriend officially moves in the day after New Year’s.

[o-sachi]

Back To Me Bachira Ver. ‧₊˚ ⋅ Drabble (Request)

ଳ even after all this time—who knew you'd come back to me? ଳ character; bachira meguru (blue lock) ଳ tags; childhood friends to lovers (kinda), sfw, afab reader, no y/n

There were random days when Bachira's mind would wander to some far off memory from his childhood. Sometimes it was about his early days playing football or a random mother-and-son bonding he had with his mom. But more often than not, he'd reminisce about the little girl he knew way back then.

When he first took a liking to football, Bachira's mom bought him a shiny new ball and would bring him to the park so he could let loose. While he did, his mom would relax on a bench and pull out a sketchbook. She enjoyed observing her surroundings and drawing whatever piqued her interest.

One fateful day however, someone else's interest was piqued—your interest to be exact. Being the nosy little kid that you were, you sat on the bench beside her and started asking a slew of questions.

Bachira's mom was more than happy to entertain your enthusiastic questions. But when she introduced you to her son, you quickly forgot what you approached her for because you had too much fun playing with him.

You were happy to have found a new friend, but Bachira was even more so. His mom smiled—watching the scene unfold before her. She made sure to memorialize that day by making an adorable drawing of it.

Since that day, whenever the opportunity presented itself, you and Bachira would play at the park. Once his mother met yours, you were finally able to go to Bachira's for a little play date.

It was great and all, until life had to happen. You two went to different middle schools, then different high schools. It wasn't a shock to either of you that your communication began to dwindle. Despite that, neither of you seemed to forget each other.

The drawing that his mom made the day you met was still plastered up on his wall and much of his memories with you are things he'd never forget.

Those feelings of nostalgia were especially prominent now that he was making his trip home after they were given the chance to visit their family on their break from the Blue Lock Program. After hopping off of the bus, he trudged through the familiar neighborhood. It seems that everywhere he'd turn his head, a memory of you would pop up.

A wistful smile crosses his lips as he recalled everything about you. Perhaps he thought about you way too hard because somehow he manifested you into reality.

He stood at the doorway of his home, jaw wide open and gawking at the sight in front of him. It was his mother and... you?

Your hair was different and you were certainly taller. But he was so sure it was you. He could tell by the twinkle in your eye and the way your lips curved into a smile.

Bachira was brought back to reality when his mom pulled him into a bear hug. "Welcome back, Meguru!"

She was almost squealing and Bachira had to try and calm her down. He was still trying to process what was in front of him. His mom soon caught on and decided to clear the air.

"You see... I bumped into her the other day while buying groceries and I remembered you were coming home in a few days. So I asked if she wanted to come see you again!"

That does sound like something his mother would do. Bachira felt inexplicably embarrassed. "Mom... are you sure she even remembers me? It's been so long," he asks, scratching his nape with a lopsided smile.

"Nonsense! Of course, she remembers you. Now, now, you two should catch up while I check on dinner."

She gives him a pat on the shoulder and a reassuring smile before disappearing into the kitchen—leaving the two of you and the awkward atmosphere.

He grins at you. "I hope you don't think my mom's crazy or anything."

"No, not at all," you shook your head. "In fact, I'm quite starstruck right now."

His eyebrow quirked at your words, prompting him to take a seat beside you. "Me?" he asked, pointing to himself as if there was someone else she could be referring to. "Why would you be starstruck by someone like me?"

"...I may or may not watch the BL TV streams..."

You look away to the side, hoping to soften the blow of what you said. You were unsure how it would come off—would he be flattered? Or would he not care at all? It's been years anyway. It's not like you'd be any different from his other fans.

He bursts into a joyous laughter. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one who kept thinking about the past." He exhausts the last of his mirth. "Unless... you were watching for the football and not because of me?"

Warmth spread across your cheeks at his question. "Ah... well..." you stalled. "Is it bad that I still don't know the rules after watching it so much?"

That was all he needed to hear.

The fatigue from his earlier commute seemingly vanished—gaining a renewed vigor from seeing a childhood friend and sensing a budding romance.

When feelings became overwhelming, he laid it all out to the nearest thing: you. With how tightly he caged you in a hug, you'd think he inherited this vice-like embrace from his mom. You reciprocated his energy, feeling a surge of emotions yourself.

"Wanna kick a ball around at the park tomorrow? Just you and I."

o-sachi © 2024 pls do not translate/copy/reupload my work on other platforms.

[fluentmoviequoter]

You're All Mine

Summary: Dalton makes a new friend who doesn't mind his shyness. Essentially, it's "introverts don't make friends, they get adopted by extroverts," but Dalton is the introvert and you, reader, are the extrovert. 1.5k+ words

Requested: Yes - "innocent shy dalton x outgoing reader"

Warnings: fluff, implication of third party alcohol consumption, brief mention of making out... I think that's all

A/N: I am in absolutely no way outgoing or extroverted so I based the reader's outgoing attributes on various characters. I hope I did the request justice and feel free to let me know what you think! Enjoy :)

“Whoa, those are amazing! Did you do all of them?”

Dalton turns quickly at the sound of an unfamiliar voice inside his dorm room.

“Sorry.” You smile and apologize once you see the startled look on his face. “I was walking down the hall and your door was open, so I saw your art.” You gesture toward all the paintings and drawings hanging over his bed. “They’re really good.”

“Thanks,” he says quietly.

“Where are my manners?” You ask rhetorically before introducing yourself and sticking your hand out for Dalton to take.

He gently shakes your hand - only once - before taking his hand back and saying his name.

“Nice to meet you, Dalton. See you around,” you promise before walking down the hallway.

Dalton sighs and sits back down, trying to remember what he was doing before you came in.

Somehow, Dalton ended up at a frat party. Internally, he wants to curse his temporary roommate Chris for bringing him, but he is too busy trying to make himself as small and invisible as possible. Once through the front door, Dalton hopes the crowd will keep him hidden. As Chris drags him through the crowd, he hears a familiar voice.

“No, it’s no problem, swear! I’ll be right back!” You say somewhere behind him.

Were you that sweet to him? he wonders. He had been caught off guard when you just appeared earlier.

“I am so sorry,” you say as you bump into Chris, gently grabbing her shoulder to right her. “Dalton!” You squeal, throwing your arms around his neck in a tight hug.

Dalton’s eyes widen, and his facial expression is pure fear as he looks at Chris over your shoulder. She makes a hugging motion and points at you, which leads him to slowly wrap his arms around your waist.

“I did not think I’d see you here. I wasn’t planning on coming either - you know how frat guys are - but my roommate didn’t want to come alone, so,” you trail off and shrug as you pull back, a smile that seems much too genuine for the setting on your face.

“I know the feeling,” Dalton grumbles under his breath.

“Do you want anything? I’m going to grab some of my friends a drink.” You look between Chris and Dalton as they politely decline. “Then I guess I’ll see you later! Great seeing you, Dalton.”

Dalton watches as you expertly move through the crowd and wonders if you purposefully bumped into Chris, considering you haven’t come close to anyone else. He’s snapped out of his thoughts by Chris grabbing his forearm.

“Daydream later, Dolphin, we have frat boy belongings to go through,” she says as she drags him to the stairs.

Dalton looks around the bedroom with his hand in his pockets while Chris opens drawers and rifles around on the desktop. Chris hears someone coming and considers kissing Dalton for a distraction, then thinks again and decides the chances of it being his first kiss are too high, and she doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“Oh.” You stop as you realize someone is occupying the room. When you see who, you wonder if you wrongly evaluated Dalton; maybe he isn’t as shy and innocent as he seems. “I’ll - uh - give you two some privacy.”

Once the door is closed, Dalton looks at Chris with furrowed brows and downturned lips. “Privacy? Why?”

“How do you even know her, Dalton?” Chris asks with a laugh. “Chase her down and try to talk to her. For me?”

Dalton seems to contemplate the request before walking out of the room.

“Go get her, tiger - I mean Dolphin!” Chris yells down the hall behind him.

You’re on the front porch with a small group of people when Dalton finally finds you. Unsure of how to approach, he stands to the side and looks in your general direction, waiting for you to notice him. When you finally look away from the person talking, you see Dalton and smile, gesturing with your hand for him to come over. He shakes his head, a movement so small you only know it happened because his hair moves. You smile and say something to the girl beside you before setting your cup down and walking to him.

“Enjoying the party?” You ask.

“Why-“ Dalton clears his throat and starts over, “Whatever you think was happening upstairs wasn’t. Chris was just digging through his stuff.”

Your smile grows at his rushed explanation. “Oh, ok. If anyone deserves to have their personal belongings messed with, it’s Nick.”

Dalton nods, his hands nervously tucking in and out of his pockets.

“Do you want to get out of here?” you offer. “These things only get crazier from here.”

“And go where?”

“Anywhere you want. You can go home, we can go get milkshakes, make out under a tree,” you add the last one nonchalantly for the entertaining reaction you anticipate Dalton will give.

Dalton nods with your first two suggestions, then nearly chokes on air with the last one. You instantly feel bad, placing a hand on his arm as you apologize and explain it was a joke.

“It’s fine,” Dalton says, a small smile forming. “Milkshakes sound good. If you meant it?”

“I always mean it when I bring up milkshakes. Let’s go; my treat.”

You grab Dalton’s hand and interlace your fingers without thinking, not noticing how he stares at your hands as he walks beside you.

“What’s your milkshake poison?” You ask as you join Dalton in the booth, sliding in beside him rather than across from him.

He shrugs as he glances at you.

“I like chocolate,” you explain, “I know it’s basic, but is chocolate ever the wrong answer?”

“I like chocolate,” Dalton agrees.

“One or two?” Dalton looks confused, so you add, “Milkshakes. Do you want to share one or get two?”

“Oh. Um, we can share. I guess. If it’s ok with you.”

“Dalton, two things you should know as my new best friend, I only share food with my friends, and I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”

“Best friend?”

“Oh, yeah, you’re all mine now.”

The smile you send him makes Dalton think maybe that isn’t so bad. He watches you greet the waitress and ask how her day is going, talking to her about her law school classes before ordering one chocolate milkshake with two straws. He wonders how someone that goes to frat parties with no problem can be so kind. He also wonders how he is lucky enough to be ‘all yours.’

“How are your classes so far? I mean, I’m not convinced you need art classes based on what I saw in your dorm, but are you enjoying them?” You ask as you wait for the milkshake.

“They’re good. Interesting. My teacher’s a little… out there, I guess.”

“Who isn’t?” You ask with a laugh.

He smiles and asks which school you’re attending, hanging on your every word as you answer.

“One chocolate milkshake, two straws. Can I get anything else for you two?” The waitress asks as she sets the milkshake between you and Dalton.

You glance at him, and he shakes his head, so you respond, “No, we’re good. Thank you so much, and good luck on your BAR exam!”

You turn to Dalton and gesture to the milkshake, “After you.”

“You paid for it,” Dalton argues.

You smile at his sudden boldness before stating, “Which means I get to decide. You try it first.”

Dalton concedes and takes a sip, eyes widening at the intense chocolate flavor.

“Whoa.”

“I know, right?” You gush. “I come here every chance I get. They put espresso beans in to amplify the chocolate flavor; it’s my favorite milkshake in the whole world.”

“Which dorm do you live in?” You ask as you exit the diner with your hand in Dalton's, mentally creating a route to both of your dorms. “Yours is on the way to mine, so I can drop you off.”

“My dad would kill me if I didn’t walk you home,” Dalton states.

“Really?” You giggle as you wrap your free hand around his forearm, not noticing the way his breath catches at your touch.

“Probably not, but it’s still the gentlemanly thing to do,” Dalton says after a moment.

“Well, you have class in the morning, so I relieve you of your gentleman duties. But only for tonight.”

You walk in a comfortable silence, insisting on accompanying Dalton to his dorm room door once you arrive.

“This was fun, Dalton. We should do it again.”

Dalton nods and misses the warmth of your hand as you take it back.

“Maybe we’ll skip the frat party next time.”

“That would be nice.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Dalton,” you say, wrapping him in a quick hug before leaving for your dorm.

“Tomorrow?” He asks.

You turn back, the smile you’d been wearing all night widening. “Oh yeah. I meant it when I said you’re mine now. Goodnight, Dalton.”

He watches as you disappear around the corner, with no thoughts of darkness in his mind. He doesn’t even register the sound of the door opening until Chris speaks, “You, my weird Dolphin, just got adopted by an extrovert.”

Dalton looks at her and blushes as she adds, “A very pretty extrovert.”

[pawpunkao3]

Yknow what since we're doing discourse on Irredeemable Teens I wanna share with yall some thoughts on Penelope Everpetal

Penelope is a wild magic sorcerer. It seems so random. With a name like Everpetal, wouldn't you expect her to have something more elegant, like divine soul sorcery? Storm sorcery, like her best friend Sam? Hell, even draconic sorcery has a certain villainous finesse to it, especially considering that she's working with a dragon. But instead, she gets wild magic. The subclass that new players get told to avoid because half of its features nerf your character. The subclass that has a 0.1% chance of killing you and everyone in a 20ft radius every time you cast a spell.

People like to joke that sorcerers don't work for their magic---I mean, they call the sorcery teacher "just a guy who hangs out with students and talks about how cool their powers are". But that's ignoring the other side of magic---not power, but control. While wizards and bards fought to learn to cast even basic spells, Penelope struggled to reel in her magic. It was a battle that nobody saw, and when she lost it, it would end up humiliating at best, and devastating at worst. Combine that with the fact that she seems spoiled and entitled---maybe the type of person to believe being born with magic made her better than other casters---and it's easy to see the conflict. Her sorcery should have made her glamorous, desirable. Instead, it only burdened her.

Maybe that's why Kalvaxus picked her as his future prom queen.

I imagine he found her in her freshman year. She'd had a surge in class and grown a big beard of blue feathers---not cute. Not pretty. Humiliating. So there she was, behind the school, sobbing and tearing them out in big bloody fistfuls and muttering about how she was going to kill everyone who ever laughed at her because she was the best most powerful sorceress ever, and, well. Kalvaxus normally wouldn't care about some idiot student being sad, but something about her fury intrigued him. It seemed...exploitable.

So he blew a puff of smoke her way and made her sneeze the rest of the feathers out. Told her she was right---she WAS better for being a sorceress, and it wasn't fair that people made fun of her for something she couldn't control. Penelope wouldn't have noticed the contradiction. She was only fourteen, and more than a little dehydrated. All she wanted was for someone to hear her problems and not laugh, and he did just that.

And so Vice Principal Goldenhoard became her special friend (don't tell mom and dad---they wouldn't understand that he really was just her friend, you know SOME teachers would be using her confidence for nefarious purposes. Not him, though. Never him). If she had a bad surge and Sam was busy, he would even let her eat lunch in his office. He made a confession: he wasn't a dragonborn. He was a true dragon, kept in this form by a wicked curse. She agreed that Aguefort was evil for trapping him. He should be principal, really. Maybe (when he suggested it) he should even rule the world.

As Penelope grew older, she and Kalvaxus made an agreement---she would help him rise to power, and he would make sure nobody mocked her and her friends ever again. He introduced her to some new friends---one of the paladin students, a party girl from Hudol, a warlock with a cool car. She started campaigning for prom queen. But there was one little thing: for the plan to work, he needed sacrifices. Nobody important---that stuck-up nerd from the library, the cringy horse girl who made everyone so embarrassed (she forgot how bad it felt to be in her place whenever she surged), a bossy jock. Kalvaxus had her pick out the next one---an annoying activist type, someone nobody really liked, someone who she might even be able to convince to give up her life for the "greater good". Kalvaxus was so proud. They took that brash cleric without a hitch, but it was harder to get her to budge on her best friend. Suddenly her good friend Kalvaxus turned scary---she couldn't back out now. She'd already helped kidnap five girls. Did she want him to turn her in? Besides, when she was queen, everyone would want to be her friend. Who is she to question him when he tells her to sacrifice this one?

Penelope didn't protest when Kalvaxus picked a random freshman as the last sacrifice. She'd already done the worst thing anyone could do.

By the time the Bad Kids charged into that gym, she was too far gone. She'd steeped too long in Kalvaxus's lies for the stain to come out. She genuinely believed that being herself gave her the right to be queen. She'd sacrificed so much for it, after all. Maybe eventually she realized she wasn't going to win. But hey, she came this far. Might as well go down swinging.

[meaninglessrambles]

everything has changed.

ship: spencer agnew x reader.

summary: you move in next door to spencer.

warnings: none!

author’s note: not at all what i was meant to be working on but, hey, when inspiration strikes… kinda went into this with the idea that neighbor!reader may be a recurring character, so if there’s any scenarios you wanna see, let me know. 

'cause all i know is we said, "hello" and your eyes look like comin' home.

the first time you meet your neighbor, it’s with a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies and a smile on your face. you’re nervous—desperate, really, to make a good first impression and worried one last minute gathering will ruin it—but damn near giddy at the idea of meeting someone new. always the people person, you look at every introduction as the chance to make a friend.

you knock, confident, loud, and if possible, your grin gets bigger when the door slowly opens and a man appears, angling himself so carefully in the entry way you have to assume there’s at least one pet lurking behind him. “hi! i just moved in next door.”

“hello?” it’s more of a question than a greeting.

you continue on, undeterred. “and i wanted to introduce myself.” which you did—finding out the person whose night you interrupted was named spencer—but that wasn’t your only goal. “there is one more thing…”

“okay…” spencer breathes. he’s not trying to be rude—really, he’s not—but it’s been a long week and he’s tired and you’re far too pretty to just show up at his door like this. 

“i’m having a few people over.”

that get’s his attention. “you’re having a party?” with the quirk of a brow, he really studies you now—he’d been keeping strong eye contact until this moment—if you’re not exactly his age, you’re close enough he would have expected you to age out of apartment ragers a decade ago.

“worse, actually,” you admit, almost sheepish. “having some friends over for the real housewives of oc premiere and, uh, bravo really brings out the worst in us.” you just your chin towards the cookies. “these are a bribe.”

“ah,” he nods. “cookies in exchange for no noise complaints.” a pause. “i like your style, dude. i’m no narc but since you’re offering…” he pulls the plate gently from your grip.

well, at least that was one less thing to worry about. “enjoy!” you turn, ready to go back to your place, and give him a quick wave. “see you around!”

“yeah,” he says, “see you around!”

─────────────────────────────

and you do see him around. you give polite smiles and quick hellos when you pass each other in the halls or run into each other in the mail room. but you don't really talk to him again until a week later.

you'd just step into the lobby when you hear a familar voice yell, "shut that door! don't let her out."

you come to a stop right as a big blur of fur comes running right at you, careening off your shins and bouncing back. you don't give the cat even a chance to do it again; with ease, you scoop the feline up, doing your best to be gentle while keeping it restrained.

it's only seconds later that spencer comes into view, curls dishelved, breathing labored and cheeks pink. chasing a four-legged friend down three flights of stairs will do that to a person.

"shit, thank you, seriously," spencer says once he catches his breath, extending his arms so you can give the little escape artist back to her rightful owner. "you're an actual life saver. if she had gotten out..."

he doesn't even need to finish the sentence. while work kept you too busy for a pet of your own right now, you'd grown up with them. losing one was akin to losing a family member.

you reach out, meaning to give a comforting pat on the shoulder, but your hand rests there a little longer than you intended. when spencer's eyes meet yours, for a minute you forget what your intentions even were.

you'd hadn't touched him before—why would you? he's just the guy in the apartment next to yours.

you blink.

once.

twice.

then a distraught meow pulls you back to reality and you shake your head. "no sense in thinking about the what-ifs. just get houdini back under lock and key, yeah?"

the two of you make your way up three flights of stairs. the whole time you're silent, while spencer mutters sentiments ranging from intense frustration to deep relief to the cat who, with his attention solely on her, seems quite content.

─────────────────────────────

when you part ways at your respective doors, you expect this to be the last of it. until spencer shows up at your door the very next day, your plate in hand, with some precariously placed brownies on top.

"hey, uh, just wanted to return your plate and the favor after you thwarted zola's escape attempt yesterday." he's a little nervous, a little on edge. "and don't worry, i didn't make these so they're edible."

"you really didn't have to do that," you assure him, although you're glad he did.

"actually, i'm pretty sure i did. and i still owe you, like, a million favors after this too."

you laugh at that. "you really, really don't. that's just what neighbors do."

"well, still... thank you."

with yet another expression of gratitude, silence falls over the two of you and you can sense with it's arrival, spencer is getting ready to say his goodbyes. before he can, you surprise even yourself by asking, "do you like thai food?"

when you get a nod of the head in affirmation, you continue on. "'cause i've got a delivery coming any minute now and i think i went a little crazy. if you're hungry..."

you've never needed help finishing takeout before, but you decided right then in that very moment, that you would like his company just a little bit longer.

"you got some pad thai coming?" spencer's first reaction is an immediate yes and he has to say something, anything, to sound less eager.

"duh."

"in that case, hell yeah i'm hungry."

that's all you need to hear. you step aside, giving him access to your humble abode and shut the door behind him.

in all the places you've lived, you've never once invited a neighbor over—let alone for a meal. it's about time that changed.

all i know is a simple name, everything has changed.

[byemambo]

The Beauty of Subtlety and Change: A Deep Dive [We Are EP. 12]

As more episodes come out every week, I fall more and more in love with this series. I know when the trailer came out, there were some people that we off put by "another university/engineering student" series, or weren't as enthusiastic about the comedy being present in the series, I think that's fair since everyone has their own preferences and qualms with how past series have approached this genre, but I truly believe once people give it a chance and start to watch the further episodes, I start realizing how intentional and well crafted the character development has been with each introduction of a new story arc or group dynamic. Eventually I want to dissect more parts of the series that I resonated with, but the first definitely has to be Tan and Fang's development as the series progresses.

One thing I appreciate about the handling of these two characters, which I continue to give my flowers to Aou and Boom. This is my first time watching them in a series (I was only familiar with Pond and Phuwin from Never Let Me Go, as well as Tee when he played a supporting role in Only Friends), and I instantly fell in love with their on screen characters, but eventually the actors themselves as the series progressed. Both actors do an amazing job portraying the personalities of their characters and their distinct differences between their past and present selves, where the performance is well thought out without being too over the top which is what the sound effects are for hahaha.

In episode 12, the conversation between Tan and Fang caught my attention the most, especially when I rewatched episodes in my free time while waiting for new episodes to drop. When Tan shares his story with the gang about how Fang and him met during episode 9, you wouldn't have even thought both of them would be as hot headed as they were in high school versus how we were introduced to them as university students in the first few episodes.

These exchanges with Fang reflected Tan's past self well: a smart ass, condescending, provoking. I think the juxtaposition between past Tan and present Tan really shows itself when we see how Tan speaks about Fang in private now that they're an established couple: compassionate, attentive, loving. Aou does an amazing job with his microexpressions, saying a lot without saying anything at all.

Episode 9 vs. Episode 12

What was even more of a shock to me was the introduction of Fang's past self, completely opposite of how we were introduced to him in the first few episodes. High school Fang was also just as condescending and hot headed, which was later revealed by Tan that he only punched Fang back to save face on the field with other people around. But can we please address how much of a menace Fang is from that expression alone?

Episode 9

To think that present Fang, someone observant, reliable, and introverted, used to be someone blunt, confrontational and spiteful only reinforced my belief in the evolution of individuals: that a person of their past is in fact, the same person in the present, that not everyone should be tied down to the person they used to be and to make room for the person they're aiming to become. I noticed the shift in their perception of one another when we watch the second half of the flashback after Tan helps Phum and Fang escape an ambush.

Episode 9

This becomes one of my favorite Tan moments so far (as of episode 12): the defining moment of his innate character as selfless, courageous, and heroic. That despite how Tan felt about Fang after their first encounter and the many other arguments and fights to come, that never crossed Tan's mind when he first witnessed the confrontation: that his natural instinct was to help. He further reinforces this value when Phum asked him why he helped them, Tan answering: "I don't believe in dirty tricks."

Episode 9

After Tan's true character redefines itself in Fang's eyes as this asshole that instigated an argument with him for no reason actually has a heart of gold? We also see this shift in perception between Tan as he witnessed Fang's brotherly nature helping Phum with his injuries, later creating a core memory between the three as both of them let their guards down and mutually accept: "You know, this is all turning out way different than what I expected and...I'm not mad at it." In my humble opinion not that I find helping people/aiding people to be an extremely attractive trait in someone, this planting of the seed that leads up to their own way of flirting and eventually becoming a couple makes sense and as Q says: "You're totally rivals-to-lovers". The ability to protect and help others is a strong trait to have, and this makes sense once Fang begins to open up to Tan about his home life.

When Fang seeks out Tan during episode 12 after seeing his brother and father argue, the best way I could put Fang's complicated feelings into words: survivor's guilt. Fang reaffirms this idea through sharing:

"The moment he returned from abroad, I could still remember the look in his eyes clearly. It has remained my trauma until today."

As someone who identifies with Phum and his upbringing in being the lesser favored child by our parents, having a sibling grow up alongside you being raised by the same-but-different parents is a difficult pill to swallow on both ends, especially as we get older and begin to realize how intense and traumatic that experience can be when we reflect back on childhood, often times manifesting into resentment as we see with Phum and his parents currently in the story. On how real those discrepancies become when intervention and self reflection occurs, on quite frankly, how shitty it is to finally see the ugly truth after disregarding reality or protecting (intentionally or not) those who are the root causes of the pain and suffering.

I resonate with Phum and his journey in learning how to express himself in effective ways that can be heard through the ears of others, even though our childhood made us believe that we're not worthy of bare minimum love and attention, that we're bound to be misunderstood. A lot of Phum's tendencies at the beginning make sense for someone dealing with childhood trauma and abandonment issues cause same here, resulting in isolation, disconnection, and eventually waking up surviving every day instead of living every day. Something I personally battle with in my daily life that I'm sure Phum can relate to: "If my own parents can't support and love me unconditionally, who can and who will? Will I even experience that one day? And if I do, how long will it take until it's taken away from me?" Fang also brings up this same insecurity when opening up to Tan:

"Though I act unreasonable and don't behave well sometimes, if one day you feel you no longer want to be with me, just tell me straight. Because if you disappear, I would be in so much pain."

I'm sure once Fang really understood the effects of Phum's treatment by his parents, his need and "role" to protect and care for Phum intensifies, the conflict between pleasing his parents while also pleasing and helping his brother becomes burdensome to the point where he disregards his own feelings in order to "keep the peace." Although these methods seem rational and effective in the moment, it's only a matter of time before the methods become obsolete and unsustainable, and the foundation built on sticks and desperation to remedy the pain and chaos collapses. Then what finally remains is someone who's scared of the unknown, scared of reentering the same detrimental period of preparing for peace time and war time, someone who regulated themselves through adapting hypervigilance and eventually, general anxiety (as someone diagnosed with anxiety, Fang's moments of overwhelm and "dramatic" all or nothing statements are clear as day to overthinkers), someone who realizes that he can't save everyone, and that's a horrifying feeling to accept once you subject yourself to being the peacemaker.

Episode 12

Being able to see how Tan eases Fang's anxiety (which is well depicted in Boom's acting cause I know that feeling of wanting to be brave and express the truth and trying not to cry through it) was incredibly sweet and became one of my favorite moments the two share. That outside of Tan's go lucky, hyper, and expressive self (who used to be this closed off person that only began really changing once his friends gave him an ultimatum to quit fighting or their friendship ends and poor Peem having to find out the truth of Tan's injuries that wasn't from a bike accident LOL) is an emotionally intelligent, understanding, and aware individual that only wants what's best for his loved ones in the moment. Rather than only hearing Tan's reassurances, which is a result of losing faith in other people and dealing with their lack of credibility in their words versus their actions, we see this during Phum's argument with his father when he double downed:

"I'm paying attention to you now. Everything I've done is for you."

When you hear everything in the book and fail to not only see real action, but accountability and seeking of forgiveness through apologizing is like pulling teeth with some generation of parents, so I truly believe the reaction Phum exhibited was expected. When there's no true understanding of the effects a parent's decision had on a child, there's no foundation put in place to accept and move forward. Skipping steps such as reflection, apologizing, and accountability and getting straight to what you think your child wants is not only disregarding: it's insulting. Given that Phum experienced many iterations of this throughout his childhood, I can only imagine Fang experiencing this secondhand or through witnessing his younger brother dealing with these hardships. When words stop having meaning, the weight of people's words can only hold so much value for individuals that deal with anxious tendencies. In my words: "I need to see it to believe it."

Not only does Tan verbally reassure Fang and telling him not to overthink, he also extends this same sentiment through physical touch. Hand holding, grabbing him by the shoulders, poking his nose, hugging, any moment to be playful with Fang. Growing up with an absent parent usually means an overall lack of physical affection, which can feel unfamiliar or foreign and become even more meaningful to those to express their love and adoration through physical touch, which you can see throughout the scene as Tan's reassurance is calming Fang down and finally bringing him to smile for the first time during their conversation.

For all the people who believed that Fang wasn't showing affection enough for Tan and that he didn't like Tan as much as Tan liked him: I will defend Fang like no other because I identify with him. I'm not one to have a track record on expressing my love for others through physical touch (which doesn't mean I despise it, I just simply forget that's another form of affection I'm allowed to express), which doesn't discount Fang's expression of love and writing him off as unaffectionate simply because Tan has established his primary love language to be physical touch. We see Fang's affection and reciprocation of affection most through quality time and acts of service, such as him allowing Tan to help him with his architecture projects or keeping him company, or Fang trying to reach Tan through phone to see him after a rough time with his professor and ready to beat up whoever upset his babe, or Tan waiting for Fang to finish class for them to go eat dinner together. Fang has also exhibited his love and affection through buying Tan little treats or making him his only mastered recipe spaghetti which Tan will never complain about because it's the thought that counts.

It may not seem as overt and obvious as Tan's expression of love, but we can't deny Fang's love for him that's simply a quieter version of love. Just because it's different, it doesn't make one invalid versus the other, look at his smile from him being around his silly little boyfriend. But as time goes on as these two strengthen their bond as a couple, we can already see how Tan's habits and antics rub off on Fang through playful exchanges. Although Fang is more shy about expressing his feelings, it becomes a beautiful balance of your ideal golden retriever-black cat relationship and a wonderful representation of how successful couples become with candid communication, understanding, and reassurance.

Ok I think I got everything out on the hill I'll die on now, so if you've made it this far, I hope I entertained you enough and left you with from food for thought, but I also appreciate your engagement if you have any thoughts! All is much appreciated <3 As you can see, I'm very normal about this series hehehe

[datesinredink]

Yan turtles (rottmnt) with an m/c that’s allergic to reptiles/turtles? Idk I just think it would be funny (not Donnie trying to get m/c into getting injections to help the allergy-)

ANON I AM SO SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG BCIRBIFUNUIEH

Super duper sorry i ended up procrastinating really hard and i guess god took issue with that because he struck me down with multiple QAs and a Feelings crisis but the tests are over and I finally managed to sit down and finish Raph's part- seriously i struggled with him and mikey a lot but i guess it was kinda worth it in the end because Raph has an entire 110 more words to his part than the other three- hopefully it makes up for my lack of knowledge of his character. Enjoy!

Donnie

“My inspiration for this device was simplicity-”

Yeah you’re getting a hazmat suit until your allergies either magically disappear or he figures out some other solution

You’ll probably have to do a lot of tests, including possibly a blood draw but I’m no medical expert- since I headcanon Leo to be the medic he’ll probably end up helping too

After he finally puts the pieces together, he’ll start working with Leo to engineer a medicine to help suppress your allergic reaction, and maybe even be able to get rid of it entirely

Also anon you’re very right, you may be subjected to becoming the human pincushion of allergy shots while he figures it out. It’s safe. No it won’t kill you. Yes he made sure. Just, uh, maybe don’t ask your best friend their opinion on needles for a while….

In the meantime, he completely hates the current situation. He finally meets someone that he’s (mostly) fine with touching him, and they CAN’T TOUCH HIM without a HAZMAT SUIT. Just the worst. Awful times.

Normally, he’d have you around almost always, but, unfortunately, that’s currently not ideal.

Starts trying to keep things extra clean around the lair for you. Also everything that can be sanitized is sanitized. Good luck in the cleanliness prison after you get kidnapped later on.

The best about keeping distance, since he already wasn't super touchy before this whole situation. While he might tap you on the arm or something once or twice, it's nothing serious and you won't have a problem with him on that front.

Going back to the hazmat suit real quick, while it does do its job well, it's definitely not the most comfortable thing to wear, and you'll probably end up getting too hot pretty quick, so chances are you won't willingly be wearing it all too often. Donnie may occasionally force you to wear it, but otherwise you (usually) just... don't have to.

Leo

He’s the one who finds out you’re allergic. It was an accident he SWEARS. He only wanted to give you a pat on the arm when April first introduced you to them! How could he have known you’d get hives where he touched you?

At least he knows how to treat it. He managed to guide April through treating it, after which he sulked while rereading some Jupiter Jim comics.

Has a personal grudge against your immune system for daring to make you allergic to him. How dare your cells get mad about him.

When Donnie tells him that he might have “a fix, bro”, Leo jumps at the opportunity- oh thank god, he can finally hug you!

…Doesn’t mean he’s not super bad at focusing on actually working on it. Don’t worry, he’ll fix it eventually, just have a little patience.

Honestly, this is your chance to BOOK IT away from them, because none of them are as clingy as they will be after your allergies are cured/suppressed, which gives you more time to leave New York before things go from bad to worse.

Anyway, Leo’s about as clingy as he can be without physically clinging onto you for hours on end. Constantly hanging around you, like a ghost haunting their killer, except you’re not the one who kills people.

He might end up using your allergy to try and manipulate you away from his brothers. Mikey keeps forgetting to keep distance, Donnie’s suffocating and makes you wear a hazmat suit, and Raph almost treats you like a sopping wet cat that he has to take care of, so why not just stay with him? 

As much as he likes to criticize Mikey for forgetting, sometimes, particularly early on, he gets a little too close, and your allergies flare up, and while he does genuinely feel kinda bad, he will exaggerate his remorse for sympathy from you. He genuinely does try and apologize for it later, and he probably portals you two somewhere nice and gets you a couple of trinkets you like or find useful.

Mikey

Absolutely heartbroken!

His love is allergic to him! This is awful!

2nd most panicked when they first find out. Is their new friend ok? Did they mess up?

If you have a low tolerance for pain/allergic reaction symptoms and cry a little he probably will too. High empathy, man…

He’s really understanding after everything’s resolved and they figure out you’re allergic to them. He tries his best to keep a fair amount of distance between you and him, but he tends to naturally be physically affectionate, so there may be a slight adjustment period. He really doesn’t mean harm though.

He occasionally tries to bring you something from the mystic city that he thinks would be safe- a small figurine, maybe a sketchbook if you also like doing art, if he manages to bargain for/steal a piece of jewelry, he’ll also give that to you.

As I mentioned before, Mikey’s pretty big on physical touch, but since that’s off limits (for now) he’ll try to show you affection in any other way he can think of

Mostly quality time. He likes to take you with him when he explores through the sewers/city to spraypaint a couple of blank walls, and he’ll probably get you to try it too, and regardless of your skill level he’ll tell you it’s great

After Donnie and Leo finish making the cure, Mikey squeezes the LIFE out of you- he doesn’t mean to practically strangle you, but he’s fairly strong and he got excited, so he does feel a little bad afterwards.

Will decorate the hazmat suit Donnie gave you if you let him. He'll put stickers on it that match his and draw fun patterns that may or may not relate to him in some way. Maybe the spots he has, or the face on his knee pads. It's pretty endearing, even if his brothers may occasionally glare at him. In Mikey's opinion, if they're really that jealous, they should add something themselves.

Raph

And the award for most paranoid goes to….

Ok but really, he’s the most overbearing about it. This probably isn’t a surprise, but it’s still something I've gotta mention.

You don’t really have to worry about Donnie making you wear the hazmat suit- he gets it, not a fun sensory experience- other than a couple stand-out occasions, but you will have to convince Raph fairly often that you’ll be fine without it.

To be fair, it’s partially because he also forgets not to touch you sometimes, and while he’s better about it than Mikey and most of the time Leo, he’s also self-aware and protective enough that he’d rather be safe than sorry.

If you’re having an allergic reaction, he’ll either get Leo/Donnie/April to help you, or go find the hazmat suit Donnie made him a while ago when Splinter got sick and then help you himself

There’s a chance he might not do great though, as he’s not always the best under pressure and tends to panic when the people he loves are hurt or in some sort of extreme situation, especially when it comes to you (seriously, he treats you like a porcelain doll), but you can be reassured that he’ll do his absolute best to make you safe and comfortable.

Feels terrible after, pampers you a lot after the ordeal. Every time, not just the first few.

If he wasn’t the one who caused it, then he’s definitely pissed at whichever of his brothers made your allergies flare up. He won’t kill them, and he won’t lose it and drop kick them into tomorrow (yet. If they ever intentionally trigger your allergies he might snap some bones) but there will be a noticeable irritation and tension for at least the next few weeks between him and them.

He’s super excited after Donnie and Leo finish the allergy shots! I personally headcanon him to be the second touchiest of the brothers (Mikey being the most touchy, of course) so there’ll be a lot more casual touch between you two after. Hugs, headpats, you get the idea. If you try to tell him to stop, he’ll be very upset, though doing his best to understand, he will try to respect your wishes.. Before going right back to it after a week tops. Sometimes he genuinely does forget, after all, he does have a fair amount on his plate, but sometimes he does intentionally wait until he thinks he can get away with it again before jumping right back to how things were before. He’ll vehemently deny it, but no matter what happens, you’ll likely never really get him to stop for an extended period of time.

[sauntervaguelydown]

Script-Doctoring Sakura

Before we start, you have to understand, I think Sakura as she's introduced is a fucking excellent character. I am a fan. Her bones are GOOD, we can tear the roof off and improve this house.

Okay so one of my biggest, hardest critiques of Naruto Shippuden is how it fumbles Sakura. This isn't anything new, but it's on my mind, so I wanna talk about it.

First thing. She has enormous physical strength, which we get to see utilized in her re-introduction spar, and a bit in her team-up fight against Sasori. Her portion of the fight with Sasori focuses more on her medical abilities, however. And medical abilities... well, they don't play to a shonen audience in the same way that flashy gimmicks and jutsus do.

So one of the first small tweaks I would make is that when she gets poisoned and stabbed by Sasori, and she's fighting through it, the amount of pain she is in should come to the foreground. It should be weighted, it should be dramatic--in anime terms, express it with noises of agony, gestures of trembling, close-ups, sweat, tense music as she struggles to rise and fight on. When she heals herself while running with a gash in her side, I want to feel like she's hauling her body forward, I want to know exactly how each step is tearing her wounds open. I want to see consequences. I want to know what this costs her. This gives the medical techniques dramatic weight, instead of just being a narrative blip in an ongoing fight.

Alright. Moving forward.

Maybe I'm in the minority, I truly don't know, but I liked her false love confession to Naruto. Giving him what she thinks he wants, trying to convince him (and maybe herself as well) that she has given up on Sasuke? It shakes everything up.

She says that she loves Naruto now, because he's 1. a hero who proved himself, and 2. reliable, approachable, and within her ability to touch. How could she love a criminal, when a hero is available to her? This is interesting, sad, and uncomfortable. I love that Naruto immediately disbelieves all this, distrusts it, and is angry about it.

Item 1, Naruto "proving himself" and earning her love, is an uncomfortable concept, and I'm glad that he rejects it. I'm glad he has a chance to reject it. It will dovetail in with his discomfort in the next arc, as he tried to untangle the resentment he still feels despite being openly accepted in his hometown now.

So what doesn't work? Well. To be honest. I'm not sure that Kishimono understands why Sakura loved/loves Sasuke. He's got a strong understanding of the psychological impact Sasuke had on Naruto (Sai spells it out for us, we know exactly why Naruto imprinted so hard). But what's the deal with Sakura? Why does she love Sasuke? I'm not gonna lie to you, in the OG couple of arcs, it's very obviously related to Sasuke being Hot. He is a 12-year-old with a cut jawline, badass powers, and a too-cool attitude. He's catnip for pre-teen girls, okay. I understand.

"Liking Sasuke" is a big part of Sakura's self-identity too. It was the first major choice she made after gaining her confidence under Ino's wing as a child. It was the wedge she drove between herself and Ino. Liking Sasuke and Being Ino's Rival are inextricably intertwined. But does she love him? Well. She certainly says she does. When he leaves the village, she says that she loves him so much it hurts her. We have to accept this is true. But he's given her nothing for the whole year they've been comrades. The closest to affection he ever shows her to her face is when he pops up crazy manic on evil curse juju and asks her which of these mooks injured her while he was asleep, so he can rip their arms off. And, to be fair, she DOES try a Hulk Cooldown Hug immediately after this, and it works.

The real question Sakura should be asking, during her false confession, is "How could I love someone who treated me like trash, abandoned me, and broke my heart?" Not "how could I love a criminal? A wanted man? A traitor?". It's not good as a rhetorical question. Many girls love criminals; Bundy got love letters in prison.

Now, in a narrative that was tuned into her needs better, this could still work. Maybe she's framing it in this unconvincing way because she still can't bear to admit that Sasuke treated her like trash. Okay. I'll buy that.

So here's what happens next. She tries to kill Sasuke herself.

This is amazing. This would be an incredible climax to her personal arc. A physical fight which revolves around emotional confrontation is the Naruto brand. And we've never gotten to see a Sakura 1-on-1 fight before. Sasuke is obviously way out of her league at this point, after absorbing all his brother's techniques and unlocking a stupid amount of combat jutsu like a giant chakra skeleton that acts as mecha armor. For example. But when Sakura finds him, he's just finished fighting a powerful opponent, he's weakened, he's blown through most of his daily spell slots so to speak.

The most frustrating thing about this plotline? She has a chance.

So in canon what happens is that she shows up, pretends to want to join him (reasonable, she tried to defect with him the night he left, it has precedent), gets told to murder Sasuke's previous medic in cold blood, and then hesitates. She fumbles it. She fumbles it!!!!! This is insane!!! She has to be saved Kakashi, and then again by Naruto when she IMMEDIATELY FUMBLES IT AGAIN. I'm frothing at the mouth! I'm spitting blood! The only way this is narratively satisfying is if you hate seeing girls in combat and love seeing Naruto make murder-suicide pacts.

Fuck off. We're doing it my way.

[cool-fancier]

Unlikely Heroine

Synopsis: The mysterious Bada Lee lived in the peaceful building next door. Her beauty first drew you in despite being distant. When your ex-boyfriend stormed in one night, Bada saved the day, establishing a connection that grew stronger over common interests. You both revealed your feelings to one another on a rooftop under the night, beginning a remarkable relationship that led to the intriguing neighbour becoming a beloved friend and love interest.

Living in the peaceful flat next door was Bada Lee, a mysterious and graceful woman. She appeared uninterested in the world outside her door as she went about her regular tasks.  But you couldn't help but be drawn to her; she was a picture of beauty and grace that had you captivated.

You had been living in the same building for months and often caught glimpses of Bada in the elevator or hallway.  Her flowing dark and blonde highlighted hair, perfect sense of style, and the mysterious aura that enveloped her were all things you couldn't help but notice. She appeared distant and far away, like an unreachable star.

You eventually gave up trying to talk to her as time passed. She didn't seem to be much interested in her neighbours, so you decided to content yourself with observing her from a distance.

One awful night, when you were relaxing in your flat after an exhausting day, your door got an unexpected and unpleasant knock. When you unlocked it, your ex-boyfriend was there, angry and drunk.  His motives were obvious. he wanted your return no matter whether you want him in back.

Your heart was bursting with fear as you struggled to fight him off, but he persisted without restraint.  His loud voice caused a disturbance that echoed down the hallway and drew the attention of your neighbours.

When you believed there was nothing else to do, Bada Lee appeared at the door next to yours and swung it open. Her typically cool, collected demeanour had changed to one of furious determination. She gave your ex-boyfriend a burning gaze that caused him to shiver.

She spoke the words, "Enough," in a voice that would not allow for debate. "Get away immediately and leave."

She enters the room with authority, and your ex-boyfriend was startled by it. He stammered, "Who are you?"

Bada's reply was straightforward yet effective. "In this building, I won't put up with harassment. Now go."

He stumbled away while cursing under his breath because of her comments and attitude. Bada held her ground until he was gone from sight before turning to you and giving you a worried expression.

Her voice softened as she questioned, "Are you okay?"

Even though you were still in shock, you were able to nod. "Yes, I'm grateful. Without your help, I don't know what I would have done."

Bada gave a comforting grin. "Everyone gets a little assistance from their neighbours. I'm hoping he won't bother you ever again."

Your luck was beyond words.  The modest neighbouring woman had not only seen you but had also helped you out when you were in trouble. It was a kind act that showed a lot about her character and made you once feel appreciative and intrigued.

You said, "Thank you, Bada," your voice full of genuine appreciation.  "I don't think I've introduced myself properly.  I'm [Your Name]."

Bada held out her hand as her cheeks were somewhat flushed. "I'm Bada Lee. It's nice to meet you, [Your Name]."

You couldn't help but feel as you shook her hand that this chance contact marked a new chapter in your life—one in which the mysterious woman next door was no longer just a gorgeous stranger but an unexpected heroine who had saved you at the crucial moment.

You became more and more drawn to Bada in the days that followed. Her brave  and thoughtful deed stayed in your mind. You had been captivated by her strength and compassion as well as her lovely beauty because she had shown them to you when you were weak and in need.

One evening, as you and someone else were both in the lobby of the building checking your mailboxes, you gathered up the nerve to start a discussion. "Bada, I wanted to thank you again for helping me that night. It meant a lot to me."

The corners of Bada's eyes wrinkled as she grinned. "You're very welcome, [Your Name]. I couldn't stand by and let someone harass my neighbor."

You continued, encouraged by her warm response, "I've always noticed how quiet you are, but you truly shocked me. You're not just a lovely neighbor, you're also incredibly brave."

Bada's flush grew stronger and she took a minute to look down before catching your eye. "I appreciate you saying that. I guess I've been quite private for a while."

As your conversations grew in frequency, you realised that Bada was much more sophisticated than first appeared. She loved to dance and was a talented one at that and she had your enthusiasm for classic literature. It seems that she had a sophisticated and detailed world hidden underneath her guarded appearance.

You couldn't help but think that as your friendship grew, it may one day develop into something more. However, you were cautious since you weren't sure if Bada shared your views or if she was merely acting as a good neighbour and friend.

Bada turned to you one night as you were both relaxing on the building's rooftop and admiring the distant city lights. "[Your Name] knows that I cherish our friendship more than words can say. You've brought a lot of light into my life."

Your heart was thumping as you gazed into her eyes. "Bada, I feel the same way about you. I've loved having you as a friend, and I cherish our time together so much.

Bada rarely showed vulnerability, but her stare indicated more. "I have to admit something, [Your Name]. I came here with the hope of a new beginning free from the burdens of my old life.  But since meeting you, you've encouraged me to look for more than just a new beginning. I now want to actually live because of you."

Your hope swelled making your heart skip a beat. "Bada, I feel the same way. I had no intention of meeting someone like you, who makes my heart beat faster every time we talked."

Bada reached out for your hand with a kind grin on her lips, sending a shiver through your veins as her touch. "I'm glad we found each other, [Your Name]. Maybe it was fate that brought us together that night."

You both realised that this chance encounter was unique as you sat next to one other on the rooftop under the starlit sky. It was a bond forged in the quiet moments, in acts of bravery, and in the shared dreams that filled the night.

And as your hands joined, you sensed the start of a new chapter, one in which the mysterious neighbour was no longer just a lovely stranger but a treasured friend who had saved you and won your heart in the process.

[poisonpercy]

I finally convinced myself to watch the 4th episode of the pjo show. Overall, it was probably the show’s strongest episode so far. That being said, I think it’s fair to say that I am not clicking with this show. I’m not saying the show isn’t good. It definitely has its moments, so it’s a fine show. But as a book to tv show adaptation of pjo, I don’t think it’s very good. I guess my expectations were way too high since I was promised that this is a true adaptation that has everything you would want in a pjo show, but seeing as I don’t feel that way, I can’t say that promise has been fulfilled.

The actors are great, but I find the writing and the overall direction of the show very dull. It’s just not something that keeps my attention personally. I have to convince myself to watch these episodes since they aren’t hitting that obsession that keeps you interested, and while watching, it’s very hard for me to stay watching because it’s just not pulling me in. Anyways, here’s some specific thoughts regarding this episode:

Like a lot of my mutuals, I am not too big of a fan of the flashback with Percy and Sally in the pool. Sally does not feel like the same character that she is in the books. She’s a lot kinder and more mindful of her actions in the books than she is in the show. I get what the flashback was trying to convey, but I honestly don’t think it worked. I remember that Sally had been described as someone who doesn’t raise her voice, and I feel like the writers have disregarded a lot of her prior characterization in the name of her being a #girlboss. To me it feels like they created a brand new character and slapped Sally Jackson’s name on them. “That’s not Sally Jackson! That’s an oc committing identity fraud” vibes

They are really shoving it down our throats that Percy does not like the gods. Which isn’t bad, but I feel like he still needs more time to grow into the resentment that he’s showing

Kinda weird that Annabeth was talking nice about her dad. And I’m more sympathetic towards her dad than most, but he still wasn’t great so giving him praise felt a little off. Not a huge fan of blaming only the stepmother. The misogyny is real

Sleepy, grouchy Grover was cute

The cameo of the centaurs leading into the conversation about Pan and searchers was nice. I wish the show talked about this being Grover’s last chance at getting his searchers license since that was a big part of his character arc in tlt, but idk if that’s ever going to happen

The cops on the train were awful. If this show got one thing right, it’s the fact that cops suck and don’t help

I felt like there was too much of Echidna in this episode. Idk, if you’re going to try to build up a monster, she’s not the one I would have picked

Going off of that, they definitely tried to build tension in this episode, unlike in previous episodes, but it just didn’t work. Like it was too obvious that she was supposed to be a monster without actually giving any tension for the viewers. It’s still very much telling and not showing which is a huge flaw of this show

I’m honestly not a fan of the arch being a temple of Athena. I guess it’s cool for world building, but it just feels too convenient. I did like that Annabeth was stating facts, but to me it felt less like her geeking out and more like her showing off the temple’s greatness

Grover and Annabeth splashing Percy in the fountain was funny but it would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce nectar and ambrosia since they have yet to be brought up

Bad parent Athena rep 🫡

Having Percy trick Annabeth to switch places with her was a nice nod to Percy’s loyalty

I felt like the whole scene at the arch was missing the chaos that was present in the book. Idk it just felt so dry to me

The fight between Percy and the chimera was so underwhelming. There was a lot more tension and chaos and moving parts in the book that the show just is refusing to show. Also, I’m getting tired of Percy being flung around. Let him build up some skill before Ares

The water grabbing Percy when he fell out of the arch was funny but I personally wouldn’t have done the scene that way

The underwater scene was lacking imo. I feel like a broken record by saying I liked it better in the books, but it’s true

Episode was way too short and the show’s pacing is way too fast

[canarias-stuff]

Phases of Love / Kuroo Tetsurou X Fem!Reader - (Chapter 2)

Summary:

Tetsurou was 8 when his parents called him and his older sister, Hana, to sit at the dinner table to discuss something really important. They were serious, but it was clear that there was some sadness behind their eyes.

A divorce, they said. They were getting divorced.

Author's note: This chapter isn't long, but I feel like this chapter and the first one were to introduce the characters and the back story.

I hope that you will enjoy it!^^

This time, the chapter is from Kuroo's pov, and sometimes I will try to change povs because I think that it's interesting to see stuff from different characters views.^^

Tags: Romance; Eventual romance; Slow Burn; cross posted Ao3.

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3

Chapter 2: First Meeting

Tetsurou was 8 when his parents called him and his older sister, Hana, to sit at the dinner table to discuss something really important. They were serious, but it was clear that there was some sadness behind their eyes.

A divorce, they said. They were getting divorced.

He had a vague idea of what the word meant, he heard it once in a while on the doramas that his sister liked to watch, or read the word on the mangas and manhwas that she showed him, and everytime that the word appeared, it meant that a character would cry.

But the one who started crying first was Hana, and not their parents.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not working anymore.”

“But we are still…friends.”

“It’s complicated.”

“We love you.”

“One day you will understand.”

“We’re sorry.”

They don’t really explain why they decided to divorce, but Tetsurou was observant for a kid his age, and he saw that the relationship between his parents became strained at some point, he just didn’t know how it would end. That’s why he probably didn’t cry like his sister, or he just couldn’t totally grasp the situation, after all he was just an eight years old kid.

However, he could comprehend that a divorce would change not only his parents' lives, but also his.

…

He wasn’t wrong.

Their parents asked them a really difficult question a few days later, probably after signing a lot of documents with a man that called himself a lawyer.

They wanted him and his sister to choose between their father and mother. Who they wanted to stay with.

They explain that usually children stay with the mother in case of divorce, but his parents wanted to give them a chance to choose, because they feel like they owe their kid this much for their selfishness.

…

Kuroo Tetsurou was eight when he moved cities together with his father to live with him and his grandparents. He leaves behind his mother and Hana, but his parents are friendly with each other (or as friendly as a divorced couple can be), so they promise to meet as much as possible for the sake of their kids. 

He leaves behind his school and friends.

He leaves the only life that he knew so far.

When he chose his father over his mother, he didn’t really think about what it really meant, but now, while setting his new room at his grandparents house, his brain finally starts catching up with the whole situation.

Summer vacation just started, he won’t be at his new school for a few weeks, he has time to get used to the neighborhood, has time to talk with his grandparents that he rarely had contact with before, has time to play…

Play with who though?

It’s not like he knew someone there.

It’s not like he had friends there.

And now that he really thinks about it, how did he make friends before?

…

Maybe his grandparents saw how anxious he became, because just two days after he arrived at his new home, he was introduced to the Kozume’s, a family that lives a couple of houses down the block, and that had a child around his age. 

Kozume Kenma, 7 years old.

Golden eyes and dark brown hair.

He looks like a cat in his opinion.

Kenma is the opposite of the kids that he used to hang out with. He is quiet, and doesn't really meet his eyes, Kenma plays video games alone in his room, and Tetsurou can’t bring himself to say something. Anything. So he decides to read mangas on the floor of Kenma’s room, because he doesn’t know how to make friends.

…

There are other children in the neighborhood, Tetsurou knows that, he saw some boys running around with balls under their arms and girls playing in the park, but he doesn’t feel comfortable going straight to them and asking to be included in their groups. He prefers Kenma’s quiet and calm company.

So he is surprised when the quiet younger boy, three weeks after he arrived in the neighborhood, asks:

“Do you…want to play something?”

Tetsurou brightened up at the question, and before Kenma could even think about taking back his words, he went back to his house, got the volleyball that was getting dust on the corner of his room, and went back to Kenma’s house.

It’s the first time that he plays the sport since arriving there, Tetsurou tries his best to teach Kenma the basics, and he is not really surprised that the younger boy is terrible with physical activities (he lost count of how many times the ball hit Kenma’s face), but he is touched that Kenma is trying for him.

He decides that day that Kenma is his new friend, and probably best friend.

…

Not that he is the right person to judge, but Tetsurou is aware that Kenma doesn’t have a lot of friends (or any), but sometimes when he is walking around the block, he can see a girl entering or leaving the Kozume family’s house.

Tetsurou wonders if the girl is a friend of Kenma, and if one day Kenma will introduce her, but it’s a fleeting thought, and he forgets about it.

Or at least, he forgets about it until he goes to Kenma’s house the next day after their first volleyball game.

“Kenma!”

He runs around the house and goes straight to the younger boy’s room, and then slams the door open.

“Kenma! Let’s play vol…” But his voice dies when (e/c) eyes stare at him, a curious expression on her features.

It’s the girl that Tetsurou saw sometimes around here. Kenma’s friend maybe?

“You must be Kuroo Tetsurou-kun!” He nodded, because he feels awkward now. Did he just interrupt their hanging out?

But the girl smiles…

“Nice to meet you! I’m (l/n) (y/n)!”

…and for some reason, Tetsurou felt warm and welcomed.

Ao3 Link

[summer-nights19]

Good for business part 3 - Friday Night at the Inn

Balor x fem reader

Part 2

Part 4

It had taken the whole morning to clean up your farm and gather the necessary supplies to ship orders and begin repairing the bridge. After hours of strenuous labour, you were looking forward to an afternoon lazing around in town. On your way out, you checked the mailbox, which had quickly become a habit for you. Instead of orders or recipes, there were two things. A letter from Celine reminding you about friday night at the inn, and your favourite flower with a note attached. Curiosity rising, you unfolded the note, which simply said:

"You looked beautiful last night. I enjoyed our time together"

Carefully, you put both the flower and the note on your bedside table. Who could they be from ? Despite you trying to deny it, you certainly knew who you wanted them to be from - travelling merchant who had walked you home last night and left you with your heart leaping out of your chest as you watched him leave - but there was no sign off, so you couldn't be sure. To complicate things further, you'd literally spent time with the entire village yesterday , so there was no ruling out potential candidates.

Someone knocked on your door, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Y/N ? Reina and I thought we could head to the inn together if you're up for it," Celine called from outside.

"Coming !" You replied as you scrambled to put on your boots and smooth your hair. After having freshened up a bit, you opened the door and greeted your friends with hugs.

"Sorry it took me a while," you said, sheepishly as you started walking.

"No problem ! It looks like we're right on time, anyway," Reina smiled. "Speaking of the inn, Y/N, are you ready to see your admirers ?"

Celine's smile grew with that, and you just knew they were thinking about Balor walking you home last night. The discussion had to change before it could degenerate further.

"Uhhh I wouldn't say I have admirers. Just good, kind hearted friends. Speaking of which, Reina, what games did you say were available at the inn ?"

It was a poor attempt at derailing the conversation, but Reina was kind enough not to push further.

"I believe Eiland said he was starting a new Dragons and Drama campaign. Celine, you're participating, right ?" Celine nodded with a grin.

You gasped, barely able to contain your excitement.

"I love D&D ! Back at home, my friends and I used to play all the time."

"That's amazing, Y/N ! You should definitely join us then," Celine said as she pushed the door to the inn open and led you to the nearest table. Reina waved at you guys and made her way to the kitchen. It was, after all, her family's inn.

"Hi Lord Eiland ! Y/N wanted to join us for D&D. She has plenty of previous experience, so you don't have to worry about explaining the game," explained Celine as she sat down. You took the seat opposite her without much thought.

"Hi, Y/N. Of course you can join ! Just set your character up quickly while I introduce the campaign,"

As everyone started introducing their characters, Balor took the seat next to yours, clasping a beer in his hand.

"... and this is Balor's thief, Snicklefritz," Holt explained as he showed everyone the miniatures he'd made for the game. Balor sighed.

"This is what I get for arriving late at the cards table. I have no idea what's going on, or why everyone keeps calling me Snicklefritz. Do you understand any of this, Y/N ?"

"Yeah ! This is Dragons and Drama, one of my favourite games. It's easy once you get the hang of it. Please give it a chance... Snicklefritz,"

"Don't call me that but fine, if you insist," Balor took his miniature, a the hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.

***

"Alright, it's getting late now, so I'm gonna head off. Thank you, everyone, for the really fun game," you said as you stood up from the D&D table.

"I'll walk you to your house, Y/N," Balor put down his beer and miniature and stood up next to you as Celine desperately tried to catch your gaze.

"Thank you, Snicklefritz," you giggled as you led him out of the inn.

"I told you not to call me that. The only reason I was playing that game was because the cards table was full and because you made such a big deal put of it,"

"You can't fool me, Snicklefritz. I can tell you were secretly enjoying it," you said, properly laughing now. It was a quiet night, so the sound of the cicadas and your laughter was the only thing that could be heard on the way to your farm. Balor's face softened, and a pink tint crept on his cheeks.

"Well I guess I'm stuck with it now," he said, trying but failing to sound reluctant.

"You are ! At least until we finish the campaign. Though you can leave if you really don't like it," you replied, looking at him with silly puppy dog eyes.

"I suppose it's not as bad as I first thought," Balor rolled his eyes as he walked you to your porch. "There's one condition though. You let me walk you home like this every Friday. I enjoy your company,"

You blushed and nodded, taken aback. Truthfully, the idea made you much happier than you wanted yo admit.

"Good night, Y/N. And be sure to stop by my wagon tomorrow. Always love seeing my favourite customer,"

"You say that to all your customers,"

"Yeah well you're my real favourite," he winked, taking your hand in his and kissing the back very lightly.

"Good night Balor ... and thank you," you could feel your face burning bright red, as you spoke, but Balor simply grinned and sauntered off, closing the door behind him.

In a daze, you took the flower from your nightstand and started twiring it between your fingers in a sort of lazy dance. Maybe it really was from him. What might his favourite flower be ? No, perhaps he'd want another gift...

Your eyes started to close, and your body slumped on the bed, sheer exhaustion taking over. Despite this, the flower didn't fall from your grasp.

Masterlist

[countryrebel1995]

I didn't want to have to make this post, I've seen enough shipping drama on Tumblr over the years that I usually steer clear of it, but there’s been so much Nooshy bashing in the tags lately that I feel compelled to weigh in on it.

Why do people like Nooshy? Well, to put it simply, even though she’s never the center of attention in "Sing 2", Nooshy manages to be a girl with layers, and there's a lot to appreciate about her. When we're first introduced to her, she's a street performer so she can make the money that she needs to survive, but she’s also genuinely passionate about her craft - she loves to dance - and she enjoys getting a chance to share that passion with someone else whenever they come along.

While she can be snarky and prickly and slow to trust strangers, she’s also very nice once you get to know her. After a young turtle kid almost screws up her performance, she's still very playful and accommodating towards him. When she’s brought backstage to the Crystal theater, she compliments some dude's hat just to make him feel good about himself. While she initially agrees to help Johnny because he offers to pay her, she starts to stick up for him and genuinely support him, because the way Klaus treats him isn't right. She decides to help the Moon Theater troupe put on their big show, even though she's only known these people for about a week and their plan will surely be very dangerous, because the way Jimmy Crystal treats them isn't right either and she wants to help them stick it to the man. After Johnny tells her that he and his family used to be a gang of notorious criminals, Nooshy never judges them for their shady past, and is actually quite happy to see how close he and his father are now (especially since it's implied that she might not even have parents herself). And during "A Sky Full Of Stars", she encourages Johnny to never give up and follow his heart, because he's her friend and she wants to see him succeed.

Nooshy is snarky and mischievous, but underneath it all, she's actually a very kind girl, and very loyal towards the people who earn her respect. And by the end of "Sing 2", she gets her happy ending when she not only gets a new paying career doing what she loves, but also finds a place where she belongs among the Moon Theater troupe.

The reason why I just went off on that rather long tangent, dissecting her character, is to drive home the point that Nooshy has done nothing in the canon films to warrant the way people talk about her sometimes.

I've seen people insult everything about her and her fans for shipping reasons, because they see her as a threat to their preferred ships (even though she and Johnny are not even canonically a couple by the end of "Sing 2"). And there's a real double standard when it comes to this too, because no other character who's been shipped with Johnny over the years gets this kind of treatment. Meena doesn't, Ash doesn't, Ryan doesn't (even though the claim that Nooshy haters sometimes make - that people only like her as one half of a ship - could just as easily be said about him).

And this is really nothing new. Characters getting trash-talked over shipping wars is a tale as old as time when it comes to fandoms, and people are entitled to their opinions. The reason why I made this post is because lately, the Nooshy bashing is starting to cross a line.

Over the last few months, I've been seeing a growing number of comments complaining about people including Nooshy in their fanart. I've also been seeing a growing number of posts outright insulting people who like Nooshy or like to ship her with Johnny, saying that they're stupid and shallow and should just go away because they’re a blight on the fandom.

How about no.

In a fandom, people are allowed to like whatever character they like, or ship whatever couple they like, so long as they're not hurting anyone. If you hate Nooshy so much that you can't stand seeing any fanart of her or fanfics of her, because you don't want to be reminded that she exists, then I'm sorry but you're either just going to have to deal with that or stop engaging with the parts of the fandom where people want to appreciate her. Because quite frankly, your hatred for this character is no one else’s problem except your own and people are not going to stop liking her just for your benefit.

[lazytitans-world]

Wish re watch thoughts

Having not watched Wish since it came out in theaters in November of 2023 and going down the rabbit hole of abandoned concepts and re-writes in the months leading up to Wish dropping on Disney+ I can now give Wish a re watch and share my thoughts on it. Now keep in mind I am coming at this movie from many angles. On one hand, I want to watch this with a new frame of mind to give it a chance to see if any of my thoughts on the movie have changed. On the other side is my inner "WE COULD HAVE HAD A STARBOY!" fandom side of me looking to see if any of the scrapped concepts could have worked in the movie we got and to see if any traces of those concepts were left behind. But no more waitng, no more writing fanfics, its time to re-watch Wish

• Starting off with the classic story book opening I felt was a great touch as it harkens back to classic Disney animated movies like Snow White, Pinnochio and Sword in the Stone.

• So why was Asha being so secretive to her family about her interview for Magnifico's apprenticeship? That feels like something major to tell your family. Even Asha's friends know about it. It could be Asha wanted to surprise them, I guess.

• Hot take: Welcome to Rosas is not that bad of a song, it's got a catchy beat and introduces us to the kingdom, Magnifico, and the wishes.

• The scene where Asha and her friends discuss her interview does have Asha doing typical "quirky Disney girl" behavior but at the same time she is a teen about to have an interview for what may be one of the most sought-after jobs in the kingdom, I'd be acting weird to if I was her age and in her position.

• We get some hints of Magnifico's jerk personality as he somewhat dismisses Asha's drawings when she shows it to him. The line is "Do we call that a talent?"

• Magnifico mentioning how he knew of Asha's father and how her dad talked about the stars is an interesting given how everything turns out but for one, this is NEVER BROUGHT UP AGAIN and two, this feels like a leftover of one of the deleted scenes from Wish where Magnifico wanted to harness a stars power but was never powerful enough to do so.

• Oh "At All Costs", how you sparked a fandom when you had no intention of doing so.

• In context of the movie, At All Costs does work as it shows that Magnifico's and Asha's feelings on the wishes. Magnifico holding on too his past trauma and feeling that HE and only HE can protect these sacred things while Asha is more drawn to the person AND their wishes, notably her Saba's wish.

• Opinion time: If we were to have Starboy and a romance, the demo version of At All Costs should have been a reprise, just with the word love instead of promise, showing how Star and Asha's relationship has grown and deepened. It would be a lot like "I See the Light" from Tangled, taking place before the climax.

• It makes a little sense why Magnifico rejected Asha's application since after singing "At All Costs" he sees her drawn to the Wishes and some even being drawn to her as the wish orbs now have a purple hew instead of blue hew like the color of Magnifico's cape to them to match Asha's dress. Magnifico has worries that someone will use the power for personal, and in his mind "selfish" reasons, plus his trauma from his village being destroyed makes him warry of who to trust.

• So what happens to a person's wish if they die? Does it just disappear?

• So that whole opinion of "Asha wants Magnifico to grant everyone's wish" WRONG! Asha wants Magnifico to give wishes back to those who have given theirs away long ago and let the people pursue their own wishes.

• Magnifico's tease that he might grant Sabino's wish is petty and I like it as he starts by saying a name starting with Sa before saying another person's name. That is petty stuff right there.

•If you are aware of the original concept art and the many changes Wish went through during production, it is obvious that Amaya, Star and Sabino got their characters changed, and in the case of some, completely neutered.

• I like Ariana Deboise and Chris Pine as Asha and Magnifico respectively.

• "This Wish" is ok and is mostly carried by Araina's strong vocal range.

• Star's arrival has where my inner fandom is screaming "honey get ready, you've got a big storm coming"

• "Can light be loving?" according to the many re-writes I've read, yes Asha, yes it can.

• Opinion time, again: I am in favor of the Starboy design seen in the concept art. Letting you know now since from this point on is about Star.

• I can totally see the human design of Star working in the introduction they have with Asha.

• I get why the creative team wanted Star to look that way, they wanted to do something different and that design screams "marketable plush"

• Once Valentino started talking and we go into "You're a Star", it all came back to me, that bad feeling. THIS IS WHAT I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT WISH. This part feels specifically aimed at children or at most feels too "cutesy". This, in my opinion, where people turned on Wish.

• Getting back to the Star Boy design, "You're a Star" could have worked as a way of Star showing off their powers, as well as them crushing on Asha. "You know you're a work of art" - Imagine Star Boy blushing as that is being said while looking at Asha, this writes itself.

• Look, I like Alan Tudyk, he can be funny if given witty and sarcastic dialogue and I know he has been a fixture in Disney movies for a while, but they gave him nothing to work with for this. This is not an obligation, more like a reward gone wrong. I am glad that Alan got a more prominent role, but I just thought it should have been something better.

• Another major criticism I've seen is that Magnifico's down fall is just him being controlled by a book when really it is more complicated than that. I akin it to Anakin Skywalker falling to the dark side as in it's not just the teachings that cause someone to go down the path of darkness, it's the feelings and desires of the one learning. Magnifico, at the point of the movie is paranoid and afraid that someone or something is here to take away his powers, threaten his power status, and destroy his kingdom that he works hard to protect in his own way. So it is not just the book doing it but the powers of the book mixed with his own fear, anger, trauma and other negative emotions that cause him to fall to darkness. Hate leads to anger, anger leads to

fear, fear leads to suffering.

•I totally forgot the Simon actually sees and interacts with Star before his betrayal. Star hands him a heart after he says he has forgotten what we wished for and when I first saw this I thought it meant that he had a crush on someone, maybe Asha but after seeing the movie it was just Star trying to be nice to Simon. Which in turn makes Simon's turn even more strange.

•I understand why people would think Asha was selfish in going for her family's wishes first when freeing them but my head cannon is that freeing all of them at once would be too big of scene and she wants to prove to Sabino that his wish is worth granting. However, Magnifico would notice that some wishes are missing and would put two and two together so this plan was not thought out to much but hey she is only 18 and she just met a magic star that can help her so I think her thinking clearly is not to much of an issue.

• "This is Thanks I Get" starts off odd as no one brought up the mirror thing in the scene where the citizens question Magnifico. But the song itself is to show that though Magnifico shows that he cares about the citizens of Rosas and their safety, he would rather have someone else help them then get involved himself and still wanting praise even though he does not really do much for the kingdom outside of granting wishes. The song also is to show that Magnifico is now going down the path of darkness due to his own insecurities and ego. Chris Pine does a great job with the song as he becomes more unhinged in every chorus.

• THERE IS NO SCENE WHERE SAKINA AND SABINO MEET STAR AND TALKING VALENTINO WTH!!! It jumps right to Asha giving Sabino his wish back, no lead in or setup.

•Then we go right to Magnifico breaking into Asha's house after being told she brought down the star. Again, there was no setup or lead in, it just happened.

•We don't even get to see Asha's mom's wish before Magnifico crushes it. It would have added more to the emotion of the scene to see what her wish was just as Magnifico destroyed it. This also shown to be the first time Magnifico has ever destroyed a wish. I chalk this up to his new powers influencing him to destroy it.

• Sabino mentions as they escape that Asha's father would be disheartened to see what Magnifico has done, implying that the father was a believer of Magnifico.

• Star holding Asha's chin as she blames herself for everything again makes me yearn for the Star Boy design.

• Magnifico having a hidden evil lair beneath his royal study is symbolism 101 but nice to see.

• Fun detail: When Magnifico grants Simon's wish, he uses the spear he made from forbidden magic and that in turns corrupts Simon's wish and thus Simon himself. We see instead of the usual blue, pink or other colors used to represent Magnifico's magic its is now the green evil magic, symbolizing that Simon's wish, though granted, is now corrupted as well.

• Simon turning on his friends is shown more as an effect of the forbidden magic Magnifico used.

• How do you have a wanted poster of Asha and not make a "they got my nose wrong" joke from Tangled.

• "My butt found it" - see this is why a lot of people thought this movie was written by AI.

•"Introverts need sanctuary too" - Hell yeah Bazeema

•"What I Know Now" is another decent song as I am a sucker for drum breaks and enjoy the revolutionary feel behind it.

• Apparently, to avoid corruption by the book of forbidden magic you have to wash your hands with obsidian oil before using the book. So to avoiding evil basically comes down to washing your hands, gee you think this movie was made during a pandemic or something. Overall, pretty lame way to defeat evil.

•The rule is "embrace forbidden magic once and you commit to it for eternity". I find it hard to believe that no one has tried to save someone corrupted by this forbidden magic before this.

• I notice that the more obvious Disney call backs happen at the last third of the movie. Before it was subtle but now it is super obvious.

• If we were not going to get a reprise of "At All Costs" then "This Wish" would make sense as it shows the kingdom getting behind Asha and standing up to Magnifico themselves. It is a decent song for what it needs to be.

•Again, I can't help thinking about Star's human design as they are sucked into Magnifico's staff. Imagine them taking one last glance at Asha before being sucked in to the staff, some good romantic build there.

• Simon's betrayal came down to him wanting to feel whole again after giving up his wish and essentially making a deal with the devil to make that happen. I get that people saw him differently and he would want to change that but how he acted with Asha and the others before Magnifico told the kingdom about the light and its apparent danger still made his turn feel off, we needed to see Simon struggle with how he feels and how others see him for it to make sense.

•So Star did not go back to the sky at the end, which does leave the door open for other adventures with Asha and others. Maybe star could turn human at the end (LOOK LET ME DREAM!)

Overall my thoughts on Wish have not really changed since I first viewed it. The movie is passable, a 6 or seven out of 10, a C+ to B grade. The animation is good, the story is fine and the characters do not bother me too much.

But for a movie that is supposed to represent 100 years of Disney animation, one of the most influential studios of all time, it is not wrong to say that we should have gotten more. This movie is missing one thing, that special sauce to put it over the top. It could've been a romance with a human looking Star, it could have been Amaya and Magnifico being a villainous couple, it could have been anything. Wish just needed that extra something to push past some of the pacing and story beats that drag it down such as the bad jokes and odd pacing. Maybe a better relationship between Asha and Star would be glue that held the movie together as most previous Disney film always had that main duo that kept you interested but Asha and this version of Star just don't click like a Moana and Maui or Anna and Elsa did.

I would give it a recommendation now that it is on streaming for an affordable price plus it does come with the deleted scenes and bonus materials. It's also clear to see that the team behind it was passionate about making this the best it could be and I applaud the team for that idea. I know others are going after them for not going through with certain concepts, but I think they did an okay job with what they had.

So yes I like Wish, it's not my favorite Disney movie but it's one I would not mind watching again and understand if it's someone's favorite. Hopefully the initial negativity towards the movie dies down and people actually give it a chance.

[deaths-presence]

Two of a Kind || Dazai x Reader Part 5: Brave New World

Story Summary: The search for your brother has led you into conflict between the Armed Detective Agency of Yokohama and the Guild. Fitzgerald keeps you involuntarily, that is until you finally find your chance of escape. Will you find strength within the ADA, or will you only become more astray? Word Count: 1.1k Characters Featured: Atsushi Nakajima, small Dazai mention Warnings: afab!reader, slowburn, plot heavy to build up romance, lmk if I happened to miss anything please! Tag List: @decaf-nosebleed @isa-ghost @xakumi @bunchofdoodlesinspace A/N: If you want to be added to the tag list, feel free to let me know! Guess who's heeeeere!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Adrenaline rushed through your veins. The feeling of your stomach fluttering as you kept gaining momentum from the fall nearly made you scream, but the air prevented you from doing so. Your eyes looked to Atsushi when the wind wasn’t irritating them, his gaze fixed on the city that you were steadily getting closer to.

Your body froze in the air, and you realized Atsushi noticed the missile-like object that had flown by your head. Shit, you thought. Twain’s ability with Tom and Huck. You would be lucky if you weren’t shot out from the sky. You decided then that until you got closer to land, keeping your wings tucked in was the best course of action in living another day.

You didn’t warn Atsushi in enough time once he opened his parachute, crying out for him when he was stunned by the next shot that was aimed at him. The air cannon cut away his own chance of surviving the fall, the one thing Lucy gave up helping him. The parachute flew away gracefully, leaving Atsushi unconscious and plummeting head-first towards Yokohama.

You rushed to grab him, desperately reaching for one of his legs to help stop him from dying on impact. You grimaced as you managed the task, but gravity was working against you. With your wings outstretched and batting the air in distress, it was no use trying to pull Atsushi to safety, and now you were plunging to your death just as fast as he was.

“Atsushi, wake up! We’re going down too fast!” You wouldn’t accept your fate yet. Your eyes were on Atsushi, gritting your teeth as you found the courage to keep trying to save him. The wings on your back were tiring from how fast you were flapping them, and the adrenaline from earlier turned into panic.

This was it. You were going to die.

You braced yourself for the fast and painless end; with the grim reaper introducing himself and leading you to the afterlife. Instead, it never came. A mixture of confusion and relief washed over you once you realized you weren’t dead, but alive. You were very much alive as you glanced over yourself and your surroundings. One moment you could’ve sworn you were on a tiger’s back, but the next you rolled onto the ground as Atsushi stood from kneeling.

“You— You saved me,” you said breathlessly once Atsushi helped you up, all the oxygen from your lungs feeling like it escaped while diving to the street you were on. “Thank you.”

You were interrupted by a spine-chilling giggle, your head turning towards the doll that Lucy had given Atsushi. That’s right. Atsushi needed to find someone to give that thing to in the hopes of stopping everything.

You both started towards the doll, but not before being greeted with a litter of bullets halting you from grabbing it. You let your ability fall to reveal your natural state, but you were given no time to think about defense. It was time to run. Atsushi managed to grab the toy before making his escape. You weren’t far behind, but your eyes were stuck to him as he used his ability to run on the sides of buildings. His strength amazed you, his legs powerful enough to sprint and jump with ease. You had to be more careful. Unlike Atsushi, you were vulnerable on the ground. Twain’s perfect aim was not to be underestimated.

Atsushi eventually rejoined you on the ground. You both dashed to turn a corner only to pause at the chaos in front of you. Fires were raging, people were mulling around on the street as if looking for their next prey, and your eyes quickly glanced away at the sight of the couple of lifeless bodies you could see. You heard Hawthorne’s voice in your head comparing it to the apocalypse in reference to Revelations as if he were there with you.

Your shock was broken by more bullets behind you. Atsushi guided you to follow him as you ran to avoid being shot. He appeared distracted by something, and it was only by your gasp that he finally looked ahead and came to a halt with you.

“That’s an oil truck—!”

One bullet piercing the container sent a wave of heat across your entire body, and the blast was powerful enough to knock you off your feet and send your body rolling on the ground. The only reason you weren’t crying out from the pain was your body protecting you in survival mode. Your eyes slid over to Atsushi who looked just as beaten as you. He wasn’t getting up right away, but you felt a small wave of relief when his arm finally moved. It was reached out towards the doll he still was determined to protect.

You forced yourself to sit up to help him, noticing the blood running down from his forehead. His dedication to protecting and saving everyone was admirable, and you wanted to match it whether your body was screaming at you to give up and rest or not. 

Footsteps. You heard footsteps approaching. Your eyes were on a figure approaching you both from the dense smoke caused by the explosion. You expected the worst. Did Fitzgerald come down to fetch you himself? Was it someone else from the Guild that would finally put an end to your efforts?

Your body was paralyzed as the man revealed himself, but it was no one that you recognized. The first item that was brought to your attention was his right arm in a sling, and then your eyes met brown ones. His shaggy coffee-colored hair framed his face in a way that was alluring, and there was no doubt in your mind that he broke hearts often. His clothes matched him, the tan trench coat he adorned partnered with a brown vest on top of a button-down work shirt. The slacks that were on his long legs were a lighter tan than his coat. His frame was lean, but you knew better than to base your thoughts on that alone.

Your gaze broke from his as he kneeled to take the doll into his grasp, and your eyes were stuck to him as he activated his ability. The doll was surrounded by a blue light before disappearing altogether, and Atsushi’s next words confirmed who you thought it was.

“Dazai.”

Atsushi’s warning to Dazai about the bullets raining from above became faint, and before you knew it your body had finally forsaken you. Your eyes fought to stay focused on them, and your upper body went slack, hitting the ground underneath you in the process. Despite your horrible circumstances, you had never felt so free being unconscious.