#they both went through everyone saying that he needs to be tougher !!

[happi-dreams]

it’s 6 am and i am in my tired ramble mood soooo

I always see people constantly seeing emmet and rex as complete opposites when THEY’RE NOT . THAT IS THE SAME PERSON

[blindseer0]

Who Is Jenna and What is Her Route About?

(Reposted from Twitter)

Jenna’s Route is a highlight for many: arguably the happiest ending and the one most people recommend playing last. It’s also controversial, not just because Jenna is one of the more polarizing characters, but because people feel it doesn't focus enough on her.

I’ve seen multiple people comment that they still didn’t really know who Jenna was after playing her route. That kind of makes sense, since it has a large focus on Leo, which I think distracts people from what is going on with Jenna.

It doesn’t help that she is canonically the most enigmatic and guarded character, with Chase even commenting that he feels like there is extra meaning to what she says but he’s not smart enough to figure it out. So, who is Jenna and what is the point of her route?

Thankfully, the game has Flynn tell us exactly what each route is about. Carl’s is about his anxiety, fear of the future, and lack of confidence in himself. Leo’s is about his obsession with the past, inability to move forward, and projecting all of that onto Chase.

What about Jenna’s? Flynn’s comments to her are arguably the cruelest, and he even says as much. We know Jenna’s family were abusive towards her and that she had good reason to leave and never come back. Flynn knows this, he and Leo dealt with her family the most and its implied that after Leo and Chase started dating he was left to help her by himself. He never has anything positive to say about any of her family and seems to despise all of them. Why would he care about what happens to them or her relationship with them? The answer is, he doesn’t.

Flynn isn’t talking about how Jenna treats her biological family, he’s talking about her found family, our main characters. As he points out, Carl and Leo are both in very dark places (and we see him trying to help both of them, in his own way) and could really use her help.

Chase, who went to Pueblo on Jenna’s advice, seems lost and unsure of what to do with his life. Jenna’s on the same campus as him, and they’ve hardly talked. To be clear, Jenna isn’t obligated to sort their shit out, but it’s easy to see why Flynn thinks she abandoned them.

Flynn also accuses her of thinking she’s better than them because she left Echo, and he’s absolutely right. Why do I think that? Let’s look at everyone’s reactions to Sydney’s death. In Carl’s Route, Leo talks about how everyone changed after that.

Carl became more anxious and depressed, Leo became overprotective, Flynn became bitter, and TJ was obviously keeping a traumatizing secret. So, what about Jenna? What did she “learn” from Sydney’s death? Jenna learned that if you stay in Echo, it will FUCKING KILL YOU.

Jenna saw what the town did to her family, how it killed her brother, Sydney and countless others and she decided to leave before it killed her as well. We see her try to convince Chase, Carl, and even Leo to leave Echo, because she thinks the town will ruin them if they don’t.

That’s why she shows disdain towards Janice for still working at the diner and to various other people, because it’s obvious to her that the town breaks people and if they were smarter they would know they should leave; if they were stronger or just tried harder they could leave.

Jenna tells Chase as much, that the difference between her and Jeremy was “temperament”. Her “nature” was strong enough to overcome her “nurture”. She talks about how Heather “made herself a victim”, which is in contrast to Jenna, who does her best to not talk about her abuse.

Jenna needs to believe that she got out of Echo through sheer force of will; that she is better, tougher than everyone who stayed, because if that wasn’t the reason, what does that mean for everyone still there? What does it mean for her family? For her?

And the reason she shows disdain towards Flynn is not only because he’s still in Echo, but because he knows the truth of the lie Jenna tells herself: she didn’t survive Echo because of her temperament, she survived Echo because of her friends, her found family.

To get her good ending, you have Chase tell her “We kept each other sane”; we’re supposed to understand that “we” isn’t just Chase and Jenna, it’s all of them. Chase even says he could have become like Jeremy and Clint if he didn’t have Jenna, Leo, and the rest of the group.

Deep down, Jenna knows this. Before the temperament line she says that it was falling in with Clint that made Jeremy the (awful) person he is; that if things had been different, he, or she, could have been different.

In Jenna’s route Leo expresses a similar sentiment, saying he should have been there for Micha, should have introduced him to the group, that if he had, maybe things would have turned out better for the bat. In Route 65 he says that his friends are why he didn’t turn out like the people at the party.

That’s why Jenna’s good ending is what it is. You, as Chase, convince her that people can change, can be better, and that they can help each other survive, that you don’t have to do it on your own. Jenna talks Heather down because she realizes she could have been like Heather, if not for her found family keeping her sane and supporting her through the worst parts of her life.

(This is also LITERALLY true, in that she could not have physically left Echo if one of her friends, Chase, hadn't given her a ride out of town.)

It’s also why the Socketman is so prominent in the route; it’s what helped her survive her abusive childhood until she could meet Chase, Leo, and everyone else.

(I have another thread I could write about Jenna, Flynn and the Socketman, but this has already gone on too long.)

That’s why she doesn’t actually talk to Jeremy, another common complaint. Jeremy makes his choice when he sells her, and the people she cares most about, out to Brian. It’s not him she needs to talk to, it’s them. Her route is the only one where they’re all together at the end.

Jenna is a tough, talented person, and it wasn’t just luck that got her out of Echo and where she is; she put in the work. But admitting that she was lucky, that her found family, for all their flaws were, and are, still there for her, that there was some good in the hellhole that is Echo, that’s what allows her to save the people in the town, to save Heather, and leads to (arguably) the happiest ending in Echo. That’s why I love the writing for Jenna and her route so much. There’s so much under the surface and so many layers to explore.

(You, obviously, don’t have to agree with all or any of what I’ve said here, and I’d love people to tell me what they think or if I’m full of shit. I just wanted to put my thoughts out there, since I’ve seen people talking about it, and give another way to look at things.)

(I wanted to write a thread about Leo and Conservatism, but to write that I needed to write a thread about Leo, Jenna and College in Echo, and to write THAT I needed to explore Jenna’s character and what motivates her. Let me know if you would want to read either of those.)

[aealzx]

Shortly after the two families had snarfed down an ungodly amount of food for dinner Don and Leon had ushered Lil Mikey back to the infirmary to check on his injuries. They would get to Raph after, but they figured it would be easier on everyone to disentangle Lil Mikey from the group first. Even throughout dinner Donnie had remained with his back stubbornly squished against Raph’s side, keeping wrapped up in the blanket and eating the scallop alfredo from a bowl held close to his chin. He seemed to be slowly doing better though, so Don made sure the others didn’t make a fuss over it, reminding them that their guests had all been through extremely stressful events recently. Something that had Leon understandably eager to get the bandages off Lil Mikey’s arm so he could see and assess the damage for himself.

“So Leatherhead was the one that took care of you? Not Don?” Leon asked, glancing over at Don as the latter patiently allowed Leon to take the lead once more.

“Yeah, Don and Leo took care of Donnie – wow that’s weird to say – while Leatherhead and Big Raph took care of me,” Lil Mikey confirmed, wincing slightly when Leon jostled his arm in a way that caused the damaged muscle to protest. He was used to Leon’s hands winding and unwinding bandaging on him, but the injury was still a new experience that made him a little anxious. Enough that the foot he had hanging off the edge of the table swayed slightly.

“Okay,” Leon accepted, figuring Raphael had done the same for Lil Mikey as he’d done for Raph and acted like a distraction. When he carefully peeled the gauze back from the wound Leon ended up giving a small gasp. “Ohmigosh, it’s tiny! I thought it would be a lot bigger. How big was the bullet?” he blurted, brushing his fingers over the stitches before looking at Don.

Don could only chuckle, feeling a little bad for the slight startle Lil Mikey had gotten from Leon’s gasp, and leaned closer for a moment to see for himself. “It was only a nine millimeter one. We were lucky and even though there wasn’t an exit wound he didn’t seem to have gotten too much damage. Leatherhead said it was pretty easy to remove the bullet, it was just the cleanup and disinfection that took the longest.”

Listening to the explanation, Leon’s expression lit in a way only his would when discussing this matter. Looking back at the injury, Leon could only grin. “Gosh, I don’t even think it’ll scar that much. You guys are amazing,” he gushed, taking a few more seconds to admire the work before he started to apply some more ointment and clean gauze.

“Yeah, Big Raph mentioned they got a lot of practice,” Lil Mikey recalled, swinging his foot slightly once again. “I’m glad the people we end up fighting don’t tend to use guns. This really hurt,” he admitted, trying to keep his voice light.

It was subtle for others, but obvious for Leon that Lil Mikey wasn’t completely okay from the event. The slightly tense strain in Lil Mikey’s tone was enough to get Leon to pause, looking up at Lil Mikey’s face. “...Does it still hurt a lot?” he asked, just to make sure Lil Mikey wasn’t trying to be tougher than he needed to.

“No!” Lil Mikey assured quickly. “No, it’s good. It doesn’t even hurt that much, especially with the meds.” He wasn’t lying. He still didn’t really notice the injury until he tried to move his arm too much. But he knew he needed to give a little more so that Leon didn’t think he was pushing it off. “I guess… I’m just still a little scared when I think about it.”

Admittedly it was a fair emotion to have towards being shot, but Leon ended up giving a small snort. “You open a portal to another dimension and completely wreck both your arms for months, but brush that off like it’s nothing. And then getting shot and having a tiny little stitched up wound scares you?” he asked, a little incredulously.

Lil Mikey’s eyes went a little wider at the comparison, having not thought about it before. “...Huh. I guess the fact that I was saving you instead of getting saved by others made a big difference. Every time I got worried about the portal scars I just had to remember that you were still home with us, and it was gonna be okay.”

The response from Lil Mikey caused Leon’s teasing smile to falter, threatening to fade completely but instead settling into one of concerned fondness. He wasn’t sure what to respond, and consequently ended up reacting to Don’s movement instead.

As soon as Leon mentioned Lil Mikey opening a portal to another dimension Don tried to subtly but quickly pull out his phone to text Raphael. Unfortunately for him it didn’t go unnoticed, and he reflexively gripped his phone harder and tried to pull away when Leon’s hand smacked over the top of it. Leon had been intending to take the phone away from Don, but after feeling his fingers clenching the device in an iron grip Leon changed tactics, meeting Don’s gaze with a now steely smile. “...Who ya texting, Old Don?” Leon asked, his voice venomously sweet.

Don realized his mistake immediately, and had to keep himself from groaning at his own stupidity. Of course the teens would be wary of them having possible outside communication. So while he didn’t exactly want Leon to see what he’d been typing, he relented and opened his palm to give up his phone. “See for yourself,” he accepted, hoping Leon didn’t take too much offense to his unfiltered phrasing.

The phone being so easily relinquished caught Leon slightly off guard, the smile faltering halfway as he studied Don for a moment, looking for anything to hint that he was trying to pull a fast one on him as soon as he looked away. He couldn’t find anything though, and eventually looked down at the phone screen. The recipient was labeled as Raphael, with a more candid picture of the elder turtle in the bubble. And the most recent message sent sooner than Don had intended read ‘Did you know Little Mikey got his scars from opening an interesting’.

Leon realized his hand probably caused an autofill for the last word before sending the message, but it didn’t stop him from frowning. As Raphael’s message came back, asking for clarification, Leon tossed the phone back to Don. “You’re all really annoying, you know that? Why do you keep butting in our business?”

“Leo,” Lil Mikey chided immediately, his voice lowered and slightly hissed. That wasn’t an appropriate tone to take with someone who had been more than helpful for them in his mind.

Don held his tongue for a moment, not able to blame Leon at all for his reaction and only feeling upset with himself for not considering his action might be taken wrong. He’d thought Leon was a little more comfortable with him than he apparently was. “... I’m sorry. We’re just curious, and want to help. But don’t want to push you guys too hard, so we’re trying to figure things out on our own so you don’t have to tell us about it,” Don admitted, a little hesitant but hoping honesty would help instead of causing more problems in this case.

“You ever think I don’t want to tell you about my life?” Leon snapped back.

“You don’t want to? Or you can’t?” Don asked, his voice gentle yet blunt as he noted Leon’s response coming from distress instead of anger. And as Don suspected, the call out to Leon’s smothered discord caused him to freeze for a moment, eyes widening slightly and losing focus as he reflexively shut down in avoidance. Making a stilling motion to Lil Mikey as the lad quickly started to respond, Don waved his hand gently in Leon’s vision to get his attention without touching him. Once Leon’s eyes flicked back to him, Don carefully gripped Leon’s palm with one hand while the other cupped against Leon’s jaw. “I know you’re probably a little scared right now, but can you just focus on my hands for a moment? Let me know if they’re too warm, or if I’m holding you too hard. Also we used a different ointment this time for Lil Mikey. Can you smell the difference? This one smells more herbal than synthetic, yeah?”

Leon didn’t verbally respond, but Don could see his mind quickly shifting to focus on what was requested of him. Eyes flicking down to their hands as his cheek pressed into Don’s other palm slightly. A deep breath as he tried to smell what Don was pointing out, let out in a shaky exhalation before another was drawn. All the while Lil Mikey watched in surprise, marveling at how easily Don addressed Leon.

A few more slow breaths in and out, and Leon sullenly looked up at Don, the annoyance from before having faded into sheepishness. “...How did you do that so easily?” he ended up asking, voice quiet.

Don could only give Leon a bittersweet smile, lowering his hand to Leon’s shoulder and giving the other a squeeze when he saw Leon wasn’t quite ready to be without physical comfort yet. “My Leo…,” Don started,  then caught himself and reorganized his thoughts to explain better. “When we were teenagers, Leo got in a fight that almost cost his life. And while protecting him the rest of us almost got caught in a gas leak explosion. He ended up a little different for awhile because of it, and we had to get some help from Master Splinter’s old friend because none of us knew how to address the trauma he held. And as we got older we eventually learned what had happened, and how to help. It’s come in handy for all of us, even to this day.” The explanation was gentle, and Don tried to be as open as he could about it. And at the end he released his grip and lifted his heavily scarred arm slightly to draw attention to it, trying to ignore how the infirmary had gained two newcomers by now.

Having felt Leon’s distress, Donnie had hurriedly disentangled himself from the couch to make his way to the infirmary with the others. The blanket was still held around his shoulders, and he studied the room with a slight glare before he begrudgingly considered that Leon wasn’t being intentionally antagonized. Leon even seemed effectively distracted, and curiously engaged with the conversation now too, so Donnie held his own questions back with narrowed eyes as he approached. After side eyeing Don to make sure he wouldn’t suddenly try to grab him or something, Donnie leaned against Leon’s back just enough to tuck his head down against Leon’s skull, offering his own form of comfort.

The other newcomer was Raphael. Having not gotten a response from Don quick enough he’d decided to come find his brother in person. But with the scene he’d walked into he decidedly remained at the doorway, folding his arms and pursing his lips warily. He didn’t like where the conversation was going, but he also realized this wasn’t about him and kept quiet.

“...What happened to your arm?” Leon asked, taking the bait Don laid and looking down Don’s arm. Seeing how many scars there were and noting how his grip was definitely weaker than his other hand. The muscles in that arm seemed slightly smaller too.

“...I had my arm in a generator, trying to remove the crystal core, when it got turned back on,” Don answered, giving up his own personal grief story in exchange for having learned something similar about Lil Mikey. “Fifteen fractures along my entire arm, along with deep gashes wherever you see a scar. It scared Raphael pretty good, and Leatherhead still blames himself for not being able to do better fixing it up. It’s one of the many events that motivated us to get such a nicely stocked infirmary.”

Leon was quiet as he processed what Don had told him. Trying to guess exactly how much damage had been done to Don’s arm, and what it had taken to get it back to the state it was in now instead of amputating it. And then he slowly began to fully realize what Don had told him. Their infirmary was top of the line because they needed it to be. Because they hadn’t had just one close call. Don had just told Leon that all of them had almost died when they were teenagers. And then told him there was one more time where Don had personally, probably almost died again after that. And yet they were all still there, smiling and laughing and not breaking down at everything that even slightly reminded them of the events. The next breath from Leon shook slightly, and he reached up to bother Donnie into giving him an arm to hold. “...How are you guys not… How are you still functioning like normal?”

It was a question that Don noticed had as much pain as it had hope in it, and Don could only smile in pained warmth. “Emotional wounds, and mental wounds can heal just like physical ones. As long as they’re taken care of properly,” he assured, returning his hand to Leon’s to give it another squeeze. “I’m asking all the questions I am because I don’t want to just help you guys with your physical injuries. I want to help with everything else too, because when we get you guys back home I want you to be able to feel safe and sound there…. Okay?”

Leon’s gaze fell, but this time it was because of thought instead of wanting to avoid Don. It was too hard to respond with trust just yet. He couldn’t say it was okay, or that he was willing to talk. He couldn’t even say he couldn’t talk about it yet either. So instead he just looked away and relented with a form of direction. “...Ask April about it… She and Mikey are the only ones that can manage to talk about it so far.” The admittance caused him to tighten his grip around Donnie’s arm, afraid he’d just made a mistake by giving Don information he hadn’t had before. It didn’t help that Donnie shared his unease, his eyes moving to stare in mild warning at Don without moving his head. It was a rare moment of them being vulnerable, and Donnie was promising hell to pay if Don used it against them.

By this point Don was starting to get used to the twins’ wariness and bristled emotions, and could only withdraw his own hands as a physical motion to show he wasn’t going to try to pry any more from Leon. “Thank you. For trusting me a little,” he responded first, wanting Leon to know he appreciated his openness. “How about I finish getting Mikey’s arm dressed again, and you can go back to the living room with Donnie to relax more?”

Leaving the situation he was in felt tempting, but Leon also didn’t want to leave Lil Mikey half cared for. He was the one who was supposed to take care of them in this situation after all. He’d needed help with Raph, but something as simple as changing a bandage wasn’t hard. And yet he couldn’t find the motivation to want to complete the job. “..You sure?” Leon asked, half giving in to his reluctant lethargy.

“Sure. You can take it easy. And if I’m too rough then I give Mikey full permission to throw me out the door,” Don persisted brightly. It was a mild joke, but Leon understood why Don had said it. He didn’t mind if the boys got rough with him to protect themselves. He didn’t mind if they were baring their teeth in wary defensiveness. It was nice to hear, and Leon’s nerves stilled a little more as he shifted to stand up, keeping a hold of Donnie’s arm and pulling him with him.

“Alright. Let…,” Leon relented fully, starting to say his usual line of giving them permission to get him if they needed anything. But this time, he didn’t actually want to be bothered. So the words were changed as he started again. “I’ll let you take care of it. And I’ll send April in to help Mikey back when you’re done.”

It was a bit surprising, hearing Leon give Don an easy way to get April and Lil Mikey together to be able to ask them what had happened. But Don could only smile warmly, taking the response to mean he had done well in responding to Leon’s concerns. “Alright. Take it easy, and we’ll come get Raph when we’re ready,” Don bid, letting the two boys shuffle out of the room.

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Previous Next

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laughing weakly as I post this at ungodly hours of the night just because I wanted to actually get one up and was worried I wouldn't be able to come back to it tomorrow X'D

sorry for the delay this time. I had a brain crisis like a month ago or something I dunno keeping track of time has been hard especially with having double duty at work and not sleeping the greatest because of leg aches all the time now |D I used to be able to do Rizen and CDK at the same time, but now just 1 project it a bit difficult to work on. I haven't given up on any of my projects, they're just taking a way long time to update now

Fun note though, when I was doing the final before post read through on this Better Days by Arman Cekin and Faydee came on my playlist and I thought it was cute for the latter scenes.

[amica-aenigmata-naboo]

COLLISION

Astarion x Y/N - Chapter 2 - 2.5K WC

Masterlist

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 (you are here!)

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5 NSFW 18+

Chapter 6 NSFW 18+

Chapter 7 NSFW 18+

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Magic was tougher than it looked. It felt like the most grueling full body workout. “Well, you’ve got enough to get you through a very short… heavily aided battle.” Shadowheart said, it sounded like the best backhanded compliment. 

“Can we be done for the day?” You asked, cracking your neck and stretching your back. “Please?”

Gale smiled and waved you off, “Just for today, we’ll need you in battle soon enough. Best you have a few tricks up your sleeve to survive… A word of advice, seek out Lae’zel, have her show you combat training. The Githyanke are -”

“Excellent warriors, I know.” you stated without thinking.

Gale’s face faltered for a moment before relaxing “Precisely, she’s the best to learn from.” he clapped his hand on your shoulder before walking back to his tent.

Shadowheart was walking back to her tent but gave you a smile and mouthed “good luck” towards you. 

You took a deep breath and walked to Lae’zel’s tent. Feet practically made of lead the way the anxiety made them drag. You stopped in front of her not looking up.

“Speak” was all she said.

“I’d like to spar with you… have you teach me how to fight… so I’m not just a useless cleric.” Your lip twitched up at the end of your sentence. Finally raising your gaze, Lae’zel looked at you and crossed her arms. 

“Fine. I suppose you can use this.” She said handing you what you recognized as “The Cruel Sting” sword from the drider, Kar’niss. 

You clutched the sword and followed Lae’zel to the center of the camp where she unceremoniously body checked you, knocking you onto your back with a groan.

“The Hell was that for?!” you yelled at her.

“Your enemy will not fight fair, you need to know brutality if you wish to fight.” she said as she unsheathed her sword.

You stood and held your sword. Nothing had ever felt more out of place. This wasn't a Renaissance Festival, this was real and you had to learn this to survive. You took a deep breath, closing your eyes and praying a collective prayer to any deity listening. You opened your eyes, the first strike of many clanged against your sword.

Shit.

________________________ 

Metal collides well past sundown. Lae’zel had run you ragged. You were currently trying to shove her back. She put her foot behind yours and shoved, sending you crashing onto your back.

“Have you learned nothing?!” she yelled so loudly everyone else in the camp was watching now. “Your enemy will not hesitate to kill you. You shall offer them no such mercy either!” she continued to yell.

That's it. That’s what broke the camel's back. Rage consumes you after being beaten down for hours. Your hand reached slowly for the small blade tucked into your breast pocket. Lae’zel put her sword to your neck to demand your surrender. You raised your hands. Lae’zel began putting her sword away and that's when you struck. You kicked her closest ankle and sent her falling. Dagger in your hand, you rolled on top of Lae’zel, straddling her hips and pressing the blade to her throat. She gawked at you, she was speechless. 

“Never assume the war is over because the battle was lost.” you said with hate in your voice but a proud smile on your face. 

Lae’zel gave the faintest smirk before taping the handle of the blade, signifying she surrendered. Both of you got up slowly. Lae’zel extended her arm. You stared at it in disbelief but your arm went to hers. Holding each other's forearms she shook it once firmly before saying, “Cleric, you may survive us yet.” she let go of your arm, walking to the bonfire as the meat roasting smelled as if it was almost done. 

Karlach walked over to you, “That’s as close as you’ll ever get to her saying you’re friends now.” she laughed. “You’ve improved a lot in one day. It’s going to be nice having you around soldier.” she patted your back before she herself walked to the campfire. 

You smiled watching her walk away. Glancing at Gale and Wyll they both gave you smiles, Gale giving a soft clap and Wyll a thumbs up. You walked back to your new tent that Karlach had set up for you while you were in the weave. It wrapped around the tree you slept on last night. A bedroll, some candles, and a small table with a lamp softly flickering. The flamed danced shadows across your tent, you laid on your bedroll momentarily, watching the shadows. Quickly, before you got too comfortable, you stood and began your walk to the stream. Your body ached but in a satisfactory way. Maybe you could be an adventurer. At least until you got back home. You shed your camp clothes at the shore, looking back and making sure everyone was at camp. You could hear them eating and telling stories  around the fire. You waded into the stream until it reached your ribs. You sat against a boulder in the stream. The water rushing around you felt calming, as if the water was trying to massage the ache out of you. You brushed water over your face and hair before leaning your head back and closing your eyes. Trying to connect to the earth around you, searching for a blissful escape in the elements even if only for a moment. 

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

Astarion watched you from behind a tree near the shore and his tent. He didn’t mean to spy on you. He honestly thought he saw a fae or siren wade into the water, your body enchanting him. He watched you wade to the boulder finding some sort of solace in it. You leaned there unmoving for what felt like hours. 

Sad

That's what rang out in Astarion’s mind. The tadpole saying what your mind must have been screaming. He felt that unfamiliar pang in his chest again. He wanted to… comfort you? He didn’t even know what that would look like. Was it like seduction just… less? He both wanted to know and despised the thought of knowing.

Without realizing it, he had drifted off and he refocused on your form trudging back to the shore. He knew what he had to do to get rid of the pang in his chest. Crush it. Crush you. The very thought hurt him somehow but he knew it had to be done. He walked out from behind the tree heading towards the shore. Your back was facing him, your shirt and underwear on but nothing else. He adored the way the moonlight made your shirt cast a shadow of your body. He noticed every curve, dimple, freckle… he noticed them all. 

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

“Oh! Astarion…” you jumped when you heard the rocks behind you shift. Your hands flew all over your body trying to cover up but not sure what exactly to cover. He grabbed your hip when you started to move backwards. You glanced at his hand before looking at his face, your eyebrows scrunched together. Astarion hadn’t exactly been the most welcoming in the camp so what was this? Hand still on your hip he possessively pulled you to his chest, his opposite hand tilting your chin up so your lips were a breath away from each other. Your whole body felt like cement and lava at the same time. Your eyes watched his every move. 

“A bath with no invite? Darling, you wound me.” he whispered onto your lips. You sucked in an unintentionally sharp breath when he leaned forwards and smashed his lips to yours. He was rough despite his gentle grasp on your chin. He continued to kiss you, nipping at your lower lip.

“Ouch!” you yipped, pushing his chest away. 

“Come now darling you cannot be so delicate…” he said seductively.

You backed up and held your arm out in front of you to put a physical barrier between you. “Astarion, stop.” You said as your finger smoothed over the nip on your lip that had drawn the smallest bit of blood. 

Now it was his turn to freeze, “What? Why? Is something wrong?” He asked. He almost sounded… annoyed? Instead of concern which you would expect from a lover. 

You knew enough about Astarion from your progress in Baldur's Gate III that he was trying to manipulate you by sleeping with you. It saddened you. He might not like you much in reality but you would still protect him like everyone else in your party. Your face gave a painful squeeze before you swallowed it all down. You put your arm down, picking up your pants, boots, and vest. “Astarion… you don’t truly want this. I’ll umm… I’ll see you at camp.” You whispered out. 

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

The world seemed to be so still and quiet down by the stream. Astarion heard every syllable. He watched you leave quickly and did he detect… a quiver in your voice? Why would you be upset about him trying to fuck you? Why did you say “you don’t truly want this”? He didn’t want it, but how did you know that? He walked back to his tent glumly. After seeing you take down Lae’zel he thought you might not be so bad to have under his thumb. Why would you reject him? He saw himself for the first time in 200 years that morning so he knew for a fact he was still beautiful, fangs and all. He wracked his brain but couldn’t come up with an answer to why his plan didn’t work on you. It works on everyone else. 

A bitter seed was planted inside him. He watched your form move around camp for the rest of the night. Eyes never meeting his. He watched you talk with the others. Sing with Wyll. attempt to dance with Karlach. Everyone wore soft smiles, even Lae’zel which was rare. A warmth was spread around the camp. As if the air was made of warm honey. Suffocating you in the best way possible. Rested and comfortable is what it was.

He wanted so desperately to be a part of it. And yet, that bitter seed took root and every thought of you suddenly felt like rot and decay. Finding the bad and none of the good. Making you the cause of such ire. He wanted to be rid of you. He thought of the item you had, the “mirror” he used. Had you told the others about that? What would they think of it? He could twist it to make you look like the villain, he was sure of it. 

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

“”Y/N darling…” 

Your head snapped to Astarion who had silently managed to sit across from you at the bonfire. Your head swirled a bit, whatever Karlach was drinking had some twang to it that's for sure. You were drunk and the warm glow of the fire made you feel like a cat in a sunbeam.

“Astarion darling…” you giggled back.

“Have you told our dear friends about your powerful little tool?” he batted his eyelashes at you but a devious smirk laid across his lips. 

Everyone's eyes slowly drifted to you and lord did you feel them on you.

“I… I showed Gale.” you rushed out. You weren’t hiding it. Not truly. You just didn’t know how to tell them what a phone was without having to tell them about your… well… life? And how to you, they were a mere video game. That they didn’t actually exist. That's a little tough to deliver. Especially while drunk. 

“Yes! She had me repower it.” Gale chimed in. 

“Oh it needs magic to power itself? Sounds dangerous if you ask me…” 

Now everyone's eyes were not only looking at you but focused on you, scanning you over for any potential danger. You slowly reached into your bedroll. Your phone lit up and everyone kept a strong hold on their weapons. 

“I… it is a power source… but it only powers itself. It’s not dangerous I swear…. It’s used to communicate where I’m from.” you quickly defended yourself.

“And where is that exactly?” Astarion hummed.

Your skin was crawling, you felt how unsteady your stomach was, a cold sweat coating your back, your hands shaking, and dear god you were fighting the urge to spill tears. All out of sheer anxiety. You didn’t want to lie, but you didn’t know how to tell the truth either. 

“I… I’m… not from here. Or Baldur’s Gate. Or Faerûn. I’m… I’m from somewhere far away. I’m not sure how to explain it.” you choked out. The tears slipped out but you quickly wiped them away and looked at your new friends, hoping they’d believe you but not push for more answers either. 

“How mysterious.” Astarion jested. “Care to show up what it does so we know it isn’t dangerous?” 

You looked down at the phone before looking at everyone around you. You had no idea if this would have some sort of butterfly effect or alter reality but you didn’t really care. These people were your best hope, you needed them and were in no position to test their patience. You looked down, defeated. You agreed, turning the phone on you opened the camera app. 

“I can use it to see people… and take portraits of them instantly.” you softly explained before taking a picture of yourself and then showing them all the picture. They looked impressed, borderline shocked. 

“Anything else?” Astarion asked, sounding unamused. 

You opened your music app and clicked on classical music, thinking that would be somewhat close to the music they know. Playing strauss II - voices of spring you turned the volume up and watched them become entranced. Karlach started swaying and humming with the melody. Everyone’s tense appearance faded and they all seemed pleased with the music. 

“Portrait machine and a music box, how delightful!” Gale spoke before drinking more wine. 

“If you all don’t mind I will retire early this evening.” you spoke softly as you got up and walked away leaving your phone as it began the classical music playlist you had saved for when you would study. Some of the group gave you nods, some were too deep in drink or conversation to notice. But Astarion did.

He saw how tightly you clasped your hands as you walked away. How your eyes were so big and full of fright. How your heartbeat sounded. Terrified.

Shit.

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

He watched you from his tent as you threw rocks from the river bank into the riverbed. He could still hear your heartbeat. How strained it sounded. Like it was fighting itself. He felt wretched. He was doing what he needed to. Right? Then why did it hurt so damn bad? Why did the way the tears skimmed down your face feel like a wound to his heart? Why did he want nothing more than to go to you and whisper sweet apologies. He hates you. He has to because it is the only control he can feel at this moment. So why does the final sob he hears escaping you on the shore bring him right back to where he doesn’t want to be. He digs in his supply pack before pulling out the vile of angelic slumber. If he couldn’t meditate this away he was not above drugging himself to sleep for the night. Anything to not feel what he felt when it came to you.

Hello angels! You all were so sweet leaving me comments, likes, and reblogs. Thank you soooooo much! All that support went into overdrive so here is chapter 2! I'll be working on other chapters this week. Thank you again for all the love, I love interacting with ya'll! <3

[rfsak2]

Spitfire

Everyone always thought Daryl was the rough one. DarylxOC

Warnings: canon typical gore and violence.

**

“I said stay there, jackass.”

“Now, sugartits…” the man grinned- leered- and sauntered forward. “Can I call you sugartits?”

She sighed and stood from her camp chair, pushing a mass of curly, red hair out of her face. “I said: stay there. This is your last warning.”

“What’re you gonna do… all by yourself?” He sucked on his lip.

“Kill you.” She nodded at the younger man behind him. “And pretty boy, if he has anything to say after.”

The older man laughed. “Baby, my brother and I are twice your size and there’s two of us-“

“Merle, stop.” It was the younger one, his crossbow aimed at her head, eyes on her face through the scope.

“Yeah, Merle… wouldn’t want to get in over your head.”

“Really?” He laughed. “The tough chick bullshit is probably what got ya this far, but you gonna need some help if you want to survive.”

“And I bet you’re just the man to render that help…” She smiled, keeping her posture loose and light.

“Yeah, baby, we can take care of you.” Merle rubbed his hands together, stalking closer. “Gotta be tit for tat, though… emphasis on the tit.”

“Merle.” Daryl hadn’t relaxed, still tense, hands on his crossbow.

“Shut up, Daryl.” Merle chucked. “You let me handle this.”

“You ain’t handling nothing, dickhead.” She batted her eyes at him. “I will kill you if you get any closer.”

“With what, darlin’?”

“With my hands.”

He barked out a laugh and stepped forward, within arms reach. “Well, in that case…” He reached out for her and she stepped back and popped him in the face with a quick right hook.

Merle pulled back in shock and gaped at her. Shaking his head as if to clear it, he reached for her again, saying, “That was real cute.”

She caught his arm and slapped him across the face with the back of her forearm.

Merle backed off, holding his hands up. “Alright… you tougher than you look.”

She pulled her knuckle-dusters from her pocket and slipped them on her hand in one fluid motion. She lunged forward and popped him in the cheekbone.

He fell back and she followed him down, landing two more heavy hammer fists before she felt the sharp point of an arrow against her temple.

She lifted her hands. “I warned him.”

“Only reason you don’t got a bolt in your head. Back off.”

She risked a peek at him and stood slowly, Merle spluttering underneath her.

The brother, Daryl, kept an eye on her as he hauled his brother up.

“You bitch!” He spat to the side and wiped at his face. He grinned. “Not gonna lie, that’s kinda sexy.”

Daryl shook his head, muttering something about “dumb assholes”.

“You like getting beaten up on by women?” She laughed in a sharp crack, tension suddenly drained out of space. “I used to know someone who could help you with that.”

“That what you used to do, baby?” Merle licked his split lip. “Turn trick?”

She shook her head, smiling. “I meant a therapist, you fuckin’ tool.”

“You were a therapist?”

She could feel them eyeing her tattooed arms. The implicit judgment irked her. She wasn’t the picture of mental health but that didn’t mean she was dirty or unworthy. “No, I went to a therapist.”

“Why?” It was the younger one this time.

“None of your damn business.” She arched an eyebrow. “Why are you still here anyways?”

“Why leave?” Merle shrugged and sat his ass on a stump near to her fire. He cast a look around at her camp, eyeing her tent and truck.

She chuckled and nabbed a shop rag from her tool kit, wiping his blood off the knuckle dusters and slipping them back in her pocket. “Because I ain’t giving you shit and we both know now that neither of you are gonna take it. So I don’t really know why you’re still here.”

“Could take it while you’re asleep.” Daryl this time, but even he didn’t seem convinced.

She shrugged, nodding vaguely. “You could try, I guess.” She sat in her chair. “Do what you gotta.”

They were collectively silent for a while, Merle sat on the stump wiping at his face with the bottom of his shirt, Daryl pacing, switching from watching her to taking in his surroundings.

He seemed to come to a decision and sat on the ground near his brother. He briefly checked on Merle and turned piercing, pretty blue eyes on her. “Where you from?”

“Johnson City, Texas.” She eyed him. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Just don’t sound like you from ‘round here, ‘sall.”

She made a face, nodding vaguely in agreement. “Fair. Where you two from?”

“Mountain City.”

“Georgia?”

Merle nodded.

She hummed and reached for a pack of cigarettes sitting on a little camp table. She lit a cigarette and, after a beat, tossed it and the lighter to Daryl and Merle.

“What’s your name, baby?”

“Mitzi.”

“Mitzi?”

She nodded.

“What the hell kinda name is that?”

She chuckled. “The one I got.”

**

“Officer Shane Walsh.” The burly man stuck his hand out and the pret- redheaded woman, who had reluctantly let them stay in her camp, looked unimpressed, arms littered with bold color crossed over her chest. Shane stared the much smaller woman down. She stared right back.

Daryl had to hand it to her, she was small by any standard. A near-foot shorter than the man in front of her and nowhere near as broad. She met Shane’s eyes unflinchingly, posture straight and take-no-shit. She was a tough one.

“Mitzi.” She didn’t take his hand.

Shane seemed to be waiting for something and kind of huffed, setting his hand on his hip. “Mitzi?”

She nodded and was silent for an unreasonably long time.

“You got a last name?”

“You got a warrant?” She huffed right back. Daryl buried a chuckle.

Shane gritted his teeth. “Do I need one?”

“Do you have authority to have one?” She made an exaggerated show of looking around. “Looky there, no judge in sight.”

“Look, I’m not trying to start a fight.” Shane held his hand up. “I’m just-“

“Pissing on territory that’s not yours. Conveniently, it’s not mine either. Set your sh-“ she eyed the kid standing behind him. “Your stuff wherever. I don’t care, but just know that the more of us that are here, the more danger we are in.”

The reminder of the state of things seemed to rattle the small family. The woman behind him took a shaky breath.

Mitzi sighed. “My name is Mitzi Donovan.”

“This is Carl and Lori.”

Daryl noticed that he didn’t include the kid or his mom’s last name. He noticed that she noticed too, one red eyebrow arched almost into her hairline.

“Who are they?” Shane nodded dismissively at them and Daryl sucked on his tongue.

She swiveled to look and caught his eye. She grinned and winked. He huffed and turned away.

“Those are the Dixon brothers.”

“They’re your family?”

“Nope. Feels like I’ve known them forever though.” She turned back to Shane.

“Baby, we can be family anytime you like.” Merle wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She huffed out a laugh. “Shut up, Merle.”

“Feels like?”

She turned back to Shane. “Maybe it’s the trauma.”

“The trauma?”

“It’s the end of the end of the world.” She motioned vaguely at the sky. “You know? This.”

The lady, taller and leaner than Mitzi, leaned forward, whispering. “How long have you known them?”

“Longer than you.”

Shane huffed. “Can we get a straight answer?”

She frowned. “That is a straight answer. I may not have know them long but I know them better than I know you. I find the insinuation that you are somehow better than them-“

The woman stepped forward. “I didn’t say we were better… just, they seem dangerous.”

“I hate to tell ya this, but we are all dangerous now. Either now or later.” She turned and walked towards where Daryl was sitting. “Gotta be now to prevent being later.”

“What about you?” Shane shouted after her. “Are you dangerous?”

She grinned and looked back at him but Merle spoke over her. “She’s the most dangerous of us all, Officer Friendly.”

Daryl chuckled. “She’s gotta helluva right hook.”

“Shut th’hell up, little brother.”

**

“That legal?”

“Nope! Made it myself.” She grinned -rather sarcastically- back at Shane and pulled her hunting rifle and a homemade silencer from her gun locker. She screwed it on and passed it over the side wall of the bed of her truck to Daryl, noticing that Shane tried to grab at it.

Daryl whistled lowly. “Nice piece.”

She smiled and nodded. “I machined a lot of that gun. It’s a favorite of mine.”

“You machined it?” Daryl opened the bolt and it closed with a satisfying click.

“Yeah, one of my buddies had the full shebang in his workshop. Taught me how. It was fun.”

“Do you think you can do it again?” Shane nodded at the gun.

She winced. “I’m no expert and none of that machinery is going to be readily available or viable without power. I can definitely maintain any weaponry we have, but making a new gun is a bit out of my scope.”

“What’s that?”

She looked over at the kid, standing next to Shane at her tailgate. She hummed and he pointed at the frankly giant army green gun locker at her feet.

She sighed. “That’s a really big gun.” She wrinkled her nose. “Too big for this-“

“Woo-hee, Lil’ Bit. Where’d you get that?” Merle leaned his forearms against her truck. “That’s Army-issued.”

“Did you steal it?” Shane grunted, sending Carl away.

She tensed. “Get the fuck off my truck, Merle.”

“Did you steal it?”

“I heard you the first time, fuckwit.” She gritted out. “I didn’t steal it. It’s mine.”

“You were in the Army, dollface?” Merle licked his lips.

“I am in the Army. I was heading to Atlanta for a presentation. I’m technically on leave.” She turned away and locked down the gun case and hopped over the side.

Shane set his hands on his hips. “So you’re a deserter then?”

She sighed. “I don’t know, Officer Walsh, are you?”

“What?” He snarled, stalking toward her.

She met him head on, Daryl grabbing at her arm. She shook him off. “I said, ‘Officer Walsh, are you a deserter?’ You left your post, didn’t you? Got Lori and Carl out. Are you a deserter?”

He shrunk back, hands in the air and she felt Daryl’s chest against her arm.

She sighed. “One day, Shane, one day, you are going to meet the business end of my patience. You are going to judge wrongly and I am going to hand you your ass.”

“Is that a threat?”

She had turned away, hand on Daryl’s shoulder, pushing him gently back. She caught Shane’s eyes and held them. “It’s an eventuality, if you don’t watch your fuckin’ mouth and step down off of your high horse.”

**

“More people.”

She nodded.

“More noise.”

She sighed. “Can’t leave them out there though. They’d never survive, make more dead.”

Daryl nodded. “Still dangerous.”

She focused down at the hunting rifle she was cleaning. “Gonna need more food.”

Daryl made a noise in the back of his throat and she looked up, catching his eyes with her pretty green ones. “Hmm?”

“More food means more hunting.” He granted her a soft smile.

She smiled back. “Silver lining.”

“You two fuck yet?” Merle slurred from where he was slumped in her camp chair. “I’m here waiting my turn and ‘ll.”

“You don’t get a turn, Merle.” She disassembled her rifle, Daryl cussed under his breath. She caught his eyes and winked.

“So y’have fucked, then.”

“If it gets you off, you are welcome to imagine whatever you want.”

He leered. “I do, darlin’, trust and believe.”

Daryl tensed, his jaw tightening visibly. She knocked his elbow and made a face at Merle. “Kinda weird though…”

He didn’t open his eyes, head back on the chair. “Wha?”

“To imagine all that with your brother… just sayin’.”

Merle went red but shrugged, ignoring her. “Girls always liked Daryl more. Never did know why.”

“Maybe some introspection can help you figure it out.” She grinned at Daryl, who was still glaring at Merle. “Gotta be a reason.”

Merle peeked at her from under the hand he held over his eyes. “What reason’s that?”

“Don’t know.” She grinned. “That’s why I said to do some introspection.”

He grunted. “Introspection is for pussies.”

She laughed. “I think you just stumbled into one of probably many reasons why girls liked Daryl more.”

“Fuck you.” The statement lacked heat though, his head still dropped back against the chair.

She made a little moue and cooed. “You wish.”

“You’re Mitzi, right?”

She jumped and turned to the burly man approaching them, her shoulder brushing Daryl’s chest. “Yeah?”

“I was told to come get a gun from you.” The man crossed his arms, cocky and impatient. Mitzi bristled, hackles rising.

“Told by who?”

“The cop.”

She sucked on her teeth. “Then you go ask Shane for a gun. I ain’t putting a weapon in the hand of someone I don’t know.”

The man grunted and leaned into her space. “Go get me a gun.”

She shoved to her feet and pressed back into his space. The man backed up, almost as if he hadn’t been expecting her to meet him head-on. “I said ‘no’.”

“Shane said ‘yes.’”

“Shane ain’t my dad or my boss.” She made a dismissive motion. “Now git. Go ask Shane for a gun if you want one.”

He ignored her, turning to Merle. “This your bitch? You should fuckin’ muzzle her before I do.”

“Excuse me?” She stepped forward, stilling when Daryl grabbed for her arm.

“She ain’t mine and take it from someone with first-hand experience,” Merle whistled, “that is not the tree to climb. She is gonna hand you your entire ass.” He cackled. “Right after she rips you a new asshole.”

The man turned to Daryl, who was trying to shimmy Mitzi behind him. Daryl kept his hand on Mitzi’s hip and nodded at the man. “You need t’back off.”

“You’re protecting this mouthy bitch?” The man spat to the side. “She must have beer-flavored nipples.”

“Daryl, move.”

Daryl glanced down at her and the over at where Shane and a woman he had never seen before were booking it up the small incline towards what had been dubbed the Redneck Camp.

Daryl had significantly better hearing than they gave him credit for.

“No.”

“Daryl.”

“Shane’s on his way up here. You gonna start something loud.”

Her eyes snapped from staring down the man to his eyes. After a beat, she nodded and he felt her hand twisting in the fabric of his shirt in the small of his back.

“Finally someone with some balls.” The man smiled. “You oughta keep this bitch on a leash.”

Daryl chuckled. “You oughta know when to shut the hell up.” He stepped aside.

Mitzi shot from behind him like out of a gun. In the space of thirty seconds, she had popped him twice in the face and had him on the ground, her boot on his neck.

“Ed!”

“Donovan! Back off!”

“I’ll back off when I’m done with him.”

Daryl pushed Shane back. “Y’should stay back. He deserves this.”

Mitzi spat to the side. “I may be smaller than you, Ed. But make no mistake, you are boxing outside of your weight class. You ever speak to me, or about me, like that again, I will split your head open. Do you understand me?”

“F-Fuck-“

She put more pressure on his throat. “No more talking. Nod to show we’re clear.”

He nodded and she stepped off of him and turned on Shane. “Now you.”

Shame nodded aggressively. “Yeah? What you want?”

She made towards him but Daryl caught her around the waist and pulled her against his chest.

“I do not answer to you.” She stepped free of Daryl, who kept a hand on her shoulder. “Do not send people to me -especially people like this dogshit lump of humanity- like I’m some fuckin’ armory.”

“People need to be armed.” Shane tried to press forward but Lori grabbed his arm.

“I will not put a gun in the hand of someone I don’t know. That’s fuckin’ stupid. That’s how people die.” She spat out. “We don't need hall-cocked assholes getting drunk and popping off shots for fun. That’ll bring them.”

“He’s not drunk.”

“He was last night.” She laughed. “You miss that, Officer Walsh? You can smell it on him.” Shane colored. “And let’s not play games with each other. We both know that’s not what this is about.”

“What’s it about then?”

“You bein’ the boss. You callin’ the shots.” She huffed, gesticulating sarcastically. “You want that? Feel free to it. I ain’t no one’s boss, but you sure ain’t commanding me no ways. And as long as you remember that, it’ll be okay.”

Shane snarled, pushing closer, near nose-to-nose with her. “And if I don't?”

“You will.”

“Are you threatening me again?”

“Does it sound like I’m threatening you?”

Lori whisper-screamed his name and Daryl squeezed Mitzi’s shoulder. She looked at Daryl, ground her teeth and turned away, stalking toward her hunting rifle. She picked it up and reassembled it with quick, precise movements.

She paused and turned, Daryl could hear the collective intake of breath.

“Dixon! We goin’ huntin’ or nah?”

Daryl shook his head. “Yeah, Spitfire. We huntin’. Lemme grab my bow.”

“Hurry. I wanna shoot somethin’.” She flipped Shane the bird and stalked into the woods.

“She wasn’t gonna shoot ya.” Daryl nodded over at Shane, who was fuming. “You gotta learn not to fuck w’her, though. She ain’t playin’ w’you.”

**

“What’d y’do? Before all’a this.”

She shot him a look, lighting a cigarette, before passing the pack back. She blew out the first drag and waved it away. “You know what I did. I’m in the Army… or was, I guess.”

“Yeah, but what’d you do?”

“Like as a job?” She quieted, sucking on her cigarette.

“You don’t gotta tell me.” He shrugged, frowning around his cigarette. “If’s too personal.”

She shook her head. “That’s not it at all. People always reacted a certain way when I told ‘em.”

“Think I’m gonna judge ya?”

She made a face. “Ya might…”

“Nah..,” He snickered. “You know what Merle and I did?” She shrugged. “Nothing. Not a damn thing. Just drifted.”

“That doesn’t sound half bad. Sounds like freedom.” She smiled at him. “I was…I am a sniper. Prior to three months ago, I was an active spec ops sniper. Army Ranger- Captain Mildred Donovan - Long Range Weaponry.”

He hummed. “Mildred?”

She shoved his shoulder. “My grandmother’s name. Now you know why I go by Mitzi.”

He nodded. “You said that you were coming down to Atlanta for a presentation.”

She nodded. “I transitioned out of the field, became an instructor. Before all this went down, the Army wanted to show off the ‘first female spec ops operator’ and ‘one of our best guns’. They had this big shindig planned, with a record-breaking shot… the whole nine.” She winced. “I came up early for a week of leave. Saw the bombs from where I was hiking.”

Daryl shifted down against the log behind them so their shoulders were tight to each other’s. “Why’d they pick you?”

She grinned. “Ouch.”

He rolled his eyes. “Y’know what I mean. Y’like a legacy or something?”

She frowned. “A legacy?”

“Daddy was a sniper, Granddaddy was a sniper.”

“Oh no.” She shook her head. “My dad was a mechanic, my grandfather, an asshole. I was scouted, I guess you can say.” She looked down at her rifle. “I won gold in all ISSF World Cup 300m events five years running. I was going to the Olympics when…” she winced comically. “I got in a fight.”

Daryl repressed a smile to the best of his ability. “‘magine that.”

“I know.” She nodded sagely. “Very difficult to imagine.”

He rasped out a chuckle. “Damn near impossible.”

She shoved his arm. “Prick.”

“What happened with the fight?”

“I beat the shit out of my dad.” She huffed. “That’s… another story though. One I’d rather not get into.”

Daryl sucked on his cigarette. “Why did y’become an instructor? Why not stay in t’field?”

She sighed. “I tried to eat my gun. Uncle Sam thought I might have had enough. Couldn’t retire me completely, though, I’m one of the top-ranked snipers in the military and the first female in spec ops.. would’ve been bad optics, or so I was told. They covered it up and found a clever solution. Improvise, Adapt and Overcome...”

That hung heavy in the air.

“Glad you didn’t. Glad you were on leave.”

She smiled. “Me too. And thanks for not asking how many people I’ve killed.”

Daryl nodded and they finished their cigarettes in silence.

Part 2

[shrimplymoray]

PLS.. KILL LILIA. MAKE HIM SUFFER IN THE AFTERMATH OF BOOK SEVEN. MAKE HIM BED RIDDEN AND DIE SLOWLY. I CRAVE ANGST. MAKE HIS SONS BE SAD TOO. PLEASE.

ok I’ll get into actual details.. ermm could u pls make a lil fic on Lilia basically DYING still after everyone wakes up and Malleus is out of his OB form?? :33 And also make Malleus feel pretty guilty too for extra angst!! :3333 Actually MAKE ALL LILIA’S SONS GUILTY IF YA CAN 🙏🙏 I just need angst dude .. AND PLS MAKE LILIA ACTUALLY DIE AT THE END!! /NF!!

EHEHEHHEHE. I'm so sorry for putting off on my Requests, I've been doing a bunch of stuff, and I've barely been able to keep my head on my shoulders and think straight. HOWEVER i'm trying to get back to writing slowly.

PS: as it was not requested, this is not a pairing. Also GN Yuu's POV.

TW: BOOK 7 SPOILERS, Main Character's Death, Angst with no Comfort, Vague death description, Grief (and a lot on that)

Diasomnia Angst - Death of a Hero

It all seemed well. The thorns that involved the island had retreated into the ground, as soon as Malleus fell unconscious after his Overblot. The battle was exhaustive, everyone barely keeping up, but we won. That's what matters, right? Everyone is here, fine and well. Me, Grim, Ace, Deuce... We are all well. The Diasomnia Students, much like all students, don't have life-threatening wounds, as it seems. So why... Why is the smell of blood lingering in the air? It took a while for all of us to notice it, at first. As we all know by now, Lilia is great at hiding his hurt through a boyish smile. And that is what everyone saw, the boyish comforting smile of the man who knows no end to his pain. It took him way too long to show his miseries of the past, but this one, oh, this one came crawling up way quicker.

Silver was there to catch him when he fell unconscious, Lilia had a deep, horrible gash on his abdomen. It revealed past scars, but the way the blood fell around his limp body, it showed us what we did not want to know and hear. It was me, Sebek, and Silver who took both Malleus and Lilia to the infirmary. They knew the procedure for Malleus' case, although his overblot was tougher than any other. But Lilia... The Nurse and Professor Crewel said - no, they didn't say, they promised us- they would do whatever they could to keep him alive.

It took 2 days. Two days for the news to break. I wasn't there when they told them, but I heard what happened from another Diasomnia student in my class: Silver's head dipped down, and he broke crying, while Sebek yelled they didn't do enough. That they could've done something and they didn't. That they lied to them. Malleus was already back on his feet by that time, and at that, he didn't say anything but wished that the body was sent to the castle at Briar Valley. That day, when I found Sebek, I hugged him. I never clung so hard to someone in my life, like how I did with Sebek. And I said how sorry I was, and how I wished I could've done more. Sebek stood still before he muttered meaningless apologies. He said, "I'm sorry for failing Master Lilia.", "I'm sorry that I wasn't stronger to help Silver and Master Lilia" and even "I'm sorry, it's all my fault." Professor Crewel saw us and said we would have the day off. Sebek and I went to the Diasomnia Dorm that afternoon and started packing Lilia's things with Silver. Silver usually stayed calm and collected around others, and was a voice of reason among the three of us, but at that moment, I didn't see him as the retained or Malleus, or as one of the heroes of the Sage Island. No, I saw him as a boy. A Boy who just lost his father.

That night, I waited patiently for Hornton to visit my dorm. He usually wasn't late, but that night, it seemed like thousands of days passed before he arrived. When I saw him, he looked oddly calm. He sat down on the porch by my side and told me the stories he lived with Lilia or the ones he heard from him. It was like a child. I could do nothing but hug him, and at that moment, he said how sorry he was, that the only thing he wanted was to keep everyone safe with him, and how he failed. He said "I know that if he heard me like this, he would giggle and brush it off as if it was nothing. He would tell me to not get stuck on what I failed to do but to focus on what I must proceed doing afterwards. But... I can't. I can't remember and think this without knowing what I did." Malleus seemed to feel the weight of the world on his shoulders and yet... He opened up to me, nothing but a human from another world. "Please," he said " I beg of you, to not forgive me for the crimes I did. I am not worthy of forgiveness if I wasn't able to save the one that raised me before anyone else." I couldn't do anything but Hug him harder, and try muttering how much it mattered that he deserved forgiveness. I think we stayed out there for way longer than usual because Sebek, Silver, and Grim came to meet us. Malleus only managed to look at Sebek and Silver before he kneeled down and said the same he did to me. Sebek and Silver looked at each other, and we all hugged Malleus, crying. Even Grim joined.

I know it will take a while for everyone to be able to go back to normal if we even do that. But I hope somewhere, in the Underworld, Lilia will think and protect us. The Ghosts of the dorm said that if we got lucky, Lilia's ghost could visit us. I don't think that was what we needed to hear, but... it is a start.

Hope you enjoy this! It was very different from what I usually write, but I worked hard on it.

[muthaz-rapapa]

Hirogaru Sky Final Impressions (5/5)

Honestly, what were they going to do with those two weeks after 48 episodes? Have us wait until WonPre's broadcast? Yea right, lol

So the 20th installment of Precure is now officially finished and it feels both great and a little bit sad to say that since the bar has been readjusted quite high, we will probably need the 25th anniversary to get another season as awesome and well-written as HiroPre. [/harsh]

But that will be for something to worry about in the next five years.

So first, that finale!

Pretty much 5(ish) of the 6 last episodes was a whole arc dedicated to the most engaging lore Precure has ever given us to date.

Cure Noble is definitely entering the league of legacy Cures and perhaps as the one with the best story as well. How she went from princess-sovereign to becoming the very first Precure (in this universe, anyways) to helping pave a way for peace with her nemesis to laying out the foundation for the Cures who will succeed her in the future.

Yeap, Ellee-chan may have gotten a nice age-up bonus so that we can see her embrace her destiny and actually converse in something other than baby talk.

But it's more accurate to say that Ellee-chan/Cure Majesty's character arc is really Princess Elleelain/Cure Noble's instead.

Which is totally fine with me. Not only was Elleelain super interesting as a hero/protagonist in her own era but Kaiserin was...dear god.

Dear god, when have we gotten a twist that was this good and this dark by the series' standards? I felt we haven't touched this level of grim writing since Heartcatch and that was my first Precure season ever.

But seriously, it's impossible not to sympathize with Kaiserin and appreciate how much she contributed to the plot as well as this season's message that power is not what makes a hero, but the strength of one's heart that does.

Even her traitorous tutor, Skearhead, said she had what it took to become a hero (and maybe even Precure? oooh~), which just makes her fall into darkness more tragic.

But thankfully, she never lost her kindness and compassion, which was what ultimately allowed her to not only be saved but her wounds to finally heal after hundreds of years of suffering from the pain of betrayal Skearhead had inflicted on her.

And that her generals, who all turned over a new leaf, came back to the Undergu Empire to loyally serve her and make sure she isn't alone...

Good! This is so satisfying, I couldn't have asked for anything better! Kaiserin deserves her happiness after all she's been through!

But of course, that's not all because no Precure finale is complete without the last episodes dishing out the best combat scenes of the entire season and did it deliver, alright.

Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-HUH!

The animation was absolutely stellar and not so overdone that it'd look more gaudy than cool. coughDeliPaPrecough

Moreover, the teamwork is what really sold the animation. As it should because Precure is all about that team effort brought on by personal growth, not a one-man show.

I loved how Wing, representing wisdom, was the one everyone trusted to get that barrier back up because it is a mechanism that he researched and developed to help everyone. It proves that boys don't need to fit into a specific mold of masculinity or genius to be a hero because in the end, those things don't matter. It's being true to yourself, your beliefs and your dreams and what you choose to do with those abilities that counts.

I loved how Butterfly, who is physically the strongest in the group, always takes on the tougher tasks such as facing the army of tedious mooks to let those younger than her forge a path ahead. She never forgets her responsibility as an adult to protect the kids but she also encourages them to move forward because she fully believes in them like a good adult would.

I loved how Majesty comes to understand that though she's meant to inherit Cure Noble's will and power and position as Skyland's princess, it's not her destiny to inherit Elleelain's loneliness. And the whole reason that she started out as a baby but was able to grow and become Precure was because she was surrounded by the right people who brought out that potential in her. For Ellee-chan, being with her friends and fighting alongside them was the bigger, more important destiny than her duty was.

Finally, the star duo of the show.

Sky was given stronger MC vibes than the other cast members but you can't deny that she wouldn't have gotten this far without Prism by her side.

Sora's idea of what it means to be hero expanded a lot because she became friends with Mashiro.

She has come to treasure Mashiro so much that when she was on the brink of losing her best friend, she let Skearhead corrupt her in order to have enough power to save that best friend. She was willing to sacrifice herself for someone important to her, which in a way, can be seen as an act of heroism (but only as a last resort, plz do not attempt).

And even then, Sky kept resisting from being taken over. Prism didn't even flinch when Sky aimed a punch at her. That's how much Mashiro believes in Sora, in the hero that Sora is. That even if Sora accepted darkness into herself to do the right thing, she won't ever let that darkness consume her into doing the wrong thing.

And the fact that it was Prism who had the ability to not only purify Sky but also heal Kaiserin's centuries-old wound. She's come a long way herself from the girl who used to think she was talentless, who didn't believe she had anything special going for her.

"You are good as you are now, Mashiro-san."

What Sora said was true until the very end. Mashiro didn't ever need to change. She was already good enough and she was always going to become even better than how she started out because she was always being inspired and supported by those around her and challenging herself to do things she initially hesitated on doing.

Now she's continually drawing new stories, even winning an award for one. Even her Prism Shot evolved and multiplied as an attack and it's all because she learned to believe in herself because all her friends believed in her.

This is essentially what sets Precure apart from the others, what makes it the major name it is in modern day mahou shoujo.

I cannot begin to describe how glad I am that the staff at Toei reinforced those aspects of friendship as well as the celebration of individualism in a milestone year. But I can definitely say with confidence that we can expect to see more well into the franchise's 30th anniversary as long they don't forget these two very crucial things.

As for me, I think this will be the last time I blog Precure on a "regular" basis.

I'll still continue to watch cuz hey, there's no reason for me to stop yet.

(and all the more reason to not stop if Satoru and Daifuku become the next two male Cures in WonPre OMGI'MSOGONNAJINXTHISAREN'TIBWUAHAHAHAHA!!!)

But my priorities have shifted so I gotta tend to those foremost. And as much as I enjoy the show, I feel like I'm always saying the same stuff over and over again anyway, just in different variations of it.

(also, something about WonPre tells me the next four years will be filled with hit-or-miss seasons so meh, I'd rather just follow it leisurely than get too invested and then disappointed)

On another note, I do have some personal rankings that I'd like to post some day. I was going to do it for the 20th anniversary but didn't have time to cuz life got way too hectic and busy but yea, eventually I'll have them up.

Just for fun, y'know.

Ok, that is all.

Thank you, my hero girls and boy! You made this season so wonderful hahahaha, good luck, WonPre for me and I can't be grateful enough for it.

Thank you for a beautiful anniversary! Let's aim for the next!

25th year with 100+ Precure!

Let's gooooooooooooo!!!

[hyoloved]

transSamo w/dubchaeng omg im listening!! 👀

cw//nsfw, mention of a miscarriage

so to give some more background on this au:

sana and momo met through a mutual friend when they were both in college, with momo being in culinary school and sana majoring in fashion design at her college. they hit it off instantly, sana loved how kind and funny momo was, always putting sana first and making her feel special.

they became official after a couple of dates together, and they got married a couple years after college. everyone who knew them could just see how in love they were with each other, they looked at one another with honey dripping from their eyes.

they also felt extremely safe with each other. since they're both transgender, they could understand each other's struggles with dysphoria and bring comfort during harder days.

sana especially had bad dysphoria. she could barely get out of bed some days without breaking down in tears. momo was always by her side during these tougher days, reassuring her that she's a beautiful woman and how he'll always love her, no matter what.

adding on to the more softer intimate moments, they had a pretty active sex life together. momo was amazing when it came to aftercare, despite him being the one penetrated, he wanted sana to feel comfortable after sex every single time. he would often crack jokes to try and make sana feel better during sex (ie telling her to pretend she has a strap on), which definitely helped her a bit.

although they did get kinky quite a lot, that will be saved for another post :)

they decided to have kids when they were both around 25, ready to settle down and start their family. they knew they wanted to try and have biological kids, but it obviously came with a cost. momo had to stop taking testosterone for 3 months before he could safely try for a baby. he was still fertile, but he wanted a higher chance of getting pregnant, so he knew he had to stop for a while.

since momo already had a bigger tummy than most guys, he was able to hide his pregnancy belly for a while. sana was so caring towards him during the whole process, constantly buying him gifts and making sure he was comfortable.

during momo's first pregnancy, he unfortunately had a miscarriage during the 2nd trimester. this broke sana and momo's hearts, as they had already prepared everything for the baby and they were over the moon to finally start a family and become parents.

momo dealt with bad depression for a while, feeling like the miscarriage was his fault and it was his own body's problem. both him and sana went to therapy together so they could properly grieve the loss of their baby, and this gave them the strength and motivation to try again for another child.

luckily, the second pregnancy was a success and momo eventually gave birth to a healthy baby girl, dahyun.

dahyun was an easy baby to say the least, she didn't cry much and she slept well during the night. when she was only around 9 months old, sana and momo were ready to try for another baby. they always told themselves they wanted at least 2 kids, and with how perfect dahyun was, they figured they should try early.

the third pregnancy went well until momo needed to have an emergency c-section at 30 weeks because the umbilical cord was tied around the baby's neck. the surgery went well, but since the baby was born premature, they had to stay in the NICU for a while.

momo was terrified out of his mind, and his anxious feelings about his body being the problem came back. he was worried that the baby was gonna pass away, and sana's heart hurt seeing him so hard on himself for something he can't control.

the baby did turn out okay, but then they had to deal with poor colicky chaeyoung.

chaeyoung was a total 180 from calm and easy dahyun. not that sana and momo minded, they loved their daughter regardless, they just didn't get as much sleep after she was born.

the girls are now 18 months old and 3 years old respectively, and they're doing great! chaeyoung is in the process of an ADHD diagnosis (probably inherited from sana, as sana has adhd and autism) and she got diagnosed with celiac disease at around 6 months. dahyun has a few allergies but nothing too serious, and sana is already suspecting that she might have autism, but she knows how hard it is for girls to get a diagnosis, she herself didn't get one until she was in her early 20's.

if you'd like to hear more about this au, please send over some asks in my inbox!! i absolutely love this au and i'd be happy to talk about it more :))

[nyotasaimiri]

Arc Two 116

Their conversation seemed peaceful. Nyota was reluctant to interrupt it, and reluctant to admit her own surprise. It was reasonable, if cynical. But she did not like her cynical self, not when it meant doubting her friend. Yes, once it was only reasonable, only safe to doubt everyone. Not now. Never again.

“Marcy, would you like to stay for dinner?” she asked over her own thoughts, stepping into the room as she caught a gap in the conversation. “It is hardly fair for me to beg favors of you and then send you away hungry.”

Marcy looked up with a smile that knocked the weight of half a decade off Nyota’s back. “I was hoping you would ask. I missed your cooking.”

Nyota returned the smile without a trace of rust; she saw surprise widen Oldarva’s eyes and share an echo of the smile with her as well. “Mihre, you are also welcome. Do you cook? You can join us in the kitchen.”

Mihre chuckled. Nyota was still learning to read Floran faces, but she had seen Namina twitch his nictating membranes like that before when he was feeling sheepish, or embarrassed. “I am not ssafe in kitchens. Best to stay here, maybe.” A bit of mischief sparked in their eyes. “And Namina is being sussspiciously quiet. Should humor him, yes?”

Nyota remembered the paintball incident and decided to leave well enough alone.

“They are going to get silly, you know,” Marcy said as she followed Nyota down to the kitchen.

“I know.” Nyota stopped at the bottom of the second ladder and held out her arms, indulging in a bit of her own silly. Marcy grinned and dropped down into them. The unhesitating trust caught in Nyota’s throat.

Marcy flicked Nyota’s sidelocks. “You’re not concerned?”

Nyota just shrugged, swallowing the sweet sting of trust for later. “We are pretty used to the Floran flavor of silly around here. Oldarva can handle them. She is tougher than most expect. Now, I do need both hands for this.”

Marcy accepted her fate and got down, heading toward the cabinets Nyota indicated to collect their tools. “Than most expect. Including you?”

Perceptive as ever. Memory and pride creased Nyota’s eyes. “Including me. It was her who captured Gizzie.”

“Wait, really?” Marcy stopped fetching bowls for a second to stare up at Nyota. “I thought that was you. Oh, you did say… I wasn’t really focused then, was I? But she did?”

It was Nyota’s turn to chuckle now. “As I said…”

“No kidding.” Marcy finished getting their cookware. “There you are. Sugar next, right?”

That earned her another laugh. “A good guess. I do like making sweets. Ah, thank you.” Nyota accepted the jar with a bit of suspicion. “That was fast. Where did you find it?”

“On the counter here.” Marcy pointed, and confirmed Nyota’s suspicions. Namina hadn’t hidden it again—he was up to something. “So, what are we making?”

“Occulemon meringue.”

Marcy went still and quiet, still holding the jar. “That… that was his favorite.”

Nyota paused. She could feel the pain rise in herself, but it was duller now, soothed by something else she could not name. She tried anyway, words stinging gently at her throat like pulling something sore away. “I like to make it sometimes. I think he would be happy to know that I enjoy it still.”

Marcy touched her elbow. The old gesture drew up a heavy, good, deep smile as Nyota raised her arm slightly, giving permission for Marcy to hug her. A quiet purr rumbled through her as Marcy pressed her face into Nyota’s side.

“You’re right.” Marcy let go after a moment and went to the fridge to find those occulemons. “And he would get on my case for moping. He never had any time for that. Grab life by the horns, he’d say.”

Nyota’s soft chuckle was richer now, full of weight and love. “That he would. And he would like that we share this with others, I think. Love isn’t meant for holding and keeping hidden.” The part of her brain that always rebelled at emotion fixed on the smoothness of the eggs in her hands and marveled at their perfect, delicate shells, at how her strong, heavy fingers could work with them without making them shatter at a touch.

Marcy found the fruit and started getting the rind off. “Yeah. Yeah, he would.” Nyota couldn’t hear the grief in her voice anymore. “Let’s get on with it, then. He was always pretty impatient.”

The chuckle turned into a rumbling purr. “Only with the little things.” The eggs cracked. Nyota relished the feeling of soft-smooth-round between her fingers as she caught the yolks. Warm, familiar yellow.

Marcy nodded, smiling again and thoughtful. “That’s right. Only with the little things.”  

[ashwhowrites]

Hi was wondering if you could do something with reader and eddie where in the beginning reader was shy quiet and bullied but as she got older she got bolder and tougher no one noticed her before except for eddie something really sweet and cute where eddie brings out her softer side and she's super cute with him and he can do no wrong

This is so cute. I hope you don't mind I do a headcanon :)

~~

Y/N used to be walked all over

She took every hit people gave her

But then she got older

She realized she didn't have to take anything from anyone

When she was bullied people barely knew her

Just shoving her aside

And now she still wasn't noticed by anyone

But she was fine with that

She only needed herself

She didn't need anyone or want anyone

Except Eddie Munson

She had the biggest crush on him for years

Not that he would know her

Eddie Munson noticed her though

He noticed her before she changed

When she was quiet and nice

Now she's tough and a bitch

And he for some reason really liked it

The way she went from shy to bitching anyone out

It kinda turned him on

He took the leap

He asked her out

Both shocked that she said yes

She squealed the second she got home

Eddie Munson asked her out

And now they've been together for a year

Hellfire was terrified to meet her

And they had a reason to be

She glared at them

Never spoke a word

Rolled her eyes constantly

But the second Eddie said one word

She giggled

Big smiles as she batted her eyelashes

She turned into this soft girl whenever he was near

She could be in the middle of a fight with anyone

But the second she sees him

She's skipping into his arms

She was only nice to him

And him only

She'd do anything he asked

And only if he asked

"um sorry to talk to you, but could you move over?" Mike asked, shaking in his shoes

"no" she snapped

"baby, can you move over just an inch?" Eddie asked softly

"absolutely!" She piped up, moving over easily as Mike sat down

Smiling at Eddie

Another thing?

Eddie could do no wrong in her eyes

He could crash her car

And she'd kiss his tears away

He could ruin her favorite pair of shoes

She wouldn't care

Mike wasn't watching where he was going

Biking into her car mirror

"FUCK" he panicked

He raced into hellfire

"Eddie Eddie! I need you to help me" he panicked

"what's up Mike?" Eddie asked as he set up Hellfire, but this time at his house

"I hit Y/N's car"

"YOU WHAT!" Eddie screamed

"I hit it with my bike and her mirror is ruined!"

"oh God okay don't panic" Eddie started

"she's in the shower. We'll just say..."

Y/N walked in fuming

"WHO HIT MY CAR? I CAN SEE IT THROUGH THE WINDOW!"

Everyone froze

Everyone looking at Mike

Her eyes snatched to him

"MIKE I WILL KILL YOU!"

"baby I did" Eddie said quick

Stepping in front of Mike

Her angry eyes calming in seconds

Her voice soft

"oh baby. You have to be careful. Are you okay?" She asked

Touching his body to see if he flinches

"yes I'm fine. I'm sorry" he apologized

"no it's okay" she said kissing his lips

Eddie Munson was the only person she was soft for

And the only person who could do no wrong

[zablife]

Okay you have me, can I please please ask for a Jake Seresin hearing some banging in the locker room and finding the pilot!Reader just smashing her helmet into the lockers while crying? (Basically she got a message that her old wingman (her female bestie, they were basically sisters) got killed during her deployment, in action? The reader is angry at Jake and telling him to leave her alone but he doesn't.

Just some soft!Jake mixed with enemies to lovers :333

Thank you and you are a gem ♡♡♡♡

“What was that about?” Jake asked, pushing off the wall outside Admiral Simpson’s office. Rebecca rolled her eyes at him and kept walking at a brisk pace.

“Hey, I’m talking to you! Why did the admiral want to see you alone?” he asked, stalking after her. He felt it was his business to know since she was his back seater.

Turning on her heel to face him with obvious emotion welling in her chest, she said, “Because it wasn’t about you, ok?” Then quickly swallowing it down, she took a deep breath saying, “Leave me alone, Jake,” and continued on to the locker rooms. 

Jake stood staring after her, wondering what she meant. He wasn’t one to wait for answers so he charged ahead, ready to find out. Rebecca could be stubborn and they fought about the best way to do things, but Jake thought their open communication and willingness to push one another made them a good team.

As he rounded the corner to the women’s locker room, Jake heard the unmistakable clang of metal. The reverberations could be heard down the hall echoing loudly off the walls. It sounded as though someone was  knocking over an entire row of lockers. “What the hell?” he muttered under his breath. A scream of frustration followed from the other side of the door.

This was unlike any behavior he’d ever witnessed from Rebecca and it was beginning to scare him. She was tougher than most of the men he knew and he’d never seen her crack under pressure. He couldn’t think of anything she’d been through that had shaken her emotionally, including the injury that saw her reassigned to Jake’s squadron.

Deciding to investigate, he barreled through the door, calling out,“Rebecca? Rebecca? Viper!” The clanging stopped and he heard a helmet drop to the floor. He listened as it rolled back and forth on the ground, the only sound in the room until Rebecca breathed a heavy sigh. Jake slowly approached and found his wingman sitting on a bench, head in her hands. 

“Hey, hey? What are you doin’?” Jake asked.

“Jesus, I ask you to leave me alone and you follow me in here? What the fuck, Hangman? I’m fine!” she said, kicking her helmet across the floor.

He jumped back dodging the projectile she had launched at him and furrowed his brow. “Yeah, you don’t look fine and if we’re gonna fly together you need to tell me why,” he said pointing a finger in her direction. She shook her head and looked away from, unable to say the words. 

“Fine, you wanna get us both killed cause your heads fucked up? Keep being stubborn, Viper,” he said as he began to walk away. 

Watching him go, she opened her mouth, finding an uncomfortable lump in her throat and her mouth too dry to say anything except a name. “It's Siren,” she called out through clenched teeth. Then the sobs began. 

Jake froze, recognizing the call sign of her previous wingman and best friend. They had flown together until Rebecca’s injury and Siren had been deployed shortly after. Jake didn’t need much more to connect the dots. Their work was inherently dangerous. Everyone accepted the risk that came along with the job, but somehow it never got easier hearing about the loss of a colleague. 

Instinctively, Jake went to Rebecca, taking a seat next to her and wrapping his arms around her. To his surprise, she accepted the comfort he provided, burying her head in his shoulder. “I can't believe she’s gone, Jake,” she finally managed to say against the rough material of his flight suit.

He placed a hand to the back of her head, stroking a hand lightly against her hair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” he whispered, rocking her gently. She allowed herself to be held in his strong embrace, finally able to take a deep breath knowing she was safe. However, the nagging guilt would not relent.

“I should’ve been with her,” she said, chewing at her lip.

“No, we don’t get to decide. You know that,” Jake said, running a large hand down her back.

She pulled away from him to look him in the eye. “I understand if you don’t want to fly with me,” she said earnestly.

“Why would you say that?” Jake asked, looking hurt and confused.

“No one wants to fly with someone they don’t trust with their life. You just said as much. And if you think I’m fucked up from this, then maybe you should go talk to the admiral now,” she said, looking down at her hands. She was squeezing them together so tightly, her knuckles were turning white.

Jake slowly reached into her lap, placing a hand over hers and caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. “I was an asshole, alright? The truth is you’re the best pilot here. I’d be crazy not to want you flying with me,” he said reassuringly. “If that’s what you want,” he added hesitantly, looking into her eyes for confirmation. She nodded, throwing her arms around his neck. 

“You never hang me out to dry, you know that. You’ve always been there for me,” she whispered in his ear. 

He chuckled. “Well that’s cause we got a deal, remember, Viper? You watch my back too with those quick strikes." She nodded with a laugh. He tilted her chin up to look at him, "But you keep that temper to yourself, only strike the enemy, alright?”

“It’s a deal,” she said, capturing his bright green eyes in a longing stare. Without another word, Jake leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her full lips, fulfilling a wish they’d both had for some time.

[variety-fangirl]

Loving You / Fez x fem!reader

Summary: You are at home (Fez's) when someone comes looking for drugs and has a gun. Shit.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW, NO MINORS. threats, violence, harm, talk of drugs, some fluff, protective Fez and Ash, a small bit of sexual themes at the end.

Author's note: another short one! This one's quite angsty but there is some fluff also. And a little bit of smut at the end :)

Word count: 2k

You knew that once you'd stepped into Fez's and fell for him that your life could be in danger at any point. You knew the violent, drug-fueled lifestyle was a part of him and always would be, you'd never once wanted to change anything about him or his lifestyle. Would it be nice to not be around scary creeps, drug addicts, guns, violence, and murder all the time? yeah, of course. But you'd learned to accept that this was part of your life because you loved Fez and Ash. You'd deal with this lifestyle so that you could be in their life. They were your boys, the two most important people in your life. What you hadn't anticipated, was that today that danger would find you.

It was like any other day, the boys went to some drug deal a short distance from your home. They would only be gone an hour or two tops, and it had been almost an hour at this point. Faye was sat on the couch watching tv and smoking a joint, whilst you were in the kitchen preparing dinner for the five of you tonight. It was around 9pm when you heard a knock at the door. You and Faye turned to look at one another, neither expecting company tonight. You wiped your hands on the tea towel and walked towards the door. Faye came up behind you, standing in the kitchen to be close by just in case.

You opened the door slowly, peeking almost. A guy in his late twenties it seemed stood there, he looked absolutely awful. His short brown hair was all over the place and sticking to his forehead with sweat, his white t-shirt was dirty and also drenched in sweat. He had large purple bags under his eyes and his skin was particularly white, small beads of sweat covering it. You noticed a long white scar that ran down his left cheek. "Um... h-" You didn't get a chance to say anything more as he pushed past you into the house, his hand in his pocket. "Sorry to barge in, I need my usual." His whole body was shaking aggressively. You closed the door and went to stand in front of the hallway, Faye standing closer.

"I'm sorry, Fez or Ash isn't here at the moment, you can wait till they come back, they shouldn't be long." You looked at Faye, concerned about how this guy would act. He ran his hands through his hair aggressively, an unnerving look on his face. He squinted his eyes in a glare, "no I need something now." He raised his voice, causing you the flinch slightly. You kept your face straight, not giving away that you were terrified right now. "Well, we don't have anything here right now so you'll either have to wait or go elsewhere." It was a blatant lie but he didn't know that. You stood your ground, crossing your arms. That just seemed to agitate him further, a frustrated scream leaving his lips as his eyes flickered around the place.

Suddenly a gun was pulled out, being pointed at you. Faye's eyes went wide, both stood frozen, not knowing what to do. God, where are they? You wished you could've acted tougher, you kept your face straight but the shaking of your body was evident to everyone. "Fucking bullshit bitch! Tell me where they are now or I'll shoot you." He warned, his voice low and dangerous. Yet, you weren't going to give in and cost Fez an Ash everything. You became hyper-aware of his eyes moving behind you, noticing the slight ajar of a door. You moved your body in front of the hallway as much as you could. "What's in there?" his gun pointed to Marie's room. "Nothing." You spoke with as stern of a voice as you could.

"Let's see shall we?!" He went to move towards you but Faye grabbed his shoulder, trying to stop him. He spun around and clocked Faye in the nose with his gun, a scream leaving her mouth as blood started pouring out. She stumbled back, the guy screaming at her. You took that as your chance to try and grab his gun. He noticed your movement from the corner of his eye and pushed you roughly. You fell backwards, smacking your head on one of the kitchen counters. You felt the immediate trickle of blood fall down your head as the pain set in, but adrenaline was rushing through your body so you jumped up quickly, trying to catch up with the guy who'd run towards Marie's room.

"Lying bitch!" He screamed, the varied bottles of her different pills around the room. "They are for her!" You yelled, trying to go towards him. He pointed the gun at Marie's unconscious body, making you freeze in place. "Move and I shoot her!" He kept the gun pointed at her whilst grabbing bottles of her pills. He stuffed them into his pockets, his hands frantically shaking. He moved towards you, keeping the gun pointed at Marie. Once out of the room, you ran after him, jumping on his back whilst in the hallway. He groaned in frustration and grabbed your arm, throwing you onto the floor. You screamed in pain as his fist collided with your cheek. You saw stars in your vision, hearing muffled noises around you.

You came back to reality a second later, Faye on the floor near you. You began crying, the pain starting to affect you. Faye crawled toward you, asking if you were alright, you looked to see blood everywhere. You both lay on the carpeted floor, heads spinning. You weren't sure exactly how long you both lay there when you heard a car pull up in front of the house. Faye sat up, groaning in pain and helped you to sit up. Your whole body screaming in pain. The door opened and you heard as the boys called out to you, footsteps following.

"Here!" Faye called, helping to pull you up off the floor. You groaned loudly at the pain in your back. Fez and Ash walked to the hallway and stopped in place at the sight in front of them. Pills littered the floor, obviously escaping during the struggle. A small blood patch began seeping into the carpet from Faye's bleeding nose. You and Faye clinging to one another, your hand holding onto the wall to your right for extra support. Fez and Ash ran towards you both, Fez's placed his hands on your shoulders. "What the fuck happened?!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide in fright and shock. "Can we sit down first?" You groaned, your hand reaching to touch your throbbing head in pain.

He nodded, leading you both to the dining room to sit down. You and Faye stayed close to each other, feeling frightened, despite the guy being gone. "Ash, grab ice packs and towels!" Fez called to his brother, his voice shaking slightly. Fez sat next to you, grabbing your knees softly. You and Faye held hands. "Wha' happened?" His voice was low, his anger starting to surface. You breathed, "some guy came here looking for drugs, I lied and said there weren't any here. He tried to get into Marie's room and-" Ash passed you an ice pack, which you placed on your head immediately. Hissing, "thank you, Ash." you mumbled. "And we tried to stop him, Faye grabbed him but he smacked her nose with his gun. I tried to grab his gun but he saw me coming and pushed me into the counter. I smacked my head but went after him. He got Marie's pills Fez, I'm so sorry! He had his gun pointed at Marie as well. We tried to stop him but he punched me in the face and then Faye." You cried, Faye's hand squeezing yours in reassurance.

"Ash check the cameras!" He called his anger at boiling point now. He stood up and rubbed his head in frustration, "why the fuck you try to stop him? he had a gun! could've killed you both!" He was angry that you'd both risked your lives to stop his grandmother's pills from being stolen. "Fuck!" He came and kneeled in front of you, tears brimming his eyes. Faye grabbed her ice pack and went into the living room, sensing you both needed to be alone. You left your hand to linger in hers for a second, she nodded at you reassuringly, so you let go. Fez's head leaned on your chest, his arms wrapping around your waist. You hissed but enjoyed the feeling of him touching you. He went to pull away, but you stopped him, putting his arms back where they were.

You felt your shirt become slightly wet, his hands fisting your shirt. "I coulda lost you." He whispered, the pain evident in his voice. He'd never cried before, so this surprised you. You lifted your hand up and rubbed the back of his head gently. "But you didn't, I'm here." You mumbled, your other hand rubbing his back. He pulled away and stood up, his hands grabbing either side of your neck softly, near your face. He pressed his forehead against yours, his eyes staring into yours. Your hands moved to hold his forearms, "I will get that fucker." His lips landed on yours, in a needy passionate attempt to convey his emotions to you. Love, fear, need, you felt it all in the kiss. You reciprocated the feelings back into the kiss, so he could feel that you felt the same. "I know who he is," Ash announced, breaking your kiss.

Fez and Ash had been gone for a few hours, they had gone to find the guy whose name you overheard, is John. You and Faye had snuggled on the couch watching a film, but not really paying attention as you talked about how you both felt. It had brought you both much closer, growing a special bond from a shared trauma. After two hours of talking, you'd fallen asleep with your head on Faye's shoulder. Waking shortly after, hyper aware of your fear of someone breaking in again. You'd gently laid her down on the couch, took off her shoes and covered her with a blanket. You placed a small kiss on her head, stroking her hair out of her face. You noticed a small smile on her face as you walked away.

You had decided to get into the shower, so you could get rid of the dried blood in your hair. The water was hot, steam filled the bathroom despite the door being open. You washed your hair, your nerves soothing as you scrubbed your scalp with your favourite shampoo, being gentle at the tender area. Once you'd shampooed, conditioned and washed your body, you just stood under the water for a bit. You jumped slightly when you felt a pair of hands touching your back. "Sorry, ma." He mumbled, placing a kiss on your bare shoulder. You felt him trace his fingertips along your back, assumingly on the area that was starting to bruise slightly.

"I'm fine." You whispered, resting your head against his shoulder. He sighed and wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you softly close. "Don' risk your life like that again, for nothin'." He warned, kisses moving along your shoulder. You moaned in contentment, the feeling comforting, "I won't." You whispered, grabbing the back of his head. He began kissing your head, pressing himself against you. You could feel that he was hard, your thighs clenching at the thought. His hands explored your torso, moving to cup your breast and the other on your clit. You gasped in pleasure, a moan escaping.

His lips found yours, they were needy and passionate. You understood the intensity and feelings he was conveying to you, he didn't want to fuck, he wanted to make love to you. He wanted to show you how much he loves you and how scared he was knowing you could have died tonight. His fingers worked against you, as he ground his dick into your ass gently. "I love you, so fuckin' much." He groaned, his free hand cupping your face. "I love you too, more than you'll ever know." You moaned, his lips returned to you. Much needier than before.

[blueberrypossum]

A Date Down Under (GN Reader x Leo)

OH MY GOSH IT’S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I’VE POSTED!!

If you guys are wondering where I’ve been I write more on A03 with two original fanfics in the making! But, my tumblr account deserves some love too! This fanfic has been siting in my file for a long while and I originally wanted to post it when I was deep in the ROTTMNT fandom (still love it and miss it man). So, I decided to take out my oc in it and make it a reader fanfic so everyone can enjoy!  @bootyyy-shaker9000 ​ I know how much you love Leo so have some of the wonderful boy in blue!!

When Leo asked you if you wanted to celebrate your Friend Anniversary in the Lost City, you couldn’t refuse. 

 The feelings for the turtle though were getting tougher and tougher to maintain. Leo was always the flirt, and you tried to not let him play with your heartstrings, but now a blush would creep around your face whenever he would fire a one-liner or when he would push the physical contact to the extreme. 

You weren't used to so much affection, nor letting the addiction of being touched take over you like a drug. 

But you have seen the way Leo fake flirts with others, and just believed that he was just doing the same thing to you, because you were just friends, right? 

You were brushing your comb through your hair when your phone started to vibrate on your desk. You brought it up to your ear as you got comfortable in your seat.

“Hello?”

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

There were a few knocks on your bedroom window.

“Me.”

You giggled and walked over to the window and pulled back the blinds to see the one and only Leonardo Hamato, a sly grin on his face as he hung up on the phone. You placed your phone into your pocket and unlocked the window to reveal yourself to him. 

The blue bandana turtle looked a little taken aback as he took in the sight of his best friend. With the season turning colder, you wore something that suited the chilly wind yet sunny season, the cloth clinging to you gently. What caught him off guard the most was the dazzling smile you presented to him, the pure excitement of seeing him causing his bandana to feel tight around his head. 

Leo almost lost his balance as he hopped into your room, sweat growing on him as he tried to find anything else to look at other than you.

“Hey, how's your fever?” He asked, his voice drowned with no confidence, his heart still pounding as he finally glanced over. 

You were picking up your bag and you frowned at the question.

“Hum? What fever?” 

“Oh, yeah, you just look hot to me,” he replied, pressing a confident smile on his lips as he hoped that you didn’t catch him almost slipping up. 

Your cheeks went pink and you playfully slapped his arm.

“Oh hush up and let’s go, we’re burning daylight.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s burning.”

“Oh my gosh, get going, Red Kamon.”

The tall turtle chuckled and pulled out his sword, swiping it around the room until a portal was created. Leo moved to the side and bowed his head towards you. 

“After you,” he purred and you rolled your eyes at him and took a step into the portal and was led right at the center of the Hidden City. The colorful and mysterious city was weird to say the least, nothing but weird creations and magic lingered in the air as yokai walked past you. Leo stepped through the portal and was at your side as you both walked over to the city map. 

Leo used your shoulder as a rest while you gazed over at the map.

“Where do you want to go, shorty?” He asked as your eyes scanned the different areas and pointed towards the Witch Town.

Your mind seemed clouded from the close contact and you pointed to the spa.

“What about here? Sounds interesting.”

“Can’t do. My idiot and less attractive twin got us turtles banned there,” Leo commented and soon his arm snaked around your neck and was completely over your shoulders, bringing you close enough that you could feel his breath over your cheek. 

“What about here?”

“Nope. They banned me there.”

“How did you get banned from a spa?”

“My dashing good looks were just too much for them.”

You let out a gust of air and knew the real reason, Donnie told you the whole funny scenario of Leo needing hair to get into the spa, totally backfired and threw him in jail. 

“What places are you not banned from, blue?” You asked, turning over to him with your arms crossed. 

He gave you his signature smile and leaned down till you were face to face, his beak just a few inches from your nose. 

“Here, just those two places. Your heart? Never.”

“Then what about the Pirate Bazaar?” You mumbled, your heart almost leaping out of your chest as Leo’s eyes widened with excitement.

“Ohhh, I’ve been there! But only for a little bit, let’s go!” He squealed and took your hand and led you through the crowd of animals and other subjects of yokai. His three-fingered hand was cold against your warm one, and you knew Leo and his brothers like closeness to you and April since you were the only warm-blooded creatures; Splinter was too but hugs were hard to get from him. Still, the hand holding made others look over and gush at you two, as if you were a couple. 

If only.

He didn’t let go as he took you into lesser crowds, bringing you closer till your arms were touching. You then realized he wasn’t wearing an outfit, but then remembered most of the yokai’s were clothesless as well. His muscles bounced as he walked and you had to do everything to not wrap your fingers around the growing muscle. 

STOP STOP STOP THINKING LIKE THIS! HE DOESN’T LIKE YOU LIKE THAT!

His thumb started to brush against yours as he turned to you and you swore you saw a red dash against his cheeks, and it wasn’t his stripes.

“You’ve been friends with me for a whole year! Please, do tell how great it must’ve been to be called my best friend,” he said slyly, wiggling his non-existent eyebrows, causing you to laugh. The joyous melody made Leo weak in the knees.

“You mean, me always having to save your shell from dangerous bad guys, having to endure all your jokes, and then the constant-CONSTANT- marathons of Jipiter Jim and Lou Jitsu to the point all I could do was speak quotes from the movies.”

“Oh yeah, may I remind you that you would text me excited about every movie date? Didn’t someone make their signature hot chocolate just for me when I showed this specific someone their now favorite movie? Ring any bells?” He replied back.

“Pffts, you know what? Your one-liners stink.”

The sword yielding turtle let out a gasp and grasped where his heart would be over his plaston as if he had been shot as he looked down at you. 

“My one-liners stink like Raph’s victory stink!”

You laughed and took back his hand and Leo felt his heart flew as your warm hand was gripping onto his cold one. You took the lead and finally made it to the entrance of the pirate grounds. There were booths of stuff that were related to the pirate theme of the area and some were just random selections of things to sell. The smell of seafood and other fried foods drifted into your nose and you led Leo to the entrance. 

After getting Lost City Cash at a money machine, you both took a selfie at the front entrance, Leo bringing you close and him having to lean down due to your height.  

There was a goblin looking woman in the booth at the entrance and the woman took your money and gave each of you a bracelet to get on rides and such. 

“For an extra 20 dollars, you can have a custom pirate outfit that you can switch on and off with ease,” she explained and you and Leo shared the same look, giving the worker a simple nod. She pointed to where single bathrooms were after she got the money.

“Last one there is a rotten turtle egg!”You challenged out as you raced over to the bathroom stalls, the mutant turtle schoffing and charging after you.

With a little bit of magic, you were able to think up your very own pirate outfit with a second band around your wrist so that you could switch it off and on with ease. Leo picked the same outfit he had when he first came to the pirate utopia with Hueso, but didn’t pick an eyepatch this time since he didn’t want to trip in front of you. 

You quickly raced out of the changing room after saying thank you to the worker who helped you and looked around, your eyes trying to find the mutant turtle in the crowd. You spotted the long strands of his bandana and felt yourself shudder at how good he looked in a pirate outfit, how the white shirt clung to him and how he had his sword hung against his side instead of over his back. You swallowed the saliva that was swimming in your mouth and quickly dashed over to him, clearing your throat before you spoke in the worst pirate accent. 

“My, my, isn’t ye the best booty I’ve ever seen in these vast oceans!”

The red slider turtle quickly turned around but you moved out in front of him.

“Aye, wanna shiver me timbers?” You laughed, throwing another one-liner at him and he turned, his eyes going wide as he almost told you that if you were a pirate, you would be the most beautiful treasure that no man or woman could handle or capture. If you were a pirate he could definitely walk the plank. 

“Those jokes are so lame, that they need a peg leg,” he replied, almost hating himself fully for using one of Huesos jokes instead of his own. But you flashed him a smile anyway and motioned him to follow as you made your way through the crowd. 

The teenage turtle felt his heart leap after you and gave chase as you made it to the center of the pirate theme park. 

Once in the middle, you pulled out the map the woman at the booth gave you and started to read over the activities that you could do. 

Leo leaned down close, still a little out of breath, but his confidence had awoken him as he said: “Ya certainly put a shiver in my timber!” he said in a deep pirate accent. You booped his beak away from your face and he blew a raspberry on the index finger.

“So, there is a treasure adventure we can go on, a booth section of stuff to buy, a pirate show of a reenactment of pirate history-Oh! They have timed dances throughout the area! And you can join in!” 

“Are you going to join in?”

“Maybe. I could finally dance with someone who doesn’t only do fortnite dances and dabs.”

“Hey, my moves are almost like a work of a pirate ship.”

“Old and needs remodeling?”

“What?! No! Unique and cool.”

You rolled your eyes and wrapped your arm around Leo’s and led him to the show since it was the closest. 

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

You stood on the pier as ships and flying creatures dashed by, the glowing lights of the underworld turning into a creamy orange to signify that the day was coming to an end. You leaned your arms over the railing as you scrolled through the photos that had been taken throughout the day. You couldn’t help but smile at seeing your goofy pictures and would scroll past the ones you took specifically of Leo without him knowing. 

Speaking of the turtle, he leaned in close to your shoulder as he noticed that your attention was not on him.

“Whatcha lookin at?” He asked, his head slowly getting closer. You felt your body grow warm and quickly turned your phone. 

“Bruh,” you giggled and he gave a quiet chuckle and tried to snatch the phone. 

“If you’re looking at something, then as your best friend I have a right to see.”

“Fine, hang on.”

You quickly saved the single photos of him into a secret file and moved the phone between them, his head still on your shoulder as he scrolled through the photos, both of you laughing at the one where you fought the pirates and failed. 

“What about you? I know you took photos of today for your social,” you commented as you placed your phone into your bag. 

Leo took out his phone and hid it out of sight since his home screen was a picture of them together at an abandoned skatepark and he had you in a piggyback ride and he just had to capture the moment. He handed his phone without thinking and started to go through your bag due to boredom.

You scrolled through the photos until you stopped at a specific one. You didn’t remember him telling you to pose for this photo; it was when you had stopped to eat dinner and you happened to watch one of the kids getting a fake pirate hook from a vendor. Your head was supported by your hand as a breeze caused your hair to ripple around your face in an alluring photo. A blush rushes to your face as if you had been hit and soon you started to scroll faster and found more photos of just you; of you waiting in line, in your pirate outfit, several were taken of you during the pirate treasure hunting, when you grabbed a candle from one of the booths in excitement, he even got a cliche photo of you holding his hand while you led him through the crowd. 

You felt your heart stop in your ribcage and looked over at the ninja turtle, who was still looking through your bag as if he was hunting for treasure. You didn’t want to snoop, but you couldn’t help but exit out of his camera roll and looked through his folders on the right side; there was a folder for comic books, shopping, epic moments, even a puns list, then found it at the bottom. It was labeled with a first letter of your name and a heart, and with twitching fingers, you opened it. It wasn’t many photos but enough to where you almost dropped his phone into the water below. There were pictures of you whenever you both hung out, and some he probably got from your social. 

Holy Hot Soup, he liked you.  

“Okay, now you really look like you have a fever,” Leo commented as he reached for his phone, causing you to swallow and quickly turned off the device and handed it back to him.

“But don’t worry, Doctor Neon Leon will help you get all better,” he said in a baby voice and wrapped his arm around you and brought you close. 

“Maybe you need some Vitamin ME,” he whispered and you laughed at yet another ridiculous one-liner made by him. He grinned at the sight of you laughing and rested himself against your side, taking in your scent and warmth. 

“Maybe I do, where do I get my prescription Aka Kamon?” You asked slyly, a shit eating grin on your face as Leo blushed. Whenever you could, you would fire back a one-liner and was overjoyed to see him be the one to get flustered and a stuttering mess. 

“ Oh, um, well,” he stuttered and mentally kicked himself as he couldn’t think of something to say back and then a question he always wanted an answer to.

“Are you ever going to tell me what those words mean?” He asked. 

“Are you ever going to open a book and find out for yourself.”

“Ha! Jokes on you, I don’t know how to read. And also, there are phones now, boomers.”

“Then look it up.”

“JuSt GiVe Me A hInT.”

You released a sigh and gave him a look while he returned to you his huge puppy dog eyes look and placed his hands together as his bottom lip wobbled as if he was trying to get out of trouble. 

“Finnnne, but only because it’s our best friend’s day.”

You poked the red stripe against his face and then pointed upward, a smirk growing on your face as he gave a confused one.

“WHAT KIND OF HINT IS THAT??”

“A pretty good one in my opinion.”

The red slider turtle let out a large groan as he crossed his arms, his face growing tight as he tried to think of what the hint meant. 

“Are you just calling me stripes but in Japanese?” He said with a groan. 

“Leo you insult me, it would be kind of stupid to call you stripes in both English and Japanese.”

He mimicked your talking right as you finished and he received an eye roll as he continued on thinking.

 So, it wasn’t the stripes, maybe the color? Or the shape?

“Man, this is hurting my brain, this best friend day sucks.” He said as he stuck his tongue out at you.

“Okay, okay. The two words are a color and a shape. Is that better?”

“Yes. Yes it is.”

You continued to watch as Leo tried to put the pieces together and you wished you could get this on video, but it would be too obvious, so instead you painted it into your mind. 

“So, the color is totally red, but the shape I’m lost at. Why did you point at the sky? Is that a clue? Why did you make this so difficult?”

“Because I’m a difficult person.”

“I do like a challenge.”

“One more hint, it’s the shape of something in the sky.”

Leo looked up at the fake Lost City sky and squinted as the fake sun started to set and the moon would start to rise. 

“Red Moon?”

“Close. It’s Red Crest.”

The blue bandana turtle searched the horizon for an answer for why you called him that as you looked away due to embarrassment. 

“Why?” He simply asked as he looked over; he could always tell when you were nervous, your eyes would always dart around and your left foot would start to shake. You rose to a tallen stance though and looked over at his hands.

“I just find your marks...alluring. In Japanese culture, the red moon is respected due to its power. I just thought you deserved to have a nickname that represented you.”

Leo felt his face go completely red that it could put Raph’s mask to so much shame that it would go bland. All this time he thought you were just calling him something insulting in Japanese, but it was a nickname that you made up for him. Not like Raph’s, Donnie’s, Mikey’s or April’s, it was one you made up for him and only him. 

“Stop looking at me before I throw you off this dock so I can live the rest of my life without this embarrassment,” you laughed nervously as your fingers combed through your hair and let out a shaky breath. 

Leo started to get his little shakes as he let out a confused laugh. 

“All this time I thought you were calling me a stupid turtle or somethin in Japanese, whoa oh boy was I wrong.”

You both looked away from each other and the atmosphere became heavy. 

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, I still don’t know, you thought, but then you felt his finger poke your elbow and looked over at him, and the soft expression on his face almost made you melt.

“But how can I stop looking at you?”

Your breathing immediately hitched.

“Are you blushing? It’s a good feeling to know that I do it.”

You could only cover your face as you leaned against the railing on your elbows and looked between your fingers at him. You hated being so flustered up, but with Leo dripping with confidence, it made you want to curl into a muttering mess. 

Leo watched you with amusement and went to touch you, but then fell back. He remembered how he started the physical touch between you two, holding your hand, always leaning on you, every movie night you would be his cushion. But you two couldn’t kiss, couldn’t cudde too close, he couldn’t tell you he loved you more than just a best friend.  

 He hated how the day went by so fast and now he wanted to do what he has wanted to do for months. But he couldn’t work up the courage, he had a ton of one-liners to ask you out, to ask if you returned the feelings, even though he was mutant turtle that lived in the sewer and fought enemies that could destroy the whole world and wholly Ōdachi he can’t ask you to be a part of that life. 

But, the way you would smile at him and how you always gave him credit for the growth into someone you wanted to be. How you saw something in him that he didn’t even see, and he wanted to keep being whatever you saw. 

He just wanted you.

So, he worked up the courage, tried to make the sweat stop rolling down his body, and looked at person he had fallen for

“Y/N.” 

You tensed up, you had never heard Leo sound so serious in his life. 

“Yeah?” 

“With this being.....I mean if I’m wrong. Would you consider this a date-date?” He spilled out, and he wanted to climb into his shell like Mikey and never come out. He let out a gust of air and didn’t look over at you, his fingers messing within each other. It was silent between you, the city life buzzing around them as yokai’s came and went. You wanted to scream out in joy and say yes a hundred times, but you also had to be careful, along with if Leo was being a bubbly mess, you wanted to take advantage of it as long as you could. 

Spotting a red and blue flower with a bright yellow center growing on the side of the deck, you wrapped your fingers around it and pulled it from its roots. To Leo’s surprise, you pushed your way under his arm until it was back over your shoulders. The blush on his face was noticeable and with being against his chest you noticed his uneven breaths. 

“I do. And I would like more of them, if you want to.” You answered and handed him the flower. He shakenly took the flower in his hand and his confidence came crashing back to him, knowing that the feeling was mutual. As quickly as you gave him the flower he leaned over and placed the flower over your ear. Your eyes widened with surprise and quickly averted them away, a nervous but sweet chuckle escaping your lips. But the Red-eared slider never averted his gaze away from you. 

“I would like that too,” he answered back. 

You both stood there for a while, your head curled into Leo’s chest as his own head rested on yours. You were used to being close, but this was different, this filled you up with knowing and it made the physical connection much more warmer and scarier. Little lights started to flicker around as the city started to get dark, even with no sun or moon. Leo brought you closer and buried his face into your hair, a long sigh escaping his lips in content, his mind slowing down for once and just taking in this moment.

 But the moment went quicker than expected as a low yawn escaped your mouth and the red slider turtle remembered that it was getting late. 

“Alright, sleepy head, I think it’s time to raise anchor and set sail for home,” he joked as he lifted himself off of you and then held out his hand. With a roll of your eyes, you gladly took it and let him lead you back to the entrance of the Pirate Bazaar. He could just use his sword, but he wanted to juice out every moment with you.

The hand hold was different in some way, you gripped his hand tighter and when he came to a stop you would use your other hand to lightly touch his biccup before continuing on. 

You gave the booth teller their costume bracelets back and walked a few feet ahead before Leo pulled out his sword and created a portal. 

He once again bowed his head as he moved to the side. 

“After you.”

Through tired eyes she gave him a smirk as she was halfway through the portal. 

“Thank you.” 

He followed you through the portal and took the step onto your apartment’s fire escape, the flashing lights of New York City spilling over your side as you opened your bedroom window;  throwing your bag inside before turning to Leo. You both turned to each other and then quickly averted eye-contact with each other. 

“I had a lot of fun today, Leo. Thanks for being a good fri-” you stopped yourself since you didn’t know if you two were still just friends, or more.

He let out a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, chief, it was,” Leo said  and then let out a groan at the terrible execution.

 You knew that you had to make the first move now or else you both would accidentally place yourselves into the “friend zone”.

 “Leo, can you bend down a little bit?”

“Why? Tired of being the only short one?”

“You can say that.”

He bent down till he was on your level, a smug smile on his lips. You let out your form of a chuckle as you curved your fingers under his chin. The teenage turtle instantly felt weak in the knees and thought that his legs would give out from under him and became a stuttering mess as you both made eye-contact. 

“Um, haha, is it hot or did you know that, uhh,” he mumbled as you tilted his head to the side and placed a small kiss against his red stripe, instantly making his whole body, for once in his life, burning. 

Your lips were soft against his skin and he stood there as you leaned away and climbed back into your room. 

“Goodnight, Leo,”you mumbled, your hands shaking against the window. 

“N-night.”

You closed the window and walked away while Leo stood there, his mind racing a hundred miles an hour. He got a kiss from you, from you. He never felt so much adrenaline rush through his body and all he wanted to do was go back in time so he could’ve moved his lips over. 

He took a step towards the window and then took that step back. What should he do? What could he do? Were you both dating now? Or were you two at the very edge of the line of a relationship?

He wanted to call his brothers or April for advice, especially since she would slap some sense into him. His shakes were coming back.

He let out a grunt and rubbed his eyes as he tried to decide what to do. He looked back at the window and saw that you had turned on your lights. He walked up to the window and knocked.

You had just gotten out of the bathroom when you heard the light tap against your window and your heart started to race faster than it already was. You were already shaken up by having enough courage to kiss him but if that was him then what if he didn’t want the kiss?

The knock came again and you took a few deep breaths before you moved the curtain aside and there he was, his face all flustered up as he gave a small wave as she opened the window. 

“Yes?” You questioned as you leaned your hands over the window seal. You hoped that the silky night of the sky hid your flustered face.

“I honestly didn’t think this far ahead,” he spilled out as he let out a nervous laugh as he leaned against the window. 

You looked up at him and Leo blinked several times in wonderment at the startled expression that crossed your face. Leo took a deep breath and gave you his signature shit-eating grin.

“Knock knock.”

“Wow, you’re doing jokes in the same place now are ya?”

“Just do the joke.”

You giggled and fluttered your eyes mockingly at him.

“Can I who?”

“Who’s there?

“Can I?”

“Can I...Can I kiss you?”

Even though it was a terrible joke, you felt like you could throw up all of your guts for how fast your heart rate was. Kissing him on the cheek was a challenge but at least you didn’t have to worry about his lips against yours. Do turtles have lips? Or beaks?

The word yes slipped out before you had a second thought. 

Before you knew it, Leo’s hands were slipping into your own, the tip of your fingers shaking but Leo reinsured you with a stroke of his thumb  You looked up at him and was taken aback at how handsome he was, how his stripes glowed in the moonlight and his blue bandana flew behind him as he leaned down. 

Oh you were glad he didn’t have his lips puckered or drool hanging out of his mouth like in the cartoons. 

Swallowing any other signs of panic that were trying to build in your body as you leaned in. 

The city of New York continued on around you both as the kiss ended; it was soft and sweet, not a full one, but it left both of you speechless. You felt as if your stomach was falling apart and Leo thought he could slip off the stairway. He was still holding your hands before you both departed, but with your free hands, you grabbed his face and brought him in once again. The red slider turtle’s eyes went wide as moons as this kiss much more, more than he could ever dream of. 

He wrapped his arms around your waist and slightly lifted you up, burying his face into yours under the moonlight. He tangled himself around you as your hands wrapped around his neck and Leo felt his stomach flip at the actions. Your shirt was warm against his chest and he tried to focus in on that instead of the worry of messing this up. He leaned more down as his hand slipped into the back of your neck. Due to the lack of experience, the kiss was sloppy and messy and anxiety swam between the connection between the two of you. 

But it was a tender memory of a kiss between the two of you, to remember as your first. 

You both finally separated, your chest heaving as you tried to get your feelings under control. His arms were still wrapped around you and your hands had slipped down onto his plaston, the hard material rising and falling under your fingers. Leo felt himself lean back, the shock setting in that he just had his first kiss and it was that deep and romantic and that….

The teen turtle felt his shell bump against the railing and you quickly latched onto him to stop him from falling, a horse laugh coming out of your mouth. 

“Guess you can say that you’re falling for me?” You asked, Leo knew now that he had to have a fever for how hot his face felt. He let out a few breathless laughs as he tried to calm himself down, longing and fear still lingering in his heart. 

All he could do was pull you into a hug and whisper out, “I just want to stay here and kiss and hold you and Y/N I can't feel my heart.”

He buried himself into your neck as he once again slightly picked you up, hoping that your warm body would calm him down, but the organ in his chest raced on as you hugged him back, your arms barely going around his shell. 

“Leo, will you be my boyfriend?”

My boyfriend. My boyfriend. My boyfriend. My boyfriend.

The words rang in his head like chimes as he slightly pulled away to look at her, the harsh blush on her face giving him an ego boost as he grinned at her. 

“Being called a boyfriend, eh? Neon Leon already has so many cool names, but boyfriend is probably the best name to be called, especially if it’s only you saying it.”

“Probably? I guess I should just give the boyfriend title to someone else, then.”

“What?! No, no, no. I already called it, I’m your boyfriend capiche? Now come here.” He pulled you into a tight hug and gave you a little spin, a laugh escaping your throat as you held on.

“Leo! We can fall, and my back cannot handle cement like yours!” 

[lolita-lollipop]

Hizashi and Aizawa kidnapping a young teenage girl, and her bonding and quickly finding comfort with Hizashi, leaving Aizawa to awkwardly attempt at being super soft and all the more gentle to his sensitive little girl, his heart panging with pain every time she flinches or cowers away from him. “You don’t need to be scared of me, kitten.. please”

your little acts of favoritism weren’t necessarily intentional, you hated both of them. they were your brothers teachers, and whoop dee doo, they kidnapped you. but... you liked hizashi more.

it was just something about him that made you believe he was some form of comfort item, probably because he wasnt brooding, and didnt have a mean face, and he was the first human yud ever seen in this place, that all combined into one and he became your rock, your shoulder to cry on. he was just... so nice, although his quirk was loud, somehow he managed to speak softly with you. it was such a bright contrast to at home where two firey blondes always scream at each other, and your father tries to calm it down.

on your first night ever here, you had tried to jump out the window, and were captured by the thick scarves you once admired, hed lectured you, yelled at yiuu even, all you could see were those red eyes of his, and hear his voice. and he scared you, he scared you so much. i guess it justtranslates to now, first impressions are everything, and to you, he looked like a big scary man who would yell at you.

eventually, you stopped caring about how you hated him, or how you wanted to leave, as you clearly never were. so, instead of glaring at them, or crying, you accepted the fact that he was taking care of you. hizashi, hizashi was taking care of you... aizawa though? no way in hell, he was just so... you'd never seen him with a smile, he never tried to talk to you, he just kinda watched you, and it freaked you out, at some point you started believing he was trying to kill you, don't even ask how you came up with that conclusion.

you just couldn't manage to warm up to hi as you'd done so quickly with hizashi, and it showed. you were always tense when alone with him, like he was going to jump out at you any second and stab you, you didnt talk to him , sometimes you felt so anxious around him that you would outright start crying, shaking in some form of fear, or hide yourself under a blanket. although hizashi was proud that you loved him so much, he knew that this was hurting his husband, that his own little girl was scared of him.

so he would always try to coax you into doing things with him, saying things like "can your papa come and help" or "how about we have papa do this with you while I make lunch?", just trying to get him included so you would feel just as comfortable around him as you were with his own self. Sometimes he just left the room to let you have alone time with him. He’d even lectured his husband about how he always looked angry, and that he has to smile form time to time, and not the creepy “I’m gonna kill a villain” smile.

And so Aizawa started trying, not trying to be like hizashi, even that was too much for him, but trying to be nicer, he was a gentle person when he wanted to be, so this came with ease for him, he would tuck you in at night, read you stories, hold you if you cried, feed you, help you bathe (which you usually liked hizashi to do, and in general, inserted himself as a gentle roger in your life. You would expect taht this would work, that because he was so nice to you, because he was so sweet like hizashi, you would accept him as your father.

But nope! Again, first impressions are everything to you, and now, he was written off as the villain of you story, now, you jsut ran off to papa whenever he was around, and didn’t even give him the chance to hang around you, it just made it worse honestly, because now, not only did he look scary, but he also looked fake, which is never good. Every time he would try to if you, you would clutch onto hizashi for dear life, acting like his hand would do nothing but burn you.

Tears would cloud your vision, and he would pulle back, not wanting to cause you any more pain, and jsut stare in. Pure jealousy at his husband, who cooed and gave you a hug.and guess what? You hugged him back, and hid yourself in his chest, willingly, without a fight, without a tear, instead with a smile, most of the times mic wouldn’t interfere, wbatigg ns this to everyone a safe space for you, a place where you should naturally do things, but sometimes, he would give you little bushes int he right direction. Like disappearing completely for my he house so you’ll be forced to talk to Aizawa.

This is one of those times.

Yo been wandering the house for about ten minutes now, waking up form a nap, to find mic absent from his usual place in the rocking chair at your bedside. It was a little after lunchtime, and they’d only given you a small cup of fruit for breakfast (intentional, from mic), you were fairly hungry, and usually he was there to give you food, but you had no idea where he was, you had heard the… other one on the phone in their shared office, but you did not want to talk to him right now.

Aizawa could tell you were awake by the fact that all of the cats were meowing like crazy, and little pattering footsteps had followed his hearing around, mic had left abruptly, probably some little plan of mischief again, he was hizashi after all. He was just waiting for you to either 1: go back to bed, or 2: come to him for help. Mic had specifically told him to follow these rules for after nap time, so he did. And grew progressively more worried as over twenty minutes, trying to read through his students grading work, too distracted by the urge to go find you to accomplish anything.

His worries dissipated though when he saw your little head poking through the door, cat in hand, confused and tired looking, small tears beginning to prick th corners of your eyes, little sniffling sounds left you. His wha specked up form the desk, you’d given up walking around the whole house, your restarting had slowly pent up, you couldn’t manage to find him, and you were so hungry.

“Oh- hey honey, I didn’t know you were up. Do you need something?” He questioned, smiling intently at you, you just inched back into the door frame, breathing heavier by the moment, your hands shook and your head felt like it was going to explode at any point. Youbcontenoajted runnign back to your room and waiting till mic came out where you could hear him, but your stomach grumbled, reminding you how hungry you really are.

“I’m- im looking for daddy. Where is he.” You spoke, a very hushed tone overtook your words, making them almost inaudible for him. His face sunk slowly, he tougher you were actually gonna come for him, but the he remembered taht patience is key, and that he shouldn’t get mad, because it is t your fault taht you’re just a little sensitive, too fragile to handle more than one attachment, he gets it. He jsut at least wanted you to look at him, instead did your little feet, I’m Ayer if you could meet his eyes the. You would see how much he loves you.

“Oh, he left a. Little while ago. Is there something you need from him? Your papa can give him a call if you want, you could even talk to him!” He exclaimed excitedly, plastering that happy smile across his face to seem more inviting, liek mic had told him to do. He stood out of his chair, rounding up the papers and putting them in his file folders.you tried to sink back furthers, almost disappearing behind the doorway, you shook your head aggressively, almost running off, then yet again, your stomach made another noise, and forced you to stay.

“I- no. I’m- im hungry-“ you spluttered, not caring if it was embarrassing that you were stuttering so much, you just wanted food. And calling mic would just get you a lecture on how you could’ve just asked your papa, the same thing would happen whenever you went to uncnecesary lengths to avoid the man, your daddy would make sure you knew that it made him feel bad, while you’d at there bored. Not caring, at all.

“Oh- well you should’ve told me sooner kitten, if I’d known I would be up already. Cmon, let’s go to the kitchen, your daddy made you some food earlier” he spoke, rising from his chair slowly, you cowered slightly as he walked over, clutching the little kitten right to you for comfort, he mewed and snuggled closer, completely asleep. The man sighed when he saw you backing away from his grasp, he knew you were still scared. But he was just so impatient… he was tired of waiting, he wanted to hold you, even if it was jsut foena few minutes. He needed it feel you there with him.

Is he acted quickly, moving in a matter of seconds, he swooped his arm under your leg, and hooked his other around your torso, pulling you straight up into his grasp. Youu huh froze, his hands felt cold as ice on your skin, like they were burning you, immediately after he started walking, it snapped you out of it and you threw a fit. You dig your fingernails into his skin, and kicked and flailed in a panic, still trying to keep the little kitten in your lap safe. A full blown panic washed over you, clogging all your senses.

The dam holding back tears form your eyes crashed, and immediately you were sobbing, biting at his shoulder to let you go, he tried to rub your back to calm you down a bit, but just made it worse, as his hands felt like living anxiety creeping up and down your spine. He didn’t know what to do, let you ride it out, andkk no possibly have you get sick because of how much your crying in an empty stomach? Or let you down and go straight back to square one.

Your veined felt like pure ice had flooded in them, and it felt liek someone was repeatedly jabbing you in the head with tiny needes, fear was jsut so prominent in your sense, it overcame you, and made you whimper and scream.

“Whoah, breath for me alright? I just want to hold you. I’m not going to hurt you okay? I would never hurt you. Kitten… you don’t have to be scared of me” he spoke, trying to keep a proper computers, he wanted to cry with you, he wasn’t a very soft or emotional man but honestly, he was so upset with himself already, this was jsut pushing him for the edge. You cried, and cried, at some point you weren’t even crying and screaming at him, more with him. He held you close, you’d stopped the struggle almost five minutes ago, letting him hold you. It was odd. It almost felt… nice.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m being stupid again” You alien through your remaining little hiccups, shove my your face into his shirt, smelling the woody scent he carried around with him. He cooed, letting you hide yourself from him, savouring this soft moment was of top priorirty in his head… you jsut looked so sweet, so different from those harsh cries that would sound usually whenever he came around.

Who would think, shouts aizawas hand couldn’t feel nice? The same ones that had just been burning you, the ones that made you scream, felt like a breeze on a spring day, he actually felt warm, he felt like happiness, like contentment.

“No hon, it’s not stupid. Your scared. I know that, we all get scared and it’s not a bad thing, I love you, I really, really love you kitten. Just know that” he continued on with his little speech, leaving down to kiss you in the forehead, Jsut to be suprised when you didn’t flinfh, you were too tired to be scared; and too hungry, plus, he was really warm, the cat had pretty much snuggled up to him already, who says you shouldn’t.

“I- um- I love you… to?” You spoke, more of a question than anything, you’d spent so long Harding him that you didn’t know if you even could love him, it didn’t even feel possible, then again, you litterally cling to hizashi like a koala, and your mental state has relaly said “swoopity swoop” and scattered itself everywhere. Maybe having two comfort items was actually better than one… huh.

“Well, let’s go eat then. All taht crying probably made you tired, I’ll let you watch a movie in my office, you can watch pinto again, I know you love taht one. Cmon, let’s go” he spoke, and started walking again, you cuddled closer to him as he did, smiling slightly at the warmth. Hizashi was very extravagant, exiting, and hyper, this man felt very cool, calm, it was such a dark contrast, but it worked so well. You jsut… you Jsut liked it.

Well… now we’ll just have to wait and see who’s the favorite

———————————————————————————————————

Thank you for requesting! It was super fun to write and had me feeling super happy when I finished :)

I’m thinking about doing yandere todoroki family asks, because I’m litterally in love with @i-cant-sing one… so, requests are open for those if you want to put them in (please do I’m begging)

Anywho, have the most wonderful to days today! Goodbye!

[piebingo]

Hi, this is my first time submitting an ask so idk what I’m doing but I noticed something in my umpteenth rewatch of YR abt S and W’s nervous habits/ coping mechanisms and I want to talk to someone abt it haha. So we know one of Simon’s is squeezing his fist/ fiddling with his hands (like when he asks about tutoring, or when he enters the classroom in ep6 after the video leaked.) but I also noticed In Ep 1 where W says bye to Erik and he stands alone in the hallway, W kind of makes fists/ plays w his fingers as an anxiety thing, too. I know its a common anxiety fidget in general, but I’d just never noticed those similarities between W and S before. Everyone says it, but I am constantly shocked at the level of details and connections in this show. I’m if you have other observations or insights into their (or connections to other character’s) coping techniques, but if not, thanks for reading anyways :)

Hi friend! Ngl it took me a while at first to figure out asks lol but I’m honoured you’re sending one here! I went a little overboard with my analysis but that’s alright.

Yeah if there’s one thing yr did right (there are many but yk what I mean) it’s the little details. They are so well done and really make the story more real. I also never made the connection that they both do it, even if I know they both do. It’s something I also do a lot, one of the reasons I wear rings is to play with them (or I eat my necklace which is not ideal lol). For Wille, there’s obviously his thumb and his hair that he fidgets with. I haven’t noticed any other character play with their hair or put their thumb in their mouth like Wille does. Simon tends to roll his shoulders back and roll his lips between his teeth. Sometimes, I feel like he tries to take more place, to straighten up and not show that he is anxious (see August’s analysis a little down the page).

I tried to see if Sara has any fidgeting she often does and I couldn’t find anything in particular but there is one thing I noticed that I also do quite a lot when I am with other people: the intense staring and following everything with her eyes. Wille does stare a lot too, especially in that scene where he asks Simon to stay for the weekend. I know that this is one of the reasons people see him as autistic-coded and yeah, that checks out a lot. But anyway, no matter if he is or isn’t autistic, they both stare hard at people. That’s all I could find for her. She does play with her hands but she doesn’t seem to stim a lot, which isn’t that surprising even if she is autistic. Stiming is still stigmatized and a lot of people force themselves to stop doing it (I know I often do, at least). With her desire to fit in and how much she was previously bullied, she probably stops herself from fidgeting and stiming in public as much as she would otherwise.

For August, he seems to turn to exercise to deal with his anxiety, as he does after the headmistress tells him he needs to pay to come back to school next semester. Can we assume this is why Wille found him in gym when he confronted him for the video? Was August there because he was stressed from having fucked up by posting the video? I’ve noticed two instances where August passes a hand on his face. I skimmed through the episodes for those screenshot so I might have missed a couple of other times but he does it when he is overwhelmed (Walter does it too when he learns August is broke, btw). He also squares his jaw (that’s the word right?) a lot, like Simon. I feel like they both don’t want to show their anxiety and channels it that way, a way that makes them look tougher than they are feeling. There are some close ups of them tensing their jaw.

I tried to see if Felice had anything she did but I couldn’t find anything worth noticing when I skimmed through the episodes. Maybe someone noticed something?

Anyways, the way those characters all have different but sometimes similar coping techniques is quite interesting. They all play with their hands. Wille and Sara both stare a lot and Simon and August both try not to show they are anxious, which is a stark contrast to Wille who shows it a lot. The boy always has his thumb in his mouth, even in front of people who tries to intimidate him. It’s like he doesn’t care if they know he is anxious, which is really interesting. He seems at ease with his anxiety, as much as one can be at least.

[oopey-doopey]

If you’re not busy how bout a headcanon for how the four lords would react to their s/o, a doctor/field medic, somehow healing them of their cadou parasites and returning them to their normal selves

If you can't afford medical treatment just get your doctor S/O to do a quick surgery. It's legal and fun!!

Here's a cut cause this bad boy is long

Alcina Dimitrescu

You two had discussed it and agreed that it needed to be done. The girls would be in constant danger from BSAA/Blue Umbrella if Alcina was still such a strong bio-weapon.

She had worries; would she be weaker? Would she need to worry about her blood disease again? How would she protect her daughters? You assured her that you two would figure it out, that you would never do this if you thought it would do more harm than good.

The girls protested, saying they could handle whatever was thrown at them but Alcina hushed them, explaining that it was for her sake as well. It was only so long until BSAA stopped letting her get away with literal murder, no matter how necessary.

You had explained the most likely and best outcome, that she'd be cured and all the effects reversed, that she'd need regular infusions of blood and may feel weaker. You tried to treat her like a regular patient, the coldness of being a medic, but the worry loomed over you.

It was a quick procedure, the cadou just as it had smoothly integrated with Alcina, had been slipped out, the changes almost just as quick.

Her skin became humanly pale, no longer a porcelain white, wrinkles showing the age she was when infected, her height dwindling. You didn't account for her to wake up as quick as she did and had to dive to catch her as she wobbled of the operating table, not yet used to her smaller size.

"A mirror" "Are you sure, Alcina? Maybe you should-" "I want a mirror now" She was demanding, but you understood how justified that was. You only had a small one for operating on you but it would have to do.

She pulled at her face, a look of disdain as she inspecting the face of a mortal woman instead of an immortal lord. Seeing this you came up behind her, wrapping your arms around her waist like you were never able to fully do before, and planted a kiss on her cheek, now noticing how warm it was compared to her previous form

"I look horrid" "You look beautiful" The comment drew a smile from her, but you could still sense the doubt in her.

She stayed in her room for a while, you being the only one allowed entrance to tend her: Infusions, getting her used to human food rather than humans for food. Alcina insisted she fully recovers before her girls saw her as to not incite panic.

It was tough on her to be distant with her girls, but tougher on them to not see her after such a harrowing surgery.

When the girls first saw her it was as if they were interacting with a valuable and fragile vase, none of them wanted to get close in fear of hurting her, but they desperately wanted to inspect their mother.

"I'm not made of paper, an embrace won't kill me." It was lovely seeing them perk up at their mother's usual sass and even more relieving when they practically dove into her arms, bombarding her with questions on how she felt.

There were many things to still discuss, but for now, everyone was happy.

Donna Beneviento

Donna surprisingly brought it up to you first. You were having tea having a calm conversation with Angie for once. The mood felt off for that alone but for the whole day it felt off, now you knew why.

She wanted a normal life with you, one free of the mold and her dependence on her dolls. It was all a crutch and she wanted to start to walk without it.

You asked if she was sure, the dolls, especially Angie, meant so much to her, you didn't want to do it unless she was positively certain

"We've made our mind up, Y/N. We want this." Angie's serious response and Donna's nod were a startling confirmation. You set a date and prepared the tools for the procedure

Before all of that, you set up a party for Donna and Angie, placing all the dolls for one last goodbye. "Surprise!" You pop out with all the dolls, you suspect she knew as the dolls came to life to yell as well but she was crying tears of joy either way.

She said goodbye to all the dolls individually, thanking them for being there for her as she shut down her cadou in each of them. Donna told you that Angie didn't want to go until she had to. You understood completely.

On the day of the procedure, you knelt down to Angie and hugged her. She was always a little bit of a pain to you and she found you a bit dull but in the end, you cared and you were going to miss her rambunctiousness. You spared yourself the tears of a verbal goodbye as you placed her on the operating table next to Donna, she feigned unconscious to mimic her sedated friend.

It was slow and grueling to remove the cadou carefully from her face and skull, you wanted to leave as little scarring as possible. Donna had just stopped wearing the veil and you had no desire to be the reason it came back on

The procedure was no less easy as every amount removed, you noticed Angie appearing even more lifeless.

When it was done, she woke up, her working eye blinking under the bright lights of your operating chambers. She did not address you but immediately turned to Angie. You had not an idea of how she knew she was lying next to her

"Angie?" There was no response and you could see the tears forming as she slowly reached for her best friend, caressing the inanimate face. You took her other hand and squeezed it, before lifting it to your lips and planting a kiss.

Recovering was less physical than mental. Occasionally she'd ask her dolls a question, you'd catch her staring sorrowfully at them as they stared back unblinking. It was even worse when you heard her call for Angie, knowing it was impossible for her to respond.

Sometimes you'd find her staring out the window, holding Angie as she took in the horizon.

"It's difficult... She was always there for me." She stared at Angie, brushing the veil from her face as the setting sun leaked in. You sat next to her, leaning in close so you could support Angie's slumped head... Donna smiled at the action. "But, I suppose there's a lot else for me too." Donna rested her head on your shoulder, now looking at the broad horizon before you both.

Salvatore Moreau

It hurt you like nothing else to see Salvatore live in constant pain and suffering. You had done wonders for the hurt of loneliness but physically he was still in agony.

He has insisted not to burden yourself with him and that he was used to it, but the more he assured you the less you actually felt comforted. It came to a head one day that all he was doing was vomiting. You were sure you saw red at some point

"Stop saying you're fine!" "I'm used to it, Y/N" "Well I'm not!" You were a medic, it had become an instinct to stop people from being in pain, and Moreau made it flare up.

He refused to be operated on, making up excuses or insisting it was not a big deal to him after all these years. Clearly, you could tell it was something else, something he wasn't telling you but he refused to let it slip. It became a strain on your relationship. It felt bad but you had to threaten to leave if he was not going to be honest. He owed you that.

You felt even worse when you found out. "I'm scared it would get worse!" You realized that the last time Moreau was likely on an operating table, it turned him into what he was now. It was beyond inconsiderate to try and force him through it again.

For a while, you dropped it, letting the waters calm... until another vomiting fit happened and you thought you might lose him.

Luckily you didn't and unluckily for Moreau he had to see you're tear-ridden face the whole time, unable to assure you he would be fine due to the wretching. A day later he agreed to let you try.

You were relieved but now it went on to how you were exactly going to do this. You were unsure if removing the cadou would be enough to rid him of the tumors or if you would be on that too, you had no intention to make things worse like he feared.

A while passed as you collected the tools and set up an area in the reservoir to operate, everytime you made progress Moreau strayed farther from the area.

You finally finished and Moreau was off lurking in the waters, much like a child hiding from getting a shot. "Are you ready?" "Yes." "Are you lying?" "Yes." You were happy he found humor in the situation but you needed confidence.

You practically held his hand the whole way to the table, both to keep him from escaping to the water and a half for comforting, his grip did not slip until you had fully sedated him.

The procedure was more difficult than ever expected, the tumors were gelatinous and blocked the way to his cadou. You had to be careful not to burst one as well as not to accidentally paralyze him due to the proximity to his spine. It was slow and meticulous but eventually, you got it all.

Nothing happened. He laid unconscious on the table, cadou thoroughly gone, you made sure... but nothing happened. Did you fail? Was there another one? You pondered the possibilities but quickly stood up as the tumors began to swell, becoming enflamed before one burst, an acidic substance barely missing you and melting part of the floor. As more popped you took cover as not to get burned.

The grotesque sounds of bursting meat slowly faded, becoming less frequent until they stopped, but you waited, ensuring you did not accidentally get splashed by a straggler.

"Y/N?" The sound of your name from a familiar deep but the somehow less nauseous voice made you peer from around your cover, a man all too foreign and all too familiar sat dazed-looking on the table.

"Salvatore?" {Insert your own description of Moreau, I don't want to intrude on anyone's interpretation.} "Y/N!" He immediately tried to get off the table to come to you before you quickly stopped him, remnants of acid a very real danger. You covered a path and made your way to him, stopping at the edge of the table. "Did it work?"

Something about the question seemed laughable as you assumed the feeling would be completely different, but you still pulled a mirror close and let him marvel at a face he had long forgotten.

"Did I make it worse?" It was a snarky remark at his previous fears, probably a little insensitive but at the moment he smiled, suddenly pulling you into your first full kiss in your relationship. "Not at all."

Karl Heisenberg

You were helping him in the factory one day, decommissioning the more specialized soldats at the request of BSAA. You being less tech-oriented focused on the less mechanical soldiers while Karl took on the scrap heavy ones.

Having used some Cadou in them, you had to carefully remove that too, to ensure they would not resurrect after the metal was removed. It took no time for Karl to piece together who else that skill could be used on.

"Make space for me on your schedules, Y/N" He lit a cigar after the sentence, not explaining further. "Excuse me?" "You heard me, sweetheart." He ripped a core from another soldat before putting it on the belt to bring it towards you. You stared in disbelief.

"You want me to remove your cadou?" "Yep." "But I thought BSAA was." "I don't want those dick heads snooping in my body like I'm some labrat. You do it." The conversation was quick and honestly, it should have been expected.

Karl had joked with you before that you could take away his cadou. Just snip and a rip and it'd be done. You explained it wasn't that simple and he would chuckle out an agreement, but you could tell that the jokes had an air of seriousness around them. It had been his goal for a while to reverse what had been done to him

Picking a date was the biggest issue. Karl wanted to do it as soon as possible, get it out and be rid of it. You had to explain you needed time to prepare as the place was delicate and a risk. You knew it was out of excitement and anticipation.

When you finally made time, Karl was on the table before you had even put on gloves or disinfected it. "An eager beaver I see?" You tried to bring the humor Karl often did to scenarios like this, but you could see a sense of series on his face, even the glint of his glasses seemed steeled. "I want every trace of that bitch gone."

You nodded, pulling out the syringe to sedate him as you laid him down on the table. Removing his glasses you looked directly in his eyes, there was a trust in his that made you that much more determined. "You ready?" You asked as a medic protocol. "Just stick me doc." You rolled your eyes as he smirked before relishing in the slight scared look he gave the needle when you lifted it before him

The silence of it all unnerved you. Karl was always making wisecracks or jokes to alleviate the dreary mood of the factory. Having him laying silently before you, face still somehow serious while completely relaxed, made it all the more discomforting.

You worked diligently, careful to find all traces of the cadou and to remove them into a jar you had set aside. It was long but you did it with dutiful ease, Karl had waited so long for this and you must do it right

When it was all finished you took the jar, disgusted at the somehow living organism inside. How could she put this in someone she considered her child. Bitch, was too kind a word Karl used for her. You took the jar to a furnace, throwing it in and watching the thing wriggle frantically before burning to a crisp.

Coming back to the table you found Karl stirring awake, groggily holding himself up on his forearms. "So, how'd it go?" "You tell me?"

Karl looked around the room, his hammer resting in the corner. Focusing on it he waited for the item to float toward him, yet it remained still. After a minute of nothing he stopped, a slow chuckle emerging from him, melding into a proud laugh.

"Well, I'll be damned, Y/N. You've outdone yourself." He began patting himself in search of a cigar. You pulled one from the side table and offered it, snatching it away before he could get a grasp on it. "No smoking until you're fully healed."

He shook his head, chuckling a little more before sitting up and pulling you close. Tilting your head up he locked your lips together. Pulling apart he smiled, "Whatever you say, doc."

I completely forgot that Moreau was a doctor and honestly I should've added something about medical knowledge but its super late and I have a job interview to get up for.