#this is all like?? /pos??? like nothing bad is happening I just need a new brain

[causenessus]

feeling like my brain has expired? like i need a lobotomy where they take out my brain and give me a new one because i need new neurons and experiences like my current brain ain't doing it

[yoursweetwife]

warning: female reader, mostly fluff, mentions reader wearing dresses,

synopsis: Ratio has his own ways of showing his love

p.s some thoughts on how Veritas can take care of the reader because he is clearly very terrible at words

What Ratio does best is talk. Regardless of the topic, he will always find something to say, the words themselves will flow like a river, making an indelible impression on those around him.

However, when it comes to love, he becomes completely quiet. Rarely can you hear “I love you” or “I missed you” from his lips; most often this happens in very intimate and important moments, when he leaves his pride behind and completely surrenders to his feelings.

It's hard to say it didn't bother you. You perfectly understood what kind of person he was, and you didn’t blame him, but it was sad when Ratio just nodded when you said you loved him, or didn’t offer verbal support when you needed it, because you were capable of handling it on your own.

And he didn't lie! Ratio knows that you are a strong and capable person who has achieved everything on his own, so small problems shouldn't bother you, right?

And it seems hypocritical, considering that he constantly took advantage of your love. You always knew how to comfort him, even on his worst days. However, words remain just words, while actions speak volumes about more.

Most of the time, Ratio can't find the words to praise the new dress that fits you so wonderfully, or to say words of comfort when something bad has happened in your life.

But if you didn’t know him so well, you wouldn’t notice how his eyes begin to sparkle every time he notices your new outfit or hairstyle. A slight blush appears on Ratio’s cheeks, and his eyes hesitate to meet your smug face.

Or how his confident facade crumbles when he sees you after a long absence. No matter which of you was on a business trip, Ratio always brings pansies to a meeting and gives them as if nothing had happened, as if he had never read about the meaning of the flower.

And how he uncertainly looks at your crying figure from the doorway. And at the same moment he is next to you, offering comfort in the form of a hug and a kiss on the head.

Ratio's big hand constantly holds any part of your body. In public, his hand will intertwine with yours so as not to “lose you,” or he will place it on your back to gently nudge you in the right direction. It's hard for people to tell if he's enjoying it, but you can definitely tell that Veritas is enjoying it, it's easy to tell by the way the soft smile, meant only for you, spreads across his face, and by the gentle pressure on your hand.

And his most favorite action is to place his hand on your soft thigh, be it at home while you are relaxing on the sofa or bed, or in a public place, so he always sits next to you to make it easier to reach, basically this is a very innocent action , although sometimes he wants to go a little further.

Far from human eyes, it is very difficult for Ratio to stop physical contact. Unfortunately, he became too addicted to it. Previously, the only way for him to relax and clear his brain was bathing, but now all he needs to do is find you, hug you and bury his nose in your fluffy hair.

There's no use trying to loosen his grip, and who would want to refuse this big guy who's looking at you so pleadingly. You were always amused by his manner of sitting next to you and glancing in your direction, quickly turning away when you looked at him. A clear sign that he needs hugs and kisses.

And even bathing began to feel strange without your presence. And this makes Ratio nervous, because the bathroom is the only place where he could clear his mind, and now his head is filled only with how empty the space between his legs feels, where you usually sat.

Veritas always reads a book before bed, and he takes it seriously, but he really enjoys reading while his head rests on your stomach, thighs, chest, using them as a makeshift pillow. However, his favorite position is when he is sitting and you are lying on his chest, resting your head on his chin.

The sight of your sleeping body is the best way to end the day. It’s a pity that you can’t see his soft smile and loving gaze at this moment. Just like your happy face doesn’t reach his eyes when he says three cherished words.

Ratio doesn't know how to express emotions in words, but his actions speak louder than words.

[earthtooz]

how would you write wriothesley needing reassurance?

x : TO LOVE A GOOD THING :*+ﾟ

in which: wriothesley thinks he loves you more than you love him.

warnings: 1.4k words, reverse hurt/comfort with angst, wrio being insecure sorry, gn!hot-headed!reader, reader gets into a fight, wrio patches you up.

a/n: thank u @sixosix for helping me out during my my hard times. this fic was already half written before I got this ask but then it was like the stars aligned and anon came to save a fic that might have never made it out of the drafts. anyways, idk if the writing is good, but i came, i saw, i conquered. enjoy!

Wriothesley thinks he loves you more than you love him.

If he voiced these thoughts to you, you’d shut him down without another breath. He can almost picture it now, the way your nose would scrunch as a precursor to all the statements you will make rejecting his. He can hear all the things you’d say, insisting ‘that’s just not true!’, and then he’ll laugh to cover up the way his chest will swell with pure adoration. 

But it is true. 

Loving you is easier than breathing. The heart that sits in his chest beats harder for you than the circulation of oxygen in his lungs, but he breathes because it keeps him alive. If he’s alive, then he gets to see you, the best thing that’s happened to him his entire, unfortunate life. 

He thinks he loves you more than you love him because you once told him your favourite flowers were glaze lilies. However, when you complained that they only bloomed during the night, Wriothesley knew that he would wrestle the sun just so the moon could shine a little longer. 

He thinks he loves you more than you love him because you linger in the crevices of his mind. Down in the Fortress of Meropide, the days may pass excruciatingly slow sometimes and the only cure for him is yearning for the one he loves most. Perhaps if he wishes hard enough, you’ll burst through those doors with a declaration of a new discovery and sit on his desk, avoiding the paperwork. 

Most times, his wishful thinking doesn’t work out. On the rare occasion it does, Wriothesley will be fortunate enough to end the work day with your palms on his cheeks, gently motivating him to finish what’s left. 

You’ll peel stickers off his body, ignorant of the fact that he saves them up just for an excuse to feel your hands on him, then he’ll kiss you in thanks, eyes fluttering closed. Near you, he can finally let his guard down, let the gauntlets and coat fall as he sinks into you. 

Wriothesley already feels bad whenever you come down to a place so unforgiving and confronting. He tries to brighten up the place sometimes, but metal can only shine so much before it rusts again. 

Is it pathetic to want to better yourself for another person? Or is it love?

Wriothesley thinks he loves you more than you love him, and he’s perfectly fine to continue living with that fact. As long as he’s the one you return to every night, he’ll be fine to live with whatever burdens you press onto him.

He just didn’t expect that one of said ‘burdens’ would result with you, Sigewinne’s infirmary, and your face littered with cuts and bruises. 

“You should have seen the other guy,” is your poor attempt at humour as your lover frets everywhere, pacing back and forth as the small nurse tends to you. His heavy boots resounding against metal floors.

“Seriously, Y/n, what were you thinking?” The warden clearly isn’t amused by your joke, the only thing keeping him back from completely lecturing you is Sigewinne and that stun gun of hers. 

A small yelp slips past your lips when she applies some balm on your sore knuckles and Wriothesley winces, as if feeling your pain. “They were talking bad about you, Wriothesley, what did you want me to do?”

“Nothing!”

Sigewinne gives him a look. He immediately shuts his mouth. “I can’t do that,” you insist.

“You can, and you should’ve. I can defend my own honour. Besides, you didn’t need to lower yourself to the level of crooks just to prove a point.”

“But-”

“-The guys you beat up were just admitted here. Normally after receiving a life’s sentence, the first name that’s slandered is mine as an outlet for anger. This is normal, Y/n, they’ll continue on to realise that the Fortress of Meropide is not their standard prison and reform. You, however, might have just set back their progress.”

Your head drops, a little in shame, but mostly because you don’t have anything to say in retaliation. Silence envelops the dim space, none of you brave enough to break the tension that came from Wriothesley’s scolding. With a few final words from Sigewinne about what medicine to apply, when, and what not to do, she leaves the room quite hurriedly, as if eager to let you and Wriothesley talk about it alone.

Immediately, he crosses the room to where you sit, closing in on your personal space. 

“The things they were saying about you were unforgivable. Meropide’s great duke may forgive, but I won’t.” 

“Nothing is as unforgivable as you getting hurt.” Care laces his voice this time when he talks to you. 

“You won’t throw me in prison for this, right?” You ask with a bashful smile, one that sends him reeling.

“Not prison, no,” he coughs. “However, I can’t not reprimand you.”

“Fine. I guess this just means that I love you more.”

He knows you’re kidding, that you’re only trying to make him feel better because the grin on your face is nothing short of mischievous. Part of him falters, cracks like an earthquake splitting the land apart and pulling him under. To stabilise himself, his rough palms find purchase on both sides of your jaw and his forehead is pressed flushed to yours.

(You don’t love him more, how can you love someone as ragged as him?)

“Impossible,” he murmurs against your mouth. 

“Really, let these bruises be a reminder,” you chuckle. His thumb ghosts over a bruise on your cheek and his heart aches at the way you wince, even if just slightly. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be here, sat on a hospital bed with wounds he inadvertently caused.

You wouldn’t be here, in a dingy, dreary Fortress that you’re only obligated to visit because of him.

(Oh, but he hopes you never leave. The day you go and never come back is the day Wriothesley will turn all of Teyvat upside down just to search for you. Where is his place if not by your side?)

There’s a warm poke to his cheek that’s quickly followed by a damp residual. Wriothesley quickly realises that you wiped a tear away, and he curses the following few that spill. You shouldn’t waste your efforts on him: a man half-coherent, and wholly undeserving of you.

“Love, oh, love,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to the bruised area. “Why did you do this?” 

“I already told you,” you hum. “Because I love you.”

“I’m not worth it.”

Your hand stills. “What do you mean by that?”

“This happened because of me,” there’s pain in Wriothesley’s voice when it cracks. “You didn’t need to harm yourself for me, I’m more of a burden than you think, Y/n, nothing good will come out of loving me too much.”

For a second, everything stills. The beating of his heart, your breathing, the dull humming of the fortress’ mechanics, it all becomes silenced. The world only kicks up again when you speak.

“How could you say that about yourself?” You reprimand, shaking his face lightly. “A ‘burden’? Are you hearing yourself right now, Wriothesley? You’re not making any sense right now!”

There’s a passionate look in your eyes. One he doesn’t think a man like him deserves.

“I do not love you for ‘good things’ to come out of them, I love you because you are the good thing, and I will do anything for you to remain the way you are.”

Oh, he might cry again. Are there tears in the corners of his eyes? How can he help it when you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him?

“Don’t write me off as some poor soul whose subjected to your love,” you whisper, but he hangs on to every word you say. “Your love is not a burden I bear, but rather, the most fortunate thing I’ve ever had the luxury of cherishing.”

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Wriothesley presses his lips to yours in an all-consuming kiss. He drinks up all of your praise and lets it settle in his gut to bloom, untethering himself from the chains that rubbed his wrists raw. You love him, you love him more than he thought possible. 

How lucky he is that you pull him closer, selfishly taking all of him.

© EARTHTOOZ 2023, do not steal, translate, repost my fics and do not recommend my fics onto any other site.

[cosmic-ghost-hermit]

Pick a Card: Who's been thinking about you? Why are you on their mind?

Take what resonates and leave the rest behind, baby. But always be open to new experiences. Decks used are the necronomicon tarot, alchemy oracle, wizard tarot and the crystallary oracle.

🌊Tip your Reader🐋

PILE ONE

Astrology: Taurus, Libra, Leo

Song: Taking What's Not Yours by TV Girl

Vibes: Blue, green, yellow, orange, overactive third eye, prophetic dreams, gold jewelry, masks, vulnerability, candles, 555, 7777, swings, volcano, picture books, Hephaestus, Apollo, Aphrodite

Cards: The Empress, Knowledge, 5 of Pentacles, 10 of Books, Autumn, Mystical Sister, Labradorite, Larimar

Hey, pile 1. I see 2 different people who have been thinking about you. I see one of them used to be your other half. Someone you felt close enough to they felt like family. I think y'all had a falling out of some kind. The second one is someone you only knew briefly. You met them right before they started to know themselves. You weren't destine to really know them and they weren't destine to know you. You may have worked with them or went to school with them. It looks like they have been talking about you to each other. It isn't gossip talk by the way. It seems very positive. They both feel like Leo's by the way. I could also see them as Aquarius's.

The former friend is telling this former acquaintance about you. The friend has needed to talk to someone about what happened between you two. They want to make up with you but are a bit too stubborn and prideful to admit they were wrong about whatever you two were fighting about. They miss you a lot. They think they made a mistake by causing such a fuss about this. They regret the falling out. They saw how gracefully you handled the conflict and they feel pretty guilty about acting so childish.

The former acquaintance is learning so much about you from the former friend. They knew little to nothing about you before they started talking to this person. Before, their view of you was very vague but they loved how you dressed and wanted to emulate their style. They really wanted to know you but were too shy to really ask to hang out or to ask where you got your clothes from. The more they learn about you the more they wished they had taken a chance because even though this ex-friend is the one telling them about you they aren't saying anything bad. They hear the stories of you and I think they feel envious of how close this former friend got to you.

You probably know these two are hanging out now. You don't really care because you have moved on from that part of your life. You would totally be open to forgiving your ex-friend and getting to know your former acquaintance but they won't take the chance. You shouldn't reach out either. They have to be brave enough to seek you out on their own. You are very forgiving and kind. I think the only reason they wont come forward is because of their own insecurities. They don't feel they are worthy of your light. They know you are a strong independent individual and they might not know how to handle how good you are at setting boundaries.

__________

PILE TWO

Astrology: Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces

Song: Welcome to the Family by Watsky

Vibes: White, blue, orange, silver, apples, trees, storms, ex-christian, reflection, boomer, garden, moon cycles, sea gulls, POS, irregular periods, feminine, 222, 4, birds, Demeter, Hera, Persephone, Artemis

Cards: 5 of Cults, Shame and Decay, Growth, Ace of Wands, Tin, Dissolution, Almandine Garnet

Hello, pile 2. There is one person thinking of you. It is a family member. I feel a feminine energy but it could be someone of any gender. I feel that this person believes you inherited your power and your abilities from them. I don't think this is true, this is just a belief of theirs. They have a lot of believes about you that aren't true to be honest. When they look at you all they can see is a mirror and they see nothing beyond that pre-existing belief. They could be a Taurus or a Libra but I also see Leo energy here too.

This person does not like how you live your life. This person has a predetermined idea of how you should be living. They can't seem to get the idea that you aren't their copy. They think because you aren't following the life they think you should that you are somehow sinning or demonic. They can't seem to understand you are an individual. In their eyes you are an extension of themselves. This way of thinking is really cancerous. They make wild and outrageous claims about your life that are made with no proof or evidence. They are honestly just poisoning their own mind by doing all of this. I hear them praying for you but they don't really know what they are praying for. What they say they are praying for is your uprising and for you to "come to your senses" but they are just praying for your down fall. They gossip to their friends about you and honestly some of the friends that have stood up for you and said that this person was being ridiculous. This person immediately and immaturely cut off anyone who didn't agree with them.

Do not reach out to this person. If you are still in contact with this person I recommend removing them from your connections. They do not have your best interest at heart and I think contacting them would add more fuel to the fire. They are sick in the mind and refuse to admit that they could be wrong. They do not take criticism well and they do not like anything different than themselves. They surround themself with yes-men who will do anything they say. Please, stay safe and protect yourself from such a mean person. They do not deserve your light.

____________

PILE THREE

Astrology: Scorpio, Sagittarius, Aries

Song: Hey, Runner! by The Arcadian Wild

Vibes: Black, brown, rainbow, teal, tendrils, doorways, stairways, 6666, 1234, snakes, crows, ravens, dogs, squirrels, spiders, animals, burrows, wild, water, skeletons, halloween, keys, cats, Pan, Artemis

Cards: 10 of Curses, Rotation, Darkening, Smokey Quartz, Queen of Pentacles, 2 of Pentacles, 6 of Books

Hi, pile 3! I see one person thinking of you. This person was not good to you. They abused you. It could be a former romantic partner or a family member. I also see you might have worked together. Either way they are not a good person. This person made you feel very helpless. I'm sorry they treated you so bad. You deserved better. They did something awful to animal you really loved. They somehow removed this beloved pet from your life. They didn't like that you gave more attention to this creature than them. They were jealous of this animal. They wanted to control you and your emotions. They took joy in your mourning. For some of the people reading, I think this person could have hid that it was their fault that this animal left your life. They could have acted totally innocent when you cried about your loss but for others I think it was very obvious that it was their fault.

The reason they have been thinking about you is because they have been feeling bad about themself. They used you to regulate their self hatred and emotions overall. They miss the power they had over you. They miss being a predator. It looks like you found an out from a life around them a while ago. You escaped their grasp like they always said you couldn't do. You made your own life and you made it beautifully. I don't think you have very active social media or at least not social media they have access too. They have tried to find you online but they can't seem to locate you. When they do find you they text you immediately and you block them like always. They don't like how you see yourself as equal to them now. They are such a piece of shit for real. They do not like that you live is flourishing without them. They are so pathetic lmao.

I'm proud of you for getting away from them, my dear. You have taken such good care of yourself since you left. You are a wonderful and lovely person who did not deserve to get fucked over by someone who was supposed to care for you. This person is tied up in knots about not having control anymore. They will never have control again. They used to feel powerful when they bullied you but now your power over your own life makes them feel weak.

__________

PILE FOUR

Astrology: Aquarius, Gemini, Virgo

Song: Cherry Hearts by The Shin and RAC

Vibes: Iridescent blue, dark blue, turquoise, gold, cicadas, moons, spilled water, tears, 888, mountains, wings, snakes, mourning star, water, swimming, ocean, copper, eldritch horror, Ra, Horus, Aphrodite Urania, Mother Mary

Cards: Queen of Swords, Moonstone, Chrysocolla, Uranus, Virgin's Milk, Death, 8 of Cups, 8 of Pentacles

Hi, pile 4. So there are two separate people thinking about you. They are unrelated to each other and they do not know each other but they have the same reason for thinking about you. The first person was a friend that was crushing on you hard. I think maybe you had a one night stand with this person and it changed their life. I think they are probably an Aries. The other was a very close friend that moved away. Or maybe you moved away from them. I can see you guys being friends in college. I think this person is a Cancer or an Aquarius. They both were deeply and irrevocably in love with you.

The Aries person followed you around like a puppy. They are a very masculine person but you made them feel a lot different than they usually do. I think you might have been their first real crush or their first fuck. They put a lot of effort into getting to know you even though you made it very clear you did not want a relationship. They still attempted to get into a relationship with you despite your boundary setting. They were a fool. You taught them about their passions which makes me think you have a "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" kinda vibe to you. They really were head over heels for you. I don't think you are in their life anymore. I think this person will think about you for the rest of their life.

The Cancer/Aquarius person was a really close friend of yours. I think either you helped them through a break up or they helped you through a break up. Either way during the mourning process they fell for you so hard but they kept it secret. They didn't know if their feelings were real or if they were just because of the situation. This person might still be in your life but I don't see them ever telling you about their feelings. I think they see you as this really cool and independent person. They don't think someone like you could ever love them. They try to keep their feelings down. They tell themselves their feelings are not real but their heart always skips a beat when they see you. They still catch themselves imagining a future with you. They have some naughty dreams about you too. They can not get you out of their head.

Both of these people love you a lot, my friend. I don't know if it's just your personality but you are just a really lovable person. You might be accidentally flirtatious. I hope this gave you some insight on who was thinking of you, my dear.

[professionalchaoticdumbass]

if it’s not too much trouble, could you share a bit about how to better support closeted/ just-cracked trans women?

Okay this is going to be a fairly long response, be warned. Its also based off personal experience (or lack of positive experience) from how I'm treated irl. also its 4 am some of this may be less coherent than I want but whatever.

The basics: name & pronouns. Ask who its safe to use these in front of!!! Dont out someone to their parents or partner or boss!! Otherwise use these as much as possible. Avoid deadnames and dead-pronouns as much as possible too - I am fine with being they/themed over he/him and prefer a nameless "later, nerd" to "bye, deadname". sometimes its unavoidable but many times its not. this is 101 stuff but I see lots of people forget it.

Going out and about: GO. WITH. HER. A LOT. She fucking needs it. Go clothes shopping together and teach her how to pick out good clothes/outfits and how to at least begin to decipher the mess that is sizing. Find her a "spinny skirt" (pleated mini skirt or skater skirt, forgot the exact one but anything similar to those) if she really wants one, I dont care how cringe you find the memes this is more important than Reddit Bad jokes. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, TAKE HER TO THE WOMENS WASHROOM WITH YOU. yknow how girls go to the bathroom in groups for safety? yeah trans women need triple that safety and nobody provides it like ever, even other trans women. change that and be that safety. also, if youre like ordering food or at the cashier, always use the correct pronouns even if misgendering happens. if she gets a "what would you like sir" from the waiter, you are going to say something like "she would like a cheeseburger with fries and a fountain drink". this will save her ass from a lot of awkward correcting.

transitioning & hrt: if she needs a space to wear femme clothes safely, invite her over or go out together. try to avoid places where people she's not out to frequently go. for hrt, if you already accessed it HELP HER AS WELL. the amount of people who are like one step removed from pulling the ladder up behind them with regards to hrt is insane. so much "fuck you got mine" attitude in this community. anyways, DESCRIBE THE PROCESS YOU WENT THROUGH, STEP BY STEP. mention specific doctors, clinics, etc. if you do diy, mention the provider, what to look for on blood work, how to take it (injection, gel, etc) and send relevant articles/pages, about each part, not just the hrt wiki home page. if you have a prescription, mention ANY AND ALL procedures you went through to get hrt. psychologist? readiness assessment? any other screening process? DESCRIBE IN DETAIL WHAT YOU WERE ASKED AND HOW YOU ANSWERED. this can literally be a life saving thing. treat that information like the death star plans and she is the rebellion. precise motherfucking details. similar thing for any surgeries like ffs, tracheal shave, various types of bottom surgery. if you and her are going through different systems (say, you got it under 18 as a youth and she's 22 and no longer qualifies for that, or she wants diy while you have a prescription) then look up third party anecdotes as well. reddit is great for this as they often have city specific trans subreddits which lets you look at local doctors/clinics/providers & shipping. if she gets hit with dysphoria, "you are valid" CAN help new girls but as a half closeted girl for the past three years, I know I'm valid already thank you very much. dysphoria is different to each person, just be there to comfort her, help distract if nothing else. Teach her to shave if she wants, offer to do her makeup if you know how (some tutorials are made by and for trans women btw! check those out if you can). if she wants to order things online, anything from a flag to a dress to diy hrt, but can't for fear of outing, OFFER TO BE THE RECEIVING ADDRESS AND PASS IT ON IN PERSON. you can also try setting up a PO box away from home. covering some costs can potentially help lower suspicion but only do this of you have the money. in general just be a safe & informative helpful person who is willing to stand by her side.

Other general tips:

- if you are transfem yourself you will know and experience many of these things. do not withhold information like others do. did you have another trans person in your own life who helped you out when you first cracked? if yes, now its your turn. if no, then dont let her lose out on that too. actually support your sisters for once.

- if you are having sex, she may want to be submissive and/or bottom more as these are often "forbidden" when youre male. if thats compatible with you then try to accommodate that, and throw in some gender affirming stuff like a "good girl". praise kink often works well here, but always ask first. teach her how to bottom if she wants. AFTERCARE holy shit aftercare. yeah that should also be at least skmewhat gender affirming. dont skip out.

- the self doubt spiral: "you are valid" are the three words that get way more use than they really should. "valid" is so vague that its near useless. if you can, find the specific root (e.g. "I feel like a pervert cuz I get euphoria boners when I wear a sexy dress") and respond with counter examples that tell her she belongs, she is a woman, e.g. "youre not a pervert, plenty of cis women feel similar and enjoy dressing sexy as well". this is mainly for self doubt not other types of dyphoria.

- she will probably be really fucking depressed and possibly even suicidal at some point. usually close to egg crack or after a shitty experience. personally, I have a lot of passive suicidal thoughts where I dont wnat to make any attempts but wouldn't mind if I vanished, if it weren't for a few things. try to be there as a rock in the stream for her to hold onto during depression. it is fucking rough and in the words of bill withers, we all need somebody to lean on. eventually we will all stand tall together.

I am sure there's more but I think I covered most of the points I wanna make.

[elliesbabygirl]

Hypophrenia

Ellie Williams x Female!reader

Summary: A sudden meltdown near Ellie causes you to worry about her attraction to you. Ellie and reader are in a relationship already .

Warnings: Crying, mentions of a panic attack, nail picking and a college wellness center (we all know college centers suck ).

Author's note: New piece of writing, who's excited? Hopefully, this piece turns out alright in the public eye and obviously encourages me to try new styles and write more often!. Reblogs, comments & likes are greatly appreciated.

Wc: 0.8

Hypophrenia

[hi-po-fre-ne-a ] • Greek

(n) A vague feeling of sadness, seemingly without any cause.

Now playing: I just wanna feel your love again - Montell Fish

“Ms.l/n”

You didn't mean for it to happen, one minute you're fine and dandy. The next you're hyperventilating while your vision becomes blurry. The worst part was Ellie noticing your meltdown and immediately getting up from her seat to notify the professor.

“Ms.l/n!”

A low voice caught your attention, you couldn't bother responding fully instead choosing to hum to let them know you're listening.

“How are you? Ms.williams said you were experiencing..issues? I'm dr.Castillon and I am one of the many counselors here for students like you. Which you obviously know, care to explain what happened today?”

Great, a wellness center. Ellie brought you to a wellness center, she thought something was wrong with you. You pinched and picked at the skin surrounding your nails as you looked up at dr.Castillon.

“Nothing's wrong, I just had a moment in my lecture s'all”

You responded, eyes wary as you looked around at the office space. Lightly cluttered, strong smell of coffee and degrees all over the walls.

“You had a moment? Do you wanna explain that to me?” Dr.Castillon asked as they readjusted themselves into a more entertained position, the chair squeaking as they laid back.

You didn't have to look back to know that castillon was giving you a condescending smile. The speed of which you picked your nails at increasing as you felt trapped in a box.

“Is this neces-”

A knock at the door interrupted you, moving to look behind you as the door quietly opened to reveal what looked like another counselor to you.

"Castillon- oh forgive me, I don't mean to interrupt but dr.Castillion is needed” Seeing your chance, you nodded at light speed. Already up from your chair as you grabbed your backpack, shrugging it on.

"nono, it's okay! There's something I need to do anyways"

Slipping past the other counselor, you hurried through the small hall. Eyes focused on the ground as you entered the waiting room. Ellie stood up, eyes full of worry as she came closer to you.

“baby, are you okay?”

You gave her a measly smile as you ignored her question and hurried outside. The chilly november air welcoming you with a harsh kiss to the face, your breath visible as you walked away from Ellie.

You couldn't face her, not now. Not after she had to drag you all the way to the wellness center like a crying baby. The embarrassment was eating you alive as you heard her trying to keep up with you.

“Y/n, wait up! What's wrong?!”

God, you wish the world would just open up and swallow you whole. You couldn't bare having to see her face to face and explain what was wrong.

Because the truth was, you didn't know. You didn't know why you had these episodes? Could you even call them that? It seemed like a stretch to call them episodes and you couldn't call them panic attacks because it just came on whenever you were fine with no probable cause.

“Y/n! Listen to me!”

Ellie stopped in front of you, hands on your shoulders to keep you from running away. Her lips in a small pout as she took in the way you looked and it was then when she realised that you had looked tired.

Your eyes dead as you just stared at her with no will to response. How long had you been feeling this way? And why didn't you tell her? It made Ellie feel like a bad girlfriend and an even worse friend.

“Oh baby..”

She wrapped you in a hug, tears pricking her own eyes as she nestled her face into the crook of your neck. Ellie shuddered, the feeling of her brown jacket against your own puffer motivating you to hug her back.

She could sense your insecurity, you were scared of how she would react. Scared that Ellie wouldn't wanna be with you, all because of a meltdown and it broke her heart.

“Baby, I love you..and nothing's going to change that okay?" she whispered into your neck, her hand finding the back of your head as she slightly massaged your hair.

The two of you might've looked weird, hugging in the middle of the walkway while crying but Ellie couldn't give a single fuck neither could you because you needed her in that moment and she knew that too.

© 𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 ─ 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙. 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮, 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨.

[fishsticksloser]

Hello! How are you?

If requests are still open(If I was somehow mistaken when I read open sorry ;-;) can I request Y/n as turtles s/o tending their wounds?

I mean, during the fights they get hurt, mostly after the movie

It's okay if you don't want to do that, you can ignore it <3

Have a nice day/afternoon/evening/night!

- 👾

Tending to Wounds

RotTMNT + gn!reader

Warnings: injuries, blood, angst, platonic fluff, swearing, alcohol but in the sense of cleaning wounds, not written as headcannons

A/N: Thank you for your request! ☺️ I hope you have a great day/afternoon/evening/night. I moved the order around because my idea for Donnie is... Very angsty... And long... Platonic fluff cause there's nothing saying whether you're dating or not in the drabbles so it's up to interpretation

Leo

Leo hissed as you applied pressure to a decently sized gash on his leg. He placed his hand over yours, a silent plea to be more gentle. Of course that wasn't optional as stopping the bleeding was more important.

"That was incredibly reckless." You grit, wiping away dirt and dried blood.

"I know- Fuck." Leo groans as you apply alcohol to the wound. "A warning would've been nice."

"You get a warning when you stop being reckless."

"I'm sorry..."

You start stitching him up, making sure your not hurting him too bad. You wrap up Leo's leg and start to take care of all the bloody supplies. You stop in front of Leo as he stared at his leg.

"Leo..." You sigh, placing your hand on his shoulder. "You're more important than you realize. You can't just keep throwing yourself out there like that and expect everything to be fine. Your brothers need you... I need you."

Leo reaches for you, pulling you towards him. He rests his forehead on your chest, you feel sobs rock through him. You gently rub his shell and the back of his neck, letting him fall apart peacefully.

Mikey

Mikey's leg bounces anxiously as you gather supplies. It wasn't that Mikey was badly injured, you could just tell that there was a lot. You settle in front of Mike and start to set up.

"Are you okay?" You ask, his knee bumping you. "I mean other than physically."

"Yeah." Mikey answers. "I just... I don't like this part."

"I'll be as nice as I can."

You clean up around the wounds with water, making sure there's nothing in them before you have to apply alcohol. You lean over him, trying to take his attention away from the cuts.

"I'm gonna need you to be the bravest you've ever been." I got this from a comic and :( /pos

You apply the alcohol. You glance at Mikey and see he has his eyes closed tightly. You pat the wounds dry and bandage them up.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" You gather the ruined supplies and throw them away.

"No..." Mikey squints in confusion. "I didn't even feel it."

Raph

Tending to Raph was pretty easy. He stayed very still and didn't pay attention, opting to talk instead.

"You know, there's this new...." Raph talked about the new teddy bear store opening, you zoned out, focusing on the cut on his arm.

He continued to ramble, very excitedly. Soon enough, he was all set. He looked over his bandages and started to leave before turning back to you.

"I should take you there sometime." Raph smiles.

"I'd love that."

Angst Below

Read At Your Own Risk.

Donnie

If you knew how bad it was going to be, you'd have set up before they brought him in. Raph carried Donnie into the lair, yelling for your help. He was quickly rushed to med bay, in and out of consciousness.

"What the hell happened?" You ask, applying pressure to the gash.

"I-I don't know!" Raph stumbles. "I turned around and he..."

"He lost his battle shell getting me out of the way..." Mikey sniffed. "It's my fault..."

"Mikey, it's not your fault." Leo held Mikey, his own tears rolling down his cheeks. "But, you can help, right?"

"It'll take a long time for his shell to heal..." You sigh, Raph hands you the rest of the supplies. "But yeah, I can do it. Can you all wait outside?"

They didn't argue, filling out of the room, slumped. You return to Donnie who lay on his stomach, giving you a clear view of his bleeding shell. You grabbed a pillow, resting it under his head and chest to make him comfortable before setting to work.

You now sat next to Donnie, holding his hand, your head resting against them. You feel Donnie's hand tighten around yours and you shot out of your seat.

"I feel like roadkill." He groans, stretching his limbs slightly.

"You kind of look it." You sigh. He turned to face you, humor dancing in his eyes. Donnie crossed his arm, laying his head on them. "Are you in pain? I can get you some meds if so."

"A little..." He yawns. "I think I'm okay right now." He looked around, seeing his brothers laying together on the floor, fast asleep. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours." You get him some water, letting him soothe his scratchy throat. "You're okay now. Rest."

Donnie began to doze off again. You kissed his temple and turned off the lights, letting the 4 turtles sleep.

[god-i-hope-so]

The BoBs really think Ryan confirmed their ship is happening because he said "whatever happens happens" and he didn't outright say it wouldn't happen. Uhm he did say that in his "Eddie is a heterosexual man, Buck's straight friend that he came out to, and it's so nice that a straight man and a bi man can be friends" interview and y'all didn't believe him. Not to mention JLH telling them it wasn't going to happen, and then backtracking when the BoBs went crazy.

But we're the deluded ones for shipping bucktommy after just three episodes and Tommy being a plot device (apparently).

Hey, anon!

Well. People are free to think what they want, obviously. I don't even see much of what the BoBs are saying, only what is shared in the buck/tommy tags because I value my peace way too much to go look into the chaos.

"Whatever happens happens" means "you don't get to decide". Also how do they know that it's not Ryan who said no eventually?

They're angry because they now realize their fantasy won't become canon and like a bunch of toddlers who realize they won't have the toy they thought they would get, they throw a temper tantrum. And I can understand the disappointment. But not the reaction. Not the violence in their posts. There's no love for the show there, for the creative minds, for the effort of representation, for the people who work hard to make it happen. They're not fans. They just saw two cute men and projected their fantasies on them, whatever the story or the character development.

Yes, some choices don't make much sense in canon, I even myself would have enjoyed to see Eddie and Buck together at the beginning. It would have been cute, with Christopher loving them both so much too. But that's not what happened and they definitely wrote them in a way that doesn't leave any doubt if you don't try to read so hard between lines that don't even exist. People need to accept a story for what it is, and if they don't like it, they can live in complete denial of it. There's no shame in that but do it with respect. Your fantasy is yours.

The hate against Tommy is also their problem. They can hate him all they want but they twist everything about him to fit their hateful narrative. Queer characters deserve respect. Well, most of them, a queer pos is still a pos. But Tommy has been brought back into the show and written with respect for the character, for the story and for his purpose: being Buck's new romance. Not only he already existed in the show but also has history with the 118 and has a significant shared story with Hen and Chim. He's already a characters in itself, he just came back.

Having a character like Tommy is also more than just a interesting character. It's a necessary character. He fits the cishet macho mold so perfectly: veteran, pilot, firefighter, buff, confident, professional, brave. But he's GAY AF. And everything he does is respectful and kind. And haters have to rely on lying to show him in a bad light because so far, there's nothing. Imagine what this kind of character looks like for the average audience? It's great representation for us queer.

In the end, BoBs can hate all they want, Buck and Tommy together is canon, Tommy has only shown positive traits so far, he's shown sane boundaries and respect for other's. When haters have to rely on details, and still twist them, to justify their hate, you know they know they're wrong. They know, but they can't give up now that they've reach this level of hate.

All I would ask of them would be to stop the hate against real life people and stop pulling them into the drama (the live with JLH was NO THAT. Shame on them). Let the fandom be at war between ships if you need that to feel something but leave real people out of that, especially actors and Lou in particular. They're paid to play and this is not a service. You're not a client they have to satisfy because you paid for a specific performance. The bullying and entitlement need to stop.

[starheirxero]

Xero…Xero heLP- THESE LAST FEW LORE VIDEOS HAVE RENDERED ME SPEECHLESS-

I AM FOAMING AT THE MOUTH AND CLAWING OFF MY WALLS LIKE A WILD ANIMAL-

I swear to god, I don't have words to describe, what this arc is making me feel/pos-

Moon is seemingly completely losing his grasp on reality, causing him to become more violent. He's becoming reckless, because nothing feels real anymore. He doesn't care anymore, if he's playing the villain, and has actively decided to lean into this role, as a matter of keeping control!

Sun is breaking down, because he lost his brother. Again. The Moon in front of him is nothing more than a shell of who he used to be, and he's struggling to keep his head above water.

Monty is planning on bringing old Moon back! I adore old Moon, but I care for New Moon just as much. What will happen to him, once his old self is back? Will he be trapped? Will he die?? Killing him would be unbelievably cruel, especially in his current state!

EARTH IS GODDAMN KIDNAPPED AGAIN- Another thing to point out to it, is what was said. Eclipse wondered, how she can still be so kind and positive. Earth has threatened Ruin and Bloodmoon to kill them, if she has to. If she were to kill them in self defense, I worry, what it'll do to her mental state!

And Oh god, our two villains, Jesus christ…

Ruin is Ruin, as he is. He fascinates me-

Bloodmoon, on the other hand, is simply heartbreaking. He's actively talking and arguing with himself, because his brother isn't there to reassure him anymore! He's desperately trying to fill the silence…

Another thing I found really interesting was Puppet's talk with Foxy! What makes a person? What makes a creature? What makes one good, and what makes one bad?

It's just so fascinating, I don't even have words!

This is, by far, one of my favorite arcs yet!!! It's so twisted, it's so intense, it's everything I could wish for!!!

-Stardust

YWHQYEYAYAYYAYYAA!!!!!!!! IT'S SO MANY LAYERS OF JUST, HOLY SHIT.

The whole. vague hand motions. Everything with Moon has me intrigued beyond belief but also SO HEARTBROKEN ON SO MANY LEVELS. The one time he absolutely needs his family most, he's lost all of them AND he'll potentially be killed ?!?!! I'm personally hinging my hope that it'll be more of a merge than killing one to replace the other. but I'm also terribly worried that, instead of being leveled out, it just makes everything so much worse HDJSBD

AND WITH EARTH, GOSH, YEAH. I know that yesterday's episode had a fascinating title and I haven't watched it yet, but it has me WORRIEDDD 😭 Exactly like you said, even if its in self defense that she kills someone, I am soso worried about what that'd do to her mentally.

And stars yea the two villains rn.... Like u said, Ruin is fascinating as per usual, but Bloodmoon is just out here KILLIN' ME ☹️ He's been trying his best to cope with his twin's death and it is just DEVASTATING 2 me ☹️☹️☹️ AND YEA OMS DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON FOXY N PUPPET'S CONVO I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ON IT FOR REAL AHAKAHSKD

It almost makes me think of how Earth almost always call Bloodmoon some variant of "little creature", how that may make it easier for her to hurt and/or kill him. Yk?? Ahsjsbd its all just SO FUN. I am frolicking around HEJAHAJ

[qoldenskies]

Thank you for the pain it was delicious, 10/10 will order again

I have so many feelings about it HHHH I feel like I accidentally dug myself into a situation (or you did it on purpose you mad lad) that made everything hit harder.

When I first started reading Caged Lungs, like the first third or even quarter I was convinced it was a bad dream. Or like a bad trip from the mushrooms on the pizza. That oh, everyone's gonna just wake up and it'll be fine, there's gonna be reassurances and comfort. But then... It's kind of like a dawning horror situation when I realized more and more that hey, this is real. It's taking chunks out of their lives, they're still doing day to day things but it's getting worse. I didn't even catch it during the fight with Hypno, I just shrugged and went huh, that's weird.

But as it mentions the time crawling and they keep getting worse and Donnies mental health plummeting...

I hit the end and panicked because hey? Wtf? (/pos)

But seeing everything slowly go back to "normal" in Clipped Wings adds to this. Because it's the realization of no, this is real... Or is it? This all happened... Right? Everything should be the way it is but now they're STILL gaslighting him but accidentally this time.

Their denial can only work for so long until it damages both parties. And I feel like it's already there.

This fic has a choke hold on me and I squeal every time I see a new update, unreliable narrator is one of my favorite tropes and you do it SO WELL

:D :D :D YEAASSSS very glad i pulled off the kind of dreamlike quality to caged lungs that i was going for!!! (in some scenes more than others i really tried to accentuate it, like the second-to-last scene with the post-shredder flashback. i mostly used it to draw the most painful contrast i could between how its all ended up vs how it USED to be. very fun to compare the earliest scenes to the final ones though, especially when it comes to donnie's behavior, because it is so painful and jarring) nothing is ever truly MADE UP in donnie's narration, but his grip on reality slips further and further, and with it a lot of the details are twisted (he misinterprets april a lot especially, and also dissociates quite a bit and has memory issues. there's an entire BEATDOWN that you only see the tail-end of because he doesn't remember it, which is probably a good thing considering its one of the most traumatic events from when they were under the curse, probably third behind the murder attempt and the closet. i mean he doesn't remember NOW but..... they do.)

and i hesitate to call their behavior now gaslighting, since gaslighting is an intentional act of abuse intended to make the victim feel like they cant trust themselves and their own memory, etc etc. them covering up the evidence is PLAYING INTO what they did, but they're not denying it (they're doing the opposite, in fact, with how much they're ruminating on it and trying to fix their mistakes, although covering up the evidence is them trying to run away from it to abate their guilt lmao). less lying more omitting the truth, but its still hurting just as much because donnie has conditioned himself to think his memory is unreliable and he "makes things up" because of his "victim complex". even though he's dissociative and is currently struggling with memory issues because of that, he instinctively panics when he gets confused on the details, and they have also conditioned him to be afraid to ASK now, because they would get mad at him for doing it.... its a whole mess. donnie doesn't even know how to communicate his needs anymore, and they dont know they need to ask.

thank you for the ask!!! microwaving this in my brain mmm yumm

[randomwriteronline]

They had been working on fixing the housing problem (many welders' villages had essentially crumbled to dust, so after finding a good enough spot and getting the Mahi to stay nice and put in their momentary enclosures, they had worked to carve new, better houses) when Turaga Dume arrived, demanding the assembly lines to Ta-Metru be rebuilt first.

His presence had been an anomaly in and of itself - or at least, it had looked like that from the way Turaga Onewa had greeted him: eyes wide, stunned silence, a half babbled welcome.

That awkward air had dissipated once the older Turaga's order had been relayed. Onewa had immediately regained his fierce nature, bristling and complaining (like his Matoran would have, after all) that shelter was a much more pressing priority right now, since they were still sapient beings after all, and couldn't very well be left to sleep out on Po-Metru's hard dusty ground like a bunch of dead lizards.

But Dume furrowed his brows and said: "The city's life comes before your comforts, carver! I expect those lines to be up and running the next time I see them!"

And Onewa - the referee, the contrarian, the snarling beast - froze, bowed his head deeply, and only mumbled: "Yes, Turaga."

Hafu and Hewkii watched baffled from his sides as Dume nodded curtly and left them to their toiling without a word more, evidently satisfied with the answer he'd been given, completely missing the slight tremor of tightly closed tan fists and the angered resignation in the Komau fixed on his back.

Their Turaga sighed at last once his peer was far enough not to hear him, passing a hand over his mask to calm down.

"Gather the rest," he ordered as he turned to his left and right hand: "The assembly lines aren't exactly behind the corner, and the sooner we get started on them the sooner we'll get back to the houses."

"The rest?" Hewkii repeated, confused.

"Everybody, of course!" Onewa snapped.

He flinched with the two Matoran at his tone of voice.

"But-" the athlete insisted, "But we can't leave important work half finished, you taught us yourself - some of the structures aren't even stable enough to stand on their own, and we need someone to check on the goats--"

Onewa cut him off: "You've heard the Turaga! We need to focus on the city first. The village can wait."

"I can stay here," Hafu butted it hurriedly. Before he could be argued with, the words tumbled out of him: "Everybody else can focus on the assembly lines and I'll work on the houses by myself. I'm the best carver we have, it'll take me nothing, and I could easily watch the Mahi in the meantime - I can make a stable for them right now, even, and once I'm done here I'll come over to help."

"Or we could split in groups," Hewkii added quickly, "Half of us can come with me, and another half can stay here to finish up the village with Hafu. That way we can take turns working and resting once the houses are done, and get everything done much faster."

The Turaga hesitated a moment, digesting the Matoran's lightning-quick proposals as best as he could in such little time.

At last, much to their relief, he nodded - if still a bit stunned.

"Yes," he sighed, shaking his head as if to clear it or rid it of a bad thought. "Yes, that's a good idea... Two teams get twice as much done in half the time. Good thinking. Go gather your groups - Hafu, yours can keep sculpting; Hewkii, come back here once you're all ready so I can show you the way."

His right and left hand nodded eagerly and gave him a small bow before bolting down one of the just rebuilt roads together.

The stopped behind a recently erected wall, just out of their Turaga's sight; carefully, they peered around it, to observe the being they had just left, honing every sense to catch even the slightest anomaly in his demeanor.

Onewa could have spotted them, likely. It wouldn't have been hard. But he was already lumbering away, clearly too preoccupied with everything that had happened and the dark feeling still stirring in his chest like a sand devil to notice much else around him, fists clenching around his staff until his knuckles shrieked.

Hewkii looked back to Hafu: they found their worries reflected in each other's eyes.

They should tell the Toa about this.

Just in case.

[aquaquadrant]

Deciding to live write (react) (?) this as I'm reading this new chapter (two parts WOW, double the angst) (so part one out of two, hope that's cool). If something happens my therapist WILL be hearing about you.

The title already I'm sobbing /pos

I HATE THE WATCHERS SO MUCH OMMMGGGGG, leave them aLONE

It's very Jimmy to not like crying, I love to see it. I love when fanfic writers don't like him crying, ty.

Tango :( The RANCH, it was THEIRS, my HEART These Watchers ugghhHHHH Jimmy immediately defending Tango, please nothing else happen to them, PLEASE

Every time the watchers speak, my want to punch them grows The explanation paragraph, ugh something about it, how Jimmy doesn't immediately try to blame Tango, or just understands it well. Just bjhebwg

Bdubs being so worried for Tango, please, JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY

JIMMY DEFENDING TANGO NUMBER TWO, hate me them

Watchers ugghhe

HERMITCRAFTING BEING HIS HOME UGH IM JUST POINTING OUT EVERY LITTLE DETAIL BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL SO

DELIGHTFUL, I LOVE THE WAY YOU WRITE SO MUCH

Okay, therapy time <3 (yes I did actually read this before my therapy appointment, this was /srs and not /j)

Therapy break over, BACK TO ANGST

Awww, Jimmy not believing Tango is evil. Love to see it.

UH OH, NOT THE TIMMY ALLUSION

Nvm not alright, Watchers need to Watch their mouths

"Pity is a suitor that won’t take a hint, no matter how many times Jimmy turns it away." Is SO good???? Excuse me??? Pity x Jimmy real ship of the htp au?? /j

Maybe I hate the watchers more than I hate Atlas, hm.

I like that they all still keep an air of lighthearted-ness about, even with Tango in such critical condition, they still are friends :)

Jimmy being okay with a scar to the face if it means Tango doesn't have to unnecessarily respawn :( /pos

This description of Tango has me thinking about that kinda old drawing that lunarcrown did of Tango back when he was chained up. Like, it's literally the first post that shows up when clicking on the chronological timeline, yeah that one, it reminds me of that one.

UGGGHHHH THE HAND ON THE CHIN GETTING A RESPONSE, NO, BAD AQUA, BAD. SOMETHINGS ARE BETTER LEFT OFF IN THE ASKS RESPONSES

WATCHERS ARE NOT HELPING (x2)

Still love Jimmy calling for SOS, like yes, smart move. I wish we could've seen what it was like for the other DL to see chat and immediately go "oh shit ???" and then see the SOS and go "OH SHIT ???"

I love Impulse <3

Ooooo, getting some more cases of this fantasy (racism? Bigotry? Bad stuff) worldbuilding

"I don’t believe that just being from there would automatically make someone evil." Nature vs nurture <3 Maybe all Bravo needed was two minutes with Impulse god DAMN

Sleepy time <3

Okay, don't like the Watchers, but the "Round two!" was funny, I'll give em that

"(You cannot sleep, there are monsters nearby.)" I- I- STOP I CAN'T LAUGH BUT OMFG

Rancher :((((((

HIS RANCHER

Let me at these Watchers, LET ME AT EM

Ugh, disassociation. As someone who's dealt with this during panic attacks, it totally tracks and breaks my heart :(

These Watchers gotTA BACK OFF, LEAVE TANGO ALONE GOD DAMN

No way Tango is tryna pull the "I'm fine" card rn, AFTER ALL THAT LMAO

Jimmy is very pretty TO ME

The collar dampening Tango's fire, metaphorically and literally, is just ugh. What's more is Jimmy likes Tango's fire, he likes the warmth Tango produces physically, and he likes the sparks of creativity and burning passion of Tango's metaphorically. And they took it away! Both ways to Sunday!!!

Na because crying on someone is such an intimate gesture. To let your heart pour out of you, no one does that to just anyone. What makes this even more important is how Jimmy cried on Tango's shoulder last chapter, and now Tango's crying on Jimmy's shoulder this chapter. They are each other's soulmate, they are their each other's ranchers. They are so important to one another and soo ughguew

Not gonna cuss this Watcher out, I'll let this sweet dreams comment slide for now.

Oooo, a peak into how they reacted to everyone joining. AND we get a look at Atlas' full username <3 Love it.

Wait Tyrannicide and Phantonym joined too?? Huh, thought as scientists they would've stayed behind. Cool to know!

I can see now why you needed all those usernames lol.

JOEL THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO LAUGH DAMNIT

Hmmm, love Scar immediately jumping into action. Oop and ofc the two scientists head out first lmao

ATLAS, WHEN I CATCH YOU ATLAS, NOT BIGB NOOOO

ATLAS, WHEN I CATCH YOU ATLAS, NOT PEARL NOOOOO

Actually really funny that ATLAS got the most kills from the Hels cast. Like, damn, pop off???? Man did more work than the ppl hired to actually do the dirty work lmao.

Wonder how difficult it was to keep up with all the names, who died then got back in, who killed who, etc.

Oop, Jimmy also noting Atlas is smarter than the average bear.

This whole paragraph talking about Bravo, yes Jimmy, drag that man. Loving how he immediately is like "dude is just like a hels player" and scoffing at the nerve of Bravo to claim to be his actual soulmate. Yes.

Head in hands, Watchers about to catch these hands.

Tango immediately wanting to get this all over with hurts. Damn, wonder if he just wants to get it over with cause he thinks they all want him gone.

"I mean, everyone knows I’m a vicious monster but I don’t have to look it, right?" UGH, Aqua you're lucky I already did my therapy time BEFORE this part, UGGGHHHHHH. I need to go back rq just to tell her this god DAMN

Welp, on to act two! Thank you so much for the wonderful reading material :)

TLDR: I hate the Watchers with a burning passion.

-🍌

what’s this?? a DETAILED LIVE BLOG of my writing for ME to read??? don’t mind if i do…

ok first off, thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to write down ur thoughts and share them with me. it’s truly one of the greatest joys of being an author, and the closest i can get to experiencing my writing as if i wasn’t the one who wrote it. NOW let’s get into it…

the overarching watcher hate is so justified and hilarious, they really just exist to be the most obnoxious and toxic livestream chat ever. at least, the ones who hang around jimmy are LMAO

AHA i’m glad u liked the part abt jimmy not liking to cry, i’ve been told he’s got a bit of a prideful streak in other series that didn’t come thru as much in his double life run, so that was a little nod to it.

the ranch could not escape its destiny of being tragically burned down 🫡

(omg the therapy appointment interlude. i remember when i’ve had to pause while reading a fic to address real life business and now someone’s doing that for MY writing…. :’))) i hope the appt went well!)

this chapter was a lovely opportunity to really show jimmy stepping up for tango, with both verbal and physical reassurance. he may not know everything abt the hels situation but he knows he loves tango <3

AND YEAH YEAH THAT FIRST ART MEL DID. definitely throwing back to that w tango’s disassociated state and the collar. nice catch ;0

the chin-hand response was another throw back to old mel art, isn’t that fuuuun? ;000

IMPULSE WAS THE MVP OF THIS CHAPTER 💪😤👏

ok the watchers do get their funny moments in here and there HAH

phantonym and tyrannicide did come along! they might be scientists, but they’re as nasty as any hels player (dr l8r_h8r did, in fact, stay home to monitor the portal. he’s kinda over the whole ‘violence’ nonsense.) tango actually targeted them first bc of their lab coats.

and YUP i got a lotta good username ideas from those suggestions. and it WAS very difficult to keep track of them all thru the chat backlog. i don’t know how long i spent going thru each player’s sequence of events, one by one, JUST to make sure i hadn’t forgotten to have someone die for the last time, or show up again without a new join message.

and unfortunately for jimmy he made the classic error of “typo in the group chat.” joel did what he had to 🫡 (buuuut once he saw how serious the situation was, he decided not to push it anymore)

atlas is a clever bastard and i love that yall love to hate him 🙏 he saw a virtual ocean of wolves storming down the hill and was like “ok clearly i’m not dealing with that, so let’s see where my efforts can be better spent.” the hired grunts don’t possess that kind of critical thought 🎻

i’m SO glad you enjoyed it!! thank you again for this lovely feedback <3

[fallenwhumpee]

You flatter me too much :'D /pos I'm very glad you enjoyed my little snippet!! It kind of got out of hand at some point lol

If you'd still like a prompt, I'm always a sucker for some good ol Leader hiding an injury (physical or otherwise) until they collapse, whether literally or metaphorically :D /nf

Thank you very much!!

:D anon

You deserve! And I'm happy it did <3

I'm always open for prompts. You offer a classic one, it would be a waste not to write it. Hope you enjoy!

Fire

• Masterlist •

Warnings: Blood, collapsing, hallucination.

They could feel the heat against their cold skin, their closed eyes failing to keep the red flames out of their sight. The smell of ash filled their lungs, a ringing in their ears not helping their headache grow every second.

They sat up, a loud bang coming right after. They opened their eyes. Chaos was the only thing they could register, flames and smoke covering the debris they just lifted from their chest.

Was it happening again? No. They ordered the team to get out before the bomb went off. Leader wasn't going to see them burn. Not again. With a breath, they stood. They felt heavy— there was no pain, despite blood covering their clothes. Were they bleeding?

It was irrelevant. They were going to be just fine. As long as they got out.

Their ear ringing finally made sense as it turned to static, someone calling their name loudly. They cursed, their vision blurring. Perhaps it was good news because another wave of loud noises came, but they couldn't understand.

They stood, their balance faltering as the flames blew onto their face, a faint whisper crying for them. They breathed, coughing with all the dust around and trying to gather their focus.

"Is everyone alright?" They rasped, hoping the static covered their bad voice.

"A bit banged up but nothing serious."

Leader barely recognised Medic's voice, a shout drawing their attention. The same shout haunted their nightmares, the same shout they had listened to for hours as they burned alive.

"Good." They answered, ignoring the roof falling next to them. They were going to be alright. If they could only ignore the phantom voices calling for them...

"We're almost out. Where will we meet, boss?"

"At the entrance, if there is still one."

The fire roared once more, causing them to flinch and move. They couldn't understand why they felt this detached from their surroundings, but they knew they were risking their chance of getting out.

They calmed their steps, their fear masking the pain and the exhaustion. Each step felt heavier than the last, but they couldn't stop. Not now.

Soon, they found themselves running down the stairs, footsteps close. Maybe a few floors beneath them. They shied away from the fire, ignoring the screams demanding them to come back.

It was not real. They couldn't chase after the dead.

They gasped as their foot couldn't find the next step, their balance faltering. They closed their eyes, covering their head with their arms instinctively.

Luckily, they didn't fall too much, and nothing else from the rib ache was added to their list if worries.

Groaning, they peeled themselves from the floor, rising their feet slowly as the team jumped down.

"Are you alright?" Youngest helped them, but they steadied themselves quickly, looking for a way out. Both from the building and the nightmare chasing them.

"Yes, just a little disoriented from the smoke."

Youngest opened their mouth to protest, but Leader didn't let them talk.

"We need to keep moving," they tried to sound as strong and composed as possible. "The exit should be close."

This time, walking wasn't too easy, but the pain was bearable. They let the team walk in front of them, slowing down to hide their stumble.

"You fell pretty hard." Right Hand pulled them aside once they were all out and safe. "And you're soaked with blood."

"Not mine." Mostly, they didn't say. They were fine.

"You're not hiding anything, do you?"

"No," they lied with a straight face.

"Are you sure? I would hate to repeat the last time."

"It was not my intention. I just didn't realise." Leader answered, honest this time. They really didn't want to hide it last time.

"Didn't realise being shot." Right Hand scoffed.

Well, they always had problems with feelings over deep burns, which covered most of their body. They shrugged, putting an innocent face.

"Anyway, if you don't wish to..."

You left us to burn.

"... stay in the forest all night, we should move."

So irrational, they scolded themselves. They were rescued and dragged to a hospital with shouts and kicking legs. They didn't leave.

They breathed, marching on without expecting an answer. If they remembered correctly, there was a campsite nearby they could rest. They were sure everyone could use some.

There were only three hours of walk. Or four.

They could walk that little, and the trees around weren't burning. Not when they could see the team well and walking in front of them.

They focused on putting their foot in front of the other, keeping their breath even and eyes on the team.

Right Hand sprinted front, taking their place between Youngest and Medic, hushing the small argument about to break out.

They rubbed their arms, cold starting to creep up. They bit their cheeks, settling into the walking rhythm of others. They didn't want to look at their wound. They could deal with the pain coming in waves, but they knew it would become overwhelming once they saw the full extent. That could wait until they got back to their home.

But soon, they had to take a break. Everyone was too tired to finish the road at once.

They refused to sit, knowing they wouldn't be able to stand up again if they did. They gathered dry woods instead, making a small fire to warm up a bit. The team took it as a nap time, and they found themselves on the watch duty.

"Is everything alright?"

A small no escaped before they could register Right Hand behind them.

Right Hand hummed. Leader just stared at them, blinking back their blurring vision, not really understanding.

"I'd strangle you if you said you were fine again." Right Hand gave them a concerned smile.

Leader chuckled, their ribs aching. The pain was now threatening their composure.

Right Hand probably understood that they were unwilling to talk more, but tried again. "I didn't expect to find a bomb up there."

Leader did. And this time, they thought they could stop it from going off. At least they delayed it enough to get everyone out, and Leader was forever grateful for it. They couldn't lose another team.

"I'm sorry," for lying, they muttered, eyeing the remnants of their small campfire. They closed their eyes tightly, a whimper escaping.

They clung to the arms reaching to keep them on feet, dizziness washing over them.

"What's wrong?" Right Hand's voice trembled.

Leader's legs gave up, vision fading.

[nerdyenby]

DRS2 reactions (spoilers)

Ep 1

Ras at the shadow dojo???????? Who woulda thunk

New intro?!?!!!?!! Idk why I wasn’t expecting that, actually

The public including Pix with the missing ninja my beloved

Gosh, big Riyu will take some getting used to

Wait… is that a curious george reference??

I don’t know if I’ve heard someone outright say something isn’t good for their friend’s mental health in a cartoon before, it’s really refreshing

Casual Frohicky and Sora/Arin interactions my beloved <3

Omg Kai explaining Shang to Zane is such season one vibes

Lloyd having open and honest conversations with his students about both his and their wellbeing is so important to me

Ok, hear me out: au where baby Wu didn’t age back at an enhanced rate and gets lost at somepoint and Arin is teenage Wu

Dang it, Cinder’s kinda funny

Ep 2

I legit started happy stimming so hard at that opening shot, I’m really invested in Euphrasia’s story already and nothing’s even happened yet lol

Percival out here making the gen z solarpunk dream a reality!!!!

Lloyd calling it what it is — a panic attack — soothes something in me

Sora did really bad graffiti of cats when she was young, that’s adorable and kinda tells you everything you need to know about her

MY GIRL!!!!!!!

Euphrasia using a cane!!!! Hell yeah mobility aids!!!! (Even though it’ll probably be gone in two episodes lol)

I kid you not, I was 100% expecting Suetonius to say “resurrect… the Great Devourer” lmao

I love that the gang is (mostly) all together, but it’s a bit too many characters for a conversation, I get why they like to split them into groups

Nya grounding Lloyd :(( /pos

Kai boasting about a fight that he won a decade ago when Cinder probably doesn’t even know Ash is endlessly amusing to me

Ras is so dramatic I can’t really take him seriously

Damn, they’re letting characters get hurt, it’s kinda refreshing but it’s scary

Ep 3

Wait I didn’t see Euphrasia get captured :((

WHAT THE HELL?!???? /vpos

Strength, motion, energy, and life?!??!!??

AYOOOOOO?!?!????

Kai comforting Wyldfyre <333

We know this takes place after the mech shorts, so why hasn’t anyone mentioned Cole? He was also seen in public, so why did that conspiracy guy say he’s still missing?

Why do they keep leaving Zane behind?? He’s in his housewife era fr

Kai making sure Wyldfyre’s taken care of :((

This show is so unserious, I love it

I wasn’t feeling people calling Kai Wyldfyre’s dad after season one but…

No… Sora took Arin’s thing from him… she didn’t mean to, but he feels like he’s not special anymore :(

I’m going to pretend that was a believable amount of parts to make a mech that big

Kai getting moments with Arin and Sora my beloved

Kai’s “hey kid, nice of you to drop by” is giving the same energy as when Lloyd and Arin first met during the merge

THE WALLS ARE MOVING, REPEAT: THE WALLS ARE MOVING

These nightmare sequences are going so hard

Nya being the first one to realize it isn’t real when her nightmare is reality, I’m screaming

Riyu comforting Wyldfyre <333

Nya best sister award when

Ep 4

My boys!!!!!

THE found family of all time

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY CHILDREN I WILL RIOT

Seeing Kai and Nya fight so smoothly together is so special after how much they and Lloyd were tripping over each other when they first reunited

Basketball?!??!!??!!!

Autistic Arin real and true

I love Bonzle so much

Geo is such a lil bastard actually /pos, makes more sense why he and Cole are a thing, knowing Cole’s taste in men

COLE!!!!!!

Cole will never stop being overpowered, it seems, he deserves it tbh

Censorship pog /hj

“Not funny, Wyldfyre” “Not joking, Sora” the sheer cousin vibes in this interaction are too much to handle

Lloyd PLEASE just mention being 1/4 dragon, it will almost certainly get Egalt on board, I am begging

Glacier reunion!!!!!!!

Ep 5

I wanted a more emotional reunion, but they’ve probably seen each other off screen (or I’m just forgetting a scene from the shorts)

Zane, why are you still carrying that doll like it’s your child??

Bonzle my beloved, she’s says that so deadpan I don’t actually have any questions

Wyldfyre my beloved

I would die for Bonzle

Cole and Geo holding hands 😭😭😭😭😭

Is Egalt the motion source dragon?? Probably not tbh but I’d believe it

Man’s spitting facts, flatearthers are going to lose their shit

“Little fire man” IM DYING OH MY GOD

Wait when does this take place? My first instinct is while the ninja were in the Never Realm but idk if we’ll actually find out

“Friends can become like family?” “Definitely” IM SOBBING ON THE FLOOR

Letting Arin be angry is so important

Cole shutting down Bonzle’s suicidal thoughts without hesitation “no, you are loved and needed. We will find a way to protect you” <333

The physical affection in DR is so dear to me

Human sacrifices???? In MY lego show?????

Ep 6

Wyldfyre struggling with her body’s limits is really relatable as a young disabled person

FOREHEAD TOUCH :((

Plot twist: where the other ninja are right now is Mysterium and they have that tua meme of two cars passing each other moment

Damn, that exchange hit hard as a former gifted kid. Sometimes having someone believe in you hurts. You’re not just letting yourself down, but them, too

Nya just fucking bodyslamming Kai, Egalt didn’t know what he was getting into pitting the world’s most competitive siblings against each other

“The Finders are like my family” *looks at Zane* “My other family” screaming, crying, sobbing on the floor

Oh no

Wait yeah, why are they thirsty if Zane can just make ice for them to chew on? At least Cole and Jiro, idk if Bonzle needs water

The nonbinary pirate!!!

Cole CANNOT escape the performing arts fr fr

Ep 7

Bonzle is giving transgender

That is the most Jay and Cole thing I’ve ever heard it, it’s so in character it almost feels out of character

Arin and Sora going through the exact same thing and trying and failing to not take it out on each other :( it’s ok tho, the real ones are the ones you can be snippy with and love regardless

Wyldfyre referring to the ninja as “Kai’s friends” honey, they’re your friends too, I promise

Anyone who calls Wyldfyre dumb can fuck off, she’s so perceptive and intelligent and is really good at connecting others when she truly wants to

Bonzle’s mom <33333

Bonzle’s smile when her mom compliments her name <3333

Who you calling stolen equipment bitch?????

Lil Kai and Nya!!!!!!

Nya’s so proud of him!!!!! I could cry

Kai being the first to achieve it because fire is an element under motion’s domain methinks

Oh you bigoted son of a bitch

Zane why are you considering it????? Honey

What the fuck did you do to Jiro??!?!!!

JAY?!?!!???

Ep 8

NOOOO 😭😭😭

There’s literally a nindroid agent right there????

The og musical cue playing when Jay comes back <3

Jay on his Euphrasia arc, this is highkey breaking my heart though

I’m counting this as a fakeout death and you can’t stop me

Are you kidding me???!!!? How many times is Jay going to be one room away from the ninja

Lloyd SHUT UP /aff

“And cursed!!” She says cheerfully, this lady is an icon

The subtitles keep calling Cole Kai, what is this, season one??

Ep 9

Aww, baby Ras (trying desperately to not care about him)

Oh ok, he’s making my job easier

Poor Wyldfyre :(

I love this trio so much, their banter is so good

Lloyd honey, fighting it is making it worse

Nya holding him through his panic attack :((

I was expecting Cole to deny that it was him, the earth is going through it

The disco toaster!!!!!

Heck yeah Riyu!!!

I love them so much it’s not even funny

“What’s your elemental power, imperviousness to sarcasm?” She just called him autistic in 13 languages (I’m autistic, dw guys)

“First time driving?” “Believe it or not, no” Bonzle and Arin my beloved

I’m a touch disappointed Wyldfyre’s perfectly fine now as someone with chronic pain, but I’m glad it was handled as well as it was and it’s a really important lesson for younger audiences that pushing your body while it’s in pain only makes it worse

The silent exchange of Cole suggesting Zane takes the parrot potion is endlessly funny but also sad considering it’s probably the closest well get to talking about the Falcon

Cole turning into a puppy who cheered?!???

“At least you’re adorable” “I’m always adorable” get a room /aff

Tournament of elements flashbacks

The workplace gossip omg, Cinder really out here beefing with a 16 year old

Don’t you even fucking dare

MY BABIESSSSSS

Ep 10

Arin mistaking Lloyd and Nya for his parents hurts :(

Oh no… I mean, it was obviously coming but it’s still very bad

WYLDFYRE POPPING OFF!!!!! THIS GIRL NEEDED HER ENRICHMENT

Let Euphrasia do stuff 2024

Wyldfyre jumping in front of Kai and protecting him

The basketball practice coming in handy lol

The fight cinematography in DR is fucking superb

KAI D: (he’ll be fine, I believe)

Nya!!!!!

BONZLE MVP!!!!

I was prepared for Rontu and Egalt to stay dead, the breath I let out when the stone cracked was unparalleled

Are we legit not getting Kai back????

Cole and Lloyd hug!!!!!

RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

Oh no… that lie is going to hurt when it comes out

Kai and Bonzle!!!!

Not like Master Wu says, like Lloyd says ;-; /pos

[mavkaworld]

🚫 SPOILER WARNING 🚫

Kung Fu Panda 4 was underwhelming. They had all the parts that makes a movie great but they forgot to buy good quality glue because it all fell apart in the end.

They had the lovable known character.

They had the new character who has something to overcome.

They had a powerful cool villain who desires something she can not have.

They had meaning in this story.

Then, they brought in villains from the previous movies... And...? None of them kept their personalities. It was like watching shells of characters who we all loved. Empty shells standing around for no actual reason. They didnt even show us any realistic reactions from them. They just stood there uncaring that their powers were stolen by the Chameleon. They just shat on Poh, and by they I just mean one of them. And how they returned back to the afterlife like that? I mean... Really?

They included so many unnecessary scenes when they could have used it to further develop the little fox thief. We didn't really need to see Tai Lung as much as we did.

In the end, they also sped up the mantle pass over moment for Zhen which only added to the disappointment.

I could not find myself really caring about the characters much, not even Po!

Further with Zhen, I did not mind that she came knowing things and being a fully fledged fighter and being able to go up against Po. That actually made sense to me and went against what was expected like with Po. But I did mind that they just did not flesh out her character a lot. We had three movies worth of Po antics, we know him well. All his quirks and personality. With Zhen? It wasn't bad but it was not good. We got another sarcastic traumatized girl who got delt a bad hand in life. And even further is that she was literally cared for most of her life by Chameleon. She only had to scrape by in the beginning of her life, before she ran off with the lizard. So they didn't even do the truamatize girl bit right.

They did not build up Zhen's and Chameleon's relationship at all, they legit only gave us one scene with them and it was almost lazy because they tried to use only one scene to explain what happened between her and her past mentor, why Chameleon took her in, and Zhen's inner conflict. One. Yet many scenes of Po's dad's going on their way to help him... Which were too long anyways and did nothing for the main story. They gave Po's bio dad's character more development than they do Zhen (exaggeration but it felt like it.)

I still liked it though. It was fun to watch. I loved the image of Chameleon, enjoyed Zhen, and it was well animated. It could have been worse but it was not.

[thezombieprostitute]

Pen Pals

A/N: Written for @the-slumberparty​ this is my second entry for the Bingo card combining “penpals” and “bounty hunter AU”. Reader is implied to be female (”spinster”) but no other descriptors. Possible Triggers/Warnings: mentions of stalking? Please let me know if I missed any.

Hello Hunter,

Hope you’re doing well and that your job isn’t running you ragged. How is that push for higher quality office coffee going? The library has been talking about joining up with a local coffee shop but, in looking over the paperwork, I really think it’s a no-go. Maybe we can do smaller events for the Summer Reading programs or something for the college kids that come home during Summer/Winter breaks. 

Thank you,

Y/N

Hello Y/N,

Once again I’m afraid I’ll have to switch up to sending you postcards. My work is having me do a lot of travel so I will be unable to receive your letters from the PO Box. But I do appreciate having someone to share my adventures with. The postcards are likely to be infrequent but I will write you a full letter when I’m back home and am able to receive your letters again.

Best,

Hunter

True to their word, Hunter sent you postcards and other notes from around the globe. You weren’t sure what he did for work, just that they told you “it’s a lot of waiting for something, then running around like mad when it happens.” Part of you enjoyed the postcard breaks, it gave you time to build up more stories to put into your letters. Goodness knows you don’t have a very interesting life. Just a boring spinster librarian at a small town library.

Pretty much the most exciting thing you’ve ever done was join up with the pen pal program, just looking for something to look forward to. Many other pen pals had come and gone, losing interest in the program entirely, but Hunter kept at it with you. For five years now, you’d been sharing stories, complaints, hopes and tastes. You appreciated the distance, it helped you feel safer to share a lot of these things. And the postcards made you feel a bit of a thrill, you knew someone who had gone to all of these places that you knew you’d never be able to visit. 

Seemingly too soon you received a letter from Hunter indicating he was home and looking forward to reading your letters again. You fretted for days because there was simply nothing to write about. Nothing interesting, no new people, no new programs. It was same-old-same-old. You got so caught up in having nothing to write about that it was almost a month before you finally thought about sending something. 

Hello Hunter,

I’m so sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I wish I could say it’s because I was caught up in work or something but the fact is, there’s simply nothing to write about. I’m so sorry but, I fear I’m simply getting to that part of life where nothing interesting ever happens. I may need to space out my letters more, possibly even stop writing at all for a while. There’s just nothing worth writing about going on here. 

Apologies,

Y/N

It’s been almost three weeks since you wrote to Hunter. You feared that you’d never hear from them again and were starting to mourn the loss of the one exciting thing in your life. You missed the postcards, the letters, the hints at a world outside of your small town. It’s not that you don’t like your life. It’s quiet, yes, but you live with dignity and kindness and that’s what matters. In another world you’d very much be a Hobbit, but with books instead of food; helping educate others, instead of cooking for them or making them tea. It’s not a bad life. 

So you allow yourself to mourn by treating yourself to some breakfast at the diner. It’s nice to have someone else make the food and coffee as you allow yourself to feel sad. 

As you sit in the booth, lost in thoughts, you hear someone cough. You look to the source of the noise and see a tall stranger with short, dark hair, a stubble covered chin and dark blue eyes that seem to carry a permanent sadness to them. 

“Can I help you,” you ask. You just can’t help it, it’s almost a reflex to ask whenever someone looks at you.

“You do help me, Y/N. You help me a lot more than you know.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I’m Hunter. May I sit with you?”

Your jaw drops and you try to say something, anything, but all you can think to do is gesture to the seat across from you. 

As he sits, he tells you, “I know you can’t verify it’s me just from me being a stranger who knows your name. So let me show you.” He pulls a binder out of his bag and opens it to you. It’s full of all of the letters you ever wrote to him. 

“I…I don’t…what’s going on,” you stammer.

“You said you were thinking of not writing again because you felt there was nothing to write about. I can’t have that,” he replied. His sad eyes growing more intense as he spoke. “I need this, need your letters, need your contact. My work is dangerous. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. Writing to you calms me down, reading your letters helps me catch my breath. Please, don’t stop writing to me, Y/N.”

As you stared into his eyes you saw them brimming with sincerity. He was speaking to you in earnest and, while his intensity was almost overwhelming, you found yourself appreciating it. Trusting him. 

“You couldn’t have just written this,” you asked with a chuckle. 

“No,” he asserted. “I need you to know how important this is to me. I’m a bounty hunter who often sees the worst the world has to offer. I’m constantly on edge with no end in sight. You are the calm, quiet corner of my world that provides the only sort of stability I have.”

“Two things,” you quip. “One, you do realize how…scary this all sounds? Like a stalker/yandere kind of thing? And two, your name is Hunter and you’re a bounty hunter? This just adds to the potential scariness of the first thing, like you’ve been using a fake name with me or something.”

He blinks a few times. Clearly he wasn’t expecting this kind of response. He looks away for a bit and quietly says, “huh. I guess I didn’t think this through.”

The waitress brings out your breakfast at this point, looks at Hunter and asks, “Ooo! Y/N! Who’s your friend here?” You bite back a “not now” response, knowing that no matter what you say it’ll be all the gossip in town for the next month at least. So you reply with a simple truth, “he’s a friend of mine from out of town who’s just passing through.” You turn to Hunter and say, “order whatever you want for breakfast, I’ll cover it.”

“No, thank you,” he shakes his head. “I don’t eat before 8 AM.” The waitress looks a bit confused, but is clearly happy to have the start of some gossip for her later customers. She nods and walks away with a quiet, “enjoy your meal, Y/N.”

You nibble at your food as you each contemplate what to say next. 

“Let me start again,” he said slowly, not looking directly at you. “I think I panicked because I don’t want to lose this connection, this life line.” You nod in understanding as you take another bite. “You are right, that my name isn’t Hunter. It’s actually a name I chose based on my moniker because my real name is kept secret for good reason. I joined up with the pen pal program to get some information on one of my targets and that’s how you and I started writing. You weren’t the target,” he assured when he saw the surprise on your face. “Nor was it anyone you knew. It was completely by accident. But, I found myself really enjoying the peacefulness of your letters. The simple joys of trying a new recipe, or a new kid joining the story group, and just…It helped me slow down when all I knew was how to rush.”

“I was scared to write,” you confessed. “I know my life isn’t boring to so many people. I like it, but I know it’s not for everyone. So I just…I think I just stopped thinking of things to write because I got the feeling I was repeating myself and you’d get tired of hearing from me.” He turns sharply to look at you and you continue, “you wouldn’t be the first.”

“Give me their names and I’ll hunt them down for you.” You chuckle at that, getting the sense that he’s being completely serious.

“There’s no need for that,” you promise. “I’ve just never had a friendship last so long and I think it scared me. I’m sorry you had to feel the brunt of that, I honestly didn’t think you’d care. But now I know better.” You reach out a hand towards his, “is it okay if I hold your hand?” He nods and you gently clasp his hand and smile. “I promise, I will continue to write. I’m genuinely sorry that I scared you.”

Hunter nods and packs up the binder of letters. He moves to leave but you stop him, “I have to know either your name or your moniker that created the name that I know.” He froze for a second before looking you in the eyes and telling you, “God the Bounty Hunter.” You raise an eyebrow and he continues, “it’s because every time I showed up the target would say something along the lines of, ‘oh god it’s the bounty hunter’. Eventually it just got shortened and caught on.”

“Well,” you smiled, “that’s certainly not what I expected. But, I promise not to make fun of you for it.” He smiled at that and headed out.

Hi Hunter,

So I’ve been trying my hand at growing plants again, I’ll make sure to keep you updated on that but please don’t hold your breath. I’m horrible at growing plants, even with all the resources the library has to offer! Though it might be fun to create a seed library. I’ll have to look into that.

I want to thank you, again, for your visit. I’ve actually found it much easier to try some new things. New recipes, new shows, new teas. Nothing big, of course, I don’t need much. I think it’s because I have someone who’s excited to hear about these things. Doing things for me is nice, but it’s so much more when you have someone who wants to hear about them as well. Thank you for being such a good friend.

Thank you,

Y/N