#this is an illegible yap. i’m sorry i’m not feeling well

[no1onepiecefan]

today i’m thinking about luffy’s dream to be the king of the pirates, not out of any motive for power or status but for one reason, freedom. and specifically how zoro conceptually opposes that dream if zoro & luffy were anyone other than themselves.

luffy, from the beginning of the series, has yearned to be freer than anyone. while this is a simple dream by nature, it takes critical reflection of the society he lives under to understand that he is not free if he exists without opposing it. to oppose the world’s powers, the looming figures of punishment and protection, is how he is free. to be a figure of ultimate disobedience is to have ultimate freedom.

however, in comes zoro. pirate hunter, demon of the east blue, bounty hunter zoro. everything luffy isn’t. zoro objectively abides by the system, in fact he aids it by hunting pirates. of course, this is done out of necessity and not a personal moral compass; a system he eagerly opposes when he has the opportunity to not be reliant on it. nonetheless, we meet zoro quite literally (and much more than literally) tied to the marines. famous for one reason- hunting the exact group of people that luffy has strived lifelong to become.

zoro has never opposed the system like luffy has, instead has a grumbling and pliant apathy towards it; cooperating with it for personal gain until it became unbearably and openly corrupt (shells town). luffy would've long since burned the marine branch to the ground because it simply, fundamentally opposes his beliefs. luffy would've never made a deal with the marines like zoro did and that's a part of their relationship i find so interesting.

their morals align, oh absolutely, but luffy has a much more established relationship with opposing the structures he doesn't like. hell, luffy was raised by mountain bandits and zoro was raised by no one, which i think summaries their initial dynamic with authorities. zoro and luffy met, further apart than they would ever be.

luffy strives for ultimate freedom, to be the king of the pirates, yet he welcomes a man who had a working relationship with the enemy, the antithesis of freedom. luffy strives for ultimate freedom yet he welcomes a man who gives himself the role of protector; luffy's swordsman.

another, more indirect, opposition to luffy is zoro's role on the ship (until other crew members began to join, and luffy wasn't the only one to protect). to be luffy's swordsman, especially with zoro's narrative in one piece, he plays the role of the strawhat's personal executioner and guard. zoro acts as a singular figure of security within the strawhats, something luffy actively opposes and has consciously chosen to become an enemy of- the world's symbol of security.

to be the crew's protector, especially when the show began with the two of them, hinders luffy's freedom. he has a protector, a knight who serves his king, someone who inherently dampens the idea of ultimate freedom. and yet, none of it matters because it is them.

luffy doesn't give a damn that zoro may conceptually challenge the idea of ultimate freedom as his protector because, more than any semantics, he loves zoro. luffy wholeheartedly adores zoro, and appreciates the security he offers. security is not inherently negative.

one piece is about dismantling the bad, and reigniting the good. one piece is all about the clamber of an underdog, fished out the sea in a barrel. protection does not need to be in the way of freedom, like the marines are, like zoro shows. protection is not an inherently bad notion, and we see that through zoro and luffy's relationship. zoro may conceptually clash with luffy, but never personally. in fact he proves that freedom and security don't have to be options, but can instead intertwine.

zoro conceptually opposes luffy, like the marines as a symbol of protection do, like the world government as a symbol of security do. but zoro doesn't oppose luffy, never. i think a semi-accurate metaphor would be that zoro doesn't offer a concrete box of safeguarding like the world powers do, instead he offers a home, with a door to use if you'd like it. zoro could never harm luffy, because his role as a protector could never hurt. they're more perfect for each other than i can articulate

[yuzurins]

# reluctant to love

desc: in which rin writes a long essay proclaiming his long suppressed love for you

warnings: not proofread… lots of rambling, maybe ooc, itoshi brothers are not estranged, minuscule amount of angst but majority is fluff, some curse words here and there, rin is still at blue lock btw!

rbs and interactions are appreciated !!

————————————————————————

‘dear y/n,

i am writing this letter to inform you that i have taken a liking to you for a while now and would like to—‘

————————————————————————

rin grumbles to himself as he scribbles out the complete trash of a confession that he had just wrote.

he doesn’t even know why he decided to take this approach at all. it all started because isagi and bachira told him that, “he was beating around the bush,” and “he’d probably win the world cup before being able to utter a word in front of them.”

so of course, rin said some very harsh words in response, leading to isagi challenging him to confess to you before the next match (that was in 72 hours) with his football career on the line.

which is how he found himself sitting at his desk after practice, spinning his pencil around trying to write a stupid love letter for his best friend.

because in the words of bachira, “everyone loves poetic men!”

despite immediately denying the words of his friends, deep down he knew damn well that they were completely right. if he wasn’t forced to, he would probably quit football before ever speaking about his feelings out loud.

but because the itoshi rin can’t risk his ego and pride, he’s reluctantly willing to write a silly letter.

turns out writing that silly letter was harder than any football game he’s ever played.

————————————————————————

‘dear y/n,

i remember the first time we met.

it was first day of junior high, and you were sitting on a bench in front of the school with red puffy eyes, fiddling with the little kumamon plush on your bag.

i was late to class that morning, and after seeing you i purposely tried to walk faster in order to avoid any human interaction. but you saw me and grabbed onto my blazer, refusing to let go even though i didn’t spare you a glace. you asked for help getting to your classroom, and because i didn’t know what i was getting myself into, i lead you there (like the kind person i am) expecting to never see you again.

but i guess the world had other plans, because it turned out we were in the same class. you stuck to me like a parasite, annoying me every chance you got and never shutting the fuck up. but i enjoyed the company, though younger me would never admit that.

fast forward a few years and nothings changed. or has it? you’re still yapping your mouth off all the time and clinging beside me in every class. except something’s different, and i don’t know what it is. you laze around at my house after begging me for homework help, we occasionally go get food, sometimes fall asleep together and— [this part is illegible because rin drew over it too hard]

i don’t know. i think around this time i started distancing myself from you because i always felt uneasy around you. my heart was always beating rapidly, my stomach felt uneasy, and i just felt anxious. all the time. nii-chan told me it was because of you, so i just stopped talking to you. i’m sorry.

i’m sorry i didn’t tell you i was leaving. that i’d be gone for a while because i got scouted by blue lock. i didn’t mean to because i thought i’d be okay before i left. sorry i’m rambling now. i know i don’t speak a lot in person so i’m writing my thoughts down for you to understand me better.

i was a kid in denial, and sometimes i still am because even now i don’t understand that part of myself. to be honest, i would’ve never confessed these feelings of mine if my friend didn’t push me to. it sounds like a dick move but i swear on my career that everything i’ve written on this stupid paper is genuine and sincere.

and what i am certain of is that i want you to be by my side. i want you to be there cheering for me when i win a game, i want you to be there beside me when i wake up, i want you to spend your afternoons lazing around me, i want you to tell me all about the small unnecessary details of your day,

i just want you

because you make me feel safe

————————————————————————

rin’s biting his lower lip now, feeling super embarrassed about how vulnerable he just let himself be on a piece of paper. he doesn’t read over it at all and shoves it into the envelope immediately. doesn’t even check whether he wrote your address right or not because he’ll chicken out if he looks it over at all.

he’s super anxious about this letter, to the point where he’s fucking up his plays, so imagine his surprise when he sees you sitting on his porch the day he finally gets to go home.

you jump up immediately at the sight of him and run to hug him. rin stiffens at the sudden impact but drops his bags a second later to sink into your embrace.

though as if that wasn’t enough of an answer for him, he’s still uncertain about your feelings. you hear the rapid beating of his heart and look up to give him a lovesick grin.

“i love you too, itoshi rin.”

BONUS: 2YRS LATER.

“i can’t believe you forgot to sign off a letter confessing that you’re head over heels for me.” you giggle as you walk over to your boyfriend, who was staring at his letter that you pinned to your pegboard. “what if i ended up responding to the wrong person?”

rin huffs and turns away, embarrassed that you caught him reading that. “shut up, you have no other friends anyways.”

you smile teasingly at him as you notice his ears turning red. “you never thought about the possibility that someone could’ve liked me during the 10 months you ignored me for?”

he frowns, though you can’t see him, and droops his shoulders down. you know he still feels bad about it, but it’s fun to tease him because in your eyes he looks so adorable, like a big puppy.

and as he still stares at the floor, he turns around and walks over to envelop you in his warmth, resting his head in the crook of your neck.

an endearing smile finds its way on your face as you hug rin back. he’s not a words person; this was his way of expressing his apology.

“it’s okay, you big baby, as long as you’re here with me now.”

[cruesuffix]

mick has ALWAYS been a fine, cutie patootie, pretty and handsome guy. idc ginger mick, chubby mick, woman mick, straight hair mick, mick now, literally every mick era… and the fact that he doesn’t like how he looks like makes me wanna rip my shirt off in anger

anyway, what mick era do you like the most? maybe in order? :)

i literally SQUEALED reading this cause this is all REAL AND TRUE!!! also i need peepaw to keep his opinions of himself to a minimum cause all he says are untrue and false statements. idgaf if he thinks he’s ugly cause that’s wrong and he’s not looking at that in an objective way: he’s beautiful, gorgeous, pretty, handsome and cute. he’s also smart, talented, funny, charming and the coolest bitch ever. so peepaw if you’re reading this… shut the fuck up about how “ugly” and “dumb” you are, cause that’s not true and i don’t wanna hear you yap about that anymore!! ok sorry… just need him to know he’s being a little liar. ANYWAYS…

god… how am i supposed to rank these eras i love them ALL!! ok ok, i’ll do it… just know whatever place these eras go, my heart will be broken because i wanna give them all first place. alright, imma make my list now, remember this is my opinion (and it’s always subject to change cause i love all his eras so much):

at number ten: tffl mick

- i don’t really think about baby crue a lot. when i go to my secret mick pinterest board… as much as it pains me to say, i don’t go to my “tffl mick” section.

- it’s nothing against tffl mick it’s just… i have my favourites and that era i guess isn’t one of them. maybe if i actually worked on my coffee shop au it would start up.

- i think it’s just cause there isn’t much photos from that era as well. there’s only 200 photos of that era in my pinterest board compared to the 300-600 photos i have of the other eras. we were starved of tffl content tbh.

at number nine: generation swine - new tattoo era mick (aka depressed middle aged man, or straight haired mick)

- not loving the fact that he actually was pretty depressed in this era. no lie, he was serving cunt in this era. without the hairspray… he looked very soft and cute.

- exhibited a lot of tired dad energy. he just has this really hot dilf energy about him… well actually he was at gilf status here. idk i just think it would be higher if i didn’t know how depressed he was in this era. makes me feel bad for thirsting after him.

at number eight: divorced old man era (aka ‘94 era, or wet sad pathetic man era)

- i’d let that man give me rug burn… WOAH WHO THE FUCK JUSF SAID THAT???!!!!

- sure he was going through a hefty divorce but… he was kinda serving depressed, holing himself up in his house CUNT!!

- also i love the berets he’d wear late ‘89-97 they looked really good on him and i wish i could steal them

at number seven: gingerbread mars (aka ginger mick)

- i know i know, with the way i talk about him, this should be higher… trust me i wanna put it higher but… there’s other eras i love a bit more than gingerbread mars

- this photo should be illegal though… who told you to serve such SEVERE levels of cunt my guy?

- he’s so cutie patootie here though ughhh this era was so baby to me… he was in his twenties dude… makes me realize i need to hurry up and do something with my life cause this man was in bands from when he was 12. what am i doing???

at number six: satd era (aka the demon days)

- a lot of people thought he was scary when satd was released. idk how he’s just a guy. a really beautiful guy at that!

- there’s something about this era that i love. everything from his outfit, his evil glares, the makeup, his headbands… even out of all the makeup he just looked so sweet and comfy. i love hairsprayed to death mick a bit more than straight hair mick ngl. it’s just what i’m used to! not much to say here!

at number five: feelgood era (aka the “we’re so back!!”era)

- WHEW!!! this fucking era… how i love this era <333

- HIS THIGHS???? THE HEADBAND??? THE EXTRA FLUFFINESS OF HIS HAIR??? come on now!!!

- he’s at the top of his game and i absolutely love it. then again i love a good happy ending and feelgood was shaping to be just that.

- the only thing I hate about this era are those fuckass boots he’d wear on stage. they’re ugly mick put those down, they look like fucking rain boots is it raining on stage now?? sorry… moving on!

at number four: peepaw lite (aka current day mick)

- i love peepaw. he’s babygirl. he’s sweet old man. he’s every single thing in the universe.

- he looks very comfortable and happy nowadays so i guess ridding yourself of three evil bastards does wonders. i like seeing him happy, so yes, i have to put him up high on this list. that being said:

at number three: gothic peepaw

- this is the best peepaw i will not be arguing with anyone about this.

- when mick fully embraces his gothic aesthetic, he’s at his best. this is literally peak male aesthetic idgaf. i understand why he couldn’t dress like this during the stadium tour but he needs to understand i will always have a soft spot for this era. i think you guys know who i’m putting at number two.

at number two: MILF MARS!!!! (aka top era mick)

- she is everything to me. a mother, a friend, a confidant… a lover. she’s a style icon, her makeup is on point and honestly? she’s a diva 💜

- i literally wanna dress up as her for halloween. would anyone get who i’m dressed up as? probably not. would it matter? not one bit!

- idgaf if she though she looked like an old woman during this era, she looked INCREDIBLE. most of my thoughts go back to her and i hope she knows that.

AND FINALLY, AT NUMBER ONE: girls era mick (aka chubby mick, aka the love of my life)

- idgaf i love mick’s lil chubby era it’s my favourite. i literally love girls era mick with all my heart.

- mind you, the Crüe has always exaggerated micks weight during this era (largely due to fatphobia) BUT… who cares? who cares if mick had gained a bit of weight? doesn’t make him any less desirable to me, there’s just more of him to love!!

- i will latch myself onto his waist and bury my face in his chest. wanna sit on his lap so bad and just squish the hell outta his lil round face. that photo of tommy doing it only makes me wanna do it even more.

- oh, also… EHO TOLD THIS KAN TO SHOW CHEST WRF ARE TOU DOING PEEPAW WHO COUFO YOU DO THIS TO ME!!!!??!!!?!!!?!! ok anyways, all in all girls era mick is my absolute favourite era of mick. do i feel a bit bad for finding him so handsome and adorable during an era where he was doing horribly mentally and physically? absolutely. is that going to change my ranking? not in the slightest i’m sorry!!

SO, that was my ranking. all in all i have to say: this man was always beautiful and will always be beautiful, no matter what. i wanna shake some sense into peepaw, but i won’t. like i said, i wish he knew how beautiful he is and I refuse to listen to him whenever he says he’s ugly cause [LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER] he’s dead wrong!!

[xquior]

greetings.

this is my main blog. boom here’s an intro!!

(harmoniuschoir → acropathology → xquior)

my name is Caleb (he/him) and I’m a minor 

I speak some Spanish. not very well though. fake hispanic sowwy

I got a few disorders but I don’t think that’s too important. 

consistently inconsistent. I post whenever I feel like it, and I post for whatever fandoms I want. Mainly HSR  atm :-0

I’m also the mod of @yourturntokai and my spam is @sillygoofyology. ao3 is same username if you care

I don’t have a DNI. I block whoever I want, and very freely at that. 

I’m kind of a freak. I sound very AI generated to be frank. The way I talk should be made illegal. Sorry if this weirds you out ^_^

Only tags I use are uhm #my yapping, #my art, and #my ocs

the end baiiiiii

[honeyconez]

Me skibidi cave

Last updated 10/30 I go by Conez or Ed idc

I am a minor so you will be blocked if you’re a super duper old person *AND* you creep me out in any way. I know the warning signs. I am not stupid. If you think you’re getting away with something you’re gravely mistaken. I have my own little ways. I’m in your walls. I’m in your crusty little walls. Like a rat.

Any pronouns I’m confused about what I identify as

PLEASE REQUEST STUFF!! I LOVE REQUESTS AND I LITERALLY HAVE ALL THE FREETIME IN THE WORLD! DONT BE SCARED!!! AS LONG AS ITS NOT INCREDIBLY NSFW OR ILLEGAL PLEEEEASE REQUEST STUFF!!!!

I’m pan don’t bring a pan near me give me pans

I like team fortress 2 a lot

I like cursing. I try not to a lot. Also, I have many MANY reasons to believe I may be autistic so just a warning. I am getting a diagnosis soon so I will update accordingly.

I have trouble interpreting the tones of things. You don’t have to use tone indicators though, I don’t really know what all of them mean. I use emojis as indicators I guess

I don’t mean to be an asshole tell me if I’m being rude or something 😭😭

Please don’t be scared to interact with me I don’t bite, I’m a nervous person so I usually can’t hold conversations too well

Other things I like

• SCP Foundation

• HLVRAI

• Guardians Of the Galaxy

• Deadpool

• Mouthwashing

I have art block right now

posting schedule does not exist anymore

I will try and go through all the notes on my posts to block people who fit my DNI list or people who give me bad vibes.

SOMETIMES I ACCIDENTALLY FOLLOW PEOPLE SO IF I UNFOLLOW IN 2 SECONDS SORRY I MISCLICKED PROBABLY 😭 I FEEL BAD ABOUT IT

ALSO TUMBLR MAKES ME UNFOLLOW PEOPLE SOMETIMES

My tags 😩😫😣(if I remember)

•wholetconezcook - drawings

•conedoodledoodle - doodles

•conezdumbideas - shitposts

•conezyappityyap - rambling

•conezeatspencils - pencil drawings

•conezirlskibidis - my irl pookies

•conezsillyvoidcomic - my stupid comic

•conezonthattypicalgrind - typical colors rants

•conezdoesthegmog - gmod

•conezgoofyassocs - my ocs

I’ll add more if I need to, I won’t bother tagging my old stuff and I don’t tag reblogs

Other stuff I like + DNI List

Other general stuff I find neat •Computer viruses(stuxnet……)

•World Wars 1 & 2

•Patterns in math…. My beloved….

•Paradoxes

•Spaceeeeeeeee

•Geology

•Math in general I guess

•Death of the universe(I could go on and on… please ask me…)

•Coding

•Rules of robotics

•History

Games

• Undertale/Deltarune

• Minecraft

• Celeste

• Rayman

• Subnautica

• Cat Quest I & II

• Stardew Valley

•Cuphead

Movies

• Emesis Blue

• Deadpool 1, 2, 3

• Howl’s Moving Castle

• Magnificent Nine

• Steven Universe the Movie

(Will add more I remember)

Cartoons / Shows / Series idk

• Lil Pootis

• Adventure Time

• Fionna & Cake

• Adventure Time Distant Lands

• Steven Universe

• Minecraft Storymode (I watched the Netflix thingy before it was removed)

• Captain Underpants

• Team Neighborhood

• Over the Garden Wall (one of my favs)

Books / Comics

• Curse Of the Werepenguin

• Dogman (huge inspiration)

• Breaking Cat News (huge inspiration)

• Bunnicula

• The Outsiders (could yap forever)

• Midsummer’s Nights Dream

• Adventure Time Comics

•Countdown to Zero Day

Youtube series or Youtubers I like

*(by youtubers I mean their videos if they don’t really have a series) **(if any of these Youtubers are actually bad people please tell me I live under a rock)

• Honorcrocketts

• Rubberfruit

• Kostamonien

• STBlackST / Unusual Troubles

• Kitty0706

• Requiem For A Pizza

• Badwatervideos2009

• HoovyTube

• Team Neighborhood

• Kugawattan

• TheInvertedShadow

• DamashiDX

Musical Artists

• Lemon Demon

• Neutral Milk Hotel

• Penelope Scott

• Weird Al Yankovic!!!!

• ARTHUR

• The Scary Jokes

• Metric

• Beck

DNI LIST

Homophobes, transphobes, racists, pedos, pervs, proshit, pro-Israel, zionists, zoophiles, completely NSFW blogs, TERFs and SWERFs

also specifically people who still draw/use/support dr br*ght. Seriously? Use Dr Shaw or another rewrite. It’s not that hard.

[stephenbyerley]

the grave-digger puts on the forceps

hi, i’m alex/asimov/whatever you want to call me really. i’m a nonbinary transfxg (he/they) who’s had this blog for >10 years now, tho i did take a prolonged sabbatical in my late teenage & early adulthood. here you’ll find a mishmash of things i think are funnie, politics, my interests, and random ramblings. i’m also one of those annoying people who yaps in the tags a lot, sorry. more—one might even say tmi—under the cut.

some fun and/or boring facts about me, in no particular order:

i am from mississippi but i currently live in toronto

ive been on T since age 15, got legal name/gender change (first minor in my state to do so!……and now it’s just illegal.) & top surgery at 16.

as of october 2024, i have had phalloplasty using the delayed ALT technique with dr. crane! transition (especially surgical) is a major interest of mine so please feel free to ask me anything. seriously, i have zero boundaries and looove talking about this shit.

i have a boyfriend/partner whomst i love very much

you can see my face at #alexelfie

i am obscenely horny for old men, all things grotesque, and fucked-up dynamics

i’m a leftist who is not well-read enough to narrow my political ideology down to a particular label but i usually describe myself as a commie. it’s close enough, at least.

i love diy projects, i like knowing how things work and being able to take them apart & put them back together :)

i am terrible at taking initiative but i am always happy to chat about anything & everything! you can always slide into my inbox/dms and treat me with whatever level of familiarity you like and i’ll reciprocate. conversely, if i ever come off as too familiar, let me know and i’ll back off.

i am a very honest and genuine person—it’s something i pride myself on. i am happy to (over)explain myself if i ever say anything that doesn’t make sense or raises an eyebrow, and i always want to be corrected and given more info when i’m wrong about something.

related to the above, i can be obnoxiously pedantic. i do my best to rein it in when it’s something unimportant or just a joke, but it’s a deeply ingrained habit. feel free to call me out on this. i rarely intend to be condescending, but i know i can come off that way, and it’s something i’m working on.

thanks for reading & hope you enjoy my blag!

[causenessus]

hi my dearest loveliness !! good evening afternoon OR morning I HOPE YOUR DAY IS GOING WELL TODAY!! AND I HOPE YOUVE EATEN!! i literally just woke up (it’s 3pm…. my parents literally watched me come out of my room and were like ???)(you just woke up???)LMFAO BUT BUT i’m back to work tomorrow so i wanted to sleep in a lot today(I HAVE A 9-5:30 RIGHT OFF THE BAT)(MY WORK HATES ME??)but omg i just saw the ask from sav(sorry am i allowed to call her that too)(IM SORRY IDK) and i was like AWWWW “you and your mango anon” I AM NESS’ MANGO ANON idk why i thought it was so cute and sweet like YOU GIGGLE AND READ THEM?? THATS SO CUTE?? IM GONNA EXPLODE?? but let’s all yap together this is yap central(a safe place for yappers)

omg last night i got so many notifs if you answering every ask bat to bat and I FELT SO BAD BECAUSE I WROTE A LOT YESTERDAY BUT YOU STILL ANSWERED EACH ASK WITH LIKE SO SO MUCH PASSION??(idk if that’s the right word) but you always answer each ask with ur heart like non of it is halfassed(sorry am i allowed to swear)(IVE BEEN REFRAINING FROM SWEARING BECAUSE IDK I DONT THINK IVE SEEN YOU SWEAR OUTSIDE YOUR SMAUS???)(or idk i’m crazy i think i’m crazy)

I WOULD SHARE WHAT CONCERT IT WAS LIKE I WAS GOING TO but i was like omg i’m gonna dox myself LOL BUT actually you know what’s so funny i don’t even live in the states(LORE DROP) ALSO DECLAN MCKENNA?? THATS SO COOL THAT YOU GOT TO SEE HIM i think he’s on tour again right now?? or just performing right now (I THINK) im pretty sure i saw on ticketmaster! i would 100% go but literally my bank account is decreasing a little too much for my liking and it’s time to lock in and go ultra saving mode LOL BUT OMG MITSKI??? stop it if i was rich i would 100% fly over to your state and buy tickets for you and me and we could go together and have our losing dogs moment(on repeat by eggy always in my heart)(literally one of my fav smaus LOL)

ness i will read every single part of your response LITERALLY I WILL READ AND ABSORB EVERY PART SO do not worry your pretty little head(as i said this i imagined myself tapping your head with a pretty little fairy stick)BUT OMG ME AND YOU WORKING AT ILLEGAL AGES(actually actually hold on)okay because i started working my retail job when i was 15 but i was like a week away from turning 16 but they accepted me anyways? idk it’s kind of silly but i remember saying i was 15 but turning 16 in a “few days” (i think it was a week and a bit) and they were like mmmm okay! here’s your training days blah blah blah LOL listen i really wanted a job… i always felt bad asking my parents for money so i was like you know what ILL get my own money(here i am 2-3 years later still trapped in retail)also i totally get the hostess thing because my friend works at olive garden as a hostess and like it SOUNDS SO STRESSFUL? because like… you’re kinda in control of how much tips a person gets? (if that makes sense) and it just feels ITS TOO STRESSFUL FOR ME TO FANTOM LIKE i cant i feel like im too much of a people pleaser where id just be like oh! oh you don’t want this table? okay! oh i have you too many tables? i’m sorry! my bad! let me do it! ALSO IDK i hate fixed schedules like i like the random rotation every week LOL like it’s kinda a surprise!! like omg what days am i working today type of thing you know! BUT OMG THEM KEEPING YOU ON STANDBY IS CRAZY AFTER YOU QUIT LOL they love you so much they want to keep you <3 i can’t blame them <3 ness is a very lovable person <3 but restaurant environments are different from retail idk how you do it like I APPAUD YOU AND EVERY OTHER RESTAURANT WORKER because like dealing with hangry people everyday like… i already deal with impatient customers which make me wanna pull my hair like i remember one time during this rush we had everyone on cash like everyone on the tills right and this guy came up to my till and he’s like “yall need more workers” LIKE CANT YOU SEE EVERYONE ON THE TILLS RIGHT NOW??WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST !! and i was deadass like “haha sorry….. would you like a bag for 50 cents?”

ALSO YOURE SO BUSY WHAT?? your schedule is so jacked up HOW DO YOU DO IT??? like literally uni + job AND THEATRE??? and also the fact that you have more than one job?? PLS PLS PLS EAT AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF LOVE YOURE GONNA BURN OUT </3

omg if i worked lights with you it would’ve been so so so much better like i’m not discrediting the light people i worked with BUT it was the fact that they were a year younger right so they didn’t really know what they were doing since all our light crew graduated and for some reason people didn’t like doing lights as much? so they were just first years doing lights and i had to help out a bunch and kind of guide them BCUZ IDK WHY MY TECH TEACHER DIDNT DO IT RIGHT so i had to focus on sound PLUS helping the lights people which i don’t really mind too much when we’re just having rehearsals but like during shows i was a little more stressed because they weren’t that confident and was always asking just to make sure and it was 100% not their fault of course but I WAS STILL STRESSED and doing my hardest to help him while trying to also keep track of where the play was(sorry very messy)(i too am like you and i do NOT proof read these whatsoever) IF I COULD I WOULD DROP EVERYTHING AND FLY THERE !! we could be the light + sound duo because i literally miss my tech days like i lowkey thought about doing it in uni but IDK WHY I DIDNT !! I SHOULDVE !! also another suna smau would heal me (LMFAO NO PRESSURE) BUT I LITERALLY LOVE ALL OF INARIZAKI?? like they all have my heart(especially kita and osamu like oh my god)BUT OH MY GOD IF YOU DO I THINK ILL CRY LIKE “OMG THATS ME GUYS” “I AM MANGO ANON !!!” BUT you have sooooo much stuff lined up so DO NOT WORRY TOO MUCH!! what you’ve been giving right now (TRY AGAIN AND TONICS <333) is already so good like the idea and concepts AND IM SO EXCITED FOR THEM TOO AHH

THE CAST NOT BEINF ABLE TO PROJECT THEIR VOICES ARE SO REAL !!! maybe i’m just saying this because i only did plays in high school right so it was a bunch of kids right but it was soooo frustrating because like SPEAK UP but also the fact that some cast got better mics than others? like tell me why i can’t hear this lead but i can hear this random person playing a citizen like?? BUT LITERALLY WHEN MICS DIE I LITERALLY WANNA JUST FALL TO THE FLOOR LIKE and the director is just like “keep going” LIKE DONT KEEP GOING WHAT? I CANT HEAR? like i literally feel like i have to focus my energy like some type of anime character to my ears just to hear a SNIPPET of what they’re saying but then sometimes i get in trouble for missing cues </3 LIKE I’M SORRY IT ISNT MY FAULT LIKE MAYBE GET BETTER SPEAKERS AND MICS?? also not you literally running the whole tech crew like rewiring the motherboard and climbing stuff like ness mvp tech girl LOL BUT I GET NOT WANTING TO THINK ABOUT THOSE TIMES LIKE i swear all tech/cast crew environments are SO toxic like i literally remember one of the cast fainting because like we literally got no breaks at all so she was probably overwhelmed with the lighting and everything else then that’s when the director was like ok… let’s take a break like YOU THINK??

ALSO YOURE SO RIGHT if the previous men i’ve talked to is on tumblr reading cutesy little haikyuu x femreader stuff THEN THATS ANOTHER PROBLEM(NO STOP I LITERALLY GIGGLED SO HARD WHEN YOU SAID THAT LOL)(everytime i read your responses im always smiling and giggling like i always reread it too LOL) but omg ness… the quarantine online gaming breakout season is such a canon event like BECAUSE ME TOOOOO LOL(we are so soulmates) mine was a mix of minecraft and roblox and I LITERALLY MET A WHOLE GROUP ONLINE TOO IT WAS CRAZY the ptsd flashbacks is so real but THATS SO GIRLBOSS OF YOU LIKE YES!! CALL MEN OUT ON THEIR SHIT!!(sorry swearing again) BE NO MANS PEACE!! i will literally find him and politely beat him up for you <333 TIME FOR LORE DROP AND IF THE PERSON READS THIS THEN ??? WELL ??? oh well LOL but anyways so i was in this little online group idk i kind of just found them through twitter and i was like WHY NOT so i became friends with this guy he went by socks(discord names are so real)and like we got really close right and like he was the only person i really VC’d with (AND AND TO BE FAIR I THINK ITS BECAUSE WE WERE LIKE THE BABIES OF THE GROUP) like we were the same age while everyone else was like 19-25ish now(idk what i was doing hanging out with them as a minor but oh well)(i’m 18 now so it’s ok!)(but i literally don’t talk to any of them now LOL)but i remember this one specific conversation where he was like teaching me spanish?? because i don’t know i was teaching him viet too so it was just a silly little thing and i translated it(this was through texts like i still have the screenshot LOL) and he basically confessed to me through text in spanish right then afterwards they were like JK JK JK!! IDK idk if it was real or not but we drifted a lot after that so idk! sock if ur out there !! im sorry !! to be fair though they didn’t give me a chance to reply because i had to translate it then when i came back to the chat they were like IM JK IM JK SO idk! I GUESS WE’LL NEVER KNOW!! also i will def report back when i get a poke bowl but im very very picky about the way i eat raw fish bevause sometimes it’s okay but when there’s an overwhelming amount i kind of get scared and im like hmmm maybeeee.. not this time… LOL It really depends for me!! but maybe ill try the imitation crab one if i see it!

AND UR SO RIGHT ONE DAY I WILL COME TO YOU AND I WILL BE UR GUARD DOG AT WORK !!! i’m glad yesterday was better! hopefully it keeps getting better, i will fight off the bad omens for you ness i will stand in the front lines fighting them off I COULD NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU but i will be a tiny tiny bit upset because I WANT YOU TO EAT WELL AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF !! eggs and toast is so real but don’t worry :( a meal is a meal and you did good by getting up and making yourself something small! little steps are okay, i will be here along the way so don’t worry! take your time <333 I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY!! (it literally took me an hour to write this because now it’s 4:30)(BUT i did eat in between writing) I HAD RICE AND CHICKEN YIPPPPEE!! i had to take a little break to eat then i continued writing LOL(but so real on saying ill go back but you never do because … me too)(i’m too lazy to look back on what i wrote so ill just trust myself) (mango anon loves you very much pls take care of yourself) (ALSO) i just realized i could make the font smaller (thank you again sav for the idea) so it would be easier to scroll pass these LOL BUT ANYWAYS MAKE SURE TO EAT AND REST WELL !!! xoxoxoxo

HELLO MY LOVE!!! MY DAY WAS PRETTY OKAY!! BESIDES THE CAR CRISIS OFC 😭😭 AND PLEASE WAKING UP AT 3PM IS SO REAL I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE </33 AND ESPECIALLY IF U WORK A 9-5:30 TOMORROW DEFINITELY GET ALL THE SLEEP YOU CAN GET!! REST UP AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF PLS <3 MAKE SURE TO DRINK LOTS OF WATER AND BRING PLENTY WITH YOU TOMORROW AND PLEASE EAT!! and don't apologize at all you're def okay to call sav sav as well (i'm pretty sure!!) AND YOU ARE MY MANGO ANON <33 AND I LOVE U SM!! AND I LOVE UR PARANTHESES LMAO THEY'RE SO CUTE <3 YES YAP CENTRAL!!

AND omg mango anon i just have to tell you like how honored i am <3 like i feel so seen by you!! the way you see the passion in my writing and like notice that i don't curse outside of my writing pls :(( my face is literally going :((( rn /pos i try not to curse outside of my writing just bc it's not my thing!! but ofc you can and like sometimes i still do!! definitely do whatever you want AND SORRY FOR ALL THE NOTIFS YESTERDAY AND TODAY SINCE I'M DOING THE SAME THING LMAO 😭 i'm the one that lets them bunch up so dw about them at all!! and mango anon i genuinely love talking and replying to you so so much AND I'M REALLY SO THANKFUL FOR EVERY ASK FROM ANYONE SO OFC I'LL BE ANSWERING IT WITH PASSION!! I GET WHAT YOU MEAN ENTIRELY AND I'M GLAD THAT GETS ACROSS WELL <3 I JUST APPRECIATE YOU ALL SM <3

AND YOU DEF DON'T HAVE TO SAY WHAT CONCERT YOU WENT TO!! I WAS WORRIED ABOUT LIKE THAT DOXXING U OR SOMETHING bc i had no idea you didn't live in the states!!! i definitely automatically assumed that and that maybe u had went to a different state since we were in the same timezone for a little bit but that makes total sense and that was my bad for assuming 😭😭 BUT AA YES!! I'D LOVE TO SEE HIM AGAIN AND MAYBE I WILL <3 LIKE HIS TICKETS DEF ARE NOT BAD PRICING AND HE'S AMAZING!!! i'm just insanely broke and like ik he's touring with sabrina carpenter rn or something??? which is super cool and good for him!! and sabrina's cool but i don't think i'd enjoy or be able to afford her concerts 😭 and that's okay!! maybe my tickets were cheap the time i went to see him bc it was a little more niche <3 AND AAA YES I WISH WE COULD SEE MITSKI TOGETHER!! the entire crowd would be in tears over i bet on losing dogs like that's our national anthem FRFR!!!!

I WAS IMAGINING THE PRETTY LITTLE FAIRY STICK WITH U thank you for tapping my head <33 AND I ALSO READ ABSORB EVERYTHING U TELL ME SO PLEASE YAP AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!! AND DON'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT SMALL FONT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO <3 YOU DO WHATEVER YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEART DESIRES!!! (i am giving ur heart a kiss rn mwah <3) BUT PLEASE THE ILLEGAL JOBS FR SOME PLACES BE CRAZY AND THEY STILL GET AWAY WITH IT!!! BUT YOU GET IT EXACTLY like at the restaurant i often work at we often just have a rotation with no server sections bc it's pretty small (i'd only be forced to do sections when i worked with my manager who made me want to DIE and made me cry once i literally ran out and cried next to a steakhouse across from us) and so basically i just sit people at random tables (i always ask them like "is this table okay?" and i'm not really asking them like girl i have better things to be doing than escorting you around this restaurant trying to see what table tickles your fancy the best. i just ask them so i don't sound super forward like "THIS IS YOUR TABLE SUCK IT UP." yk??) and whoever's turn it is next, they get it so i'll tell them like "table three for two people" so like I REALLY DO NOT CONTROL WHAT CUSTOMERS A SERVER GETS BUT THEY ALL COME AND COMPLAIN AT ME FOR HOW BAD THEIR TABLES ARE (probably bc they're trying to guilt trip me or be passive aggressive) BUT LIKE WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT IT?? I'M NOT PURPOSELY GIVING PEOPLE BAD OR GOOD TABLES LIKE 😭😭 and i'm sure it's even worse at places like olive garden which are way bigger! and you have to work with other hosts and more people so best of luck to your friend she's doing amazing <3 AND YOU GET IT!! LIKE IT'D PROABABLY BE NICE TO HAVE A FIXED SCHEDULE BUT ALSO I COULDN'T DO IT I LOVE BEING SCHEDULED ON RANDOM DAYS EVERY WEEK I NEVER KNOW WHAT'S COMING also the guy who told you you guys needed more workers??? THANK YOU SIR FOR STATING THE OBVIOUS!! I HAD NO IDEA, LET ME, JUST A PERSON WHO WORKS HERE, NOT A MANAGER OR ANYTHING, GO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! IN FACT, WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT ON AN APRON AND START HELPING SINCE WE NEED MORE WORKERS!! CONGRATS YOU'RE HIRED!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH MANGO ANON 😭 I ALREADY FEEL SO BURNT OUT I'M REALLY HOPING THINGS WILL CALM DOWN AFTER SEPTEMBER IG (WHEN I STOP WORKING TWO JOBS) OR BY NOVEMEBER AT LEAST (WHEN THEATRE IS OVER) BUT WE'LL SEE </3 i'm sure things will continue to come up but i fr just want to lay down and sleep until 3pm like u did today 😔😔 that sounds so nice </3

AND PLEASE WHY IS YOUR TECH THEATRE STORIES THE SAME AS MINE like i was a run and props kid until my school's musical sophomore year where we got these three boys who all wanted to do tech and we had too many run and props kids so i was like "yk what. let me go to lights so that hopefully u three can be together" which didn't even work out bc one of the boys got thrown into lights with me while the other two were on run and props but were on opposite wings LMAO and so that was my first show doing lights which i did board op for because it was also our last show of the year which was also our like senior who knew everything about lights' last show so after that she GRADUATED and i was the one left to figure everything out 😭😭 and then the year after we lost our senior that knew everything about sound so my senior year was a STRUGGLE omg...bad times. but then i left that department a mess bc i could no longer care. like that lights kid wanted my job so badly? fine, fend for urself bro i'm not teaching u anything (sorry i am spiteful against that kid still LMAO) I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT DOING TECH IN UNI!! my junior year i was fully planning to go to school to get a bfa for lighting design (new grounds was such a self insert for me LMAO) and my tech director literally pushed me to do it but then i decided i really did not want to be in these toxic stressful environments for the rest of my life 😭 BUT IF I HAD YOU!!! I DEF ACTUALLY WOULDN'T MIND <3 WE WOULD BE THE BEST DUO EVER I KNOW IT!! WE'D BOTH KNOW HOW TO DO OUR JOBS AND THAT WOULD BE LITERALLY GROUND BREAKING!! i mean even just reading ur stories i could feel the stress of like managing EVERYTHING i am so sorry for u mango anon but i am with u completely and from one tech mother to another, thank u for ur services 🫡 (i say tech mother bc WOMEN IN STEM!! in my entire four years of high school our top of the mill techies were always girls until we had this one run and props guy ruin it 🙄 he's actually the same guy who i used to like and the one who my mutual friend tried to get us to go to prom together but like i would NEVER UGHGHGH sorry he's also so frustrating to deal with i need to stop thinking about those times and this is exactly why i didn't actually go into theatre for school LMAOO) BUT YES AAA!! I WILL UPDATE YOU ON THE SUNA TECH SMAU AND I LOVE ALL OF INARIZAKI TOO <33333 haruichi furudate really put his whole budget into that team like please everyone on there is so pretty and beautiful and amazing and pookie shaped i love them sm <33 AND LOWKEY i was feeling like a stage manager reader (probably usually audio head but is stage managing this show) x lights head suna...bc i think that'd just be a crazy dynamic of her lowkey being in a higher position than him and he's just teasing and messing with her the whole time..BUT IDK and ik like theatre works differently in college but THIS IS MY WORLD AND WRITING SO I'LL DO WHAT I WANT!! i also have absolutely nothing actually planned out for the smau so who even knows LMAO THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME TO TAKE MY TIME </3 THERE'S DEFINITELY SO MUCH I NEED TO DO AND TOO LITTLE TIME UEFBIEWIOEGLN

BUT I'M GLAD U HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCES WITH PEOPLE NOT STRUGGLING we did this one horror play (which was SUCH a mess. okay let me just say this. our stage manager full on just gave up like halfway thru and would sit next to me reading vampire books and so same lights kid that kept trying to steal my job decided that it was "UP TO HIM" to save the show HIS WORDS EXACTLY I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT THIS when literally the entire show was going fine and so basically he was like overthrowing our stage manager and was taking it upon himself to stage manage instead and give cues and just OMG THAT SHOW WAS A MESS BUT ANYWAY) and our main character just would NOT project like she was always cranky the musical we did that year she would just not sing or talk and we were like bro...ur in a musical BUT ANYWAY she wouldn't project we literally ended up hanging a mic and putting a little speaker in the booth so we could hear her bc like it was so important that we heard her lines but we couldn't when we were in a booth behind four windows and a closed door 😭😭

AND HELP YOUR ONLINE STORIES??? I GIGGLED READING ABOUT HIM TEACHING YOU SPANISH AND YOU TEACHING HIM VIET BUT ALSO THE ENTIRE FRIEND GROUP BEING OLDER WHEN YOU WERE A MINOR WAS CRAZY BUT I CAN'T EVEN JUDGE BC THAT WAS ME TOO 😭😭 I FEEL LIKE THAT'S HOW IT ALWAYS IS FOR ME I'M LIKE ALWAYS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST PEOPLE IN A FRIEND GROUP but i cannot imagine what that guy was thinking (i LOVE DISCORD NAMES HOLD ON LET ME GO FIND THE NAME OF MY GUY i think he changed it bc it's froge now...but ANYWAY IT WAS SOMETHING LAME AND SO WAS HIS ROBLOX USER IT WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING LIKE DARK KNIGHT IDK) but i cannot imagine the stress socks was going thru </33 i bet he sent that and then u were like "oh let me go translate it!" and then he was like "OMG SHE DIDN'T RESPOND AND SHE WENT OFFLINE SHE HATES ME" and just flipped and said "jk" bc THERE'S NO WAY THAT WAS JUST A JOKE LIKE U DO NOT TEACH PEOPLE CONFESSIONS LIKE DID THE TAMING OF THE SHREW TEACH U PEOPLE NOTHING THAT IS SO OLD SCHOOL!! (i also never proofread these and just go on tangents and for that, i am sorry </3)

BUT I ALSO DON'T LIKE RAW FISH DW AT ALL!! like they have a hawaiian poke bowl too or something with all raw tuna and i'm like...yeah i'm good actually... and so my only other choice is imitation crab unfortunately 😭 BUT I HOPE YOU FIND SOMETHING GOOD AND LIKE IT!!

MANGO ANON I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND IT WAS SO GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU <3 I ATE A BAGEL HALFWAY THROUGH THIS AS WELL (you can probably tell when i started eating it bc i was only typing with my left hand and probably didn't use as many crying emojis for a bit LMAO) AND I LOVE TALKING TO YOU!! I LOVE YOU <3 AND I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL!! I LOVE CHICKEN AND RICE AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF AS LONG AS YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!! DRINK LOTS OF WATER AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SHIFT TOMORROW!! <3

[illegal-spiegel]

No Lying

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugo x gn!reader Genre: fluff Warnings: mention of blood (from a wound), making out  Summary: Bakugo gets hit with a quirk that makes it impossible for him to lie  Updated on 10.19.20

you’re apart of the Bakusquad 

you’re best friends with Mina, so it was only natural for her to rope you into her friend group 

Bakugo didn’t really ever talk to you at first unless it was an insult or he was yelling at you

you didn’t mind though, seeing as how he always acts like that

eventually though, he gets used to you being around and starts to chill tf out 

you think he treats you like the rest of his friends now and you couldn’t be happier

he doesn’t though

he doesn’t get his other friends their favorite snacks. He doesn’t help patch them up after a rough training session. He doesn’t yell or insult you as much as the others. You’re definitely not just a friend to him but shh we don’t talk about that

you all were a happy friend group for months until the ‘travesty’ happened

someone hit Bakugo with a quirk that makes him tell the truth anytime he tries to talk 

you all found this out after first defeating the villain 

“Hey, Bakugo. Are you okay?” you ask worriedly as he sits on the ground with blood running from his head after being hit with a powerful blast 

“No, my head is aching and throbbing,” he answers honestly before instantly choking up 

normally, he’d brush off everyone’s worries and brag that he’s completely fine and he doesn’t feel a thing 

but why did he just say that? 

that wasn’t at all what he was going to say

you thought it was a little odd too that he was being so honest but you weren’t about to call him out on it when he’s in pain 

“C’mon. Let’s get you to Recovery Girl,” you say as you help him up

he goes to say that he doesn’t need your help standing up and that he doesn’t need to see Recovery Girl 

but instead, he says, “Thanks. I really appreciate it.” 

you almost fall flat onto your face out of surprise 

the Bakugo just thanked you 

Katsuki Bakugo, the hot-headed, headstrong, tempered, anger issues having boy just thanked you 

you stutter out a ‘you’re welcome’ before dropping him off with Recovery Girl

he was red in the face for the next hour. It was mostly embarrassment but he was a little angry too that he didn’t lie 

while he was there, he found it impossible to lie 

he didn’t even tell Recovery Girl this because that would’ve been too embarrassing 

when he got home, he refused to talk unless he knew some nonsense wouldn’t come out of his mouth 

he tried to just be straight up silent but then everyone would start worrying about him and it was really just a bother 

you ended up hanging out around him more though whereas the others gave him his space 

“Why are you following me around so much?” he asks you one day, the question being more so out of curiosity than anger 

he always sounds angry though 

so you took it as you’re annoying him 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you. After that one fight, you’ve been really quiet. I just thought-”

“Thank you for worrying about me.” 

GOD DAM-

“You’ve also been really nice here recently and it’s honestly freaking everyone out.” 

he can’t believe he slipped up again 

he stayed quiet for a moment, knowing he needs to tread lightly or else he’ll slip up again 

“I don’t mean to,” he admits. That kind of sounds like something he’d say 

“Oh, okay. I just don’t want you thinking you have to change who you are to be friends with us,” you reassure with a warm smile 

he goes to say he knows that

it’s the truth so he can easily say that

so tell him why he says this instead 

“You have a beautiful smile.” 

he instantly slaps his hand over his mouth, absolutely mortified right now 

you both gawk at each other, cheeks as hot as an inferno 

neither of you can believe he just said that 

the Bakugo just complimented you 

Katsuki Bakugo, the hot-headed, headstrong, tempered, anger issues having boy just complimented you 

you both remain silent for at least a minute, not knowing what to do 

is he pranking you or something? He’s not really the pranking type though 

just as he goes to silently leave, you squeak out, “Thank you, Bakugo. That means a lot coming from you.” 

you’re staring at the ground and refuse to look at him 

his heart is honestly beating too fast for his liking and he needs to get out of there 

“Don’t mention it,” he says as fast as Kaminari’s bolts before briskly walking away 

both of you are flustered for the rest of the day and no one can figure out why 

he keeps acting like a love-sick fool and he hates it 

he keeps complimenting you and saying nice things and ugh 

when does this quirk end? 

it’s been five days and he’s still acting like this 

he just wants to call you a stupid brat to wipe that cute dumb smile off your face 

on the fifth day, you come up to him and ask to hangout 

this is nothing new for you two 

what is new, however, is his answer 

instead of brushing you off and letting you beg for him for a while

or agreeing but informing you it’s going to be boring 

he says, “I’d love nothing more.” 

he didn’t even realize that this was the truth until he said it 

you’re shocked that he agreed so easily and even said that he would want nothing more than to do that 

while you two are hanging out, you decide to be upfront with him 

“Bakugo, do you like me or something? You’ve been so nice to me and complimenting me a lot. I-”

“Yes, I do,” he replies casually as if you two are discussing the weather 

he takes a swig of his water before realizing what he just said to you 

the water goes down the wrong pipe and the next thing he knows 

he’s choking 

he hacks out a lung while you pat his back 

you’re kind of glad this happened because you need a moment to process his answer

he just straight up told you how he feels 

oh my god

once he’s breathing normally again, you two are sitting in silence once more 

“I, um, like you too,” you admit quietly, biting your lip afterwards 

“Don’t bite your lip. That’s my job,” he says as he puts his thumb below your lip and forces your bottom lip out of your mouth 

he can’t believe he just said that either 

is that too forward? Did he scare you off? 

“Then why aren’t you doing it?” you whisper back, your eyes meeting his 

your face is the hottest it’s ever felt 

he seems to notice but only pays attention to that for a second before  his eyes are closing as he kisses you 

you two makeout for a while 

and after that, you two makeout a lot 

like, all the time 

you two do it in secret though, per your suggestion 

you just figured that Bakugo would want it that way seeing as how you two will be teased a lot and it’ll just piss him off 

after one specifically spicy sesh, you pull back to pant for air as you look him over 

god, it really is illegal to look this good 

his hair is disheveled from your hands 

his lips are a little swollen from how hard you two were kissing 

he has red marks littered over his neck from your lips and teeth

and you’re sure you’re much worse than him 

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask. If you weren’t suddenly being nice to just be nice, why have you been so kind to everyone and whatnot?” 

you watch him press his lips together, your brow raising as you watch him seemingly fight with himself 

“I was hit with a quirk that makes it impossible to lie,” he admits 

now this is interesting 

you don’t even realize you’re smirking until he speaks up 

“Whatever you’re thinking, no.” 

you pout and wrap your arms loosely around his neck 

“I’m not thinking anything,” you feign innocence 

“Yeah, right,” he replies sarcastically 

you pout before deciding to let the innocent facade go 

“When did you start liking me?” 

you watch his lips press together again, a blush rising to his face

“C’mon, just tell me! I’ll tell you how long I’ve liked you if you tell me first!” you compromise 

he huffs and rolls his eyes, doing his best to give you a bored look as he says in a monotone, “The sports festival.”

your jaw drops at this 

that long ago? You weren’t even in the Bakusquad yet!

“Awe, you had a crush on me without me even knowing,” you coo, playfully pinching his cheeks 

“Shut up. Your turn,” he snaps while smacking your hands away 

you giggle and wrap your arms back around him, thinking for a moment 

“Well, I thought you were cute on the first day. But then you’re ego was just so big and you were just so angry—”

“Okay, I get it,” he interrupts, glaring at you 

you laugh at his reaction and lean forward to give him a sweet kiss before continuing 

“Then, Mina had me join your friend group. I got to know you better and I realized how you show your affection for others. It’s all just hidden behind harsh words and actions. I see through it now though,” you finish softly, brushing some of his wild hair back before watching it spring back up 

he stares at you for a long moment, just remaining silent 

“That’s one reason I like you, you know. You’re so observant.”

you blush at his compliment, quickly hiding your face in his neck to hopefully conceal the embarrassed look coming over your face from his eyes 

“Plus, you’re so easy to fluster,” he teases as he playfully pinches your thigh

the sound of your smacks to his chest are covered up by his laughter 

it didn’t take long for Mina to catch on to you two though 

“Bakugo, do you like (Y/n)?” she singsongs when all of you are hanging out in the common room one day 

all of them wait for him to deny it and start to yell at her 

“Yeah. We are dating,” he says calmly 

they all gape at him in shock and surprise 

“Stop gawking at me.” 

after he speaks again, they all go into a frenzy 

“You two are dating?”

“When did this happen?” 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” 

he pulls you into his side protectively as he growls at them before shouting, “Because it’s none of your business, you extras! You all are so annoying! I want to blow out my ear drums just so I don’t have to listen to you all yap!” 

Bakugo then goes quiet 

he, obviously, doesn’t want to blow out his ear drums 

that was a lie 

oh my god, it’s over 

after a grueling week, he can finally be himself again 

thank the heavens 

“Aww, c’mon, Bakubro.”

“You’ve been so nice this past week. What happened?” 

“I hate all of you. Leave me alone,” he snaps. 

all of them smile at his crude words

every time he’d be nice, they’d frown and furrow their brows 

they missed this 

“You’re so cute when you’re mad,” you tease, kissing his cheek 

“Shut up, extra,” he snaps at you next 

you can’t take him seriously though with his face being as pink as it is and his arm tightening around you

┍━━━━━━━✿━━━━━━━┑

MASTERLIST

More with Bakugo

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[ice-assiest]

☾ MOON CHILD ☽ Part 2. Bolin x Bloodbender Reader

♡ part one 

 ♡ word count: 9k omg I’m sorry y’all also thank you so much for the positive feedback from the first part it literally means the world to me

♡ requested by: @the-quackson-brothers​ !!!

♡ “maybe do where the reader is Sokka’s child/grandchild and they have Sokka personality but with more shyness to it! The reader is a waterbender and blood bender but no one knows expect for Korra and Katara. Reader uses it against Amon." 

♡ Pairing: Bolin x Bloodbender Reader (Grandchild of Sokka)

♡ Warnings: nothing crazy! the teeniest bit of steam at the end and an old man w sharp teeth

“Let’s check out Bolin’s usual hangout first.” Mako suggested as the both of you uncomfortably shifted up and down on Naga’s back, still getting used to the feel.

“Alright, just show me the way.” Korra skillfully lead the polar bear dog.

The sounds of the city were loud in your ears, reminding you of its busyness. You watched as the shadows of people entered and exited buildings, the chances of finding Bolin seeming slimmer and slimmer.

“I think we should split up.”

“Huh?” Korra turned around, her expression filled with concern.

“It’s just, I think we need to find him quickly. You and Mako can go to where we were going to go, and I want check the Cactus Juice Bar.”

“(Y/N), I don’t know that sounds dangerous. You don’t know the city well and I don’t want you to get lost or hurt-“ Korra began, but it was you who cut her off.

“I’ll be alright Korra, trust me.” She quietly looked back at you, signaling Naga to stop. The three of you got off of the polar bear dog but Korra pulled you to the side.

“(Y/N), I trust you. I know this is something you already think about all the time but no matter what happens you can’t let people know you’re a blood bender. It’s illegal. And I know you like Bolin a lot, just don’t do something crazy.” She said with a whisper, glancing around her before proceeding, “Not that you would do it anyways, just be safe.” A sigh left her mouth and you could see the distress in her face.

You reached up to give her a hug but stopped in your tracks.

Clink.

Your head quickly turned to the direction of the sound, eyes scanning the dark alleyway besides the both of you.

“(Y/N)! Are you even paying attention?”

“Yes! I promise I was! I feel like I should be the one warning you not to do anything crazy, now go have fun on your date with Mako!” You teased, her eyes widened at your words.

“You ready to go?” Mako called out from besides Naga.

“Yeah!” She responded, giving you one final look over before joining him. You waved to the both of them as you watched them ride off into the distance. Now for your destination, the Cactus Juice Bar.

“Excuse me young miss,” An older man’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts as their shoulder bumped into yours.

“You’re fine.” You muttered before feeling something different, your ring. It was gone. “Hey!” You turned around, shouting at the old man that you were sure took it from you. He turned around, eyes wide as he began to run away.

You felt yourself becoming light-headed as your body filled with panic. That was you dad’s ring. How could someone casually take something that important away from you?

Anger flooded your mind as you reached for the vial of water that lay at your side. You thought of water bending but there were too many people around. He began to get farther away from you, almost lost in the crowd of Republic City citizens, but still in sight. The only way to get it back would be to-

The image of Katara’s pain filled eyes became present in your mind, you couldn’t. You simply watched as he disappeared into the sea of people with a heavy heart.

“Not even two minutes by myself and look what happened.” You said with a sigh, now officially en route to the Cactus Juice.

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The air in the back of the truck was thick, a dispirited expression on every bender’s face. Their thoughts may have varied individually but one question bounced between them all, what’s going to happen?

Bolin’s eyes fell downwards, as one more person got thrown into the back of the truck. An old man gagged and bound like the rest of them. His thoughts then shifted to you.

“Hey kid, you want me to take off your tie?” The old man whispered; his mouth no longer confined by the cloth that everyone else had tied around theirs. Bolin looked at him in confusion, eyes wide as he tried to deduce how that happened.

“I got sharp teeth!” The man exclaimed, flashing his razor-sharp smile. He began leaning closer to Bolin’s face, the earth bender shaking his head furiously and releasing muffled grunts of protest, not wanting him to get any closer than he already was. Although it seemed that sharp teeth did not get the message as he grabbed the cloth that was tied around Bolin’s mouth with his own and gnawed his way through it in a way that reminded Bolin of Pabu.

“Oh, uh, thanks I guess?”  Despite the fact that the man hadn’t touched him he still felt oddly violated.

“My name’s Rif Raf Rag and I can’t stand silence.” He said with a booming laugh, echoing through the back of the truck. Bolin cringed at the volume of Rag’s voice, wondering when the chi-blockers would come and tie them back up again.

“I’m Bolin! Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, wish it were under different circumstances.” He looked Bolin up and down. “Just kidding! I would never talk to you otherwise.” He said with another loud punch of laughter, the person next to Rag started to make muffled noises, clearly asking to be reunited with their freedom of speech.

“Lightning Bolt Zolt?!” Bolin exclaimed; the man who had seemed too large to him as a child was now someone he could meet the gaze of albeit still nervous.

“I’d take yours off too, I really would pal, but my jaw needs a break. We have all the time in the world though I’ll do it eventually.” Rag’s words rang true as not one bender felt movement of the truck, wherever they were, they were definitely stagnant.

“Now Bolin,” The old man said, snapping his face towards him. “Talk to me!”

Bolin felt uncomfortable for a number of reasons, one could be largely attributed to Rag’s lack of personal space, the other reason could be that all the kidnapped benders were looking towards the pair.

“Uhhh, why are your teeth so sharp?” Bolin asked, the smiling old man disappeared at his words.

“Get ready for a tale.”

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Outside was a pond surrounded by peaceful turtle-ducks, small flowers and leaves shooting up from the areas around it. The calmness of it being the direct opposite of what was happening in the building that rest behind it.

“Amon sir!” An equalist rushed into the meeting room, shutting the door quickly behind him. When he looked up he was faced with Hiroshi Sato, Amon, and his principle Lieutenant.

“This better be important,” The lieutenant threatened. A meeting between Amon and Sato being quite the occasion to walk in on.

“It is! I promise,” The man began. “I was in the city when I saw the Avatar.” Despite his nerves and hesitant demeanor, his words peaked Amon’s interest.

“Continue.”

“I have reason to believe she’s going to be at the rally tonight, and I have even more reason to believe she’s bringing a blood bender. For the revelation demonstration we took one of the Avatars friends, they’re looking into his location now. I also believe the blood bender has a uh, special type of relationship with their earth bender friend.”

“Why would we need to know about that?” The lieutenant complained, “Don’t just come in here to say funny stuff-“ He began to scold but was stopped as he saw Amon put his hand in the air.

“No, all of that information was useful. Thank you, my brother.” The equalist tried to contain his giddy smile from being complimented by Amon but failed miserably.

“No, thank you my brother.” He said, leaving the room.

“What do you want to do Amon?” The lieutenant asked. Amon simply stood up from his seat, walking until he reached the window. From it he saw bird swoop down into the pond to catch a fish.

“Let’s show people how truly evil benders can be.”

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“And I cried as I watched my true love get married to another man, anyways that’s why my teeth are so sharp. ” Rag said, closing the dramatic retelling of his life with a solemn sigh.

“T-That’s so sad!” Bolin exclaimed; eyes brimming with tears. “You’ve been through so much Rag! But you made it! You made it through!”

Zolt’s eyebrow twitched.

“That is also why they call me the love doctor; do you have any burning questions about romance? Do you have a beau? “

“No? Yes? I don’t know, I just met someone and I don’t know how to officially ask them out on a date but they’re perfect.” He began, eyes dreamily looking to the skies – or at least the top of vehicle – as he began to describe you. “They’re so smart and pretty, they like the same food as I do and they smells like flowers. When they look me straight in the eyes it’s like I can’t function anymore-” He continued, slowly coming back to reality as he noticed that the truck of mostly criminals were staring at him. Clearly embarrassed to be voicing romantic thoughts his voice trailed off. “Oops, sorry. I will now proceed to stop talking.”

“Don’t be afraid Bolin, you can tell us!” A large man said from across the truck, the group of benders had bonded in their short time together.

“Thank you for the encouragement Flaming Hot Death Vishnick, y’know if you hadn’t have burned down all of those hospitals, you’d almost be a good guy.” Bolin responded, the tone of the conversation almost being one of group therapy.

“Awh, thank you Bolin.” The fire bender responded, pleased at his new friends’ words.

“No, thank you Flaming Hot Death-“

“Would you please shut your yaps!” Zolt exclaimed, the only bender of the group that was considerably annoyed with the situation. He had his fair share of kidnappings but none where he had to listen to such, what he deemed to be, garbage.

“This is supposed to be a supportive and caring environment Zolt.”  Rag said, glaring at the leader of the Triple Threat Triads.

“Even when you were a kid collecting bets for the pro-bending matches you talked too much,” At that Bolin gulped, still nervous about the fact that it was Lightning Bolt Zolt talking to him, “Listen, I’ve had my fair share of dating experience. You just gotta be confident, and be yourself.”

Bolin’s jaw dropped, did Lightning Bolt Zolt just give him dating advice?

“And make sure to give ‘em something shiny and expensive like this!” At that Rag turned his back to Bolin and flashed the silver ring that fit tightly on the lower end of his ring finger.

“Wha- that’s! How did you get that Rag?” The old man shrugged his shoulders.

“Picked it up off of someone in water tribe clothes, almost got away with it too but they felt it. Luckily there was a lot of people walking around so I lost ‘em in the crowd.”

“Rag! That’s (Y/N)’s ! The person I was talking about! Please, please, please, can I have it to give back to them?”

“But I like shiny things.” He said with disappointment as he felt the ring around his finger.

“And what could be shinier than the thrill of new love?” Bolin asked, getting desperate. Rag sighed, feeling the ring one more time.

“Fine, you can have it kid.”

“Woohoo! Thank you so much Rif Raf Rag, it’ll mean the world to her to get this back.”

“On one condition. You gotta give ol’ Rag a massage.”

Bolin gulped as he looked over the crusty old man.

For (Y/N).

He was going to get that ring back, and as he brought his feet up to the massage the old man next to him he decided if he made it out alive he would ask you out too.

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You burst through the bar doors, surprising everyone except the man who had a little too much cactus juice.

“Carole! Bolin’s in trouble!” With your words she quickly shot up from behind the counter, rushing your panicked self over to her.

“What happened?”

“We haven’t seen him since yesterday, and Mako said it’s unlike him to run off without telling anyone.” Carole stopped, her hand moving to a comfortable position under her chin as she thought.

“He hasn’t come back here since we saw the both of you, I’m sorry sweetie I wish I could tell you more.”

Your heart fell.

“But I do have something for you, let me go get it from the back.” Carole said before quickly  making her way through the door that led to the kitchen.

“I saw him.”

Your head turned towards the unknown voice, eyes landing on the same eyes that had glared at you the night before.

“But I wouldn’t tell a bender like you, and whatever’s going to happen to him he probably deserves it.” You slowly stepped towards him, trying to control your anger

“Why don’t you just tell me what you saw and we can all have a great day.”

“What, are you going to threaten me with your bending?” He asked with a smirk, other patrons of the bar now focused on the two of you.

“No, I was actually planning to use my fists.” The words came out of you harshly, paired with a sharp glare on your face.

“Bring it on.” He said, shooting up out of his seat. The hot cup of tea that sat next to him wobbled as his arm hit it, the boiling hot liquid splashing on the exposed skin of his left arm. You gasped as you heard a shout of pain escape the man.

Instinctively your body reacted, bending the hot liquid off of his arm, cooling it, then bending it back towards him.

“Ah!” He shouted, expecting the burning liquid to hit him again at full force, but instead he felt a cooling sensation. “Y-you’re healing me?” He asked, baffled as he watched you focus your swirling of the water onto the red area.

“Yup, I guess I am.” You said with a sigh, “apparently I’m not so good at this threatening people thing.”

“I hope you know I’m not asking you to heal me.” He muttered under his breath, blush fanning across his cheeks.

“Is it that hard to admit you’re being helped by bending?”

“Well, uh, you wouldn’t understand what it’s like! You’re not a non-bender.”

“Yeah I’m not. My grandfather was though, so are my parents. I have no doubt that at some point in their lives they had trouble accepting that,” You said as you continued swirl water on his arm, “But in the end they embraced it! My grandfather not only mastered all of the non-bending combat styles, but also designed machines that would work with the aid of bending.”

His eyes widened comically large, he took his good arm and pointed it towards you.

“Your grandfather was the Chieftan of the Southern Water Tribe!?” You laughed at his shock, nodding your head yes.

“The one and only. He came to see the beauty in bending and worked with it, although Gran-Gran did say he was an ass about it at first. He even told my Uncle Tenzin, one of the last air-benders,  to not depend only on air-bending because reflexes and strategy were just as important, maybe even more so. I know he’d be saddened to see what’s happening right now.”

The man looked down, processing your words. In this time, you finished healing him leaving his arm, it was as good as new.

“For all I know you could be lying to me.”

You sighed, beginning to make your way to the door.

“Wait.”

You stopped in your tracks.

“I saw him get approached by Shady Shin yesterday while he was on a bench, I know that’s not much but it’s all I got. I also saw some chi-blockers in the area, I don’t know if it’s connected to Amon or not.” His voice was soft as he spoke, not daring to look you in the eyes. You smiled at him,

“Thank you so much.”  You said, only to then see Carole jump out of the back-door clasping something in her hands.

“(Y/N)! Before you leave!” She said  making her way towards you while slightly out of breath. “This is my lucky stone, I don’t give it to just anyone now. When you see that Amon, I want you to throw it at him for giving non-benders a bad name! If anyone doesn’t like it, they can eat a scorching hot soup dumpling.” The short shop owner in front of you radiated anger when talking about the masked man. You took the stone from her hand and held it over your own heart.

“I promise.”

She nodded to you as you left the building to find Korra and Mako, now excited at the prospect of throwing a stone at Amon.

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“Korra, fix the scarf.” You said as you looked both Mako and Korra up and down. When you found them and told them you heard Bolin’s kidnapping might be related to Amon they brought up the fliers they got from an equalist at the park with maps on the back.

From there the three of you quickly got disguises and conned your way into the building, finding Pabu along the way. You took a lot of joy in forcing Mako and Korra to pretend to be a couple.

“I knew a lot of people hated benders, but I’ve never seen so many in one place.” Mako said as he watched the large crowd ripple in waves, united only by what you could only assume was fear or hatred. “Keep your eyes out for Bolin.”

The lights snapped on, filling the large stage with a stark brightness as an announcer began to echo through the room.

“Please welcome your hero, your savior, Amon!” The audience burst out in cheers, some screaming so emphatically their faces reddened. The man next to the three of you ripped off his shirt and circled it above his head in excitement, spreading his scent to all nearby. In front of the large Amon poster on the stage shadowed figures rose from the ground, of which you could only assume Amon was one of.

The overhead lighting then flashed on; you couldn’t help the small gasp that you released.

You saw the mask that had been on all those posters. Amon.

“My quest for equality began many years ago.” he said, his hands gesturing outwards. “When I was a boy my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren’t rich, and none of us were benders. This made us very easy targets for the fire bender who extorted my father.” Amon began to pace around the stage, the bright lighting that reflected from his mask leaving a mark of terror on you.

“One day my father confronted this man, but when he did that fire bender took my family from me. Then he took my face. I’ve been forced to hide behind a mask ever since.” Gasps emerged from the crowd and from what you heard they seemed justified.

“As you know, the avatar has recently arrived in Republic City.” He said, the crowd now igniting in fierce boos that reminded Korra to pull Mako’s scarf up.

“And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world.” Amon paused, letting his deep voice resonate within the room.  “She is wrong, the only thing bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era.”

At this you couldn’t help but feel as if he were wrong. There were most definitely benders that were terrible people, but you had a sneaking suspicion even if people couldn’t bend, they’d still find a reason to take advantage of others and go to war.

“That is about to change. I know you have been wondering what the revelation is, well you’re about to get your answer. Since the beginning to time spirits have acted as guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me. They say the avatar has failed humanity, that is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality, the power to take a person’s bending away. Permanently.”

You gulped, eyes widening as your deepest fear was realized. The three of you looked at each other in disbelief, your hands now both clinging to Mako and Korra’s.

“That’s impossible.” Korra muttered.

“He’s insane! There’s no way.” Mako said, but you felt that his confidence in his own words was wavering.

“Now for a demonstration, please welcome Lightning Bolt Zolt. Leader of Triple Threat Triad, and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City.” You heard, but your brain couldn’t process a thing as soon as you saw Bolin being ushered on stage. The same Bolin that had been slurping noodles was now displayed in front of a crowd with his hands bound behind his back. The flash of the intense white light that shone across his face caused him to wince. Your heart began beating erratically as the chi-blockers forced him to his knees, his face twisting into one of terror as he went down with the other benders. He was finally here, but you had no way to get to him.

Your gaze fell to the palms of your hands; they were trembling. No, you couldn’t. Although the light peeking in from the full moon suggested otherwise.

“There’s Bolin.” Korra said, beginning to walk forward. Mako put his arm out effectively stopping her. The two of you looked at each other and nodded, now was not the time.

“We can’t fight all of them. We have to come up with a plan.” Mako said, eyes shifting between the both of you and the stage.

“Well then come up with a plan, Team Captain.”

Your eyes scanned the room quickly, landing on the two tanks connected to pipes.

“Those tanks,” you began, grabbing both Mako and Korra. “They’re powered by water and steam; they should connect to the pipes in the back.”

“So, if one of us goes back there and creates cover,” Mako started.

“Then we can grab Bolin without ever being seen.” You finished, the three of you nodded. Korra immediately began to make her way to the back as you could only stand and watch.

The crowd booed at Zolt, causing him to retaliate in not the most mature of ways.

“Oh, boo yourself!” He shouted as the crowd continued their passionate displays of hatred.

“Zolt has amassed a fortune by extorting and abusing non-benders, but his reign of terror is about to come to an end.” Amon announced before turning his head to the side, facing the leader of the Triple Threat Triads. “Now, in the interest of fairness, I will give Zolt the chance to fight to keep his bending.”

Zolt smirked clearly resonating cockiness as he faced the masked man. “You’re going to regret doing that pal!”  

Immediately Zolt began throwing fire at Amon, the man with the mask skillfully dodging each and every flame filled burst with fluidity and speed as he approached Zolt. The fire benders eyes widened, a blue cackle of electricity shot out of his fingers in desperation, again Amon dodged it. Then grabbing the arm the lighting was coming from and twisting, Amon had positioned Zolt in such a way that his thumb could find a comfortable resting spot on Zolt’s forehead.

Both you and Mako watched in terror as the lightning coming from Zolt’s fingers began to lessen in power, slowly becoming reduced to flames, then to nothing at all.

Zolt tried to get up, his body weak from the interaction. His fist reached out in an attempt to fire bend. Nothing.

“What did you do to me?” He asked. Seeing the leader of such a notorious gang on the floor in front of Amon was almost symbolic. The power he held so large that he didn’t even have to break a sweat.

“Your fire bending is gone forever. A new era of equality has begun!” Amon said as he raised his fist, the audience did the same while they cheered. Instead your fist lay clasped at your side, sticky with sweat as Amon called the next bender forward.

C’mon Korra. You thought as the numbers began to dwindle, there was only so much time before it was Bolin.

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She took a quick glance both left and right before leaving the main area of the building and sneaking to the back. Her steps were both fast and quiet as she tried to make her ways to the pipes that you had mentioned.

Her nerves were high because of Bolin, but also because of you. With the full moon your power would be unbridled, and if anything were to happen where you exposed yourself… Korra sighed at the thought, just hoping you would be alright. She had to keep it a secret, for you. Blood bending is illegal.

While scanning the room her eyes came across a red wheel connected to the pipes. She quickly made her way over, turning the wheel as hard as she could resulting in a small stream of steam.

“What are you doing here?” Korra turned slowly, slightly hoping that in the time it took for her to turn around he would leave her alone. When fully turned she looked up to see a large man. Shit.

“Is there a problem, my brother?” She asked feigning complete innocence with a smile. Her entire face having to tilt upwards to look at him. His expression was one of undoubted suspicion as he looked Korra up and down.

“What are you doing back here?”

“Uh, looking for the bathroom?” She winced, despite using that line a lot, not once has it worked for her.

Apparently, it didn’t work again as she saw the man reach to his side and pull out a wrench, aiming for her head. She dodged it, quickly leaving harms way as the wrench hit the pipe that was behind her.

Using Mako’s scarf she tied the man’s arm to it, swinging him until she had the momentum to throw him at the three pipes. Steam began rushing out of only one.

“This isn’t enough.” She said to herself, knowing that she lacked time. Frantically she looked around the room, the only way to get enough steam would be to break the other two pipes. She turned to them and started fire bending through one of them.

“I just hope I’m not too late.” She thought.

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You watched as the water bender with particularly sharp teeth next to Bolin screamed in resistance and felt your body cringe as you heard the thud of his hitting the floor.

Bolin was next.

“Mako, I’m going to distract them until Korra gets the steam going.” you whispered, indiscreetly obtaining the attention of the fire bender. “Pretend you don’t know me, it’ll be easier. Go help Korra.”

“(Y/N) what are you talking about?” Mako asked, eyes wide. Instead of responding you pulled out the stone from Carole, kissing it for good luck.

“This one’s for Carole!” You shouted as you threw it onto the stage. The stone in its grandiose hit Amon right on the forehead of his mask, but it wasn’t enough to take it off. The crowd gasped and looked around for the rebel.

“Now give me back my friend!”

The chi-blockers closest to your row immediately tried to grab you, your hands thrusting out and around you bending a harsh wave of the water from your vial towards them, effectively knocking them off their feet. You could feel the power of the full moon surging from within you, and as you looked at the chi-blockers that were now on the ground you feared you would succumb to it.

A wave of new chi-blockers now approached you, there were too many to handle. Despite this you felt relief as you looked at the stage. Amon was distracted, for now. You watched as Mako made his way to through the door Korra had.

“Stop.” Amon’s calm voice said as his settled on you, you felt your skin crawl.

“Let the bender speak.”

Your heart dropped, the eyes of everyone from the audience now on you. You felt yourself begin to sweat, the room becoming smaller and smaller as everyone waited for your voice. You hadn’t expected this, you didn’t know what kind of game he was playing but you did know it would buy you time. The chi-blockers began to close in on you, suspecting that violence was to come instead of an answer.

Taking a deep breath you reassured yourself, “If anyone doesn’t like it, they can eat a scorching hot soup dumpling.”

“Everyone please!” You began, the volume of your voice surprising you as it resonated within the room. “These people are innocent just like you! Well, most of them.” You said as you looked at Lighting Bolt Zolt. “There shouldn’t be such a divide between benders and non-benders. I know there are bad people in the world, I truly do. Taking away bending isn’t the solution; people will do anything to gain power! Who’s to say a man that would use bending to rob a store wouldn’t still rob the store if he wasn’t a bender with like a knife or something!”

At this you looked over the crowd, scanning the faces of those closest to you.

“When one of those bad people are benders their power is exacerbated, it’s a big problem. Although I’d argue that there are good and bad benders just as there are non-benders!”

“Like the bender that robbed my store?! They’re good?!” The shirtless man shouted from the audience, a chorus of yeahs and mhms coming to his support.

“No! That’s completely not my point! Also sir, I think everyone around you would appreciate it if you put your shirt back on.” He sniffed himself, frowning before sulkily dressing himself again.

“Bending has its beauty! There are so many good uses for it including healing,” at this some people in the crowd hummed in agreement. “My grandfather was an amazing non-bender, and so are my father and mother! They’re not helpless because they’re not benders!”

“Then why do you have such a problem with Amon taking peoples bending away!?” Someone from the audience called out.

“Yeah! Is becoming a non-bender that terrible!”

“If we’re all the same then why don’t we all have bending!”

This wasn’t going well. Your eyes began to dart around in panic.

“No! It’s not like that! It’s just- “You started, but more hecklers began voicing their opinions. The room began to grow smaller as your fear doubled in size, like a darkness that was slowly engulfing every part of the room.

“Interesting words,” Amon said slowly, approaching Bolin on the stage. “for a blood bender.” The crowd gasped; how did he know?

Your entire body was trembling, they all hated you and you could feel it. You looked at Bolin on the and saw the fear in his eyes, only he wasn’t looking at Amon.

“No, I’m not!” You defended; he didn’t know. No one knew.

“We’ll see about that.” Amon said, sounding almost as if he was smiling under his mask. With a nod from his head, two chi-blockers held Bolin down and Amon began walking towards him. No, no, no, no. There was no way you could get there in time. Bolin’s face shifted into one of horror as Amon grabbed his chin, looking him in the eyes.

His thumb approached Bolin’s forehead. You were sweating, your heart feeling as if it were to come out of your chest. Vision blurry from the tears that threatened to erupt from your eyes. Nausea blossomed in your stomach and your throat felt tight as your breaths became shorter and more frequent. Your morals. Your reputation. Your promise.

Bolin.

You had to do something. With a deep breath you focused, channeling the energy of the full moon into your body. The time was now. You raised your arms and they moved so naturally it scared you, the chi-blockers holding Bolin down began to contort in pain. Their bodies twisting and spazzing as you raised them above Bolin and flung them to the side.

It felt natural.

Without another thought you bended the water from your vial to make a frozen path to the stage, running on it and melting it before the guards could even blink. Amon backed away from Bolin letting the chi-blockers surround you. In an instant the group of eight were in the air, you slammed each one down onto the stage trying your best to just knock them out.

For some reason, Amon displayed no fear. The two of you stood on stage watching each other intently. You slowly backed yourself towards Bolin while the you and Amon continued to stare at each other. The other chi-blockers stood on guard, waiting for your move.

“She can manipulate our bodies to do whatever she wants, and yet she speaks of equality.” He said. You noticed the bruises that Bolin bore on his body, and the way his arm looked bent out of shape. Anger bubbled within you filling every part of your body, infecting your mind. You wanted them all to face consequences for what they had done.

You closed your eyes, summoning a hurricane of water beneath yourself. Not only the water from your vial, but water from the entire building began to fly towards your form. You needed to hurt him.  Your arms raised again, this time with deep intention and purpose.

“(Y/N)! Don’t! It’s what he wants!” You heard Bolin exclaim, but you were too far gone. You aimed all the water that swirled beneath you at Amon, the harsh currents knocking him off of his feet. With the power of the moon you were fast. You began punching hard bursts of water at him, he managed to evade some.

Your attention then went to the chi-blockers that began to interfere after noticing the severity of the situation, your hands began circling the air, moving with the fluidity of water itself. The water around you followed this rhythm, only stopping when you flung them as ice shards at the chi-blockers, pinning them to the wall behind the stage.

Your eyes then flew to Amon standing calmly, it infuriated you. Your arms raised, blood bending him. He paused in his tracks and you could see his eyes widen from beneath his mask. You then saw him begin to struggle against it.

There’s no way.

The audience held their breath as they saw Amon’s body tremble on stage. He seemed to be putting excessive force on every muscle in his body for the chance to move. His body began to shake more, you desperately tried to concentrate harder but there was nothing you could do.

He took one step. And then another.

The audience began to cheer.

You felt something familiar in the way he was resisting your bending, how was it possible. The only was was if-

“Amon’s a blood bender.” You thought to yourself right before Amon dashed up the side of the wall, knocking you down as he did so. You grunted as your body came crashing to the ground, not having enough energy to soften your fall.

“Benders like her are evil, and they should not have the power they do.” Amon said as he slowly began to approach your body on the ground. You were paralyzed in fear as his large figure leaned over you, your tearful eyes darting around only to find themselves completely encompassed by Amon.

He grabbed your chin, pulling your face towards him. You did everything you could to pull backwards, to get away from him, to get away from everything.

“After I take your bending away, you will be nothing.”

The room went silent.

The only thing you could hear was your heart beating against your chest.

Then, you felt the light press of his thumb against your forehead.

The pain you felt was excruciating.

Your muscles seized before your body began to shake. You wanted nothing more than for it to end, the searing and burning that you felt. Your throat began to feel tight as your core tightened with it, the nausea from before now becoming dominant in its presence.

So, this is what it felt like to be blood bent.

Your knees hit the floor, the echo resonating. Through the haze of the pain you could hear muffled yells coming from the earth bender that you had come to know.

“Prepare to be equalized.”

Those were the last words you heard before your world became submerged in water. The only image before your eyes was Amon, and behind him the white light of the moon.

Your world faded to darkness.

ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ

“Korra! Are you okay?” Mako asked as he rushed through the door, accidentally stepping on the man whose body had been flung to the ground.

“Yes! I’m fine but help me break this last pipe! Hurry!” Mako nodded and immediately began to fire bend, Korra coming to help him with the copper pipe.

“(Y/N)’s distracting Amon right now.” Korra’s eyes widened at the news, she hadn’t been fast enough. Despite copper having a high melting point, the fire from the two of them released a flurry of steam. Exactly what they needed.

“I’ll go get Naga, you get Bolin and (Y/N). Meet me outside by the ladder!” Mako nodded, about to leave when Korra grabbed his arm.

“Good luck Mako.”

“Good luck Korra.”

The pair held hands for a moment before parting ways, Mako making his way back through the door he came through. The crowd has now completely dispersed, the steam had done its trick. He struggled to see through it, taking careful steps as he made his way to the stage.

At any moment he could run into his brother, or an equalist. His other senses were heightened as he attempted to evade the fog. While walking, he saw two figures. He stepped closer.

“Bolin!” Mako exclaimed as he saw his brother kneeling on the floor, as he further examined, he noticed someone else on the floor. (Y/N).

“Oh no.”

He then turned to Bolin who wore an expression of shock as he stared at the ground.

“She saved me.” He muttered as Mako made his way behind him to untie the ropes that bound him. An equalist saw this as an opportunity, trying to grab your unconscious self. That is, until he was stopped by the harsh clash of a fist striking from under his chin.  Out of his ropes Bolin punched the equalist as hard as he could, anger coming over him as he saw your limp body. He picked you up gently, holding you close against him.

The two benders walked out of the building, letting the steam cover the tracks behind them.

ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ

A throbbing pain echoed throughout your head.

Water.

Your mouth was dry, you needed water.

Slowly, you opened your eyes. The light in the room was blinding, you raised your arm to block it from your view.

“(Y/N)?” You heard a soft voice ask. Not being able to speak you let a groan out in response, raising yourself up off of the bed. Before you had time to process you felt a presence encompass you, warm and gentle in its touch. You reveled against it letting your body fall limp. Bolin. You were surprised as you felt a wetness on your face, you gripped Bolin even harder as you let the tears stream freely.

You felt the touch of Amon on your forehead, it all came back. The look on Bolin’s face while you blood bended flashed in your mind, still fresh. Hurriedly, you grabbed him. Pulling apart from your embrace just far enough to meet his eyes, noses touching. You cradled his face, pressing your forehead against his.

“Bolin, you’re okay.” You said, smiling feebly. His mouth flew open in exasperation.

“What do you mean I’m okay?! You’re okay!” He said before bringing you back into a hug. He wasn’t used to comforting people like this, but in this moment, everything happened naturally. He brought his hand to your cheeks, carefully wiping some of the tears off of your face. “The others went to go get some food, they told me to let them know when you woke up.” He said, getting up. You grabbed his arm causing him to turn around in surprise.

“Not yet.” You muttered. He gave you a gentle smile as he sat back down on the bed.

“Bolin I was so scared.” You admitted, the panic still fresh in your mind. He began to rub your back in a circular motion.

“I know. I know.” He said, eyes determined. “We’ll never let that happen again.” Albeit a bit dramatic his words rang through your mind.

“You don’t have to pretend you’re not afraid of me.” You said with a sigh, averting his gaze.

“What are you talking about?”

“You saw what I did. I fell right into Amon’s trap.” Your voice so small the earth bender could barely hear it. He fell silent, his eyes focused on the floor as he listened. “It was during the full moon, but I can- or at least could - blood bend at any time.” At this his eyes widened, the were now on you.

“That’s… Possible?”

“I was blessed by the spirit of the moon, except it’s more of a curse. The power I would feel when under it terrified me, I became scared of it. When I was hurting those people at first it was just to protect you but at one point I-I wanted to be doing it. It terrifies me how addictive it became in such a short span of time,” You brought you knees to your chest. “I promised Gran-Gran I would never do it again but, here we are.” You let out a strangled laugh, one that soon turned into a cry.

“(Y/N)-“

“No Bolin, no one should ever have that kind of power. And I thought I was the only one until-“

“(Y/N), listen. Was seeing you blood bend all those guys at the same time as well as Amon super scary to watch, yes! Absolutely! Did I think about it for a while afterwards, also yes.” Your heart panged, of course he was scared. What else could someone be after seeing what had happened, but he continued.

“Did I also see you throw a rock at Amon’s face and tell a shirtless man to dress himself while in the middle of giving an inspirational speech, yes!” With that you laughed, not fully realizing what you had done in the midst of your panic.

“Do I not really care that you were a blood bender and just really want to get to know you because you’re the nicest person I’ve met in a while, Pabu likes you, and now so does my brother I think?”

“Also yes?”

“A thousand times yes.” He said with a goofy grin plastered on his face. “I know we’ve just met but I feel like it’s been ages!”

“Probably because of the whole you getting kidnapped and me losing my bending thing.” You suggested nonchalantly, heart skipping a beat as his hand brushed yours.

“Oh right! That could be a cause of that, yes.” You giggled, causing Bolin’s smile growing wider. All he wanted to do was make you feel better. As your laughing slowed a strange tension filled the room, one you hadn’t expected. Your gaze was locked in on his, both of you feeling each other’s breath due to your sheer closeness. 

“(Y/N)!” From the door you saw Korra come rushing in with a pile of bread.  Bolin shot up immediately, knocking over the cup of water next to your bed. “Bolin! You were supposed to tell us if (Y/N) woke up!”

“Oh yeah! I was supposed to, wasn’t I?” He said as he filled the room with nervous laughter, “You know me! Always forgetting, right Pabu?” In response the fire ferret chirped at his side. Korra ran to you, throwing the pile of bread to Mako. As she embraced you tightly, she was also examining your injured body.

You heard someone clear their throat, looking up you saw Mako.

“Thank you, for helping me find my brother.” He said. You nodded, instead of being focused on what was being said to you your mind flew into uncertainty. What did they really think of you now?

“Here, let me go get you a tissue.” He said, his attention now on the puddle of water on your sheets.

“No, don’t worry. I got it.” You said, attempting to bend the water away from you. Your fingers moved but water didn’t. “Oh. Right.”

“(Y/N) don’t you worry, we are going to get every healer to try and get your bending back. You could even go to see Katara.” Korra reassured, grabbing your shoulder. The thing is, you didn’t even know if you wanted it back. Maybe Amon was meant to bring balance, maybe he took away your blood bending for a greater good.

The three looked at you, and then each other. Noting the solemn expression on your face.

“(Y/N), I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you. No matter what.” Korra said, the sincerity in her voice made your breath hitch.

“You helped me get my brother back, I can’t thank you enough.” Mako added, coming closer to stand besides Korra. The two looked back at Bolin, apparently it was his turn.

“You’re selfless! Gorgeous! Funny! Kind! Super strong! Compassionate-“He started before Korra cut him off with a laugh.

“I think we get the idea Bolin.” You looked at the three in front of you, all smiling and reaffirming you with their gentle gazes. It was then you knew you had found something special.

“Group hug!” Bolin shouted before taking his large arms and grabbing the three of you, pushing all of you together. As you all glanced between your squished faces bursts of laughter began to arise. It seemed Bolin could cheer you up after anything, although as the laughter slowed you couldn’t hide the feeling in the pit of your stomach.

This time another person came into the room, one you couldn’t be happier to see.

“Uncle Tenzin!” You called out; his eyes filled with relief as he saw that you were awake.

“Wha- Bolin! You were supposed to let me know when (Y/N) was awake!” Tenzin said, shaking his head in exasperation before quickly making his way over to you and giving you a hug.

“Pfft. Awake, asleep, I mean what’s the difference, right?” Bolin laughed nervously but Tenzin’s attention was elsewhere.

“(Y/N)? Are you alright? How are you feeling?” He asked panicked, looking over you the same way Korra had.

“Uncle, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” He let out with a sigh. “We were all so worried when we’d heard what happened. The kids really wanted to see you but I wasn’t sure if you were ready for all of that erhm…” He paused as he thought of a way to describe his children, “energy.”

“I’m honestly fine Uncle.” You said reassuring him. He gave you a soft smile, he had a special place in his heart for the little water bender that hailed from his uncle.

“Well, you let us know if you need anything at all. I have to leave air temple island for a bit but I’ll see you soon.” You nodded, bidding your uncle farewell leaving the previous four of you in the room with silence. Korra and Mako looked at each other before Korra spoke up,

“We’re just gonna go ahead and give you guys some room.” She said as the two of them exited as well. Just you and Bolin again.

“Oh! I forgot to bring this up before but.” He reached into his pockets, searching deeply for something with his tongue sticking slightly out.  “Here it is!”

In his palm you saw your ring, immense relief flooding your heart.

“Oh my goodness! Bolin how did you find this?”

His body recoiled, face cringing as he remembered the massage he gave Rif Raf Rag.

“Let’s not talk about that. But (Y/N), I’m sure you know your grandfather, the councilman himself! The man graced with the gift of science and innovation. We’re talking engineering water-bending power submarines, we’re taking advanced math and geometry skills, we’re talking the man who took down combustion man!”

“Yes, I do know, that’s why the thought of losing this ring made me so sad. It was like I was losing the only part of him that I had.”

“No, (Y/N), that’s not the only part of him you have.” You looked at Bolin in confusion, he moved to come sit next to you once again. “You come from such a cool line of non-benders, I just want you to know how amazing you are even without your bending. You’re so smart it absolutely blows me away. Not to mention all the ten thousand amazing other things you are. I’m sure you’ll be able to get your bending back, but even if you don’t I think you could use your brain to make something awesome like your Grandpa!”

You gave him a soft smile, heart blooming at his words. Just like before you noticed your heart beating a little bit faster now that he was besides you.

“You’re too kind.”

“Nope! I’m just being honest.” He said. “And while I’m being honest…” He began, the way his fingers began bouncing off of each other exuding nervousness.

You just gotta be confident, and be yourself.

“When you’re ready of course, wouldyoumaybewanttogoonadatewithme?” He asked eyes tightly shut, saying his last sentence so quickly that you could barely register it. So much for the confidence.

You laughed at his embarrassment, although he took that as rejection.

“Oh, nevermin-“

“Of course Bolin!” You exclaimed, “I was hoping you’d ask.”

“Woohoo!” He shouted, turning to face Pabu in excitement. With his cheek exposed you decided to give him a surprise, preparing your lips to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Although as soon as he had turned around he had turned back to you.

You weren’t sure if your heart stopped or time did when your lips met. The flutter in your heart that was present before now becoming overbearing. The only thing your mind could focus on was how his lips felt against yours, and the extreme burning you felts from your cheeks. As soon as it accidentally started, it also accidentally ended.

“What are you doing with my cousin?!” Meelo yelled in an accusatory tone, pointing at Bolin as he burst through the door. Both you and Bolin pulled away immediately, embarrassed beyond belief. The expression on Bolin’s face leading you to think that he didn’t even believe what had just happened but the grin on his face reminding you he liked it.

“I came here to see my favorite cousin-“

“Meelo, I’m your only cousin.”

“Besides the point! Who are you strange man!?”

“So you guys are going to have a bunch of babies!” Ikki exclaimed in happiness, bouncing around the room. You sighed, nothing was ever a secret with these kids. Soon Pema came, grabbing the two of them and leaving with quick apologies.

“They’re cute,” Bolin said with a yawn, his face now appearing very tired.

“They are, aren’t they.” You responded, but when you looked back Bolin had already drifted off into sleep.

You stood up, making your ways to the curtains. Taking a deep breath you opened them, letting the white light of the moon that you were terrified of before stream into your room. It encased both you and Bolin, and for the first time, you weren’t scared.

ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ ｏ

“I don’t mean to dampen to mood, but there’s a pressing issue at hand.” The four of you looked at Tenzin intensely, waiting for him to continue. 

“Word’s got out that you blood bended. The council wants to send you to trial.”

lmao jk y’all, I hoped you like it. Again thank you to @the-quackson-brothers​ 

And to the other requests I have don’t worry! I’m working on them and I really appreciate them it’s just orgo 2 is kicking my behind.

Taglist: @itsametaphorbriansblog​  @cottage-babe2​ @ajwantsapancake​ @bbecc-a​ @kiaoizz​ @ilovespideyyy​ tysm all of you, you made my entire life w your kind words ahhhhhh

[mrs-harkness]

Ocean Eyes (Part 1)

Pairing: Tammy x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.6K

Taglist: @peggycarter-steverogers @imgayandmymomdoesntknow 

A/n: Hey guys. Sorry for the wait. Life has been so busy as I just became a certified therapist and just life stuff in general. This is just going to be a mini fic for fun while I work on writing my next big one- which will be for Cordelia! Literally nothing like Run to Me, so I hope you don’t find it disappointing. Just a little filler while I work out the plot for my next story!

You pulled out your phone, checking the time. 1:53 PM. Your interview was at 2 o'clock and if you didn't figure out where you were quickly, you were going to be late. You walked faster, panic dialing your best friend who had gotten you the interview.

"Hello?" the sweet voice chimed on the other end.

"Sarah! Help! I'm lost," you pleaded, looking at the address on the piece of paper in your hand and trying to match it to the towering houses around you.

"How did you get lost? I gave you the exact address. Did the driver put it in wrong?"

"No. I made the Uber drop me off at the entrance to the neighborhood because his car looked super sketch and I didn't want the mom to see me step out of a car that looks like it was used in a 70's porn film. I started walking and I got lost."

You heard Sarah shuffling around in the background, and what sounded like the tapping of keys.

"Okay, give me the address for the closest house," she said. Your best friend was a life saver.

"Uhhh... 768 Elm Street," you told her, trying not to look suspicious in this wealthy neighborhood.

"Hmmm. Okay you're literally two streets over. If you go to the end of this street, take a right and walk less than two blocks. You'll make it to maple from there. You somehow managed to be right behind her house. It will take you about ten minutes."

Shit.

"No! There has got to be a quicker way! I am going to be late!" You whined, stomping your feet on the sidewalk in frustration.

"Yeah, Tammy is not going to like that. She is very patient but she's got three kids so she really only has enough patience for them. Well wait, hang on a second."

"What? Did you find a quicker route?"

"Sorta. You should have just stayed in the Uber."

"Sarah I did not want to pull up like Will Smith from the Fresh Prince of Belaire, now spit it out already!"

"Well that house you are standing in front of? Technically if you could find a way into their backyard and through the trees... you could get to Tammy's house in half the time."

You looked at the house in front of you. It looked more like a post office than a home. Large marble columns, real gas lamps framing a shiny oak door, and a second floor balcony that seemed larger than Sarah's whole apartment. This is not the type of property you just meandered around on, but this job was also not the type of opportunity you just let slip away by being two minutes late.

You walked a little to the side of the house, and there you found your favorite thing of the whole house: A gate to the backyard.

"I'm gonna do it," you say to Sarah, who had been quiet this entire time.

There was more silence, before you heard your best friend draw in a breath.

"Don't get arrested please. Call me when you're done, or in lock up. Either way, be safe."

Sarah had always been someone who just supported and loved you no matter what. Whether it was moving on a whim to another city and crashing on her couch indefinitely or trespassing through a rich family's yard to get the job that would help you get started on your dreams. She was that type of friend and you loved her for it.

You didn't even say goodbye as you hung up and checked the time again. 1:55 PM mocked you on the screen. You shoved the phone in your pocket before quickly looking around. No one was out and about thankfully probably due to the heat picking up, so you walked briskly over to the gate.

You said a prayer and begged the universe to be kind to you under your breath as you forced yourself to find the courage and flung open the lock to the gate, letting it swing open. You looked around the yard really quickly to find it empty as well. Maybe this wouldn't be hard at all.

You closed the gate behind you and you quickly jogged into the yard. There was a picnic table close to the other side of the fence and you would be able to hop right over! You breathed a sigh of relief because everything was going to plan, until the dog.

A ear piecing yap began sounding through the yard like an obnoxious security alarm. You turned and saw that the back of the home was basically one big window and there inside was the ugliest looking purse dog you had ever seen, notifying every living creature with working ears within a mile of your presence.

You watched horrified as the owner of said ugly dog appeared in the view of the window like some horror movie on a tv screen. An older woman, dressed as if she had been in the middle of a workout, was also now yapping at you angrily and  making her way to her giant window wall.

Your feet started moving before you realized what was happening and you bolted to the back of the yard and onto the picnic table, jumping and throwing one of your legs over the fence. The little old woman made it to a sliding glass door, releasing her dog and profanities towards you.

The dog tore across the lawn, but thankfully was no actual threat. You looked at the woman as you threw your other leg over the fence.

"I'm not a criminal! I'm sorry! I just got lost on the way to a job interview. You have a nice home!" you yelled, trying to prove to this stranger you were not bad, just had poor execution of your ideas. You dropped over the other side of the fence and into the wooded area behind the home, running as fast as your feet could carry you from the angry woman and her angrier dog.

It only took you about a minute of running full force to make it to another fence, a fence you were praying was Tammy's. You ran around the length of it, following it to the front of the house. You shakily pulled out the paper from your pocket and checked the address. You had made it. This was the house. You laughed, more relieved than anything, and jogged to the front door.

You knocked and weren't even able to take a full breath before the door opened.

There before you stood the most beautiful woman you had ever laid your eyes on. Her hair was the color of sand on the beaches of heaven its self and her eyes looked like brownies fresh from the over, and you had the strange thought of wanting to burn your mouth on them.

Y/n, that's weird. Stop it.

You stared at her, trying not to look to heavily at her gorgeous smile at the fear she may think you were looking at her lips. Even though you kind of were. You forced yourself to smile back.

"You must be Y/n," she said, looking at her watch, "and you are right on time. Let it be known I find that super attractive."

You chuckle nervously, unable to process a coherent thought. You really just hoped she couldn't tell you had just ran through the woods to stand stupid on her doorstep. Thankfully it didn't seem like she did and stepped aside, letting you in.

The home was gorgeous and lavish, but also homey and seemed lived in. You could hear the distant laughter of children somewhere in the house and portraits of what you could only assume were those children hung on the walls. You did notice though that there was a lack of family portraits probably due to the husband no longer being in the picture.

Sarah had filled you in a little bit about the family situation. She had worked with them over the summer and was working for them when they filed for divorce. Supposedly neither of them seemed upset by it, but he had still decided to move into another town. Tammy supposedly worked a very busy job and with three rambunctious kids, help was needed. Sarah had helped them occasionally, but Tammy needed something more permanent and hopefully that's where you would come in.

You followed Tammy into a big open kitchen and sat down with her at the kitchen table.

"Can I offer you some tea or water?" she said sweetly.

Even though you were parched from the mini marathon you had just ran, you politely declined. You pulled your resume out of your bag and put it on the table. Tammy reached over and took it, looking at it before smiling back up at you.

"I know Sarah said you had just moved here, so what brought you to town?" Tammy asked.

You hoped the look of confusion was not obvious on your face because you were expecting only questions about the job. You were unsure how useful you would be talking about yourself right now.

"Uh, well I came to town for a fresh start, and with Sarah here, it just seemed like the best place to restart."

"Running from something?" Tammy asked, putting down the resume and taking a sip of something in a mug that had been sitting on the table.

"N-no ma'am. Nothing illegal. I am not a criminal. I told the old lady the same thing," you stuttered.

Tammy raised her eyebrow at the last part, but you kept going to breeze over it hopefully.

"I just- I got my heartbroken and got kicked out of the apartment we shared. I didn't feel like I was making anything of my life where I was and I have such big dreams, but all I found there was pain and complacency, so I came here in hope to change that."

You voice sounded small and you ringed your hands in your lap, nervous that you may have said too much. Tammy's face softened even more somehow though and she smiled at you over the edge of her mug. She stared at you for a moment, her eyes seeming to sparkle. She nodded and looked down at your resume again.

"Well, you certainly have quite an impressive track record here. You seem like a kid expert. And because I already did a background check on you, I feel comfortable saying, if you would like the job its yours."

You sat there at the table, now not trying to hide the stunned look on your face. You had a harder time getting over the fence than getting employed by this woman.

"That's it? You don't need to ask me anything else? You're giving me the job?" you ask, stumbling over your words.

Tammy laughs and it feels like butterflies flutter in your belly. You like to make her laugh, but you aren't sure if she think's you're funny or stupid.

"With my life and my job, Y/n, the thing that is most important to me is being able to trust you. With my kids, my day to day life, and if I need your help with something. Trust and honesty go a long way with me, and you proved that with one question," she said, coming over to you with a glass of water.

You took it with a smile, forcing yourself to take a slow slip.

"Well, you can definitely trust me. And I'd be honored to by your nanny," you say, excitement and nervousness flowering inside your chest.

Tammy smiles sweetly at you.

"Consider yourself part of the family Y/n. Now you do know this is a live in position right? Sarah told you that?"

You nodded, that having been one of the main reasons you wanted the job. As much as you loved Sarah, you did not love sleeping on her couch. Being a live in nanny presented its own set of challenges, but it wouldn't be forever.

"Good. Can you move in today?"

You choked on your water, coughing and spitting it all over your shirt. Tammy laughed at you, and your cheeks burned red. Now you were embarrassed and Tammy sensed that.

"I'm sorry Y/n, I didn't mean to shock you. I just really need your help around here as soon as possible. And it would be better if you just came on in and got to know me and the kids since you're going to be a big part of our lives."

She handed you a paper towel, looking down at you with a comforting expression. Your cheeks burned red again, but not from embarrassment. You looked away and cleared your throat, unsure why you were so flustered.

"Sure. Yeah, no problem. I just need to run home and grab my clothes and things, but I don't have any furniture so-"

"Oh don't worry. You'll have the whole attic. Its renovated and fully furnished and you'll have your own bathroom. You don't need to worry about buying anything."

That was a relief. It would have taken you a while to afford those things.

You got up and walked with Tammy to the front door, her opening it for you.

"Thank you Ms. Tammy for hiring me, you will not regret it. I will take good care of your kids and make your life as easy as I possibly can," you say, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear, attempting to look confident and wanting to ensure Tammy she had made the right choice.

She chuckled again, putting a little hole in that confidence, but it was quickly repaired when she wrapped her arms around you. It shocked you and you stood there, frozen for a second before hugging her back.

"I know you will. You're going to be a wonderful addition to our lives, all of our lives," she said. Her voice had a hint of something in it, making it seem like silk, but then you felt her pulling on your hair a bit and you felt like your legs may fall out from under you. Who was this woman?

Before you could assume anything further though, she pulled back and revealed she had taken a small branch with green leaves from your hair. You laughed nervously. Tammy cocked an eyebrow at you and smiled cheekily, holding it up.

"That is a funny story... I can explain that. I promise I bathe."

It was Tammy who laughed this time thankfully. She nodded and played with the branch in between her long, manicured fingers.

"That's alright. You can tell me about it tonight over drinks once you are home. I'd like to get to know you better while we get you settled."

Something about the way she said it made your breath catch in your throat. She smiled at you and you two said your goodbyes. You would text her when you were on the way back home. How strange that felt.

You sat in a much cleaner Uber on the way back to Sarah's, your head pressed against the glass. You couldn't stop thinking about Tammy and it seemed like you also couldn't wipe the smile from your face either. It seemed almost like a dream.

Just then, your phone buzzed and you were pulled from the thoughts of the woman to see that her name was on your screen. You quickly held the phone up to unlock it, suddenly overcome with the need of answering her at a moments notice. Thankfully it was not a message of her changing her mind.

Btw, just call me Tammy. Ms. Tammy is a little formal ;)

You smiled and bit your lip, quickly responding.

Okay, Tammy :)

[talpup]

Light In the Darkness: 20

Please remember this fic is rated mature and has warnings of violence, abuse, sexual tension, eventual sexual behavior, and other possible triggers.

***If you prefer reading off AO3 here’s the link for that: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20887595/chapters/55300054

Sorry about the delay, life and writing Erase the Shadow got a hold of me and I completely forgot about updating.  Thanks to @captncappuccino for reminding me.

Thank you to those who have left hearts.  And a special THANK YOU to those who have recently left comments or re-blogged. They really mean a lot.

Taglist: @captncappuccino

20.1

It had been a little less then a week since the attacks on the four Magic Knights bases.  The day following the attack Jax had informed them that the Green Mantis, Coral Peacocks, and Purple Orcas had also been attacked at the same time their base had been.  By the attackers dress and what those at Magic Investigations had learned the reason given for the attacks had been surmised as a gathering of outlaw gangs and other nefarious criminals attempting to appear as Spade Kingdom Sorcery Lances in the hopes of war between the Clover and Spade kingdoms thus allowing them to freely do as they pleased. Beneath their robes the attackers had worn the usual dusty, tattered garb one would expect a member of an illegal gang to wear.  There had been other such evidence that supported the conclusion by Magic Investigations but Teris refused to listen to it.  She knew the truth.  Or at least some of it.  Why Alowishus Spade had given up so many of his followers lives for such a ruse was beyond her.  If he truly was a Zealot surely the Spade Kingdom couldn’t be blamed for his actions even if, as his name suggested, he was a descendant of the kingdoms first ruler.  That was unless the current King of the Spade Kingdom or some other high ranking official had sanctioned Spades actions.  The possibility gave her a chill but no worse then what possible reason the Wizard King had for keeping the truth silent.

Despite all that had happened things at the Black Bulls base had returned to normal, that was other then the fact that Bronn, Olsen, Iban, and Yami were still away on mission.  Even the great room looked as if nothing had happened.  As did Teris’ bedroom which she wasn’t sure how she felt about.  It wasn’t that she had trouble being comfortable in the room or getting to sleep.  It just seemed that something visible should have changed; kind of as a marker or symbol for the change that had happened inside her.

“Teris.” Venice called as Teris exited the bedroom.  “You sure that’s all you need?”

Teris came back to herself and turned to her friend.  “Yes,” she nodded.

“I know you’re not the typical girl.  Neither am I.  But I gotta say, that’s not much.  I came up here with you to help you take your bags down and find I’m not needed,” Venice said.

“You’re always needed.”  Teris said only half teasing.  “Besides, whatever I forgot or need that isn’t at Nova House I’ll buy in town.”

“Right.” Venice rolled her eyes.  “Sometimes I forget you’re a rich royal.”

“A greater complement could not be given.”  Teris said her tone joking but feelings serious.  “I won’t be long.  Three days at most. Hopefully.”

“Home that bad, huh?”

Teris looked around.  “This is home.”

“And don’t forget it.  I’d be lost without you.  Having Abril as the only girl again would be awful.”

“I heard that.”  Abril called from her bedroom.

“Get over here and tell Teris bye.”

“Bye.” Abril shouted.

“Bye.” Teris called back laughing.  To Venice she said.  “Let’s not make a big deal out of this.  It’s not like I’m going on a dangerous mission.”  She stopped and looked out the window that had a clear view of the wooded path that lead up to the main house.

“It’s alright.”  Venice said stepping behind and bumping her with a shoulder.  “Yami will be back soon.  Probably before you return even.”

“I hope so,” Teris said.  “Still--”

“Still, it would’ve been nice if he got back before you had to leave.” Venice went on when Teris had fallen silent.  “Yeah, I know.  I’ll tell him you miss him and dreamt of his return though.”

“You wouldn’t.”  Teris told eyes widening.

“Then hurry up and get going,” Venice smiled.  “The sooner you leave. The sooner you’ll get back.”  She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed.  “Oh!  Yami!  How I missed you.”  She furrowed her brow and deepened her voice, “I missed you too.  How about a kiss?” She puckered her lips and made kissing noises.

“Gross.” Abril yelled from her room.  “Be gone already.”

20.2

The Black Bulls had rushing out of the dining hall to greet Bronn, Olsen, Iban, and Yami upon their return during dinner the same day Teris had left.  Venice had already made the others swear not to tell Yami where Teris was till he had asked and now waited for his query.

When didn’t come Venice demanded.  “When are you going to ask about Teris?”

Yami turned to her and blinked.  “She’s not here?”  He asked despite having noticed her absence immediately and made a show of looking about the great room.  “I guess she’s not.”  He shrugged.

“Enough teasing Yami.”  Venice ordered.  “She’s not hiding somewhere. She’s really not here.”

“Okay.” He said and turned to Gendry to ask about Pilfer and Mooshu.

“She’s away visiting family.”  Venice told harshly.

“Something about the annual Nova, Silva family meeting.”  Tobin added.

At that Yami visibly tensed.  He wanted to yelled at Venice and Tobin to shut up.  He wanted to shout back that he hoped she and Nozel had a good time.  He wanted to forget that he had every heard Nozel say the word Intended.  Instead he asked Gendry.  “Pilfer or Mooshu give you any trouble?”

Gendry could barely look at Yami while Bran ran out of the room.  “Was it something I said?”  Yami asked looking at the others.

Hands on hips Venice asked.  “You really don’t care?”

“No.” Yami growled turning and stepping to her, Venice being forced back a step by the waves of angry irritation coming off him.  “I really don’t.  And, I really wish you’d quit yapping about her.”

Venice looked at him deflating.  “Yami.  What happened?”

Yami turned away but Venice could have sworn she heard him mutter, I grew up, under his breath.

20.3

Dinner at the Nova House was it’s usual quiet, emotionally strenuous affair.  Lord Jaxon Nova had not been well enough to join his children at the dinner table but Fyntch had assured Julius and Teris that he would be well enough to receive and welcome the Silva’s when they arrived on October first.

As they retired to the parlor for tea and sweet cakes Fyntch commented to his sister.  “You’ve grown.  Are you sure the gowns you left in your wardrobe still fit?”

“Don’t know.”  Teris said taking a seat by the window, away from the fire.

“Well you certainly didn’t bring enough luggage to have packed proper clothes.”  Fyntch said taking the seat their father usually sat in by the fireplace.

“Don’t sit there.”  Teris told shaking her head.

“Why not?”  Fitch asked.  “It’s not as if he’s using it this evening.  I often sit here while the two of you are off following your dreams and I’m suck here caring for father alone.”

“No one asked you to take over that role.”  Teris said thinking her brother was far from alone in a house full of servants who likely tended to their father while Fyntch did as he pleased.  “I would have--”

“What?” Fyntch asked turning to her.  “Given up the only chance you have at becoming useful to the kingdom so you can subvert my authority and not see yourself banished for it?”

“You have no authority over me.”  Teris said uncomfortably.

“I have the right of heir.”  Fyntch said lifting his chin.  “Don’t I Julius.”

“Don’t involve me in your argument.”  Julius said staring dully at the fire from his seat on the sofa.

“I wasn’t involving you in anything.  I was simply asking you to tell the child that--”

“I’m not a child,” Teris snapped.

“With that temper you sure sound like one.”  Fyntch tossed back.

“Leave her alone,” Julius moaned.

“You’re such the hero Julius.  Your little sister faces three days with the family she is bound to join; and the thought over the remaining three years she has left before that happens is distressing her and all you can muster is a simple irritated plea.  That’s more for yourself than her benefit.  Tell me, Julius, do you care for the people you hope to lead the way you do our sister?  If so you’re bound to make a wonderful Wizard King.  Though, if I’m honest, anything you do has to be better then the first son you made.  Giving up your heir-ship.  Leaving your family in it’s greatest hour of need.”

“Stop it!”

Julius stood he could barely look at Teris who had pleaded on his behave, crying out for Fyntch to cease.  “I’m not in the mood for dessert.”  He said and quit the room.

Teris stood as well and made to follow.

“Wait.” Fyntch called.

She stopped but didn’t turn back.

“I’ll be sending in one of the maids first thing tomorrow to see you measured for proper outfits,” Fyntch said.  “Can’t have you looking like the mess you are now when your future family arrives.”

Teris turned.  “You can’t wait to be rid of me.  Can you?”

“No,” Fyntch said.  “I cannot.”

“And what did I ever do to you to make you hate me so?”

Fyntch thought of the love and favor their mother had shown her.  The attention and help Julius had given her.  Of their father asking for her and calling her name during his unaided lucid moments.  “Exist.

20.4

Yami couldn’t sleep.  He knew it would be difficult once they returned and he was faced with Teris but he never imagined just being in the place they had inhabited and shared so time together much would bring it’s own difficulties.  Every room he walked in, every seat, every corner, everywhere brought to mind some image of her.  Whether it was them talking, or him having watched her play around with another Black Bull, or simply her passing through.  Every place in the house seemed to carry a bittersweet memory for him.

He had thought once he had gotten upstairs to the boys wing and the sanctuary of his own room he would be free from her ghost but it followed him in there with the thoughts and dreams he had had of her. Restless, he got up and made his way downstairs thinking some fresh air would do him good.  He found himself jealousy grateful for Teris absence, telling himself that by the time she returned he had to have himself under control.

“Gendry? What are you doing here?”  Yami asked seeing the man at Pilfer’s kennel petting the Saber Wolf.

Gendry smiled weakly.  “He howls at night if I don’t come see him,” he told.  “He misses her.  We all do.”

Yami sucked in a breath thinking for a moment that he was referring to Teris and could hardly disagree, he hadn’t stop howling on the inside since his talk on the mountain with Bronn and Olsen.  But he quickly realized that Gendry was speaking of Mooshu.

“Yami, I’m sorry--”

Yami held up a hand.  “The base was attacked.  From the sound of it we’re lucky all we lost was Mooshu.”  Yami thought of his friends retelling of the events and how Bran had possessed Pilfer and Mooshu to wreck havoc outside and save Teris.  He was proud of the boy and his two beasts.  He would have gladly given both creatures lives for Teris’ well being.  Having only lost Mooshu was a sad but an easy exchange to know that Teris had been saved.

Yami shook his head thinking of the attack on the roadside almost a year ago.  “After all my promises that I’d find and kill them they attack here and it’s Teris who saw them dead.”

“While Bran and Pilfer killed the groups leader, Teris killed more then most of us put together,” Gendry said.  “And all without her grimoire. If you ask me, that’s more than just royalty being more powerful then the rest of us.  That’s her being--”

“Something special,” Yami interrupted.

“I don’t know what happened but it’s obvious you still love her,” Gendry said.

Yami glowered at him.  “I’m working on it.”

“On not loving her or not having it written on your face?”

“Both,” Yami growled.

“How’s that going for you?”

“Obviously not very well.”

“Then why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do whatever it is you’re trying and failing to do?”  Gendry asked.  “You love her.  She loves you.  At least Venice says she does and it’s obvious, even to me, that Teris does like you.  Why pull away all of a sudden?  You said you were going to marry her. You said you knew you would marry her the day you two met.”

Yami squeezed his eyes shut and turned away lowering his head.  “I was a fool.”

“You’re not a fool.  You do and say some really stupid things quite often but you’re no fool.”

“In this I was.”  Yami said forcefully.  “She lied to me.  Deceived me.”

Gendry shrugged.  “You did the same to her about your injuries from Nozel.”

Yami rubbed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.  “This is different.”

“How so?”

“I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work.  You think I didn’t argue myself in circles when I found out she’s intended to marry Nozel?”

That brought Gendry up short.  “She’s his Intended?”

“And he’s hers cause apparently that’s how it works,” Yami snapped.

Mouth hanging open Gendry slowly shook his head.  “I didn’t know.  I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” Yami said bitterly feeling worse when Gendry didn’t continue to try and bring him back around.  As if in learning that Teris was Nozel’s Intended was the end of it.

After a few moments Gendry asked.  “What are you going to do?”

Yami slapped the side of his thigh.  “Try to survive living here with her.  Avoid her at all costs.  Learn to hide how I truly feel until I don’t feel any more.  I don’t know Gendry.  Got any good ideas?”

[oh-theatre]

Sycamore High: To Thine Own Self (Chapter 24)

A/N: Anyway Idk what I'm doing sorry. I also love Bonnie and she's so cute, bichon frise’s are SO cute. But yay! We know a Lil more about our hot choco boy :))

summary: Ted rushes after a concerning text

words: 1,971

warnings: Swearing, homophobia, homophobic slurs, bleeding, violence

Ao3 Link

Ted was sure of one thing when he got that message, he was definitely about to commit murder. Ok well, not murder perse but if Billy even breathed in the same direction as Tommy, Ted might literally punch him.

“Stop!” He shouted causing Chad to hit the breaks. He turned eyes wide extremely disappointed. Ted shrinks mumbling. “Sorry” he shakes his head shoving his phone into Chads face “We have to go back, please” He begged, he didn't have to Chad was already turning the car around. They drove fast but still careful. They hadn't been too far from the school so they had made it quickly.

Not quickly enough

“Billy please leave me alone!” Tommy shrieked as Billy cornered him, tracing his bony fingers over Tommy, he tried so hard to push him off but his hands just wouldn't move. Billy's friend surrounded him too until suddenly he fell back into the curtain collapsing onto the stage floor. “Ow…” He mumbled to himself. Billy laughed he grabbed Tommy pulling him up, digging his nails into his arms. Tommy struggled trying to pull away but two of Billy's friends planted him in place practically shoving him into the ground.

“Little baby gonna cry?” Billy spat, a justified remark seeing as Tommy could feel the tears burning his cheeks. He swallowed, just hold on. “You really think that I'm going to let you walk around school all happy to be a fucking queer? Mistake one, thinking you can do anything without my permission. From now on anytime you think of being happy holding that fucking weirdo's hand-” Ted oh god, that was it for Tommy. He shoved Billy away, hearing an umph sound.

“Don't you dare talk about him” Tommy felt himself light up, he could feel his eyes burning but for a different reason. Billy cracked his knuckles and approached one more time. He landed a punch, knocking Tommy's glasses off, he felt his nose explode with pain. He kept landing more until Tommy was seeing red. He fought back kicking up until feeling himself land a painful kick, street smarts.

(If he ever got out of this with enough joy left in him, Tommy was going to have to thank Ted and Paul for introducing John Mulaney)

“You're going to pay for that” Billy announced, Tommy couldn't see much through his blurriness but he could hear the door swinging open. He struggled to stay standing.

“No, you're going to pay for that” Professor Chad's voice rang out through the theatre. Tommy exhaled feeling relieved. If Ted wasn't so worried, he would have complimented Chads entrance line.

“Get away from him” Ted's voice was fierce, it was closer, Ted blinked his eyes open seeing the silhouette of another figure. Tommy choked back sobs. He collapsed to the floor, frantically searching for his glasses. He cried every move he made, he couldn't hear what was happening anymore but a ringing in his ears. He felt something wrap around him cradling him, he blinked once more but couldn't see anything. Another figure placed his glasses on his face, he rubbed his eyes opening them to see clearer. He saw professor Chad kneeling in front of him, pity seeped from his eyes. He dared look up to be met with Ted who wasn't looking at him but was holding him, burying his face in Tommy's hair. He let himself feels Ted's heartbeat, mimicking it himself. He tried, he really did, to listen to what Chad was saying but he couldn't, he was focused on Ted and he grasping Ted's arms that were wrapped around him. He watched from the slit of his eyes as Chad said something to him before standing up taking a phone call.

“Hey” A soft whisper muffled into his hair, Tommy felt a flutter in his heart, he clutched a little tighter, why was he breathing so heavy? “I'm so sorry…” Ted whispered again, Tommy shook his head, he couldn't speak but he tried. He buried himself further, Ted took him. “I'm so sorry” He repeated, “Are you ok?”Tommy took a deep breath before sitting up a little, he held his nose but revealed the blood dripping from his nose. Ted's eyes go wide before he turns to Chad.

~~~

Ted didn't let go the entire time, he didn't let go getting to the car, he didn't let go in the car, he didn't let go at the hospital and he didn't let go as the doctors fixed up Tommy's nose. No matter what Ted had his arm, or hand connected somehow to Tommy. And he didn't mind, he was scared, and tired and having that touch to Ted was everything. So he sat waiting as the doctors talk to Chad as he held onto Ted's hand. He didn't look at him but he felt his eyes droop.

“Tommy, should we call your parents?” Chad asked as the doctor waved goodbye. He was kneeling slightly as he talked. Tommy shook his head violently, he really didn't want to see them right now in his state. Hah, not that they were in the State, He thought. “Ok...ok” He sighed looking around “Um, let's get you to our house then,” Chad said, Ted nodded encouragingly, Tommy didn't care he just wanted to sleep. Ted moved on to the patient's bed noticing Tommy's sleepy state, he let him lean into him falling asleep.

~~~

“I know it's against the rules-”

“And not to mention illegal love” Chad added

“But I would really like to kill Billy” Henry finished whispering as he watched Tommy nuzzle into Ted, sleeping away on the couch. Chad nodded approvingly, he sighed tiredly. It had been a long day. “God, can you imagine what he would have done, had you not stepped in?” Henry felt baffled

“I'd rather not” Chad yawned, his voice firm.

“Can you take me home?” Tommy interjected, he was sitting up now. The professors couldn't see it but Ted was holding his hand tightly as they sat. He looked disappointed but was clearly trying to support Tommy. Chad and Henry glanced at each other raising their eyebrows.

“Are you sure?” Chad asked concern riddled across his face “But you sai-

“I don't want to call my parents...but I'd like to go home” Tommy explained hoping they would understand. So they said nothing more, Chad, Henry and Ted accompanied Tommy home. Ted walked him to the front, helping him as he fumbled with his keys. “Guess you can say you finally dropped me off” Tommy teased sadly as he unlocked the door “Not the best date but…” Ted chuckled softly. They stared for a while, Tommy could read Ted's face. “I'm ok dearest, I'm just tired and would like to be...alone for a while” He managed, his ability to speak returning comfortably. Ted nodded as he took Tommy's hands.

“I'm so sorry about tonight” Ted wouldn't meet Tommy's eyes, he didn't need to see him cry. He pulled him into a careful hug, Tommy accepted gratefully. “Goodnight Tommy,” Ted said softly into his ear, Tommy smiled as they pulled away. There was more he wanted to say but didn't know if he should, so after a silent moment, Ted walked back to the car. Tommy entered his house awaiting the certain ambush of a certain bichon frise.

“Bonnie!” Tommy exclaimed feeling excited for the first time that day. The little puffball came running towards him as he kneeled to meet her. She bounced on him smothering him with slobbery wet kisses nuzzled herself into him. He stands securing the dog in his arms turning on the main light in the house. The brightness invites him upstairs to his room where he carefully deposits his things and lays comfortably on his bed, that has the same red covers and blue paint chipping away on it,  cuddling with Bonnie. Bonnie, whos more than happy to see Tommy, bounces around the bed yapping sweetly as if telling Tommy about her day. Tommy listens as he opens up his laptop looking for a good show to watch, he just wants a distraction.

~~~

The morning came soon enough with both parties involved not recollecting the events of last night for a sweet few minutes of exhausted awakenings. But once the coffee hit, and the morning light bled into the homes, it was inevitable. Bonnie scurried up onto Tommy's bed where he laid still in his attire from the previous night. His glasses fall crooked on his face, and his computer leans on him, the screen dark but open. Tommy feels a cold, wet, flickering movement on his face, he giggles softly as his eyes open painfully. He moves his hand over Bonnie, petting her fluff. He yawns sitting up he grabs his phone checking for any important updates.

Dearest

I really got to change that, Tommy thinks as he opens the chat.

Ted: Hey gumdrop, I just wanted to check-in

Tommy could feel his heart pump louder, Bonnie bounced around more clearly sensing his mood. Or maybe not. He sighed closing the message. He felt a small pit in his stomach as he ignored the message. He moved onto the next one.

Bubbles

Charlotte: Hey! Just wanted to ask if you had any idea about the rehearsal schedule?

Tommy scrunched his brows, making a mental note to check the timestamps of the messages. And to check his phone more often.

Charlotte: Nevermind, found it! :)

He read the last one sent feeling the pit grow bigger.

Charlotte: I heard about you and Ted, are you alright?

He closed out once more, trying to ignore the guilty sensation in his stomach. He checked the last messages.

Mama

Mama: Tommy, how many times must I tell you not to text me during work hours.

Oh, Tommy thinks, guess she finally saw my text. Tommy doesn't know why he bothered after his fight with Ted, his mother couldn't care less, nor would she even acknowledge that Ted was an important part of his life. He scoffs closing his phone and getting up making his way downstairs followed by a very excited Bonnie. He sludged tired through the kitchen grabbing his hot chocolate packs, starting to boil some water. As he waited he grabbed the last of the dog food feeding a very persistent Bonnie. He ruffled her fur sweetly turning back to his own ‘breakfast’ if you could even call it that. As he moved around the kitchen he begins humming softly, mumbling the words lazily.

“Why did I wander so far...from the man that the two of you knew I could be? I lost sight of all that mattered somehow...I did not see it then, but I see it now...I just didn't think I had it in me. So I made it harder than it had to be. Should've followed my heart, should've listened to you” He yawns, deciding to return to the previous verse as his phone goes bright showcasing his background. He smiles fondly remembering the day Ted and Tommy took the silly picture. The two of them, making silly faces, Simple, but he loved it. Bonnie finishes, planting herself at Tommy's feet. “Sure as the day follows the night, sure as the sky turns to blue” He sings, his voice raspy but still carries somewhat. “This much I know, this much is true…Above all else in whatever you do,” he pauses pondering

“You really think that I'm going to let you walk around school all happy to be a fucking queer?”

“This was stupid and we’ve just been pretending!”

“Son, it's just a phase”

“We will get you the help you need when we get back from our trip?”

“Such a disappointment”

“I love you”

“To thine own self...be true” He practically whispers the last part

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[twothumbsandnostakeincanon]

Y’all have DELIVERED on voting today, so here’s a Steter ficlet that took kind of a weird turn but I can’t lie, I don’t regret it at all. 

Stiles waved to the other Lyft driver for the third time that day, a crooked grin on his face. They were both dropping off yet another car full of people at the library polling location.

As three college girls piled out of the back of Stiles’ car, the other driver gestured to an elderly man shutting his own back passenger door, and then made a yapping motion with his hand while rolling his eyes.

Stiles snorted. He never particularly minded the talkative riders, but he knew most other drivers didn’t share that opinion. He shook his head with an exaggerated pitying look on his face, putting a hand over his heart and mouthing you poor thing.

Stiles could practically hear the indignant sound he was sure was coming from the other driver, but it was chased by a reluctant smile so he didn’t worry too much. A second later they were both startled by the sound of a horn from behind Stiles.

He immediately turned around to look out his back window, scowling and flipping up a careless middle finger. However, he did shift his car into drive as soon as turned around, foot on the break. He looked back up at the other driver and saw him waving back once more.

Stiles’ gaze lingered on the other man’s blue eyes and sharp jaw for a moment before waving himself and pulling away from the curb to go pick up another ride.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to catch the blue eyed Lyft man and ask him on a date tonight.

Impatient drivers aside, Stiles really was having a good day. He liked his job. As a Lyft driver he got to meet a lot of interesting people, and most of them were pretty generous with tips. His hours were flexible, which he needed as a grad student, and there were always plenty of people who needed a ride.

His next one was a little further out of town, and the only one requesting a ride in the area. The new man climbed into the back seat, saying, “This is free, right?”

“That’s right!” Stiles answered. “Lyft is offering free rides to the polls for underserved communities, including-”

“Yeah, yeah, all the people who want something for nothing,” the new rider interrupted. “Might as well get mine.”

Stiles paused for a moment, and then pulled away from the house.

The automatic child locks clicked in a silent car.

“Which poll place are you taking me to?” the man grunted after a few minutes.

“The library on 8th.”

“Ugh. No. Take me to the one at the Woodview Elementary school.”

Stiles glanced in his rearview mirror.

“The lines at the library are a lot shorter that the ones at Woodview.”

“Do I look like the kinda person who votes on 8th street?” the man sneered.

“If you’re a registered voter, then yes, you look exactly like the kind of person who votes on 8th street,” Stiles said blandly, facing forward and continuing toward the library. The music played low in the background.

A disgusted huff came from the backseat.

“No one but a load of illegals goes to vote on 8th-”

“Aside from the obvious lie that non-registered voters can get anywhere near a polling booth, what makes you think that immigrants are less deserving of the choices on a ballot? Do you think they’re less affected by the decisions?” Stiles asked, voice idly curious.

The man was slowly getting more and more red in the face.

“Take me to Woodview!” he demanded, ignoring the question.

“Sorry,” Stiles said serenely, “the Lyft offer is only for the nearest polling place. I’ll have to charge you full fare if we go all the way to Woodview.”

“Like hell you will! This is a scam! All you liberal elites-”

Stiles snorted, thinking of his student loans.

“-are in it together, I bet you’ve got little friends working in the library, changing all the votes to Democrat. Buncha deviants, in my day you woulda been taken out back and had sense beaten into you!”

“Brain damage usually limits cognitive function, not the other way around.”

“If you take me to the library on 8th, I’ll have you arrested!!” He smacked the back of Stiles’ headrest. “My brother’s on the force!!”

Stiles glanced in his rearview mirror again and checked off a mental list.

Red in the face.

A MAGA shirt.

And lastly, a Proud Boys lapel pin.

Stiles sighed. So much for trying to get a date with the blue eyed Lyft man tonight. He wasn’t going to have time for anything fun.

__________

The polls closed at 8 p.m. that night. Stiles drove the entire day, but he felt good. A lot of the people he’d given a ride to would have had to take three or more busses to get to the polls, or wouldn’t have been able to get there at all.

He parked beside a densely wooded patch that he’d passed at least a dozen times today, and set off for a stroll.

Night had fallen completely, of course, but the moon was bright and Stiles knew the woods pretty well. He’d spent a lot of time in there as a teenager, doing stupid things. He liked to think the frequency of stupid actions was less now that he was an adult, but he still spent nearly the same amount of time wandering the forest.

Whistling, he kept walking until a flash of muted color caught his eye in the dark.

A red MAGA shirt. Proud Boys lapel pin. And a body with a bullet through the brain.

Stiles sighed to himself. There were four this year. Four! Sometimes he really despaired for the future of this country.

But negative thoughts were no help. The only way out of this mess was to get to work. So, Stiles rolled up his sleeves and started dragging the first one toward the riverbank.

It took hours, but he was finally down the last one. His muscles ached as he dragged the KKK member to a cliff overlooking the river. He liked to vary his dumping points. Too much consistent evidence points to a serial killer, and no one wanted that, least of all the police.

Just as he was about to push the woman into the water, he heard a rustling. More silent than a shadow, he shrank back into the brush, leaving the body where it was.

A huff of heavy, working breath was coming up the deer path Stiles had followed. A little longer, and Stiles started to hear muttering.

“-really just going to tell a complete stranger that you think Hitler had some ‘pretty compelling ideas.’ You just had to look at your Lyft driver and say ‘Hey! I bet this man would love to hear about my genocidal leanings before he drops me off to vote.’ For fucks sake-”

The sounds suddenly stopped completely, and Stiles realized he must have gotten close enough to see the body he’d abandoned.

Stiles stepped out of the brush, finally getting a good look at the other person.

It was the blue eyed Lyft driver, just as stunning as he’d been earlier that day. Standing tall and steady, with a dead body draped over his shoulder.

“Happy election day,” Stiles blurted. “I, uh.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the body behind him. “Was just… cleaning up from one of my rides earlier.”

The blue eyed man stared at him warily for a moment.

“Me too,” he said eventually. “There was an unbelievable amount of trash from some of them.”

“Hah, yeah,” Stiles laughed, relaxing a little. “You want help? I’ll take the arms, you take the legs?”

The man nodded, and before long there were only two bodies up on the cliff, and both of them were breathing.

“I’m Stiles, by the way.”

“Peter.”

Stiles looked over to see Peter glancing up from under his eyelashes, and the butterflies in his stomach nearly broke loose.

“I was going to ask you to dinner,” he said, “but I ended up with a little more after-work clean up than I expected,” he finished in an apologetic tone.

Peter looked delighted.

“I would have said yes.”

“Well, then how do you feel about a late night snack?” Stiles suggested, coming a little closer.

“I think that sounds lovely,” Peter purred out, taking his own step closer. “We can talk about ballot initiative 8.”

“Mm, I’ve always wanted a date who can talk dirty,” Stiles said, taking one final step into Peter’s space as he laughed. Daringly, he swooped in for a light kiss, pressing his lips to Peter’s smiling ones. Peter kissed back sweetly, his smile turning into something softer.

Shyly holding each other’s hands, they walked through the woods, only having to hurry back to the river once after finding a pro-life pin that must have fallen out of someone’s pocket.

As Stiles watched the pin disappear in the crashing waters, he sighed and said to Peter, “It’s such a good feeling to take care of my civic duty.”

[cohentoplaywithmagic]

a question of magic | davina

WHO→ Tina Cohen-Chang and Dave Karofsky WHERE→Undique Stadium WHEN→ Monday 20th May 2019 WHAT→  Dave and Tina train in preparation for the faepocalypse with conversations that strike something deeper.  WARNING→ Violence. 

David walks towards Undique with Tina. They both agreed on training to be better prepared for the future events of this month. "Isn't it weird?" He starts. "Keep studying and doing things like we're going to continue. I'm afraid, but..." But he was more afraid of continuing his life, of things staying the same and he not advancing to fix it. If he died on the end of the world, he would be at peace. Even more if it was some heroic death for Marley Rose to resolve the situation. "Shouldn't I be putting everything on the line for this? Missing classes, not minding what people thought." But he was more afraid of failing his classes, he was more afraid of dissapointing his co-workers. He was more afraid of his clan discovering what was used to pay his tuition. He was more afraid of the Aether suffering more and he not being able to do anything to improve it. He keep thinking more about himself than the people in danger.

Tina walks alongside Dave as they were going to train a little for aether knows what next. The only thing that was different was right now both knew that this was going to happen, this time around they could be prepared, warm other's and even if there was a slight chance of the unknown, then they could be at least so what ready. She hopes. She chews on her lip," Yeah it is weird but, we can't stop living can we?" Tina looks at him. "But...yeah I get you like...the little things really shouldn't matter but there is just a part that you can't let go of those day to day things." She clenches her fists a little,"Do you think we should stop with it all?"

David walks nervously to a training room. "We can." He says, a little somber, regretting saying it at all."Mean, w-we can't." He prepares his grimoire in hand and his trusted familiar on his shoulder. He thinks they all should stop it all. But he doesn't want to. "Marley Rose said to act normal so no one suspected." He tried to give himself reasons to continue doing what he is doing. "She said to warn people. I'm still not sure 'bout it." He feels whatever he decides to do, it would be wrong. Martin Frog croaks. "Righ', Martin. Training." He looks around.  "Is there a way to get ourselves adversaries? Would be better to train how to fight together. We aren't going to fight each other when the day comes."

There seems to be a little hesitation with Dave but honestly, stuff like this was confusion, how to act calm when they knew what was coming and on the inside panicking but not letting on about it. Tina follows him into the training area,"Yeah to act normal but then again, what the spell is even normal around here?" Watching as he summons Martin, she also summons Kira also, might be a good way to train with her familiar also who runs around her feet. She freezes as he remarks about telling other's considering, well her parents. "You think other's shouldn't know about it...because it is a risk or?" Tina wants to know what he thinks truly. As he asks her how they could train as a team instead of against each other, she is ready scrolling through her phone,"You're right, it'll be better fighting alongside each other than against each other. So how about 2 vs 2 against my summons?"

David shrugs. "You tell me, you're from here. Guess pretending everyone isn't killing the planet and hurting people."  He says, apathetic. He waves at Tina's familiar with a sad smile. "Think people should be safe. Don't know what's more safer for 'em. They should be far away from New York." Marley Rose told him to tell people. Silene Astrantia told him to keep the secret. He though maybe telling just a bunch of people would be the middle ground, but he suspect it might actually disapoint both Fae. "What 'bout ya? You think others shouldn't know?" David nods. "Sounds awesome!" Martin Frog croaks, David looks at him. "You're right. Can you do a summon we need to protect? We'll be on a protection mission."

Tina chews on his lip,"You're not wrong, we do turn a blind eye to what we do to the plant and....sometimes we do hurt other's but that isn't the way everyone is. Common's live their lives not knowing that they are actually doing considering most of the don't even know the half of it," she looks at Dave whilst Kira runs around his legs greeting him. "They should be away from New York, no one should be hurt. People...should know what they are doing wrong but as always, it's...it's complicated. Exposing magic is illegal," Tina confesses. Scrolling through her phone."A summon to protect, yeah I can do that." 🔮✨🐉 ✨ 🔮she casts summoning a miniature dragon. Lately she has been working on the scaling of her summons in needs to adapt, she was kinda hitting a lull summon dragons but they were they easiest to change the spell coding too.

Tina 1d7 Dragon HP = (4) = 4

"Not the way everyone is?" David ask, unsure. "Commons know they're hurting the planet. Witches want to ignore they're hurting the Aether. It's not 'bout-" He gets interrupted by Tina's familiar greeting him. He  bends to look better, happy of the attention. "Sup, what's your name?" David knows it's complicated on a way he never really understood. "It shouldn't be illegal. Hate people don't know what happened at the Pagan Festival." He complains, looking at Tina, wondering if she thinks the same. "Commons could be healed so much better..." He looks amazed at Tina's powers, as usual. But he was a little puzzled. "Why a Dragon?"

"There are some people who do care about the planet and are trying to make an active change, yet is seems those people's efforts aren't seen as much as those who are damaging it," Tina speaks up a little,"You still think all witches are hurting the aether, did you see the reports about their being more imbuences means more is being given to the aether right?" Kira bounces up and down letting out a little yap. "Oh, her name's Kira," she speaks for her familiar. Tina bites on her lip thinking about her parents knowing, it was the decision she had made,"Yeah, people should know having your memory taken away helps no one. “The amount of magic which could help aid yet the reservations she had with power falling into the wrong hands. Her dragon takes form in front of her, she smiles in awe of her creation then baffled by his question. "Dragons have just been something that I have always done, the coding for them is easy and honestly they always seem to be some of my most powerful summons."

David is still distracted looking at the wonderful being that is Tina's familiar. He still tried to answer her. "Ye. Some. Wish we could help 'em more." He stands up. "Every city witch hurts the Aether. Every spell's like if ya go to a bakery and take an ounce of bread. It's okay as long as you give something back. Do you?" David nods. "Ye. Rituals like those are the few times the Aether can take somethin'. And they try to punish it here." He says with disaproval on his tone. "You're cool, Kira." He says, looking again to Tina's familiar. David looks at the Dragon again. Then at Tina. "Do you summon humans?"

"If only that could be the way, " Tina sighs, because if it were that easy everything could be a lot more simple. As he explains about the bakery which made sense since most things in the world ran on exchange, not something always equal but it happened. "See that makes sense where we exchange money in order to get the bread but then there is something that  I don't understand, what exactly is it that I am meant to give back to the aether?" Tina wonders out loud,"I mean other's magics are more...natural or elemental base, like you and your mushrooms. I'm a tech witch, Dave, what the spell am I actually meant to give back? A UBS? A lightbulb? Some electrical wiring? Or am I think way to orientated to my own magic?" That was something about her magic, it was unlike other's it was new, her affinity was not a constant source like earth, water, air or fire- electricity was innovative and came with storms, she could never pin down what to give. "And with rituals like that, don't you think it is enough when we loose all ties to it?" She asks him as she has once before. Kira sways her head proudly looking at Dave and Tina "See I'm freaking awesome." She looks at him wide eyed  "Humans? No not really, unless you count like my knights and queens but aether I've never thought about trying to recreate humans, kinda illegal too as well." Spoke Tina who was in quite a bit illegal magical acts.

David thought it always seem like that. If it wasn't apathy, people just didn't really know what to do. "Things the Aether likes. Want mushrooms?" He says, offering Tina a bunch of poisonous blue mushroom of his clan.  "They're easy to plant. But don't eat 'em." He considered telling Tina to come to his clan, they would know more about proper offerings. He remembers they would all despise tech magic and tell her to throw away all machines she own. That would suck. The xlan still had to understand the wonders of tech witches, but his mom was on it. "Favor for favor. Each spell is one. You can always give back to the Aether through her-its descendants." He was never sure how to refeer to the Aether. "Do you think is enough?" He asks her, looking her directly. "This magic protects me, my clan, and everyone I care 'bout. Whatever I gave, won't ever be enough." He says, thankful for his power. Afraid of what he lost. He didn't remember how important it was for him. "Ye. Using humans to fight would be weird. As using Dragons." He says, uneasy. He hopes he isn't making Tina unconfortable making assumptions. "Sorry. Guess the Dragon's the one we have to protect. Shit for me to think you'll do something so irrespecful to the Aether." He remembers Tina using a dragon on the Socious Pactum tournament. "Guess you got the blessing of a Dragon to do so." He tries to rationalize. "Like us always wearing the image of Gonzalo to honor his greatness." He puts his hand with great respect on the dragon of his letterman jacket.

"Thanks but no thanks," Tina rejects the offer,"Giving the aether mushrooms doesn't seem something respective to my magic, like kinda how Kitty prays for her spells or you giving the mushrooms, it seems something more meaningful than me just giving something for the sake of it. Maybe...I could find something of a valuable offering." Tina would have to seriously think about it, being a tech witch and her magic relying on the aethernet aswell, maybe there was a way she could offer something she just needs to stop thinking traditional and embrace more of what she knew. "Favour for a spell...but what was given should be enough I mean, it is not only the memory that was taken of whatever we often, it is the feeling and any traces of it that it's no longer present and I couldn't imagine giving up other things that are just to precious." She looks down at her own hands,"Our magic...magic itself is something so powerful and the all that it does. Magic is a blessing right?" Tina pauses at his comment about the dragons, sucking in her lip a little, never before had she thought about her dragon summons being something that she needed a blessing to summon. "No don't be sorry...I don't have blessing to summon dragons, it's just been always something I created, something that was there." She looks as he points to Gonzalo on his jacket,"It's not the same like that. It's just something I created and never thought twice about it."

David was about to say they weren't for Tina, but he thinks maybe Tina doesn't want to have poisonous mushrooms around. He is a bit let down, still. "Doesn't have to be respective. Ye. Wilde." He says, looking at the other side. "She seems to understand  her magic isn't really hers. Then gets everything wrong." He still didn't get the relationship between the Aether and what her and Joe Hart call god. David felt really out of place when Tina keep talking. It didn't matter how much he liked the city witch, they were all entitled to the Aether's magic. Mike King was like that, Blaine was like that, Tina was like that. Her mom was like that. Everyone. He didn't know any city witch who didn't think they had to do anything extra. He never convinced anyone except by violence of just making others not use magic incorrectly in front of him. "Magic's an exchange. Don't take it for granted." He sigh, feeling bad about making Tina feel bad. She was cool, it wasn't her fault she was raised in such an amoral place. "Dragons aren't something." He commented, and awkwardly looked at Tina, in silence. Wondering if she was going to make the Dragon vanish or summon anything else. He tries to laugh so the mood isn't as tense. "Should be training, right? There's more urgent things going on.ᴮᵘᵗ ᵃᶦⁿ'ᵗ ᵃᵗᵗᵃᶜᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᴰʳᵃᵍᵒⁿ." He whispers at the end.

"But I just..." Tina stumbles in her words,"Don't see as me excusing me not having something to give but I should not give for the sake of giving. With the aether being as precious as it is, it should be something that holds meaning to me otherwise it is just out of place." She stood by her words not wanting to give for the same of giving. When he spoke about Kitty and how she gets everything wrong,"Her beliefs are questionable but what she has with her magic, she is sure as spell strong and talented with her magic." More than she had seen other's in her time at NYADA.  Though was not a time to be thinking about Kitty, Tina's mind was too drawn to her own magic, everything she does with it, things considered not so legal but at the end of the day it was her magic, she had to work out how to use it with it being a constant change those sleepless nights weren't nothing. "Trust me, I'm not taking it for granted. Not anymore. I'm a New Age, that was a choice I made," Tina states matter of factly.  An awkward silence falls between the two, as he states that dragons are not a thing. She stares at her summon, a summon nothing but binary code fabricated by digital materialisation. A summon. That was all her spells ever where, there was no attachment towards them, not even a name given to it apart from a file name the spell was contained in with mixed emojis, just a spell that would vanish soon, yet there is something about the dragon that is real floating between them. "Dispell." Tina casts watching her creation reverse back into her phone glowing blues of 1s and 0s.  "Yeah, we should train." Her voice whispers scrolling through her phone, this time with more thought to what she was going to summon. All these emojis, she should be able to create something original, something....something that was hers. 🔮 ♞⚔️ 🔮   summoning one of her knights defending with two swords. "Better?" Tina asks Dave.

Tina 1d7 Knight HP = (7) = 7

David looks at Tina. He guess Tina is the kind of person who gives presents she likes more than presents the other person like. It wasn't bad. Just different. He thinks. "Questionable's too generous. Isn't worse if bad people are stronger?" He knew what he did with his power in the past. It wouldn't be good for him to be weaker, but it would had been way better for the people he beat up. David nods. He thinks he would really could probably never relate with a city witch how magic and the Aether should be treated, but he trusted Tina more than most city witches. David sees the fake Dragon gone, wondering if Tina would just stop doing it if he was there to see it. He didn't think he explained anything right. But it was better than nothing. "Thanks." Still, insults and waste of the Aether aside, David couldn't stop being amazed by Tina's power. "Looks badass." He says with a smile.

Tina knows the power that Kitty has, what she had done in the short time she has been here, the restrictions that she has in place in what she calls 'The Lords Plan' but there was another side to her, not that many people knew but she couldn't quite put into the words. "Good and bad...we," she tries to find the words,"Right now she is not the enemy  with the world ending. When the time comes she's on our side, the side that is defeating what we believe to be wrong. There is more too it than simple good and evil. We need to think about that, not to dismiss all the bad she has done but we can't dismiss that stronger power that's helped us time and time again." Kitty was where things get complicated, her head was spinning even thinking about it but she was her partner and she was gonna defend her in this retrospect.  As the knight stands between them on guard waiting for .a command to be given,"Thanks," she replies, looking up from her phone,"Is there anything you want me to summon that we can fight against, or what you want us to defend?"

David hates Wilde. He hates how she hurts everyone around her and much he relates to her. It was like seeing a worst, more hurtful and dangerous young self without exile and political power, and actual skill for insults. A mock up of him travelling to the past to change his own mind. But he know he couldn't convince himself, much less Wilde. He still disagrees, grunting instead of making actual arguments. "She's still hurting our side." He ends up saying.  "Don't know if we gotta defeat somethin'. Maybe just defending. Violent people who don't know team work would ruin it. Power doesn't do anything if she just gonna hurt everyone and herself without control." He says. "She's gonna end up fainting. Most people would leave her there."  Wilde has no resistence, and he saw the spell she does that drains the Aether so much. He doesn't imagine her protecting commons. "If you want her in, tell her to protect Joe Hart." That's the only person David would trust Wilde to actually protect. Then, Tina asked him what he wanted to summon. The answer was clear. A cowboy. Summon a cowboy. But maybe he was overdoing the cowboy theme too much. Maybe it would be weird. Maybe Tina hates cowboys. But it would be so dope. Martin Frog croaks on his shoulder, reminding him to be more honest with what he likes and with his friends. If they are good friends, they won't judge him for it. "A frog." He says, looking at the opposite direction of his dissapointed familiar.

When it came to Kitty, no when it came to justifying Kitty to other's that was were everything fell complicated with Tina. She was aware with the destruction that she causes, limitations that she has set in her wake and more limitation that she wants to enstill with her power, Tina knew all of that but there was another side to Kitty which she only knew. A side beyond their arguing which sounded wrong under context, there was something else there which strikes Tina a lot. "She is, I won't deny that but it is best to have her side than be who we are against in the grander scheme of things."  Tina defends her partner,"Defend or defeat we still have to do something. When is comes down to it she does what needs to be done and knows how to work as a team." Something about the thought of leaving her behind makes her hands buckle," Well I'm not going to leave her behind, she's my partner there is a reason why her and I were teamed together. I won't let it happen.  I'm not gonna leave anyone behind either." Leaving someone behind in a moment like the world ending, something thunders in side of her, striking with a determination, not a means to be a hero nothing like that all, just the decency when the world crumbles down. "I'll say something to Wilde." She hopes that Kitty would listen.   Waiting to hear what he would suggest she should summon she nods,"Okay a frog it is, we'll defend that and shall fight one of my knights, maybe my queen." More asking than stating, hoping that this was going to be good enough for them. Scrolling through her spells she summons a realistic looking frog 🔮🐸 🔮which glitches ever so slightly reminding one that it was not real.  Next to her towering queen 🔮👑🗡 🔮

Tina 2d7 Queen HP = (7+3) = 10 { Conjuration Charge }

Tina 1d7 Frog HP = (4) = 4

1d2 1 Dave and Tina start. 2 the summons start. = (2) = 2

"Grander scheme." David repeated. He felt something was wrong when Tina said it. The same as when he visited his clan with Marley Rose, and she said Fae suffering pales in comparision to what's coming. He can't explain exactly why. "I saw her. She doesn't. Me and Kurt beat ya two. She shielded and heal ya, then fall. That's so?" He knows Kitty likes Tina. He doesn't know what Tina thinks of her exactly. "Ya want her  to protect ya and heal ya, so you'll be safe. Doesn't make her being safe." He doesn't want to disagree so much with Tina. But this was a serious matter. "If you wanna tell Wilde, you gotta ask Marley Rose, Dani and Ell first. If you're able to make 'em see your point, so be it." He puts his hand close to his shoulder, so Martin Frog can jump to it, then whispers a spell to summon his soul armament. Making appear the crossbow ring on his finger. He aims at the Knight. "Cohen-Chang. Remeber the Obex game? Hudson and Kurt agaisnt Blaine and me. Hudson said Blaine was bad. For skills. Don't agree. If it's important, I rather go with people like Blaine 'cause I know we're gonna work well together than be with any jerk proffesional Obex player." He says, ready to attack. "Was a bad example, 'cause Blaine's really strong."  He explains, fully knowing Blaine can defeat him without David having a chance to touch him.

When the Summons sensed that Dave had his soul armament ready, the digital codes took their stance, around the frog The Queen beside the frog whilst the  knight stood behind as a means to attack. Tina had summon them with a battle training feature, something she had ripped from the code of a video game.

Knight 1d7 Knight Attack Frog = (4) = 4 Queen 1d7 Queen Attack Tina = (6) = 6

Dave 1d7 + 12d2 -1 David Blocking the attack for the frog. = (2) + (1+1+2+1+2+1+1+2+1+1+2+1) -1 = 17

The Knight raises his hand as a sword from his waist digitally appears in his hand as he is about to strike down the frog which was programmed not to respond to attack, due to this being a rescue mission. The knight is about to strike but is intercepted by something that renders his strike meaningly.

Tina 1d7 Tina Counters Queen = (2) = 2

There is a truth in what Dave say, one that Tina never considers, Kitty was the one who protects Tina, she is the one who also heals Tina. Was that the only reason that she wanted Kitty around? And not in a battle sense, she pauses to take it in, the reasons in why she likes to be around Kitty, the feelings that she gives her. Being around her was something thrilling, a reminder that Tina could stand taller, talk a little louder, be a little bit prouder. There was a safety that came around being with Kitty which Tina had taken in vain. Silence falls for a moment. Kitty was Tina's safety line, the one person who literally shielded her and protected her. Tina chews on the inside of her cheek, searching what to say. "Take care of yourself," she whispers under her breath,"She can....can take care of herself. Kitty does heal me and protects me..." she says coming to the self realisation,"I have to so them same." Dave tells her that she has to ask for permission from the other's about Kitty with. Talking to Marley, Dani and Ell. "Okay," her voice is low as she debates asking. "Yeah I remember  that day...but still being with Blaine as someone you can work with. I still think in the call of duty no one is gonna care apart from making it...I don't know how to convince you, Dave." She confesses getting lost in her thoughts as her Queen strikes her, Tina tries to avoid the attack calling upon,<<Thunder Wave>> creating a ripple of blue electric waves between her hands, yet her spell is late whilst the Queen's sword strikes her back.

David wasn't going to let the cute frog Tina made with so much care for him disappear so fast. It was dope and it was going to stay. He will protect her. He shoots all of his arrows, thinking later it might be a little overdone. "One down! Sorry knight!" He apologized "You were really cool!" David heards Tina talking about taking care of herself. "Ye! You gotta protect yourself too!" He assumes that what's Tina means. "You don't have to convince me, Cohen-Chang. I'll follow whatever Marley Rose commands." If its for the good of Mother Earth, Fae must know best. He senses Martin Frog trying to make him reconsider. He doubts. He doesn't have time to try to reload his weapon. He admires Tina's magic instead. Blue energy coming from the Aether throught her. "Fucking dope." He notices Tina's magic attacked her. "Fuck, you okay?"

Tina 1d7 Tina Attack Queen = (2) = 2

Queen 1d7 Queen Encounter Tina = (1) = 1

Tina watches as her knight disappears into binary code fading back into the aether. "One day!" She cheers even though she wonders if that is a show how easy her magic may be to eliminate it self. "Yeah...yeah I'm gonna start taking care of myself," Tina tucks her hair back into a pony tail,"Then I'll have to convince, Marls." Even though she didn't. Tina had already told her parents loosely that something was going on and that they had to leave the city. A conversation that still stings but it was all for the best. Tina was going to say something, she already was someone who lingers on rule breaking. "Thank," she smirks at the compliment shaking off her shoulder,"I'm alright." She clasps her together with her blue circle appearing around as she casts <<Bolted Arrow>> as she stretches out her hand a charge of electricity glows as she aims it back hostile towards the Queen. 

The Queen uses her sword deflecting the attack but glitches ever so slightly upon impact.

Queen 1d7+1 Queen Attack Dave = (7) = 7

Dave 1d0 David counter = (0) = 0

The Queen's battle strategies were to take down the ones who were protecting   the target that was meant to be protects. Casting the sword, aiming it into the direction of Dave, raising arms up and casting it down, to plummet from above him.

David looks at Tina's summon, going straight to him. Powerless. He gets hit by the sword of electricity, no defense. Full blow attack. "Urgh." He stands back. He is been hit by electricity attacks before. Specially training Obex with Mike King. Being used to it doesn't make it hurt less. Specially with the memories. But he can always heal later. He is too far away to heal Tina, so he takes his offering mushrooms. "Aether, enjoy this present. Charge Martin's arrows. He asks, and prepares new twelve arrows.

Tina 2d7 Tina Attack Queen = (2) = 2 { Level 2 Familiar attack }

Queen 1d7 Queen Counters Tina = (1) = 1

"Dave! You okay!!" Tina calls out watching as the electric sword code back into the Queen's grasp.”Kira go!” She calls upon her familiar redirecting a spell through Kira  <<Electric Ball>> Tina calls, a small ball of blue light flickers blasting it upon the Queen's direction in hopes she would hit her summon before the coded sword returns.

Her time was slightly off as the Queen uses her sword to defend but the electric ball hits her, causing the binary code to flicker wildly.

Queen 1d7+1 Queen Attacks Dave = (5)+1 = 6

Dave 1d0 David counter. = (0) = 0

With no hesitation the Queen draws her sword, casting it high in the brilliant flickering light above Dave, allowing the blazing brighter than before slightly stronger as the code remained strong as it strikes down upon Dave in a quick flash.

David is still busy charging Martin Frog's weapon, and gets hit again from above. He kneels into the ground, trying to not fall. "Fuck! Cohen-Chang! You're really good!" He congratulates her despise the pain. He points his weapon to the summon. He could end it now. But in a real fight, there were more important things. In a real fight. you can strike a hostile and others would come. "Look at this." He told Tina before shooting two arrows at her.

Dave 1d51 Healing Tina = (39) = 39

Tina 1d7 Tina Attack Queen = (7) = 7

Queen 1d7 Queen  Counters Tina = (4) = 4

Tina watches once again as the electric sword strikes down on Dave leaving him to curse and swear. Aether, this summon was strong for sure, in a real fight when the time would her data constructs truly be this strong. "Fuck, Dave I'm sorry." When he was the one that was hurt, he was the one that was healing her. Most her items were gone being used for Black Market Trade as she had typical gamer syndrome to holding onto items for the greater battles.  As the arrows fly to her she tries not to flinch as their is an ease that flows either feeling herself getting herself to full health. "That's amazing," she says in awe with any kind of restoration magic. "Watch this!!" She says as a whimps for training.  Thunder Storm raising her hand up, her magic circle dance around, as thunder bolts cast down from the sky bolting down onto the Queen who has little avoidance upon the attack, as her code flickers almost as if the code was fading.

 Queen 1d7 Queen attacks Frog = (1) = 1

Queen shifts from direct attack to the opposition to attacking the primary target at hand.  Though glitching and fading, the Queen takes the flickering sword slashing the frog with one sweeping strike.The frog lets out a croak, in response to the attack.

David tries to not wait a chance to show off his clan's magic. "Power of the healing Karofsky clan!"  He is amazed at the thunder storm Tina made appear. Too distrated too protect the frog. He couldn't make that kind of mistakes ever again. "Say goodbye to your cool queen." He said, pointing his index finger carrying 

Dave d7 + 5d2 -1 David attack to the queen. = (6) + (2+1+1+1+1) -1 = 11

Queen 1d7+1 Queen Conters Dave = (3)+1 = 4

Tina watches at the simple press of Dave's index finger as Martin shoots five arrows to her fading Queen. The attack lands directly on the Queen, crown falling from her head, sword landing on the ground also. In a spark of 1s and 0s, the Queen fades away with such ease. "Woah," Tina stands their amazed even more so.

David looks at the cool ones and zeros. He grins. "They're cool even when they're gone." Martin Frog returns to his poison dart frog form on David's hand. He carries his familiar on his hand. He is proud, and still a little hurt from the attacks. "This is the power the Aether lends me to protect Mother Earth." He approaches Tina to fist bump her. "Cool training."

Tina walks up to touch her fading code, as it feels like the light bits of static fading back to the aether. "Think maybe this is my summons returning to the aether?" She wonders curiously or maybe it was the magic leaving and everything turning into literal data. No way her spells could be something like recycling, returning and sending, that would not be giving something that they defeated. Leaving her thoughts, she nods at Dave,"Equivalent exchange does a lot," she bumps his fist back,"Hella yeah it was." She smile at Martin in his hand,"You were pretty badass like Dave was!"

David didn't think of it that way. It took him a time. But as his mom used to talk about using magic and technology combined to not hurt either Mother Earth or the Aether, it didn't sound too far fetched. He smiled. "He. Maybe. Sure the Aether would like something this cool."

[ineffablywriting]

eight / american dream

uni AU co-written with @faux-styles

a story of late nights, unorthodox household plants, and a trip to Vegas that changes everything

“Need me to drop you off anywhere specific?”

“The gardening section is fine,” Savannah mumbled. She’d traded Reyna’s phone in for her own and was currently scrolling through instagram.

“Just promise me one thing,” Reyna sighed, taking a sharp right turn which earned her a glare from Sav. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“Promise what?” Savannah asked warily.

“Don’t buy another cactus, you’ve killed the last three you’ve owned.”

chapter seven / story page

“How was your date?” Reyna asked, barging into the flat that morning, still in her scrubs. “Also, I need a change of clothes,” she said catching Sav’s eye.

“Didn’t you take something to change into when you left for placement last night?” Alexa asked.

“I did, but some twat in the hallway decided they were going to throw up an entire bar on me just as I was leaving,” she grumbled darkly. “So, I had to take a second shower and change back into my scrubs.”

“Gross,” Sav wrinkled her nose as she dug through her closet.

“Thanks,” Reyna said kindly, grabbing the simple pair of jeans and a random t-shirt. “But don’t think you can get out of answering the question that quickly. How was your date?”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “It was a disaster. He took me to a bar that was more grease than actual bar.”

“I know,” Reyna grinned cheekily. “I meant your other date.”

“What?”

“A little birdie told me it involved a big yellow M and a rich boy,” she collapsed onto the sofa, the grin on her face only growing with each word.

“It wasn’t a date,” she rolled her eyes. “And I know that you know that it wasn’t a date so I’m not going to let you make me squirm over it.”

“Well you’re no fun,” she muttered, pulling out her phone as it lit up with a text.

“I’m plenty fun,” Savannah poked her tongue out. “Are you good to stay here on your own?”

“You’re going somewhere?”

“Just down to the markets,” she shrugged.

“I can give you a lift if you’d like.”

“Nah, it’s fine. You look like you need some sleep,” Sav fussed. “I swear the times they give you lot should be illegal.”

“It’s fine,” Reyna waved her off. “We need to get used it for the future anyway. I’m going to be on rotation in the emergency room soon and the hours are ridiculous,” she said with a gleam in her eye.

“Let me guess, you can’t wait?” Savannah shook her head in fond exasperation.

“I like the pressure.”

“I’m sure you do,” Sav offered back. “Which is all the more reason you should stay here and nap. You can take my bed. I’m fine taking the bus, really.”

“Nah, I’m gonna head over to Louis’ in a bit anyway,” Reyna waved her phone in explanation. “I’ll just nap at his place if I need to. His bed is bloody huge.”

“How is he?” Savannah asked. “I haven’t seen him around since Harry’s party - or, well, I guess it was more Louis’ party, but you know.”

“Yeah, same,” Reyna nodded. “He’s had a whole bunch of family things going on the past week and I think he got drunk at every single one, so he’s probably still hungover. I’m going to go over there and yap in his ear until he cries.”

“Why?” she asked, exasperated. “I mean, other than torturing your best friend.”

Reyna started laughing. “He deserves it. I was chatting with that fit bearded bloke at the party when he came over and planted a sloppy kiss right on my cheek and told me how much he loved me. Scared him right off,” she huffed.

At that Savannah burst out laughing. “Wish I’d seen that.”

“You can ask Alexa all about it,” she rolled her eyes. “She witnessed the whole thing. Speaking of,” Reyna changed the subject. “She have a double shift again?”

“Nah, she’s got that next week. I can’t believe she volunteers for them,” Sav shook her head, clicking the button for the lift as they made their way out of the flat. “I don’t care how much you paid me and tipped me, I wouldn’t work more than eight hours.”

“That’s because you work in a cafe and I work in a library,” Reyna joked. “Lex works in an art gallery. Bet she meets lots of posh and proper people and not the usual chavs we deal with. God, you know this one guy actually tried to check out a book without a library card the other day? And then he had the nerve to argue with me about it being a public library.”

“Sounds like something Louis would do,” Savannah teased as they walked over to Reyna’s small Suzuki.

“Oi, Lou’s not an idiot,” she defended without hesitation.

“I know that,” Savannah laughed. “I meant it sounds like something he’d do to piss you off.”

Reyna paused, considering her words. “Yeah, I can’t argue with that,” she agreed, slipping the key into the ignition.

“Does he know you’re going to see him?”

“Should do,” she shrugged. “That was him earlier who texted me. Haven’t checked what it said yet.”

“Want me to read it to you?” Savannah offered, picking Rey’s phone up out of the cup holder as she reversed out of her parking space. She’d decided to drive this time, rather than make Alexa get up at 5am in the morning to go and get her.

“Yeah, sure,” she shrugged and Sav instantly unlocked her phone. “You need my passco…” she trailed off. “Or not,” she raised a brow.

“1234 isn’t really much of a password, Rey,” Savannah laughed lightly. “Lou says, and I quote, I’m at home, why?”

“Alright cool,” Reyna grinned, as she merged into traffic.

“You want me to text him a reply?” she asked, even though she had a feeling Reyna was going to just brush her off. She never replied to texts.

“Nah,” she waved her off. “I’ll see him soon enough.”

“Of course you will,” Savannah sighed, rolling her eyes as she dropped the phone back into the cup holder.

“Need me to drop you off anywhere specific?”

“The gardening section is fine,” Savannah mumbled. She’d traded Reyna’s phone in for her own and was currently scrolling through instagram.

“Just promise me one thing,” Reyna sighed, taking a sharp right turn which earned her a glare from Sav. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“Promise what?” Savannah asked warily.

“Don’t buy another cactus, you’ve killed the last three you’ve owned.”

-

“Another houseplant?” Alexa asked incredulously from her position against the kitchen bench as Savannah awkwardly balanced the flower in one hand and kicked the front door shut with the other, arms laden with bags.

Dumping them, and her keys, onto the kitchen counter, she set the plant down gently and proceeded to stand there and admire the way the purple flowers hung delicately from their branches.

“It’s an orchid and I’m going to name him Oliver,” Savannah breathed out airily, running her hands along the pot.

Alexa quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve lost it,” she deadpanned, watching Savannah gaze almost lovingly at the plant.

“Shut up, I know what I’m doing,” she said, moving the pot towards the kitchen window where it sat, illuminated in the still-rising sun.

“Question,” Alexa began, unloading some of the groceries that Savannah had bought from the markets. “Why an orchid? Given up on cacti, have ya?”

Savannah sighed, shaking her head before climbing onto one of the stools. “Reyna banned me from buying another one. Said I’m going to be the cause of their extinction.”

“Did she really say that?” Alexa asked curiously, placing some vegetables in the fridge and bringing out a huge jug of orange juice. After a few weeks of living with Savannah, along with Reyna breathing down their necks, the girls had decided to learn how to cook homemade meals. And Alexa had to admit, it definitely saved her a lot of money.

“No,” Savannah admitted, “But it was implied.”

Alexa rolled her eyes and brought out two glasses, pouring the orange juice out before sliding one towards Savannah. She paused. “Sav…”

“Yeah?” Savannah asked, momentarily distracted by the presence - or lack thereof - of pulp in her orange juice. “This has no pulp,” she pointed out.

Sighing, Alexa took a swig from her own glass. “It was the only one they had left,” she said, “But listen here.”

Savannah looked at her friend with mild curiosity. “What’s up?”

“I’ve decided what I want for my birthday,” Alexa started off carefully, watching Savannah’s face carefully for her reaction.

“Yeah?” her friend perked up. Savannah absolutely loathed gift shopping, especially for friends who already seemed to have everything they could ever want. So if Lex was willing to give her gift ideas, she wasn’t going to protest. “What is it?"

“How would you feel if we all went on a trip?”

“A trip where?” she frowned a little, her suspicions rising at Alexa’s discomfort. “Up north? Down south?” Sav chatted, downing her glass and rinsing it quickly in the sink.

“I was thinking more… west,” Alexa replied slowly.

“Bristol?”

“Vegas.”

Savannah blinked.

“As in Las Vegas?” she confirmed, leaning back against the counter and clasping her hands behind her back to prevent herself from punching her friend in the arm.

“Yup.”

“You mean like, the City of Sin. The Las Vegas?”

“I don’t understand how I could be more clear. Yes, Vegas as in Las Vegas with the fake Eiffel Tower and the Bellagio Fountains. Las Vegas in America,” Alexa rolled her eyes, starting to get a little prickly.  

“You’re not kidding.”

“I’m not.”

Savannah paused, as if thinking about how to word her next thought. “Look, Lex. I know it’s your birthday and all but-”

“Before you even continue with that, hear me out,” Alexa interrupted. “I know you’re probably freaking about how much it’ll cost, but all you’re going to need is spending money,” she glared at Sav when she looked to interrupt. “Our flights are going to be covered under my parents’ frequent flyer points so that’s not something you have to worry about, and they also agreed to pay for our suite as a birthday gift for me. The only thing you really have to worry about on top of spending money is meals and breakfast is already covered by the hotel. Also,” Lex continued when she still looked unconvinced. “I don’t think we’ll even be there for long enough for it to be too much money.”

“But-”

“I know you want to say no right now. But Sav, it’s my birthday and I really, really want you to be there. You skipped out on my 21st, you have to come to my this one.”

“I was in hospital on your 21st,” Savannah crossed her arms, even as she tried not to smile. Alexa was a lot of things, but she wasn’t very manipulative and every time she tried to be, she and Reyna found it hilarious.

“Just think about it? Please?” Alexa implored, shoulders slumping a little in defeat.  

“Ok,” Savannah sighed, rolling her eyes. She knew she didn’t really need to think it through, with both flights and accommodation taken care of, there was no way she was missing the trip to Vegas. She’d pick up a few extra shifts at the cafe just to be safe, but she was sure that the savings she had in her account would be enough to cover the cost of the trip.

“Wait- ok you’ll think about it or ok you’ll come?”

“Ok, I’ll come,” Savannah grinned, moving forward to hug her friend. “You didn’t really think I’d miss out on Vegas did you?”

“Oh my god, I didn’t think you’d actually say yes so soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Alexa squealed, and Savannah couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s reaction.

“Anything for you, Lex,” she grinned in reply. “But now I really have to get ready for work before I’m late. I’ll see you this evening and we can discuss the details!”

-

Savannah didn’t know for sure, but she was convinced that someone deep within the inner pits of hell had it out for her today. She had only been working for two out of the six hours that made up her shift, but she was about ready to dig her own grave. For some unusual reason, every single mother in London had decided it was a great day to take their demon spawn to the cafe for lunch. The amount of crying, shrieking, screaming, and overturned porridge bowls had Savannah about ready to call it quits. In fact, she was sure that if it weren’t for the suddenly upcoming Vegas trip and the meagre funds in her bank account, she would’ve jetted out of there as soon as the kids had first started to appear.

Maeve, who was working the coffees for the morning, smiled sympathetically at Savannah as she passed by with a tray stacked high with dirty dishes. It had finally started to calm down, with only five or six occupied tables in the cafe and Savannah took this opportunity to slip behind the counter for a much needed breather.

“Rough morning?” Maeve asked, finishing up a flat white for the customer waiting by the counter and handing it to him with a smile.

“Don’t even start me,” Savannah sighed, leaning her head on the counter and closing her eyes momentarily. “I feel like the world’s against me today.”

“Not to undermine your feelings or whatever, Sav,” Maeve grinned, waving a dishtowel at a pestering fly that had been bothering her all morning, “but you say that every time we have a busy day.”

“Yeah, but this time I mean it,” Savannah insisted. “Did you see how many little monsters were out there? God, remind me to never have one of those.”

“You mean children?” Maeve smirked, used to her friend’s antics.

“Those were not children,” Savannah shook her head dramatically. “Those were mini satans. I swear one of them looked me in the eye as they spilled a perfectly decent plate of porridge!”

“That’s what children do, Sav,” Maeve sighed, leaning back against the counter she was manning.

“Ruin lives?” Savannah asked, making her friend outright laugh at her.

“Make messes.”

“That’s what I just said, innit?” Sav joked.

“Honestly, sometimes I worry about you,” Maeve shook her head, glancing over her shoulder as the cafe door chimed, only to quickly turn back when she saw it was just one of the children messing around. “So anyway,” she changed the subject, “wanna tell me what the real reason is for the sudden stick up your arse?”  

“Vegas,” Sav sighed.

“Vegas? What?” Maeve asked, bewildered. “I feel like it’s my job to point out that Vegas sounds like the complete opposite to having a stick up ya bum.”

“Yeah for people who can afford it.”

“So save up.”

“No, no, it’s not like that...it’s more...it’s hard to explain,” Sav fumbled, trying to formulate a proper sentence. “I have enough money for it. But only because of frequent flyer points and loving parents and-”

“Woah, hold up. Start from the beginning, would ya?”

“Ok so,” Savannah huffed out a breath. “Lex’s birthday is coming up and she wants to go to Vegas and I was all for it - obviously,” at her friend’s pointed look, she corrected herself. “Fine so I was a little reluctant, but I came around. Except now I’m having doubts again because it’s all happening so suddenly and I’m poor to the point where if it wasn’t for Alexa, I’d be bunking with my mum, so while she and Rey can literally go out and buy a house tomorrow -”

“Doubt it, but go on,” Maeve interrupted.

“-I can barely buy a t-shirt without wondering if I could maybe find the same one online for cheaper. And I want to try and explain that to them, but at the same time it’s her birthday and I don’t want to make her feel guilty for me being not as wealthy as them, which is the understatement of the century, by the way. So, I’m stuck working here cleaning up after Satan’s footmen trying to think of a gift I can get her for using up her parents’ frequent flyers, to coattail my way with them to Vegas,” she finished.

“First off, you really have to stop calling kids that. Secondly, there’s no way Lex cares about the gift you get her as long as it has some sentiment to it,” here she smacked Sav on the head, “and thirdly, take that bloody stick out of your bum and let your friends do something nice for you.”

“But -”

“No, shut up and lighten up, Sav. Ever since I’ve met you, you do this thing where you refuse to let anyone help you out - especially if they come from a privileged background.”

“I do not,” Sav said, a little outraged.

“You so do,” Maeve laughed lightly. “I don’t know why, but it’s almost like you’re trying to prove yourself worthy or something. You’re not Thor, Sav. You don’t have the fate of a realm resting on your shoulders - live and let live, I say.”

“I have no clue what you just said,” Savannah pointed out, her animosity deflating a little.

Maeve rolled her eyes. “Just let your friends buy you your way to Vegas. It’s what friends do, love. They help each other out when they can do something for you that you can’t do for yourself. Besides, this way it means you’ll have more money for alcohol.”

“You know,” Savannah chuckled, “you can go from ‘wise and all knowing’ to ‘a booze guzzling chav’ real quick.”

“It’s part of my charm,” Maeve winked, turning to face the counter, as the cafe bell rang - this time with an actual customer.

“I don’t doubt it,” Sav called back as she made her way out to take their order.

-

“I come!” a loud voice spoke up from down the hallway, the front door slamming shut almost immediately after, “bearing gifts!”

Savannah rolled her eyes before picking herself off the floor where she had been sat for a solid half hour after work and heading down towards the living room. “Hey Louis,” she greeted, walking up to him.

Louis grinned, setting the two six-packs of beer down on the counter before engulfing Savannah in a bone-crushing hug. “Hey sweetie,” he smiled. “Long time no see. You smell like bacon.”

“How are you?” she asked, eyes flicking between the alcohol on the table and Oliver sitting innocently just a few centimetres away from it. The second part of his greeting, she decided to completely ignore.

“Oh, I’m just peachy thanks!” another voice spoke up from the entranceway. Savannah glanced up curiously to see Reyna entering the space with five bags of take-out, all balanced precariously in her arms. “Can someone please take this away from me before I ‘accidentally’ drop it all on the floor,” she said through gritted teeth, glaring pointedly at Louis.

“Someone put you two in charge of the food, I see,” Alexa stated, walking in just as Louis walked over to help Reyna with the bags.

“I have a question,” Savannah perked up. “What’s the occasion?” she asked once everyone looked towards her.

“No occasion,” Reyna said. “But since we haven’t seen the boys in almost a week, we thought it would be nice to have a movie night.”

“And it had to be at our flat?”

“I volunteered us, actually,” Lex said sheepishly. “It was only fair,” she defended. “We’re always at Harry’s or Zayn’s, Louis’ place I wouldn’t step foot in unless it’s been bleached out and Reyna’s is too small for all of us to be comfortable,” she shrugged. “I’m going to pop outside for a second,” she said to no one in particular before leaving.  

“Fine I guess,” Savannah muttered, nudging the beers that Louis had brought to glance at the label, blanching slightly as she read the name. “You guys got the cheap beer,” she whined, pouting slightly. “It tastes like shit.”

“Hey!” Louis warned her, pointing a finger in her face. “Any alcohol is good alcohol.”

“What’s the point of having rich friends if they won’t buy the good stuff?” Savannah rolled her eyes, walking over to pull the bottles from the packaging and stacking them in the fridge as she did so.

“So what are you doing?” Reyna asked, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket and finally noticing the plant.

Savannah held her breath.

“What is this?” she asked slowly, as if afraid of the answer. From beside her, Louis guffawed. Having been Reyna’s best friend basically his entire life, he was accustomed to hearing the gruesome tales of the demise of Sav’s household plants.

“Oliver,” Savannah shrugged.

“Of course you’ve already named him,” Reyna sighed, looking at her friend exasperatedly. “I thought I told you no more plants.”

“No,” Savannah was quick to defend herself, “You didn’t. You said cacti in particular. Not orchids. Isn’t he beautiful?” she said, gazing at her plant adoringly.

“She’s lost it,” Louis whisper-shouted in Reyna’s ear, making sure that Savannah heard it.

Savannah glared at him.

“You have a problem,” Reyna concluded after a brief moment of silence. “I should call Dr. Phil. I can see it already. ‘Woman obsessed with killing household plants’. It’ll go viral. We’ll make a meme out of it and everything.”

“Hey!” Savannah exclaimed, “I’m not obsessed with killing them! I just… happen to forget about them after a while.”

Louis raised an eyebrow, hesitating a moment before speaking up. “Please don’t ever have children.”

“I’ll make a great mother,” Savannah said haughtily, carefully picking Oliver up and moving him away from Louis - who was already nursing a beer - and Reyna who was smirking over at her, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Go ahead and make your bets,” Savannah sighed. “But this time is different. Oliver will survive, you’ll see.”

“Bet he won’t make it to the end of next month,” Louis was quick to rise to the bait.

“Nah,” Reyna shook her head. “Reckon he might last a little longer than that.”

“Thank you!” Savannah grinned triumphantly.

“Alexa has quite the green thumb,” she continued.

“Screw you,” Savannah glared while Louis choked on his drink beside Reyna. “I don’t need Lex’s help to raise Oli, you’ll see,” she walked away from the two, taking Oliver with her. She intended to hide him somewhere where none of the others could find him.

She’d just walked back into the kitchen when the front door was pushed open by Alexa who’d gone downstairs to grab the mail.

“I found a couple of strays sitting around outside, thought I’d invite them in,” she smiled, moving aside to reveal Zayn and Harry. “They said no one would buzz them in?” she asked quizzically.

“They didn’t know the password,” Louis shrugged, making Alexa quirk a brow and stare expectantly over at Savannah.

“I thought I told you to keep an eye on the place,” she said.

“I was literally gone for like three seconds showing Oli to my room. I don’t even know how he managed to get to the intercom!” Sav was both impressed and a little scared at how crafty Louis was. “Did you help him?”

“Hey, leave me out of this,” Reyna held her hands up in surrender. “It was all Louis.”

“And you didn’t stop him?”

“It was funny,” Reyna shrugged. “Besides, they’re not frozen to death. Which is a shame, bet an ice sculpture or two would really liven the place up a bit,” she mused, completely disregarding Harry, Zayn and Alexa’s presence.

“I see it,” Zayn declared, turning to Lex. “I finally see it. She’s exactly like Louis, but a girl.”

“Oi!” Reyna glared at him, fighting off a smile. “I’m funnier than him. And better looking,” she added.

“That’s debatable,” Louis snorted, playing with the bottle opener attached to his keys.

“Ok then, before this gets any more underway, I’m just going to take a quick shower considering Louis said I smelled like a pig,” Savannah announced to the room.

“It’s for your own good, sweetie,” was all he said as she disappeared down the hall.

-

“Ok,” Harry started, turning to face Savannah while the others listened on patiently. “Blackjack is really really simple. I don’t understand why you haven’t played it yet, I mean, what rock have you been under your whole life?”

“Calm down, Styles,” she rolled her eyes. “Not everyone here has a gambling problem.”

Harry pretended to clutch his heart in pain. “You wound me, Simba.”

Everyone around the table, almost in unison, arched an eyebrow in amusement. Savannah felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she rolled her eyes at Reyna and Alexa who were grinning widely. Harry had been absolutely outraged upon learning that none of the girls at the table knew how to play proper blackjack and so had run to the closest open shop to find a deck of playing cards. Twenty minutes later, he was back with a mission in mind.

“Ok enough with the banter, you two. Explain the game so we can get on with it!” Niall urged, taking a swig of his beer.

Harry cleared his throat. “Ok. Basically, you get dealt two cards right, one facing down and the other facing up. Same with the dealer. And then you flip your card. And then you add up the two card values - if it’s a picture card, then it’s value is 10. If it’s a number card, then it’s value is whatever it is. And finally, if you get dealt an Ace, you can either choose for it to be either an 11 or a one. When you add up the two numbers, you can either choose to hit or stand. The whole idea of this is to reach as close to 21 as possible. So you can either hit and get dealt another card or you can keep the value of your two cards the same. If you go over 21, you’ve automatically lost,” he looked up at Savannah, then to Alexa and Reyna. “You following?”

“Yeah,” they said in unison. Harry talked at a pace befit for toddlers to understand, which ended up being a positive in this type of situation.

“Great, good. Say you’ve reached 19 with your cards and you choose to stand. The dealer then flips over his card. If it’s 16 or under, he automatically has to flip another. If he reaches 21, he’s won. If he’s gone over, everyone who got under 21 wins. However, when he flips and it’s 17 or over, he has to stand. So if he flips and gets 18, and you’ve got 19, then you’ve won the hand.”

“Okay,” Savannah nodded, trying to wrap her head around the whole concept of the game. Everyone else had seemingly started to lose interest and had now started up a conversation between themselves. “Okay wait, so,” Savannah said a concentrated furrow between her brows as she tried to make proper sense of what Harry was saying. “If you stand, do you just stay that way until everyone else also stands?”

“Yep,” Harry answered. “You’re all playing against the dealer so he has to wait until everyone stands before he can flip his card. So no cheating.”

“Oh, ok. So basically, you have to get your cards to 21 and every time you hit you get another card and you have to try and get as close to 21 without going over. If you stand you just sit there until everyone else stands as well and then the dealer does his thing and ta-da,” she waved her hands around as she finished.

“In layman’s terms, yeah.”

“Sweet, I think I’ve got it,” she grinned.

“Finally,” Louis said, turning back around to face the group and switching the TV off. “May the odds be ever in your favour,” he said mockingly.

-

“Ok, so the odds are definitely not in your favour tonight,” Louis deadpanned as Savannah lost another round.

“Fuck off, Louis. Harry’s obviously cheating,” Savannah glared down at her drink.

“You’re lucky we’re not playing for actual money,” Reyna shook her head sadly. “You’d be so broke you’d be living off ramen noodles for the next few months.”

“I’m already living off ramen noodles for the next few months because of this stupid bloody trip to Vegas,” Savannah cursed, frustration rolling off of her in waves.

“Oi,” Alexa cut in. “Don’t diss Vegas.”

“Yeah,” Niall added. “It’s not Vegas’ fault yer shit.”

Savannah lifted her gaze to shoot him a withering glare dangerous enough that Niall’s eyes widened and he shifted away from her slightly. “Think I’m going to get another drink,” he said to no one in particular before disappearing from sight.

“What trip to Vegas are we talking about here?” Louis perked up.

“You know I may be bad at blackjack, but I would annihilate you all in a game of poker,” Savannah defended, ignoring Louis while gathering up the cards on the table and handing them over to Harry to shuffle.

“Okay then,” he smirked, twisting the deck in his abnormally large hands. “I’ll take you up on that challenge. Texas hold’em or five-card?”

“Five-card.”  

“In that case, I’m out,” Reyna said quickly, not liking the fact that she was the weakest link when it came to poker.

“Me too,” Alexa agreed, getting up and following Reyna into the kitchen.

“Ok, in that case, I’m out too.  Now can someone answer my question?” Louis could be heard asking as he also disappeared from view. “What Vegas trip is this?”

Harry and Savannah exchanged a look as Zayn also left the circle wordlessly, not even bothering to come up with an excuse. Shrugging, Harry carefully shuffled the deck, dealing out five cards to Savannah and the same to him. When done, he placed the rest of the deck on the side and glanced up at her, his elbows on his knees and his fingers placed strategically under his chin.

“So, Vegas, huh?” he tried to distract Sav from her game.

“It’s for Lex’s birthday,” she shrugged. “And don’t think you can play me into giving something away,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re in my domain now,” she smirked at him.

“I’m just being social,” Harry blinked at her innocently. “Who’s going on the trip?” he asked.

“Dunno,” she shrugged, “we haven’t really discussed the details yet. We’ll probably do that tonight in the groupchat.”

“You have a groupchat?”

“You don’t?” Sav asked astonished when Harry just shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Louis will fix that soon enough. He’s always starting new groups. I’m surprise he hasn’t started one with all of us already.”

Harry snorted. “If I know Louis, and I do, unfortunately, chances are he’s going to start one tonight demanding we all go to Vegas.”

“I have the perfect name if he does,” she lit up with excitement.

“I’m scared to ask…”

“The Rat Pack,” she announced proudly. “Now can we please play?”

“Fine fine,” Harry sighed, taking a good, long look at his cards. “Prepare to be annihilated.”

[raindrenchedstories]

After the sad

Remember that REALLY sad story? Ye....Here’s a continuation!

Cleaning out Richters old cage was just as hard as losing him. It was a part of him, in a way. And now his things were being packed up, and placed in a little box, left in the closet. Bear had to take a few cry breaks here and there.

Even though Archibald offered to help, Bear had told him it was just too hard to watch someone else do it. He was brushing off one of the pillows to be cleaned when something small and white fell out. A tiny letter.

Bear lifted this, running a hand over it. He took it to the story table and set it under the reading spell.  An image flickered up, that made Bear tear up. Richter sat in front of it smiling. A younger version of himself. The way Bear remembered him. Bright and cheerful. He shifted a few times, and spoke.

“Dear Bear. I feel like my time is coming soon. I’ve been more weary these days. It’s a struggle to even get out of bed some mornings.” The image grew older. As the realization that Richter wrote this only a short while ago dawned on Bear. “I’m not going to say ‘don’t cry’. In my opinion that’s the most selfish thing anyone can tell a loved one. Cry as much as you need to. But keep in mind. I was always happy in your care.”

The elderly Richter folded his hands smiling. “I think that’s why I kept going for so long. Because before meeting you, I didn’t have such a great life. It’s nice to have a reason to smile everyday. I’ve always tried to be the happiest thing in your life because of that. But I’m old, Bear. And I’m willing to bet bet that by the time you read this. I’ll be gone. OR you’re just cleanin’ the cage. And this fell out.” The image laughed.

“This... Kind of brings me to my... will of sorts. I haven’t anything to offer. To pass on to a loved one. If Neil’s still kickin’ around. Tell him he’s an asshole. But he was always a dear friend.” The old face just grinned madly.

“But before I get too sidetracked. Lord knows I will. Getting so old these days.” He seamed to drift off. “When you’re done grieving. When you feel ready. Take someone else in. I don’t want you to be alone. If you have it in you. Take someone who’s had the hardest time in life. The person no one wants. Take the one who looks like he had it the hardest. Because that’s what you did for me.” He smiled.

“I won’t hold it against you though. If you can’t. But... Don’t be alone. Okay?”

Bear just dropped to his knees. Eyes welling up a bit. “Oh! There’s a second letter around there too. That’s for whoever you take home. You can have Neil read it, if you like. But please, keep it around.”

Bear smiled. Laughing bitterly. “Did you EVER think about yourself?” Bear found the other letter, and stuffed it in his pocket. 

He visited Archibald a few days after, and let him see the letter. Spotting Neil with the grandchildren. Unlike Richter. Neil had chosen to take on a mate. And have a family. Which also had a family. It got to the point  where Archibald had tunnels running along his walls for a tiny community he was apparently raising.

Neil gave the giant a kindly smile. Presenting the new grandbaby for inspection by the giant. “I... I hope you don’t mind.” The mother squeaked in. “We named him after... HIM.” Everyone shuffled awkwardly.

Oddly, the baby kind of resembled Richter now. Bear just smiled. “That’s fine. He was your pa’s best friend after all. Hope you don’t mind if I call ‘im little R though.”

“Oh! Oh yes. That’s fine.” The baby was passed back. “Speaking of Richter... Er. Big R. He left you a message Neil.

“I’m an asshole?”

“You’re an asshole.”

Archibald chimed in with a; “Tell us something we DON’T know.” The three shared a laugh. Archibald leaned in with a little sigh.

“So... What are you here for?” He passed Bear a fresh cup of tea smiling.

“I’m carrying out his will.” Everyone froze a moment. The woman giving a little cough.

“Are you sure it isn’t too soon?”

“If I live alone much longer, it’ll be too late. I miss him. Gods do I miss him. But he wanted this so... So I’m heading down to the shelter. Would you like to come along Arch?”

Archibald slung back his tea at an alarming rate. “Sure. Let me get my coat.”

The shelter was rather empty. Not many humans returned after being adopted. Not many needed to. The happy house shelter screened the owners heavily enough that both Bear and Archibald had the moral equivalent of a criminal records check. As well as a few actual criminal record checks. Oh, and a few doctors checks as well.

It was worth it. Once you passed those, you were in the system, and could adopt at any time. They checked in, and were led to the back.

One or two men and woman had been shy. But to Bears knowledge, that was normal. And many of them were social enough to talk with him. One woman even excitedly yapped at him for perhaps an hour. In reality it was only a few minutes. But it felt like an hour. “I’m sorry sweetie. You’re a bright girl, very sweet. But Well...”

He shuffled, heart breaking at the crestfallen look in her eyes. “My last pet left me instructions in his will. I’m sorry hun. Otherwise I’d take you home in a heartbeat.”

She perked up a little, smiling sadly. “Oh. What where the instructions? Maybe I can help.” 

“Thank you. He told me to find the one who looks like he or she needs the home. Like they’ve never had a happy day in their lives.” Bear looked around, trying to spot anyone matching the description. The girl motioned for him to come closer.

“Otis. The one in 3B. There’s no way he’ll get a loving home otherwise. He’s... Not great with giants. Or anyone really.” She spoke softly. Bear smiled a moment.

“Thank you.”

Approaching Otis was an ordeal in and out of it’s self. Both men went wide eyed with the colorful language he used. Apparently worse then Neil. Threatening plausible things even.

That said, Otis kept ducking further and further back. Flattening himself against the wall. Bear heaved a sigh. Then nodded. “Yep. Him.”

Otis’ voice raised in pitch. “NO! NO NOT HIM! JUST LEAVE ME BE!” He attempted to duck into the privacy of the ‘restroom’. Bear just shook his head. Watching as the man smashed his face against the door.

He spoke with the lady at the counter. And waited out front. There was a series of screams, loud enough to get through even giant walls. Both men leaned back. Archibald leaning closer to Bear. “Are... Are you sure about this?”

“It was Richters last wish. I don’t care if Otis hates me all his life. I only care that he’s in a good place.” The box was shoved into Bear. The lady behind the counter, shaken up and bedraggled.

Her hand badly scratched, bit, and bruised. “I wish you luck sir. You’re a damned saint for even attempting.” She growled. Otis could still be heard inside the oddly reinforced box. Pulling what cardboard there was away.

“What’s this guy’s history anyhow?” Archibald eyed the screaming bundle.

“Simply put. He was used in an illegal fighting ring. When he wasn’t fighting he was... well. Let’s just say he doesn’t trust giants OR humans. Or anything else for that matter.” The woman blinked at the box.

Letting humans duke it out was actually legal. A pet could uphold their masters honor when it came to dealing with smaller people. But the fights were NEVER deadly. Never allowed to wound or cripple. Never for the sheer sake of blood sport. The worst you could leave was a bruise.

Illegal fighting rings would pit humans and other pet beings against each other to the death. If not one another, then an animal like a Chimera or manticore. People who survived long enough, were bred and retired. Which meant even humans owned by the same person, would turn on one another, just to survive.

“Right. He’s perfect then.”

“NO I’M NOT!”