#there was this one dude that'd come around once in a while

[wowiewowielwowie]

could u do momo x journey ? x

Yurr 😋😋

---

"Freestylin'" - Pine Point

Momo x Journey

Romantic

General headcanons

---

Yeah ok headcanons AGAIN 🙄🙄 I would love to do like an actual oneshot or something someday yeah that'd be great I should probably do that yeah ok anyways pls excuse how ooc this is gonna be,, like idk anything about Journey but he's cool

---

Momo and Journey are best friends before anything- they are lovers, of course, but can always come to each other for things like advice, gossip, winded rants, etc... They probably made a promise that even if it didn't work out, they'd remain besties, and it likely wouldn't make anything awkward between them.

They're both really chill most of the time and just kinda go with the flow. They likely spend most of their time together stoned/high off some other drug and wandering around the town, playing (and occasionally obnoxiously singing along to) music from Journey's boom box. They don't care much for being a public disturbance, and refuse to let getting in a little trouble get in the way of their weird, nonchalant-but-also-very-chalant dates.

Journey's a really polite, sweet dude so he occasionally tries to be like kind of romantic and surprise Momo with a homemade bouquet of handpicked wildflowers. She'll respond like "OMG AWWWWW for mee??? Teehee you shouldn't have" And like twirl her hair all exaggerated-like. It's not as lovey-dovey or soft as the gestures/responses you'd see in a movie or story book, but they both laugh and find romance in it.

While they both play in the same band, they occasionally have their own little personal duets. Bass and drum isn't a terrible combo, and their voices mesh surprisingly well. They'll lean in all close (or about as close as you can get being behind a drum set) while singing, all while the lyrics are about stupid innuendos and drugs and dumb edgy things like that. They're doing it in a funny, ironic way, though so it's fine.

He's a skater boy so he's always offering to teach Momo how to skate as well. Once she finally accepts, he's adamant on making sure she's fully decked out in protective gear (safety is important) and does the whole thing where he starts off holding one (or both) of her hand(s) and walks back to help her get used to the general movement. She'll whine and complain about how slow it is but never ever lets go of his hands.

She's insistent that she can just go for it and she'll be fine, and he doubts that. Either way, she ends up falling over and dragging him down with her regardless of whether or not the skateboard was even moving. They both laugh way too hard about it.

She gives kind of odd gifts, like a well-wrapped blunt in a cute way-too-big gift box with a huge bow on it, or an already half-drunk smoothie from the convenience store. Has probably shown to his house and presented him with a freaky stuffed mouse plushie-reminiscent thing, saying "I made it and it kind of looks like you so you can keep it" and Journey accepts it with zero hesitation, fawning over how it does look like him and how crafty she is (it's made out of a sock, some mix-matched yarn, and two different sized yellow buttons).

They're almost opposites- almost. They're quite different, with Journey being easygoing and passive and generally pretty soft spoken, whereas Momo is on the more rambunctious, unhinged side and can never seem to quit talking. They both find comfort in the differing traits, for rather than causing them to butt heads it balances the two out.

Journey is more hesitant and possibly awkward when it comes to relationships, especially in the early stages, however Momo feels like hardly anything has changed and is totally down to say "c'mere gimme a kith" and go for it outta nowhere, even if it makes people stare and/or gag.

He's sort of always at her beck and call but not in a weird or necessarily unhealthy way, more like he'll just go along with most everything she says/does. If she suggests getting blazed in a public park, he nods along eagerly. If she doesn't like anyone (which is pretty common, I imagine she has a lot of oops), he doesn't either. Now him and this rando both have very one-sided beef.

Journey loves his mom. Momo loves his mom too. She greets her like an old friend whenever she comes over, kicking off her shoes and walking into the living room like she lives there, and is likely on a first name basis with her.

Journey has no experience with makeup, or at least very very little, but that doesn't stop Momo from asking. She'll come up to him with a palette and a handful of brushes and ask him to do her makeup, and keeps pressing and begging until he caves (which doesn't take long at all). He does a horrible job and everything is smudged or left unblended but Momo doesn't care and rocks it the entire day with pride.

They have more than one pair of matching shirts. Probably bought those kind of corny "I ❤️ MY BF/GF" shirts at some point but it's more like "I ❤️ MY ALPHA" (Journey) and "ALPHA 🔥🔥🔥" (Momo) or "SKIBIDI" and "TOILET" and have worn them out in public on multiple occasions.

---

A/N: ok so I love journey but he's a pain to write for bc he has literally 3 lines in the ENTIRE VN and I don't have the Patreon or the concept art book which I imagine would help a lottt with this,, so 95% of his character in this are just things I made up

Also these might (???) be shorter than most other works and insanely inaccurate bc I struggled bad w this one so I'm sorry 💔💔 bro I'm begging for more scraps of info on journey literally anything please

[twstgarden]

❁ ❝ 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 ❞

━ first years and gn! reader ━ it was the weekend and you and the first years are having a video chat to pass the time and reminisce about the events these past few months.

slight (?) spoilers for chapter 1 to 7! (f/n stands for first name.)

do not steal or translate without my permission.

"hey, can you hear me?"

ace's voice came through the speakers of your phone as you propped it up on the nightstand, looking around the drawers for your earphones as the rest of the first years joined the call.

it was halfway through the weekend when you suddenly received an invite from your group chat, which was a video chat invite sent by ace, to be precise. now here you were, on the call with ace, deuce, jack, epel, ortho, and sebek.

"yeah, dude. we can hear you."

epel's reply was heard as you wore your earphones and looked at the screen. all of their cameras were turned on and deuce was clearly seen behind ace and vice versa, making you chuckle to yourself as you knew if one of them will speak, their voice would echo through the other's microphone.

"what's with the invite?"

sebek was confused as he looked at the screen, his background indicated that he was on the lounge of diasomnia and so, the chances of him being alone were slim. you wondered if he joined the call on his own accord or if lilia told him to.

"just a little bonding time, i'm guessing," replied jack as he propped his phone on a desk, the view of his cacti caught your eye as you continued listening to them.

"i'm glad we get to deepen our bonds by video chatting! this is a great way to communicate with your friends over the weekend," spoke ortho as the wrinkles around his eyes indicated that he was smiling if the way his eyes shone brighter did not give it away.

"well, glad ortho's really enthusiastic about this," replied epel as he smiled at the screen, his background indicated that he was in his room. "yes, but... we see each other at school 5 days a week," you added as grim went up to the table and blocked you from the camera, showing only him as he smiled.

"they obviously want to see more of the great grim," interrupted the cat-racoon monster as you sighed to yourself, adjusting the angle of the phone so both you and grim were seen by the rest.

"there's nothing bad about video chatting once in a while. come on, admit it~ you miss us from time to time, too!" teased ace as his laughs echoed through his and deuce's microphone, making jack and sebek twist their expressions to discomfort as the audio went a little too unbearable, even for you.

"man, your voice is echoing," said epel. "i'll stay over at the lounge," spoke deuce as he stood up from his bed, walked out of the door and held the camera towards his face. "do you guys not have a rule about staying over at the lounge at this hour?" you questioned as you rested your chin on your palm.

"not that i know of..." mumbled deuce as he sat on the lounge, nodding as his gaze went off-camera, presumably acknowledging the presence of another student in the lounge - it could be cater or trey or just a random student, who knows.

"anyway, do you guys have any plans tomorrow?" asked ace, "i was thinking we should go check out the bakery at the foot of the hill in town! they should have new pastries to sell for breakfast."

you hummed in response, "that'd be great. you did promise to buy me some food, after all." ace groaned softly as you reminded him of the end of his deal, but his groan shifted to a laugh as he spoke, "yeah, yeah... i also think we should goof off and relax a bit, a lot of things happened this year, you know."

"well, he's not wrong," added epel, "a lot happened and it was only a span of months, too! not even an entire year..." jack hummed in agreement as he added to epel's statement, "we persevered through it, so we should be proud of ourselves for going this far... especially you, prefect."

"me?"

your attention was suddenly caught by jack as soon as he addressed you. the rest of the first years nodded as ortho spoke, "f/n-san has done a lot for us these past few months. i am certain it must be hard for you to handle all the things you've done during the overblot occurrences, especially because you were unfamiliar with this world."

"ortho has a point, n/n," said ace as his expression and tone went a little serious and concerned. "we know how much you want to head back home, so we'll do whatever we can to help you," added deuce as he gave you a comforting smile.

epel hummed in agreement as jack nodded, whilst sebek stared at the screen, unsure of how he should respond. meanwhile, grim frowned a little as he mumbled, "if... they head back to their world, they won't be with me to celebrate once i become the greatest mage..."

"hey now, grim..." spoke epel as he tried to console the monster. "yeah... we won't be doing these calls once f/n heads back to their world," mumbled deuce before trying to brush off the sadness on his expression, smiling at the camera, "still, we should be happy for them... we should be glad that we get to do this while they're still here, right?"

"yeah... and hey, what's with the frowns, guys? i won't forget you even if i'm back to my world..." you spoke as you smiled a little bit, "though, i will miss you all."

"oh no, they said it!" exclaimed ace, pertaining to the "i miss you" that you just said, chuckling as he tried to turn the slightly depressing atmosphere into something a little more lighthearted. you chuckled along as you spoke, "you know you'll miss me too, idiot! ahaha!"

as the little laughing died down, you still smiled as you ruffled grim's head while looking at the screen, "no, really... i'll never forget you all. you made a lasting impression on me. i mean, come on, this is an interesting friend group. i have a literal 70-centimetre cat monster as my roommate, two brain cells, a good wolf boy, a country boy, an adorable child, and a loud crocodile..."

"brain cells?!" exclaimed ace and deuce in unison whilst grim looked at you with a slightly grumpy expression, "this 70-centimetre cat monster is the great grim-sama, mind you!"

"a good wolf boy...?" mumbled jack. "eh, you're not wrong," shrugged epel. ortho's eyes were twinkling as he said, "ah... adorable? hehe, thank you, f/n-san!"

"wha...?! ...hmph! i'll excuse what you said for now," exclaimed sebek as he frowned at the screen, his brows furrowed as his voice was certainly loud despite the neutral volume on your device.

you laughed softly at their responses before continuing your little pats on grim's head. they continued conversing about random topics as they all had agreed to meet tomorrow at the bakery, as a way to unwind and spend a little time outside of the campus. however, sebek was still a little hesitant as he had his duties to attend to, but you could hear lilia and malleus in the background encouraging him to go and hang out with his friends.

while all of that went on, a soft smile found its way on your lips, your hand still caressing grim's head as you looked at the screen, all your friends laughing about and saying some inside jokes that you grew to understand. this may not be your original home, but you knew there would be a missing piece in your heart once you leave them. you had grown accustomed to your life here, but you won't let that deter you.

you still had responsibilities back home.

still, you washed those thoughts away as you sighed to yourself, thinking at the back of your mind.

"i'll miss everyone here when i leave..."

© twstgarden 2023 || please do not steal, translate without my permission, or use this to train a.i.

[yegdreon]

Wind Breaker band AU

[This is a fanmande, non-profitable project. Neither me nor the creator of the original idea have any connections to the creators of neither the anime nor manga of Wind Breaker]

(writen by: Yegdreon)

(original idea by: @aiiry-0 )

[Chapter 1]

Sakura Haruka, a 15 year old boy who was born with an interesting but odd appearance. His hair is half black half white, and his right eye is blue while his left eye is yellow. His been bullied for almost his whole life because of that, so, as a way to shut those bullies mouths, he learned to fight. He was so good at it that the people of his town started calling him a monster. Those were rough times to Sakura. But one day, while one of his bullies fell to the ground with his punches, said bullie dropped something, a CD. Curious as a cat, Sakura asked:

— Why would you carry this with you while fighting? Are you trying to damage it or somethin'?

— It's for my sister.— said the bullie, trying to get out of Sakura's enemy list— She's in the hospital and music is the only way that she'll stop cryin'.

Sakura was intrigued by this. He liked music already, but he had never thought of it as a way to relieve stress.

— Hey, you!— yelled Sakura— What store did you get this from?

— From the store down the street— said the bullie, not noticing Sakura's obvious blush— Just, please let me go. I'll never do that again.

At this point Sakura wasn't even listening, as he walked away, going in the direction the bullie pointed to.

Once he got in, he silently walked to the counter.

— Where's the rock music section?— he mumbled, barely understandable.

— What? —The girl on the counter asked, teasingly— You'll have to speak up.

—WHERE'S THE ROCK MUSIC SECTION? —he yelled, with a burning red blush.

—That's more like it!— she said, laughing— It's the one more at the right.

Sakura quickly turns around, walking really fast to said section.

He picks up a CD, and comes back to the counter.

— Ya know...— says the girl— If you really like music, you should come to Furin High. We have an amazing band that'd be more than happy to let you join.

—Huh!— says Sakura, perplexed by the straightforwardness of the girl— I don't like it that much! And you shouldn't go making assumptions like that about people you don't even know!— he picks his new CD, and sprints at the door, before suddenly stopping— I'm already enlisted at that school anyway.

Sakura walks out. The girl smiles and yells:

—Then see you there!

Two months pass by, and Sakura has turned into a regular at the CD store. Over the course of those two months, he has accumulated an amount of 30 different CDs.

—How do you even get enough money to buy so many CDs?— Asks the girl that works at the CD store, worried about his financial situation.

— It's not like I'm stealing it from anyone, nor something like that!— responds Sakura, worried that he'd be judged.

—Dude, no one said anything about stealing.— She said, trying to figure out what led him to such answer.

—KOTOHA!!

They hear a deafening loud shout coming from outside.

— Who's that?! —asked Sakura, a bit scared of such vocal strength— Is it someone tryna to pick a fight?!

The girl sighs, then she turns to Sakura and says:

— No it isn't. Just come with me please.

They both leave the store and are immediately met with around 20 people outside. Sakura changes to a fighting stance, prepared to fight. The girl stops him, gets closer to the man at the front of the crowd. She raises her hand, and SLAPS him.

— How many times have I told you to knock on the door when you need me? Huh?— she yells her lungs out, while raising her hand preparing to slap him again.

— I'm so sorry Kotoha,— he replies— I just didn't want to let them out here waiting so long.— then, he holds her left hand and says— Could you please open the restaurant for us, we're starving.

She promptly slaps him again with her right hand. Then she says:

—Give me five minutes.

After she closed the CD shop, she goes up to the door of the café right beside it, and opens the door. All of them go in and sit down. Sakura goes in as well, confused about everything that's going on.

— Umemiya, meet Sakura. He is the guy that frequents the CD store daily.— Kotoha then turns to Sakura— Sakura, meet Umemiya. He's the one that manages both the fighting club and the band from Furin High.

— Nice to meet you Sakura!— says Umemiya, bursting with joy— So, what kind of music do you listen to?

— R-ro-rock music— answers Sakura, still trying to get a grasp on the situation.

— Hahah!— he laughs— Seems like this year's students all have the same taste. Well, Sakura, if you ever want to try playing an instrument or even singing, just come to the club room. We'd be all happy to teach you.

Sakura fervorsly blushes. He then sprints out while yelling:

— I'll think about it!

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1128 - Initial Thoughts

And we are back

(sadly no lego movie gifs this time I looked for one but it wasn't what I was after)

A week break that continues to feel forever long has ended, and One Piece once more leapfrogs another new age manga past its end - I wasn't too familiar with JJK but it is a testament to One Piece's longevity that it has outlasted all of the 'new big 3' lineups fans try to push.

Regardless, we're still in lego, with a mixed bag of outfits and a lot of questions, let's get to it!

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release too

Colorspread seems to be broomsticks (well, bamboo mops as broomsticks) and school outfits, Franky's kitted his broom out and Jinbe and Zoro are chilling on a dragon

But schoolgirl outfit Nico Robin...Oda please

The chapter title being RPG does seem to imply answers (also since I watch CR and TLOVM - S3's first 3 eps were great, second one chock full of easter eggs - it's like a convergence)

Already starting off with a laugh as Sanji, Nami in his arms, notes 'too many dudes around to be a dream' XD

Nami he used a super sentai invisibility suit to sneak into a bathhouse I'm pretty sure you know what kind of dreams he's having

Does he need to sleep with blood bags I wonder?

They hop off the Big Steinn Castle, which continues to collapse

Down below, Usopp, Luffy and Zoro and his awful eye mask discuss how they met up; Zoro was on the other side of town and spotted Luffy fighting the 'Ear God'

Luffy seemed confident that Usopp could've beaten the cat-lion, but Usopp laments that he 'lost his cool'

It's time for the detective hats to come on

Usopp notes that they're in giants outfits, but they're sized to them which seems inconsistent, Nami wonders if they were gigantified but also that their surroundings are all lego

The group agree to ask the locals, except Sanji who is using his creepy simp sniff to know that Robin at least is not nearby

Luffy and Usopp jaunt to the town, with Nami still not sure why everyone's excited

Zoro also points out that there's no wind, which yeah that'd be a bit off-putting

Something hops their direction, a big dude riding a giant grasshopper like a motorcycle

Really puts the biker allegory in A Bug's Life on its head

Renowned entomophobes Sanji and Nami immediately back away

The guy is big but not giant sized, he's also the one who maintains the Big Steinn Castle

The cat was called the 'Great Iskat' and the cute hedgehog was the 'Needle God'

He calls it the 'Land of the Gods' as Usopp stops Luffy from blurting that they beat up the Iskat

Hahahaha, he's talking about all the trouble they've caused while they try to play innocent XD

He also warns them not to follow the road, it's filled with rabid guardians and nobody has returned

Nami knows Luffy too well, but before she can finish her sentence Luffy's already running in that direction

Nami at least gives a cutesy look to placate the big guy

Even that stupid eye mask won't stop Zoro from looking feral at the prospect of rabid guardians

But yes Sanji, they do enable each other, much like you enable every woman within a 50 mile radius

Chasing Luffy we catch more Lego scenery

Luffy spots someone else running at them with speed, insisting they'll just dodge them

And runs straight into a glass wall

Seems the locals didn't know where they are, since they see the cracks as the sky breaking

It's an enclosure! Which explains why most of the giant animals are pet animals and everything else is normal sizes

The outside looks more like a giant's room, and a sewing machine

Chopper's here! He was outside the enclosure, apparently he was chained and collared

Nami hugs Chopper, but also insists that he owes her for it, which Usopp claps back given how scared Nami was

Zoro deduces that a giant calling themselves the 'Sun God' must've dressed them, with Usopp admiring the craftsmanship

Luffy also spots the lego blocks, which Sanji noting that the bad smell when cooking the Ear God would've been the smell of melting plastic

Which btw is bad, plastic fumes is very unhealthy

They observe the tinted glass too, seems that's not a normal thing in this world

Sanji has an idea but Nami shuts down his volunteering to clean the women's bathroom on the ship

Zoro is liking the enclosure less and less now, but Usopp takes the positive that at least they can confirm they're on Elbaf

Nami's not sure though, the culprit being a giant doesn't confirm that it's in Elbaf

Chopper wants to reunite with the crew, unsure of where they are

Usopp meanwhile wants to ask the locals, seeing what Luffy says

Luffy agrees, but is kinda busywith the giant snake behind them!

Prime Nami and Usopp scared faces too

There's also giant mice and a giant crow with a skull hat, which are believed to be the 'Rabid Guardians'

A giant is coming though, hearing a ruckus

Look at this dude! Premium level cthonic mage kinda design love it!

The 'Sun God' is surprised to see the gap under the door is on fire, overhearing the crew argue about Luffy going overkill

Seems he busted the furnace, causing a fire

'Sun God' meet Sun God

Usopp tells the group to run, but Luffy and Zoro are still wrapping up

Zoro takes out the crow, Muginn, and Luffy takes out the snake, Hyllmungandr

Think these are kinda sneaky mixtures of norse names; Hyllmungandr being a riff on Jormungandr the World Serpent and Muginn being a combo of Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn

The group try to run, but are blocked by Iskat

Annnnnd gets bonked on the head, so naturally now it must ride the crew out, with Chopper translating for it

Nami has finally showed some more thievery for the first time since like Zeus, unable to pilfer relics but she has a map of the enclosure

They plan to rush to the other side of the enclosure and break through the wall there, but the 'Sun God' has begun its chase

I mean from a sheltered standpoint you can see why these guys think that's a god

That was probably the strongest Elbaf chapter for me so far

It had comedy, intrigue, action, deduction, chaos, all round a good time. I'm satisfied with it being like an enclosure, it feels fitting to fairy tales involving giants too and I love this fake sun god's design. Can't help feel a little bad for him though, his pets have been beaten up and his pet rabbit eaten...

But we account for Chopper now too, alas it's the Alabasta squad now rather than the East Blue saga squad - could still use some Vivi, think that's all the crew just gotta account for the Sunny. There's not many angles of Chopper's Elbaf outfit but the hat is cute, think he has the same Queen-esque trousers as Usopp.

But this is the injection of fun needed for the arc, because we have to remember, the plot doesn't happen to Luffy

Luffy happens to the plot

[theworldibuilt4you]

[In the meanwhile, someone...new? seems to have showed themselves. She tells herself it's okay to... She'd been watching for some time everything going on, but her conscious Quite literally told her to stay out of it entirely.

a pair of perked ears are the only thing currently seeable as she...preferred to hide from sight for now. Feline, maybe? Strangely colored for a cat. Purple...]

'I-it seems like things are getting better for you all...I'm um. I'm really glad to see. I've...I've been watching but Mr- my conscious told me not to get involved...that'd it'd be dangerous. But he's asleep right now and I just can't help but-'

'...I hope you'll all be okay and....particularly...It seems like everyone is starting to do better and settle, I...hope you can help the other one...still trapped.'

'...It isn't a good feeling. Being trapped and scared and hurt.'

'Um...Good luck.'

-Pumpernickle

"..... Trapped. Right..."

[Sonny let out a small sigh as he went over what he was told by this new stranger. He wasn't too unnerved by a new face showing themselves; lord knows how long he had to hide for...]

[The man rubbed against the bristles of hair on the back of his neck. After a long while of not having the arm he was using, it was a weird feeling to use it again... He was kind of stiff.]

"I... I think I will need to leave once more, Casey. There is a lot I need to work on and... I wouldn't wish to keep you."

"Huh..? Dude. Keep me from what exactly..? There's nothing I'm busy with... And It... It kind of sucks to be the only one around..."

[Casey glances away, biting the inside of their lip]

"Plus theres... always room in that big ass house... Seriously, I'm one person, He didn't need to go and make it so.... Roomy..."

"I...I couldn't, really... I...I was already extending my welcome having my vessel stored there.."

[He hesitated.]

"... The work I need to start is going to be... rough.. and frustrating... I don't know if I would like to bother you while I'm getting into all those mangled files.."

[It would be really nice to just... sit down, though.]

[Casey gives a huff. He's so stubborn. He's trying to be polite, Casey knows this, but he's just making things harder for himself.]

"Addie, come tell your boytoy he can crash on my damn couch!"

[They know he's less likely to listen to them.]

[daydreams-to-passages]

So I found this little snip bit in my docs and figured I share. It's clunky at best and can feel a bit odd since it's an isaki.

Anyways best of reading for yall.

I just about threw my phone again. It was getting on my nerves! Like why is she such a bitch to him! She manipulates and is so toxic.

The concept of this show is great the love interest hate her-hate hate hate her! It's not even meant to be a romance!!

The Flash was apart of the arrowverse list I decided to finally sit down and watch. Green Arrow season 1 passed, building was solid Helena that show’s Iris was dead. Omgosh how happy was i to see her die on screen. Why did the female leads or potential female leads have to be so manipulative. Like give me someone sweet and gentle with their hero partner. Something that while not physically strong is still strong and able to overcome stuff. I don't want her to feel so out of this world, more like if a hero clinged to the idea of normal. And her turn around to “i didn't want to be normal. I wanted to be abnormal like you. But with you I learned that normal is just fine. That normal is peacefully morning with coffee. They're watching kids in yards.” Domestic shit. And the hero? He gets that normal that he so desperately wanted.

Like that'd feel so much more in character for someone sweet and nerdy like Barry. Why the hell would he go for a journalist? Why would he stick with his first love who clearly wasn't interested in him. Like think of the angst of a world crossover where an Iris gets Barry versus not. It'd be much more interesting than whatever the hell Spiderman x Superman fusion they wanted for flash.

“did you throw you phone again?”

Stocking my tongue out at my Roommate, “Your sure one big simp.” They laughed at my agony, “they could do Barry so much better if they gave up the Iris subplot! Let her die and stay dead!”

“What like you?”

“What no! Why does everyone assume that? Like sure I'm not against filling shoes but I don't think I'd be a good match for him.”

“Why? You simp hard enough.”

“Romance and relationship aren't about simping, dude. Plus he needs to slow down and breath. I'm someone who needs to go fast. Sure theorically would could balance each other out but…”

“But?”

“I'm not that much in dululu land. I'm aggressive and visually angry all the time. Defensive at the best. We'd probably grate against each other and ruin the whole friendly sweet personality Barry has.”

“You know? I think it'd be the opposite. Like you want to go fast but he needs to slow down for you. Where he's friendly you could keep a leash on him. Where he's late your already planning and coming up with ways to make him on time. I think it'd be a match made in heaven.”

“Ewww stop feeding my delusions. It doesn't matter anyways.”

“Why?”

“Cause he's a simp for Iris.” I say turning back to my phone with the paused TV show. Grumbling going back to it.

“I wonder….” My roommate trailed off clicking my door shut once again, I got the weirdness uneasy feeling running down my spine. Though shrugged it off for a hunch that something bad was going to happen in the show.

Oh how right I was.

3 days later.

“Your Caitlin Snow. Your Cisco Ramon. Your Harrison Wells.” I slowly spun pointing at the once characters so far away was now within touching distance. “And that means your…” A red blurr skids to a stop, “Flash.”

I let the silence steep in the air as I chewed my thumb, “fucken Void.” I grabbed phone calling them immediately, “YOUR A FUCKEN BITCH! What did we say about dululus! WE DONT NOT ENCOURAGE OR CHANGE WORLDS TO SATISFY CURIOSITIES!”

“Well hello! I wanted to see if sparks would fly.”

“Oh sparks are gonna fly when I kill you and burn your body.” I snapped back before ending the call rubbing my forehead trying to think of a way go fix.

“So how'd you get in?” Cisco asked over his snack of the moment.

“Didn't mean to I opened a door.”

“A door?”

“Ya? Worlds are interconnected. You know the speedforce and realm jumping and all that shit.”

“You know about the Speedforce?”

“Now to find the right door so I can strangle my darling roommate. They said go for it. They said what could happen with an interdimetionable being? Nothing they'd be too scared to ruin the balance of things. NO NO ONE MET THIS Stupid fucker! So long as it's interesting it'll happen.” I wandered through Starlabs I could feel people staring into my back as I open and closed various doors in opens to finding the right one but no luck.

“So this happens often?”

“Yep.” Popping the P with a big sigh of defeat, as another door failed.

“So Void? Just sends you off with nothing?”

“No no. He chaotic neutral bish knows I know my way around this world.

“So its not random?”

“No. Gods do you enjoy interrogating me? World's often have echos of each order. Speedsters can only come I contact with ones that either have speedforce on it or if a doppelganger is there. Void doesn't have those restrictions. He's not a bad guy or even someone who you can fight. He's not a rogue or a metahuman you created. He just like putting theories to a test.”

“Is it alright that your sharing this information?”

“Sure it's not like you'll remember me when this is over.”

“Wait why not?”

“Cause I don't exist here? By allying myself with my roommate I essentially killed off any dopples of myself. I'm the one and only. And two you wouldn't remember me cause it'd break timelines. Everything I do will be edited to fit whatever narrative. With minor exceptions.”

“and those exceptions?”

“I'll will be replaced by someone who fits better.”

[marierg]

A Simple Wish

Pairing: Comander Cody x Rowan Atwater OC (written as a reader insert)

Rating: Everybody! (for this chapter at least)

(regular world AU/ zapped into reality AU/ fix-it AU?)

Warnings: holiday depressie, loneliness, language, Hurt/comfort/fluff/comedy...

Honestly though this may get a little more interesting and reflective later so... we'll see.

A/N: So I noticed that some of the peeps (actually a lot of us) are in the bleak midwinter rut and one in particular inspired this little story. @spicyclones79s I hope this is a good start

Masterlist Next

Another year and another Christmas spent on your own. With everything being so expensive you couldn't afford to fly home. Not that your Command would give you more than a few days leave anyway, such was military life. Well only a few months left till you hit your ETS and then you'd be outta here. If they wouldn't let you fly combat anymore and the Doc could give you a medical discharge without it interfering with a Civilian flying job then all the better.

To top all of it off this week you'd been trying to kick a cold but damned if it wasn't turning into a sinus infection. Still it was Christmas Eve, tradition demanded that you make some cookies and prepare for Santa to drop off presents. Silly as it was you still wanted to have a Christmas like when you were a kid. So you made a hot toddy (extra strong), set out the cookies and lay down on the couch.

Glancing out the window you caught sight of a shooting star. Maybe there was still something of the bright eyed kid you had once been underneath all the cynicism and pain. Perhaps it was simply that every human looked to the stars in wonder and hope. Closing your eyes and snuggled under the thick fleece blanket you made a wish, "Hey Santa, if you're out there, don't suppose you could send me a friend? Maybe someone brave and smart and patient..."

Glancing at your entertainment center, eye catching on your DVD set of the Clone Wars you smirked. Chuckling at the thought you went for broke, why not. "If Marshal Commander Cody isn't busy for the next oh... forty years that'd be awesome!"

With a little drunken giggle you lay back and drifted off to sleep.

It was just past one in the morning when a solid thud and some creative cursing summoned your mind back to semi consciousness. You thought it might be some of the dude bros from across the hall coming home after too much holiday cheer at the bar. So you rolled over and went back to sleep.

"Can anyone hear me? Hello? Rex..."

Oh this was Kriffing great. Cody couldn't believe this. One minute he's about to be shot while escaping the Empire, the next he's standing in some strange domicile. Glancing around Cody noted the lower use of technology and the darkness outside the windows. He was definitely not where he had been just a few moments ago.

It was a small apartment of some form, second floor above a small town street. Cody also noticed the woman who was asleep on the couch. It was far too dark to take in all her features, but pretty none the less. Easing his way through the space (was that a tree of some form?) and closer to the window he further confirmed that he was not where he should be. Vehicles rolling on wheels, no discernable space port, "Where in Sith hells am I?"

Hearing a distinctly deep, male voice you peeked your eyes open again. Holy shit there was someone in your apartment! Fueled by liquid courage and pure pissed off rage you took the throw pillow and began to bash the stranger. "TAKE THAT YOU CREEP!"

"What the-," Cody wasn't sure if he was being beaten by the small hellion or if this was their way of saying hello. Grabbing the soft cushion out of their hands he took his helmet off with the other. "Whoa.. Hold on... I can explain!"

"Alexa lights on!" The room illuminated immediately. You're not sure what hit the floor first the pillow from his hand or your jaw. "You're... You're..."

Cody had to move quickly to catch the poor little thing as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Great, just great. Placing her back on the padded lounger he elevated her feet and checked her pulse, "Poor girl, must have scared her... hey you still with me?"

Blinking open your eyes you looked up into kind brown ones full of concern. Oh yeah you had had way too much to drink or you were dreaming... except the pounding headache only confirmed that neither of those could be true. The man pulled his gloves off and brushed the hair back from your face, hallucinations weren't solid and they couldn't manipulate your body. Nor do they chuckle when you reach up and touch their face. That scar is so distinctive that there was no question. Squinting at the man you took a deep breath, "Commander Cody?"

"Yes! Do I know you?" Cody lit up at the fact that this Nat born seemed to recognize him.

Watching the man closely you placed the flat of your hand on his cheek, shaking as it was. You couldn't believe it, he was actually here. How? How could he be here?!

"I need to get back, but I don't know where I am?" Cody could see that you were still coming around. He could only hope that you could help him. "Ma'am I need to get back to my brothers they're in trouble."

"You're in North Dakota... Earth." You saw the confusion on his face, you sat up biting your lip. This was the kind of thing that happened in books and TV, not real life. Yet here stood none other than one of the hero's of the grand army of the republic. Giving yourself a good pinch just to confirm that this was real you saw as the man smirked.

"I promise I mean you no harm," Cody wasn't quite sure why he found your reaction so funny but it felt good to laugh. Holding your gaze he tried again, "Is there a spaceport nearby?"

Blowing out a breath you looked at the façade of calm the Commander held to. You'd had that same look many a time in the past and as then you settled on being blunt with the situation. "I'm afraid you're a long way from home Commander."

Cody felt his gut drop, though he tried to remember what General Kenobi would say about the Force working in mysterious ways. The question remained though, "And how do you know me?"

"It's complicated... and I don't think you're going to believe me." Grimacing you sigh, "I don't even think I believe it."

Carefully taking the woman's hand in his own Cody gave it a reassuring squeeze, "Try me."

The next few hours were spent talking, arguing, and confirming the few known facts as the two were able to put together. Cody was not in his own galaxy or time. That after viewing a small clip of a holo film series showing him and his brothers, you explained that he was considered a fictional character. You had been kind enough to take him to the roof to confirm there was not a single recognizable constellation in the sky even. This was a far more primitive world than his own as well, the mechanical devices looked like they were put together by a group of cadets. No, Cody was not where he was supposed to be, nor could either of you explain how he came to be here. He seriously doubted it was because of a wish on a star.

You had been terrified as Cody revealed to you what had been happening right before landing in your living room. That one revelation made you grateful to whatever power had sent him, glad beyond measure that it saved him. Then you were heartbroken seeing the hopeless, lonely look on his face as it started to set in that there was no way to send him home. As you came back to the couch you handed him a cup of tea, "I'm really sorry Commander, truly."

"It's not your fault Rowan, I just wish I knew how they are? If they're safe?" He couldn't yet sip the tea, if he drank it then that meant accepting that this was real, that he was really and truly stuck in this place.

Sitting opposite him you took a deep breath, "I can tell you what I know, at least how the story has been told here. Rex and Wolffe survive and fight against the Empire, Gregor too. Boba is the Daimyo of Tattoine."

"And the others? Wooley, Boil, Fox?"

"I can't say for certain, I'm sorry. But I will tell you that Rex saw the fall of the Empire for sure. He even fought on Endor with the rebel forces there in the beginning of the end. You can be really proud of him," reaching across to pat his hand you felt horrible. This was all your fault!

Cody took hold of your comforting touch, it wasn't often clones were treated kindly by natborns. He felt the momentary stiffness but then the relaxation as he just held on to you. Cautious little thing, but you hadn't crumpled under the impossible situation and instead were being an anchor for him. Cody smiled at your compliment to his brothers, "I'm always proud of my Vod'e."

"I'm sorry... for everything." For all he endured, all that he faced now it wasn't fair. The clones had done nothing wrong and still they had been used. A great many of your fellows felt the same.

Cody chuffed and smirked, "I sincerely doubt that you're at fault."

The two of you sat for a minute not sure what the next step should be. Being of a practical mind and also a tired body you took a deep breath and tried to make the next right choice. "Well in the mean time you're staying here. Why don't you get comfortable and I'll get some blankets. We can work on it more in the morning."

Cody chuffed out a breath, "Is that an order?"

"You got a better offer?" You sassed back.

That did get a laugh out of Cody, "Aye Ma'am."

After he had gotten settled on your, sofa he thought you called it, Cody watched again as you paused in the doorway glancing back at him. There was something serene about you, a kindness that was like a balm to the ills of the world. It was unique and beautiful to him.

"Good night Commander."

"You can call me by my name Rowan." Cody did chuckle at the flush rising in your cheeks, "Only my troopers call me by my rank."

"Oh, of course... I mean duh..." Oh well done, such an intelligent response Ro. Squinting and blinking your eyes open in embarrassment you turned, "Goodnight Cody, sleep well."

Cody rather liked seeing you all flustered, it was karking adorable. Mischief taking his better judgement he rolled pulling the blankets up, "Goodnight mesh'la."

"Oh my...night!" You quickly closed the door. Oh Ro what have you gotten yourself into now? settling under your own blankets you closed your eyes. and somewhere between the waking and the dreams you thanked the stars. One soldier safe for another night.

As he rolled and started to drift the commander was set to the side leaving simply the man. Cody may not know where he was or how to get home, but he felt safe here with you. Strange situation aside, for the first time in a very long time Cody relaxed enough to fall into an exhausted, deep sleep. No nightmares of battle droids, no screams, just the quiet of the night.

Tags:

@spicyclones79s @the-rain-on-kamino @arctrooper69

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Punishment, Pt. 1

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Fighting evil by moonlight! Winning love by daylight! Never running from a real fight! She is the one called Sailor Moon! Meanwhile, I'm the guy who got tricked into wearing this stupid freak'n costume. Again. It never fails. Every year at least one of my friends manages to manipulate events so I end up dressed in a girly costume. This year it's for a character I'm not even a fan of. Well, like heck am I doing it alone this year! Not when @burningthrucelluloid looks so good in a skirt. >:3

Okay, this one's gonna require some context. Back in 2017 I had reached 300 Watchers on my deviantART page. As a celebration of this achievement, folks could suggest stuff for me to review, one peep picking a Sailor Moon mobile game. These were the original Giraffe's Eye Views, and this one in particular sported me wearing the iconic Sailor Scout uniform for a gag. Now you'd think that'd be the end of it. After all, hardly anybody read the review in the first place. So how could this possibly come back to bite me? Quite easily, as it turns out. See, I have malicious friends. One of them saw this review and decided to draw me in this outfit once more. They then drew me as Harley Quinn from Arkham Knight. From there Alec would keep the gag going by paying multiple artists absurd amounts of money to draw me as various other female characters, usually with boobies so large they have their own gravitational pull. I've been drawn as Mayday Parker's Spider-Girl, Carol Danvers's Miss Marvel, Pinkie Pie from Equestria Girls, it never seemed to end! Now far be it from me to foil a good running gag, but this really got annoying after a while. For crying out loud, it started to feel like my friends were forgetting I was a dude. So after a talk we all agreed the joke would be saved for special occasions. Turns out Halloween is one of those special occasions. Especially when it follows a year of my friend putting me through the wringer in Dungeons and Dragons. Remember this when you start up your next campaign, buddy! Besides, I've had that 'in the name of the moon, the bear, and the big blue house' gag rattling around in my head for a while now and Sailor Bumper demanded to be drawn. Here's hoping you all enjoy this more than Alec does. And remember: wear leggings under your battle skirt! The October breeze is not forgiving, even to magical anime chicks.

Also, since it seems I didn't post last year's DUDELZ on tumblr, here's how I embarrassed Alec back in 2023:

Here is my friend dressed as Abigale Brand from Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, a show I convinced him to check out and a character he deemed 'sexy'. All this paired with a quote he said. Remember folks; giraffes can be devious! >:3

BONUS QUESTION: Which Sailor Scout is your favorite?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus]

Man when Takeru released his sleepyhead project I was so happy I liked so many songs, but when I read his posts on the subject and how he just let himself drown in his own darkness I was thinking man, you can explore your darkness without harming yourself. And then he announced he gives up on that project to take a break, work on his mental health and come back as Takeru, a project that'd be more real to who he is I guess, both light and darkness. So I was waiting for that and the fact I've yet to find one song I like from this (although it's still early to judge) makes me feel a little guilty cause like "I enjoyed his darkness more?". In general I believe that you can make sth beautiful from both happy and sad moments as an artist but not go out of your way to harm yourself just to make content. I dunno. I hope there is sth I can like too in the future cause I wanted him to be himself sooo badly. It's not just dark there, he has light and he's very creative so I wanted to see all that.

However I listened to Requiem and, while I don't like the song, I am a little pleased with the fact that's a full ass mv. There is story to follow, several different scenes and for once in I don't know how long, I see one of my favorite jrockers actually acting in his own mv instead of having extras to do the work. I mean I get it, for some it is uncomfortable to touch a girl they don't know and act like a couple (in case they do it cause they have a partner I can respect but if you're single, come on dude), but dude everyone does it. You won't kiss her or anything, you just have to hold her hand or seduce her or sth, depending on the song. I also liked the fact that the girlfriend in the song was a stripper and he was the musician. It is closer to reality I guess. Jrockers, if they choose to marry, it's usually fans, or people working in other night fields they end up with. Not some nice wholesome girl. Dark meets dark there, there's no way around it. Also....he used one of my favorite concepts in a scene. Ever since I was a little girl, I "knew", I wanted is better I guess cause this never came true, to end up with an artist. A bad boy looking artist. I in fact used to turn the ideation of knight in shining armour to knight on a black motorbike xD. But yeah most times said artist would be a musician (I dunno why the idea was more appealing to me than a painter or a writer or I dunno) but I had this scene in my head of playing the piano after a night of loving, with only sheets on, or him playing the piano or writing lyrics beside me as I sleep with rays of light bursting in from some side (I was writing mv scripts for many years don't be surprised I wanted such ideal looking scenes in my life). And he did that, he was writing and composing while she was sleeping and then played the song for her.

I might not like the song, but I saw my fantasy by a musician I love and that too is a win for me.

[thegnomelord]

i've only talked about merfolk, so i'd like to share some other monsters/mythical creatures i find really neat that'd be fun for a monster!reader :) also i like rambling uhhh whoops

kitsune - kind of surprised i haven't seen anyone else talk about kitsune before, they're just so interesting and really cool... i mean fox spirits that can take the form of a human and have all types of cool shit they can do sounds awesome

fauns/saytr - they're both kind of similar (fauns which are from roman mythology were inspired by saytr which are from greek mythology iirc) so i decided on putting them together. saytr have horse features while fauns have goat features, and i love the whole having animals legs. just imagine seeing this tall ass dude with fluffy goat (or horse) legs and hooves but the rest of his body is human, very fun to think about

manananggal - while typically depicted as female, they can also be male! they're basically bat-vampires that come from the philippines that can detach their upper bodies to fly around and feed on humans with their spines just hanging out. they are just. terrifying and so goddamn cool

only put three cause there are just so many neat monsters and i don't want to absolutely flood your inbox with word vomit

-🪸

Nah dude, please vomit words into my inbox bc then I have an excuse to word vomit onto the page lol :D

I always thought that satyrs were the ones with goat legs and fauns had like deer legs :/, fun fact I once dressed up as a minotaur for a class halloween party like 3-4 years ago, made like furry legs and everything, but I unfortunately lost the pictures when I went to get my phone screen fixed and they decided to wipe my data :(

I fucking love the manananggal, they're so creepy and the fact they eat like pregnant women's unborn kids is creepy as fuck lol

[myckicade]

Mayans M.C. - 05x01 and 05x02

Thoughts, spoilers, and predictions behind the cut.

Please note, these are mostly just the ramblings of a lunatic. *waves* That'd be me.

Well. For fuck's fucking sakes. I had no idea about the premier until yesterday morning, because that is just how little I paid attention to the announcement. (I saw it posted, but if I checked for a date... Psssh... I certainly didn't remember it!).

Anyhow. Two-episode premiers kill me, and not in a good way. I'm exhausted, but that means the episodes held my attention well enough to keep me awake, so. That said, let me try and recall everything that I had wanted to say.

Okay, right off the bat:

The coffin in the previews. I haven't gone back to pause and take a head count, but I'd bet money that that's going to Alvarez in there, when the time comes. If not Alvarez, then Angel, but that's a sleek-looking casket. I just have a bad feeling for the both of them, because, as of right now, they are the only two who seem to be seeing reason. There are logical reasons why it wouldn't be Alvarez (mostly that I can't see his Mrs. just letting the Club have his body for that, unless he gets pulled back in). It's just a sinking feeling I have.

Alvarez. Since I've already brought him up... NEW BABY! YAY! But, it's clear that The World is weighing on him. I was quite surprised when he yelled at Santi, because he's been shown as such a good father. Then... Well. We all remember what happened with Esai. ANYHOW. Alvarez is one of the few characters I still stand behind. I want him to be able to retire in TRUE peace. My fear is that, if he goes down, his family will go with him, and I just don't want that.

Angel. I got A Bad Feeling while he was talking with Felipe, because that's usually the way. A man tries to do better for his family, and for himself, and he gets taken out. (Still a little sore over Coco). I fear that Angel will have this big redemption arc, only to have his heart broken, and then shot to shreds. It always takes something serious for the Main Dude to come around to reason, and become complete unhinged, at the same time. Much as I want to strangle the little bitch... I don't want Angel to be EZ's awakening.

EZ. I've been done with that motherfucker for at least two seasons. Not much has changed there.

Bishop. He's right. EZ will get them all killed. If not, then at least a few steps closer to the grave, each. Bishop can be the last man standing. I also hope he chokes on a cunt hair, stepping out on a nice lady like that. Shame on him.

Miguel. I like this man, and I think that's because I'm entirely partial to Danny Pino. He has a Good Boy face, and plays a Bad Dude so well. (I first saw him on The Shield, back in the early 2000's, playing Armadillo Quintero, and it was all uphill from there). ANYWAY. I wouldn't mind him getting a happy-ish ending. The fact that he's quietly trying to protect Little Brothers in the middle of a war just tickles me. When Soledad told him to cut his sentimental ties (or however she phrased that one), I snickered. The mess with his wife, on the other hand... I have to admit, I don't much care. His trip to the urinal, though... That scene brought me great joy.

Emily. This broad. She hasn't been a worthwhile character in so long? She could have disappeared from the show, and I wouldn't have given a damn. Pretty clear where this is going to go, now that she is - once again - down and desperate for help. I just never understood the point of her character. She's so far removed from EZ now, the road to getting them back into the same orbit is just going to suck.

Creeper. CAN THIS MAN PLEASE CATCH A FUCKING BREAK?! The poor bastard is the MC piñata, both physically and emotionally taking beatings left and right. CRIPES, y'all. Give the dude a break! I hope his little backstabbing bitch gets what's coming to her, one way or another.

Hank. My heart went out to him, last night. Doing what's best for our parents can sometimes suck. Hard. Aging is a gift denied to many, but the process can sometimes be ugly as sin. I felt Hank's pain on a personal level, as my own parents aren't in the best of health, and one of my greatest fears as a future caregiver is that I will have to make one of those Tough Calls. All the same, I saw some negative reactions toward him 'just leaving her there', and that made me mad. We all know how much Hank adores his mother. He's not in the best of shape himself, what with the cane, and picking up someone who takes a fall? Not as easy as it sounds. Ugh. It had to have been tearing him up inside, so I hope some folks can wake up to see that he isn't a bad guy for doing what he had to do for his mother. Shitty situation. Shitty choice to make. Shitty outcome.

Letty. Girlfriend. SO HAPPY to see she's still around. I thought that they might write her out, to be perfectly honest. While her new career choice is... interesting, to say the least, I am glad to see that she and Hope have worked themselves out. I don't care much for Hope's character. (She's a bit flat for me, personality-wise). But, I don't hate her. So. There is that.

Whew. That was a lot. But, that brings me to my final point:

HOW MANY STORYLINES DO WE REALLY NEED?! I feel that certain threads of this series could have been so much better if they had eased off on branching off in so many places. We don't get to spend much time on anything (except that thrice-be-damned pipeline), and the story really does suffer for it. I understand the concept of wide, wild visions for telling a tale. Believe me, I do. But this series lacks focus, unable to find a balanced manner of storytelling. It's fragmented, and rushed, and I know I complained about it last season, as well. I'm still watching. I'm going to finish it, God willing. But there was definite room for improvement on this one.

Bonus Thoughts:

"Put them back on the truck", and the resulting groans. Angel's reaction, especially. PERFECTION.

Angel's pooch encounter was also hysterical. 10/10.

I MAY HAVE MOMENTARILY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE BROTHER THING. I was enjoying the delicious tension between Miguel and EZ for a hot minute, before it all came back to me. (I did that in the first season of Supernatural, too. Came in toward the end of the season, and thought Dean and John had some sexy friction between them, until my husband finally said, "HE'S THEIR FATHER!!!!"... Whoopsies...).

Unpopular Opinion: This Guero dude is already on my nerves. Sorry. Obnoxious as hell, he is.

I'm glad Felipe is getting to spend time with Maverick. (Oh, gag, that name...).

P.S. Hats off to Clayton Cardenas for the scene with the intruders. Angel isn't one to shrink back in fear, bullheaded as he is, but I could taste the terror on him when he found his son in danger. Mm. Delicious work, there.

[greatideas-badwriter]

Worth The Risk: Chapter 3

AN: Mannnnnnn, Sasuke's a dick.

*Pretends it's not kinda hot* I can't wait until he gets his act together!

"Look who it is! How's it feel to be a complete and total failure?"

Sasuke shot Deidara a glare, sparing one for Hidan and Itachi, who were chuckling, too, "Shut the hell up. It's too early."

His older brother asked over the top of his coffee mug, "I heard you talked some big talk about scoring with some girl, only to come home alone last night. That's a first for you, Little Bro. What happened?"

"Probably couldn't get it up," Hidan guffawed.

"That's not what fucking happened. Shut your mouth before I bust your teeth in." The younger Uchiha was in no mood to joke around.

Sitting at the table with the others with his fresh cup of coffee, he groaned when Sasori asked, "What happened then? Did she kick you out once you were done or something?"

"Oh, shit! What if her boyfriend came home, and that's why he had to leave? Did you have to climb out a window, Dude?" Deidara hissed, blue eyes shining excitedly.

"None of that happened!"

The room was quiet momentarily before Itachi asked, "We're waiting."

Sighing defeatedly, Sasuke mumbled, feeling humiliated, "She…fell asleep before we could do anything." His voice became more quiet with each word.

It was so silent for a millisecond that a pen would've been heard if it'd dropped before chaos erupted in the form of laughter and jobs sent the Uchiha man's way.

"You're kidding! She fell asleep!"

"What happened to you, Man?"

"Wait, did she fall asleep in the middle of it, or…?"

Sasuke yelled over the noise, close to losing his patience, "She just fell asleep, okay? Now, drop it!"

The cell phone vibrated in his pocket then, and when he pulled it out, a number he didn't recognize was on the screen.

His mood perked up just slightly, 'Is it her?' Gesturing for the others to be quiet, he answered the call. Once it was through, he smirked victoriously at them, "You were saying?"

Hidan mused, lifting a brow, "I've never seen you so excited for just a phone call. Does she have golden nipples or something?"

Sasori laughed, elbowing him in the side while mumbling, "Idiot."

"He's a moron, but he's right. Since when do you give your number to some random chick from the bar? What's her name?"

Sasuke's face fell, 'Wait….She never told me, even when I asked.' Snickering, he brought his coffee to his lips, shrugging, "I don't have a clue."

Everyone laughed, but Itachi sighed afterward, shaking his head, "You're a disappointment."

Later that evening, the Uchiha man cursed under his breath while heading toward the restaurant where he was supposed to meet the pink-haired woman. 'I forgot I couldn't use my car….'

He didn't care much if she was offended by his tardiness. It's not like he was trying to date her or anything. His goal was solely to get her in bed at least once. It seemed she wasn't interested in becoming his girlfriend, either, since she wouldn't even share her name, but perhaps that was just the alcohol speaking last night. Hopefully, it was the former.

Turning the corner into the alleyway, dark eyes locked onto the woman in question. She looked cute in skinny jeans, sneakers, and an oversized sweater under her winter coat. He'd tried to imagine what style she had on his way over here. Almost all women dress the same when clubbing; she hadn't been an exception.

'I half-expected her to wear childish, girly shit.'

"Hey, I'm here. Let's go in. It's freezing."

Sasuke wasn't nervous because why would he be? He's been on over a hundred dates in his lifetime, and not one of them ended badly. There wasn't a single thing this girl could say or do that'd throw him off his game.

Those expressive green eyes turned onto him, only to fill with tears and widen as though she'd seen an axe murderer or something. She backed slowly away, dropping a bag he assumed held his shirt.

'I stand corrected. I have no idea what's going on right now.'

"What's wrong with you?" The woman flinched when he spoke as though he'd smacked her, confusing him further.

'What the fuck? Is this even the same person from last night?' She'd been warm and inviting despite her shyness. This girl was shaking in her boots, not hypothetically.

"I-I….Something came up, so I can't stay. Goodbye!"

Then, she turned and tried to leave. Sasuke's body moved independently, and he found his hand wrapped around her thin wrist. Since it was too late to take it back, he asked, "What's your problem?"

The limb in his hand was trembling, and he felt a little guilty that she was obviously terrified, but his pride wouldn't allow him to back off until he knew what was going on. His resolution almost faltered when she tried to tug away, but he kept it together, refusing to give up.

"P-Please let go. I really need to get out of here."

'Who does she think she's fooling?'

"You might be the worst liar I've ever met. At least look me in the eye. Don't be fuckin' rude." When she didn't obey, his notorious temper showed, and he ended up pushing her against the wall, towering over her, "Tell me what your problem is. It can't be that you aren't attracted to me, so what is it?"

She was crying, for whatever reason, and tried to wrestle his hand off her shoulder, but Sasuke was just too baffled. 'Seriously, what the fuck? This bitch is crazy.'

"You really don't remember me?"

"What?"

The woman tried to remove his hand again, the attempt laughable at best, "We met before last night, about a week ago at Oasis. I-I, um, I poured-" "The new girl! Fuck, I knew you looked familiar! There aren't a lot of people walking around with pink hair."

All the dots connected, why she seemed familiar and why she was staring at him like he was about to slit her throat. It was because he was seriously tempted after her little show at Oasis.

'This fuckin' slut! Did she think it was funny, acting clueless last night? Did she pretend to fall asleep to get back at me? I'll kill her.'

"Well, I got fired because of you, so if you'll kindly let go. I don't want to see your face for another second."

He couldn't believe his ears, 'Now she's trying to cop an attitude with me again! She's an idiot!'

"You think I'll let you go after what you did? I told you I'd make you regret it, didn't I?"

'I can't do anything where we are now because too many people would see. Should I knock her out and take her somewhere else, or should I just be quick about it and leave before anyone notices?'

"What did you expect? I told you to stop repeatedly, but you kept on! You're so-!" Sasuke's fingers squeezed around her throat, shutting her up. Never in his life had he been talked to by a woman like this. He didn't like it, not one bit. That said, he immediately regretted the action because it was obviously an overreaction.

Again, his ego was too large to take it back, so he continued, "Woman or not, this won't do. Should I teach you a lesson? Not only did you disrespect me, but you did it in front of others."

Suddenly, the image of the terrified woman in front of him resembled that of a scared puppy or rabbit, which confused the Uchiha man and made his guilt quadruple. He wanted to let go and apologize so bad that he almost did but forced the emotions back.

'What the hell? Why should I care if she's scared? She won't be the first one I've used to prove a point, and definitely won't be the last.' He thought that, but everything in him was screaming that what he was doing was wrong, very wrong. This emotion had never occurred to him before, and the confusion pissed him off further.

"Hey, yo, is that you, Sasuke? What's up, man!"

Hidan's irritating voice met his ears, and he turned his head to see him, Yahiko, and Konan near the restaurant entrance, 'That prick. He probably suggested coming here after hearing me on the phone with her. Nosy bastard. I oughtta kick his ass.'

Before he knew what was happening, the woman who'd introduced herself as "Sakura" slid from his grasp and took off with impressive speed in the opposite direction down the alley. He yelled after her but didn't bother chasing because he knew her phone number and address.

There was no way in hell she could escape him. Especially now that she'd made him experience these unfamiliar feelings. It was like last night when he was determined to figure out why it felt so different around her. Something about that woman was intriguing; it wasn't just her hair color.

'Just you fuckin' wait, Sakura, if that is your real name. This is far from over.'

"Was that her? Did she say something to piss you off? Did you get rejected, you sad sack of shit?" Hidan popped off question after question as the four Akatsuki members went inside to eat.

Konan's orange eyes were dull and uninterested as she looked between the two men arguing, sparing her husband a glance every once in a while as though asking why they put up with such annoying people. Yahiko just looked at the menu with his usual frown, absently turning one of his lip rings with his tongue.

Sasuke's glare snapped to his irritating friend, "You don't recognize her? Think about it. Pink hair. Green eyes. Skinny. Weirdly hot. Where have you seen that before?"

Hidan was one of the more dim-witted members of the Akatsuki, with only Tobi and occasionally Deidara being more significant idiots, so he stared with wide eyes and an expression that said there wasn't a thought behind them, "Uh…?"

Sighing, the Uchiha rubbed his temple, "That's the bitch who poured wine on me at Oasis."

Almost comically, the Jashin-worshipper exploded in surprise, "No shit?! That's crazy! And you almost fucked her, too!"

'...Honestly, I probably still would. I bet it'd be insane since we hate each other.'

Sasuke was angry that he hadn't recognized her until she admitted her deception, that she played around with him last night, and, most of all, he was overcome with rage because he only felt guilty about what just happened outside.

A waiter arrived, took everyone's order, and then disappeared. The table was silent for a long time. Hidan was texting someone with a smirk. Konan and Yahiko were always quiet anyway, and Sasuke was in deep thought, trying to understand his own emotions.

'It's because of her reaction. I know that. If she was trying to trick me, then why'd she look like that when she saw me instead of pretending like before?'

His teeth gritted, brow furthering, 'And why was she that scared? Sure, I was going to hurt her, but I wouldn't do that much. She obviously has no idea who I am, or else she wouldn't have faced me at all.'

He went over every interaction they'd had since meeting.

At Oasis, Sakura exhibited impressive patience. It took hours to make her snap. The fact that it took so long was why Sasuke kept trying. He wanted to see what it'd take to truly piss her off. That said, she was shaking when he grabbed her wrist that day, too.

Then, at the club last night, the pink-haired woman was the complete opposite. It was clear she felt comfortable dancing and flirting with him. Back at her apartment, she didn't seem hesitant or- "Your hands…. They're scary."

'What the hell is wrong with her? If she's so terrified of me, why does she keep running into me and mouthing off?' Sakura appeared to have a habit of insulting him while simultaneously shaking in terror. 'Why wouldn't she just avoid me? What's the point in pissing me off?'

The food arrived, and the man pushed his thoughts of the beautiful girl to the back of his mind because it was causing him to develop a headache.

That night, he stole his brother's car and went to Sakura's apartment, only for it to be vacant. Leaning against the counter in her tiny kitchen, he crossed his arms and looked around with a flexed jaw.

'It was easy to break in here. Does she know how dangerous it is to live alone? Surely not, or-!' He shook his head, growling annoyedly, 'What the fuck do I care if someone breaks in? I'm doing the same damn thing right now!'

Sasuke didn't even know why he came inside. It was clear she wasn't home without doing so. Even more pissed off than earlier, he left, thinking, 'That's the emptiest inhabited apartment I've ever seen.'

For the next two days, when not in classes, he monitored Sakura's house or thought about the pink-haired woman.

On Thursday night, when he returned to the house around midnight, he nodded in greeting to his brother, who was leaning against the counter sipping a beer with his phone in hand. Konan was sitting atop the dining table, her husband between her legs as they made out. Again, that type of thing was typical for Akatsuki members. No one cared or spared a second glance.

Feeling drained, Sasuke got his own beer from the fridge, wordlessly clinking it against his brothers before standing beside him and tossing his head back for a big swig.

"Still stalking that pink-haired girl?" Itachi asked, not sounding all that interested. The younger Uchiha made an affirming sound, glaring at the floor in a daze. "What's with your weird obsession? Just forget about her. It's a waste of energy."

The elder brother was the sensible one. He was also more likely to fit in with whoever he was around. He was adaptable, whereas the younger would rather force others to adapt.

In a rare, honest moment, Sasuke admitted, "She looked like she was about to faint before I said or did anything. I want to know how she managed to act so calm at the club if she can't stand to look me in the eye."

Itachi's eyes drifted over as the conversation apparently piqued his interest, "She probably didn't recognize you because she was drunk."

The two silently thought about that before the younger one shook his head, "Nah, she told me my hands are scary when we were at her place."

"Did she really say that?" Both Uchiha men turned to see Konan looking over her husband's shoulder with a glare.

They shared a confused look before facing the blue-haired woman again, Sasuke nodding.

She patted Yahiko's shoulder so he'd stop attacking her neck before rising from the table and standing before them with crossed arms, "Let me guess, she freaked out the morning after you took her home from the club."

Sasuke recalled her poor attempt to hide that she was crying when talking on the phone, nodding with a confused look, "So? She's shy. I bet she's never had a one-night stand before, and that's why."

Konan sighed, rolling her eyes, "You clueless little shit. Put it all together. She's terrified of you, says you're scary even when she's trashed, and panics at the thought of having sex."

Itachi groaned, bringing a hand to cover his eyes.

His younger brother was still lost, though, "Why's he doing that? What are you trying to say?"

Yahiko, who rarely conversed about things unrelated to the family, said monotonously, "She's saying the woman may be a previous victim of assault, you dunce."

Sasuke's blood ran cold, eyes widening as scenes of the pink-haired woman passed through his mind.

It was a strong possibility they were right, and if that was the case, he felt like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. It'd only make sense for her to lose her cool being taunted by a group of men for hours. He even grabbed her that night.

What fed his guilt the most was the scars he'd seen on her skin. That night, he thought maybe she played sports throughout school. Now, though, he should've realized no sport would cause that kind of damage.

Konan's usually bored expression morphed into something resembling empathy, "It's best to leave her alone. Even if you find her, nothing you can say will fix that kind of trauma."

Sasuke agreed in the moment, but a few hours later, as he lay in bed trying and failing to fall asleep, he rolled onto his side and stared at his phone on the nightstand. He hadn't bothered calling or texting her because it'd be useless. She'd never answer or respond.

'What if Konan's wrong?'

'….But what if she's right? I should call and try to figure out the truth. If Sakura really was…. The least I can do is apologize. If I'd known, I'd never have….' He knew it was toxic how he'd only have treated the woman respectfully if he'd known she'd been hurt in the past.

Very rarely, moments like this would happen when the Uchiha man came face to face with the fact that his lifestyle would break his late mother's heart. His dad would be ashamed to have fathered such a disappointment.

In that moment of weakness, Sasuke called Sakura.

'It's like three in the morning. She's probably not even awake-' "What do you want?"

[eskelwolfed]

Closed Starter for RAIN @aggwaseon

Being an introvert and being the guitarist of a rockband didn't go hand in hand and Eskel had to acknowledge that just once more tonight. The band had landed a hit, then another, they changed contracts, gained thousands of followers on social media, they could choose the locations where they wanted to play instead of begging tiny venues. They slept in hotels instead of Lambert's stinky old van. All of this was intoxicating, at least for all the others, while it was a strain on Eskel. Everywhere he went he had to have someone shield him. Which just looked pathetic, Eskel was taller than any of his bandmates, and the bodyguards.

But Eskel wouldn't complain, as ever. He would do his job, the thing he loved. Being on stage and play and as long as he was up there and not in the middle of the crowd, as long as no one came too close and the stage lights blinded him, all he wanted was to keep performing.

Being famous had so many perks and while the others basked in the attention, the money, and stuff Eskel wouldn't want to be part of either. He found himself rather hanging out with ... the bodyguard. Or get back to the bus as quickly as possible and read a damn book. He found himself self isolating and soon he'd be called cold and untouchable, he was the one rumoured to have a girlfriend that's why he was never seen with fans at all but the truth was that Eskel was just ...enjoying his own company the most. Or the company of someone who he didn't have to talk much.

The tour went on and tonight there was going to be a concert in a big venue, around 7,000 people were expected to come since the concert was sold out after not even 12 hours. Rescheduling or booking a bigger venue didn't work and there was maybe a black market for tickets now. Things, that really bothered Eskel, but he couldn't talk about.

The meet and greet was held and Eskel tried to somehow snake his way out of it, but people paid to see and talk to them and he tried to smile, even when he felt overwhelmed by the starstruck fans. He was just a normal dude, but the amount of fans who wanted to talk to him and take photos was astounding.

The show itself was great for Eskel and he enjoyed the time up there to get lost and forget about his anxiety. But after the gig he wanted to leave as soon as possible but as the bodyguards informed them there was already a crowd waiting outside, occupying all the exits and entries known to the fans, Eskel grew nervous. He knew that especially his bodyguard was now well known because he was mostly shielding Eskel from photographs, only to be the one being prominent in pictures now. He felt like he would be spotted way too easily today and he could just go along the roadies packing the instruments up and put them in the sprinter.

Eskel showered and put new clothes on, stuffed everything in his backpack and then put a saggy hoodie on, not telling his bandmates and security that he'd sneak out early. With the hoodie conceiling his face he felt ready to get away to the bus unnoticed when he just walked out with the road guys.

When Eskel was outside he saw that a lot of people were waiting for the band to show up and ambush them for photos. Shit, he had to be quick or hope for someone else to show up- and he did. Jaskier stepped out, with his hair still moist from showering and immediately drawing attention from almost all the people outside. Of course he had two guards with him. He was the most popular of them, naturally.

Eskel seized the chance and after hiding behind the roadies for the distance between the door and the sprinter parked right behind the tour bus. He only had to smoothly walk past the sprinter on the side facing the hall, not the crowd and then sneak behind the bus. He pulled out his key card already that'd open any door of the bus for him, but as it slipped out of his hands he cursed softly and pulled the hood back that hid his face. God damn street lights, it was way too dark to see anything - that was the moment someone stepped in front of him, Eskel still searching for the key.

"I sent you so many messages," the stranger said in a hushed voice and Eskel's head shot up, looking in someone's face he's most likely never seen before.

"Uh, sorry," Eskel replied and he rose again, the key forgotten. "I receive a lot messages, but thank you! I'll check my phone and read them."

He didn't know why he said that. He didn't know what this guy even wanted from him. Gut feeling told Eskel it wasn't a selfie taken from them, sandwiched between the building and the tour bus where Eskel couldn't even open his arms for a half hearted hug. The bad lighting also didn't help.

"I've sent you messages every day, since I followed you. And you never replied."

Eskel made two steps backwards, his hands reaching out as if to defend himself. He was getting really creeped out.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, really. I promise I'll check them. When we're back on the road."

He started looking around, behind him, hoping that .. fuck, someone would just notice he was here. He was a few steps away from the sprinter. If he turned around and ran he could make it. But was that even necessary? It was just a fan. Who was pissed that he didn't reply to their messages. He would have to block them eventually. This wasn't healthy.

"It's too late for that. I really loved you, Eskel. I thought you'd understand me."

Eskel made another couple of steps backwards, but he didn't dare to turn around and leave them out of his sight. And then everything happened really fast.

Eskel yelled for Rain, automatically, as the fan in front of him jumped forwards, incredibly fast for small man and he collided with Eskel. His blood curdling scream was thrown back from the walls and the bus. Eskel wasn't fast enough to save himself and when he went down, still screaming for Rain, with the fan's weight pushing him down at the concrete. His ears rang, his head hurt and he tried to shield his face from punches he expected. But as sharp pain ran through his hand he pulled it away and tried to escape but the next painful stab hit his cheek. The pain was so much and Eskel couldn't fight back, even when a slash from just under his eye ran down to his lips.

He went blind, he went deaf, he could only feel the pain in his face. As something tore the guy off of him, Eskel was already blacked out.

[weispy]

Flat White, Mocha, Hot Chocolate, Mint Tea, and Herbal Tea since it's been, well, more than a hot minute since we last talked. >>;

More than just a hot minute indeed (ノ; °▽°)

Flat White : Coffee or Tea? 

Definitely tea, if only because I can’t handle the bitterness of coffee >.> Though lately I’ve been a lot more of an... uh, herbal infusion (??) type of person. Not sure if things like lo han kuo beverages are considered to be herbal transfusions...

Mocha : Dream Job? 

To be perfectly honest, I don’t really have one ^^; I don’t really have any aspirations for the future and it’s not something I’ve ever thought of in-depth, so there’s not any satisfying answer I can give, aha... I do remember wanting to be an archaeologist when I was younger because I really wanted to touch dinosaur bones _(:3」∠)_

Hot Chocolate : Are you an affectionate person?

I love all my friends very very much!! But I’m very much Not Great at showing affection or concern, so I usually appear pretty distant most of the time. Doesn’t help that I’m not much of a physical contact type of person and making conversation isn’t my forte so... ehe. I’m more of a “I’ll sit next to you in silence and offer you a slice of persimmon” (￣▽￣*)ゞ

Mint Tea : How do you relax?

Doodling, daydreaming about getting past the first chapter of my WIP, and once upon a time, folding origami. I still do origami from time to time now, but a lot less because I don’t know where to put them anymore once I finish one... I used to just hand them off to a friend or leave them as decoration in my college club room, but I can’t really do that anymore with the whole lockdown :’3

Herbal Tea : You’re at a candle shop, what scented candle do you buy?

i

i’ve never been to a candle shop

[for-parker]

Familiar feelings and faces

summary Peter attempts to really talk to you many times after the spell wiped your memory of him. He didn't think he was being suspicious, until Ned went up to him and told him to just ask you out instead of staring all the time.

word count 2047 or so

tags MJ!reader, Peter being cute and shy, f!reader, kinda open/happy ending

a/n since @idrinkteedarling said MJ instead of x reader, I clarified and: we're doing x reader! Since it wasn't the original request though, I wanna write 2 versions! I haven't done it yet but I hope I will soon. Thanks for the request 💓

original request:

Smiling at the familiar sight of you talking to Ned while still manning the register, Peter shook the snow off his shoes and managed a decent but shy smile in your direction.

It's been nearly two months and he's been coming here everyday for a coffee and one of the stale donuts, just to see his two ex best friends.

"Good afternoon, Peter Parker," you greeted with a grin. After the first time he came here and embarrassed himself by saying his full name to order a coffee, it became some kind of a joke between you (and Ned, but he usually just watched Peter being a nervous wreck in front of you).

"Hi," he smiled back. "The usual?" He nodded and put a five dollar bill down (he made sure to tip you whenever he was here, he knew what a measly pay you received) before moving to sit two seats away from Ned, who was leaning over some math assignment.

Peter looked it over - it was one of the only subjects Ned struggled with - always has. "Uh, you need help with that?" Peter asked timidly, scared of stepping over the line. Ned looked up in surprise but also relief, "Gosh, yes, dude. You're a lifesaver!" He thanked and moved to sit next to Peter.

While he looked over it once, you leaned on the counter as well, setting the steaming cup and donut down. "Thanks," Peter mumbles with red cheeks. You nod and wink, walking back to the cash register when a new customer comes inside.

Peter starts explaining the subject to Ned in the way he knew the boy would understand. Fifteen minutes later and Ned is happily finishing the task, slapping the folder closed with a huff.

"You gotta be, like, a genius to understand this, I swear."

You watch their interaction and can't help but feel as if it was something familiar - they seemed like they'd known each other their whole lives. Peter blushes at the praise and shakes his head with a nervous chuckle, denying it.

Your best friend turns around at your staring and smirks before turning back to Peter. Oh, well. He knew all about your not so tiny crush on the brown haired regular - you just hoped he wasn't going to do anything stupid like tell him before you got to do it yourself.

"When are you asking her out? I know you're not coming for this," with a disgusted look on his face Ned slightly touches the donut which basically crumbles fully, "because that'd be gross." He makes sure to speak at a volume you can't hear, which Peter is glad for.

Peter stumbles over his words - was he that obvious? What if you had moved on? You had promised to find him again but it seemed without knowing you'd ever planned on doing that, you weren't going to.

"I just- she reminds me of someone," he settles on saying. Ned nods, "Alright. Don't see her as a replacement, though. That would be so not cool, dude," Peter quickly assures him that's not what he meant, being glad that you had someone that looked out for you like Ned seemingly did.

"Ask her out now. No one's here and she's been looking at you for ages. It's getting almost as annoying as her crush on Spider-Man," Ned rolls his eyes and takes the donut still on Peter's plate, eating it with furrowed brows. Peter couldn't grasp why someone would do that to themselves - even with his neverending hunger he never dared eating this donut expect once (you had watched him after serving him the order for the first time and he felt like he'd disappoint you if he didn't eat it. After almost throwing back up and turning embarrassingly greenish you made him some kind of calming tea free of charge).

But Peter's world stops spinning for a second - you had a crush on his alter ego? If you ever got to that point, it'd make it so much easier to reveal his secret to you! And it meant you hadn't changed when it came to your taste in partners. He had to admit it was a relief you were attracted to him even if you didn't know it was him under the mask.

"She has a crush on Spider-Man?"

"She has a name that both of you know and she has crushes on people that do the right thing without wanting something in return. Ned, put that donut down. I have no idea how long that's been laying out here."

With a gulp Ned puts it down and you throw it away, while Peter gulps for a different reason. He could smell your perfume - it was the one he'd gotten you for your birthday a few months ago. "Uh, you smell nice."

Smiling, you thank him, "I got it from someone, I don't remember who, but he must've known me well to get me this. It's the perfect smell, really." Peter smiles and looks down at his hands. Before being able to answer something else, Ned gasps.

"Wait, you were gonna let me eat a stale donut! I could've literally died!"

-

After that, conversation flowed easier. Him and Ned became closer again and you started giving him fresh pastries you had baked yourself, just for him (he'd almost cried in happiness when you gave him the first one with the Spider-Man emblem on it, saying Peter reminded you of him - always happy to help without wanting anything in return).

It has now been close to six months, when Peter gets over himself and asks you out.

He had waited for your shift to end, pushing a cup of Starbucks coffee to you with a small smile. "You're a lifesaver. The coffee here is horrible, I don't know why people come back here." He laughs and shrugs - he certainly knew why he kept coming back.

"So? You waited all this time, there's gotta be something you wanna tell me?" Your eyes are locked on his, your head cocked to the side. His cheeks redden and he fidgets with his hands. "You see, uh…"

How did he do this the first time?? Just get over with it? But he should explain a little and ask you out on a date after. What if he messed this up and lost both of his new (old?) friends?

"I like you." He blurted out and paled when you chuckle. "I know, you're not very good at keeping secrets."

His heart halts - that's exactly what you had said after finding out about his secret identity a year ago.

"Oh," he laughs sheepishly, "Would you… want to go on a date with me?" He makes eye contact and this time it's your heart stuttering. "I'd love to. Don't make it boring," he grins widely as you take out paper to write your address and phone number down. He takes it with a smile, as if he didn't know these things by heart.

"I don't know what it is with you, but you feel so familiar. Like I've known you my whole life." You look at him earnestly, something raw in your expression that you usually hide behind sarcasm and dry jokes.

He doesn't really know what to answer but he was just incredibly happy that you felt the same way and didn't feel like he was a total stranger that had a huge crush on you.

"Thank you, you too."

You smile at him and roll your eyes when your boss calls for you to clean. "We'll see each other," he smiles and nods before getting up as well, watching you walk to the kitchen again - the cup of your favorite drink clutched in your hand.

[skellebonez]

How's about 45 and 54 where canon MK finds himself in the Inverted AU Universe? Because I think that'd be funny

Poor MK is having the second worst day of his entire life. This is not the situation he should be in AFTER THE FINALE. This would have been way different if I wrote this when you sent it in, but now you get a very sad Monkie Kid.

You may technically be an adult, but you’re still my child./ Yeah well dying generally puts a damper on things.

When MK was knocked out they were on the deck of the drone ship, fighting off some kind of demon that the White Bone Spirit had taken under her control.

When MK woke up they were on the sandy shores of Mount Huaguo surrounded by baby monkeys and one Six-Eared Macaque looking down at them with a face of great concern.

“Are you-” Macaque started to ask them, unable to finish his sentence when MK screamed and kicked out and just barely missed making contact that would have sent him flying backwards into the nearest tree. “Whoa, no, it’s alright! I’m not-”

“What did you do to me this time, Macaque!?” MK yelled, looking around for a weapon, any weapon, something they could use to defend themself. Their eyes fell on something familiar, something that shouldn’t exist anymore and they froze at the sight of red and gold.

“Little one, is your name MK?” Macaque asked softly, holding up his hands as he slowly walked forward back toward the started and confused young adult before him. “I found you washed up on the shore. You need to lay back down, you’re still-”

Macaque let out a yelp of surprise as MK dove, hand firmly grasping the familiar warm-cold center of the staff.

But it felt... wrong, somehow.

They didn’t let go.

"OK, WHAT IS HAPPENING!?" MK shouted, holding the stolen staff in front of them as they turned on the immortal monkey that was their one time mentor. "Is this Jin and Yin again? Is this the Calabash!? Did they change it so my stuff doesn’t work in it anymore!? I'm not falling for that again!"

"I'm sorry, the what?" A new voice rang from behind him. One a little... too familiar...

It was MK. It shouldn't be possible, not if the Calabash was working the same way it had worked before, but it was them. But not.

Like... the way the staff felt.

The Other MK standing in the too bright sun wore a stark sky blue and black instead of his signature orange and red, a large hefty backpack in that same blue slung over his back. And he was... tall. Not unusually tall, just taller than MK was. And also looked incredibly angry as he carried a box of medical supplies.

"The... Calabash..." MK repeated, holding the staff closer to their chest with a nervous gulp. Their hands twisted around the staff nervously, hoping the repetitive action would ground them against the repeating 'THERE IS ANOTHER YOU STARING AT YOU WHAT THE HELL' whizzing in their head. "This... this isn't Jin and Yin again after all, is it?"

MK gulped again, blinking as their vision swam suddenly and their head felt like it was filled with... something. Like liquid but if it was as light as air.

"I don't know which answer would be better for you," Macaque said softly, honesty palpable in his tone. Something so odd for the Monkie Kid to hear in their ears with that voice. "But no. We are very much real."

"Oh..." MK said plainly. "Oh that's bad. That's... Oh boy..."

Before their eyes rolled back in their head and they passed out they were pretty sure they saw a few more overly familiar faces rushing to them.

~

When MK woke a second time they were once again moved, but to somewhere else far less familiar than the shores of Mount Huaguo and the drone ship... but also too familiar. They also now realized that their head hurt... a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

“Finally, you’re back from the brink of death,” that same overly familiar voice rang our in their ear. They snapped their head to the side, regretting it instantly as it made their vision swim again and lights pop in front of their eyes. “Hey, no, don’t do that!"

The other MK jumped up, kneeling down in front of them and poked them in the forehead. His scowl didn’t seem to let up in the slightest, but it tilted in a way that felt more concerned than angry.

"... why am I looking at my own face?" MK asked, not sure whether they should continue to stare at their own face or to look anywhere else to keep their brain from short circuiting trying to process what the actual hell was happening.

“Considering you were able to pick up my staff,” the other MK said, removing his finger and gesturing to the rod that was still across MK’s chest (how had he not noticed the extra weight of it still in his hand?). “I’d say we have some kind of multi-dimensional bullshitery going on here. Unless you’re, somehow, a robot made of the same shit Red used to get the that thing in the first place, but I don’t think robots bleed from head injuries.”

Ah. That would explain why his head felt like someone had cracked it open and shoved cotton balls into it.

MK looked around, taking in the stark white walls and the overly clean smell and the clean white sheets they were laid on.

“... am I at the hospital?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Other MK yelled, raising his arms in frustration as he paced the room in a familiar excess of energy. “But unfortunately for us you don’t exactly exist here! So we’re figuring out a way to make them believe you’re me with some really fucked up memories my dude! Which is easier with, you know.”

The other MK knocked on his head twice, wincing a bit as the second knock seemed to be harder than intended.

“... but you’re..?”

“I snuck in.”

“OK, well, thanks for the help,” MK started, sitting himself up with more than a little struggle. “But I need to figure out what the heck happened and get back to-!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Other MK said, jumping on the bed and standing over him. That was... well, MK would definitely say that was a very weird but effective way of keeping someone from getting up. “Macaque already ran off without letting me stop him, I barely got him to take some backup, to figure out what in the hell is happening. You are me and I know myself and if you ever tell anyone this I will end you, but you are way too injured to be doing anything right now!”

“I have to do something, Other Me-”

“No, oh no I hate that, just call me Blue,” the other MK said, the scowl on his face softened ever so slightly once again. Just slightly. “It’s a lot better than ‘other me’. And there’s nothing we can do until Macaque gets us some answers.”

"So... what, Blue? Am I just supposed to sit around and wait for someone to come and rescue me if he finds nothing!?" MK snapped, grip on their staff tightening so much that their knuckles paled and creaked in stress. "Just do nothing while who knows what happens to my friends!?"

"No," Blue said, placing his hand on MK's shoulder and frowning when the other shrugged it off and curled in on themselves. "But hurting yourself isn't going to help you get back to them. And as long as you’re here you’re my responsibility.”

“I’m a grown ass adult, you should know that.”

“Yeah, well, dying generally puts a damper on things and you’re not so adult that you can’t escape death,” Blue said, letting himself fall back into a sitting position on the bed. “Unless you got to keep your invulnerability or something, but given the crack in your noggin that doesn’t seem... like...” Blue trailed off, looking at MK with an odd expression. “... are you ok? Like. Emotionally?”

“Huh?”

“You’re crying.”

MK wrestled with one of their hands to free it’s iron grip on the staff (not their staff, their staff was gone, they had to remind themselves that their staff was gone and... and so was so much else), raising to their cheek to discover that at some point in Blue’s retort they had indeed started crying.

“... what happened to you?”

“It’s a long story,” MK said, wiping their face on their arm (they now realized they were wearing hospital dressing). “I...” They grabbed the staff with their now free hand again, twisting the grip carefully and freeing the iron hold their other hand had. “Can I just... keep this for a bit longer?”

Blue looked at MK, looking between the other him and the staff that was rightfully his before sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Not like I need it right this second,” he said, his scowl vanishing completely as he stood and yanked over his backpack and put it back on after he pulled a baseball cap out and squished his hair into it and pulled it down to cover his face. “There’s gonna be someone here with you at all times until you get out, just to keep you in the loop of what’s going on here. We’ll figure out where you’re staying if Mac doesn’t figure out a way to get you home by tonight.” He moved toward the entrance to the room, turning back before opening it. “I’ll be back, I gotta restock my bag. There’s a couple people who wanna talk to you already... don’t... freak out.”

Before MK could ask what Blue meant the young man opened the door and slipped out, talking to someone just out of his line of vision before running off down the hall.

And then they saw the overly familiar sight of Pigsy and Tang... except they weren’t.

Pigsy, their Pigsy, was always in a chef’s uniform unless he was sleeping. Rough edges softened when he smiled or looked at MK or Mei with that exasperated look that MK knew meant he cared. Tang, their Tang, was a scholar who looked the part in every way, old fashioned clothes and books in hand. Always smiling when he could manage it and carefree.

This Pigsy was.. soft. And fluffy. Literally soft and fluffy. And wore oversized sweaters and smiled in a way that fit more on someone else’s face but felt right at home on his. This Tang was...

Well, the only way MK could think to describe the man before them was “skinny biker with probably hidden muscles who would kick your ass”. He looked the same but his hair was more wild, sunglasses pushing his bangs up, decked out in a (probably fake) leather jacket... but he had the same scarf.

And he and Pigsy were holding hands.

“I suppose you already know who we are,” the biker version of Tang said, smile on his face very awkward and seeming somewhat forced in a “I don’t know if this is helping but I’m gonna try” kind of way. “And we know who... you are. Kinda.”

“Yeah,” MK responded, thinking for a moment back to when he was found on the beach. “Were you... were you the ones with Blue, the other me, on Mount Huaguo?”

“Yeah,” the soft Pigsy said and... wow, hearing that voice say something so gently so casually was throwing him through a loop. “M-Blue was convinced we needed to get out of the city for the day and brought us along for his training. We didn’t expect to find... well, another him...” Pigsy frowned, the first one MK saw on his face and it felt so much more openly worried than their own Pigsy’s scowls. “How are you feeling?”

MK looked down at the staff in their hands, then back up to the two men in front of them.

They weren’t the two people MK considered father figures. They weren’t. But they were. And as MK tried to process this they felt their breathing speed up faster and faster and faster until-

“Hey,” Tang said, gentle and soft voice breaking MK from their racing thoughts as he reached out to put a hand in MK’s hair but stopped himself short. Probably in remembering that they weren’t Blue. “You can stay with us if you want. Once you’re discharged and if you need somewhere to stay.”

Well... that didn’t help at all.

No.

Instead it opened the floodgates and MK started crying harder than they had since the final fight with the White Bone Spirit, curling in on themselves as the last few days and what had transpired really hit them.

“What the FUCK did you do!?” He heard his own voice shout from the doorway.

~

It looked like PIgsy’s apartment. But not.

MK’s hands clenched at air, wishing they still had the staff for comfort. But no, they insisted that Blue take it back when they were discharged.

Blue was still the Monkie Kid after all. He needed the staff to fight.

MK... was just MK here. And they couldn’t fight, not while recovering from their injuries anyway.

But oh how they wish they hadn’t given it back. It felt so right and yet so wrong to hold it. They didn’t realize how much they had grown attached to the object until it was...

“MK?” Once again Pigsy’s voice startled him, not for the first time since they arrived at the apartment and MK took up the extra bedroom that this world’s counterpart had once stayed in until the apartment above the shop opened up for them. “Do you need anything?”

“No,” they responded, hands gripping the edge of their jacket in an attempt to hold something solid. It wasn’t the same. “I can handle myself.”

“I know you can, but you don’t have to,” Pigsy said, coming into the room holding a cup of water and putting it on the nightstand. “And you don’t have to talk to us, if you don’t want to... but it’d probably help. Even if you just ramble about something.”

Had this been the other Pigsy he probably would have something something like “You may technically be an adult, but you’re still my child”. Something firm and gruff and filled with underlying affection for the younger adult. But this Pigsy... there was some of that there. A firmness to his words, though the gruffness was missing. But he could feel the affection he must have had for Blue transferring to themself, the knowledge that they weren’t the same person holding most of it back.

But it was still there.

And MK hadn’t really talked to anyone since the short lived argument with Blue.

“... You uh...” they started, chuckling quietly as they twisted their fingers together. “You said you own a flower shop? My Pigsy, uh... he, runs a noodle shop.”

It wasn’t going to help. MK was certain that talking about their family and friends and how different they were would probably make how he felt worse.

But sitting there and ignoring it would make it worse far quicker in their mind.

So MK talked. For hours. Eventually Tang joined the two, both listening as MK recalled all the differences and similarities and...

Well. They listened. Just like their own Pigsy and Tang would.

... they wondered if they would ever get to go back.