#speed battle makes more sense as a name

[sonknuxadow]

shaking rn give him his eyeliner back immediately

[safety-pin-punk]

Punk 101: A History of Battle Jackets

Battle Jackets have a long and interesting history in general, not limited only to punk. Today we see them as a reflection of the wearer, they are a form of self expression and affiliation.

Battle jackets can trace their origins back to WWII American pilots who would decorate their flight suits and bomber jackets with their squadron's insignia patches. They were jackets that allowed pilots to easily recognize each other and instilled a sense of pride and community in their owners. This is also where the term 'battle jacket' comes from.

After the war was over, pilots returned home and many found joy in the speed and excitement of motorcycles. Biker clubs were formed, and thus, biker culture as well. Pilots often used their bomber jackets while riding because of the protection they offered, though the sleeves were usually removed due to how they restricted movement. Jackets got decorated with club/gang logos to represent their wearer's affiliation, much like the insignia patches. As biker clubs grew, members without a pilot history often used leather or denim jackets to showcase their affiliations. There is a LOT more to biker jacket history, but this is what's really relevant to punk jackets.

In the 60s, two different cultures evolved in the UK. The first is The Mods, known for listening to modern jazz and riding scooters (supposedly their name comes from the modern jazz thing. I would not have been surprised if it was from 'modification' considering the seeming obsession to keep adding mirrors and lights to their scooters). The other group was The Rockers who were known for listening to 50s rock and riding motorcycles. While the groups strongly disliked each other, they both decorated their jackets in ways that influenced punk's jacket scene. The Mods often added pictures, paintings, and patches to theirs, while The Rockers were more likely to be seen sporting spikes and studs. (Not to say that those things were strictly limited to each side - just what was more common)

The following decade (the 70s), the two branches came together as various music subgenres collided and formed. Punk was among the genres formed, and the culture surrounding it was one of the first non-gang or club related groups to decorate their jackets. Taking influence from both The Mods and The Rockers, the characteristic punk look was formed, and intended to be a Fuck You to societal norms. In the earliest days, punk jackets were mostly covered in band patches, much like modern heavy metal jackets. As punk evolved into what we know it as today, with notes of anti-establishment and anarchy, it became more common to see political patches right along side the band ones.

Today's jackets are a personal statement. the bands you like, your interests, political statements. They are a symbol of individuality and rebellion against society. They are a physical representation of YOU and your history with punk culture. This is why it is so important within punk culture to make your own jacket or have someone help who can customize it to you. You are not a generic human off the rack, you have lived a life, had your own battles, have your own personality, and have your own history. A premade, mass produced jacket won't showcase any of that or really truly represent the individuality of 'you'.

[aviiarie]

THE FLAME HASHIRA'S TSUGUKO — platonic kyojuro rengoku & reader !

synopsis. what is the flame hashira like with a tsuguko? warnings. spoilers for mugen train arc. kny-typical warnings (violence, death, etc.) brief mentions of food and eating. notes. STRICTLY PLATONIC. demon slayer!reader. reader uses flame breathing. gn!reader. they/them used. fluff. 1.3k words. second in my tsuguko series! if you enjoyed, do let me know who you want to see in the next one ^^

muichiro ver.

if there is one hashira that is most sought out as a mentor, it is kyojuro rengoku.

to young demon slayers, he is the best candidate. he's warm and welcoming to the new recruits, he's much more approachable than other hashira, he doesn't look he would beat them to a pulp in the name of 'training'. whenever there is a new batch of slayers freshly accepted into the demon slayer corps, there is a wave of requests to become his tsuguko.

however, kyojuro has never actually looked at his pile of applications. they lie untouched in a small stack, gathering dust in a corner of his estate. the system of sending in an application in the hopes of achieving a mentor had never made sense to him; surely the only way a worthy tsuguko is chosen would be by dazzling him with their skills?

that's how mitsuri became his student, and that's exactly how he ended up with [name]!

they were practicing alone in one of the training rooms when he happened to walk by, on his way to a hashira meeting. kyojuro stopped in his tracks, drawn to the bright lights and warmth that only flame-breathing created.

he glanced into the room, and was immediately captivated by their skill. it wasn't perfect, by any means—at a hashira standard, it was downright sloppy—but there was a certain passion in their eyes that caught his attention. they were pouring every ounce of effort in their body into flame-breathing, with an energy that only a truly determined fighter held.

they had strong potential, he could tell from just a few seconds of watching them. if that wasn't a worthy candidate for tsuguko then he doesn't know what was.

“impressive!”

“huh?! who said that?”

when they accept, his training begins the very next morning. he wakes them up at dawn, looking far too refreshed for how early it was, and puts them through a series of drills to test their strength and speed. this is followed by some light sparring, before he encourages them to show him what they know about flame-breathing.

between exercises, there are a few values he instills in his student.

the first is the one he thinks every demon slayer should believe: the duty of the strong is to protect the weak. he will train them for as long as it takes for them to gain strength, so that one day they will be able to protect people as he does. anger and a desire for vengeance would only push them so far; they needed to know what they were fighting for, who they were protecting.

the second is less selfless, but no less noble in his eyes: to take care of others, you must take care of yourself first. he knows firsthand that neglecting the health of one's own body in favour of duty will only make him less capable of carrying out said duty, so he makes sure to drill the words in their head. proper rest, hydration, and sustenance are essentials for keeping oneself in top condition, and ready for battle.

the final is the most difficult to learn: loss is heartbreaking, but inevitable. kyojuro has been a part of the demon slayer corps for a long time, and before he was a hashira, he was a beginner demon slayer. he has experiences missions that have failed, he has witnessed casualties—both civilian, and his fellow slayers. while protecting innocents is a hashira's top priority, he needs his tsuguko to know that death is unavoidable in some situations, no matter how skilled they are. that doesn't mean that it is their fault, when tragedy strikes.

training is rigorous, but kyojuro is an excellent teacher. he is patient when they're struggling, eager to praise their improvements, no matter how small.

he builds a rapport with them fast. months of training go by, and their progress is simply incredible! he couldn't be more proud!

by then, he honestly treats his tsuguko like a second sibling. like, of course they are invited to family dinner with senjuro, was that ever a question? senjuro himself was slightly wary about them at first, but it didn't take long for him to warm up to them too.

family dinner is nonnegotiable, by the way. it only happens about once a month when kyojuro isn't on a mission and senjuro has the time to cook a meal for them, so it's treated very seriously. they will show up and they will enjoy it, or they will have to deal with senjuro's quiet sullenness and kyojuro's passive-aggressive sighs of disappointment.

(kyojuro used to invite his father to these dinners, but he was always met with a blunt dismissal whenever he tried to ask. senjuro told him to just let it go, so he quietly gave up on attempting to include him. family was much more peaceful when it was just the three of them, anyway.)

during the colder months, he has a habit of throwing his haori over his tsuguko’s shoulders after their lessons to keep them warm on their way back to their room. if they try to protest it, he just waves them off with a laugh.

“do not worry, young [name]! i can assure you that i have no problem with keeping warm myself! but i can't have you freezing before our next training session, can i?”

he is a kind mentor. brave, encouraging. he never looks down on his tsuguko, even when the gap between their skills makes it clear he is—and likely always will be—a step above them. to them, he is unshakeable, untouchable.

well. until the mugen train mission, that is.

they were in the middle of resting from a mission, when kyojuro's crow landed on their windowsill and delivered the news: in the battle against upper moon three, kyojuro was fatally wounded.

for a second, they couldn't quite believe it. it was only a few weeks prior that they had seen him, grinning and pushing a bento box into their hands, promising he would be back to train with them soon enough.

the grief hits them hard. they can't fathom the idea of never hearing his bright and cheerful voice wake them at the crack of dawn, never feeling his warm hand clap against their shoulder to give an encouraging squeeze. tears spill over, their breath chokes in their throat.

he is gone. there won't be another family dinner, or spontaneous training session, or trips into town to watch sumo wrestling. they were alone; a tsuguko without a mentor, a fire without any kindling.

it's then that their mentor's voice rings in their head, reminding them of the three lessons he taught the.

the duty of the strong is to protect the weak. kyojuro died protecting his fellow slayers. it was an honourable death, and one that he would be satisfied with.

to take care of others, you must take care of yourself first. with shaky hands, they pour themself a cup of soothing tea. kyojuro would urge them to focus on keeping themself healthy during such a grief-filled time.

loss is heartbreaking, but inevitable. kyojuro was dangerously aware of his own mortality, and never shied away from the idea that he might die any day. he would enthusiastically talk about how when he is gone, they will be the next flame hashira.

kyojuro wouldn't want them to fall apart without him. he would want them to keep burning like a inferno, channeling their emotions into their breathing until it was as sharp as their blade. the last thing he would want is to let his death destroy the fire in their heart.

so they stop. they breathe. they mourn. then, they hold their head up high, and steady their blade at their side.

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[nunununuy]

Part 1

Part 2

Main Character Prince x NPC Fem Reader

Tittle: "Awakening in a World of Survival: The Prince's Fate"

In the midst of the bustling traffic, a man was crossing the street, his eyes glued to his phone. Without a glance to his left or right, he continued walking, oblivious to the world around him. On the phone screen, an RPG survival otome game, currently popular, displayed a scene where his character was conversing with a female NPC. Every now and then, a faint smile crossed his face, satisfied with the progress he was making in the game.

People around him began to panic. A large truck was speeding toward him, far too fast to stop in time. Some bystanders started shouting, trying to get his attention. "Watch out!" "Get out of the way!" "There's a truck!" But the man heard nothing. His earphones blasted music, drowning out all the warnings. Still focused on his phone, he moved his character to give a gift to the NPC. Unfortunately, the gift was rejected because it could only be given to one of the available love interests.

Finally, he looked up. His eyes met the truck's grille barreling toward him at full speed. Time seemed to slow down. The man froze, shocked, his mouth slightly open. The truck was too close, and there was no time to react. The inevitable collision occurred. His body was flung into the air, while the truck sped away, leaving the scene.

The world around him went silent. The man felt no pain, only emptiness. His body felt weightless, but he couldn’t move. People gathered around, some trying to help, but their voices sounded distant, like they belonged to another world. His eyes grew heavy. He was so tired, unbearably tired. As the darkness began to swallow him, he surrendered to the exhaustion, slowly closing his eyes for what he thought would be the last time.

But when he opened his eyes again, the scene before him was entirely different. Gone were the crowded streets and panicked people. Instead, he found himself in an unfamiliar bedroom. The room had a vintage, aristocratic feel, with tall windows draped in golden curtains. The bed he lay on was adorned with luxurious silk sheets, and a grand chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Confusion clouded his mind. Wasn't he just dying? Hadn't he already died? Before he could make sense of it, the door to the room swung open, and a maid entered. Upon seeing him awake, she gasped, then quickly bolted out of the room, calling for a doctor.

The man was left stunned. What was happening? Slowly, he rose from the bed and walked towards the large mirror in the corner of the room. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. The reflection staring back at him wasn’t his own. Long, silver hair cascaded down his shoulders, his eyes were a sharp blue, his skin flawless and pale, and his body was taller and more athletic than it had ever been.

“This… isn’t me,” he whispered.

The aristocratic face in the mirror seemed hauntingly familiar. "Damn it! I’ve been isekai’d into the game I was playing?!" he exclaimed in panic. It didn’t seem possible, but the reality before him was undeniable.

He had been transported into the body of a prince from a small, prosperous kingdom, the main character in the RPG survival otome game he had been playing. In the game, the prince would embark on a grand adventure to expand his kingdom’s power and search for legendary artifacts to battle the demons that would rise again after being sealed away for a hundred years.

With a deep breath, the man—now a prince—realized that his life was no longer just a game. Great challenges lay ahead, and he would have to find a way to survive in this new world.

___

The prince, or the main character, was named "Leonhart Valerian," the crown prince of a small yet prosperous kingdom, destined to become a powerful leader. At 15 years old, Leonhart was on the path to grow into a strong prince who would lead a great battle against the rising demons that had been sealed away for a hundred years.

___

Leonhart sat on his bed, his body still weary from the recent events. Around him, the royal doctor carefully examined him, while the king and queen stood by his bedside, their expressions filled with concern. The queen’s eyes brimmed with tears of relief, overjoyed that her only son had woken up after the terrifying accident. Leonhart remained silent, feeling awkward under their watchful eyes, especially because he wasn’t truly the "Leonhart" they knew. He felt like a stranger in the body of the prince.

The doctor eventually finished the examination and declared that Prince Leonhart had no serious injuries. His brief coma had been caused by shock from falling into the river, but aside from that, he was perfectly fine. Hearing this, the king and queen sighed in relief. The queen immediately approached Leonhart, gently holding his hand with motherly tenderness. "I was so afraid you wouldn’t wake up," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

Leonhart felt guilty but tried to soothe her. "I’m fine, really. There’s nothing to worry about," he reassured her, his voice calm yet firm. The king also expressed his concerns, and once again, Leonhart did his best to reassure both parents, whom he had only just met in this world.

Thankfully, the game had a feature that allowed Leonhart to view the character’s memories, so he had already studied the history and relationships of the prince. After the king and queen returned to their royal duties, Leonhart was left alone in his chamber.

Sitting there, he began to recall the game’s storyline. Currently, Prince Leonhart was 15 years old, and the main storyline wouldn’t begin until he turned 20. The demon seals would start to break when he turned 22, which meant he had seven years to prepare for the impending catastrophe.

One of the first things Leonhart noticed was the absence of any system interface or quests appearing before him. It seemed like he was free to do as he pleased, without the constraints of the game’s rules. This was a great relief. Now, he could start collecting vital artifacts much earlier than the main plot intended.

Beyond that, there was a personal goal that Leonhart felt strongly about. He wanted to meet (name), an NPC character in the game who had been unavailable as a love interest, but whom Leonhart had always admired. Previously, he was frustrated because he couldn’t give (name) the special gift, but now, with full freedom, he was determined to approach her and present the gift when the time came.

Leonhart smiled to himself. (name), the girl he considered the love of his life, was now within reach. In his heart, despite how excessive it may sound, he always had deep feelings for her, more so than any of the game’s designated love interests. Now, he was eager to begin his journey—not only to save the world but also to win the heart of the girl he had always dreamed of.

"One day, I will give you the Azure Eternis, (name)," Leonhart whispered to himself with determination.

___

The ring was named "Azure Eternis," a simple blue ring imbued with extraordinary power. Not only was it a symbol of engagement, but it also possessed magical abilities for self-defense, including teleportation, offensive magic, and the ability to track the wearer’s location. Only a true love interest in the game could accept this special ring.

___

[writingtraumaforever]

'Green' Justice: A Courtship Mini-Sequel

Notes: I really hope you guys like this introduction to Rouge! Don't worry, there will be more of Amy in the future. I took creative liberties on why and how the other characters begin appearing, taking inspiration from Sonic X's reasoning in the show.

Summary: More and more Mobians are showing up on earth, and Sonic is super excited about it!.. Until a certain bat shows up and gets a little too close to Shadow for his liking.

Courtship Masterpost!

Link to my AO3!

Start:

Sonic has officially decided. He hates bats.

Yup. What’s good about bats?? They’re scary, they carry diseases, they can fly, see in the dark–

Okay. Bats are kinda cool.

Oo! And Batman!!

Anyway. So maybe he doesn’t hate all bats.

But he doesn’t like this one.

See. Turns out that when he and Shadow use Chaos Control to go Super?? It creates connections between worlds. Kinda like the warp rings but instant. So after the ARK battle, more and more “aliens” like Sonic, Knuckles and Tails started showing up from other worlds. This has been mostly kept under wraps by GUN since some humans feel threatened by Sonic and those like him’s very existence, thinking they’re too powerful and only seem to bring trouble wherever they appear.

Which is kinda fair.

But they literally saved the world from being crashed into by a giant space station like– a year ago?? So what’s the big deal??

Anyway. Sonic’s entire family pretty much is partnered with GUN at this point because of this. They’re started a whole new program called the ‘Mobian Project’: Mobian being the new term coined for their kind. Mobo-Sapiens being the scientific term. Knuckles came up with ‘Mobian’. Said it sounded like the words ‘mammal’ and ‘alien’ had a baby, so it made sense.

It all essentially meant that if a new Mobian showed up on GUN’s radar, Sonic and Team were dispatched to welcome them and help them assimilate to earth’s culture safely. Shadow came along if the Mobian had special abilities like Sonic’s speed or Tails’ flight, taking record of them to report back to GUN. Surprisingly, though, most Mobians were pretty basic. Just your regular anthropomorphic animal beings. 

The only one who had any sort of new abilities so far was a pink hedgehog Sonic had found named Amy. She was like. Crazy strong. And she could summon this giant and terrifying hammer out of thin air! And she was like. A witch or something, Sonic was pretty sure. She did palm readings and tarot card stuff, and she was rarely wrong– if ever.

He met her when Eggman used the quill Sonic gave him in exchange of working with him to fight Shadow awhile back to create a robotic version of him called Metal Sonic. Eggman had managed to pick up her arrival on earth on his radar before GUN had, and sent Metal Sonic to kidnap her. Long story short, Sonic saved her, and she was practically a part of the family now! She lived with Randall and Rachel, pretty much an honorary Handel now. And JoJo got a sister!

Sonic liked her. And she liked him. Her and Maddie really hit it off, too. And Shadow. He told Sonic once she reminded him a lot of Maria..

Anyway, Sonic was pretty happy about this little project they had going with GUN. And with Maddie, Tom and Shadow all keeping a close eye on the organization to make sure they don’t do anything sketchy, he had zero problems working with them. Especially if it meant helping more lost Mobians like him find their home..

He hadn’t met a single one he hadn’t liked yet, even though they were few and far between..

That is.. Until the stupid bat came along.

He doesn’t even know where she came from! Apparently it’s classified, but Shadow told him GUN caught her infiltrating their facility. She nearly got away with a chaos emerald! And evidently that’s all it takes to get on GUN’s good side, weirdly enough, because next thing Sonic knew, she was working for ‘em.

And partnered, specifically, with Shadow.

Shadow hadn’t seemed too mad about it, which just irritated Sonic more. Shadow always said he preferred to work alone, so what made this girl so special?? 

“She’s good at incognito field work, which is good because that’s my weak point,” Shadow explained, “And she can fight. Really well. I wasn’t sure about her at first, but it doesn’t look like I’ll have to worry about her holding me back.”

“I’d really like to meet her,” Sonic had so foolishly beamed back, excited about having yet another of their kind on earth, “She sounds super cool!”

She, in fact, sucked.

He met her nearly a week later when he was at GUN waiting on Shadow. He had been away a few days, but Sonic wanted to surprise him by being there to greet him when he came back. It was while he was waiting that he saw her for the first time.

And she was… blessed. Blessed is a good word for it. One that Aunt Rachel often uses to describe ladies with large- ahem, how does he put this like a gentleman?… Knockers.

She was all curve and confidence, looking absolutely stunning even after a long mission with full makeup and a few cool piercings on her left ear. Her GUN suit was very sexist in Sonic’s opinion– who authorized such a revealing and tight uniform for a field agent??? It wasn’t practical at all.

But none of that is what really got his attention.

What got his attention was the way Shadow was smiling while she talked to him. They were walking out of the building, Shadow’s arms crossed and an amused look on his face.

And her gloved hands— why do her gloves go all the way up her arms?? Who does she think she is?? The Queen???— are all over him as she walks beside him. One arm is interlinked with his own, the other hand moving to rest on his bicep as she talks about something that’s obviously just soooo funny.

Her pink lipstick makes every word she’s saying seem vibrant, but Sonic is sure she’s surely not that interesting.

He should go save Shadow from such a boring conversation. Yup.

He’s gonna do it.

He’s gonna go over there and stop her from harassing Shadow any further.

Even if he is smiling… and seems perfectly comfortable with her arm around his.. and hasn’t even noticed Sonic is there like he usually does the second he catches a whiff of his scent..

Sonic’s tail sags behind him, his ears folding back. He suddenly feels silly. Stupid. Foolish. Embarrassed.

He takes a few steps back, the need to run suddenly becoming overwhelming and suffocating. In the process of turning to leave, he finds himself tripping right over a parking bumper and falling with a little gasp. His eyes shut for the impact—

Except it doesn’t come. Instead, black arms cradle his body right above the concrete. Emerald eyes open and look up to see Shadow staring down at him with knitted up brows.

“Are you alright??” 

Sonic hates how concerned he sounds. How his chest thumps from his heart pounding inside it.

“Uh-huh,” the blue hedgehog nods with an awestruck look in his eyes. Shadow looks right back at him, taking a moment to examine him as if to make sure Sonic truly is just fine before he offers a small huff and amused curve of his lips.

“What are you doing here??”

“Waiting for you,” he answers honestly as Shadow helps him to stand back up properly, Sonic offering a bashful smile at how Shadow’s hands linger on Sonic’s arms even once he’s standing.

“You didn’t have to do that, I was coming to see you..,” he rubs his hands down Sonic’s arms, fingers brushing along the backs of Sonic’s hands before he lets him go. Sonic shivers.

“I know— I just wanted to be here to welcome you back,” Sonic explains with a little blush on his muzzle.

Then his eyes catch movement behind Shadow.

The bat.

She’s standing there smirking with a hand on her hip. Watching them.

Shadow follows Sonic’s gaze to the bat, clearing his throat and quickly stepping aside to introduce them properly, “Oh, Rouge. This is—“

“Sonic the Hedgehog,” she finishes knowingly, reaching her hand out to shake Sonic’s, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Aw yeah?” Sonic forces a smile and shakes her hand despite his twisting stomach at her acknowledgment, “All good things, I hope.”

“Mostly,” she winks, “I’m Rouge.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about you too! Agent Rachel is my aunt. She talks about you sometimes.”

“Oh?” Rouge’s ears perk at this, but then a playful pout is placed on her rosy lips as she directs her attention back to Shadow, “You don’t talk about me?”

And Shadow, the absolute idiot, nods immediately and dumbly confirms, “I’ve told Sonic of our partnership.”

“I’m flattered,” the bat grins, her smile full of mischief and coquet. Sonic’s stomach twists more.

 “Did you trip??” Shadow’s gaze returns to Sonic, seemingly dismissive of the previous conversation and still worried over the fact he just prevented Sonic from cracking his head on the concrete.

“Oh, um— yeah, I was just— I forgot I had promised mom I’d pick up another bag of Ozzy’s dogfood. He’s out, so… I was gonna go.. get that..”

Shadow’s frown looks uneven, eyes observing Sonic in a suspicious sort of way, “I could go with you??”

“No, no! That’s fine. I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys’ uh-..,” he awkwardly gestures both his hands to Shadow and Rouge before clearing his throat and, “cool-spy-conversation.”

“We were just debriefing and saying our goodbyes,” Shadow replies simply, looking at Rouge again, “I’m sure Rouge has her own life to get back to.”

“Hardly,” she shrugs nonchalantly, “Haven’t had the time to really make any friends here yet. Or get to know the town..”

And Sonic, the poor, unfortunate dummy he is, absolutely word vomits with zero thought behind it, “You should come bowling with me and my family tonight!”

He mentally facepalms.

Rouge blinks at his sudden loud and aggressively inviting voice, Shadow staring at Sonic now with a confused sort of look.

Sonic flounders a moment before offering a wide grin and awkward chuckle, “I just mean— we’re going bowling tonight. There are tournaments coming up, and my big brother is on a bowling team, so we’ve been going to practice a lot.. You could come?? Since you don’t.. have any friends here yet..”

Shadow’s brows furrow a bit at this. Sonic may be trying his hardest to seem cool and friendly, but Shadow knows better. Knows him.

Something’s up.

“That’s mighty nice of you, Blue,” Rouge smiles, Sonic’s nerves grating at the unauthorized nickname, “But I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing at all! In fact, with you and Shadow there, it would even out the teams! Whuddo’ya say??”

Shadow looks at Rouge, Rouge looking back at him before shrugging with a smirk, “I guess I could use some fun.”

“Great!” Sonic beams, sounding way too enthusiastic about her agreeing to come. Very forced. “We’ll be expecting ya! Anyway, I’d love to stay and chat some more, but I gotta run. Y’know how dogs get when they’re hungry!” Sonic laughs so damn awkwardly, his teeth feel weird in his mouth. “See ya!”

Shadow opens his mouth to tell him to wait, but he’s already gone. Only thing left of him is the small patch of dust he kicked up in his leave.

Rouge snorts behind him, “Sheesh. I know you said he was a ball of energy, but I didn’t expect him to be so skittish.”

“He’s not normally like that,” Shadow mutters, brows furrowed and eyes still looking in the direction Sonic disappeared off to.

“Well I’m not hatin’. He’s your man. Who am I to judge?”

Shadow just sighs, crossing his arms and his mind racing with possible explanations of Sonic’s odd behavior.

•••

“And then I invited her to come bowling with us!!” Sonic horrifically concludes, groaning as he collapses onto the couch face-first dramatically.

“Nnmf-mm-mm-mmf-mm.”

Maddie blinks amusededgy but sympathetically at the sight of her poor, destressed middle child with his mouth buried in the cushions, “…Didn’t catch that, sweetie.”

Sonic lifts his head just enough to clearly pout, “I said I need to get longer gloves,” his face splats right back into the cushion.

“Oh Sonic,” Maddie moves to sit on the couch, rolling her boy so that his head is resting in her lap rather than buried in the couch, “There’s nothing wrong with your gloves.”

“They’re not cool enough. They’re basic,” he grumbles with a little furrow of his brows at his hands, as if the white gloves he’s currently sporting have personally offended him.

“Not cool enough??” Maddie scoffs, “Oh honey- green is not a good color on you.”

“I’m blue, Mom. Blue. Have you seriously thought I was green this whole time??”

“No—“ Maddie sighs and rolls her eyes hopelessly, her hand resting in Sonic’s quills to soothingly pet through them, “It’s an expression. Someone who is metaphorically green means they’re green with envy. Jealous.”

Sonic gasps dramatically, “I am not jealous!”

“You sure sound jealous,” she points out with a quirk of her brow, “Not to mention- where has that classic Sonic confidence gone?? I’ve never heard you sound so insecure and down on yourself!”

“I’m not insecure,” Sonic defends with a huff, crossing his arms defiantly as he pouts up at his mother from his spot in her lap, “I’m just-… needing some changes. Upgrades! I’m finding myself.”

“You already know yourself,” Maddie reminds him with a little poke to the middle of his forehead, “And Shadow knows you too. And he likes you. Not some batty version of you.”

A sigh escapes Sonic’s nose at this, averting his eyes with a grumbled “I know”. Why’d she always have to be right??

He’s quiet a moment. His ears folding back and a vulnerable look in his eyes as he looks back to his mom, “But what if he likes her more..?”

“Well..,” Maddie sighs and then shrugs, “then it’ll be okay. You can’t fault him for how he feels or her for being the one to make him feel that way.. you care about Shadow, right??”

Sonic nods slowly, “He’s my best friend..”

Maddie smiles all soft and empathetic, “Then you have to be prepared to be okay with whatever makes him happy..”

Sonic frowns at this, looking down at his gloved hands with a knit in his brow as he ponders this. 

Is he ready to step aside if it means Shadow will be happier without him?? Is he ready to lose the guy he’s spent so much time with, so many conversations with, so many adventures with.. if it means Shadow will be better off?..

Yes. He is. It’ll kill him, he thinks. But he could do it for Shadow.

“But just to be 100% clear??” Maddie adds with a hand tilting Sonic’s head back up to look at her, “I seriously doubt that’s gonna be the case, kiddo.”

Sonic offers a tired sort of smile at this, “Thanks, mom..”

Maddie hums and leans down to place a kiss to his forehead, “Anytime, sweetheart.”

It’s about that moment Knuckles strolls in to grab some snacks from the kitchen and finds them like this, blinking at them a few times before immediately having a determined glare overcome his face, “Is it time to enact my duties as eldest of the sons of the Wachowski tribe and bring harm to the Utmost Being of Life??”

“Not yet, Knucks,” Sonic sighs with an eyeroll.

“Mm. I shall be at the ready,” and with that, he goes back to gathering his grapes.

•••

The family arrives at the bowling alley promptly as always, very good at always being on time despite their constant chaos. Wade is already there with a lane booked and warming up, Knuckles immediately going to greet his bowling partner merrily. 

Sonic feels like a pile of nerves, standing in line with his folks as they wait to get their bowling shoes. His eyes are darting around. No sign of Shadow or Rouge yet, but if he knows Shadow, he’ll be here any second—

“Boo.”

Sonic nearly jumps out of his quills, spinning around with wide eyes and a yelp to find Shadow standing there snickering.

Sonic’s glares at him, asserting a playful shove to his chest as he scolds, “Personal space, man! That’s a good way to get yourself knocked out!”

“As if you could ever,” Shadow rolls his eyes, still looking amused at his successful scare. Then he’s pausing to eye Sonic up and down with a small smile, “You’re wearing my jacket..”

Sonic blinks and looks down at himself with a light blush, “Oh! Yeah, it-.. it said it would be a bit chilly tonight, so I figured—“

“It’s 85 degrees outside,” Shadow smirks knowingly.

“I meant in the bowling alley!” Sonic lies with his blush deepening as he looks behind Shadow and shifts the subject, trying not to sound too hopeful, “Where’s Rouge?? She not come??”

“I imagine she’s on her way,” Shadow shrugs with a quirk of his brow at Sonic.

“Oh- you didn’t come with her??”

Shadow blinks, “..Why would I do that??”

“I just thought-.. nevermind,” Sonic shakes his head dismissively, turning to the alley worker now that he’s at the front of the line and asking for his shoe size. Shadow brings his own shoes because he refuses to put his feet where other people’s feet have been.

Which. Fair.

They make their way to where the others are waiting, already putting their shoes on at lane 13. Tails and Tom are making silly faces with the alley screen so that the tvs will play the silly bobble head skits between each turn. 

Maddie is helping Knuckles tie his shoes. Again.

Sonic swears having giant mittens instead of gloves cannot be that great.

Sonic can feel Shadow’s eyes on him as they walk, choosing to ignore it and do his best to keep his casual smile on his face. 

“..Are you alright??” Shadow eventually asks, grabbing Sonic’s arm just before they joined the others as to have a more private conversation, “Did something happen when I was gone??”

“Huh?? No! No,” Sonic chuckles with a shake of his head, “Well— not outside Knuckles traumatizing squirrels in the backyard by trapping them and having them compete with Ozzy for the title of  ‘Wachowski Tribe Pet’, again. Ya’know, I still don’t think he understands what a pet is—“

“Sonic,” Shadow says firmly, making Sonic’s smile disappear, “…I’m serious.”

“Nothing’s wrong, Shads,” the blue blur reassures with a soft look, “Everything is totally chill.”

“You’ve just been acting strange since I got back, and—“

“Hey boys!”

Sonic and Shadow’s eyes each turn to see Rouge approaching, now dressed in a simple hot pink v-neck and black leggings with matching pink heels.

Who wears heels to a bowling alley???

Her super cool piercings shimmer in the disco lights..

Sonic should get super cool piercings.

No…

No, don’t be green, Sonic.

She approaches with a friendly wave and smile, her hand resting on her hip, “So this is a bowling alley, huh?? Pretty nifty.”

Right. She probably doesn’t even know what bowling is. Makes sense.

“Hello, Rouge,” Shadow politely greets.

“Hey! You made it!” Sonic grins, smile spread far too wide.

“A lady never bails on an invitation,” she smirks, her eyes shifting to Sonic’s attire, “Cool jacket.”

“Oh, uh— thanks, it’s actually—“

“So this is the infamous Wachowski family, huh??” Rouge interrupts before Sonic has the chance to get it out that it’s Shadow’s jacket that he gave him, the bat looking behind them at their group preparing for their match, 

“Uhh infamous??” Sonic’s head tilts with a quirk of his brow.

“Everyone knows you guys. Especially at GUN. You all are who started all this, after all,” she explains.

“Oh..,” Sonic says a bit sheepishly, “Yeah, well. We’re just a normal family.”

They look over at the Wachowski’s and their two other Mobian sons preparing for the bowling match, Sonic having a fond little smile as he watches Maddie help Tails stretch and Knuckles and Tom search for the appropriate ball sizes for them all.

“Yeah.. normal,” Rouge smirks with a quirk of her brow, her eyes lingering on the echidna..

“Come on! I’ll introduce you,” Sonic offers with a nod of his head towards the group, the three joining them now at their lane.

Shadow places the duffle bag with his personal bowling ball and shoes down on the bench next to where Tom sits, beginning to unpack his things as Sonic stands with Rouge before them all,

“Hey guys! This is Rouge. She works at GUN too.”

“Rouge!” Maddie immediately grins, moving to shake her hand, “I’ve heard so much about you from my sister.”

“Handel, right??” Rouge smirks, shaking Maddie’s hand, “She’s a fun gal to work with.”

“Try growing up with her,” Maddie mutters back sarcastically before politely adding, “I’m Maddie.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Maddie.”

Tails peeks out from behind Maddie’s legs before stepping out and holding his own hand out now, “Hi! I’m Tails.”

“Aw yeah, the boy genius!” the bat gives an impressed little smile, “I’ve heard you give our technologies division a run for their money.”

“Heh,” Tails removes his hand from hers and humbly rubs the back of his neck, “I just tinker a bit.”

“You’re too modest,” she winks, Tails blushing a bit and quickly scurrying away all shy.

Tom is sitting next to Shadow— who is now putting his shoes on. He offers Rouge a little wave and smile from his seat, “Tom.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Tom,” she nods, “Donut Lord, if I’m correct?”

Tom chuckles at that, “Sonic tell you about that??”

“Shadow, actually.”

Tom quirks a brow at Shadow to which Shadow merely shrugs in response, continuing with perfectly lacing and tying his shoes.

Knuckles approaches now, having been conversing with Wade through most of this. He eyes her suspiciously, Rouge seeming to share whatever curious vibe he’s giving if the way she eyes him up and down is anything to go off of.

“And you’re the echidna,” she observes aloud, smirking slow at the older brother.

“I am. The last,” he says honest and proud, “And you are??”

“Rouge,” she answers, holding her hand out for him to shake—

Uh oh.

Sonic should stop her. 

Warn her.

Instead, he just watches with a knowing smile.

Knuckles reaches a hand out to take hers, “I am Knuckles of the Wachowski clan—“

“HEY!” she’s immediately jerking her hand away, trying to shake the pain out of it and causing everyone’s eyes to snap to the two at the sound of her yelp. 

Knuckles just stands there unphased. As if this is just how every introduction on earth is meant to go.

Sonic honestly doesn’t know if he knows any different.

“What’s the big idea?!” she glowers at him, Knuckles seeming a bit thrown off by her assertiveness, “You nearly broke my hand!”

“I was simply offering a courteous earth handshake. It is custom to this world to squeeze the hand of another when meeting them,” he explains as if he’s making perfect sense, and she’s the crazy one.

“Not enough to turn my hand into mush, you Knucklehead!”

Knuckles’ cheeks puff angrily at this, “Why does everyone call me that?? That is not my name! I clearly stated it was Knuckles—“

“It’s called an insult, genius,” she huffs, still clutching her throbbing hand.

“Insult??? You dare to insult me?! I demand a duel to the—“

“Woahwoahwoah—.” Maddie quickly steps between the two before things can get too out of hand, “no duels. No battles, no death arenas, no.”

Knuckles is still glaring at Rouge when he huffs out a, “Fine. We shall settle this with a game of bowling.”

“How am I suppose to bowl if my hand is broke??”

“That is not my problem. It’s not my fault you are fragile.”

“FRAGILE—?!”

“Okay! Why don’t we all simmer down,” Maddie tries again, gently ushering Knuckles away to create more space between them. He does the thing where he points two fingers at his own eyes and then points them at Rouge as he turns to return to Wade. Sonic taught him that.

Sonic can’t help but bite back a little snicker as he watches Rouge turn away with a huff, still clutching her hand.

His amusement immediately dissipates when he finds Shadow at him with a disapproving frown.

Sonic clears his throat and looks away, pretending not to notice.

Shadow stands with his bowling shoes now on and laced up, moving to Rouge to place a hand on her back and gently usher her away, “Come on. Let’s get you some ice for that..”

Sonic watches them with a frown, his ears bending back and a pout working its way onto his lips.

Well.

That backfired.

•••

They split into teams. Knuckles and Wade competing against one another for tournament practice’s sake, picking between the Wachowski’s and Shadow and Rouge.

Wade picks Rouge right of the bat (pun intended). Sonic is fairly certain this is because Knuckles demanded he have her on his team since Rouge has never played a game of bowling in her life.

“I’m Wade, by the way,” the deputy introduces as she approaches his side of the lane, holding out his hand to shake hers only to immediately put it back down when he only receives a glare from her in response. 

Too soon.

Knuckles picks Shadow, the most precise bowler of the amateurs.

Wade picks Tom.

Knuckles picks Maddie for “equality’s sake”.

Wade picks Sonic, meaning he’s on Rouge’s team. Yay.

And it ends with Knuckles picking poor Tails who doesn’t seem to yet have the strength to get the ball to go down the middle quick enough to do any real damage to the pins, resulting in usually a 4 or 5 on his first bowl.

Taking lane 14 next to 13, Team Wade starts the match.

Wade is their first bowler, going through his typical routine before rolling the ball down the alley and receiving an easy strike. The team cheering, though not surprised by his skill.

Knuckles steps up then, amethyst eyes locked in a glare with Rouge as he stands right in front of the lane and chunks the ball. He never looks. The pins nearly exploding from the impact of the strike. Rouge huffs. His eyes narrow further. 

He steps away to allow Rouge to go.

Stepping up to pick up her ball, Sonic notices her heels are still on.

“Oh, uh- Rouge?” she turns to face him, “As much as I’m lovin’ your bowling chic, you can’t step out there with those on. They get mad if you damage their floor, trust me—“

“I won’t touch the floor, no worries,” she winks, Sonic frowning in a confused way as he watches her turn back around to bowl.

Her wings spread before she steps out on the slick wood, flapping just enough to allow her to hover as she rears the ball back and then tosses it down the alley. 

And she’s strong because that ball flies!

It barely even touches the ground before hitting the pins, knocking them all down from the sheer impact of her bowl. She smirks at this, turning to meet Knuckles’ eyes with a sassy little “hmph” before she sashays back to her seat.

Knuckles is fuming. Sonic would honestly love her for this is the circumstances were different.

Instead, he finds himself feeling ill at the impressed look on Shadow’s face.

The game goes on like this. Wade, Knuckles Rouge and Shadow getting a strike every time, Tom and Maddie getting a few in here and there and Sonic and Tails getting mostly spares or high numbers. Sonic would much prefer to curl up in a ball and spindash down a strike, but the manager said he couldn’t do that anymore since his quills were scratching up the floors..

The game is close, and typically Sonic would be playfully smack-talking the opposing team, but he’s strangely silent. Emerald eyes always watching the bat, observing her movements and attitude and form..

How she always gets a stupid strike.

And while he obsessed over her, ruby eyes watch him. Concerned and curious by his uncharacteristically quiet nature.

Sonic stands in the back leaning forward against the wall the bowling balls are nestled in, watching the game but not really watching the game. His mind is elsewhere. That much is obvious to Shadow. That along with the fact he isn’t sitting by Shadow and chatting him up after Shadow has been gone away on a mission is.. odd. He’s barely spoken to him all night.

 Approaching Sonic quietly as Tails takes his turning bowling, Shadow leans next to Sonic and keeps his eyes on the fox bowling as well. 

“You’re sweating,” Shadow eventually says from Sonic’s side.

“Huh?? I’m not sweating,” Sonic snorts with a roll of his eyes, a small shake of his head.

“You are,” Shadow mutters, “You should take the jacket off. Your cheeks have been flushed most the night. You’re likely overheated.”

“My cheeks are not flushed,” Sonic frowns defiantly.

“They are,” Shadow pushes, now looking at Sonic and frowning at his defensive tone, “What’s got you so uptight??? Why Don’t you just take the jacket off and come sit with me for a bit—“

“Why do you want me to take your jacket off so bad??” Sonic argues with a little glare at Shadow, making the hybrid blink in surprise at the sudden hostility, “I can keep it on if I want.”

Shadow pauses and then frowns, his own patience wearing thin. He doesn’t deserve this sort of snippiness, he hasn’t done anything. “Hey. I’m just worried about you. There’s nothing wrong with me worrying, especially when you’ve been acting like a fool since I saw you at GUN earlier.”

Sonic huffs at this, rolling his eyes and looking away with an angry little frown and annoyed shake of his head. His cheeks are flushed darker again. 

“You’re the one that’s been acting different.”

“Me???” Shadow scoffs with wide eyes, “Oh please do inform me on how I’ve been different.”

“You’ve been with her,” Sonic’s eyes dart daggers at the bat who is giggling to herself as she watches Knuckles take his next bowl. 

Shadow follows his eyes to Rouge and blinks in confusion before returning them to Sonic, “Rouge??”

Rouge’s ears twitch at hearing her name.

Sonic looks back to Shadow now, eyes growing glossy and face heated with growing shame and embarrassment for his behavior, but it’s like he just can’t stop himself—

“Yes, Rouge.”

“What about her??? I can’t help that I have to work, Sonic—“

“I saw you two,” the blue blur hisses out, face dangerously close to Shadow’s now in a daring and angry sort of way, “At GUN. I saw how yall were laughing together and holding arms and being all couple-y.”

Shadow is so lost at Sonic’s words right now, having been oblivious but now slowly beginning to snap pieces together, “‘Couple-y’???”

“You know what—“ Sonic now begins aggressively stripping the jacket off his arms, fumbling a bit at his wrists as they get caught on his gloves but eventually getting it off with a huff and shoving it at Shadow, “Take your stupid jacket since you don’t want me wearing it so bad.”

Shadow’s hands go up rather than taking the jacket being held out to him, looking hurt by Sonic’s sudden rejection of his gift, his scent, “What?? No! That’s yours—“

“Hey, boys, heard my name—“ Rouge is there, now. Looking cool as always but there’s a bit of awkwardness in her stance.

“Fine!” Sonic huffs, ignoring her words and moving to instead shove the jacket at her. Tossing it this time so that it hits her rather than waiting for it to be taken, “She can have it!”

Then he’s storming out, turning and stomping out of the bowling alley and leaving Shadow and Rouge both staring wondering what the hell just happened.

“Hey!” Wade calls with a frown, “It’s almost Sonic’s turn! We only have three more rounds!”

“Ha! Dishonor! He left your team before inevitable defeat because you suck!” Knuckles boldly mocks with a booming laugh, oblivious to the drama unfolding.

“We do not suck, we’re winning by six!” Wade argues.

The two continue their competitive bickering as Rouge looks down at the jacket with a frown and then at Shadow who is staring off in the direction Sonic had gone looking absolutely distressed. 

The pieces fall pretty quick.

”I need to go talk to him,” Shadow says determinedly, worry laced in his voice. But as soon as he makes a step, Rouge is reaching out to stop him.

“No..,” Shadow turns and looks at her with knitted brows, “Let me..”

Shadow isn’t sure for a moment. She is what has made Sonic so upset, after all.. but after Rouge gives him a reassuring smile, he gives with a nod, watching as the bat walks off in the direction Sonic left with jacket still in hand.

Maddie and Tom exchange worried looks before Maddie stands up from her seat and moves to comfort Shadow, having a little more insight on Sonic’s rash behavior than he seems to.

“Hey, sweetie..,” she says softly as she approaches him, her heart aching at this sweet boy’s almost scared eyes looking down at his hands as if they had done something wrong..

She’s grown very fond of Shadow over the past near-year. He and Sonic are a perfect match, even if they’re not official yet, and they balance each other out so nicely.. Almost as if they were made for one another, Maddie has often thought.

She’s learned Shadow has a deeply sensitive heart, one that’s quite larger than most people’s. He feels things so much deeper than others, with so much more intensity and devotion. He unapologetically tries. Harder than she’s seen anyone else ever do in her lifetime..

He’s simply stunted on how to properly project these emotions.. he struggles with getting those overwhelming feelings out properly, with sharing them in a way others can comprehend and understand. But he’s grown. Sonic has helped him with that..

Sadly, Sonic himself struggles with big emotions, too, now and then.. and he struggles with not letting them out in a whole new way. He simply bundles them up and suppresses them inside rather than messily letting them out like Shadow. Let’s them all build until he inevitably explodes. Like he just did..

“What did I do??” Shadow frowns, eyes slowly lifting to the woman who has now become a mother figure to him as well in many ways, “How do I fix it??”

He looks terrified.. like he’s losing Sonic. 

He can’t lose anyone else. He can’t lose Sonic.

“Oh honey..,” Maddie sighs sympathetically, crouching down to his height to wrap her arms tight around him and hug him to her, “You didn’t do anything..”

“He’s so upset..,” Shadow mutters, immediately leaning into her hug but wrapping his own arms around himself. 

“This is a Sonic problem,” Maddie reassures, “Not something you did. He is dealing with something he hasn’t really dealt with before, and we know how he can be with changes..”

Sonic hates change, especially when it’s something he’s unfamiliar with or can’t predict the outcome of. Her mind immediately goes back to how betrayed he had been when Tom had initially planned to move away from Green Hills. The decision to stay was certainly the right one, but it was also a sneak peek of how Sonic finds new and sudden things a bit overwhelming.

He’s matured over the years, of course. But he’s still a kid. And he’s still processing all sorts of new emotions– especially since Shadow came into the picture.

“But what changes have even occurred??” Shadow questions, tilting his head back to look at Maddie properly, his ears twitching like they want to fold back but refuse.

“Well..,” she sighs, trying to find the right words without making anyone any sort of bad guy or victim in this situation. It’s all just a lack of communication, not so much a legitimate conflict. “Up until a few weeks ago, Sonic had you all to himself..,” she explains softly, hand lifting to gently brush down Shadow’s upsettingly raised quills. Mellow him out some from his distressed state. This is a hedgehog thing, she’s noticed. Both Shadow and Sonic’s quills seem to raise slightly and get pokier when upset. Like a cat raising its fur.

“Now he’s having to share you with someone he doesn’t really know well,” she continues, watching as Shadow’s eyes look down in thought as he processes her words, “Someone he obviously thinks is cool enough to compete with his own charisma..” “Rouge,” Shadow states quietly, eyes lifting in realization to Maddie, “He’s envious of her..?” “Moreso jealous than envy,” Maddie winks with a small smile, “He doesn’t want to be her necessarily, but I think he might feel threatened by her new place in your life..” “But Sonic can’t be replaced in my life,” Shadow assures with a knit in his brow, trying to understand why the hedgehog might be so upset by this. It seemed silly to him. Sonic should know Shadow would never replace him..

“Maybe he doesn’t realize that,” she says gently, “He’s a pretty straight forward guy, Shadow.. A lot goes over his head if it’s not put out in the open. Maybe you two should talk a bit more firmly on where he stands with you and what exactly you two mean to each other..” Shadow ponders her words a moment, looking at her before nodding slowly, “We communicate poorly when it comes to emotions.” “Your words, not mine,” she giggles with a little shrug, “..you’re not at fault here, though, okay?? I need you to understand there’s nothing wrong with you having friends outside of Sonic. And he knows that, too. He’s just thinking a little too into it right now, and a little more insecure than he likes people to believe. He’ll snap out of it eventually, and just be happy you’re branching out some. This is a big step for you: making a friend on your own. And I, for one, am proud of you.” Shadow’s brows knit tight at this before a relieved sort of smile forms on his lips, “Thank you, Mrs. Wachowski..”

“Don’t let this discourage you from making more friends in the future,” she gently rubs a hand over his ear before cupping his muzzle softly, “You did nothing wrong, and Sonic will be okay.” Shadow nods against her palm before glancing towards the door, “I should go talk to him, shouldn’t I?” “Absolutely,” she smiles with a wink, standing once again just for him to look back to her with a grateful nod before walking towards the exit.

Knuckles watches this all unfold, a little scowl on his face and mind venturing away from the bowling match. Instead now focused on his little brother that is obviously very upset because of the dumb bat. 

The group decides to pause the game and grab some snacks while waiting for things to simmer some with Sonic, Shadow and Rouge, Knuckles taking this opportunity to go and find the bat for himself and show no mercy for inflicting pain on the Wachowski tribe. 

Outside, Sonic is pacing back and forth on the roof, hoping he wouldn’t be followed or found up there. He’s muttering scolds to himself, fingers running through his quills irritably and eyes full of guilt and regret at how he just acted.

“Stupid, why’d you have to be so stupid,” he hisses to himself, closing his eyes in annoyance as he drops his arms to his sides with a huff, “His face.. He looked so hurt..,” he frowns and opens his eyes to spot a rock on the floor, scowling at it before bending down to pick it up and glare at it as if it had personally offended him, “Why do I have to be so annoying!?” He turns and chunks the rock off the roof with a growl, a spark of blue in his quills and eyes as his powers are triggered by his high emotions and the rock is sent flailing towards space.

“Wow,” Sonic flinches and spins around at the unexpected voice, “And here I thought Shadow was the one with anger issues.”

“Look,” Sonic immediately huffs, trying to keep his cool but sounding a bit out of breath as his hackles rise, “I know I shouldn’t have thrown the jacket at you, and if you give me time to cool off, I’ll offer a way better apology. But right now, I’m soo not wanting to look at you.” Rouge blinks at that, landing from where she had just flown up to the rooftop upon hearing his little tantrum up there, “Mwah??” She places a hand on her chest as if to clutch her pearls, scandalized by his hostility towards her. Except she’s not, immediately letting the facade fall as she smirks and, “That should be a crime. I’m easily the best thing to look at in this boring, little town.” Sonic’s eyes just narrow at her, growling under his breath before turning away from her to cross his arms stubbornly, “Then why don’t you just leave??” Obviously offended by her insult to Green Hills.

“No can do, Blue. My new friend invited me here, and it would be a real shame to ruin a new friendship over a silly jacket,” she offers, taking a few steps towards him but not getting too close in case he still is too angry.

Sonic pauses a moment, turning his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder, “You think I’m your friend??” “Well, I was hoping,” Rouge chuckles, now approaching him fully to stand behind him and watch with slight relief when he turns to face her properly again. This time he doesn’t look like he wants to chunk her off the roof like he just did that rock. Instead he looks… guilty. Embarrassed.

“...Why would you want to be my friend after how I just acted??” “Because you just had a diva moment,” Rouge shrugs, “Trust me, I have plenty of them. And if I was held accountable for every time I had one, I’d never make any friends.”

Sonic looks down, rubbing his arm sheepishly with a small frown as he eyes the jacket she’s holding in her arms, “..I didn’t mean it. Snapping at you. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything..” “Oh hun, you didn’t hurt my feelings,” Rouge smirks reassuringly. “I didn’t??” Sonic blinks, looking up at her. “Sticks and stones, Blue,” she shrugs with a wink, “Not the first time I’ve had someone not like me simply because they’re intimidated by me.” Sonic wants to defend himself, argue with her that he wasn’t intimidated by her.. But..

“Yeah. I guess that’s my problem, huh?? Kinda seems unfair you have to be treated bad simply because you’re so cool.”

Rouge puts a hand on her cheek to feign bashfulness, “Oh stop. You’re making me blush.” “You are! You’re– you have cool piercings, and you’re pretty like– all the time, even after long missions! And you fight really good, and don’t seem to let things bother you–” “Now who said all that??” Rouge tilts her head with a little quirk of her brow.

“Well… I just kinda.. Assumed.”

“Hey. That’s where you went wrong. Everyone knows to assume is to make an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’.”

Sonic blinks.

“What??”

“I’m saying,” Rouge sighs, moving to sit on the edge of the roof now, jacket settled in her lap, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I’m not as perfect as I make myself out to be. Hard to believe, I know.” Sonic looks at her a moment before moving to join her on the edge, settling beside her with a foot propped up on the ledge and his arm resting on his knee. Overlooking the bowling alley’s parking lot.

“Besides, you’re pretty damn cool, too, Blue,” she adds with a small smirk, “Hero of earth? Fastest thing alive?? Look around, you have tons of people who care about you. That can’t be for nothing..”

Sonic shrugs, “I got real lucky, I guess.” “That ain’t luck, sweetheart,” she corrects firmly, Sonic glancing at her suddenly more stern tone, “People aren’t drawn to luck.. They’re drawn to good. And you’re probably the good-est thing anyone here has had in a long time..”

Sonic looks down again, thinking about her words. In a large way, he did bring them all together. They love him, he’d never doubt that. Maybe she’s right.. Maybe it’s not luck. Maybe it’s just.. him..

“I know Shadow certainly thinks so,” she adds with a knowing smirk, peeking at Sonic out of the corner of her eye to see him blushing a bit and his eyes widen slightly.

“Shadow-... Shadow’s biased. All he knows is me. The second he finds something new and better, he’ll… he’ll see I’m not as great as I’ve told him I am.”

Rouge snorts at that, “That’s some pretty selfish thinking.” Sonic looks at her confused, “How is me admitting I’m lame selfish???”

“It’s not. But you putting words in Shadow’s mouth for him is. You can’t think for the guy, kid, you gotta let him come to his own conclusions. Shadow knows a lot, okay?? He’s not some sheltered puppy. Hell– he’s seen more than you or I combined, I’m pretty sure..”

Sonic stays quiet, looking at her as she turns to look at him and continues.

“And he’s seen you. He knows a good thing when he sees it, and that’s all he sees when he looks at you. Good. And I think he knows he’s hit the jackpot managing to coral a good thing like you.”

Sonic blushes a bit and looks away again, fighting a small smile as he looks up at the half-blown up moon..

“He’s not looking at me, Sonic,” the bat adds with a little bump of her elbow to his arm, “He’s only got eyes for you. And I think you know that.. You just needed a reminder.”

Sonic sighs at that, looking back to Rouge and offering a small smile, “...I like you.”

Rouge just laughs at that, rolling her eyes at him and shaking her head, “I give you a whole speech on self worth and not being intimidated by false assumptions, and all I get is a ‘I like you’???”

“Hey! That’s an honor,” Sonic chuckles, “I’m the good-est thing in this town!” Rouge snorts at that, grinning as she shakes her head, “Gee. Glad it’s not gonna go to your head.”

They laugh another few moments before their giggles die down and they’re left sitting there content with one another.

“..I really am sorry for being a jerk,” Sonic says after a moment, turning to her to hold out his fist, “We cool?” She looks at his fist then him, offering a smirk as she fistbumps him, “We’re cool.”

Sonic nods, feeling way better already.

“Besides. Would be a damn shame if the two hottest kittens in this town weren’t friends,” Rouge adds with a shrug. “Oh, for sure. We’re gonna be such an iconic duo– earth doesn’t know what’s coming,” Sonic agrees matter-of-factly with a nod of his head.

“Agreed. So what’s up with your older brother??”

“Dude, ain’t that the question of the hour,” Sonic snorts with a helpless roll of his eyes.

“He doesn’t have much goin’ on in his head, does he?”

“He’s actually really smart! Just.. only with the things he already knows about.” “Obviously, he doesn’t know about manners,” Rouge huffs.

“Yeahhhh, that’s not his strong-suit, no,” Sonic rubs the back of his neck. “Guess someone will have to teach him,” Rouge shrugs, leaning back on her palms with a mischievous little smirk.

Sonic’s head whips around to look at her with wide eyes, “...Ewwww, that’s my brother.” “Hey. All is fair and all that jazz,” she shrugs, giggling at Sonic’s obvious disgust. 

“Ugh. Just leave me out of it,” Sonic shivers, Rouge humming a little chuckle.

Her ears then twitch, hearing something from behind. Turning to look, she smiles softly and then slowly moves to stand up, “Well, I’m gonna get back in there. Let you two chat..” “Two??” Sonic’s brows furrow as he turns to look around and sees Shadow standing there looking… very upset.

It breaks Sonic’s heart, that guilt immediately rising in him again as he swallows on the lump in his throat.

“Oh..”

Rouge walks to Shadow, pausing beside him to hand his jacket off to him with a little wink, “Go easy on him. His cute makes up for the stupid.”

Shadow merely gives a grunt in response, taking the jacket as it’s handed to him with his eyes locked on Sonic’s.

Rouge flies back down below to the entrance, reaching to pull the door open only to freeze at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

She looks to her left to find the echidna stepping out from the shadows where he had obviously been eavesdropping. 

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s rude to sneak up on a lady??” she huffs, crossing her arms as she faces him, shifting her weight on her leg to stand all sassy with her hip out.

Knuckles ignores her words, stepping in front of the door beside her as he eyes her.

She almost feels nervous at this. How he’s sizing her up like he’s judging a pie at a county contest or something. But she doesn’t show it, merely leaning forward and narrowing her eyes at him with a quirked brow. “Take a picture, echidna, it’ll last longer–” “Thank you for comforting my brother.” She blinks, standing up straight again as her stance tenses at the unexpected appreciation.

“What?” “Sonic. My brother. I am not the best at knowing how to handle when my tribe is upset.. I am glad you were here to ease his mind,” Knuckles explains, his fists limp at his sides to show his openness. No hostility.

“Oh..,” she raises a hand to her chest, a slow smile forming on her lips, “Well in that case, you’re welcome.” “I will not forget this good deed you have performed for my clan,” Knuckles nods formally, a hand lifting to heavily rest on her shoulder and squeeze, “I am in your debt.” Rouge grunts a bit at the heavy weight of his fist on her shoulder, shrugging it off with a, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Dusting her shoulder as if he might’ve gotten dirt on it before pausing and then forming a mischievous little smirk on her lips as she looks at him, “I can think of a few ways you could repay me..” “Anything,” Knuckles says so dang nonchalantly. Like he doesn’t know what that deep voice promising that word can do to a girl. Probably because he doesn’t.

She just hums at this, reaching to grab the tip of one of his front quills hanging over his shoulder and give it a little tug so that he’s down to her level.

He crouches a bit hesitant as she leans up to whisper in his ear..

Then his eyes go huge and his muzzle matches the color of his quills, quickly pulling away with an absolutely scandalized look on his face, “MY INNOCENCE! My sweet innocence– I will not perform such an act, you batty woman!” He’s already rushing inside in an attempt to get away, Rouge laughing as she moves to follow after him with a shrug. “What??? Girl’s gotta eat..”

The door shuts and above on the roof, Sonic and Shadow are still staring at one another as if unable to make the next move.

Sonic swallows hard, slowly pushing himself up to stand from the edge and face him properly.

Shadow doesn’t move. Just stares at Sonic with this.. strange look on his face. A mix of hurt and fear and anger and… something else. Determination maybe??

Either way, Sonic is the first to speak, knowing he’s the one that owes the apology here.

“Shadow, I–.” he swallows hard, feeling the lump in his throat grow bigger with each word and finding it harder to speak, “I’m so sorry. I was really stupid in there..”

Shadow starts walking towards him, and Sonic just keeps word vomiting as he always does, his feet feeling frozen in place as the hybrid stalks towards him.

“I was being dumb and insecure and assuming things and I should’ve just talked to you about how I was feeling instead of being all dramatic about it and I just really care about you and am scared that maybe you’ll think I’m like super lame one day and won’t want to be around me anymore and are you gonna punch me?? Because I totally get it if you do, but also, my precious face–” Shadow reaches Sonic and shuts him up.

And by ‘shuts him up’, he means he grabs him with his face cupped in his hands and jerks him to him to crush their mouths together.

Sonic squeaks, eyes going huge and tail immediately wagging so fast that he might take flight like his little brother does. Shadow’s eyes are clamped shut, keeping his lips firmly pressed to the hedgehog’s and his hands holding him in place as he kisses him.

It’s awkward. Very inexperienced and firm and not at all soft and romantic like movie kisses are. Sonic can feel Shadow’s fangs peeking through his lips against Sonic’s own mouth from how firmly they’re pressed to his, but he is soooo not complaining.

And in his shock over this entire moment, he forgets to kiss back, standing there like a stiff noodle with his hands flexed in surprise at his sides and not touching Shadow.

A few moments pass and Shadow pulls back with a quiet ‘smack’ of their lips parting.

Sonic is still staring at him all frozen and tail wagging giddily. Shadow opens his eyes to look at him as well now, a deep blush dusting his cheeks as he clears his throat and looks down a bit awkwardly, “Just, um– just to make myself clear on where we stand,” he explains, lifting a fist to his lips to clear his throat–also to rub over where he can still feel Sonic’s on his.

“Oh,” Sonic croaks, voice sounding shaky and breathy and higher than normal.

“I hope that’s okay.”

“Yup.” “And we’re.. clear then?”

“Crystal.”

Shadow breathes out an amused puff of air at Sonic’s short answers, rolling his eyes before finally finding the courage to look back up at him and finding Sonic is now smiling like the stupid idiot he is.

Shadow just offers a soft smile back, moving to then take the jacket all this mess derived from and gently drape it back around Sonic’s shoulders. Straightening the collar, he looks back to Sonic’s eyes and finds the hedgehog’s pupils are still blown but his gaze has softened from shock to something akin to lovestruck.

“This belongs to you,” Shadow says firmly once the jacket is on Sonic properly, “Only you.”

Sonic melts a bit.

He’s got a feeling they’re not talking about the jacket anymore.

[mr-jack-letterman]

AAAAAAND WERE BACK with more Subway to Stardew silliness NSNNDD.

Thank you to the folks over at @subwaytostardew for making this wonderful mod and letting me make silly art about it lol.

In any case time for some headcannon nonsense.

(click for better quality because Tumblr makes it crunchy)

If Stardew Valley were to have a box legendary I think it would be Cresselia. It's literally Lunar pokemon and represents the crescent moon so it being the patron legendary of Stardew Valley just makes a lot of sense to me. Also Cresselia is underrated NSNDN.

Maybe there would be a secret special encounter for Darkrai. (the other half of it and Cresselia's duo but is a mythical for some reason?)

Also the Lunar wing would be very neat item to have in-game ANSNDND.

If it were to exist within the mod I imagine the farmer would be like "oooo shiny feather. Maybe it's a pokemon feather? Emmet/Ingo would probably like it :D" so then they make it into a necklace, or maybe just give it to one of them outright without knowing what it is. So Emmet/Ingo sees it and just starts freaking the hell out cause their crush/friend just gave them a piece of a literal legendary pokemon meanwhile the farmer is just....clueless NSNDND.

Now onto some of the other characters.

As basically the resident nurse joy of Pelican Town I think Harvey would have some pokemon common in the medical field. Though, pokemon like Chansey and Audino don't really fit his whole "whiskey neat, coffee black, bed at three"/ref vibes so I thought Indeedee would be best NSNDNND.

I also decided to give some pokemon to the characters mentioned within my ask.

Willy is very fond of water types, clearly NSNS. Specifically fish pokemon like Lanturn, Seaking, Whiscash, Wishiwashi, or Dondozo. (Though his actual team probably has a good chunk of pokemon that are still water type just not fish lmao) The crowning jewel of his collection is a shiny Magikarp he fished up. Maybe one day it will evolve, but for now it just swims around the docks next to his house entertaining anyone that visits.

He also has a Bibarel. (which I imagine is the grown up version of that one Bidoof that snuck into Pelican Town) It acts more like an overgrown housecat than a battle ready pokemon but it is incredibly bulky so ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯.

Morris also has a few pokemon of his own. Most of which he keeps at home. But his main two he's seen with is a Gimmighoul and a Gumshoos. (IDK he just has Gumshoos vibes to me NSNDNND) They run around Joja pickpocketing people's gold cause Morris is just a dick like that.

"It's Wizard time mother fucker, FIREBALL-"/ref

Wizard likes psychic types, but I like to think he also has a fondness for fairy types too. Also, most of em has at least one strong fire type move just so he has an excuse to yell "fireball" and blast something NSND. His Malamar is named Illithid (a wack squid monster guy from DnD lol)

Sandy likes rock types, given that she lives in a desert it's probably the only type of pokemon she sees on the daily lol. She also has a key stone on her earring. With how colorful a keystone is when compared to sand I think she would be the most likely to find one there. Idk exactly if she'd mega evolve an Aerodactyl or a Tyranitar, if any pokemon at all. But I think she'd carry it around regardless. It's pretty :]

Also she has a shiny Rockruff. I don't rly have an explanation for that one I think it just fits the vibe lol.

And now, shenanigans.

Emmet then proceeds to grab the child and just.... speed walk away HSBBDBDJJR.

That's all I have for now, I'll probably throw some other pokemon at the bachelorettes and other bachelors another time but this alone took a solid week due to finals 😭/lh

Time for me to go to bed lol, have a good one 👍

[unma]

I'm not going to be able to write my typical long rambles for a bit (need to catch up on important work), but here's a short list of things I wanna talk about with the latest canto.

Spoilers, of course.

The entire Canto taking place after the ending of Don Quixote (the first Don, I will not call him the Actual Don because our Don is as much Don Quixote as he is) is not something I expected, but makes so much sense and made for a wonderful story. There are themes of identity, struggling to live under a broken system and GOD THE FAMILIAL TIES. THE FIGHT AGAINST THE TWO MIDBOSSES + THE PRIEST HAD SUCH MAGNIFICENT STORY BUILD UP. AND THE PRIEST'S ENTIRE MOVESET. UGGGH I WANNA TALK ABOTU IT

Hey. Outis. What did you mean by that. We all know what I'm talking about, right? This is the first time I know of that she's actually given even a smidge of info about herself somewhat directly. Somewhat. Everything else is just in how she knows things and acts. Here she is asking a very specific question and god, I need to know more about her now.

Good job Sinclair. And everyone else. But good job Sinclair.

Vergilius with Sanson's face/mask is cursed.

I continue to feel so so bad for the Bloodfiends. They did the best they could in a world that gave them only two horrible options. I couldn't help but compare La Manchaland to the Tokyo Ghoul:RE ending, because the hemobars reminded me of the artificial meat, except in TG:RE it worked and here, well. We saw how that went. I think it's a great idea to start with the after of their solution; this isn't a situation with a possible solution, they tried that and failed. Who knows if there is one that works? Does it matter now that they're all dead?

I'm going to be very weird about Camille once this is all said and done, but I do want to note that the pretty boy being turned into a flower and having a name very clearly gotten from Carmilla the flower (and maybe the book? Haven't read it yet so idk if he's taken from there) is very cheeky. I still wish I could've besting him up myself. This isn't me critiquing the writing, this is me being weird.

The QTE in the ending cutscene of the boss fight was cool and really added to the feeling of fighting against and overcoming a clearly superior foe.

I wanna hug Don Quixote the First. He's such a ray of sunshine and deserved better. Even if he was somewhat delusional, at least he genuinely cared for his family.

What happened to Hong Lu's sister? Did she just vanish? I didn't notice until later on, so I'll probably need to go back and check myself.

Bari is the Librarian of Death (edit: Nameless Bookhunter, thanks for the correction AE)? Idfk and idc for now. If Bari ends up showing up again or a moot of mine decides they wanna talk about it, maybe I'll look into it.

The familial themes here are most certainly also going to be related to Hong Lu's story, which once more is a reason I really should get to reading all the books for this game.

Ryoshu accepting death from the possibility of fighting Don Qui the second was really funny.

The abno fights here are really good, and I love how Limbus is making unbreakable coins the standard from now on. Makes it so you can't just blaze through fights taking no damage, and these battles genuinely feel difficult. That's good. Their designs and mechanics are also pretty easy to understand and match with their ego gifts pretty well. God I wish we had more Rupture ids that could stack as much count as the Lasso abno.

Sancho fight was cool as hell. The clashable 10 speed skill was so good and made it feel like a massive improvement on the Cassetti fight. So good. On use coin power did mess me up a little given it doesn't show up in the clash numbers, but that was on me for not reading tbh.

Fun fact: final boss can be Meatlantern soloed really easily. So easy in fact that that's how I cleared it. Doing it with a full team didn't end well for me. The solo's also really consistent, which is nice.

Mili song is really good. As usual. I need to go listen to it again. I need an in-game mix. I need it. The childishness of Sancho's side of the tune compared with the seriousness of first Don's side is lovely.

Also. Please, in the final clash where you use Don's base ego. I hope you looked at the name of the ego and the name of Don the First's attack. Please. It's such a good detail. And it's so much better when you remember that Sancho was always the one making weapons for Don. He calls Sancho's lances much more graceful than his. It's so lovely. You can tell these two genuinely love each other. It's so good.

Also the fact that basically every fixer we went in with got wiped out by weakened Bloodfiends really shows just how powerful these bloodfiends are. Camille had to resort to using ego gear to survive. Sheesh.

That'll be all for now. Expect a long ramble on any of these points when I'm more free, aka never.

[protagaster]

Part 2 of the Warrior!Penelope Swap AU

I really wanted to introduce the crew's Golden Trio, or the ladies who are Penelope's version of Eurylochus & Polites. I think you'll all really like them :)!

(Cross-Posted on Ao3)

Full Speed Ahead

Finally, after having won the Trojan War and securing the future of the Greek world, Penelope and her crew brave the sea to make their way back home.  

~

Finally, after 10 long years, it was over. 

10 years of what many assumed would be endless warfare. 

10 years of watching husbands and wives be ripped away from each others’ embrace, of parents having to wipe the tears of their children whilst hiding their own, of being forced to say goodbye to the homes they spent their whole lives searching for. 

10 years of having to watch their friends and comrades be forever changed by the turmoils of war. Some were killed, those lucky few, while the others had the rest of their lives to adapt to their new bodies. 

10 years of constant battle, both mental and physical, in an effort to survive whilst knowing they would never be the same again. 

It was a long and hard-sought after ending, but against all odds the Greeks had managed it.

The Trojan War had officially come to an end.  

But by the Gods it wasn’t easy. 

Throughout that very first year of war everything that could have gone wrong, well, it went wrong. 

After the battle that took place subsequent to Helen’s rescue, practically every Greek man found his body to be damaged beyond repair. While many were expected to recover after long periods of rest, being told they would one day be able to wield their weapons in the name of spars, hunting, and training, they knew they could never again fight in a battlefield. 

That’s when the decree from the Gods came. 

Greece still needed an army. Because their men were no longer fit for war, it was the duty of the women to take their place in the battlefield. 

Once a daughter of Sparta, and later chosen to become the student of the God of War himself, Penelope was first to be picked for combat; her closest friends were picked shortly after. A small percentage of Ithaca’s women, those who were of age and considered skilled enough to survive Troy, were also forced to follow suit. 

It was a difficult decade, everyone could agree. There were times when even Penelope began to lose hope of this war ever coming to an end, all the blood and screaming permanently etched into her memory. 

But now, thanks to her tactical mind and ferocious combat prowess, the Greeks emerged victorious! 

No longer will she need to worry about every single decision of hers being questioned by her subordinates. 

No longer will she have to worry about the sounds of screams haunting her memories, hearing them at night as they keep her awake. 

No longer will she have to worry about a single one of her comrades being killed for the sake of pride, for she no longer had any enemies that would wish her nor her sisters harm.

~

Penelope sighed happily. 

Only moments ago she had bid a tearful goodbye to her cousin; Helen and Menelaus boarded a ship to Sparta, ecstatic they now had the rest of their lives to spend together. The same went for the rest of her sisters-in-arms, ready to finally live out the rest of the lives they had left behind. 

Something the women of Ithaca were hoping to achieve. 

Standing at the front of her ship, Penelope watched as the place that was once known as the Kingdom of Troy shrink smaller and smaller with distance. Soon there was no more land, only miles and miles of shimmering blue ocean water.

Penelope did not mind. 

After all, Ithaca was a kingdom surrounded by beaches. The ocean was like an old companion; though she may be unpredictable at times, you could always count on her to be right where you left her. 

She let the sea breeze blow through her hair, smelled the scent of sand and saltwater as they envelop her senses, and felt the cool air of open water embrace her like an old friend. 

Taking a peak over her shoulder, Penelope looked at each individual member aboard her main vessel. 

44 women. 

44 out of 600, to be exact. While Penelope knew she could trust every member of her fleet, especially with their gratitude in them all coming out of the war alive, there was just something different about the 44 women aboard her main vessel. 

There was an extra level of trust she put into these women in particular. Penelope knew inside her heart that out of her entire fleet, the members of this ship would be the first to support her no matter what.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts and returning to the moment at hand, Penelope watched as each of her sisters l did her individual part to ensure the ship navigated the wild waters quickly and smoothly. 

Looking over at the other 11 ships following her own, Penelope could see the women aboard those crafts were doing the same. 

Behind each and every woman's hard work and determination was a sense of excitement; finally, after 1 year of helplessness and 9 years of struggle, they were making their way back to Ithaca. 

“Six hundred friends,” Penelope sang out proudly, her sweet voice a melody flowing merrily with the sea's wind. “All of these women under my command! With only one goal in mind-” 

“Make it back alive to our homeland!” Her comrades finished for her. 

“Six hundred friends,” Penelope couldn’t help but be amazed as she ogled the powerful waves supporting her fleet, unable to help stretching her hand over the horizon.  “Six hundred miles of open sea,” 

Penelope eyebrows furrowed despite her cheer, for she knew deep within that her story was only just beginning 

“But the problem's not the distance-”

“It's what lies in between.” The others agreed. 

“And Ithaca's waiting!” Penelope belted. 

“Ithaca's waiting!” The others repeated.

“My kingdom is waiting!” Penelope's eyes glazed with yearning, knowing her home was only so far away. 

“The kingdom is waiting!” Her sisters exclaimed. 

Penelope smiled to herself, looking up at her still outstretched hand. Right there, standing out against the suns’ beams and tides’ gleam,  her wedding ring sparkled against the light blue background. 

Not once, these past ten years, had she allowed the ring to part from her person. The ring, a band of silver and ivory that was both modest and gorgeous, symbolized so much more to her than the union between her and her beloved husband. 

To Penelope, it was a reminder of the goal she’d work so hard to achieve for the past decade. What she promised herself she’d accomplish, no matter what it took. 

“Odysseus’ waiting for me!” 

Waiting...

“So full speed ahead…” 

Penelope gave her wedding ring a quick kiss, something she couldn’t help but do every time her eyes lingered on it. Letting her arm relax to her side, Penelope’s perspective of the sea once again claimed her eye. 

“Full speed ahead…” 

The sea breeze blew through her long dark hair, loose and free to sway like the waves below, and kissed her blooming cheeks, giving the appearance of a heroine of legend to all who gazed upon her.

“Captain!” 

Penelope was quick to give her full attention to the one who called out her name, for she recognized the voice of the women whose guided and stayed by her side since the day she first called Ithaca home. 

There she was, the shortest, strongest, and most trusted member of Penelope’s main crew. 

Ctimene.

Though she was small, Ctimene was not one to be underestimated. Even though it was her brother who was blessed with Athena’s guidance, the Goddess of Wisdom was also apt to pay special attention to his younger sister. 

Not only was she an occasional skeptic and formidable warrior in her own right, she was, of course, the princess of Ithaca. Fourth in the Kingdom’s hierarchy behind only Penelope, her brother Odysseus, and her niece Telemachas.

Her short wavy hair, mirroring that of her elder brother’s, tousled in the sea’s gale, perfectly framing her stern but caring eyes. Ctimene was one of the people whose beauty could never fade despite the amount of blemishes she obtained. Somehow, the faint scar going over her right eye only made her more attractive to the men who gazed upon her.

It was no wonder Eurylochus fell in love in such little time. 

Ctimene, with one hand on her hip, placed her other hand on her much taller captain’s arm. She gestured to a cluster of wooden barrels that were supposed to be filled. 

“Six hundred friends! Six hundred friends with starved mouths to feed,” she wordlessly commanded one of their comrades to tip a barrel, revealing its very empty contents. “And we've run out of supplies to eat.” 

“Curse the war, our food stores depleted.” 

“Six hundred friends,” Ctimene clenched her fists, unsure of whether she could withstand even more suffering for her friends. 

“Six hundred reasons to take what we can!” Ctimene, unsure of what they should do with this dilemma, looked to her sister-in-law with curiosity. “So captain, what's the plan?”

“Captain, what's the plan?”

Everyone wondered what plan the brilliant Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, the very reason behind the war’s end, could come up with in the face of this problem. 

Penelope only smiled, gesturing Ctimene to look up at the sky.

“Watch where the birds fly,” 

“Watch where the birds fly,” Her crew repeated after her. 

“They will lead us to land!” 

“They will lead us to land!” 

“There we'll hunt for food, my second in command,” Penelope spoke with courage, nothing but the utmost confidence in herself and her crew. 

“Now full speed ahead!” Penelope ordered her comrades to follow the large flock of birds, all of whom were heading east. “Full speed ahead!”

Ctimene, with a satisfied smile and complete trust in her captain’s plan, was quick to help Penelope direct the ships to their desired destination. 

“We're up, we're off, and away we go!” 

“We're up, we're off, and away we go.” The women all chanted as they managed the ships, all of whom with full faith in their Queen.

“Full speed ahead!” Penelope continued to cry with enthusiasm. 

“We're up, we're off, and away we go!” 

And with that, the 12 ships set sail following their avian guides. 

~

The fleet had been following the birds for quite a while, so long that the sun began to make contact with the ocean; the combination of their hues made for an enchanting mix of orange, pink, and blue. 

All this time Penelope had not once stopped herself from looking up, even when her neck began to sore and her eyes grew heavy. The birds should have found their way to the nearest land by now, so why hadn't they chosen to land just yet? 

“Captain!”

The second voice to call out for her that day, this one also familiar. However, this voice had a much more merry tone compared to the previous. 

Penelope met the eyes of the woman who seized her attention, unable to control her smile even if she wanted to. 

“Circes!”

Circes was the youngest of the friend group, though not by much. Like Ctimene, Penelope had first made Circe’s acquaintance shortly after making herself at home in Ithaca.

Once a simple village girl with nothing more than her optimism and clothes on her back, Circes and Penelope were quick to become close friends after the Ithacan native made an effort to teach her new Queen all about Ithaca’s culture and customs. Ctimene was almost always by Penelope’s side at that time, naturally leading to a bond between the Circes and the princess as well. 

After years of sparring, weaving, and simply enjoying the atmosphere of their home with each other as company, it was no wonder the three women grew as close as they are. 

Circes was a beautiful woman, which only made it more confusing once others realized she had never married. She was taller than Ctimene, though shorter than Penelope. Circes had light brown hair as long as Penelope's, always braided to the side. There'd always be a pink ribbon streaked between the locks, the ends knotted in a way that it almost resembled a rose; many of the other women would joke she was practically born with it.

Circes was a cheerful young lady who saw the best in others, eager to use words before resorting to weapons. However, do not mistake her altruism for naiveté; Circes was still a warrior and survivor of the Trojan war. 

She just preferred to use the same philosophy that blessed her with a Goddess’ name. 

“Look!” Circes pointed toward the horizon, where a tiny speck was beginning to grow larger and more distinct as the ship inched closer. “There in the distance, I see an island, I see a light that faintly glows,” 

It was just as Circes said. 

Now practically within swimming distance of the mysterious island, every woman could see a bright orange glow emanating from within the foliage.  

“Maybe they're people lighting a fire. Maybe they'll share some food, who knows?” 

… 

No, Penelope thought to herself, feeling something was wrong. 

From a single glance the captain could sense something sinister about the Island. It was perfect. 

Too perfect. 

“Something feels off here…” Penelope looked up at the Island’s sky, confirming her suspicions. “I see fire but there's no smoke…” 

Ctimene, one who truly embraced Ares’ philosophy, already had one hand ready on the hilt of her broadsword. 

“I say we strike first! We don't have time to waste so let's raid the place and-” 

“No.” 

Both Ctimene and Circes gazed in shock, for Penelope was a stickler for manners and not one to interrupt others mid-speech. However, the woman in question just couldn’t allow herself to entertain Ctimene’s plan for even a second. 

Penelope can’t needlessly kill anyone else!

She just can’t…

… 

…that time…the infant… 

That was the whim of the Gods! She had to do it! 

She had no choice…

…

But this time she does! Penelope can choose whether she wants to show ruthlessness or mercy! 

And this time, she chooses mercy. 

“Circes gear up.” Penelope ordered of her friend. “You and I'll go ahead.” 

“You and I'll go ahead!” Circes repeated happily, realizing Penelope wanted to try things her way. 

“We should try to find a way no one ends up dead.”

Ctimene, however, just could not allow herself to agree with this plan. 

“We don't know what's ahead!” The second-in-command reminded, hoping her sister would give this “plan” some more thought. 

Unfortunately for Ctimene, Penelope was as stubborn a woman as a woman could be. 

“Give me 'til sunrise,” Penelope pleaded, placing a reassuring hand on Ctimene’s shoulder. “And if we don't return-” 

Penelope gestured to the large army of women ready to fight in her name.

“Then six hundred friends will make this whole place burn!” 

Beckoning Circes to follow her, Penelope ran toward the rafts attached to the side of the ship’s hull. 

“Now full speed ahead!” 

Circes and Ctimene glanced at the other, aware that despite their strong bond they both had very different approaches to their views and life and means of self-preservation. 

Still, orders were orders. 

“Full speed ahead!” The rest of the crew chanted amongst themselves. 

With a small shrug, Circes ran to meet her captain from within the small raft.

Ctimene, despite a light shake of her head in what was clear disapproval, went on to command the rest of the women in her captain’s stead. 

“Full speed ahead!”

“We're up, we're off, and away we go!” Penelope untied the raft’s bindings, Circes quick to lend a hand. 

We're up, we're off, and away we go-

With both women having released the raft from all of its bindings, their weapons on their persons should the worst come to be, they were prepared to sail. 

“Full speed ahead!” 

Lowering the raft onto the calm black of night’s ocean, Penelope and Circes began to row themselves toward the lone isle.  

We're up, we're off, and away we go-

The others watched Penelope and Circes sail to the island, hoping for the best and prepared for the worst. 

Despite her previous dispositions, Ctimene watched them with a look of genuine worry. She prayed to the Gods above for her friends’ safe returns, for who knew what they could encounter in this journey.  

We're up, we're off, and a-

“Full speed ahead!”

It was not long, practically minutes if one were counting, before Penelope’s and Circes’ raft made contact with the island’s sand. 

[roguesend]

Davrin and Assan were foretold

If you’ve paid any attention to Thedas lore, you will at least have heard the mention of Garahel, hero of the Battle of Ayesleigh that put an end to the Fourth Blight, canonically said to be the most famous Warden in history prior to the Hero of Ferelden.

The name “Garahel” stands for much of what the Grey Warden Order values most and would prefer to be known for: Pride. Honor. Selflessness. Warden Garahel was a notable elven hero whom even humans must revere for his bravery and sacrifice as slayer of the Archdemon Andoral.   The Warden’s legendary charm, intelligence, and keen political sense drew countless allies to battle against the darkspawn hordes of the Fourth Blight, a fight that lasted well over a decade. In addition to recruiting Wardens from the Anderfels and Orlais, Garahel negotiated the support of Free Marcher royalty, creating a united army that finally broke the infamous siege of Hossberg, setting into motion the end of the Blight. War and circumstance shaped the young elf into a canny commander. He was very aware that Blights are not defeated by a single hero. He once noted to his sister Isseya that “heroism is just another word for horror.”   Less well documented is the person behind the legend: the golden-haired elf, whose green eyes twinkled as he shared a story, told a joke, or flirted shamelessly. It is written that people from all walks were drawn to Garahel, as his manner and wit drove life’s unpleasantness from their minds and allowed them to think of a better tomorrow.   As a Warden recruit in the Fourth Blight’s early years, Garahel made his first griffon flight in 5:12 Exalted on a beast he’d only just met and would dub Crookytail. The odd griffon was not solid gray like most of his brethren. Crookytail’s feathers were tinted with dusky brown; white patches decorated his chest and belly. One of his ears flopped forward, and he had a distinctive, bushy tail with a prominent kink in it—giving him his name. Nevertheless, Crookytail’s strength, speed, and exceptional ability to find advantageous cracks in darkspawn formations made the beast and his rider one of the Grey Wardens’ best battle teams.   From their first flight, made to rescue the nobles of Antiva City from the pressing darkspawn hordes, to their final battle at Ayesleigh in 5:24 Exalted, where they sacrificed all to slay Andoral, Garahel and Crookytail were said to be inseparable. – The World of Thedas Volume 2, 2015

Does any of this remind you of someone? There is no doubt Davrin and Assan are meant to mirror Garahel and Crookytail.

Davrin stands for pride, honor and selflessness. He is a notable elven hero revered for his bravery and sacrifice, especially if he is chosen to lead the second team in act 3. He is charming, intelligent and sets into motion the end of the Blight by fighting in Hossberg (Wetlands). War and circumstance shapes him into a leader. He is aware that Blights are not defeated by a single hero. We’re all going on about how attractive and witty he is. He goes to battle alongside a griffon he has only just met, and said griffon is more brown than gray or white, with one floppy ear and a bushy tail. Together they make one of the Grey Wardens’ best battle teams, and from their first battle to their last, they’re inseparable.

Garahel had a sister by the name of Isseya, and it’s exactly the Isseya you think it is.

Even during the Fourth Blight, few knew the name of Garahel’s younger sister, Isseya. While her brother was outgoing, charming, and prone to heroism, Isseya was more modest and enjoyed studying and building her formidable magical skills. Her focus and determined nature, however, made her arguably as important to ending the Blight as her brother. He landed the killing blow upon the Archdemon; she helped ensure the survival of those most affected by the horrors of the age after Andoral’s defeat.   One of Isseya’s most important achievements was enchanting makeshift aravels: wagons, boats, any conveyance large enough to fit a number of people. These were fastened together, held above the ground by her skillful magic, and pulled by teams of griffons. Isseya conceived of and executed the first of many journeys using the aravels to move citizens of Wycome out of the Blight’s path and safely to Starkhaven.   Isseya’s other major impact on Thedas reached beyond the Blight and was both a blessing and a curse. As the desperate times called for equally serious measures, she turned to her fellow mage Calien to learn the basics of blood magic to fight the darkspawn. In trying to save a griffon that had been tainted by a darkspawn bite, she used a process similar to a Grey Warden Joining and inadvertently started a chain of events that led to the extinction of all griffons in Thedas.   However, it is rumored that, shortly before she left on her own Calling, Isseya found a way to preserve a clutch of griffon eggs, protected with a complex weave of magical guards. It is written that she hoped a like-minded mage could recover the eggs and perhaps find a way for the mighty griffons to again soar through the skies of Thedas. – The World of Thedas Volume 2, 2015

Not only were Davrin and Assan foretold, the entire Grey Warden storyline was. BioWare planted that seed almost ten years ago as something to potentially return to in the future, and they deliberately tied it into Veilguard.

[neonoddeye]

may i humbly request literally any interaction between mihawk and cats? super ultra mega bonus points if it’s fluffy and silly

I’d love to! The world needs more Mihawk content!

Includes: Mihawk x Gn! Reader moments in which you live on his island with him

Mihawk + Cats

Mihawk was genetically predisposed to be a cat dad. His facial hair is literally in the shape of a cat’s face

I have a fairly well thought-out headcanon that Mihawk has become the adoptive dad of a horde of stray cats on Kuraigana

As all well-mannered, strong men do, Mihawk attracts animals. Like, he even canonically influenced an entire army of baboons to be like him.

One day, a tiny stray kitten shows up near him while he’s watering his plants, clearly very hungry.

He’s already cooking fish, and a strong force compels him to save just a little bit of that fish for this poor, hungry cat.

“Found a new friend?” you inquire, noticing the small creature at your Mihawk’s feet.

“It was annoying me while I was gardening, I’m just going to feed it,” Mihawk replies bluntly, dodging the kitten as it runs between the swordsman’s legs.

As much as your partner likes to hide his emotions behind a cool exterior, you easily sense his affinity for the cat as he watches it eat a hearty amount of dinner. When he pets it, he swears up and down he’s “just making sure nothing is in its fur”, but the creature has already taken a liking to Mihawk, nuzzling against him and staying nearby for the rest of the night.

Little did he know that more cats would visit him over time, and once you grew attached to the one, he just couldn’t ignore the others

One day, you caught him drinking wine with a cat on his lap, and he looked like you just found out his darkest secret

But he looked so at ease, so calm, and he knew he couldn’t get himself out of this one

Eventually names them all after swords, save three for perona, zoro, and you

“Has Yoru Jr. been fed yet?”

“Mihawk, Zoro got in a fight with Perona.”

“I hope you mean the cats”

Would 1000% end up growing catnip for them. It’s like, 15 cats at this point, he can’t even deny it anymore

Somehow never gets cat hair on Yoru. It’s an unsolved mystery to you

The last thing Zoro was expecting on Mihawk’s island was an army of stray cats, barreling towards him at full speed

The poor swordsman just happened to get incredibly lost take a walk near dinner time, and the cats got in his way.

It’s the shortest amount of time it’s taken Zoro to get back to the castle.

Zoro’s footwork in battle improves tremendously over the training period, and he’ll never admit it’s because he was avoiding stepping on cat tails.

But in all seriousness, it’s a nice change of pace to see your stoic partner grow fond over such tiny, fluffy creatures. With all the stress he holds on his back (literally), you’ve seen him loosen up a little while caring for the kittens, and not seeing them turn into savage beasts. All Mihawk wants at the end of the day is to retire with his 15 cat children and you, his beloved.

I hope this is good!! It’s my first request, and writing for Mihawk was a challenge bc I wanted to get him right!

[lovelyiida]

THE RACE TO WEDDING BELLS ❤︎︎

CHAPTER 3: STAGES—CHOICES? CHOICES!

"you seem more tolerable than usual"

❥ SYNOPSIS: as the years passed, Bakugo realized he was the last among his class to tie the knot. As the days grew colder, and the nights became lonelier. Bakugo finds the desire to get married, but he doesn't really feel like falling in love. At least he has his trustee secretary!

implied fem reader, aged-up! Pro-hero MHA characters over the age of 27, vulgar language, suggestive wording, and content.

❥ CHAPTERS

❥ MASTERLIST

❥ JOIN TAG LIST!

WORDS: 8.3K

"Ah, fuck, a week off is what I really need, dude," Dynamight grumbles, his voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and longing.

"Yeah, well, keep working that ass, and maybe the officials will say something," Kirishima retorts with a half-hearted chuckle. They both share a sense of weariness, the weight of their responsibilities bearing down on them.

It's just another normal day for the two pro-heroes, Dynamight and Red Riot, as they tirelessly patrol the streets of Japan. The rhythm of their duties has become ingrained in them, but fatigue has taken its toll, leaving them aimlessly wandering through the bustling city.

As they stroll side by side, a comfortable silence settles between them. The sounds of the city envelop them, a constant hum that serves as a backdrop to their thoughts. It's in these moments of respite that casual conversations often emerge.

"So…" Kirishima begins, his voice trailing off, a spark of curiosity evident in his tone. "How's Ms. L/n?"

Dynamight's exhaustion momentarily lifts, replaced by a glimmer of interest. A mischievous smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he thinks about her. "She's doing great," he replies, a hint of humor coloring his words. "Busy with her own work, but she's been killing it."

Kirishima nods, his own grin mirroring Dynamight's. "That's awesome, man. She's got the drive and the skills. No doubt she's making a name for herself out there if you refer her to other heroes."

A flicker of pride shines in Dynamight's eyes as he reflects on her accomplishments. "Yeah, she's got that fire in her. Reminds me of when I first started out, you know? Determined, focused. It's inspiring."

Red Riot claps Dynamight on the back, a friendly gesture of camaraderie. "Not giving her hell are ya?" He asks, but Dynamight's shit-eating grin doesn't fault. "Aw c'mon dude! You promised you wouldn't give her a hard time!" he groans punching him in the shoulder.

"Hey, if she can handle a battle why not give her a war?" The hero smiles. "Bakugo, we've lost over five secretaries because you wanna be an ass, just keep this one goddamn it." The redhead spits before quickening his pace and walking before him.

The blonde smacks his lips against his teeth, quickly speeding up the pace before landing a kick against his back. A moment of shared understanding passes between them, a bond forged through the trials and tribulations of their profession. They both know the unique challenges that come with being heroes, the sacrifices, and the rewards that accompany the path they've chosen.

As they continue their patrol, their steps a little lighter, and their weariness was momentarily forgotten, the friendship between Dynamight and Red Riot remains steadfast. They find solace in each other's company, knowing that they can rely on one another in the face of adversity.

With their conversation about you fading into the background, they return to their duties, their shared goal of protecting the city reigniting their resolve. Together, they navigate the streets, their footsteps echoing with determination, ready to face whatever challenges come their way. As they finish their patrol, the two pro-heroes make their way back to their agency, ascending to the 21st floor.

Stepping out of the elevator, they are met with a warm reception from their dedicated team of workers. Kirishima responds with respectful bows and words of encouragement, his friendly demeanor shining through. On the other hand, Dynamight chooses to distance himself, maintaining a stoic and solitary presence. Ignoring the well-wishes of his colleagues, he keeps his focus solely on moving forward.

"Dynamight!"

Hearing his name called out, Bakugo looks ahead to see you rushing towards him, a sense of urgency in your demeanor. Letting out a sigh, he halts in his tracks, waiting for you to catch up. As you slow your pace, he gazes down at your tired figure, a flicker of concern briefly crossing his face.

"Um, I have some papers for you to read. If you can go to your office and take a look at them, that would be great," you ask politely, holding out the documents for him to take.

"That's it?" the hero responds blankly, his tone betraying a hint of annoyance. You glance around awkwardly, feeling a bit out of place under his intense gaze. With a slight nod, you confirm that it's indeed all you need from him. Rolling his eyes, he reluctantly nods and makes his way towards his office, his steps carrying a sense of exhaustion.

Entering his office, Bakugo crashes into his seat with a loud huff, his frustration evident. "Somehow everything aches, yet I'm so fuckin' active," he mutters to himself, his words laced with a mix of irritation and fatigue.

Leaning back in his chair, he takes a moment to collect himself, allowing the weariness of the day to settle. His mind drifts to the weight of his responsibilities, the constant demand to be at his best, both physically and mentally. It's a relentless pursuit, one that often leaves him feeling drained and stretched thin.

With a tired sigh, Bakugo reaches for the papers you handed him. As he begins to review the contents, his sharp focus kicks in, his determination to excel driving him forward. Despite the fatigue and the occasional frustration, he knows that every task, every piece of information, is crucial in his ongoing mission to protect and serve.

Especially the small piece of paper that stood out among the rest, Dynamight holds it in the air, his eyes fixated on the intricately decorated surface. As he averts his gaze from the paper, he locks eyes with you, sitting in a corner chair, typing away on your computer.

"Hey," Dynamight calls out, his voice beckoning your attention. Your trained eyes snap up, meeting his intense gaze. "Yes, Dynamight?" you respond, a hint of confusion lacing your words. A moment of silence hangs in the air as you await his next words, uncertain of why he called for you.

Dynamight waves the paper in his hand toward you, prompting you to stand from your chair and approach him. Taking the paper from his hand, you observe his expectant expression. "Read it," he says flatly, his voice devoid of any enthusiasm. Your eyes travel across the paper, and you begin to read aloud.

"You're invited to the celebration of Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu's marriage—"

"Of fucking course," Dynamight interjects, his tone dripping with toxicity and perhaps a hint of jealousy. You gaze at him with an unreadable expression, unsure whether to continue or not.

"The ceremony is in the fall, if you want to know," you mumble softly, the words barely escaping your lips. "I don't give a damn if it was fucking tomorrow, damn it… throw it away," he says dismissively, waving you away. However, you choose to stay in place, compelled to speak your mind. "I know it's not my place to speak, but I thought I would show this to you because I heard that these were your friends," you say, your voice laced with genuine concern.

Your boss looks at you with a deadpan expression, his gaze piercing through you. "Who the hell told you that?" he asks, his voice laced with curiosity. You bite your lip nervously, briefly glancing at the invitation before covering your mouth with it. "Um, Red Riot, sir," you admit, eyes widening realizing the potential consequences of the word you said.

"Sir? What am I, 70?" Dynamight raises his voice, his irritation palpable. You quickly shake your head, realizing your choice of words was inappropriate. Before the hero can further express his discontent toward you or the situation, he lets out a resigned sigh. "Don't listen to a damn thing Riot says. He has a singular cashew for a brain," he mutters, his frustration evident.

You take a step back, processing his words and the subtle vulnerability beneath his tough exterior. Bending down into a bow, you apologize and walk towards the trash can and toss the small invitation in the garbage.

As the hours pass, you diligently work at your computer, stationed in the corner chair of Dynamight's office. Despite the occasional interruptions to run errands or print out papers, you remain focused and dedicated to your tasks. Unbeknownst to you, Dynamight observes your every move, silently appreciating your unwavering work ethic. He can't help but feel a sense of gratitude for his own path as a pro hero, realizing that he could never envision himself in your position.

As the day progresses into late noon, Dynamight taps away at his phone, engaged in a text conversation with Red Riot. "So, are we getting a week off or what?" he types, eagerly awaiting his comrade's response. The screen displays the familiar bubble of three dots, indicating that Red Riot is typing. Within a moment, the response arrives: "Hell yeah, dude!" Dynamight can almost hear Red Riot's enthusiastic tone echoing from the words on his screen.

With a satisfied grin, Dynamight sets his phone down, ready to enjoy the upcoming week of well-deserved rest. However, as he looks up from his phone, he realizes that you are no longer in the office. The chair sits empty, the computer screen casting a faint blue glow. Biting the inside of his cheek, he picks up his phone and begins dialing your number, curiosity piqued by your sudden absence.

As the phone rings for a mere moment, Dynamight observes your figure darting into the office, hastily throwing the door open. Your face reflects a mixture of panic and calm urgency as you speed-walk over to his desk. With his mouth slightly ajar, he ends the ringing call, intrigued by the urgency in your demeanor.

With a huff, you slam a handful of papers down and look at the hero. His face remains straight and unreadable. "Anything else you need, Dynamight?" you say, slightly staggered breath escaping your lips. The blonde hero blinks a couple of times, tilting his head as he looks at the stack of papers.

Extending his finger to lift one of the papers, he looks back up at you. "And might I know what the fuck is on my desk, L/n?" he says, his polite tone dripping with condescension. Clenching your jaw, you manage a half-smile. "Apologies, Dynamight! These are your schedules for the next three months. I've strategically organized each event to your liking, be it fundraisers, press conferences, speeches, or office schedules-"

"Even the shitty high school reunions?" he interrupts with a sly smirk. You chuckle at his response. "Yes, I made sure to make those an optional choice for you," you say with a smirk.

Dynamight scans through the papers, his face focused. Suddenly, he slams a particular paper down and points to a specific line of text. "October 16th, that's a Wednesday. Why is there a press conference scheduled on that day?" he questions.

Raising your eyebrows, you lean over to look at the indicated line. "I scheduled a press conference on that day because you'll be accompanying Red Riot to the Golden Hall to celebrate his birthday. When there are many people with similar expertise and professions gathered, it's considered a press conference," you explain with a smile. "Plus, your officials emphasized the need for you to attend more conferences, so… I bent the rules a little," you mumble.

A long pause hangs in the office, Dynamight's eyes fixed on you. "And why should I keep these papers? Couldn't you have just emailed me this as a damn form?" he growls.

"Because you only use your phone on workdays, and even then, you're barely on it. So I figured a printed form would suit you best," you reply calmly. "And what if I lose it? What then?" he retorts with an irritated tone, seemingly upset that you have an answer to all his questions.

As he pays close attention to your every word, he notices your eye twitch.

Letting out a sigh, you place your hands behind your back. "You walk into this office with nothing, so I assume you leave with nothing as well… These papers will be waiting for you safely in a nice drawer upon your return, Dynamight," your tone edges on the brink of scolding. Your boss says nothing, tearing his gaze away from you as he settles back in his chair, focusing on his computer.

"Get out."

Blinking, you slowly bow before making your escape from the seventh ring of hell—Dynamight's office. "Wait!" he yells out, causing you to stop in your tracks. "Yes, Dynamight?" you say wearily. Your boss notices the tiredness in your tone, raising his head slightly.

"Don't come to work tomorrow. Takin' a week off," he says.

"Yes, Dynamight" you say, making another attempt to leave before you were once interrupted. "L/n!" Dynamight calls out for you once more, "Yes?" you say, on the brink of breaking right then and there.

"Rest."

Your eyes widen for a moment, that might be the nicest thing he's ever said you since you started working here. "Yes, thank you...you as well!" You exclaim, soon you grab your computer and push in your chair and rush for the door.

With a slam, Dynamight sighs and stands from his chair "god, that girl." As like every other working citizen in the building he gathers his things and leaves his building. Walking in the secluded garage to his car, he hears rushed footsteps luring behind him.

Turning, he notices his friend.

"Hey dude! mind giving me a ride?" the cheery red head says, Bakugo lets out a deep sigh before opening with the drivers side of the car stepping in. Kirishima gives him a grin before opening the passenger side and throwing his stuff and himself in the car. Starting the engine, the duo zooms out of the garage and onto a secluded tunnel that soon lead to the outside road private from the public to see.

"A whole week off, what are you gonna do, Bakugo?" Kirishima asks excitedly. "Sleeping and ignoring you," the hero replies flatly. Rolling his eyes at Bakugo's response, Kirishima settles into a comfortable silence as they drive. The Japanese sunset bathes his skin in a soft, warm glow, adding a touch of serenity to the moment.

"So… did you get the invitation?" Kirishima asks with a curious tone. "Yeah, not going to Icy Hot's shitty wedding," Bakugo retorts. This earns a groan from Kirishima. "Why not? He's your friend!" Kirishima pleads. Bakugo dismissively responds, "No, he's your friend. I'm just a publicity stunt." The statement hangs in the air, and Bakugo mutters, "Plus, weddings aren't really my thing, y'know?"

Kirishima places his hands on his head, giving Bakugo an irritated look. "Dude, you gotta get out more! Aren't you sick and tired of attending weddings without ever hosting one?" he remarks. This catches Bakugo's attention. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he growls at Kirishima. The red head shakes his head and dismisses Bakugo's anger. "Nothing, Bakugo. Just fucking drive," he sighs aloud.

Bakugo frowns deeply, keeping his eyes on the road. He revs the engine and presses harder on the gas pedal, accelerating the car's speed. Soon, the duo arrives at Kirishima's home. The place exudes a warm and welcoming aura, with signs of life scattered about. Toys dot the lawn, and the sprinkler sprays a fine mist onto the rich green grass. The lawn chairs and picnic table glisten under the sunlight, and the windows emit a cozy glow from the yellow-white lights inside. Bakugo's gaze lands on the mailbox, which bears colorful handprints and the words "Krishma's Rensidance!" etched on the side, written in childlike handwriting.

Kirishima steps out of the car, grabs his belongings, and slams the door. Turning to face Bakugo, he declares, "We're gonna hang out tomorrow! No ifs, ands, or buts!" His toothy smile brightens his face as he waves Bakugo off. As Kirishima makes his way towards his doorstep, Bakugo observes him rummaging for his keys, only to be surprised by the door opening before him.

Bakugo looks closer and sees Kirishima's entire family standing there, welcoming him. His wife holds a baby on her hip, while two toddlers eagerly reach out to embrace the towering hero. Laughter and affectionate words flow from their lips joyfully.

For some reason, Bakugo feels a pang in his chest at the sight. But before he can linger any longer, he looks ahead and accelerates, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Biting his lip, he mutters quietly to himself, "One day."

Maybe one day.

STAGE 1' — money hungry bitch

As Bakugo approaches the voice, he traverses through a gated entrance adorned with lush tropical foliage and tall palm trees, signaling a transition into a serene and exclusive paradise. The path meanders gently downhill, leading him towards the golden sandy shores and crystal-clear turquoise waters.

Upon reaching the beach, he's greeted by a breathtaking panorama. The beach stretches out for a considerable distance, flanked by rugged cliffs on one side and the endless expanse of the azure ocean on the other. The absence of crowds and noise creates a peaceful ambiance, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the natural beauty that surrounds you.

The sand beneath his feet is soft and powdery, inviting you to take a leisurely barefoot stroll along the shoreline. The gentle sound of waves crashing against the shore provides a soothing soundtrack, accentuating the tranquility of the setting.

A series of strategically placed lounge chairs, sun-beds, and umbrellas offer a place to relax and bask in the warm sunshine. Positioned at a comfortable distance from one another, they provide ample space for privacy, allowing you to unwind and soak up the sun's rays undisturbed.

Towards the edge of the beach, the blonde finds a private cabana or a charming beachfront villa. These secluded retreats offer shade and seclusion, providing a cozy space where you can retreat for a moment of respite or enjoy a refreshing drink while relishing the panoramic coastal views.

The private beach setting in a small coastal area in Osaka, a place where people of high status are allowed to frolic without the eyes of the general public and paparazzi to taunt and disturb them. As he looks over at the cabana he sees a group of men waving near him.

Walking closer, Bakugo turns up a small grin. "Sup, guys," he calls out to his friends Kirishima, Sero, and Denki. The trio greets him with bright smiles and open arms, excited to see each other outside of a rigorous work setting. "Holy shit, we're actually here!" Denki says excitedly. "We've been planning this for months, dude," he beams.

Bakugo sits at the cabana and lays back in the modern white beach chair. Its rich plushness comforts his aching muscles. Laying back with a sigh, he closes his eyes in relaxation. "What've you been up to?" Bakugo grumbles.

"The usual, slaving away for humanity," Sero speaks up, making the three other men laugh. "Nah, but seriously, on the lighter side—me and Mina have been talking, and we're thinking of trying to have a—"

"Don't you fuckin' dare!" The blonde rises up from his seat with a frown, sunglasses tilted from the sudden jolt of energy. "What?" Sero says curiously. "What the hell do you mean by 'what?'" Bakugo mocks Sero's response in a mocking tone.

Kirishima takes a swift sip of his margarita, setting it down, he leans over to pat his friend on the back. "Hey, dude, we're happy for you! I remember when me and Imani started trying for kids. It was kinda hard, but I'm sure you'll succeed quicker than us," he says with a smile.

This makes the blonde groan aloud. "Do you even know how weird it sounds when you say that you're trying to have a kid? You're basically telling the whole world that you're fucking every day!" he protests. This makes Denki frown and shake his head.

"Even though it may seem like that, mature people like us three," Denki points towards Sero, Kirishima, and himself, "know that it's more than just fucking, okay?" he says, extending his tongue out for his straw. He lazily takes a sip of his coconut water.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Like you and Jiro have ever had it hard, Kaminari," Bakugo says, disrespect falling off his lips with ease. This makes the yellow-haired man tilt his head in interest. A frown is present on his lips as he stands from his chair and walks towards the blonde.

"Say that again?" Denki leans towards Bakugo, electric currents traveling from his fists and up his arm. "You heard me," Bakugo growls. "You know we've had two miscarriages, right? That's not so fucking easy to handle!" Denki raises his voice.

Soon Sero and Kirishima stand to hold back the yellow-haired man and de-escalate the situation. Bakugo scoffs and leans back in his chair, the cabana suddenly grown quiet. The laid-back and relaxed aura soon turns tense and cold.

"Y'know, Bakugo, you seriously need to grow up," Sero cuts through the tension. "You can't live every day like it's high school. We're grown men with our own problems—"

Sero's words make Bakugo sit up once more. Taking off his sunglasses, the trio is met with his angry red eyes. "And I'm supposed to care about your problems?" he says. "Yes! You are because we're friends!" Sero yells. Bakugo rolls his eyes and nods his head lazily. "Yeah, whatever."

"No wonder no one wants to settle with your brute ass," Denki says. "You're stuck in this narc peak-high school era! You're turning 30 in a couple of years, wake up!" Denki yells.

The tension in the cabana thickens as Denki's words hang in the air. Bakugo's jaw clenches tightly, his fists balling up in frustration. He looks at Denki with a mix of anger and hurt in his eyes. The words hit a nerve, and it takes a moment for him to gather himself.

"You think I don't know that?" Bakugo's voice is low and laced with bitterness. "You think I don't know I'm stuck in some fucking time loop, reliving the same shit over and over again?" He stands up abruptly, knocking the chair backward. His friends take a step back, startled by his sudden outburst.

"You all act like you've got it figured out," Bakugo continues, his voice shaking with raw emotion. "I can't just fly out to the States and marry some foreign supermodel like Kiri, and sadly, like every single one of us, our youth was taken from us. All the burden was on me to save the country back then!" he yells. "So no, I couldn't shack up with my high school sweetheart like none of you guys either!" He yells.

"But I'm still here, still struggling to move forward, still haunted by the past. And you don't think I want more? You think I don't want to change?"

There's a moment of silence as his words hang heavy in the air. Sero, Kirishima, and Denki exchange glances, the weight of their friend's pain sinking in. Kirishima takes a step forward, his voice filled with genuine concern. "Bakugo, we know you've been through a lot, and we're here for you. But you have to let go of this anger, this bitterness. It's holding you back."

Bakugo's expression softens for a brief moment, but then hardens again. "Easy for you to say," he mutters under his breath. Denki takes a step forward, his tone earnest. "We're your friends, Bakugo. We're not here to judge or belittle you. We just want to see you happy, to see you grow and find peace."

Bakugo's shoulders slump, his anger starting to fade away, replaced by a weariness. He looks at his friends, their expressions a mix of concern and genuine care. "I… I don't know how to change," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kirishima steps forward and places a hand on Bakugo's shoulder. "It's okay, Bakugo. Change takes time, and we'll be here with you every step of the way. We'll help you find your path, but you have to be willing to take that first step."

Bakugo's gaze shifts between his friends, a mix of emotions playing across his face. Slowly, he nods. "Alright," he says, his voice filled with a mix of determination and vulnerability. "I'll try… for you guys."

His friends offer him warm smiles, their support evident. They gather around him, offering words of encouragement and understanding. In that moment, Bakugo realizes that he doesn't have to face his demons alone, that he has a support system he can rely on.

As the tension eases, the cabana fills with a renewed sense of camaraderie. Bakugo knows that the road ahead won't be easy, but with his friends by his side, he feels a glimmer of hope. And for the first time in a long while, he starts to believe that change is possible.

Sero leans over to take a shot of his drink, slamming the small glass down. He lets out a smile and exclaims, "Change starts right damn now!" Stepping over towels and drinks, Sero places his hand on top of Bakugo's head and ruffles his hair. "Feast your eyes, young fellow, for there is an array of choices to feast on!" Grabbing the blonde by his jaw, he forces him to look out of the cabana.

Bakugo squints as the bright blue sky crowds his vision. Looking around, he sees many people outside enjoying their day, including women of various heights, tans, and complexions. "Dude, are you serious?" Bakugo says flatly. "Fuck yeah! I mean, unless you don't swing that way…there are guys here too, I guess," Sero says. Bakugo shoves the black-haired man off him with a grunt.

"Shut the fuck up!" Bakugo yells. Sitting back down in his seat, he looks up at his three friends, who all look back with shit-eating grins. "I don't swing that way!" he reiterates. The three back off with 'okays,' as Bakugo looks out of the cabana once more and sets his eyes on a particular woman.

"There! She's hot!" Kirishima says, and as Bakugo looks at the woman, he can't help but agree, at least from a distance. "Go up to her, talk to her, and get to know her. Then boom! Get her number, and you're in it for the long haul!" Kirishima says confidently. Bakugo shakes his head and grabs his water to take a sip. But before he can, Kirishima snatches it from his hands.

"No, no, no! Here," Kirishima gestures to the corner of the cabana. Crouching down, he reaches into the mini cooler and pulls out a rather long bottle of clear liquid. Grabbing a shot glass from on top of the cooler, he cracks open the bottle and pours a hefty amount, some spilling over and dampening the warm sand. Standing up, he cautiously walks over and hands Bakugo the shot.

"You'll need it," he chuckles, making the rest of them go into a fit of laughter. "You know I don't drink," Bakugo says before taking the glass to his mouth and drinking the sour liquid with ease. A burning sensation overtakes him. Bowing his head down for a mere moment before clearing his throat, he raises the glass and flips it over, showing that he's done.

The trio screams in triumph, grabbing him by the feet. Bakugo smiles as he's soon pushed out of the cabana. "And don't come back until you get her number!" Kirishima says. Soon, Sero and Denki grab hold of the ropes to the curtain entrance and close it shut. On the other end, Bakugo can hear the trio giggling like little girls.

Bakugo stands outside the closed curtain, his heart pounding in his chest. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He looks at the woman Kirishima pointed out, her beauty undeniable even from a distance. A mix of nerves and determination fills him as he walks towards her.

As he approaches, he can feel his palms growing sweaty. He clears his throat, trying to find the right words to say. The woman looks up at him with a curious smile. "Hey there," Bakugo says, his voice coming out a bit rougher than he intended. "Mind if I join you?"

The woman's smile widens, and she gestures to the empty seat beside her. "Not at all," she replies, her voice warm and inviting. Bakugo takes a seat, feeling a surge of confidence.

The woman standing before Bakugo appears to be in her mid-20s, radiating a youthful energy and a sense of confidence. Her long sandy blonde hair cascades down her back, styled in a high ponytail that mirrors Bakugo's own hairstyle. The sun's rays catch the golden strands, lending them a natural shimmer.

Dressed in a vibrant purple bikini that accentuates her curves, she exudes a carefree and beach-ready vibe. A matching floral cover-up is tied around her waist, swaying gently in the ocean breeze. Her sun-kissed complexion boasts a healthy glow, complemented by an array of freckles that sprinkle across her cheeks, adding a touch of charm and playfulness to her overall appearance.

As Bakugo's gaze meets hers, he can't help but feel captivated by her dark blue eyes. They hold a glimmer of curiosity and intrigue, as if she is equally interested in getting to know him. Her eyes convey a sense of depth, hinting at a vibrant personality and a story waiting to be shared. In that moment, time seems to slow down as they lock eyes, creating an unspoken connection between them.

"So, what brings you here?" Bakugo asks, his tone awkward yet filled with genuine curiosity. The woman smiles, amused by his slight discomfort. She lifts her glass to her lips, taking a slow sip, her dark blue eyes fixed on Bakugo's intense red gaze.

"Nothing special, really. Just enjoying myself and trying to meet new faces," she replies, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness. Her response intrigues Bakugo, and he nods his head, shifting in his seat to face the bar while still stealing glances at her.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Bakugo continues the conversation. "So, what do you do? Not just anyone is allowed to be here," he chuckles, prompting a giggle from the woman. She takes another sip of her drink, her eyes locked onto his.

"Well, I'm actually just a friend of a friend. She's the one who got me in here, so technically, I'm just an ordinary person," she admits, punctuating her statement with a nervous chuckle.

As their conversation progresses, Bakugo starts to notice something. The woman seems to be ordering more and more drinks, far exceeding what she had when he first arrived. As their conversation nears its end, the bartender returns with the bill.

With a frown, the woman raises the bill to her face. "Cash or card, ma'am?" the bartender asks. "Oh, no, he'll pay for it!" she chuckles, casting a small, sly grin in Bakugo's direction. His eyebrows furrow in confusion as her words sink in.

"Uh, no, I'm not—"

"What?" she interrupts, her tone flat and almost offended. "You're a pro hero. I'm sure you can handle paying for this." She slides the bill towards him, expecting him to oblige.

Bakugo slams his hand down on the bill and pushes it back towards her. "So, that's why you talked to me? Because you wanted a couple of free drinks?" he says, his voice tinged with clear frustration. The woman rolls her eyes in response.

"So, are you going to pay for the drinks or not?" she says, her tone demanding and expectant.

"Money-hungry bitch," Bakugo mutters under his breath. With a huff, he stands up from his seat and heads straight back to the cabana, leaving the woman behind.

Bakugo's frustration grows as he realizes the woman's true intentions. He clenches his fists, trying to control his anger. He can't believe he fell for her act and wasted his time on someone who was only after free drinks.

He storms back to the cabana, needing some space to cool down. The sound of the music and chatter around him fades into the background as he seethes with disappointment. He trusted her enough to engage in a conversation, only to be used for her own benefit.

As he sits in the cabana, he reflects on the encounter. He should have been more cautious and not let his guard down so easily. It's a lesson learned, a reminder that not everyone has genuine intentions.

Taking a deep breath, Bakugo decides to put the incident behind him. He won't let this one encounter ruin his evening. He reminds himself that there are plenty of other people at the party, and he can still enjoy himself.

With renewed determination, he stands up and heads back to the lively atmosphere. He joins a group of his friends and engages in conversation, letting go of the negative experience from earlier. Bakugo focuses on enjoying the rest of the night, surrounded by people he trusts and values.

Although disappointed by the woman's behavior, Bakugo doesn't let it define his evening. He learns from the encounter and moves forward, ready to make the most of the remaining time at the party. As he goes over to his friends, one of them pats him on the back, not even asking what happened while he was gone.

"There's always more fish in the sea…"

STAGE 2' — blabbermouth

As Bakugo sits across from the woman in the VIP lounge, he can't help but feel a growing sense of frustration and disappointment. Her monologue continues unabated, and he finds himself struggling to stay engaged in the conversation. Her lack of interest in getting to know him or even asking about his own passions and experiences becomes increasingly apparent.

He tries to interject, hoping to steer the conversation toward something more balanced and engaging, but his attempts are quickly overshadowed by her relentless chatter. It feels as though she is more interested in hearing her own voice than in connecting with him on any meaningful level.

Bakugo's mind begins to wander, his thoughts drifting away from the conversation at hand. He starts to question his own decision to venture into the dating scene, wondering if finding a genuine connection with someone will prove to be an impossible task.

Unable to endure the one-sided conversation any longer, Bakugo gathers his courage and interrupts the woman mid-sentence. "Look, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I was hoping for a more balanced conversation," he says, his voice tinged with a touch of irritation.

The woman's smile falters for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise. She takes a moment to process his words, seemingly caught off guard by his candidness. After a brief pause, she offers a sincere apology, realizing her own self-centeredness in the conversation.

"I'm sorry," she says, her tone softened. "I didn't realize I was dominating the conversation. Let's start over and take the time to learn about each other. I genuinely want to get to know you."

Bakugo's annoyance eases a bit, appreciating her willingness to own up to her mistake. "Look, you're you're a great girl, but I gotta bounce."

"You're a hero, I get it," she responds, and he lets out an awkward chuckle. "Yeah, duty calls," he says flatly. Standing up, he heads for the door, making his way to his car. He speeds off, feeling the need to vent his frustrations to his friends.

In a flurry of angry texts, Bakugo rants about the encounter he just had. He lets out his frustration, seeking support and understanding from his buddies. Their replies offer words of encouragement, reminding him not to let one bad experience bring him down.

With each message, Bakugo's anger subsides, replaced by a sense of camaraderie and reassurance. He knows he can count on his friends to boost his spirits and help him navigate through tough situations.

Driving down the road, Bakugo's focus shifts from the negative encounter to the positive relationships in his life. He looks forward to hanging out with his friends and enjoying their company. Determined to make the most of the evening, he leaves the frustration behind.

As the city lights whiz past, Bakugo's mind clears, and he immerses himself in the present moment. He embraces the excitement and energy that come with being a hero, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

STAGE 3' — yandere

The next date arrives, and it turns out to be a complete disaster.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you. Trust me, you have no idea," the girl says. They are sitting at a nearby restaurant, and the hero looks at her, sensing her eagerness.

"So… you mentioned that you do hero work. What kind of hero work do you do?" Bakugo asks, attempting to initiate a conversation.

"Oh, well, I happen to know a couple of heroes personally, and I've been following you around for some time now. I've been meaning to finally meet you—" she starts, but Bakugo interrupts, feeling uneasy.

"You've been following me around?" The blonde becomes increasingly uncomfortable in his seat upon hearing her words. She starts to stammer, looking nervously at the floor and then back up at him.

Suddenly, her hands slam loudly on the table, drawing attention from nearby tables. "Dynamight! Katsuki Bakugo! I'm in love with you!" she blurts out, her voice filled with intensity.

Bakugo's eyes widen in disbelief as the girl's confession hangs in the air. He sits frozen in his seat, unsure of how to respond to such a sudden and intense declaration. The atmosphere in the restaurant grows awkward, and he can feel the eyes of other diners on them.

"Uh… what?" Bakugo manages to stammer, his voice laced with a mix of surprise and discomfort. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, feeling a wave of unease wash over him. This is not at all what he expected from this date, and he's unsure of how to handle the situation.

The girl's face turns bright red, and she covers her mouth with her hands, as if regretting her outburst. "I-I'm sorry," she stutters, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean to say it like that. It's just… I've admired you for so long, and I thought maybe we could have a connection. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Bakugo takes a moment to collect his thoughts, trying to find the right words to respond. He can sense the sincerity in her words and recognizes that her emotions have gotten the best of her. Despite feeling caught off guard, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Look, I appreciate your admiration, I'm flattered really," Bakugo says, his voice firm but not unkind. "But it's too soon for me to reciprocate those feelings. Let's take things slow and see where it goes."

The girl's expression shifts from embarrassment to a sight of disappointment. She nods, her eyes downcast. "I understand," she murmurs softly. "But I really do love you."

Bakugo offers a small smile, trying to alleviate the tension. "Um, Yeah…" Looking towards his left he spots a restroom. "Hey, you don't mind if I hit the stalls right quick eh?" he asks. The woman across from him, head hung low.

"But I love you."

Eyes going wide, he soon leaves from his seat and cautiously heads for the door and speeds off.

STAGE 4' — acceptance

So just like you, Dynamight derives from the same misfortune of dating in his 20's being absolutely shitty.

Following the next Monday, Bakugo strides into his office, feeling refreshed and energized. He settles into his chair behind the desk, surrounded by reminders of his heroic achievements. The room is adorned with trophies and mementos, a testament to his unwavering dedication to protecting the city.

As he gazes out of the large windows, Bakugo's red eyes reflect a sense of contemplation. Thoughts drift back to the words spoken in the cabana. They hold a truth he can't ignore—finding love has been a challenging journey for him. While his friends effortlessly find their partners, his life has been consumed by battles and the responsibility of safeguarding countless lives.

Memories of his high school years flood his mind, the weight of the city and country pressing upon him during the war against the League of Villains. It was a time when his determination burned brightest, but it left little room for personal pursuits. The demands of his heroic duties offered no respite, no chance to indulge in leisure or explore romance.

In his youth, he dreamt of finding that special someone, of experiencing a deep connection. Yet, as time passed and his heroism took center stage, those aspirations faded. His ambition burned hotter than the desire for companionship, and the pursuit of love lost its allure in the face of his unwavering dedication.

Now, sometimes he might have a one-night stand here or there. But it's only to subside his manly urges. But besides that, he was completely alone. With the only thing surrounding him were the stole cold trophies and awards.

But his train of thought was cut short.

"Good morning, Dynamight! How was your break?"

The hero watches as you walk in, your attitude more chipper than usual. A warm smile cascades across your face as you set a couple of neatly organized papers on his desk. As he eyes you, he notices a striking difference in your appearance.

Instead of your regular bleak all-black attire, you decided to spice things up. You're wearing a black dress shirt with a matching loose sweater and a pencil skirt. His eyes waver down and, wait, are those heels?

The hero can't help but admit that you look good.

"Fine, you?" he asks, but instead of getting a response, he looks up and sees you in the corner of the room texting with a smile on your face. As you finish texting, you place your phone in your bag and look back at the hero.

"Great," you say with a smile, but suddenly your phone rings and your face is glued back to the screen. With a sigh, the hero tends to his paperwork, but he's puzzled by the sight before him.

"Sauna date??? Movies??? Take him home???" is written on the paper. "Mr. and Mrs. L/n? What the hell?" Dynamight mumbles in confusion, the paper still in his hand. His eyes tear from the paper and back to you.

"L/n." "Yes, Dynamight?" You ask, currently occupied sneaking a good morning text to your date. Dynamight sighs and rubs his temple with his free hand. The blonde began to think to himself:

So everyone is just shacked up but me huh? "Strike two," he says with a cold tone.

Eyes snapping up from your phone your face is puzzled, you find your boss holding a piece of paper. Looking closer you grow warm in embarrassment. It was a random loose leaf paper of writing—words consisting of you having your date last name and next date ideas scattered all over it.

"It's a strict policy we have here…keep your romantic endeavors outside of work, you of all people should know that." He says, voice stern and strong he stands from his chair and walks close to you.

As he looks at you, he eyes you down and starts to look at your features intensely. From your batting eyelashes to the shine in your pupils. Every mark, freckle, or scar adorned on your face was taken into sharp notice.

"I'm sorry, Dynamight… it won't happen again," you say softly, feeling a mixture of guilt and embarrassment. Dynamight looks at how you look like a deer caught in the headlights, snapping from his thoughts he takes the paper, crumpling it up and shoves it into your palm with a dismissive gesture.

For a moment he thought you were cute. "Right," he says coyly, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. Without another word, he turns and walks away, and you instinctively follow suit.

You both make your way down to the basement of the building, where a private parking lot reserved for top employees and heroes awaits. The sound of your heels clicking against the polished gravel reverberates in the air as you quickly catch up to Dynamight's wide strides. As you look ahead, you notice a chauffeur stepping out of the driver's seat of a sleek, black luxury SUV. The chauffeur promptly walks over to open the door, extending a hand to assist you and the pro-hero.

As the hero takes his prideful steps into the car, he was in deep thought. Thinking about a conversation he had in the cabana:

"What about L/n?"

The hero shakes the emerging thought from his head in an instant. Looking over, he notices you looking out the window, lost in your own thoughts. Watching how the Japanese sunrise hits your skin and pours into your eyes. Lips pursed and eyes relaxed as you throw yourself deeper in thought. Biting your lip you look back down at the papers in your hand

But soon, you glance up from your work, meeting Dynamight's gaze in a brief moment of eye contact. The young hero didn't know what to feel when his eyes met yours, but before he get lost in your eyes. You pull your gaze away can return to your work.

For a moment Dynamight thinks to himself that maybe he should try and get to know you, he realizes that from most of his secretaries, you seemed more tolerable than usual.

"So… who's the guy?" Dynamight breaks the thick tension in the air, causing you to pause from your typing and look at him with a rather shocked expression. "I'm not permitted to tell you that information, Dynamight," you say, maintaining a professional tone. The pro hero rolls his eyes, clearly unimpressed with your response.

"Fuck the rules, I'm your boss," he retorts, contradicting himself with a hint of frustration. You swallow nervously and shift your gaze to the window, observing the bustling city of Japan at such an early hour.

"I met him during my week off. He's a good guy, and we're attracted to each other–"

"That's it?" Dynamight interjects with a snort, and you blink, trying to restrain yourself from showing your irritated state. "Well… I'm not exactly comfortable discussing my personal life in detail," you respond politely, hoping to defuse the tension. However, as you glance over, you notice Dynamight giving you an unamused look. He soon adjusts in his seat and leans his head back, signaling his disinterest in further conversation.

"Whatever," he says dismissively, the hero soon shuffles in his seat and leans his head back. Closing his eyes he tries to think of anything else but his mind travels back to the conversation he had in the cabana.

"What about L/n?" Kirishima says, his curiosity piqued.

"No fucking way!" the blonde responds, his voice filled with disbelief. "Who is L/n?" Sero and Denki say simultaneously, their interest now fully sparked. Bakugo looks over at his friends, his intense gaze silently pleading for them not to say another word.

"L/n, Y/n L/n. She's the new secretary," Kirishima says with a mischievous grin, unable to contain his excitement any longer. As he speaks, the duo's eyes widen with intrigue. The mention of a new arrival in their midst always manages to stir their interest.

"Dude, another one? They just keep dropping like flies," Sero chuckles, his amusement evident in his voice.

"Nah, man, this one is staying, I swear," Kirishima retorts confidently, pouring himself a drink as he settles into his seat. He takes a moment to savor the anticipation in the air before continuing, "Like hell she is," Bakugo mutters under his breath, his arms crossed and an air of defiance surrounding him.

Denki gazes at his friends, his curiosity piqued. "Well, which one is it? Is she staying or leaving?" he asks, unable to contain his eagerness for more information.

"Bakugo doesn't want to admit it, but she's good at what she does," Kirishima states with a mix of admiration and pride. "She has this attitude that I've never seen before. She reminds me of how we all used to be at UA— young and a ball of determination and confidence waiting to be popped," he boasts, his voice filled with nostalgia and fond memories.

"Plus, she's got a nice swing to her ass… and I'd tap that if I were you—" Kirishima continues, but his words are abruptly cut off by Bakugo's fierce interruption.

"Enough! Please!" the blonde's voice echoes through the cabana, a mix of frustration and embarrassment evident in his tone. He had hoped his friends would steer the conversation away from such personal matters, but it seems they were determined to tease him relentlessly.

"She sounds like a hoot. I'd say go for it," Denki chimes in, raising his glass in a toast to support his friend's potential romantic endeavors. His mischievous grin hints at the mischief he envisions unfolding.

"I mean, I think you should go for it too," Sero adds, his voice laced with playful encouragement. "And what's the worst that can happen? Just fire her," he suggests casually, taking another sip of his drink.

Bakugo leans back in the beach chair, his mind now abuzz with a mixture of thoughts and emotions. The words of his friends swirl in his head, tempting him to consider the possibilities. He contemplates the impact this new secretary might have on his life and the potential adventures that lie ahead.

Soon he feels a jolt pushing his side to side, opening his eyes he sees you. Face content and cold, "We're nearing your destination Dynamight." You say, gathering your things you hand him papers. The hero kept his gaze on you for a moment before looking down and shuffling the papers, mumbling to himself.

I'll think about it…

You thought you were getting closure from the cliffhanger lol, nah...

Pulled this out of my literal ass, so this might be the last chapter you're getting out of me for a while LMAO (not to long tho stay seated).

Finally getting back on my zoom and writing more! I have so many ideas to share with you, I'm so fucking excited to share them with you all!

— 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐢𝐝𝐚 ❤︎︎

❥: @r-ans, @xo-evangeline, @superkittywonderland, @inlovewithteo217, @im-better-than-your-newborn, @nar00, @king-dynamight, @bollzinurmouth, @gold24fish, @xasilex, @the-queen-of-sorrows, @itgetzweird08, @yoyosocks165, @zyxys1, @your-mom83, @pebblepoop, @lovra974, @suchagoodgirixoxo, @bakugospartner, @gaby-11, @smokers-sweetheart, @akqsa-xxi, @StableCreator93, @alhina, @din-O-bi-wan, @jolynegf, @sad0ni0n, @wore-for-anime, @a1hina, @goldenglow149, @aliruuiz, @zany17, @zukowantshishonourback, @uvula6927, @ilovedenk-i, @LavaLampFullOfSoup, @echosfadve, @atsushiki, @smolbeanzzz, @urdecentartist09, @lem-hhn, @stevenknightmarc, @violetseon, @katsu-shi, @ryumiii, @idontevenknowlolls

[queenendless]

🎆❣️A Future Bright (Adult!SatoSugu x Adult!Fem!Reader ft Various JJK)❣️🎆

A/n: So short cause I have officially run out of JJK fuel. It might not be the best but I wanted to get something out today so sorry about that. S2 is done. I will miss it and writing for this show. But I need a long ass break from JJK. Like 5 months. Make sense to me.

Referring to everyone by their first names in this, side ships, mainly poly SatoSugu x Adult!Fem!Reader.

And thnx u to everyone whose followed, liked, reblogged and enjoyed my JJK fan content these past few months. Imma work on other anime fanfic content after I take a break. Tbh? I wanna write for BNHA Hawks. He's growing on me. And maybe Demon Slayer stuff with Tengen and his wives. Idk yet, we'll see.

PLEASE DON'T PLAGARIZE STEAL COPY TRANSLATE AND/OR REPOST MY FANFIC WORK. Rather reblog like and follow please and thnx u.

Booths and stalls lined up both sides of various roads.

Rows of lanterns hung from the treelines to the lampposts.

Droves of people flocked. From wearing kimonos to just plain snuggly attire to battle the coldness.

Praying at the shrines to make wishes for the coming year came first.

After that, chaos ensued.

A squealing Nobara hurried over to embrace her lifelong friends Fumi-chan and Saori-chan before introducing them to Maki who was keeping it cool to Nobara's admiration.

Kento brushes something off Yu's scarred cheek only for the younger man to kiss his stern partner fully on the mouth.

A teasing Mai and Momo along with a reluctant but curious Kasumi dragging a stubborn blushing Kokichi off to doll him up with various trinkets and hats they spotted at various booths.

Ieiri and Utahime trying to catch some goldfish at one of those booths. Utahime shouting out her constant success at catching them fishes; her competitiveness shining through, and Ieiri calmly cheering her wife on.

Yuji laughed while Megumi and Junpei smiled at his radiant expression while chowing down on barbecue skewers together.

That was long before your salmon haired boi yelled out in alarm as a heated Todo chased him in his fervent pursuit to drag his brother off to see the Takada-chan's New Year's Eve live special screening at Shibuya crossing.

Noritoshi eating a kebab as Yuki filmed the whole chase beside him, aimed at Choso as he let Yuji jump into his arms and speed off with Todo right at their heels, dust clouds left in their wake.

Riko and Misato shooting darts at a gaming booth all to get the familiar looking, long as hell, rainbow dragon plush to the girls delight.

Atsuya dragged his bae Hiromi by his collar into the nearest bar just to get away from your group and drink to their retired hearts content.

Masamichi and Yoshinobu sharing sake in the place across from said bar.

Yuta kissed both Rika and Toge on their stuffed cheeks as their mouths were full of sweets; mochi cheeks he spotted in his mesmerized gaze.

Right before Panda, carrying plushies by the armful, dumped his winnings all over his ecstatic buddies.

Spotting Toji and Shiu amiss the crowd, eyeing his son as his protective brother instincts creaked out as he played tug of war with Tsumiki who was stubbornly set on kissing a dopey grinning Junpei some more as her lipstick marked his rosey cheek.

Toji snorted at the sight before being dragged off by the arm by Shiu, opting to get a better view, a less crowded spot at that.

Nanako and Mimiko running around with sparklers lite.

Tears filled up your eyes to the brim.

Seeing so much happiness.

So much positivity.

All amassing here.

All in this moment.

Together.

Your mind flashed.

What could have been …

Buildings sliced and diced to mince.

Magma erupts from the streets, encasing all in its range.

A circle of darkness that continues to grow.

No lights.

No life.

Barred from all.

You were getting caught up in your mind too much lately.

Thinking too much, wandering in too deep, letting intrusive thoughts cloud the light.

Your knees trembled, your grip slipping, you wrap around your belly, prepared to not let it get the brunt of the fall.

“Y/n!”

His long raven locks flowed in the breeze. His almond brown eyes are so vibrant and sharp and alive.

“Sugu!” You weeped immediately into his charcoal robes, grasping handfuls of his front, alarming him tremendously.

“Y/n! Be careful! What's wrong!?”

“I'm just so happy we're all together celebrating tonight!” Your waterworks hit him right in the face as he led you two to a bench to rest your bloated sore self.

“Tiredness, mood swings, they do come with pregnancy, love.” Suguru calmly explained as you clung to him, pulling your legs up to rest on the space left on the bench.

“Perhaps we should take you home early. I am terribly sorry if we pushed you too much with coming here … jeez. Now where did Satoru go this time?”

Warping right by your side nearly gave you a heart attack. Even still, you were never quite prepared for Toru's spontaneity.

Getting down on one knee, Satoru tenderly caressed and smooched your clothed bump. “Right here~!”

“Toru!” You yanked the man up by his sleeve, having him sit beside you as well as he draped your legs over his lap as he let you cuddle him and weep in his neck.

His shades titled down to reveal his devoted gaze as he carefully pulled you atop his lap, nuzzling your head as he exchanged smooches with Suguru. “Aww, wifey. It's okay. We're here. Just think. A new year. New hijinks. New possibilities!”

Suguru's head rested on your shoulder as his heated breath made you mewl. “And a new addition to our family.”

Viewing the kids all animated, the adults mingling, the buzz in the air, it all helped to ease the unrest in your hormonal self.

“I hope we can continue living out our somewhat sense of peace in the new year.” You murmured, humming as they gently smothered you in their plush chests and secure arms.

“Agreed.” Their giant sculpted hands felt your bump together, wistfully grinning as you smiled shedding tears of joy.

An upbeat song blared out through the speakers.

Next thing you know, few turned to many dancing.

Lost in paradise.

For a dance mob has formed.

Yugi, returning out of the blue, took the lead, bopping with his usual upbeat finesse.

Megumi wasn't dancing, more like bashfully scratching the back of his head, too shy to look anyone in the eye, until a beaming Yuji had him, helping his boyfriend loosen up.

Nobara twirled and swirled, tugging her girls in to all get in sync and flaunting their beautiful strong selves.

And Gojo, in all his glory, was swaying with style, cause of course he wanted to get down most of all. Yuta, Yuji, Megumi, even the twins flanked both his sides, strutting their stuff.

From Takuma to Choso to even Panda, everyone you knew found the groove. From found family to your work buddies. Even the tipsy adults. Even the former assassin and his handler buddy. Even a well disguised Nobuko who had her bodyguards on standby also in disguise warily kept their eyes on the heart eyed Aoi Todo.

The dancing flash mob you never expected to happen did in fact happen.

They clapped, they swayed, they spun, they did it all!

The ships sailed as many familiar faces knew how to dance so acrobatically well. Leave the sight to the imagination.

Fireworks began littering the sky.

The billboard's timer struck 00:00.

Cheers and claps rang as embraces were exchanged.

You giggled as Suguru Geto swept you up in his arms, cupping the back of your head and your cheek to kiss you passionately.

You just had to ask.

“Where would I be without all of you?”

Satoru warped again back to you just to smirk at your jump scare. “Probably bored out of your mind.” You and Suguru shut your white haired husband up by slapping his shoulders to his snickering amusement.

“It goes both ways, Satoru.”

“Aw, I love you too Suguru~” He pulled his shades up to rest on his head as those Six Eyes glowed with love for the growing life in your belly you three made together. “All of you.”

You two peppered kisses all over Satoru's laughing face as the rest of your found family danced the first night of the new year away.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Weakness Policy

Debut: Pokemon X and Y

You ever notice how we never just talk about a Pokemon on this blog? We mention them sometimes, it's clear we all LIKE Pokemon a lot. Don't you wonder why we never dedicate posts to them? Good question! It will not be answered.

It's a classic rule you get told all the time in Pokemon games! If you give your Pokemon a berry to hold, it can eat it on its own in battle. Creatures know what a fruit is. They know how to eat a fruit. If you give them a human-made item like a Potion, though, they DON'T know how to use it! Creatures don't know how to use a spray bottle! This all makes sense.

This being said, they would introduce more artificial held items, but these would usually still make enough sense. Something like the Rocky Helmet is more "worn" than "held", and acts passively. Many of the stat-boosting items can be justified as having some kind of elemental energy that powers up certain types just by existing.

Then there's stuff like this! This is just a signed document! When holding the Weakness Policy, a Pokemon's Attack and Special Attack will be raised when it is hit by a super-effective attack, and the document itself will be used up. I know this sounds boring but please keep in mind that we are talking about what happens when this piece of paper is held by a funny magical superpowered fighting monster friend.

Imagine, for example, a Vanilluxe given a Weakness Policy. If this Vanilluxe were to be hit with a fire attack and not be COMPLETELY melted to nothingness, it would present its fine paperwork, like "hm, yes, my insurer provides compensation in the form of enhanced offensive capabilities in the event of such an attack".

And then, I don't know, it eats the paper because it's still ultimately just a weird animal, or something. I don't know why the paper completely disappears after one use. What a shame! I hope the notarization fee wasn't too high!

More recently, Blunder Policy was introduced, which insures your Pokemon against moves that miss their target by increasing its speed. The more mundane official papers the better, I say! I hope one day the metagame will be dominated by a bug holding its tax return document!

[power-rings]

Light Consorting with Shadows (Collab)

Chapter 10: A New Plan

Collab with @e-vay!

Everything happened so quickly, that Sonic hardly had time to fit into his armor. His ears pricked in alarm when he heard a startling scream outside. With his speed, he was out of the palace. Sonic had expected to see Doom, and perhaps some soldiers that he assigned, but, to his surprise… he saw these blueish gray creatures emerging in what appeared to be thin air. He saw Lancelot already fighting against three of them near the gate. After spin-dashing one of the creatures into the side of the palace, he searched his surroundings, looking for Amy, and their teenage daughter. Hoping perhaps they were inside the palace… Would the palace even be safe anymore? He was attacked by three smaller creatures, before Percival defended the King. Sonic quietly nodded, grateful for her speedy save. One by one, he and Percival kept knocking the intruders down, the pair finally catching a break when reuniting with Lancelot. Under the dark hedgehog’s helmet, their gazes met. Whatever was spoken between them earlier that morning, was put aside. They had more concerning matters at hand. “I think Amy and Rory are still inside the castle. Help them get to the bunkers with the others.” Without another word, his best knight obeyed and in haste made his way to the castle.

The evasion seemed to have come to a stand still, and all of the knights gathered around the King. “Make sure that the bunkers are heavily guarded. Gawain? Check to make sure no one is still in their homes. Percival? I want you to take your spot at the north tower.” Sonic had a feeling that this wasn’t gonna be the last time they’ll see these alien-like beings. His eyes darted in the direction of his family exiting the castle. The royal family made their way out of the gate, and made haste to their safe haven. Sonic stopped at the entrance to their temporary underground home. As Sonic, and the queen spoke quietly, the king kept an eye on Lancelot and Aurora near the entrance of the stone perimeter around them. Amy got his attention, when she squeezed his hand. Worried in her jade eyes, but she trusted her king fully.  Of course, as always, Sonic told her to wait for him. They embraced tightly, as if afraid to let the other one go. 

Aurora lingered with her father…The king reached out his arm to hug his daughter farewell, but the princess remained still with her lips pursed.

“You need to get to safety with your mother.”

“But I can help!” she pleaded, clasping her hands. 

“No,” Sonic stated simply. “War is no place for a princess.”

Tears welled up in the pink hedgehog’s eyes. “Then what is my place? My purpose? Isn’t it to serve the people–the land I love? How can I be expected to watch you and everyone in our kingdom risk your lives while I sit idly by?”

Sonic attempted to look away, an attempt to hide his emotions just as his armor shielded his body, but his daughter reached up and held his face in his hands. She turned him back to look her in the eye.

“I can fight,” she urged. “Lancelot has been training me for this. Please, let me fight with you and the other knights. Let me protect our kingdom. I can do this.”

The king grimaced at the mention of Lancelot’s name on his daughter’s lips, but there was truth to her words. Aurora had been training with the best of his knights, which would make her plenty capable in battle. Still, Sonic wouldn’t allow himself to sacrifice his daughter so easily. He would only allow Aurora to fight if it were the very last resort.

He placed his hands firmly on Aurora’s shoulders. Brows furrowed, he gave her a weak smile. There was a sense of sadness behind his emerald eyes and for a moment she was no longer speaking with ‘a king,’ but with her father. “I know you’re strong enough… And that’s why I need you to go with your mother. Keep her safe. For me?”

It wasn’t what she had asked for, but it was a step in the right direction. Soon enough, she’d be able to prove herself.

“I will,” Aurora nodded weakly. She quickly hugged her father and gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning on her heel and sprinting off to the safe haven.

As he watched Aurora join her mother, and slowly leave his sight. He started to truly realize something. His daughter was no longer his baby girl, anymore. As any parent, it pained him to realize this. However, Sonic couldn’t be more proud of her for standing her ground for their kingdom. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t dwell on his pride for his now young-adult daughter. More creatures were coming from all around them, not hesitating a moment to attack. Flying creatures even hovered above them, occasionally attacking them when one was distracted with their “siblings” that fought on the ground. 

It felt like hundreds of these alien’s kept coming from out of nowhere, while they held a handful from the perimeter surrounding the bunker where the townspeople were huddled together in safety, more and more climbed the stone walls and attacked the archers, and the knights that were ordered to help were on their tail and tossed over like a rag, not standing a chance.

Everything froze. All the creatures suddenly dropped.

Doom had made his arrival. Both Sonic and Lancelot could feel him; and the chaos energy that surged through him. 

“How disappointing, my son.” Doom spat at the ground, and slowly approached the two hedgehogs. His eyes narrowed coldly from the King to Lancelot.  “Together we could have ruled this land, instead, you choose to die to defend his throne?” His crimson eyes darted toward Sonic.

Lancelot scowled, “indeed.” Rage was still fresh towards his estranged father, after the event that took place only days ago. 

Doom scoffed, “so be it. If my army doesn’t destroy you… “ He grabbed Lancelot by the collar, “I will destroy you. After I kill your King.” Before Lancelot could attack him, he was gone. A dark cloud taking his place near his opponents.

Lancelot glanced back at the royal highness, Sonic’s emerald gaze scanned their surroundings. “We need to get those Chaos Emeralds back, Lancelot.” The king never looked at him, staying focused on the view of his palace standing on the hill. Perhaps, Doom would be waiting for them there. Doom’s mission was crystal clear. Now that Doom was out of sight, slowly his army became alive. Perhaps he had paralyzed them like he had done to Sonic, and the others the other day? Before Lancelot could even turn around to withdraw his sword, and decapitate his opponent, Sonic grabbed the Knight by the arm, and was pulled away from the battle. “I have an idea.” 

Five lanky creatures discovered them just a few feet away, Lancelot and Sonic quickly took care of them, soon they all lay lifeless at their feet.

Lancelot took this chance to remove his helmet, and wipe his sweaty brow. “What’s your idea, sire?” Although he trusted Sonic with his life, he was always known for not making plans, or at least taking them seriously. All of a sudden, the king swung a fist. Lancelot was taken off guard, stumbling back. 

It wasn’t rare that the two hedgehogs would spar from time to time, but in the heat of a battle? “C’mon, hit me.” Perhaps, the king was starting to lose his mind. When the knight didn’t hit him, Sonic attacked him again. “You don’t usually hesitate like this, Sir Lancelot.” Sonic laughed, and dodged Lancelot aiming for him. 

“This fight is not with you, my King-”

“... But if we could use our wits to fool him.” Sonic stopped the brawl between them, his hands on the knight’s shoulders. “We can get the Chaos Emeralds back.”

Lancelot blinked at him, “we could win this.” Sonic grinned from ear to ear, and then looked over the knight’s shoulders back at the battle. They both mutually agreed to help the other knights fend off a large number of aliens, before they would carry out their plan.

 Several feet away, it seemed like a larger number were attacking the stone perimeter that protected the sanctuary underground. Sir Percival, Gawain, and several other armored guards were attacking their opponents from all around them, swords piercing the chests of these aliens, or arrows aimed at their heads before they could even climb all the way to the top of the perimeter. Meanwhile, some of these creatures were near the entrance that was quite hidden from the naked eye. Guards that held their place on the top of the tower soon jumped down to block their attempt of a break-in.

When Lancelot, and the King felt like they would never be able to head back to the palace - when a bulky alien creature suddenly started to charge toward them, Lancelot took this chance, and muttered an apology to his king, as he although very hesitant, hitting him below the armor just inches from his groin. Sonic had been hurt several times before in his past life, especially any friendly compact with his faithful knight. He was almost numb to the pain, but had to admit it hurt like hell when Lancelot’s fist made contact. Lancelot whispered something into Sonic’s ear, and he immediately played along and fell to his knees. While Lancelot, lifted a hand toward the Alien. “Halt. Take me to your master. ” To his surprise, the creature actually froze in place. It grunted, and then glared at the “injured” King, before stomping ahead, leading them in the direction of the palace; perhaps they had assumed right that Doom was waiting for them in the throne room. 

What a coward, Lancelot thought. He worried slightly that this plan wouldn’t even work. What was the next step if they had tricked Doom? How would he win the Chaos Emeralds back? He had a feeling that he would have to do the planning from there.

Instead of familiar, and friendly faces at the gate… stood two more aliens that were much taller than the alien that led them in this direction. Much easier to knock out, quite frankly. Lancelot noted. But, he resisted; they didn’t need to draw unnecessary attention.  

Soon, the gates opened, and they stepped inside. More of Doom’s army were scattered here and there, snarling, and some of the smaller creatures even snapped at Sonic’s feet. Which, he just kicked off. From behind, the bulky alien shoved at Sonic, and snarled a warning. 

When they finally reached the stone steps leading into the palace, the king started trying to get out of Lancelot’s grasp. Almost catching the knight off guard. They had to keep the act going. Sonic proceeded to fight against his grasp as they approached the throne room. As expected, Doom was sitting in Sonic’s seat. 

Sonic, remember to burn that chair after we win this. The king noted, disgusted that Doom’s rear-end was in his chair.

One of the alien-soldiers approached Doom, and kneeled. If he spoke to Doom, neither of them heard it, or could understand it. Lancelot proceeded with the plan, and hurled the King towards his estranged father. 

Sonic grunted as if the fall knocked the wind out of him. The alien quickly jerked aside, and allowed Doom to step down towards the King. His brow rising in disbelief. “Finally, did you come to your senses?” Doom leaned down to take off Sonic’s helmet, and tossed it aside. Sonic proceeded to play defeated, and weak.

Lancelot panicked slightly, and stepped forward. “Wait, Father…” The knight almost puked when he even used that word to describe such an evil being. “Mustn’t you end him this quickly?” He trailed off in thought, trying to find the words without giving them away, and costing both of their lives. “Shall we let him suffer by seeing his kingdom fall, before you end his life?” 

Doom hesitated, quite intrigued with his son’s plan. 

“Together. You and I. Like you wanted.” Lancelot could have sworn that Doom’s eyes beamed in excitement. If he could hold such an emotion. 

Doom cackled loudly, his laughter echoing throughout the palace. “Brilliant.” The dark hedgehog turned to one of his soldiers, “take him to the cell.” Doom also advised them to heavily guard the cell Sonic would be in. 

“I’ll take him.” Lancelot offered. He honestly wasn’t sure whether Sonic would actually be killed on the way to the cell. He couldn’t have that. Thankfully, Doom didn’t question his son. The soldiers lingered back, while Lancelot picked Sonic up and “dragged” him towards the prison. It has honestly been awhile since Lancelot actually walked down these stairs, Sonic hardly liked to lock anyone up. Unless, they had been guilty of murder. When they reached an empty, and dusty cell, they both waited to make sure they hadn’t been followed.

Sonic was grinning from ear to ear. “Way to go. Boy, you even had me fooled for a moment there.” 

Lancelot hushed him. “I’m not sure about this, sire. What’s next?”

The king shrugged, “I didn’t think we would get this far, Lancelot.” Sonic lowered his voice, “don’t look at me like that,” Sonic’s voice got high-pitched under Lancelot’s gaze, “… I did bring this.” Hidden in his quills was a familiar Chaos Emerald, although it lacked its appeal like the real one. They could use it to their advantage. Or at least… Sonic could easily escape when he needed to. Perhaps, he could even use this one to find the Chaos Emerald that Doom had taken.

Lancelot shook his head. “Let’s pray to the gods it’ll work. I’ll figure out how to coax the Chaos Emeralds out of his grasp.” Sonic beamed, and gave him a thumbs up. “Now, get in your cell.” The knight encouraged, slightly too amused with the situation than he actually should be. Lancelot watched the King hesitate, but Sonic trusted him. He wouldn’t be here too long. Lancelot was worried though. What if Sonic was caught with the fake Chaos emerald? What if fooling Doom won’t be as easy as they had hoped. They got this far… so, they couldn’t back away now.

The knight felt Doom’s eyes on him, as he returned upstairs. He expected the older hedgehog to speak, but he was silent. “Ahem. What happens now?” Lancelot searched their surroundings. Taking notice of the damage inside the palace. If they win this, they have a lot of work to do. The knight cursed himself for not getting rid of Doom quicker. He also hated that he was away from Aurora, and the rest of the citizens that were safe in their fort. Or, at least for the time being. How long would it take before they break through? Doom’s soldiers were persistent. Too many lives were at risk. Lancelot felt like he shouldn’t linger much longer, but what of Sonic? Their plan? 

--

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Next: Coming Soon

[mushroomwoods]

fear(less)

After a few months of travelling together it was only to be expected that they would catch onto your little habits, especially if it was one that put you in harms way so many times.

characters — Chain, romantic or platonic (platonic only!Wind)

warnings — gore&blood, !depiction of deep wounds!, canon-typical violence, reader is reckless™ and has no sense of self-preservation, a sliver of harmful thoughts (sky!time!), poorly described battles; mild angst with comfort (hyrule!), hints of player!au.

Wow, i finally finished this thing, took me longer than i thought. Anyways, there are a few parts that don't really follow the game line of battle, as I've adapted some things just... because i thought it'd be fun, but i hope you guys enjoy it all the same. Also tagging the dearest @cloudninetonine, didn't know which blog you would prefer so i used the one more related to LU, i hope it is up to your standards, Cloud. also, i said twi part was long? you can't wait to see legend's then.

At first it wasn't anything too eye catching.

The heroes already knew you were... hopeless when it came to fighting, the few experiences in combat you had beside them proved as much, and they didn't mind it, you helped them enough around the camp, always eager to do something when it was possible.

And while they did train you enough to at least hold out on your own in urgent cases, they didn't expect you to become a seasoned warrior like most of them, you had no need or obligation to, after all, not being bound by duty like them.

However, a few experiences in battle were enough to prove them, that yes, your less than ideal choices, were, against all odds, made rationally.

Timeʼ

It was an oversight.

A terribly, horrid, oversight.

One that, goddess fobid, could've costed your life, as you full on charged at the monster trapping him under it's claw, sending both you and the shadow beast toppling over, a disorienting groan falling from your lips as you crashed onto the floor, barely escaping the clawed hands that reached out for you, your unsteady dominant hand, trying to grip hard enough at the hilt of your sword so you could finally, finally, thrust it into the dizzying mark in it's chest.

And then, as it lifted, ready to pounce back into your form, you got the chance to see it's weakness, barely, but enough. With not an ounce of hesitation, you gave up trying to make your, now useless, dominant hand to obey you, and switched you weapon, lurching under the monster and stabbing the glowing red skin, a surge of black blood dripping into your face and clothes as the monster disappeared into itself.

“Name!” Time finally got it into himself to call you out, armored form rushing to your side at an abnormal speed.

You looked back at him, still a very gruesome, bloody messy as you gave him a victorious grin, but he couldn't find it in himself to worry about that in the moment, just wanting to check if you were too injured from the battle, but just as he was two steps in, your face morphed into something akin to panic, stumbling hurriedly into your own feet and frantically running to him.

“Wait! Beside you!” Your shout was enough to alert him, shield quickly lifted as he bashed the monster into the ground, yet, his vision blurred at the sudden movement, body still weak from the hit he'd taken previously.

He felt your hand on his back, trying to keep him steady as the other swung the blade in front of you, the metal making an annoying screech as it made contact with the black mask, which only seemed to anger the monster further, pushing forward at an ungodly speed with it's tentacles trashing around.

In the heat of the moment, you mustered all the strength you could, pushing the hero to the side — a feat that was only possible because of his weakened state — as you took the full impact, body falling to the ground with a crushing thud, you winced, but still pushed forward, the blood pumping through your body giving you the last bit of adrenaline you needed to finally ground the monster, watching it slowly disappear as the aches in your body only now started to settle.

You could hear Time thunderous voice from beside you, but it sounded so distant, yet so loud, you could only close your eyes in hopes the tinning in your ears would stop.

You felt a cool hand — a metal plate? — settling against your burning cheeks, Time eye scanning you fully, rambling quickly about something as he seemed to shout to someone on the other side of the battlefield, you tried to laugh at his worry, only being able to hack a cough, throat clogged with blood.

You could see him turning his head back to you, mouthing a “don't leave me yet” at you, you grinned.

“Not before you, old man.” You saw him frown and was quick to add. “Don' worry, 'ts not the time yet.” You couldn't wait for his answer, face drooping into his shoulder as your vision blackened.

You could only hope he would lessen his nagging from next time you woke up, pitying your battered state.

Twilightʼ

It seemed that ever since he got into this adventure, with eight other unsettling versions of himself, plus an unassuming you, his luck whenever he transformed with the twili magic pummelled — yes, even more than in his own aventure, wasn't he sufficiently unlucky during his trials.

It was an unfamiliar Hyrule, and both you and him, well, Wolfie, had assumed the responsability of checking the sorrounding areas for any threat.

And what a threat it had, a swarm of dynalfos madly chasing after the both of you, a few too rough swing of their weapons barely catching at your tearing tunic as you tried tirelessly to keep up with the wolf speed.

“Fuck! I thought these bastards didn't wander in groups, what the heck are they even doing out in the open!?” As much as Twilight would like to agree with you at the moment, he could only let out a huff in the bestial form.

You gritted your teeth, pushing your legs until they were burning with the strain, never losing speed in fear they might actually catch up with you, as you rummaged through your backpack, probably looking for anything that might work, since your sword proved to be pretty damn useless against their gauntlets.

“Hey Wolfie, do you trust me?” He barely spared you a glance, quickly noticing the bomb you recklessly lightened in your arms. “Because if you don't, you might as well go on your own way.”

He tried to yelp as you didn't let go of the bomb even as the fire engulfed almost all of the rope, your hands shaking in what he assumed to be fear, though at this point it might as well be excitement, with the maddening smirk that played in your lips.

Waves of roars and shrieks resounded behind the both of you just as you threw the bomb back, the object exploding not even a few seconds after, as you made sure to hold it until the last possible second, so they wouldn't be able to throw the object back at you and make the situation even worse. Flames licked just short of your backs, threatening to burn both the strap of your leather bag and the tip of Wolfie's tail.

You cussed under your breath, legs stopping, as you turned around to face the enemies, now finally weakened enough for the both of you to at least try to face head on.

“If I'm right, they're from the captain's Hyrule, so we don't have much time to take them down.” You saw the wolf tail flick, as if in understanding, and you took that as a signal to rush foward, hearing his steps right behind you.

You surged foward, striking the monsters with the barely retained memories of the hellish training the captain had drilled into you, almost finishing off your enemies when you heard your companion yelp, a dinolfo having grabbed at his tail just as he tackled another of the oversized lizards into the ground, just as he was about to turn, ready to maul whatever got him, a wooden shield flew past his nose, right into the monster head, sending it into it's back, completely unmoving.

When the both of you were finally finished, it was nothing more than a gory mess, guts splattered all over as the both of you laid in the midst of the atrocious visage, panting and bleeding, the man long since turned into his original form, throwing all his care into the wind as he made himself comfortable beside you.

“We have to report it back to them, especially since these fuckers must be from the captain world.” You muttered, breathing heavy as you tried to lift your arm, only a groan making it past your mouth.

The man laid beside you only mumbled in agreement, not actually moving to get up, and actually throwing an arm over your body, making sure you wouldn't get out of there until the two of you at least got some rest.

Yeah, he could let the nagging wait a bit more, for now the thought of a little rest just seemed so much better than going back only to hear how reckless the both of you were to actually act alone.

He then frowned as if remembering something, face turning to you.

“How many times did we tell ya not to thrown the shield.” His voice was exasperated and you all but glared at him.

“Ah c'mon! It works!”

Warriorsʼ

“Get down!” A cry in your voice was enough for the warrior to follow through your orders, barely dodging a monster attack on the right as you nimbly shifted to his side, blocking an aerial attack with the shield Wild had lent to you weeks ago.

He hadn't thought much of the occurrence, as one of the archers in the group quickly sent the monster down, and you dealing a final blow without much trouble, what he didn't expect, however, was to find you barely a few hours after the battle kneeled beside a water body trying to wash down an conspicuous amount of blood off the arm you had previously wielded the shield with.

“Name? Did you get hurt? You could've asked me for a potion if your stock ran off, Hyrule would've also helped, we didn't have many casualties today.” He was quick to close off the distance, even as you seemed to do your best to avoid any type of contact with the hero.

“The stock is running low...” You started, low voice, but as he didn't budge, waiting for a more plausible excuse you saw no choice but to continue. “and there's still shards in my arm, it wouldn't be helpful to heal it as it is.”

Azure eyes ran over what he previously thought to be only stains and clogs of blood over the grass, only now noticing how it shimmered under the light, pieces of what seemed to be freshly cut flesh clinging into the sharper edges.

Warriors rushed to your side, hands grabbing firmly at your shoulder and wrist, fresh blood quickly oozing into his own pristine robes, but he didn't mind, not as he noticed just how serious what he thought to only be a light wound actually was. He suppressed a frustrated groan as he heard in inhale sharply at his prodding in the less open part of the wounds.

“How did this happen?” His voice was sharp, clearly not giving you a chance to even try and escape from him.

“Nothing...” A sharp glare was enough to make you stop, clearing your throat before continuing. “The kargarocs clawed at my arm just as Wild's shield shattered. It was just that, besides, it's not as bad as it look.”

The way you winced when his fingers flexed a little too harshly around your wrists was enough to betray your own words, yet you didn't back down, not until you saw Link's face morphing from a frown into the most —fake— dashing smile you've seen him send your way.

“If it's not that bad, then i guess you wouldn't mind a little help.” The way his eyes didn't match his smile was enough of a warning of the hell he'd put you through for not taking care of yourself in the first place.

“Wait, no—”

Your loud scream resonated through the quiet forest, as the man all but huffed, taking out the shards littering your arms with a gentle, yet rigid touch.

Too bad, it was already too late, maybe this way you'll learn to stay out of trouble next time.

Hyruleʼ

He couldn't say he was thrilled to get back to his own Hyrule, while, yes, it was comforting to recognize the vegetation around, much like the many hiding spots he found during his tireless adventures, he still felt much too paranoid to parade around the existing bustling town, a gnawing feeling at the back of his head saying — screaming — that as long as he was there, the hunt for his head would prevail.

So with such thoughts, he didn't think much of letting you talk with some of the locals, much too unrelated to the hero to pose any apparent threat to the villagers, as he hid himself just short of your eyesight, as the both of you waited for the rest of the group to buy whichever necessities you were still lacking from the journey.

What he didn't expect was to suddenly hear an almost guttural growl from you, as you tensed up from the previously amicable chat, his body turning just in time to see you land a punch straight into the other person nose, blood cascading instantly down your fist.

From there it went downhill, the other two person joining in the brawl you seemed to start without a care as Hyrule rushed to your side, trying to both protect you, while also pulling you out of the fight.

“Stop that, Hyrule! I'll kill those bastards!” You voice resounded with so much unfiltered hatred, that he considered that your threats may actually turn out be true, wasn't he quick enough to act.

He had always thought of you as calm and collected, a little silly sometimes, but that was about it, yet as he saw you snarling at the opposing group, having to almost wrestle you out of the place, he could see just how soft you actually were to the group of heroes.

The traveller regretted having put out his power bracelet in fear of hurting anyone too much, as throwing your fighting form over his shoulder and setting back proved to be much harder than when he did same with the usual pacific you, his steps thumped loudly against the dry grass, the sound of angered shouts getting more and more distant with the passing seconds, along with your own, which died into tiny sobs and hiccups.

When he noticed your chasers weren't on your tails anymore, he finally stopped, breathing hagged as he carefully lowered you to the floor, hands instantly coming to cup your face carefully, thumbing at the tears, worried expression as he checked your body for any wounds, his magic making quick work on any he spotted.

“Now now, what's the problem? What happened.” He watched as the tears didn't stop, yet you frowned in annoyance.

Not at him, of course. Never at him.

You pursed your lips, teeth gritting as you finally started talking, a sigh falling regretfully from your lips.

“Those bastar—” A quiet hush from him forced you to stop, his eyes never letting yours leave his. “They” You growled “were acting like you were nothing more than a curse. It's not fair that you get this type of treatment after all you did to save those people.”

His smile grew a little, strong arms engulfing you in a warm hug, your own slithering across his back naturally as he leaned into your shoulder.

“I don't care about those things.” Not for as long as I have you. “But thank you, Name.” His soft hum was quiet against your ear, and that was all the comfort the both of you could ever need, tightly wound in each other embrace.

Legendʼ

Legend was against the whole plan.

Especially when it took place with you acting as the bait, taking the unlucky lot while they drawed each person role.

He gritted his teeth, looking regretfully at the Pegasus Boot and the defense ring he placed in your hands, while you laughed awkwardly.

“You don't have to give me that, you know. I know how to battle, maybe not as much as you guys, but I can handle on my own.” You tried, pushing the items back into his hands, but he stepped back before you would force him to take, his frown only getting deeper.

“I know.” Was his only answer, to which you quirked your brow quizzically and he huffed. “We all watched your progress in battle, still, it just feels wrong to leave someone behind.”

Warriors was about to make a teasing comment about his unusual character, when Twilight jabbed at him, forcing the knight to bend over.

Time sighed as he watched the veteran so restless, drawing the attention back to him.

“Then the veteran stays back with Name.” The oldest sent a teasing smirk your way, which the others seemed to not notice, as he turned back to the rest of the group. “The rest of us will go as planned, Wild come with me, Warriors with Wind and Hyrule with Twilight. Get ready by the doors and make sure to come back before the time runs out.”

You prepared to start the mechanism of the dungeon, pulling the lever when the acting leader nodded. You and the veteran watched as they all disappeared into the passages, stone doors closing behind them as soon as they left, leaving the place you stood only barely lightened by the scarce torches lit around the walls.

The first wall to light up was the one in the right, where the traveller and ranch hand had disappeared into, both you and Legend walking up to it to take a closer look at the glowing blue scriptures.

“Only when the sun is lit, can the lost ones be found.”

It was easy enough, you looked around the room, soon finding a tile carved with the sun marking, Legend didn't think much before using the fire rod on it, the first pillar lightening up in blue, the form of a child carved into it.

The second wall lightened up, this time from Wars and Wind side.

“Only a cup of water can sate one's thrist.”

Sound of dripping water started to resonate around the room, the statue glow dimming as the child now bent over it's form, tears welling down the pillar. You took the bowl beneath it, already half full as you looked back at your partner, who pointed at the drying flower who bloomed among the stone path. You watered it, the flower blooming back to life, a golden key appearing between it's petals. The veteran didn't think much before picking it up, the second pillar lighting up with a garden.

As the third and last wall lightened up, the torches were blow off, all lights around the room turning from a soft blue to bloody red.

"A true warrior may carve it's path upon the enemies blood.”

Gears started to sound around the room, the torches blow off and the only light around now being the poor scriptures that barely let you count the fingers in your hands.

The child statue now stood as a imposing adult holding a sword, the tears that fell turning into a river of blood, and the garden pillar now turning into a fire caught wasteland.

A opening appeared on the ceiling, in which Keeses started pouring over like ants, Legend took the fire rod, knowing that with a single hit he could take at least a few of them down, however just as he was about to shot the magic, it died down altogether.

“What!?” He shouted exasperated, trying again in a futile attempt.

You looked at him, drawing your bow, hoping to even get a few down from how bad your eyesight got in the dark place.

He followed your example, grumpy about his malfunctioning item as he gripped onto his sword, taking down any that got too close to the floor.

As you were finally setting a rhythm, you started hearing a buzzing, looking into the hero direction the see the electro keese closing in on him.

“Vet!” You hand hooked at the hero tunic, all but throwing him to the other side, the monster reaching you as it's electric aura engulfed your body in an excruciating pain.

...

Or not. You blinked, looking up from your kneeling form, the hero running up to your side, as a disheveled mess, trying to look for injuries on your body, the red lights returning to a blue hue, and torches lighting back as the doors clinked open.

“But only true heroes won't think before saving a dear one.” The sailor voice sounded behind you, apparently reading the newly lightened wall who led you to the next room. “Whatever happened to the both of you here?” He asked, confused face as he stared at the both of you.

As you and Legend looked at each other face, clear confusion written all over it, the both of you nodded at each other.

“Nothing.”

Wildʼ

Wild could somehow feel the consequences of his actions catching up with him.

His hands tightened around your wrist, tugging you along with him as you ran from the lynel positively huffing like a bull as it ran behind you. He felt like this would be the feeling Twilight felt whenever he saw him running to do some things stupid.

Why did he just have to give in to your pleading eyes when you asked him to show you how to hunt a lynel?

He could see you stealing glances at the monster from the corner of his eyes, your figure pretty much laid back even when you knew — or at least he thought so — that thing could send you flying with a single hit.

When it's axe was lifted, you shifted to the side, pulling Wild out of its reach and almost sending the both of you colliding to the floor.

“I think I understand it now!” You shouted at him, blood pumping so hard from the adrenaline you almost couldn't hear yourself.

And with that, Wild felt a bad sense of premonition, his gut sinking as he recognizer that look on your face. The same look he had when he first tried to beat a lynel, before he was beaten half to death and ran back to formulate another plan, and while it was... well, different from the first, it certainly wasn't optimal.

He looked at you, face bewildered as he whisper shouted a “no”, hand tightening around yours as if he was the leash keeping a child from doing something idiotic, yet you only huffed and rolled your eyes.

“You do it, why can't I?” You whined and he considered begging for Twilight's forgiveness for every shit he put his mentor through. “Besides, you're here to help me, we can just retreat if you think it's getting too dangerous.”

He sighed, before pointing to the bottom of the hill, a large lake surrounding the area.

“If it get dangerous I'll use cryonis and we'll get out of here, no if's and but's, okay?” You grumbled out and his eyes thinned. “Okay?” He repeated himself.

“Okaaaay.” You drawled out, charging to the point he pointed, letting go of his hand as he attracted the lynel to he area.

It started fairly well, he attracted the monster to him while you shot it from the side, his bow trainings paying off as you hadn't hit the blonde man a single time yet. And hopefully you wouldn't for the rest of the battle.

Just as you were about to pull the last arrow, you saw the shining, massive axe in the hands of the lynel start flying towards your direction, the young hero quickly telling you to run towards the lake.

Your mind raced as you thought of your options, eyes flashing from Link's place near the lake to the weapon flying your way sickeningly fast, the bow dropping from your hand as you took the claymore strapped to your hip.

Wild's face dropped, heart sinking as he could already read your thoughts. Damned be the day he tried to teach you how to parry.

You waited. Waited. Wait... And then with a sharp, deafening sound the ginormous weapon was sent flying, it lasted less than a second, yet for you it seemed as if the world had stopped, you felt like you could understand, even if a little, when Wild talked about how the world seemed to slow down around him when he was battling.

Before you could turn to the hero to celebrate, you felt a heavy punch landing into the side of your head, sending you flying back, vision wavering.

He would have to teach you not to take your eyes off the enemies in battle it seemed, he sighed running up to finish dealing with the monster before you were too beaten up.

Windʼ

It was just your luck.

The dungeon had separated the whole group, and while you weren't too worried about only you and Wind forming a duo, you were quite worried for whose world it was now.

All of the heroes eras were quite the catastrophe, however Time's was an utter mess, especially with the happenings of Majora Mask he had to deal while still a child.

You gritted your teeth, pulling the younger one beside you by the arm, as he whined something about being able to take them on.

“Look Wind, I know you're competent and all, I also understand that you know how to deal with them, however you have to understand that these are not the ReDeads from back at your world.” You pursed your lips as you heard their screeching approaching.

The young hero huffed, finally accompanying your steps on his own, instead of being dragged like dead weight.

“So, any plan?” His pout was very much visible, in your mind at least, as the corridors were dark enough for you to trip over your own feet sometimes.

“You betcha, sailor.” You only hoped it would actually work. “Think you could play a song right now?”

You could feel Wind's judgemental stare right through your skull, but when you did nothing but press him for an answer he giggled madly.

“I don't know what you're brewing up, but I hope it'll be fun.” The boy grabbed onto your hand, sprinting even faster, pulling you through some many doors and corridors of what you thought to be the correct path, until you could see a few barely visible flashs of light streaming down from the ceiling, the first room you had fallen into when you first entered the dungeon, the bars showing only enough for the both of you to see the shadow of your faces, giggling as if the monsters that followed you wouldn't just up and kill the both of you with as much as a single touch.

You quickly scampered further into the light, knowing it would only be enough to slow them down for a little, before you started talking lowly, not considering the earlier fits of laugh would be enough to alert all of the monsters around of your exact position.

“I assume you don't have your mirror with you.” The sailor nodded, almost rolling his eyes at the predictability, but before he could voice his complaints you continued. “But you wouldn't come without your wand, right?”

He now raised an eyebrow, mouthing an “Of course”, as you nodded to yourself.

“Let's pray that it counts as an magical instrument, get it and try to follow the music I'll hum to you.” You barely got him any chance to process before humming the Sun Song you'd grew so familiar over the time.

The boy just looked at you as if you were crazy, grabbing onto the item and hurriedly trying to follow along, a few tries in and the both of you huffed, patience running thin as a strew of curses fell from the boys lips, something you thanked the goddess above that the Hero of Time or the Hero of Twilight weren't there to see.

You groaned, exasperated, as the monsters were now only a few feet away from you both, you pressed him further up into the wall, fully covering his body from the monsters view, almost like a living bait, a thing he'd certainly nag at you later.

In the desperation you whistled the song, praying it was sufficiently in tune for him to relate to the sound of the wind he often listened to while on his journey.

“C'mon, three, three, five!” You prayed, a phantom touch at your neck sending chills down your spine as if sucking your life force, while you tried to whistle the tune again.

“Got it!” He exclaimed, a whirlwind forming around you both as the light shone even brighter above the both of you, almost like the salvation light, the wave of monster falling slowly with shrill screams, one you'd hope to never hear again.

You finally let go of his arms, body trembling so much you could only topple down as tears streamed down your cheeks, the bone chilling presence of their touch still very much vivid in you mind, as the younger one could only rub your shoulders soothingly, knowing full well you took most of the hits in order to keep him safe.

He sighed, resolved to let your actions slide this one time, with a tired smile.

“Thank you for trying to protect me, let's rest a little and then well go back to the others.” His voice was way less chirpier than usual, you nodded, leaning one against the other, finally able to get a breather under the warm light casted over the two of you.

Skyʼ

It was somewhat stupid, honestly.

You knew fully well that all of those men had full capacity to take over at least a dozen monsters more than you, without even breaking a sweat, no less, especially the local lazy eyed hero who seemed to enjoy his little naps a little more than it was healthy and just happened to take over a god all by himself.

You knew it, yes, but your stupid body decided to move before your brain could fully process what was even happening.

“Sky, that...” You lightly tugged at the hem of the skyloftian armor, eyes focused on the strange spikes fluctuating dangerously beside the hero.

The form seemed familiar, but you only were able to fully recognize it when little eyes peeked through the sand wasteland, the man beside you now standing in full alert as his eyes seemed to catch onto the same thing as you.

The whole group stopped, now looking back at the two of you, but as you tried to point towards the enemy to explain you wouldn't have to battle as long as you avoided it's vision, you could see from the corner of your eyes one of the more reckless from the group charge full on at the little monster.

“Wait, it'll explode!” Sky tried to warn, a little too late as it's body expanded, sending projectiles of poisonous darts around.

Thankfully Wild was quick enough to react a pull a shield to protect himself, and the others were far enough not to get in the way, however as both you and the Hero of the Skies were the one who stood closer to it, you had taken the full brunt of the blow, fully ducking the hero behind your form.

You gasped as you felt the thorns ripping through your flesh, the feeling way more painful than you had expected at first, tears prickling at the corner of your eyes as you all but hollered at Wild.

“Don't go touching it, you dumbass! Just blow it away!” You winced when the hero held in your arms moved to trace the sides of your wounds, a wince of his own sounding as he saw his bloodied gloves.

“Don't move, it'll hurt.” Sky voice was still collected, but you could see his eyes wavering a bit, knowing full well how terrible it was to receive one of these attacks head on, he sighed. “Why did you protect me? My armor was enough to take it.”

It was unusual to hear the usually so pacific hero grumbling around like that, but you could barely focus on that as you felt his hands making quick work of removing the most superficial ones from your skin, the scalding hot feeling of the poison in the open wounds soon melting off as Hyrule made a quick work of staying beside you to heal the wounds.

“I panicked, besides, if it was a black blooded monster, who knew what else he'd— shit! Do?” You felt your knees weakening, even as he held you upright, so you gave in to muffling a cry into his shoulder as he took off a particularly hard spike buried in the side of your waist.

“So you did this even considering it was a mutated monster?” You could feel he bit off another sigh. “Really, you're the only one reckless enough to throw yourself in to protect a hero.” He patted your head in a comforting touch to tell it was over. “But don't go thinking I'm not mad at you and Wild. The both of you should stop acting so recklessly already, it'll worry all of us.”

You could hear Wild whining off at some distance, as you held the urge to do the same, as you knew the boy could be as scary as Time if pushed far enough.

Fourʼ

The short hero was quite used to be underestimated, and at first he thought you'd fall under the same category of people who judged his strength based on his height alone.

It was a pleasant surprise for him when he could finally notice your protectiveness came from a place of care, actually.

What wasn't pleasant, however, was how, no matter how much you knew that the hero was much stronger than you, you couldn't let go of this worrisome habit of always putting his safety and comfort before yours.

Especially now, where you, and the four parts of the little hero battled away against a wave of skulltulas, the monsters easy enough for you and the four heroes to tackle on, however their sheer amount was enough to give you a harder time dealing with them.

You sidestepped, back meeting with Green's, hearing him chuckle before branding his sword to the right, striking down two of the monsters with a single attack, you and Red joining hands so the smaller one could easily acess the weak spot of a specially tough one.

However, things seemed way messier at the other side, Blue and Violet having to deal with just as much as the three of you, while also sparing jabs at each other, harsh comments over the other clumsiness as they rashly brandished their sword, clearly tired of the long running battle.

“It doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.” You muttered, both of the man beside you nodding in agreement. “Should we just take off?” You offered, an instant disagreement falling from both Blue and Violet.

“If its a swarm this big, it could reach one of the nearby cities.” Red made an actual helpful comment, to which you sighed.

You held your tongue, knowing none of them would appreciate you making any comments about their far too heroic side, putting your focus back on the battle.

It didn't take much longer for the wave of Skulltulas to actually start to thin out and finally take the last one on. Tge five of you finally lowered you weapons, watching as the last of the enemies disappear in a black mist.

The only sound now being your heavy breathings and the rustling of the trees above you. You looked up, heaving a sight and watching as the leaves above your head danced from one side to another along with the wind, only now noticing a strange light, or actually, a lack thereof.

“Hey guys..?” You started, as they looked at you. “I guess i know why they were so mad at us now.” They followed your line of sight, a gasp sounding behind you, which you didn't bother naming whose it was.

A skulltula — if you could even call it that, at this point — hung over the trees, it's web big enough to cover a whole house, the monster only shying a little in question of size.

“Are you guys sure you still want to play hero?” Surprisingly, it wasn't you this time, but Violet.

You shook you head, already knowing their answers, as you hooked your fingers under your bow, pulling one arrow and readying to fire under their command.

“Well.... like it or not, we are heroes.” Blue stated, giving you the signal.

You shoot the arrow, the object hitting bullseye into one of the monster's eye, not that it was too difficult from it's sheer size.

With a thundering roar, it dropped down from it's web, the natural floor shaking under your feet as you stepped back to gain the distance advantage this time, the split hero standing in front of you to act like a bait.

The four of them each had gone to one side of the monster, as you made another clear shot, this time taking one of its hind leg, the blood spraying in a somewhat gruesome way you hadn't had the chance to notice when fighting the smaller one.

Just as you were about to shot another of its legs, you heard a groan, Blue falling to the ground as the monster charged into him. You gritted your teeth, lowering the bow as you pulled your sword from your waist and running up to him without a second thought, stopping in front of him, and parrying the oncoming attacks however you could as Blue still seemed disoriented from the fall.

What you didn't take into account was how heavy it's attack would be now that it had the added weight of it's sheer size, you lightly hissed when it's fang bit into your left shoulder, almost dropping the weapon out of reflex, but you clenched your jaw, forcing your fingers to remain flexed into the sword hilt, then thrusting it into the spider's many eyes when it finally let go of you, it's bug juice overflowing into you and your wound, only making it sting more.

Barely a few seconds after you could see the monster disappearing, as Violet and Green each cut one side of the monster, the skulltula disappearing into a black matter quickly as you heaved a sigh, the five of you finally regrouping into the center of the clearing.

“Did I already say that I hate spiders? Because if not, now I do.” Violet said, clearly disheartened at the whole ordeal, to which you only nodded in agreement.

[miraluscinia]

yikes, how is it near the end of november already? i still havent made much progress with the next LIFE Team introduction since i've been busy and mostly distracted. I'm totally also NOT procrastinating NOPE! anyways...since i dont see me posting anything for the foreseeable future, have some notes i have for each of the LIFE Team before i get sucked in the pit called school again :) buckle up it's a long one...

Grian

Mind over matter, wings of steel,

The heart of a leader, the truth concealed.

Alias: The Architect

Power: Mind's Eye (Psychokinesis & Telepathy)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: throwing daggers

Info:

leader of the L.I.F.E. Team

can shield allies' minds from mental attacks

the first official superhero to be known

was once part of the [REDACTED] but escaped

has wings but [REDACTED]

requires intense concentration to use telepathy for long periods

telepathy is difficult to use or is near ineffective against someone with strong mental defenses

the public doesn't know about his telepathy, and just think that his powers are his wings and psychokinesis

only the LIFE Team knows about his telepathy

Scar

A silver tongue, a voice that sways,

Peace before battle, in words he plays.

Alias: Vex

Power: Silver Tongue (ability to persuade/manipulate others' minds through voice)

Status: Vigilante

Weapon/s: sword disguised as a cane

Info:

powers are less effective against people who are aware of his abilities or can’t hear his voice

prefers to talk things out than fight

civilian name is Oscar “Scar” Goodwin

owner of the “Good Times Cafe”

Mumbo

Technology obeys, his will commands,

Where machines are present, his genius stands.

Alias: The Mechanic

Power: Technomancy (control, create & enhance machines/technology)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: multi-function gauntlets

Info:

powers are useless with anything organic

can sense existing technology/machinery around him

the second official hero to be known, & Grian’s first partner

mostly stays in headquarters during missions to monitor things

can control multiple technology/machines at once, but requires intense concentration

Impulse

A snare unseen, a trap well laid,

Silent but deadly, in shadows he’s made.

Alias: Trapline

Power: Snare (create traps, either mechanical or energy-based, in immediate area)

Status: Vigilante

Weapon/s: batons & bo staff

Info:

more complex traps require more concentration to make

his bō staff and batons are made of metal that he can also trap, and are equipped with tasers

civilian name is Scott Maine

works as an automotive mechanic during the day

Pearl

Gravity bows to her lunar might,

A crescent blade, in scarlet night.

Alias: Scarlet Moon

Power: Lunar Pull (manipulate gravity of target person/object)

Status: Vigilante

Weapon/s: crescent-shaped sickles

Info:

she can use the moon's gravity to strengthen her powers at night

heavier objects are harder to lift with gravity

can use her powers to help her glide down, jump higher, or land heavier attacks

civilian name is Pearl Rivers

owns a small bookstore

Bdubs

Time bends where flowers bloom,

The clock ticks down to nature’s doom.

Alias: Timekeeper

Power: Chronoflora (manipulate time and plants in a localized area)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: butterfly swords

Info:

he's not sure how exactly his powers work, just that it works more effectively as long as there is any kind of plant around

wears a poncho with sewn-in moss to allow his powers to work effectively

time powers is limited to small areas, and excessive use can drain him

the public only know that his powers is controlling time, but not that its effectivity is related to the amount of plants present around him

he can't really control plants, he can just speed up or slow down its decay/growth

Tango

Fire that burns, a heart ablaze,

Heat and flame, in fury’s daze.

Alias: Blaze

Power: Pyrokinesis (generate, manipulate & absorb fire and heat)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: kusari-fundo

Info:

he is immune to fire and heat

powers are ineffective in wet or cold environments

overusing his powers can burn him out

can use his powers in bursts to fly temporarily

he can set his weapon on fire to deal more damage

Etho

Invisible steps, shadows in tow,

A silent strike, from darkness flow.

Alias: Phantom

Power: Spectre (turn invisible and create shadow clones)

Status: Vigilante

Weapon/s: kunai knives and shurikens

Info:

his shadow clones have limited movements and will disappear when touched

can make other people he touches directly, invisible

can only create around 5 clones, any more is harder

civilian name is Ethan Lowell

works as an IT Technician

Ren

Illusions dance, a show so grand,

Master of disguise, transform the land.

Alias: Maestro

Power: Theatrical Illusions (create illusions, change a person's appearance, & amplify voice)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: rapier

Info:

making too much illusions or amplifying his voice for a long period of time can drain him

more complex illusions require more concentration

was formerly [REDACTED]

acts more of distraction/scout than actually fighting

his illusions are less effective if his target knows what to look for

he can change his voice to sound like someone else

Cleo

Strong as stone, yet swift to mend,

The walls stand firm, never to bend.

Alias: Fortress

Power: Survivalist (enhanced durability and self-regeneration)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: battle axe

Info:

she can endure heavy damage, heal herself rapidly, and survive in hostile environments

her self-healing isn't effective on certain toxins or magic

she can't heal others

Martyn

Illusions twist, reality bends,

Truth and lies, in havoc descends.

Alias: Mirage

Power: Havoc (create realistic illusions & disrupt others' powers by confusing their minds)

Status: Vigilante

Weapon/s: bolas & twin daggers

Info:

is actually [REDACTED]

keeps his ability to disrupt powers a secret

used to be partners with Jimmy

his illusions focuses more on altering his target’s perception, making them either believe his illusions or be confused by what is real

his illusions work better on a small number of opponents (depending on the size of the illusion), any more would require intense concentration

he disrupts powers by confusing his target’s mind into losing control (he can either make the target lose control of specific aspects of the power, or the whole power in general)

civilian name is Martyn Littlewood

works as a radio host

Skizz

Blood and battle, strength reborn,

A healer’s hand, a warrior’s scorn.

Alias: Sanguine

Power: Dual Nature (heal others or gain enhanced strength and speed through bloodlust or battle intensity)

Status: Vigilante

Weapon/s: hand maces

Info:

can only do one part of his powers one at a time (can’t heal while going berserk, and vice versa)

healing ability still needs the wound/injury to be disinfected or set properly (broken bones still needs to be set before being healed, wounds needs to be disinfected before healing closes and mends it)

healing ability can only heal physical wounds and injuries, but can't heal or deal with pain, headaches, effects of blood loss, etc.

civilian name is Alex Skizzle

works as a store manager

Joel

Wolves that hunt, a leader’s call,

Strength in the pack, yet prone to fall.

Alias: Fenrir

Power: Pack Leader (create spectral wolves & gain enhanced speed and strength the more wolves are present)

Status: Vigilante

Weapon/s: pair of katars

Info:

was formerly a hero but left due to feeling constricted in what he can do

prefers to work alone

the more wolves are present, the more fragile and transparent they are (numerous wolves are only used for distraction or scouting, while fewer more solid looking wolves are used for attacks)

is married to Lizzie

civilian name is Joel Bran

works as an exterior designer

Scott

Stars align, energy pure,

A shield, a blade, a step so sure.

Alias: Starstrike

Power: Astral Wave (create energy blasts, shields, or constructs)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: pair of chakrams

Info:

mostly acts as support, but can hold his own in a fight

has a habit of flirting with Martyn as their own way of banter (but they don't mean anything from it)

mostly sticks with Jimmy when the latter is out in the field with him

Jimmy

Songs of warning, visions unclear,

The first to fall when danger is near.

Alias: The Canary

Power: Premonition (see visions of danger ahead of time, & telepathic communication)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: sword & collapsible shield

Info:

visions are not always clear, and can sometimes distract him if focused on too much

was formerly a vigilante but became a hero to help out more

BigB

A rumble deep, the ground obeys,

The earth itself moves to his ways.

Alias: Quake

Power: Terrashifter (manipulate & travel through earth and stone)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: warhammer

Info:

powers are useless in areas with no earth or stone

can sense movement through vibrations when concentrated on

Gem

In roots and leaves, life she finds,

Nature’s strength in her entwines.

Alias: Flora

Power: Nature's Gift (connect with, and control over plants)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: flail

Info:

powers are weak in barren environments and against fire

she can connect with plants to enhance her senses

she can’t heal herself nor others

powers are useless when there are no plants around

Lizzie

In darkness she dwells with deadly grace,

A hidden blade in shadow’s embrace.

Alias: Nightshade

Power: Shadowborn (manipulate, control & travel through shadows)

Status: Hero

Weapon/s: pair of kusarigamas

Info:

powers are useless in areas with no shadows

she can use her powers to melt into shadows and reappear in another shadow (the shadow size will have to fit her for this to be accomplished)

she can't turn invisible, she just covers herself with shadows

is married to Joel

Additional notes:

only the vigilantes have civilian names for now... idk yet if I'll give the heroes one or not since I don't think it's gonna be important to the actual story

the redacted parts are actual info I plan to reveal in the story, but I think you can guess some of it already

also, i haven't fleshed out most of the characters yet, that's why most have fewer information

I tried to balance out each power so no one is too overpowered

I had a hard time differentiating and explaining Ren and Martyn's powers, so if you're still confused, feel free to ask

I might come back and add onto this if I think of more