#this would have been finished last week prob but i was out of town

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

Wool Scarves Should Be Mandatory Hero Attire

Negasonic seems convinced that the smaller someone is, the less braincells they possess. Nano doesn't want to prove him right, but the few remaining braincells they have are frozen to each other and can't form a single thought.

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AO3 Link

WHOOPS back on my bullshit with these two. I took a few prompt suggestions from fans including Nano wrapping themself up in Negasonic's cape as a blanket and my own idea of their helmet being able to communicate via emoticons. These stupid bastards have wormed their way into my heart...

I already have another oneshot idea brewing for them, but any more suggestions for their dynamic is welcome!!! (since I don't have any direct sequel ideas if you're looking for more fearplay)

Reminded that Jamie/Nano is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns (:

13.5K words

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Well, all things considered, this plan had gone about as well as it could have for a half ass scheme thought up by a handful of failing college students. Actually, only Nano and Elastica were enrolled in college; Shimmer had dropped out last semester and Matchplay never pursued higher education to begin with. So, really, their combined intelligence was running on fumes and it appeared the poor old clunker was ready to give out at the worst possible time.

As ironic as it was, it was actually Negasonic who pushed for Nano to get out there and make their own hero alliances in order to solidify their place in the superhero scene. To have a notorious supervillain tell you that you need to get some friends was a whole new level of absurdity they never expected to deal with, but he was right. Nano wanted to make their name more well known to heroes and villains alike, to steadily rise in the ranks in hopes of reaching the same greatness as the nationally revered superheroes. It was a long shot for sure, especially under the assumption they would survive the cesspool of crime they called their hometown. However, Nano had a bonus secret weapon no other hero could say they had, and one villains would never suspect to be possible.

The tiny hero had Negasonic wrapped around their (literal) little finger.

Try as the supervillain might to deny these allegations, Nano knew better than anyone Negasonic had an obvious soft spot for them. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have saved them from Sandy all those months ago and nursed their wounds, going as far as to painstakingly repair their miniature tech to help them return to their full scale. It would have been much easier for Negasonic to crush them underfoot on the docks or simply never allow them to return to normal size, keeping a little pet hero for as long as he saw fit. But he didn’t, and even after he kicked Nano out of his base once they were deemed physically fit enough, he continued to lurk around them. Sometimes it was a little flash of purple out of the corner of their eye right before a thug fell to their knees, other times Negasonic would appear from the shadows to personally tell Nano that a gas station slushie and redbull did not count as dinner.

Even now the supervillain was sending them text messages that popped up within Nano’s visor. Honestly, they weren’t sure if this was a feature the helmet had always had or if this was another sneaky improvement Negasonic had added when he repaired it. For a guy who claimed he didn’t care about putting in unnecessary effort, Negasonic sure went through a lot of trouble to add his own version of parental controls on tech Nano barely grasped to begin with. To make sure they didn’t interfere with his business, Negasonic said with a dismissive wave. To shut down functions and keep an eye on them before they did anything too stupid while out of range. Negasonic had even gone as far as to include the ability to project simplistic, old school emoticons on their visor in order to display the facial expressions that were concealed beneath. The excuse for that one had been so Negasonic, as well as anyone else, would be able to clearly see what state Nano was in regardless of what size they were at.

And if Nano immediately took hold of that coding to update the emoticons to more trendy, borderline cringy expressions to show to the world, then that was their business.

Another message popped up to the left of their vision from an unspecified sender. It was just as straightforward as the last one Nano had gotten an hour earlier when the ragtag group of heroes first arrived to assess the area. Go home. They rolled their eyes and blinked to close the pop-up. As much as Nano was grateful for all the things the supervillain had done for them, especially considering his reputation of blasting away heroes to do whatever he wanted, it was starting to grind their gears with his hypocritical protectiveness. One minute Negasonic was pushing them to go bother other budding avengers so that he didn’t have to constantly bail them out of sticky situations, the next minute he was telling Nano to turn around and stop going on dangerous missions with other heroes. Geez, did this guy want them to reach their potential of being the next great superhero or not? Well, probably not, seeing as that was one more dogooder in Negasonic’s way.

Whatever, Nano wasn’t going to back down from this opportunity to create some new alliances. Leaving now at the supervillain’s insistence would make it look like Nano was chickening out, which they were doing their very best not to, seeing as this was their first real scuffle with an up and coming villain. Thugs and mobsters were low hanging fruit, usually just a tough guy with a gun, easy enough for Nano to dodge and smack around. Villains, though, could range from a mastermind kingpin to an overpowered threat, neither of which Nano had the gall to face alone. Baby steps. They had to work their way up the hierarchy to build their confidence. Besides, what was the hero supposed to say to the others? Sorry guys, can’t fight tonight, one of the most infamous and deadly supervillains of our time wants me to take it easy for now. Yeah, that would fly over real well, assuming they didn’t think Nano was a) lying out of their ass or b) secretly in cahoots with evil forces.

“We know the plan?” Shimmer asked, peering down the skylights of the warehouse everyone was perched on into the high class facility below. The old, near abandoned looking outer shell of the warehouse was the perfect facade to hide away the technological advancements within. Sleek, white walls lined with pill shaped chambers and harsh lighting beating down to complete the hospital aesthetic it was going for. At a first glance, it would look like any one of those ritzy, elite medical spas for the super rich to go and remain physically beautiful for another five or ten years. Essentially, that’s what this business was selling; an affordable alternative to waiting for the future by cryogenically freezing oneself in their prime of their youth and waiting to be thawed when technology allowed. It was a huge appeal to those struggling financially as there was no down payment, even advertising that they could freeze themself for as long as they wanted to allow any assets to grow in a blink of an eye and keep them steady once they rejoined society.

It sounded too good to be true, because it was. These poor people signed away all their rights, most of them so down on their luck that one of the main reasons they agreed to begin with was so they could have a place to sleep for the next fifty years. This was all a prototype experiment, anyways, with a collection of ‘small’ risks that may occur, all of which they signed off on. Unfortunately, all those unlucky souls had agreed to do was to become frozen and comatose in order to harvest their organs when needed on the blackmarket, cornering the illegal trade by promoting the fact that the goods were about as fresh as one could get. It was essentially a farmer’s market of transplants.

Nano and Elastica nodded at Shimmer, but Matchplay seemed hesitant. “Can we go over it one more time?” He asked. They had already gone over it seven times tonight, but Nano was secretly relieved to have the added refresher seconds before they were meant to go into action. Everything needed to go perfect if they wanted to ensure both they and the still unsold people within would survive.

“There’s guards around the perimeter, but only security cameras inside the lab here,” Shimmer explained, a dazzle of light sparkling from her fingertip as she traced it around the skylight for everyone to follow. “Nano is going to shrink in so they don’t get picked up on the video feed and disable the cameras, then Elastica will help Matchplay and I down through this window we’re on.”

“And Shimmer stands guard to blind anyone who comes in,” Elastica chimed in.

Shimmer nodded. “If we’re really sneaky about this, though, we shouldn’t have to worry about that. You’re going to have to be super stealthy, Matchplay.”

Matchplay looked affronted. “I am stealthy.”

“Burning everything to hide the evidence doesn’t count as being stealthy,” Nano pointed out, their visor displaying a :P emoticon to convey their teasing expression.

Matchplay’s methods reminded Nano of a certain supervillain who similarly liked to destroy everything in his path. The difference was Matchplay genuinely thought he was helping by burning all the surroundings to ash.

The fiery hero scoffed. “Yeah, well, if they don’t know who did it, it counts as being stealthy.”

“Oh no, who could have torched this drug den? Couldn’t possibly be the guy with fire powers,” Elastica deadpanned.

“Not to mention you burned the twenty witnesses who saw you do it.”

“Okay, we’re getting off track,” Shimmer huffed. “Nano, cameras. Elastica, entry. Matchplay, behave.”

Matchplay grumbled. “Sure, give everyone else the easy tasks…”

Nano scanned the lab below for the hundredth time, counting all the cryogenic pods and operation tables. “What about the hotshot? Moseley?”

“At a meeting according to his secretary,” Shimmer flicked her long, golden hair over her shoulder. “We shouldn’t have to worry about him. Get in, grab the stiffs, get out.”

“Is it really going to be that simple, though…?” Oh, Elastica, why did she have to go and jinx them. “I mean, aren’t they all in comas? And half frozen? Can we really just take them out with no ill effects?”

Matchplay gave half a shrug. “I dunno, being a little freezer burnt sounds better than missing both kidneys.”

“I was more worried about brain damage. Or total organ failure, which would completely miss the point of us trying to save them.”

Shimmer seemed like she was getting frustrated by the constant pointing out of their flawed logic. “Well what else can we do, huh? Take pictures and send them to OSHA?”

“...yes?”

Nano knew better than to snicker at such a tense moment, but they couldn’t help but flash ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ at the bristling hero. Elastica was making some pretty valid points, it just would have been better had she brought it up during their days of planning rather than the minute before they were supposed to act. They were all lucky Shimmer’s powers were only emitting light with no heat source behind it or they’d all be toast from her sparkling glare.

“Are any of you going to take this seriously? There’s people’s lives at stake!” Shimmer snapped.

“I am,” Elastica defended. “I just don’t want us to accidentally kill the people we’re trying to save.”

“Definitely a waste of an evening,” Matchplay said.

They weren’t getting anywhere with their team compatibility rapidly dwindling. Nano’s visor displayed ^^; while they held up their hands in an effort to placate rising tensions between the heroes. “Okay, so we just need a new exit plan, right? We got this. We can totally come up with something if we put our heads together.”

“Yeah? Got any ideas?” Shimmer crossed her arms over her bedazzled chest.

…no. They hadn’t a single thought and their lack of response was loud enough to hear. Shimmer groaned while their brilliant plan fell apart before their very eyes, all that hard work and late nights undone because Elastica had to find the fatal flaw. They could always regroup and come back, but the faux company’s founder Eric Moseley was quickly rising in the blackmarket business. Waiting another week would only be furthering his headstart to add more security and risk complicating future plans, not to mention that only kept the window open for more people to be harvested in their frozen slumber. If they were going to do something about it, they needed to do it now.

Matchplay pursed his lips in deep thought as evident by the little trail of smoke swirling above his head. “What if we don’t just take the people, but the cryo-pods they’re in, too?”

“How? Those things probably weigh a ton!” Nano asked. Damn, they could have been so much more useful if they had the ability to grow right now.

While pondering this next roadblock, Elastica looked over the rooftop and pointed at the delivery trucks paired near the docks below. “What about those?” She suggested. The hitched trailer could easily fit a dozen or so pods, so if they took at least two trucks they might be able to get everyone out of the facility. “I’m sure the pods are able to run on their own power supply to keep everything…fresh.”

Nano shuddered at the thought of people being shipped like fish in an ice bucket packed on the trucks. Elastica was probably on to something about the pods running on an independent battery for transport, that should buy them enough time to get the survivors out of the facility and driven to one of the heroes bases to be awakened properly. This, dare they hope, could work. Rather than fry the camera feed, Nano could freeze it to play the same still image to create the illusion there was no movement in the empty lab. Elastica wouldn’t have to rev up the trucks and alert the guards with rumbling engines, instead she could stretch her arms down to the cabins and release the parking brake to roll the hulking vehicle backwards and to the bay doors. That left Shimmer and Matchplay still doing their original jobs of blinding any intruders and doing the heavy lifting respectively.

Eh, maybe Matchplay could set the lab on fire a little bit when the team peeled out of there, if only to destroy as much of the schematics as possible to prevent the empire from being rebuilt any time soon.

Shimmer's mood has perked up significantly as they went over the new details of their revised plan. There was a unanimous shift between the four of them that improved their outlook on the situation, a renewed vigor vibrating amongst them that they were about to pull off one of the greatest rescue missions in their current careers. If they could successfully pull this off, there was no telling what they could do as a newly formed group!

Another message pinged in the corner of Nano’s helmet, the same blunt tone telling them to Go home. Now. Without a second thought, they closed it. What did Negasonic know anyways, huh? The little group had just come up with a backup plan all on their own and in record time. Nano wasn’t about to let this victory slip through their fingers just because some supervillain thinks he knows better. The same supervillain that was pushing them to go make real friends and who would definitely prefer they stay out of any evil business exploits in order to avoid crossing paths while he’s trying to work. Sorry, Negasonic, but this time Nano was going to spread their wings and jump out of the nest themself.

–

It all went to shit in roughly thirty-two minutes.

In Nano’s defense, they had done exactly what they were tasked to do perfectly. Really, all of the heroes had pulled off what they were supposed to be doing without a hitch. The cameras were frozen, the trucks were pulled up, a few of the cyro-pods had been safely disconnected and ready to load up as soon as they could find a hand trolley to wheel the machinery. Yet apparently the guards, who should have been blinded by Shimmer’s strobe effect once they came in to do their rounds, had no problem randomly firing off their guns in hopes of hitting their unseen threat. Bullets ricocheted around the lab, thankfully not striking anyone besides giving Matchplay a graze along his bicep.

For as much work as they all put into perfecting their plan with a new backup scheme, the heroes probably should have considered what may happen if Shimmer’s main job was utterly useless. The guards shot everywhere as they flailed the guns, shattering glass equipment and embedding into the cryo-pods, some bullets even riddling the frozen occupants within. At least they were asleep. Their plan had very quickly shifted from ‘stick together and save everyone’ to ‘duck in cover and try to make it out alive’. An unfortunate outcome to the guards trying to spray the room in a hail of bullets was that even more guards were alerted to the commotion, storming the halls to act as backup with their guns already drawn. Very quickly, the heroes were outnumbered and out of backup plans.

Of the four scrapy heroes, Nano was the one with the best chance of survival based on their track record of slipping through the cracks when things got too heated. They couldn’t do that now, though, not when their friends would be slaughtered. None of them were at the untouchable ranks that the acclaimed league superheroes had. They wouldn’t be able to handle this mess on their own. Really, they were barely handling this mess together, but at least that gave the group an extra five percent chance of survival. Fuck, Nano should have listened to Negasonic. Going home sounded so much better than taking shelter in the vents, the frigid air conditioning was already a nightmare to transverse when they had to trek through the ducks in order to find a back entrance into the security room. Why did everything here have to be so damn cold?!

As more guards continued to pour in guns ablazing, Shimmer gave up on her plan of strobing their vision and ducked behind a desk to avoid getting shot. Now that there wasn’t a flashing light to impede their aim, the goons had a much easier time spotting the scrambling heroes and pointing the barrels straight at their heads. Matchplay wasn’t going down so easily and let his fire power consume his entire being in hot flames, lashing his arms at the guards to create whips of fire and force them back. Fireproof did not equate to bulletproof, sadly. Though a few guards did lose their grips on their guns as a result of being singed, there were still too many armed ones that had perfect aim for his glowing body. A bullet lodged itself in his shoulder, making Matchplay howl out in pain and recoil backwards to take cover behind a collection of cryo-pods.

The guards had no qualms continuing to shoot in the fiery hero’s general direction, demolishing the expensive frozen beds in their frenzy. Moseley was going to be pissed upon seeing all this property damage his own henchmen caused, right? At the very least he’d chew them out for letting so many potential donors go to waste after their previously healthy organs were riddled with lead. Undeterred by the thought of getting written up by their psycho boss, the goons advanced closer to where the various heroes had hidden to finish the execution. With the amount of money this operation had to be bringing in, it would only take a clean up crew and a few technicians before this place was up and running just as it had been an hour prior. There wouldn’t even be a fleck of blood to commemorate the heroes who gave their lives accomplishing nothing.

The pain was too great for Matchplay to keep himself aflame, the fire fizzling away while he clutched his bleeding shoulder to reveal a pale, whimpering face. Before the guards could get him back in full view, however, Elastica lept from the machinery near the bay doors she had hunkered down behind, extending her rubbery arms to coil around the two guards closest to Matchplay. It worked for a moment to incapacitate them, keeping their arms pinned to their sides and unable to fire a bullet into either of the heroes' heads. However, Elastica lacked the strength needed to heft two grown men and swing them around like a lasso, which the goons were quick to take advantage of. Two more men appeared, one at each stretchy arm, and took hold of the limbs to yank her forward. She lurched towards them with a yelp, the increasingly lack of distance making her arms go slack around her former prisoners. By the time they were able to shimmy off the human restraints, she was close enough to be dazed by a sucker punch by one guard and hurled like a shot put by her own arms by another.

Her overstretched body collided with Matchplay, knocking them both to the ground in a groaning heap. The guards snickered to themselves at the pathetic attempt to fend them off, just a bunch of stupid kids in stupid costumes with stupid ideas. Arguably, Matchplay was the strongest weapon amongst the group due to having a power that could actually cause damage. With him out of commission, the others were struggling to use their own abilities for defense rather than offense. Shimmer had to be the most useless out of all of them right now, nothing more than a sparkly beacon to give away the best spots to shoot her. The sheer terror on her face when one of the guards gave her a sickening smirk made Nano’s stomach roll. She was pretty and vulnerable and these guys were as vile as scum could get if they didn’t mind working in the human trafficking trade.

Nano wasn’t going to sit and wait around for the worst to happen. Adrenaline pushed their shivering legs to sprint out of the vent at top speed, their miniature launching overhead undetected. They waited until they were at the peak of their momentum to resize themself to full scale, the hero seeming to appear out of nowhere as death from above to drop their weight on top of a goon. Nano was by no means a large person, but the force was more than enough to knock the guard down and take out another as collateral damage. Immediately, all eyes were on the shrinking hero who had been undetected until now, a new threat to be accessed and dealt with accordingly. Dealt with, of course, meant aiming a dozen guns at their face and trying to obliterate their brains.

Months of training with muggers and petty car thieves gave Nano the upperhand in most cases when it came to fending off armed attackers. This time, however, it was about fifteen against one compared to the typical one-on-one combats they were used to. Sure, this wasn’t terrifying at all, Nano definitely didn’t feel like they were on the verge of vomiting and passing out from their heart imploding in a fit of anxiety. One wrong move and they were toast. As much as the hero liked to think they were doing better in growing their confidence, their inner voice was screaming at them to curl up and hide and let everyone else fend for themselves. After the fiasco with Sandy, even though it ultimately worked out for the better in the end between them and Negasonic, Nano’s belief in themself kept fluctuating dramatically. One moment they felt like their old self, like they were on top of the world and could take down anyone. Two seconds later they were cowering at the idea of facing up against a bank robber alone.

“You’re traumatized,” Negasonic told them once when they had vented about the mixed feelings that had been becoming more radical. “You flew too close to the sun and now you’re scared to do it again. You’ll get over it.”

Nano was really hoping this would be the exact moment when their psyche decided to ‘get over it’.

For a brief, shining moment, it actually felt as if it was. Instinct to persevere took hold of their autonomy to power through the freeze reaction that tried to lock them in place. A gunshot echoed behind them, but Nano had already shrunk to half their size to dodge the projectile with ease, the bullet instead piercing the chest of a guard standing opposite of them. It was like everything was moving in slow motion just like an action movie, yet in reality chaos was breaking loose now that one of the goons had officially been taken down. Nano was still wildly outmatched even if all the heroes were suddenly able to band together through the power of friendship and combine forces. Still, there was a tick of satisfaction seeing the mob of henchmen lose their cocky heads because they were down one member out of fifteen, as if it should have really made a difference. Not to mention it was the other guard’s incompetence that led to his coworker getting splattered. Nano was just over here being a little dude.

Using their two foot height to their advantage while the guards were still scrambling to process that the tiny hero wasn’t in their field of vision anymore, Nano tackled the pair of legs directly in front of them, ramming their shoulder into the kneecap to force the limb to bend backwards. It wasn’t enough to fully snap the joint, but it was enough to send the guard falling on his ass with a cry of pain. Due to him twisting as he fell, he probably aided Nano in dislocating his knee. Good enough for them, that was one more foe downed. The other guards recovered their bearings and tried to fire at the pint size target weaving between their legs, but Nano was too close, creating a risk that they might fire into each others’ feet and femoral arteries. Some of them didn’t care if they caused their coworker to collect workman’s comp, though most of them resorted to trying to kick and step on them instead.

Nano ducked between another guard’s legs, waiting until they were perfectly aligned under them to regrow another two feet. The rapid expansion caused the hard exterior of their helmet to collide at high speeds with the man’s pelvis, illicting a very unmanly squeal of agony when his groin was crushed in the process. As their height kept growing, Nano was essentially like a bull throwing a cowboy over their horns, sending the man up and over before crashing on the ground to writhe in pain. They could have sworn they heard a few of the other goons suck in a sympathetic wince.

Much like every other time, Nano’s good luck was bound to run out at the most inopportune moment. Shimmer had been locked in place on the floor, too frightened to get up and try to help with her useless powers. She could try to blind the guards again, sure, but now she risked blinding Nano who was zipping around them at various sizes. A handful of other guards had already entered to take care of the other battered heroes, yet not how Nano was expecting. Despite having initially come at the heroes blindly shooting at anything that moved, the goons didn’t finish off Elastica and Matchplay with two quick shots to the back of the head like Nano expected. Instead, Elastica was pulled up and thrown into one of the rolling office chairs with a confused groan.

The punch to the head coupled with being thrown into Matchplay probably gave her a minor concussion given how fuzzy her focus was. She didn’t even try to fight off the men who took her stringy arms and wrapped them around herself and the back of the chair similar to how she had tried to bind the guards moments prior. While she was being tied up by her own limbs, Matchplay was hauled to his feet by his injured shoulder with a howl. An orange glow burned under his skin, threatening to crack in a burst of flames fueled by endorphins, but the guards had the perfect plan for him. What better way to cool down a hot headed hero than by shoving him into an unoccupied cryo-pod. Matchplay didn’t have the luxury of being given a sedative for a medically induced coma like the other duped patients, instead having to feel the unnatural cold seep into his burning body like rapid hypothermia.

Being suspended in a frozen body had to be agonizing for anyone while they were conscious. Nano could only imagine the extra layer of pain the fire-based hero had to deal with as he was forcefully extinguished. Would the cold kill him, or only severely weaken him? Being frozen alive would probably severely weaken anyone, honestly. Shimmer decided that now was as good a time as any to spring into action in an attempt to save Matchplay from his unsavory torture. While the guards were preoccupied trying to swat away Nano like a pesky fly, Shimmer scurried around them to run to the cryo-pod and try to open the sealed casing. Sadly, her powers were only based on being able to manipulate light particles to create concentrated glows. They couldn’t conduct electricity or heat or something that might be of use to pry the mechanical locks apart.

It wasn’t clear what her plan was supposed to be beyond trying to rescue her friend, did she think the guards weren’t going to see her messing with the cryo-pod ten feet away? Nano was a good distraction, sure, but they weren’t interesting enough to hold everyone’s attention long term. Especially considering Shimmer was decked out in a sparkling outfit that dazzled in people’s eyes with every movement. Christ, and Nano thought their neon yellow suit was obnoxiously bold.

Nano saw the guard approaching behind Shimmer before she did, his gun pointed inches from the back of her head and ready to spray her brains right in front of Matchplay. He tried to bang his trembling hands against the semi transparent glass, but his muffled warnings were only mistaken for struggling against the cold. Without a second thought, Nano grew to their full height to vault over a guard trying to grab them, shrinking midair to catch a second running start down the extended arm of another goon. They leapt off the guard’s wrist just when he realized there was a tiny hero scuttling on his jacket, Nano narrowly missing the free hand that was coming to swipe at them. With clear, open air to the main antagonist looking to execute Shimmer, Nano once again resized themself to about a foot or so in height, just enough weight to skew the guard’s aim when they landed on his hand.

The trigger was squeezed, most likely as a result of a flinch reaction, but luckily missed Shimmer entirely after Nano forced the arm to bend away from her head. In a happy accident, the bullet actually hit the sleek lock mechanism of the cyro-pod that had alluded to her attempts at being opened. The clashing of metals sparked followed by a low hiss as the hydraulics keeping an airtight seal relaxed to allow the frigid air to escape through the seams. Shimmer jumped back in shock at the sudden gunshot ringing in her ears, but wasted no time in swinging the door open and letting Matchplay fall into her arms. He was alive but a worrying shade of blue compared to his usual tan skin, the warmth of his core almost entirely zapped out of him. He fell against Shimmer as a shivering deadweight, almost sending her to the floor as well as she tried to support him.

That was one teammate saved, on to the ne-

Shimmer flashed her hands like a seizure inducing strobe in the face of the man who had tried to shoot her pointblank, hoping to ward him off at close proximity before she could attack her or Matchplay again. Nano was still airborne, having launched back off the hand they had kicked away, but now they were soaring when the goon tried to smack the painful light out of his eyes and managed to swat the tiny hero instead across the chest. Immediately, they were winded, instinctively shrinking down further to a few inches in height with the hopes of avoiding a collision with anything in the area. It was hard to see their surroundings as Nano was batted into the light field, obscuring obvious obstacles like broken glass and jagged corners they should be wary of regrowing near. The lack of air in their lungs from the smack that was surely going to leave an aching bruise, coupled by Shimmer’s unintentional blinding, left Nano feeling like they were ghosting through a void.

Oh, they were fucked.

Nano’s back crashed against something hard and cold. Fantastic, now they were sure to have a matching bruise splattering against their shoulder blades. The reinforced coating around their helmet prevented Nano’s brain from getting too rattled upon impact, but the rest of their unpadded body wasn’t as lucky. They hadn’t even been able to suck in a much needed breath before they were free falling from an indeterminable height. It would probably be in their best interest to regrow right about now before they splattered on a surface far below, yet their body was too stunned from the smack to register anything other than pain. The fall didn’t last too long, though, and the next thing Nano knew they were colliding with something much softer than the previous two surfaces they bounced off of. Not as plush as a downy pillow, more like a leather seat of a luxury car.

The tiny hero’s body slid down the soft surface, slowing their descent considerably and allowing them to crumple in on themself once they dropped a few inches onto a freezing floor. Nano groaned and blinked a few times to clear the stars dancing in their vision in order to get their bearings. It was hard to focus on so many strange shapes and colors, even more so at such a small scale as their brain couldn’t make sense of the perspective. They looked up just as their open view was slightly dimmed by tinted glass, a muted thud echoing around them and muffling all noise of pandemonium. Blinking again, Nano looked around and caught a glimpse of red splattering and dried rivets staining the leather high above them.

Ah, they had been whacked into the cryo-pod Matchplay was freed from just seconds ago. Their rough impact against the door must have been enough to wobble it closed again. On the bright side, the normal dosage of cryogenic gas had already been released when Shimmer opened the door, meaning Nano wasn’t about to become an ice cube any time soon. At least, they probably wouldn’t have been at their normal size closer to Matchplay’s. Being small meant Nano had much less body heat to spare. They had only been slumped on the chilled metal foot rests for a few seconds and already their joints were locking up with shivers. The cold was downright painful, seeping through Nano’s aching muscles and chilling them to their core.

If they had acted faster, Nano might have had time to reverse their size a bit to push the door open for sweet, warm freedom. Unfortunately, their reaction time had been severely affected from being bounced around like a ping pong ball, preventing them from registering the gravity of the situation until it was too late. Uncle Julio hadn’t designed the suit to be able to withstand below freezing temperatures, no insulation or heating elements to keep their limbs from going numb. It didn’t appear Negasonic had felt the need to add any improvements to Nano’s helmet either when it came to being able to handle the extreme cold. The temperature was already seizing up the CPUs and other functions, multiple alerts flashing before Nano’s eyes to make sure they were aware of the dangerous temperature and to seek warmer surroundings for optimal performance.

Great idea, except for the fact that they were four inches tall and unable to regrow due to the helmet stalling and force quitting several times. There was no way in hell Nano could shove open the door at this height. Well, one of the other heroes would help them, right? Shimmer had to have seen him hopping around and saving her life, she was a smart girl, she could pull two and two together and notice their smallest member was missing somewhere close by. Whether she would have eventually spotted them half frozen in the cryo-pod or not would never be confirmed because she was easily restrained by the plethora of guards surrounding them. Having an armful of injured hero wasn’t doing her any favors, either. Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Elastica was tied up and barely conscious, Matchplay was left to bleed on the floor, Shimmer was currently having her hands tied behind her back, and Nano was trapped in an overpriced fridge waiting to become an ice cube. This couldn’t possibly get any worse aside from the guards walking around to pop a bullet in each of their heads right now.

Oh, who were they trying to kid, it always got worse. And who better to show off how much of a shitshow this had turned out to be than Eric Moseley himself strolling into the lab. It was hard to fully take in his pompous ego seeing as he was standing high and mighty from an observation balcony built above the work tables and cryo-pods, especially since Nano had to squint through the cold that tried to freeze their eyeballs. What they didn’t miss, however, was the second figure that followed behind him. Another man clad in all black as far as Nano could see, the details of his suit lost in the distance aside from a cape that flowed down his shoulders. No way. No fucking way��that couldn’t be…?

Go home. Now.

That goddamn son of a bitch. How had Negasonic known Nano was going to be here? Better question, what was Negasonic doing here in the first place, nevermind associating with someone as vile as Moseley? Then again, Negasonic was a villain, it really wasn’t all that shocking that he would be colluding with other evil schemers and the likes. Perhaps the correct wording was what did Negasonic have to gain from teaming up with an organ trafficker?

“I must apologize, I wasn’t expecting any additional company until the last minute,” Moseley announced, loud enough for his voice to carry to the confined gaggle of heroes below. So, he had known of their arrival all along. How, Nano didn’t know, but it was probably the CEO who tipped off the guards to check the lab for intruders more frequently despite their near flawless plan.

Negasonic was presumably unimpressed by the state of the lab, not that Nano could see his stoic expression from so far away. Having been in his company for so long, the little hero wasn’t even sure he knew how to portray any emotion besides indifference. Every once in a blue moon, the supervillain’s face would twitch in a way that might be interpreted as a grin, but it was gone just as fast as it appeared, and almost never in public. “Your employees’ trigger discipline is truly unmatched.”

Though Nano couldn’t see Moseley’s face scrunch up at the jab, it was satisfying to imagine the hotshot being knocked down a peg. Negasonic’s reputation rightfully preceded him, but what many weren’t aware of was the few words he said during any interaction were always dripping with sarcasm. It took a while for Nano to understand the intricacies of his speech, when he was genuinely joking and when he was giving a threat. When everything is delivered in such a deadpan tone it could be hard to tell. This time, Nano knew Negasonic was far from impressed at what he’s been shown so far; a messy lab with a few beaten henchmen and a wiped out superhero team smack in the middle.

“Yes, well,” Moseley disguised his bristling as fixing his tie and posture, “We are a startup company, after all. A few kinks to work out, some more disciplinary action needed.”

Some of the guards shifted on their feet at the promise of due punishment for their mishandling of the issue. Nano might have felt bad for them if…actually, no, they didn’t feel bad for any of these bastards. If the goons were going to each have to give up a kidney to repay the physical damage done to their boss’s property, that was their problem. The tiny superhero, on the other hand, felt as if their own kidneys were threatening to shut down when the residual chill trapped with them in the cryo-pod seeped deeper in their core. The trembles in their limbs were fighting with their locked up joints, worsening the pain already throbbing in their muscles.

Shit, Nano needed help and they needed it fast. If they had been at their full five foot five glory they’d be able to tough out the latent freeze as just an uncomfortable cold. Being stuck so small was proving to be detrimental yet again. What should have only numbed their fingers and toes was very nearly turning Nano’s extremities blue, hypothermia creeping in at an alarming rate. They thought about activating their emergency beacon protocol to alert Negasonic of their exact location for a rescue, but given how the supervillain already knew they were at the facility to begin with, he probably had them pinpointed already. If only Negasonic would stop taking his sweet time and crack open this cryo-pod instead of verbally shredding the stupid CEO.

…Negasonic would come for them, right?

Of course he would, he did every other time, most of which were times Nano hadn’t even known he was in the area. The supervillain watched them like a hawk both near and afar, always ready to swoop in before things got too out of hand. Granted, he wasn’t always physically there, but Nano knew Negasonic had his own ways of keeping tabs on them. There had even been a handful of times Negasonic showed up in his civilian attire to wherever Nano was to drag them out grocery shopping for food that had slightly more nutritional value than a toaster strudel. It was painfully awkward every time, but, hey, free groceries for the week! Nano couldn’t begin to understand the supervillain’s strange, protective obsession over them. As long as he was using his powers to (albeit unnecessarily) defend Nano rather than use them on Nano, they could live with his smothering.

But was there a limit, they wondered? Was there an internal countdown within Negasonic for when he was finally ready to let go of his hold on the hero? Perhaps this was all still a long con dating back to when Negasonic first rescued the injured tiny on the docks, or just a passing infatuation like a child growing bored with a new toy after a week. Nano had already been given multiple warnings before diving headfirst into this doomed mission, maybe this was the lesson the supervillain was trying to teach them. Don’t listen when I tell you to leave? Freeze to death then. Nano tried to reassure themself that they were worried over nothing, the sounds of the supervillains talking above muffling into white noise when the cold froze out their ear drums.

They had gotten too comfortable, too cocky in their reliance on Negasonic being their safety net. A majority of their fluctuating bravery rode on the fact that even if it all went to shit, they could have the almighty supervillain to bail them out. But it was Nano who was indebted to Negasonic, not the other way around. There was nothing tethering him to the little hero to be at their beck and call besides the goodwill of his heart (if it could be called that). If at any moment he wanted to shove the baby bird from the nest, he could, in fact he could incinerate the whole damn nest if he felt like it. For weeks Nano had been under the assumption that this was a really fucking weird, but permenant, dynamic between them. Maybe it still was, yet maybe it wasn’t. It was too difficult to tell when Negasonic was impossible to read at such a distance and scale, coupled with the fact Nano was fairly certain their eyes were frosting over.

The conversation above faded in and out of Nano’s head as their focus drifted between topics. So cold, would Negasonic save them, their legs hurt, was Matchplay okay, so cold, Negasonic was leaving them to die, cold, cold, please don’t let anything happen to Shimmer, everything was so cold–

“Over forty-three million is our projected revenue for this year,” Moseley’s voice cut in. “And that’s only calculated at the rate we’re going currently. Within a few months of expanding our business, our profits will double, with your help, of course.”

“It’s not a bad setup,” Negasonic agreed. “Good market to corner.” Oh no, no Negasonic couldn’t actually be thinking of joining this scumbag. Sometimes Nano truly forgot who they were dealing with. The supervillain was just that, a villain. He did what he wanted when he wanted and no one had the power to stop him, try as they might. He didn’t gain his infamy from being charitable, after all. If Nano was remembering right, his debut alone was what skyrocketed him to the most dangerous tier of foes after he wiped out an entire faction of The League about fifteen years ago.

If Negasonic was agreeing to the partnership that Moseley appeared to be proposing, Nano was toast. The CEO in question was delighted at the rare praise Negasonic gave, continuing his spiel with numbers and names and other things Nano hardly grasped at the moment. The supervillain only stood there with his arms crossed while the other man blabbered on, not even giving a nod. Instead, he was too busy looking over the disaster below, eying up the incapacitated heroes and the goons that were trying to make themselves look useful by bustling about and cleaning up their mess. For a second, Nano thought they had caught his violet eyes peering right at them through the tinted cover of the cryo-pod. It was impossible for Negasonic to actually see the curled up miniature hero from such a distance, but perhaps he already concluded that’s where they were after doing a headcount of all the other present heroes.

Moseley clapped his hands together with a wicked grin at his captives below. “Now, we were actually saving this for phase three of our expansion, but I see no reason why we can’t demonstrate now. Gentlemen, gather our guests.”

As instructed, the able bodied guards dragged the heroes front and center in a line. Elastica was still tied to the chair while Matchplay had his wrists bound behind him on the floor similar to Shimmer. Between the three of them, Shimmer was the only one awake and aware of what was going on, but she defiantly refused to struggle. Negasonic frowned at the scrappy team, though Nano hoped it was because he realized the shrinking hero was still unaccounted for. The guards appeared to have either forgotten where Nano had gone or didn’t care so long as they remained out of the way. Regardless, they would be taken care of soon enough when they were frozen solid at the bottom of the cryo-pod.

“We’re still in the early stages of research,” Moseley explained. “But have you ever wondered if we could transfer super abilities between bodies the same way we do blood types?”

“No,” Negasonic said.

Moseley cleared his throat. “Well, I have. Anyways, that’s exactly what I’d like to do. Imagine being able to sell consumers the powers of superheroes. Or supervillains if you’re looking to clean up a few competitors. Give a sick child a liver transplant and watch them suddenly fly, help a politician become bulletproof to ensure you always have a hand in the office. The possibilities are endless!”

“Could that even work?”

“Truthfully, I’m not sure yet, but now would be a fine time to demonstrate our procedures either way, isn’t it?” Moseley gave a flick of his wrist, signaling the guards to grab up the heroes in preparation. “Let’s start with a cool down, then I’ll show you how our technicians are able to harvest organs without damaging the source.”

Shimmer was losing her cool now at the thought of being cut up for parts, utterly helpless as two of her teammates were unable to assist her while Nano was still MIA. Negasonic uncrossed his arms and took a step forward to look further over the balcony, causing the heroine to freeze. He wasn’t looking at her, though, still preoccupied by the inconspicuous cryo-pod that had been misplaced and riddled with bullet impacts. Moseley caught the supervillain scrutinizing the trashed workplace, chuckling nervously.

“Really, I urge you to excuse the mess. Our facilities are always in top condition, this was merely a hiccup that I think you’ll agree was handled quickly and efficiently. Your partnership and contributions would be a highly valuable asset to our company,” The CEO went on, hoping to butter up the picky supervillain to ensure he was still interested in making a handsome profit.

“The mess is fine,” Negasonic replied in a cool tone. “But I’m about to make it worse.”

Before anyone could react to his flimsy warning, the supervillain leapt over the railing down to the floor below. The short drop was more than enough to build up the potential energy of his powers, purple light flaring from his eyes and hands as the momentum charged them. He landed smack in the middle of where the guards were huddled, clenched fist smashing into the ground with a resounding explosion of violet flames. Many of the goons were propelled forward from the blast, smashing into equipment and crisping up their suits when the heat engulfed the area. A few of the armed men weren’t so lucky, having been in such close proximity to the impact that they were charred from the resulting explosion. The heroes were luckily at a far enough distance that they were only knocked onto the ground with minimal injuries, although Matchplay would probably be fine in the event he was drenched in flames as collateral damage.

Immediately, the surviving guards were on Negasonic. Weapons were drawn and once again firing at random to hit the new threat. The bullets only ricocheted off of Negasonic’s suit, guarding the exposed part of his face mask with his forearms as he advanced on the goons. A swipe of his arm was more than enough to generate enough kinetic force to create a blade of energy from his fingertips. The concentration of purple heat sliced through the air and caught the necks of several goons, slicing open their throats with gaping wounds. Some foolish soul tried to run up behind the supervillain in order to get the jump on him, but Negasonic was faster, spinning around on his heel to catch the guard by the throat and sending a pulse of energy into his meaty head. The trapped explosion had no choice but to implode with purple flames the man’s skull to alleviate the pressure.

“What are you doing!?” Moseley screeched from above, watching the massacre unfold. “Have you lost your fucking mind!?”

Negasonic didn’t bother to give him an answer. It seemed Moseley, too, forgot the extent of the supervillain’s fickle nature just as Nano had been fretting about. Money could buy the price of many evil doers, sometimes the promise of death and destruction was enough to get them hooked, but Negasonic was a breed of his own. It was hard to tell what enticed him and what didn’t, everything needing to be done for his own gain. What he had to gain from constantly babysitting Nano, they didn’t know. Right now, he was giving up a fairly lucrative offer for no reason at all, smashing up the place while he was at it. Looking to steal the idea himself? Probably not, it would be too much effort to research and rebuild after he was done decimating it. Not to mention the organization as a whole didn’t fit his style.

Guards tried and failed to get their hands on Negasonic, but it was to no avail. Even without his powers, the supervillain was well versed in hand to hand combat while a good portion of the men were only trained how to handle a firearm. Being able to make his punches explode upon making contact as well as torching the ground they stood on certainly helped Negasonic keep the upper hand. Moseley was having a conniption fit as he was forced to watch so much of his prized facility go up in blood and flames, trying and failing to order Negasonic to stop. He called in more guards, yet all that was doing was leading lambs to the slaughter as they fell victim to the supervillain’s unsolicited rampage.

At some point, Shimmer had been able to crawl away from the hot spot of the battle to avoid falling victim to any of Negasonic’s attacks. He wasn’t specifically aiming for her or any of the other barely conscious heroes, but that didn’t mean he was taking caution to prevent from hitting them. It was easy to push Elastica along with her shoulder out of the way, but for Matchplay she had to beg for the boy to keep his eyes open and follow her. It was a struggle, yet somehow they managed to get by while everyone was too preoccupied with Negasonic. Unfortunately, that meant Nano’s own team was leaving them behind. It wasn’t their fault; they had no idea where the tiny hero had gotten themself trapped at and even if they did, there was no safe way to go and extract them. It was a sacrifice that needed to be made, not that Nano had the brain capacity to be mad either way. They didn’t even know the heroes were making their escape, only watching through hazy eyes as blood splattered the window of the cryo-pod.

Purple light illuminated the inside in sporadic bursts while thunderous noises echoed from the other side. Nano wasn’t entirely sure what was going on at this point, but surely it involved Negasonic and in that case, it wasn’t good. Slowly, the barrage of guards swarming in trickled down to nothing as Moseley had no more back up to call. Some of the men were smart enough to flee and refuse to service the CEO at risk of their own demise. However, a vast majority of them lay strewn about the floor in several sizzling pieces. Really, it was a blessing in disguise that Negasonic’s powers included being able to emanate heat and instantly cauterize wounds, otherwise the floors would be soaked in blood. The only times the red liquid had been spilt was when the incompetent guards missed their target and hit each other instead, much like when they were trying to take out Nano earlier.

That sounded like an OSHA violation. Nano should report that.

Moseley was howling about something again, his words lost in the void to Nano’s ears. Their breaths were coming out shaky, little puffs of air visible with each exhale from the helmet’s vents. With the last of their dwindling strength, the little hero wrapped their arms around their aching torso to stay warm just a few moments longer. All their joints had completely locked up by now, unable to bend from the fetal position they had locked themself into on the frigid ground. The tips of their ears and nose had flushed from pink to red and now nearly blue, matching their chapped lips. This sucked. This had to be the worst way to go if only because it was so prolonged. At least being almost crushed to death by Sandy months ago would have led Nano to blacking out before the grisly deed was done.

Evidently, Negasonic grew tired of hearing the CEO screaming like a banshee in his ear now that there were no more guards to drown out his shrill orders. Without a second thought, Negasonic punched forward in the air to shoot off a whirring beam of purple energy right at the left most support beam of the balcony. One hit was all it took for the landing to become unstable, careening to the ground as it was unable to stay balanced with the added weight up top. Moseley cried out something, but his yells, along with his physical body, were soon buried under debris when he tumbled down with the crumbling structure. After the dust had settled, it was quiet. No signs of life aside from the heavy footfalls of the sole survivor coming closer to Nano’s icy tomb.

Light erupted overhead, the messy, tinted window of the cryo-pod lifting away to allow the fluorescent overhead lights to beat down on Nano once again. Quickly, however, the light disappeared as they were cast into a shadow. The hero tried to blink up at the obstacle, but their eyes were still frozen over, blurring their sight into only seeing vague shapes and colors. It was dark, too dark to discern anything, and Nano feared for a moment they had truly gone blind from the cold

“You’re a pain in my ass.”

Nano had been told that many times in their life, but never before had the affectionate insult made them want to cry out in relief. The cryo-pod door had been opened it seemed, yet the cold that ran through the little hero was bone deep by this point, hardly making a difference as the last of the artificially icy air was sucked out.

Negasonic came for them. Negasonic was going to rescue them.

Negasonic was going to kick their ass as soon as they were physically able to handle it, they were sure.

“I told you to go home, but do you listen? No,” Oh boy, a lecture. Negasonic loved to bore Nano to death with those, regardless if he had a fair point or not. “This whole mess could have been avoided if you did what I told you for once in your life. God forbid you do anything that would make both our lives less difficult. You even had to go and drag a bunch of other idiots along, like you’d be able to live with their blood on your hands. You feel guilty for canceling subscriptions, for Christ’s sake.”

All while going on his tirade, Negasonic rotated his wrists a few times to build up a bit of kinetic force under his palms. A burst of violet flames extended from his fingers and fizzled out within a second. With the partial face covering, it was hard to tell just how furious Negasonic truly was with Nano, but his frown was more than enough to give away that he was far from pleased. He was not a man of many words nor expressions, but the few that he gave away were a testament to how intense he was feeling to let them slip through. Nano couldn’t care less right now, too delighted in the fact that Negasonic had to come to save their butt yet again, and this time when they legitimately needed the help. The supervillain might argue and say he saved them all the time, but there were many instances when Nano was just fine on their own and Negasonic saw fit to butt in and end the altercation then and there.

They idly wondered if this new reputation of coming to aid the shrinking superhero was starting to make its way through the grapevine of heroes and villains yet. The rumor was sure to warp into something unsavory as the unofficial partnership went on, yet Nano was curious if these allegations would be enough to make Negasonic steer clear to preserve his image or if he couldn’t give two shits. It felt like it was probably the latter, but Negasonic wasn’t one who liked to be talked about in anyone’s circles, much less if it was incorrect information.

“You’re lucky you don’t have hypothermia,” Negasonic continued. Oh yeah, Nano was being yelled at right now…it was still so difficult to keep their thoughts on a clear track. No hypothermia, though. That was good. “A few more minutes and you could have been frozen solid. You think I have a fix for that? I can’t do shit if your limbs break off, you know that right? I can’t fix everything you break, Nano.”

For all the huffing and puffing he liked to do, the terrifying facade he put on show to others (well, it wasn’t really a facade, even in a civilian disguise he was intimidating to no end), Nano could see through that he was worried about the little hero. Maybe it was only a modicum, maybe he wasn’t even willing to admit it to himself as the concept of caring for others was so foreign to Negasonic, but Nano knew. And oh boy was Nano going to use that to their advantage while they still had the chance to wrap themself around his blackened heart.

“❅” Was the emoticon Nano flashed on their visor up to the supervillain. They may not have the ability to regrow as the internal systems were still too sluggish to process anything, but they could at least communicate via funky computer symbols. It was quite convenient seeing as Nano’s teeth wouldn’t stop chattering long enough to form a sentence, their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth to prevent them from sucking in any chilly air and risk freezing their lungs.

Negasonic sighed. “Yeah, I know, kid. Don’t be a fucking idiot next time and maybe you won’t have these problems.” Gloved hands were reaching for Nano’s shaking body, the leather and the skin hidden beneath warmed up to a wonderfully hot temperature thanks to Negasonic flaring up his heated energy preemptively. Nano groaned at the contact, partly because their sore body was being manhandled, but mainly because the warmth was utter bliss to have spread over their being.

“;-;”

“Don’t give me that face, you did this to yourself,” Negasonic scolded, rolling his eyes when the visor displayed（>﹏<）. “Be thankful I don’t stick you in the microwave to warm you up.”

The supervillain wouldn’t dare, but Nano still threw up a :0 ! to make him reconsider such a nefarious plan. Despite his threat, Negasonic rubbed the hand not cradling Nano along their back to ease some heat back into their bones. The touch was a bit rough for their liking given how bruised their back was, yet the hero wasn’t going to say anything.

“?”

“What?”

Hmm, how to communicate through an outdated game of pictionary. Nano had so many questions they wanted to ask– what Negasonic was doing here, if the other heroes were okay, how he knew where to always find them, probably a dozen more they would think up after their brain was working at full capacity again. It would be too time consuming to act them all out with only a handful of emoticons at their disposal, so Nano resigned to wait to ask until they were able to verbally.

Instead, Nano flashed up a teasing :3c to goad the already irritated supervillain because being annoying was all they knew how to do. To think mere months ago they would be cowering at Negasonic just being in their vicinity. Now, while there were still times that seeing the man appear from the shadows made Nano’s heart skip a beat in fear, they had no problem returning the favor of grating on his nerves. If he wanted to be so wrapped up in Nano’s daily doings, he was going to have to suffer the consequences of their personality.

“I don’t like you,” said the man who must like them at least a little bit if he was willing to come save them (whether they wanted to be or not).

Negasonic was too busy pulling off his mask to notice Nano’s sarcastic display of OTL upon being told they were disliked. He stuffed the garment into one of the pouches on his utility belt before carding the same hand through his black hair to neaten some of the strands. Nano had seen the supervillain’s unmasked face plenty of times, but…it was still always so strange to see him as just a normal guy. Plain ol’ Dean. Still, it was difficult to separate him from the villainous persona he was better known for, especially because the violet shine from his eyes was a feature he couldn’t control. When he was in public, he hid them behind a snazzy pair of sunglasses, making him look even more cool and mysterious to onlookers. Dean was a person Nano's brain simply couldn’t comprehend. Nano was Jamie and Negasonic was…Negasonic.

“:T”

“How is it that you’re not even talking yet you still can’t shut up?”

“∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿”

Much like an exhausted parent, the supervillain’s patience was wearing thin. He was ready to get out of this dump, tiny hero in hand, and get some rest for the night. Once Nano had thawed out a bit he would more than likely kick them back to their own apartment. However, if Nano was stubborn enough, they might be able to weasel their way into spending the night at Negasonic’s base. No reason, of course, just the fact that his abode was a lot cooler than theirs.

“You pull this kind of shit again and I’m going to leave you behind, understand?” Somehow, Nano didn’t doubt that. Unlike all the other times, this was a mission gone wrong that had severe consequences the hero was on the cusp of experiencing. It was a lesson Negasonic didn’t intend to teach twice and one Nano only desired to learn once. “When I tell you to leave, you leave. This could have gotten a lot worse i-”

Both Nano’s and Negasonic’s attention was stolen by the shifting of rubble within the collapsed balcony. From the wreckage, a hand pushed away some loose debris in order for a roughed up man to pull himself free. The hand tailored suit he wore was now covered in thick, white dust and torn from being caught on the concrete and rebar. Blood ran down his face in thick streaks, but beyond the crooked nose and fat lip the CEO looked no worse for wear than most people who fell half a story into rubble. The hero and supervillain watched as he clawed his way out, standing up on wobbling legs that were damn near ready to give out. It was a miracle neither of them had been snapped in half, though maybe his reluctance to put too much weight on his left side was a sign of a fracture somewhere along the bone.

Moseley was breathing hard, no doubt because his nose was clogged up with blood. The wet coughing fit he gave signaled perhaps other injuries were bleeding internally, much like Nano had feared when their ribs had been bruised. He hobbled towards them, trying to hold himself high and mighty like his entire organization hadn’t been wiped out within the span of fifteen minutes by the supervillain he was trying to charm. Nano had to mentally applaud Moseley’s confidence to still glare over at Negasonic. It was totally useless, but at least he had the guts to do so when Nano had been ready to be a blubbering mess the moment the supervillain laid eyes on him on the docks. Most villains would never risk their own life to get the final word between themselves and Negasonic, namely because the latter wouldn’t spare them the breath before blasting at them mid sentence.

“All this,” Moseley wheezed, pulling a gun from his inner jacket pocket to point at Negasonic’s head. He definitely had a clean shot now that the supervillain had removed his mask, yet he showed no trace of regret for doing so. Moseley was bold enough to think he could hit him, but Negasonic was more sure that he wouldn’t be able to put his finger on the trigger before the supervillain ended that nonsense. “Because you wanted a hero for yourself?”

Negasonic shrugged. “Mostly.”

Moseley was floored by such a blunt response, floundering for a moment as his rising temper made him slip up his words. “Do you realize what you’ve fucking done!? You’ve ruined everything!”

“It happens.”

“It, it does not happen!” The CEO snarled, cocking the gun. “You fucking idiot! You threw away the best deal of your goddamn life for some heroes that could have been negotiated into your contract!”

“I’m not interested in the other heroes,” Negasonic said, glancing around the room to see if he could spot the other three. He couldn’t, though he wasn’t sure if that was because they had all narrowly escaped the massacre or if they were among the charred bodies of the guards. Oh well, it didn't matter one way or another to him. “Just this one.” He gestured to the little hero in his hand, Nano giving a classic (: to Moseley.

Moseley gritted his bloody teeth. “We could have taken over the entire underground-”

“Maybe.”

“And you gave it up for that…that fucking useless runt? Why!?” A sense of satisfaction rolled through Nano to see Moseley working up a sweat over the fact he was ranked lower than some measly little hero to someone as great as Negasonic. Who would have thought such a pipsqueak who got themself in trouble instead of having a functional plan was a better contender than a millionaire about to take the black market by storm?

“I lost interest in your deal the moment I saw Nano in your machines,” Negasonic explained, like it was the most obvious answer.

Moseley sputtered. “Well I didn’t put the idiot in there!”

“No,” Negasonic agreed, “I watched the GPS tracker, I know they got stuck on their own.” GPS tracker…? Oh that absolute fucker, no wonder he always knew Nano’s every movement! How stupid it was for them to never consider the idea that of the many new functions Negasonic added to their helmet upon repairing it, a tracker wouldn’t be one of them. They wondered how well it functioned if Negasonic knew they were trapped in the cryo-pod this whole time, if they were just a little blip on a radar or if the supervillain was able to track their POV from a camera with the visor.

“You, you-!” Moseley was on the verge of tearing his hair out in frustration over Negasonic’s asinine reasons. “You could have just gotten them yourself! You didn’t have to destroy my business!”

Negasonic hummed as he looked around again to take in the absurd amount of damage he had done in his rampage. Almost all of the cryo-pods had been destroyed, including the valuable organs within the sleeping hosts. Tables and desks were obliterated with all their unfinished work on top, lying in several scattered pieces amongst the corpses. Even little puddles of purple flames still burned from the wreckage they clung too, though thankfully they weren’t crawling along to seek out some more flammable. “Too big of a risk.”

Moseley wanted to say something else, but Negasonic effectively cut him off with a blast of purple light straight to his chest. The energy pierced through his ribcage to skewer the heart within like the lance, dissipating in the air before the CEO even dropped dead to the floor. The supervillain wasn’t one for drawn out conversations, especially after he had already said his piece. The short of it was that, yes, he did destroy the entire operation because he wanted to ensure the safety of an insignificant hero that was far more trouble than they were worth. That was as much of an explanation anyone was going to get. Hell, it was still the only explanation Nano was ever given, and they were the hero in question.

Nano looked up at Negasonic as he stepped over the body on his way towards the exit. A ヽ(ﾟ´Д｀)ﾉﾟ face was directed towards the supervillain who paid little mind beyond a quick glance.

“What, was I supposed to spare him?” Negasonic scoffed. “It was one life for a million others. Stop seeing the world so black and white like the rest of the super idiots.”

That was surprisingly preachy for someone who regularly killed on a whim, in fact it sounded quite anti hero rather than full blown villain. The sentiment was rectified a second later when Negasonic added “His contract was shit anyways. I can make just as much for killing a politician’s family than what he was asking for for my enforcement.” Yep, there it was. Classic Negasonic with an ungodly kill count. Baby steps, though. Perhaps if Nano bitched enough about disliking watching Negasonic kill, he would pull back on it. Then again, he’d probably tell them to suck it up as it was part of his job and they should be used to it by now. For added spite, he might go out and kill a random bystander just to prove a point because he was an asshole.

An asshole who was constantly saving Nano from sticking situations, but an asshole nonetheless.

The air outside had dropped to a crisp breeze compared to what it was just after sundown earlier in this fiasco. Nano didn’t mind though, it was still a hell of a lot warmer than what they were currently feeling. They willed their body to absorb as much as Negasonic’s body heat as they could through the two layers of suits. One by one, groups of muscles started to relax and melt against the leather gloves, uncoiling the tension that kept the tiny hero shivering so violently in an attempt to keep their blood pumping. Nano was able to relax their limbs a fraction more, slumping as they unwound from their fetal position while the world around them continued to blur by. One moment they were outside, tucked against the plates of Negasonic’s armored chest to conceal additional warmth, the next they were in his lap once he dropped himself into his car.

Much like a bratty child, Nano wanted to whine in displeasure when they started being manhandled again, the delicious body heat that had previously surrounded them fading as they were repositioned. A new sensation wrapped around them instead and they blinked in an effort to recognize what was going on. They caught sight of Negasonic’s hands tucking fabric all around them, the new, heavy weight cocooning them on all sides and inadvertently restraining their arms to their chest. The sea of black material engulfed them as it was bundled up in Negasonic’s lap, trailing up and around the supervillain’s shoulders high above. Ah, it was his cape that he had swaddled the shivering hero in like an oversized blanket. It wasn’t as heated as the supervillian himself, but it worked all the same to trap the scarce body heat Nano had stolen.

As unbecoming as it was, much more so for Negasonic who had an image to maintain, Nano cuddled up to the hard abdomen of the man’s suit to leech off a bit more warmth, It wasn’t like it did them much good considering their head was still concealed in the helmet, but it was still…nice. In a weird way. A really weird way. So maybe Nano was a little touch starved and Negasonic was the best physical affection they were gonna get for the time being, sue them. The supervillain wasn’t a bundle of snuggles, anyways, at best offering a quick pat on the back or grabbing their arm to steer them in a direction he wanted to go. It was good enough and besides, this was for Nano’s survival. Obviously. Totally.

Maybe that wasn’t the best excuse once Negasonic started driving without a seatbelt over either of them. One small fender bender and Nano would be launched into the steering column. The thought must not have occurred to Negasonic as he didn’t feel the need to hold them, letting the scrunched pile of his cape do all the work in keeping them in place during the drive. The hero’s fingers and toes were starting to prickle with painful pins and needles, a sign that blood circulation was finally returning to them. They flexed their fingers and clumsily grabbed at the thick fabric around them to pull it tighter around their shoulders. By the time they got wherever Negasonic was taking them, his base presumably, they should hopefully have control over most of their extremities. An overwhelming tiredness was tugging at their eyes, however, now that they could blink again.

How mad would the supervillain be if they fell asleep on him? It wouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience for him seeing all he’d have to do is scoop them up in one hand, or shake them out of his cape like an errant lint ball. The thought was tempting, the desire growing twice as strong once Negasonic turned on the car’s heat and angled the vents to blow directly on Nano. Still, Nano decided against it, believing they had annoyed the shit out of the supervillain enough for one night. They should cut him a break for a little bit.

As much as the supervillain resented any time Nano tried to apologize or thank him, it didn’t feel right to not mention their gratitude. Negasonic might forever continue to wave off their praises as unnecessary as he only did what he did for a personal gain of some kind, but the tiny hero refused to ever appear ungrateful. Did that mean they couldn’t have a bit of fun in tormenting the other with positive reinforcement for good behavior? Of course not, it was one of Nano’s favorite past times, pointing out all the major decisions he made to ensure their safety to tease him while keeping all the tiny, habitual quirks to themself to relish over. It was entertaining to watch Negasonic scowl and insist that preventing them from walking blindly into traffic, yet it was downright delightful how he always opened every door for them or demanded a ‘confirmation of location’ any time Nano was going out. The last part seemed redundant as it was now a known fact the supervillain was able to track them via GPS, but it was still nice to have that extra protection.

Now that their joints weren’t as painfully stiff, it didn’t hurt too bad for Nano to crane their neck up towards Negasonic and rapidly flash a red ! on their visor to grab his attention. Violet eyes flicked between his tiny passenger and the road. “What?”

“♥”

As to be expected, Negasonic pursed his lips in annoyance and returned his full focus on driving. “Stop it. Don’t distract me with stupid shit before you go flying through the windshield.”

Aw, that was no fun. Nano had so many zingers to share while their body was draining the rest of the adrenaline from their thawing body, sleep weighing them down more and more. It was unlikely that they would wake up until the morning after they crashed from the comedown. Nano thought about it for a moment, thinking of how Negasonic had integrated his own computational functions into the preexisting AGI of their helmet. It wasn’t that the supervillain had full parent control over all the functions (they think…who knows), rather there were several abilities that were linked between Nano’s technology and Negasonic’s that allowed him to keep tabs. So, if Negasonic was able to text them through their helmet from his own message channels, then Nano should be able to respond to the same network. And, because it was most beneficial in this type of industry, most likely Negasonic had all his systems linked and accessible from any hub, including the one in his car. To test this devious theory, Nano’s heavy eyes darted across their UI to open their messages and blink a quick note to respond to the last text they had received.

The car’s dashboard lit up a second after they had hit send. A smooth, robotic voice read aloud: “New message from Jamie Rodriguez…heart emoji with sparkle, heart emoji with sparkle, heart emoji with sparkle, heart emoji with sparkle, heart emoji with sparkle, heart emoji w-”

“Nano, shut the fuck up.”

[smellslikemultifandomimagines]

Hii<3 Can i request a NSFW alphabet for aged up Leo Valdez?

pairing: leo valdez (18+) x fem!reader

warnings: smut → NSFW alphabet

headcanon

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• ☾ ☼ ☽ •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

smut night has finished for the week - thanks for participating!

requests are open🖤!

request guidelines here✨!

🌻masterlist🌻 (includes both smut masterlists)

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

omg leo is very big on aftercare

he'd run you a bath, clean you up, make you tea - literally will anything to make sure you're feeling okay (especially if the sex was super rough too lol)

he loves pleasing you in every which way and of course this includes looking after you before, during and after sex

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

thighs!!!!

Leo loves being between them

whether you're laying on your back or on a chair and he's eating you out

or you're sitting on his face (a big turn on for him btw)

he loves when you wrap your legs around his waist when he fucks you

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

i've spoken about this before (here), but leo loves denying your orgasm

why? because the way you scream, beg and fall to his utter mercy to let you cum - the way your legs, and whole body for that matter, completely shake as you cum

i feel like he'd try and get you to squirt??

like he wouldn't be mad if you couldn't - but that can't stop him from at least trying, right?

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

omg so idk if you guys will agree, but i feel like he might have a thing for seeing you in the camp half-blood shirt lol

but i can definitely imagine him having a thing for seeing you in his clothing though lol

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

i would not not very before he met you

like the most he'd probably have done would be making out with someone

and then when you and him go together, y'all just really went out and tried everything

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

okay so i'd say a few:

classic missonary

doggy

face riding!

maybe even reverse cowgirl too omg

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

i've also mentioned this before, but leo would have such a sultry sense of humour (here's what i wrote in "what sex would like with leo"):

"he doesn’t take things too seriously, and would crack a joke in between to lighten the mood if things got too nerve wrecking - especially throughout the first few times of the two of you having sex

he’d have a sultry sense of humour too - one that is shown throughout the books too (though to a lesser extend given it’s a children’s novel lmao - imagine how he’d be if it was a ya book ahah)"

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

idk i'd say pretty groomed

leo looks like the type of person to care for his looks lol

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

i've also mentioned this before, where sex with leo is not always rough and kinky

sometimes, it's slow and sensual

moments where you're holding each other close, whispering praises and sweet things in each other's ears

nothing but love

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

idk i feel like he doesn't feel the need since he has you??

but it's when you're out of town or swamped with college stuff and neither of you can see each other will he jack off

haha omg of course he'd send a sneaky video to you lmao

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

hair pulling

semi-public sex

leo's both a giver and a receiver lol

i can imagine he'd like cockwarming too

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

in either of you cabins!!

the couch of your apartment (especially when you're supposed to be doing a college assignment)

restaurant restroom (i mean who can blame him when you look so damn gorgeous?!)

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

when you win a fight (especially against clarisse lol)

sparring with him

when you lift your arms up to fix your hair and the bottom of your shift rises so he can see your stomach

literally anything you do lmao

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

definitely anything you're not comfortable with lol

idk really because i feel like he's openminded and up for trying anything at least once

but i mean if it had to be at least one thing he would not try i'd probs be anal idk?

or maybe degrading idk - depends how you feel about that

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

homeboy would eat you out as if his life depended on it

he'd suck, lick, kiss your clit - he'd do anything to get to taste you

but i mean as much as leo loves eating you out, he loves when you go down on him

my god, he'd have his head tilted back as little pants and moans escape his lips

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

i think usual sex with leo would be rough and hard, incorporating some kinks here and there

idk i feel like it'll be unpredictable and depending on mood

if you've been on a date, leo would love to spend the time to worship your body for all its glory

he'd be slow, sensual, extra loving

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

hahah omg yes always lol

before training, after training

if you're on a quest with him and the others, being in your own hotel room with him

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

um yes!

leo would at least like to try anything at least once

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

oh girl, leo would go until you're completely fucked out lol

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

vibrators, cuffs, maybe even gags are what i'd imagine him to be into

he'd introduce them to you slowly, asking your general opinion on them before even consider buying one

and then one day he bought a cute wand vibrator and when he showed it to you, you were so excited to try it

"but babe, we're gonna have to charge it first," he chuckled at your eagerness

"ugh fine, just eat me out then."

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

leo is such a tease.

i've spoken about this before, but with his sultry humour and kink for begging, the bitch would love to tease the shit out of you

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

i'd imagine grunts in your ear, gradually growing louder the closer the got to his orgasm

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

leo can be really nervous at times

especially when trying out new things

i feel like he's scared that he'll break you or something

or maybe do something that'll really hurt you

so he's sometimes a little too cautious

and it's not until you reassure him again and again that you're okay, that he'll calm down a little lol

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

leo is one toned boy okay

and idk i feel like he'd love when you rub your hands over his stomach (especially when you ride him lol)

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

idk i'd say pretty high but he's always patient with you

if you weren't in the mood, he'd respect that and not try and do anything

though i can imagine him being pretty needy though

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

i feel like it depends on what the sex was like

if it was slow and sensual, probably pretty quickly as he'd spoon you

but if it was rough, he'd probably wait for you to fall asleep first so he can get some reassurance that you're definitely okay and not uncomfortable from how rough he was

i can imagine lots of forehead kisses and playing of hair here too

═══════*.·:·.☽✧✦✧☾.·:·.*═══════

tag list: (click here to be apart of the tag list!)

@dylanobrienhehe // @jermaee // @boxofsteampunkplaces // @bailaycantaconmingo // @mollyknm // @angelcbf // @perseajohnson // @anything-forourmoony // @chasingpj

═══════*.·:·.☽✧✦✧☾.·:·.*═══════

[jilyss]

Sure, yeah, I can accompany you to that black tie event for your work tonight. Wait. Why are we on a red carpet? Are you famous?

thanks for the prompt!! i tried to keep it under 2k but that clearly did not happen lol 

read on ao3

James Potter to Lily Evans at 3:14 p.m.: hey can u call when u get a sec

Lily Evans to James Potter at 3:18 p.m.: sry i was with a pt, what’s up

James Potter to Lily Evans at 3:19 p.m.: i have a favor to ask

It was 3 p.m. on a Friday and Lily Evans was just barely sitting down to eat lunch. She’d sat down in the empty breakroom, kicked up her legs onto a nearby chair, and just barely bit into her sandwich when she had seen James’ text. She replied a few minutes later, too hungry to type anything coherent.

When he called a minute later, her mouth was full of food. She swallowed quickly and pressed the accept button. “Hello?”

“Hey Evans,” he said, and Lily smiled at the sound of his voice. It had been a few months since she’d talked to him. She wished they lived closer, but she had just finished her residency in Manchester and he played football for Arsenal in London, and they were both so busy they didn’t have the chance to get together often. But they were the kind of friends who were able to pick up exactly where they’d left off every time they caught up, and Lily had missed him.

“I saw your game against Southampton last week.” Lily popped a crisp in her mouth. “Nice goal.”

She could practically hear his smirk through the phone. “Watched me, did you?”

“Remember that guy I told you about? The one I was talking to?” James hummed in agreement. “We went out for a drink and the game was on. I try to catch most of your games, but my schedule is a little - .”

“- Crazy, I know,” James laughed. “Are you still with him?”

Lily shifted the phone to her other ear. “No, we kind of just stopped talking.” She didn’t want to tell him that the real reason she had stopped talking to him was that before he found out that Lily knew him, he’d spent several minutes badmouthing James. Once he was finished, Lily gave him a quick rundown of the various ways he was an asshole, and then promptly left. She wasn’t a big fan of him anyway, and that had kind of sealed the deal. 

“Well, good - I mean, so sorry about the bloke, Evans - but I have a problem.”

Lily waited for him to continue, and he didn’t make her wait long. “There’s this event for work. Sirius is out of town, and I would ask my mum, but she went to the last one and just isn’t up for another late night yet, so if you aren’t busy, and I mean, only if you want to -”

Lily interrupted, laughing. “What do you need, James?”

“There’s this black-tie event I have to go to. It’s not a big deal, and we wouldn’t have to do anything. Would you want to go with me?”

Her eyebrows raised and she was a little surprised. “When is it?”

“Two weeks. It’s a Saturday.”

Lily pulled her phone from her ear and tapped on her calendar icon. She had that Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off. She considered her options, but there was really only one. Of course, she wanted to see him because it had been months, and she was never one to say no. She would just need to go shopping sometime before then. “Ok, sure.”

“Really? Brilliant, thanks, Evans.”

They chatted for a few more minutes until Lily’s lunch break was over, and she had to rush off to her next appointment. She sent a quick text to Marlene asking for her help with dress shopping, packed up her lunch and left the breakroom. 

James Potter to Lily Evans: hey, mum got wind of you coming down to london and would luv to see u

Lily Evans to James Potter: EUPHEMIA

Lily Evans to James Potter: of course!!!

Lily Evans to James Potter: i could come down a few hours early

James Potter to Lily Evans: actually do u wanna stay the night? we prob won’t be done until late and it’s a long trip back

Lily didn’t hesitate. 

Lily Evans to James Potter: yeah! I love ur mum and it’s been way too long

James Potter to Lily Evans: sweet, ill see you in a few days x

  Lily closed the door to her apartment, locking the door behind her. She made her way down the stairs and out to her car, carefully hanging her dress on a hook in the back seat. She’d originally planned on just taking the train down, but it would be faster to drive, and she didn’t want to worry about keeping her dress wrinkle-free on the train. 

When she arrived at the Potter’s house (though it was more like a mansion) a few hours later, a wave of nostalgia hit her. Lily and James had become friends at uni, and their friend group often went to the nearby Potter’s house for a home-cooked dinner. Lily had especially become close with Euphemia, James’ mother, and used to go over even when James wasn’t there. 

She pulled into the large driveway and parked the car before grabbing her bag from the backseat. Before she could even get to the door, Euphemia swung the door open and pulled her into a tight hug. “Lily, dear, it’s been too long!” 

Lily dropped her bag and hugged her back, excited to be back. “I’ve missed you, Euphemia!” Over Euphemia’s shoulder, she saw James running down the stairs towards them. Lily swallowed hard as she saw him. He was somehow even taller than the last time she had seen him, and football had definitely been good to him. Normally, he lived in a flat closer to his training facility but had returned to his mum’s house for the night.

As James approached, Euphemia let go of her and James immediately grabbed her into a hug. “Alright, Evans?”

Lily grinned into his shoulder, feeling his arms wrapping all the way around her. She squeezed him extra tight once before pulling away, then put one arm over Euphemia’s shoulders. “I’m doing good!” She glanced over her shoulder at her car. “I’m not sure when we have to leave, but I left my dress in the car, should I…”

“I’ll grab it.” James stuck out his hand and Lily handed him the keys. He was out the door in a second, and Euphemia steered Lily into the kitchen. 

“Congratulations on finishing your residency, Lily! Or really I should say congratulations, Dr. Evans.” Euphemia winked at her. Lily blushed and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She still wasn’t used to the title, and even though she knew she had fully earned it, it still felt a little unreal.

“Thank you, I’m just glad to be done.” Lily took a seat at the counter, leaning her arms on the counter. Euphemia plopped a pastry in front of Lily, who took a bite without hesitating. She was an excellent cook who was always making something, and on the drive down, Lily had secretly hoped that today would be no different. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. It’s blackberry filling, right?”

Euphemia nodded. “Now that you’ve finished your residency, are you planning to stay in Manchester?”

James walked in and tossed Lily her keys. Lily shrugged, casting her eyes quickly towards James. “I’m not sure. I love Manchester, but I’ve missed London more than I thought.” She took another bite of the pastry, chewing quickly. “I have a job now up there, but I’m not too attached yet.”

“Remus is planning on moving back here,” James cut in. “He just finished his masters, and has a job lined up here already.”

“I wish I got to see him before I left.” Lily glanced down at the counter. “I know I haven’t been able to visit a ton, but hopefully I can now.”

Euphemia patted her hand, eyes twinkling. “We know you were busy with your program, but you could make it up to us by moving back here.”

“Mum! Don’t guilt-trip her.”

Lily laughed and finished off her pastry. “I’d do anything to be closer to your baking, Euphemia.”

“I’ll make your favorite custard tarts every day, Lily.”

“Done.”

James snuck a blackberry pastry behind his mother’s back, holding a finger over lips to Lily. She grinned at him before turning back to Euphemia. “You know, the only reason I agreed to go with James is because I wanted to see you.”

Euphemia clutched her hands over her heart. “I always knew you were my favorite, Lily.”

Lily sent a wide smirk at James, whose mouth was so full of pastry he couldn’t retort back. Euphemia glanced at a clock. “James, what time did you say you were going to be leaving?”

James checked his phone. “The car is coming at six. We’ve got about an hour.”

Lily raised her eyebrows and moved to the sink to wash her sticky fingers. “I need to do my hair.”

“You know who else needs to do their hair?” 

“Mum, for the last time, my hair is fine.” James dodged his mother’s attempt to smooth out the tangles on his head. 

Euphemia turned to Lily, hands on her hips. “Don’t you think he needs a haircut?”

Lily pursed her lips at them, staring at James. “Actually, I think he looks good with that mess. Hides the rest of his face.”

James tried to flip her off just as his mother turned around, saying “Nevermind Lily, you aren’t my favorite”, and was rewarded with a swat from an oven mitt.

She grinned at him and headed back to pick up her bag by the front door. “Can I use your bathroom?”

Euphemia pushed James towards Lily, smiling and muttering something about James’ hair. He grabbed her bag from her and walked up the stairs. “Mum put you in the guest room next to mine. There’s a bathroom in there you can use.”

Once they’d arrived, Lily expected him to disappear into his room until she was ready. Instead, he sat on the carpet next to the bathroom, looking up at her. They started talking, Lily curling her hair as they talked. It was nice catching up with him, and Lily had a hard time concentrating on getting her hair right when she could watch James through the mirror. 

It was a quarter to six when she glanced at her watch and realized he was still wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. “This is a black-tie event, right?”

“Shit, yeah, I’ll be right back.” He jumped up and closed the door behind him. 

Lily put the finishing touches on her makeup - which was relatively simple because any makeup skills she used to have basically had disappeared in the past few years. James had brought up her dress bag, and she unzipped the bag and pulled it out. Luckily, it was still wrinkle-free, and in a few seconds, she had wiggled into it, zipped it up, and slipped on her shoes. 

Somehow, James had made it downstairs before her and was talking quietly with his mum in the kitchen. Lily walked in, heels clicking quietly, and they turned to look at her. 

She heard Euphemia’s quiet gasp and James’s soft ‘woah’. Blushing again, she did a little turn. She was wearing a silver floor-length dress paired with black heels. It was relatively simple, with small straps and a waist that hugged her hips and then dropped straight to the floor. Marlene’s eyes had practically bugged out her head when Lily had tried it on, and judging by the way James was looking at her right now, it was a good choice.

James hugged his mum and made his way to her, holding out his arm. “You don’t clean up too bad, Evans.”

Lily took his arm gratefully. “Oh, this old thing?”

Behind them, Euphemia was insisting on a picture, and Lily put her head on James’ shoulder, smiling for the picture. But Euphemia took a second to get her phone ready, and James tilted his head to whisper in her ear. “You look amazing, Evans.” 

Euphemia, finally ready, held up her camera and Lily didn’t get a chance to respond. She hoped he didn’t notice the goosebumps that had popped up on her arm when he had said that. She snapped the picture, and then, arm in arm, they made their way out the door. 

Lily had been expecting an uber, but instead, it was a small limo with a chauffeur. She gave James an odd look, who just opened her door for her and helped her in. Lily waved goodbye at Euphemia, and the driver took off. 

“So what is this event for, James? I don’t think you ever told me.”

James tugged at his tie. “Uh, just an awards ceremony.”

“An awards ceremony?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you getting an award?” The driver slowed to a stop, and Lily could see a long line of cars in front of them.

“Uh, no.”

“Are you just being humble?”

James tugged at his tie again. “No, I’m definitely not getting an award.”

Lily frowned as the driver inched forward again. She could hear some yelling in the distance, and she glanced out front again. “You’re one of the best on the team. Didn’t you say this was some team event?”

“Uh, no, I never said it was a team event.”

Lily glanced out front again and saw a team of photographers running towards the noise. Her heart rate started to pick up. “James.” 

He looked at her, half smiling and half nervous. “Hm?”

The car inched forward again and now Lily could see a red carpet going up a flight of stairs. She looked outside the window and realized exactly where they were in London. As she connected the dots in her head, her eyebrows raised.

She rounded on James. “What’s this event called?”

He had a bit of a smug look on his face as he answered. “The Brit awards.”

“The Brits? As in, famous award show with lots of famous people, the Brits?” Lily hissed. She smacked him on the shoulder with her purse. “Are you’re just telling me this now?”

He winced slightly. “Yes?”

Lily groaned and sat back in her seat. They were only a few cars away from the red carpet, and she could see the crowds of people all around. “You aren’t a musician.”

“No, but they usually invite a few athletes. David and Victoria Beckham are usually here.” He shrugged. “They invited me this year.”

Lily smacked his shoulder again. “I cannot believe you didn’t tell me this. You said it was no big deal.”

“Well, I’m not getting an award or anything, so it’s really not a big deal -” Lily shot him a look and he stopped talking. 

He ran a hand through his hair, tousling his brown locks. “Look, Evans, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I kind of thought you would just figure it out?”

Lily tried to stop herself from smiling, but it was just so James that she had to laugh. He had an ego the size of England, but at the same time, was somehow humble enough to think that getting invited to a giant award show was no big deal. But she didn’t have time to process this new information before their car was at the center of the red carpet, and a man in a suit came to open their door. 

“You alright?” 

Lily took a deep breath and nodded. James slid out first, then held out a hand for Lily as she climbed out of the car. She stood carefully, adjusting her skirt and then, with shaking hands, reached up to fix James’ tie. He grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it. “We can go back if you want. I really should have told you, sorry Evans.”

“I’m a doctor, James. I have no clue how to handle this.”

He squeezed her hand once more. “They’re going to love you. Just follow me, yeah?”

Lily returned his squeeze and turned to look at the flashing lights of the cameras and swarms of people. This was way different from what she had been expecting, but she definitely wasn’t going to leave now. She took another deep breath and turned back to him with a smile. “Do you think Lewis Capaldi is here?”

He grinned, ran a hand through his hair one more time, and led her up the red carpet. 

An assistant led them through the carpet, although James was so charming and charismatic that they didn’t need the help. They smiled for pictures, a few serious ones with James’ hand on her hip, and a few with his arm more casually over her shoulder and her head leaning on his arm. James had a few interviews, which mostly focused on what he was excited to see inside. A few reporters asked who she was, and James introduced her each time as “my friend from uni, Lily Evans.”

They even asked her a few questions, curious about this mysterious girl James Potter had with him. Lily blushed each time, but his steady presence next to her helped her remain calm and collected, but by the time they were inside, she felt even more out of her comfort zone. 

Their assistant led them to their table and then waved goodbye. Their table was so far empty, and since James wasn’t up for any awards, they were towards the back, which let them spy on the stream of celebrities, musicians, and assistants.

Lily was still shaky, and that only increased they watched Stormzy, surrounded by assistants and friends, take a seat at the very front. Normally, Lily wasn’t afraid of new situations, and usually, she thrived in them, but she just hadn’t been prepared for this. James noticed that she was still a little nervous, and as she took a sip of her drink, he put a hand on her bouncing leg. “You alright?”

His hand, warm against the fabric of her dress, only made her more nervous. She smiled at him and internally resolved to enjoy the experience. How often would she get to be in a place like this?

An older couple joined their table a few minutes later. The husband was the manager of James’ team, and James introduced Lily. A few minutes later, they were joined by more people, and Lily and James got pulled into two different conversations, but James’ hand never left her thigh.  

A four-course meal was served as the performances started, and everyone clapped after Mabel performed “Don’t Call Me Up”. There was a crowd by the stage for the cameras, but Lily noticed that not many people seated at the tables were standing up for the performances. James and Lily were seated on the side of their table, and after glancing around, she realized they wouldn’t block anyone’s view. 

When Lizzo took the stage, Lily jumped to her feet, grabbing James’ wrist. “Stand up!” 

He didn’t hear her at first, and she bent at the waist to speak into his ear. “Stand up!” He popped up next to her, putting one arm around her shoulders again, while she wrapped her arm around his waist. They danced like no one was watching, swaying back and forth together, although they certainly got a few odd looks. Lily was laughing at his singing (he knew every word of all of Lizzo’s songs), finding that she had a hard time focusing on the music when he was so tall and warm next to her. They sat down again a few minutes later, but James’s hand stayed in his pockets.

The award show eventually ended, and Lily and James stood outside, waiting for their chauffeur. But there was a long line, and after a few minutes, Lily looked up at James. “Want to get a little ways away and call an uber?”

He immediately nodded and followed her, one hand in his hair. They made their way out of the building, James occasionally getting stopped by someone he knew or when he got recognized. By the time they were out into the night air, it was nearly one am. 

“I’ll call the uber,” James said. He shrugged out of his suit jacket and swung onto Lily’s bare shoulders, and she smiled gratefully. A few taps later, he tucked it into his pocket and pointed down the street. “I said we’d meet them down there. There’s too much traffic back there for them to get through.”

They were quiet for a few minutes as they walked side by side. There were still quite a few people out, but for the most part, they were left alone. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what we were going to.” James kicked out at a loose rock on the sidewalk. “I guess I didn’t think about it.”

Lily pulled his suit jacket a little tighter around her and shrugged. “I had a lot of fun. A little nerve-wracking at first, but I’m definitely not mad you invited me. I just didn’t know you were so famous.”

He frowned. “I’m not famous.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Huh. Then how, exactly, did you get an invitation to the Brit Awards?”

He shot her a smirk. “My thick thighs.”

“James Potter, your mum was right, you need a haircut to humble you.”

A car pulled up next to them and James checked the license plate quickly before opening her door again. “So you agree, I have thick thighs.”

Lily waited for him to climb in before she continued. “You have thick thighs but I’m not sure why that would help you get an invite.”

He shrugged nonchalantly, turning to face her in the backseat. “Raw sex appeal.”

Lily’s eyebrows raised even higher. “Raw sex appeal.”

“Mmhm. Raw sex appeal.” James put his hand over the back of her headrest, causing his shirt to pull tight against his torso. Lily had to pull her eyes from the outline of his muscles, and when she met James’ eyes again, it was clear he had noticed. 

“Well, that can’t be it. You don’t have a single drop of that.”

“That’s not what my mum tells me.”

“Your mum tells you that you have ‘pure sex appeal’?”

“Evans - “ James tried, but Lily had won their little battle of words, and there was nothing he could do. “Alright fine, it was not my sex appeal.”

“Glad we finally agree on that.” 

 Euphemia was in bed when they got home, and Lily and James crept upstairs to change. Lily changed into shorts and a sweatshirt, tossed her hair into a bun, and decided taking off her makeup was a later problem. James beat her downstairs again and was standing in front of the open refrigerator. 

Lily snagged another blackberry pastry, groaning as the sweet taste filled her mouth. James turned around with half of a sandwich in his hand. He walked into the pantry and grabbed some glasses and red wine before moving to sit next to her at the counter. Lily shifted to face him as he pointed to his legs. 

“I wore shorts just so you could see my thick thighs. And raw sex appeal.” Lily glanced down to see a pair of very muscular thighs hidden behind grey shorts. She swallowed hard and bit into her pastry. 

“If you say so.”

There was quiet padding behind them, and Euphemia walked in, wrapped in a bathrobe and hair in curlers. “Oh! I’m so sorry, did we wake you?”

She shook her head, squinting in the kitchen light. “I wanted to ask you how it went.”

Lily didn’t hesitate to throw James under the bus. “Your son told me this award ceremony was no big deal.”

“No!” Euphemia gasped. “You didn’t tell her it was the Brits?”

James shrunk slightly under his mother’s glare. “I may have forgotten to mention it.”

“And he told me he has raw sex appeal.”

“Is that so?” Euphemia turned to James, hands on her hips, but the laughter in her eyes made it clear that she was enjoying embarrassing him. James just shot his mother a winning smile, and Euphemia turned to Lily. “Did he treat you right?”

“Oh yes, a perfect gentleman.” But just as she said this, James' hand crept back onto her bare thigh, his thumb rubbing light circles under the table. Lily’s stomach flip-flopped.

Euphemia winked at them and pointed to the kitchen. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, dearie. James, stay out of the ice cream, I’m saving it for tomorrow.”

James kissed her on the cheek as she left, then grabbed the wine and glasses. “You want to go outside?”

Lily grinned and moved to grab some blankets from the living room. James was bent over the firepit on the back patio, and in a few seconds, had managed to start a warm fire. She handed him a blanket, scooting her chair close to his and wrapping herself up. He handed her a glass of wine then settled back into his chair. 

“Coming out here was always my favorite thing to do at your house,” Lily said. “It just… it just felt like one big family.”

James fanned his fingers out over the flame. “How long has it been since we were all together? Like three years?”

“Four,” Lily said quietly. “We haven’t all been together since graduation.”

“We’ve come a long way since then.”

“Yeah.” Lily shifted in her seat. Then she asked a question that had been weighing on her mind since he had called her. “Why did you call me?”

She expected him to give her a joking response, but to her surprise, he took a minute to think. “I missed you. It’s been a while.”

“No girlfriend? No pretty famous person who is sliding into your dms?” Her voice was teasing, but it was a genuine question. James had it all - fame, money, talent, looks - why did he ask her to go with him on the red carpet?

He laughed lightly and shook his head. “C’mon Evans, you know that’s not me.”

He was right - Lily couldn’t see him ever actually caring about his fame. It just wasn't him. Sure, he had an ego, but he’d matured so much since freshman year of uni, and Lily had been more than impressed with him on the red carpet. “You handled it so well today. Everyone loves you. ” 

“Everyone loves you, Evans. You had less than thirty seconds notice that you were going on a red carpet and you adjusted in what - ten seconds?”

Lily stayed quiet, taking a sip from her glass. “We’ve grown up a lot since uni, haven’t we?” He didn’t reply, just staring into the fire. Lily continued. “I don’t know if I could have done it tonight if it wasn’t you with me. You just made it easy.”

He shrugged. “I used to go to a lot of events with my mum and dad.”

Lily wanted to reach out and shake him and tell him that no, it was just James that was so charismatic and caring and charming. He didn’t seem to know the effect he had on people - had on her - that made them open up and happy -

And then all of a sudden, Lily realized just exactly what her feelings were. The reason she had a hard time taking her eyes off him or kept having to fight the urge to just hold his hand, and why she suddenly did not want to go back home.

Her eyes flicked at him, tracing the lines of his face and watching the light dance on his hair. James seemed to sense that she was watching him and glanced up at her. She just smiled softly and pulled her blanket tighter, heart pounding.

James downed the last of his drink and stood up, brushing off his pants. “I think I’m going to head to bed.”

Lily was a little surprised at his sudden decision, but felt a yawn coming on and stood up with him. James extinguished the fire, Lily grabbed the wine bottle, and they headed inside. They were mostly quiet, but just before Lily entered her room, she pulled him into a tight hug. “Thanks for tonight. I’m glad you invited me.”

James wrapped his arms around her and Lily could feel her heart rate increase again. He didn’t pull away, but she was worried that he could hear her pounding heart and didn’t linger. She waved goodbye to him, then went into her room. 

The blanket was still hanging on her shoulders, and she buried her nose in it, leaning against the door. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. Tonight had not been anything like she had expected, and she was incredibly grateful she had said yes. But there was a problem. She hadn’t anticipated her newfound feelings for James and had no idea how or when they had started. All she knew was that she was going to kick herself for months if she didn’t tell him how she felt. 

But the problem with that was she had no idea if even liked her. But thinking back on the night, Lily hoped the hints he seemed to be dropping really were hints and not just things close friends do. Like the way he had held her hand on the red carpet, the way he kept putting his hand on her thigh, or the way he had looked at her when she’d first come downstairs. 

Lily tilted her head back to rest on the door, gave herself a mental pep talk, threw open the door to her room, and marched across to James’ bedroom. She knocked quietly on the door, and he opened it a few seconds later. 

“What’s up?” he whispered. Lily took a tiny step forward and he stepped back to let her inside. She stood only a few inches away from him, the blanket still wrapped around her. 

“Why did you call me?” her voice was so quiet that she barely even heard it. “You never answered my question.”

“Evans…”

Lily’s mouth twitched upwards. She took a small step forward. “I think you can call me Lily now, James.”

He opened his mouth and then clamped it shut. He seemed to be fighting himself internally, and Lily couldn’t handle it more. She closed the gap between them, standing on her tiptoes and pressing a rough kiss to his mouth. He didn’t respond, and Lily pulled away, feeling her stomach drop. She looked up at him, trying to gauge if she had just made a terrible mistake. 

She was just about to step back, ready to apologize, but his dark eyes flashed and his hands reached out to grip her face and pulled her back. The blanket slid to the ground as Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him down to her, and the warmth of the blanket was lost. One of his hands moved to grip her hip, the other on the small of her back, pulling her against his chest. His warmth replaced the chill as Lily moved one hand to play with his hair. He groaned against her lips as she tugged on it, tilting his head back so that she could press needy kisses along his jawline.

He stepped to the side, pulling her with him towards the bed. The back of her knees hit the edge of the bed, and she immediately sat, grabbing onto the collar of his sweatshirt and pulling him down with her. The rough movement made their noses knock together, and Lily just laughed as James pulled away a little ruefully to rub it. Lily took advantage of the space between them to pull his shirt over his head, and as soon as it was tossed to the side, James dropped back to her, warm fingers trailing up her sides.

 “You think your mum heard us?” Lily was lying under the covers with her head resting on James’ arm, one hand tracing the lines of his stomach. 

“Way to ruin the mood, Evans. I love talking about my mum right after sex.” Lily laughed as he buried his face in a pillow. She reached out to play with a strand of his hair. James pulled his face out of the pillow to look at her. “You weren’t exactly quiet, were you?”

Lily blushed violently as he shifted to kiss her neck again. James had excellent stamina, what could she say? He seemed to know exactly what spots got to her, and it quite possibly had been the best bloody shag of her life.

Not that she would tell him that - she didn’t want his ego getting any bigger. Instead, she shifted onto her elbow, letting the sheet slide down to her waist. She smirked as his eyes slipped downwards and he swallowed hard, letting his hands wander freely. Pulling her hair out of her face, she bent down to pull him in a needy kiss, and that was all the prompting he needed to roll on top of her again. 

 After getting back so late and an active night, they slept in late. Lily woke up first, with James sprawled out on the bed next to her. She watched him for a minute in the soft morning light, then got dressed enough to quietly pad across the hall and back into her room. She showered quickly, scrubbing off last night’s makeup, then dressed in shorts and an oversized shirt. 

The kitchen was empty, but Euphemia had left a note on the counter about waffles in the fridge, and Lily didn’t hesitate to pull a few out. She had just put a few in the microwave when James shuffled in, wrapping his arms around her from the back and burying his head in her neck. He inhaled deeply, and his warm exhale gave Lily goosebumps. “You smell good,” he murmured, shifting some of her wet hair off her neck, giving him unrestricted access. Lily’s head tilted back to rest on his shoulder as his lips trailed up and down, humming softly. 

Lily would have taken him right there and then if Euphemia hadn’t walked in that exact second. She tried to put some distance between her and James, a little embarrassed that she’d caught them like that, but James kept his arms tight around her, laughing. 

“Morning mum,” he said brightly. “What are you up to?”

“Just out for a bit of gardening.” She waved her dirty hands and raised an eyebrow quizically at them. “Jamie dear, do you have something to tell me?”

James rested his chin on Lily’s shoulder and whispered something in her ear. She nodded, tipping her head to the side to see him, a smile breaking out on her face. He smiled too, his thumb rubbing slow circles on her stomach. He looked over at his mother, who was now washing her hands, and said “Mum, I want you to meet Lily Evans, my girlfriend.”

Euphemia gasped and spun on her heel to look at them. “Well, it’s about time!” She reached out and pulled Lily from James’ arms. “Oh! My hands are all wet.” She released Lily from the hug and jumped up and down. “I always hoped you two would get together!”

James grabbed Lily from behind again, pulling her close. Lily shot her an odd look. “You did?”

Euphemia winked at both of them and James groaned. “She loves you too bloody much.”

Lily patted his hands, which had slipped just under the hem of her shirt, consolingly. The microwave finally beeped and she pulled away to grab the plates. Euphemia disappeared back into the garden a few minutes later, and Lily joined James back at the counter. They dove into the food, both starving. 

James slid his hand on her thigh, and she put her hand over his, not wanting to be apart just yet. When they’d finished, he turned to her, one elbow leaning on the counter. “So, Evans, want to stay the night again?”

She pretended to think about it. “I’m sure Euphemia would enjoy my company.”

James pushed his plate away and stood up. Lily turned around to face him, and he stepped forward until Lily’s back hit the counter. He kissed the corners of her mouth, then moving back down to her neck. “No other reason?”

Lily was having a hard time concentrating. “I can’t miss out on the blackberry pastries.”

“Any other reasons?”James sucked slightly at the sweet spot he had discovered last night and Lily’s fingers dug into his shoulder. His free hand fingered the waistband of her shorts, and Lily couldn’t take it anymore. She kissed him, one hand fisting in the hair that she just couldn’t seem to get enough off. Still on the barstool, Lily wrapped her legs around him and he lifted her, kissing her all the while. 

“I can think of one more reason,” she managed to get out as he carried her up the stairs.

James threw open the door to his bedroom, tugging his shirt over his head. “Oh?”

Lily mirrored him, tossing her sweatshirt to the side. “Raw sex appeal.”

James’ eyebrows raised. “Oh yeah? Tell me more?”

Lily didn’t answer, instead just pulling him to the bed and laughing at the devilish look in his eyes. 

[the-fourth-knower]

Diary of a lost doe, part 1

A short fic where my character Annabelle writes in diaries

Fresh off losing her parents, Annabelle Flaches must contend with trying to fend for herself and her baby sister Angelica. And with Angelica talking to a mysterious green orb when she thinks Annabelle isn’t watching, things are only at the tip of the iceberg.

This is for me and Aquillis’s “half and half” AU, our ‘main’ AU. not to be confused with Aqui’s pack universe which is her underground re-write.

Due to the length I'm splitting this into two parts. This is part 1, part 2 is here!

Diary Enry 1, Day I dunno.

Okay here it is. First diary entry I guess. Gotta keep it brief, writing instruements are hard.

Been a few months since that day. We’re doing fine. Angie started another garden. Moved to a new spot.

Got some new things for the house. Old car door and a tire. Not sure what I’ll do with the tire gonna use the door as part of wall.

Finished roof this morning. Good thing 2, might rain.

Angie still sleps bad if not next to me. Writing while she’s curled up. Wasn’t for scars on ear and having to sleep in same clothes she’d look like we’re still home.

Gotta sleep now.

Diary Entry 2

Maybe got a job. Illegal probs but $ is $

Angelica talked more today. Good sign? Maybe she relapses back into not talking but progress.

I never thought i’d miss her annoying stupid “hey lets go explore a cave and not tell anyone bout what we’ll do” self. Never thought about losing mum and pa ei

Shit crying. Bye.

Diary entry 3

Diary didn’t get too wet yesterday.Don’t think bout mom and pa it ends badly.

I can’t afford to break down even if Angie’s sleeping

If I break down then Angie will get upset

I won’t put her through it

I won’t

…

Diary entry 54

Had to leave town but am 600 $ richer

Angie’s quiet again. But she didn’t complain bout us leavin

gonna go for a city maybe. more risk but more money and places to live.

Jadetown’s the city. Dunno too much bout it but mum liked it.

Should get there in maybe a cuple weeks or so

Angie’s sound asleep. No kicking or anything so that’s good

Hope the city’s okay. Angie hates crowds.

Need somewhere with not a lot of crowds to live at

…

Diary Entry 63

Been a hot second. Settling in Jadetown’s pretty hard.

Find a quiet spot in the slums. Pretty shitty now, but the two of us can make it work

Angie still isn’t talking, but she kept close to me while we made our way through the crowds. She seemed fine as long as she held my hand

Lost her a couple times, but not for long. She seemed upset bout it.

Sorry Angie.

I’ll do better. I promise.

...

Diary Entry 169 (it’s the morning but fuck it)

The nightmare happened again.

Angelica having her ear scared by those monsters. mum and pa being taken away in exchange for us being set loose

Only it loops around and around before it’s just cries and blood and knives and screams and crying and they’re all surrounding me judging me for just failing everyone because you’re a fucking failure

Haven’t had it a while. Don’t upset yourself, Angie needs you.

Diary entry 169? Night

Angelica almost killed some street thugs.

we caught some dumbass looking punks bullying some sort of chao. I think it’s a chao

I ran up to one like an idiot and gout in their face to know what they’re doin, and the things went dark. I got knocked out on my ass, apparenlty the big brute that led them butted me in the head. Asshole didn’t even let me get ready

I came to to Angie trying to shake me awake. When I looked around the punks were gone, there were plant vines all over, and the other kids that had gathered were a mix of crapped their pants and mouths on the floor

I asked angie bout it and she just said she took care of them and that the punks had run off

What the hell did she do? Usually I’m the one saving her? But she was having none of it today.

Oh the chao’s fine, weirdass chao though. Never seen chao that just cause flowers to grow around them or in their footsteps.

Made 30 $

Rib’s hurting and headache, Angie fast asleep. Time for bed.

Diary Entry 170

Chao’s bak.

Visited Angie’s garden for a while watchin me watchin it. It waved and left right around Angie gettin up.

Showed up again when we got back home. Angie hasn’t seen it yet. Good thing, she wanted to bring it with us. We can’t afford three mouths.

I don’t like it. We save its ass and now its stalking us.

Made nothin.

Ribs hurt less. Still a bitch.

Diary entry 171

Angie’s found the “chao”

She talked to it all morning when she thought i was napping. Couldn’t sleep, too afraid of bad dreams.

It doesn’t make chao sounds. Or it does but really weird ones.

Then it turned a green light ball for a bit and back into a chao

Angie liked that.

I don’t trust it. Even less.

Need to watch it.

Angie’s relaxed.

Made 5$.

Diary Entry 172 morn

Nightmare again

Diary Entry 172 night

Angie got excited, claimed that she “found Trevor”

he lived near us back in our old home

Had to tell her no, every red mouse we see is not Trevor.

She says that Trevor and his family were gonna move here, pretty inistent too.

Man she gets caught up on the smallest things

Made 20$

Diary Entry 173

Chao returned while i was working. Left Angie on her own

Shes seemed like she was having a fun time being able to talk with someone

She’s not made friends much. Maybe i’m being too hard on the ‘chao’

Still gotta watch it. It could be manipulating her

Haven’t told her I know bout the chao yet.

Should i?

Not now. Angelica is sleeping.

Made 5$

Diary Entry 174

‘Trevor’ spotting 2. Angie wanted to go bug the person. So we went and sure enough as we got closer Angie changed her mind. It was a rat, not a mouse she said.

How can she tell the difference?

No Angie and chao visit. Unless it was while i slept in. but why would she be secretive bout it?

Saw the punk bitch again today. Looked like he crapped his pants when he saw Angie and she glared at him. That’s my sister.

Made 60$

…

Diary Entry 364

Got a new diary. Last entry for this one. Things going well. Got a good thing going for myself.

Angie found a new plant today, and now she’s got it in her garden.

Loved the look on her face when I got it for her.

Made 50$

Angelica’s chatted with the Chao again. Sort of like, is her guardian I think. Or is that its name

Guess good bye diary 1. Really weird to do but it feels right.

Angie’s sleeping well enough on her own. She mumbles but that seems it.

Do I do a good job keeping her safe

Diary 2 Entry 1

Managed to find a new diary. Keeping the old one just cause, and because I have the storage. For a couple of street bum does, we’ve got a decent enough house going. Been able to put it together from bits and bobs lying around, Angie even threw in her hat and added her own touches.

Looks ugly as hell with the plants holding things together and it’s all a mish mash of junk and crap I found, but it’s our mishmash of junk and crap.

Also saved up enough and am making enough to afford more than one pen and even some pencils. So I can write more often. Just felt like writing

Angie’s started to get more vocal again. I think she’s catching onto the fact the way I’ve been making money is less than honest a lot of the time.

I’m not going to sell myself for it though. I’m not degrading myself with that and nayone who fucking tries is going to a hospital.

And if any of those freaks dare go near Angie there won’t be enough left for a morgue to pick up.

Oh, and the chao’s still around. I can feel it. Angelica loves it, I think. I don’t trust it entirely, yet. But, it hasn't been a danger for the past months. So I think it’s actually a good thing.. Angie calls it Guardian. Maybe it's our own Guardian Angel.

Made 65$ today.

Good journal entry me. You got talkative. Writative? Whatever.

...

Diary 2 Entry 23

Got into a fight today, that was fun. The punks from when I helped save Guardian decided to jump me when Angelica was at the house. Guess they figured they could jump me without little sis to back me up. Too bad for them, when I don’t get suckered I’m damn good at defending myself. Sent them packing. Got a bit bruised. Why is it always the ribs with those guys.

Admittedly. I didn’t have to beat the crap out of them. But talk shit get hit, I say. They shouldn’t have been trash talking me when I was walking by.

-

Angelica was upset when I got back. Should’ve expected that, really. Don’t know why I didn’t think she would notice me being hurt, she’s got a sixth sense for that sort of thing. Always has. Kinda weird.

But, she did try and heal me a bit. Somehow, she’s gotten better at it -Ever since she's met Guardian, she’s gotten more control over that healing ability she has. I just need to make sure she doesn’t overdo herself again.

I don’t know anything much bout healing magic or whatever it is, but I don’t think what Angie has is normal. I think she uses herself for it. Whatever healing she tries to do just eats away at her. And whatever it was was enough to frighten Pa to move us in the first place

-

I think part of me might blame ANgie for it. For getting us out of the safety of where we lived near Agateton and moving.

But if we didn’t move would we really have been safe still. And it wasn’t Angie’s fault she did what she did, it was Pa who pushed for it and Mum who went with it.

So do I blame them? I don’t want to. The monsters that took them and hurt Angie are the ones to blame.

But they wouldn’t have found us if we didn’t move near that forest. But Mum and Pa couldn’t have seen it coming.

Ugh. brain hurts. Fuck this mind screw bullshite

Spent 123.54$ today. Groceries and supplies. Tampons are stupid expensive but I want to have a decent supply for when we need them. Also some food.

Made 13$. Gonna need to work more to recoup.

No idea if Angie talked with Guardian. She still thinks I don’t know anythin bout it.

At least, I think she doesn’t. She gets defensive and acts like she doesn’t know what I’m talking about.

I wonder why she does that. Wonder if it’s tied with how I react to her saying she’s found Trevor for the umpteenth time.

Maybe I should press her bout it. But I don’t want to get her worked up over nothin.

Okay that’s enough, my mind’s getting wandering now and I stay up if I do that.

...

Diary 2 Entry 54

Someone showed up with a bunch of robots earlier. Cause quite the commotion, sent people running, the usual.

Apparently he set up shop in the rich quarter and is causing all sorts of troubles. People have been coming to and fro a lot the past few days.

Angie got worried over explosions. Had to calm her down, explain that whatever it was probably wasn’t coming here. She asked me bout the people there and if they needed help - told her that someone would take care of the rich fops. That’s what they do after all. Who gives a shit about two practically orphaned kids.

Not sure if she bought it. Gotta keep an eye on her. Might need to pull an all nighter.

And we don’t have any energy drinks or coffee. I could go grab one, no one is gonna give a shit if I do, not in this current environment.

Gotta stop for now. Gotta focus on Angie not some stupid book.

Entry 55

Angie’s missin

[recurring-polynya]

i’m gonna try out my luck for the renji bday thing😭

- renji being a mediator between rukia and ichika(idk why i feel like rukia and ichika would get into rly dumb arguments and just fight like they’re the same age)

- renji and ichika get a tattoo

- jealous rukia(of course)

- anything that takes place in inuzuri, i loved your ‘dumb teens stealing kisses’ snippet so much 😭

- more of the tattoo artist renji falls for a client AU

I hope you’ll forgive me for cheating a bit, but when I saw this, I said, “what if I just gave you more of the dumb teens stealing kisses” fic? because honestly, it’s just sitting here.

For people who don’t obsessively follow my incoherent ramblings about my own WIPs, this is an excerpt for i can’t believe i found you in that town, a story that takes place during Renji and Rukia’s last year in Inuzuri. Two out of their three friends have passed away, their powers are growing steadily stronger, and they are starting to face the fact that they aren’t children anymore. I have two more parts of Heart is a Muscle to get through first, so I never work on it, but it is very close to my heart.

PS: This is not going on ao3 at this time, because I really do intend to finish it eventually, so consider this a Tumblr exclusive.

❄    ❄     ❄

In a strange confluence, all three of them have found gainful employment at the same time.

Renji is guarding crates. He does not ask what is in the crates. He does not want to know what is in the crates. He stands next to the crates and his size deters most people. Occasionally, he is called upon to punch someone in the face. It’s good work.

Fujimaru got him this gig, actually. Mameji was good with numbers and he taught Fujimaru a lot, and now Fujimaru has a gig keeping the books for the guys who own the crates. That seems like pretty good work to Renji, too. Fujimaru says he wishes it involved more punching people. Renji wishes his job involved punching fewer people. Everyone’s got complaints.

Rukia has found work in a shop. This is charming and hilarious to both boys. It’s a pawn shop that paradoxically seems to buy about three times as much junk as it sells. It’s obvious that the only reason the owner hired Rukia is because the clientele likes to come in and look at her, but the fact is, she’s an amazing bargainer, and she’s making him a ton of change.

Renji stops in one late afternoon when his own shift is over, and watches her sell a man a knife that looks like it will break if he looks at it funny. She offers to throw in a shitty ball of twine and the man agrees to pay what is easily four times what the knife is worth, and leaves smiling. Amazing.

The shop owner eyes Renji warily. Renji never starts trouble, and he’s even stopped it once or twice, but at the same time, his presence is cramping the appeal of the pretty shopgirl.

“I’m off,” Rukia tells her boss.

“See y’tomorrow,” the seedy man grumbles.

“You don’t get paid every day?” Renji asks Rukia loudly. “I get paid at the end of every shift.”

“She gets paid at the end of the week,” the shopkeeper grouses.

Renji flexes one arm experimentally, admiring his own bicep. “It’s nice getting paid every day. Makes you want to come back the next day, y’know.”

“She comes back every day so she can get paid at the end of the week.”

Rukia’s eyes dart between them.

“Ah, you must be a great boss, very trustworthy,” Renji comments, stretching his back. “Although gettin’ paid every day is a nice way to show trust, too. Hey, Ru, you wanna stop at Takahashi’s on the way home? I heard they got in some dried mackerel and I,” he winks at Rukia’s boss, “got paid today.”

“Pfft,” Rukia huffs, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders. “I’m sure it’s a scam. We need rice, though, and more water.”

“Hey, girl,” Rukia’s boss spits out. “You had a good shift! Here’s your pay for today, as a reward for doing so well. Come back tomorrow, okay?”

“Of course,” Rukia agrees, taking the coins with a sly smile.

As they head out of town, she jabs him in the ribs with her elbows. “You’re so obvious.”

“Got you paid, didn’t I?”

“You did, thank you. He hates you, you know.”

Renji sighs dramatically. “How can I live with myself?”

Rukia snorts. “He’s gross, I hate him. I hate that whole job. Smiling at people. Acting kind to horrible people. It’s so fake. I don’t know why you like working so much, I’d rather just steal.”

“I’ve seen you working, what you do is not much different from stealing.” Renji rubs his hands together. It’s getting cold, especially with the sun setting. “I appreciate the effort, though. I mean, we do. Me and Fujimaru. I like this. Having money, that is. It’s nice.”

Rukia regards him out of the corner of her eye.

“Do you? Do you appreciate it?”

Renji frowns. “Yeah, of course I do. I know you don’t like it.”

Rukia stops walking and turns to him. “C’mere.” She gestures toward herself and makes the pointing motion she does when she wants him to bend down to her level. Even though this results in a cuff to the back of his head more often than not, Renji obeys. “If you really appreciate it, I think you should do something nice for me.”

Renji should know by now to be wary of such an ominous statement, but he falls for it anyway. “Sure. Name it.”

“I want to kiss you again.”

Renji tugs at his ponytail. “Again? Really?”

It was probably six years between the first and second time she had wanted to kiss him, but the second time had only been a few months ago, last spring, after he broke his arm saving her from a large, angry man she had attempted to pickpocket.

“You said you were open to the idea,” Rukia scowled.

“I...did,” Renji stammered. To be fair, he had been in immense pain at the time and probably would have agreed to just about anything. He could have used that as an excuse. It seemed like Rukia was thinking the same, he could tell she was already getting herself wound up to be hurt at his rejection. That stung a little, the idea that she expected so little of him. “No problem. Anything for you. Go for it.” He bent his knees a little deeper and squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.

“You gotta relax a little, man, it’s not a punch in the nards,” Rukia scolded, grabbing ahold of his ears and laying one on him.

Renji didn’t fantasize about kissing girls. He liked girls well enough, but he liked guys more. There was one exception to that rule, and that was Rukia. He liked her more than anyone. It wasn’t right to fantasize about Rukia, though, in his opinion, because he lived with her and it wasn’t respectful and also… also, if he spent too much time thinking about things like kissing her, he might want to do it. So, he avoided the slippery slope of girls in general, and restricted his spicy kissing fantasies to the lean, knife-eyed Rukongai punks that hung out on street corners and had really sexy ways of saying “heeeeeey.” Renji was perpetually working on his “heeeeeeys.”

But Rukia was kissing him now, and it seemed equally disrespectful to pretend she wasn’t. Her lips were soft against his, and curious. Her fingers relaxed their painful grip on his ears and snuck around to rest on the back of his neck. She must have been keeping her hands in her sleeves, because they were warm, and they felt so good and this was good, this was so, so good and it occurred to Renji that maybe he was meant to kiss her back, she had never mentioned anything about--

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it, Abarai?” Rukia was saying.

It was over.

Renji blew air out his cheeks. “Naw, it was fine. Ah, did you, uh… was it everything you hoped and dreamed?”

“It was okay,” she shrugged, but her eyes twinkled. She started walking again and Renji had to do a little skip and a jump to catch up. “Fujimaru’s probably home already. How come he didn’t come with you to pick me up?”

“Oh, there were extra crates today, so he’s working late. But we can have the rice ready and surprise him!”

“Mm, yes, that sounds nice,” Rukia agreed. She hummed a little as she walked. “Hey, Renji?”

“Yeah?”

“Back at the shop-- did you call me Ru? What was that?”

Renji made a face. “I dunno. I thought it was cute.” You’re cute, his brain added, and suddenly, he couldn’t unsee it. She was unbearably cute, wrapped up in her shawl, that little piece of hair hanging between her eyes, those beautiful eyes. “If you don’t like it, I’ll--”

“You’ve known me for nine years and you decide, just now, to give me a nickname?”

He shrugged. “Things can change, right? Even out here in the ass end of Rukongai?”

She regarded him for a moment. “It is cute. I will allow it, but only from you, and don’t do it around gross people like my greasy boss.”

“Yeah, no prob,” he agreed, squeezing his hands under his armpits. He had a bad feeling that they were in for a brutal winter this year.

“Hey!” Rukia said, and he realized she was holding out his hand to him. Gingerly, he took it, hoping she wouldn’t mind his own cold fingers. She didn’t seem to.

[tundrainafrica]

Title: A Tale of Two Slaves (1/17)

Summary:  "Soulmates don’t exist. Fate doesn't exist. Everything is a choice." At that moment, Levi could only watch as she made the choice for him."

Reincarnation AU. Levi remembers everything from their past life. Hange doesn't.

Note: This has been sitting on my computer untouched for a while, along with the timeline I prepared for a multichapter fic. Will probs go back to it soon. Feedback is very much appreciated.

Other Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Link to cross-postings: AO3

In dreams people only see faces they already know.

It was an interesting fact Levi had probably come across, lazily scrolling through his social media timelines or opening countless tabs after getting into some Wikipedia blackhole in between the long days of schools and the short nights asleep.

He spent a fair amount of time on the internet, reading up about whatever bullshit politics came up with, controversies and bathroom reader fun facts. During his first year of college, it had stuck to him for a time. Maybe because it just seemed too unrealistic, too unbelievable.

After all, ever since he had started college, he felt like he had been dreaming of more and more unfamiliar faces. It could have been attributed at least to the fact that he was exposed to more people in a crowded city than he had been in the small town he grew up in. As time went by, these faces he barely recognized though, had become the main actors in his dream.

The long haired boy with the elvish features. The man with the clean cut appearance and a glint of mischief in his eyes. The oriental girl with subtle European features. The cheeky girl with a beat up pair of glasses and unkempt hair.

They and many others had been regulars in his dreams and Levi had come up with names for them already, names he remembered muttering, names he screamed multiple times in his head. By the time he woke up to the four walls of his bedroom a few hours before his first class, they were vague memories, only as intelligible as his view of the world right after waking up.

Some mornings, he had found himself more exhausted than when he had slept. Some mornings, he found his throat sore from screaming. Some days, his eyes were swollen from crying.

He lived alone in a dormitory and he had wanted to infer that it had been homesickness that had made those nightmares possible. He had never really abhorred being alone though, in fact he liked the privacy that came with having his own room.

He quickly shot down that theory and did not think too much about it soon after. His daily life did not give him too much time to ponder such fleeting and abstract of a concept as dreams in between lessons and training.  

The dreams never left him, some days they were more vivid than others. After a few years of navigating academics, trainings, and obligations, Levi had gotten used to brushing off that one tear he’d get as he woke up, taking a lozenge to soothe the sore throat or just leaving the lights off in his room to alleviate the pounding headache he would get some mornings.

Daily life and obligations never did allow him the time and space to ponder too much on those dreams. Levi chalked it up to stress and unexplained trauma, easily soothed by ten minutes scrolling through social media or hours reorganizing his room for the third time that week.

Financial and time constraints made it impossible as well to even consider consulting about it and Levi found himself compartmentalizing those dreams into those few hours of sleep he got at night and the one hour he allowed himself each day to adjust to the waking world.

The line blurred one night though when one of those names was nonchalantly mentioned among others.

"Hange Zoe..."

It was just one name in a list recited by their coach before they were all dismissed for the evening. Sandwiched between a few other names before and after it, it wasn't supposed to stand out like that. Oddly, it did.

As Levi rode his bike to his dormitory room after a tiring day of training, he found himself repeating that name again and again. He tried to make sense of the odd familiarity which came with a name he could have sworn he had never heard before.

A family friend? A childhood friend?

Levi entertained those possibilities. Having grown up in a small town, his family friends and childhood friends consisted of everyone in that tight knit community and he could have listed out all their names then and there. She wasn’t part of it.

To at least, satisfy his own curiosity, Levi had sent a message to his parents before going to sleep. Just in case he had met her before.

Levi woke up the next morning, his throat a little scratchier, his body a little more tired. The first thing he did was check his phone.

Hange Zoe wasn’t a family friend.

Levi put the covers over himself and closed his eyes. His head was pounding and his chest was heavy. He had only noticed a moment later that his eyes were wet, his breaths were coming out in heaves.

What did I dream about this time?

Levi needed the whole morning to recover.

                                  A Tale of Two Slaves

Levi managed at least to drag himself out of bed for afternoon training. By then, others have already started warming up. Levi wondered if he would be able to carry his body through a warm up jog, given his state only a few hours ago.

In the end, getting the jog done became a matter of discipline more than anything else and he had finished well above everyone else.

He had always been faster, given his smaller build and he had the natural muscle and athletic skill to be versatile as well. That was what made him stand out as the best athlete in the track and field team. He never cared too much either way about the admiration many of his teammates held towards him.

The recurring nightmares and the aftermaths of these though had left Levi averse to human interaction. Ironically, as he moved away from his small town and into the bigger city, his world had gotten smaller. Levi found himself keeping his world only wide enough to win track and field events and pass classes.

No man could really ever be an island though, no matter how much they try. Levi soon found that out when he saw that aforementioned Hange Zoe on the side of the track, talking to one of their coaches.

“This is Hange Zoe.”

“You can call me Hange.”

Levi did not need that quick introduction his coach had just given him. Somehow, the name and the face just clicked inside him. He looked expectantly at his coach and back at Hange.

Hange held out her hand to him and smiled. “I heard you’re the best one in the team. Coach Greg spoke highly of you.”

Levi narrowed his eyes at her. “What's she doing here?”

“Didn’t I tell you last time? Some of the premed students wanted to do case studies on athletes here for their final thesis. If you could help them out?” The coach turned to Hange. “Levi here is one of our best jumpers. He holds a pretty good record for sprinting, hurdles and throwing events as well.”

“Your jogging form looks amazing! I’d love to see you in action.”

Levi was not prepared for the invasion of privacy that came a second after. Hange held both of his hands towards her and leaned closer towards him. Before Levi could even stop himself, he had pushed her away and ran, the screaming of his coach to come back had become mere muffled screams in the background.

The only reason Levi did drag himself to training was for the fact that it was still one of the few hobbies he found complete calm yet complete liberation in. Those few moments after launching himself up in the air, those magical few moments high up in the air with only the empty sky above him, Levi felt free.

As Levi powered through, he found within him a burst of energy, built up from an idle morning cooped up in his room.

He had done those same drills so many times before. The excitement he got from flying through the air and running easily took over whatever exhaustion and rattledness plagued him only a second ago. He let his body memory guide him through each drill, concentrating his consciousness on other things like the cool wind on his skin as he shot through the track and the purple sky that stretched above as he performed horizontal jumps.

If Levi had been any more aware of his surroundings, he would have noticed his teammates leaving the track one by one. Maybe, he would have noticed as he started moving to the hurdles that the purple sky was slowly turning into a dark blue and the scenery around him was becoming just a little more than shadows.

It was nothing new. Levi had stayed behind to work on other skills multiple times and his coach and teammates had just learned to leave the club room open. Levi would leave an extra thirty minutes to an hour later than his companions,

At that training though, with little incentive to break away from that small bubble he had built for himself, not  a lot of things could have broken his concentration. Fifteen minutes into his hurdles exercises, the distraction came. Levi was raising one leg, positioning himself to jump a hurdle when he caught a shadow from his peripherals.

Someone had been watching him in the dark.

He was alone. Or he was supposed to be alone at least.

The combination of those realizations and the exhaustion that threatened to take over Levi only caused Levi to stumble on the hurdle in front of him and fall forward onto cold ground.

“Hey! You okay?”

It was that same voice from that same conversation Levi had walked away from just an hour ago. The voice was as loud and as annoying as it was an hour ago that even when his shadow was still a good few meters away, Levi remembered how it felt with her forehead once again pressed on his and her grip on his two hands.

Levi was frozen on the ground, his body still in shock at the sudden loss of control and the whiplash of what he had just imagined.  

“That looked painful.” Her voice was softer than it was a second ago. Hange put her hand on his.

Levi pulled away instinctively, and winced as his palms protested the quick action. Levi looked at his palms. In the dim light, he could see three long gashes lined up in the middle. Blood was starting to come out as well.

Levi was exhausted. The impact and the aftermath of falling on the ground, front first and the friction burns that followed, only further drained what was left of his energy.

By the time Hange helped him up by the shoulders  Levi was almost motionless, the small movements he made were carefully calculated for fear of aggravating the dull pain.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.”

                              A Tale of Two Slaves

“Sorry about a while ago… People say I’m just a little too intimidating  but I just get really excited about these types of things. You had such a good running form. You jump so high. You get a really good height above the hurdles… “ Hange gave him a consoling look. “Except that last one.”

Hange was closer to him than what Levi would have preferred at first. Oddly, he had gotten used to it quickly enough, particularly because he had no other choice.

The gashes on his palms were bloody and painful. With little to no means to bandage them himself, he was left to rely on the only person there and as Levi soon found out, she had problems with maintaining a comfortable social distance from people.

And she never stopped talking.

“Are the bandages too tight?” Hange asked, in between other ramblings Levi had tuned out.

“‘No.” The only words Levi had said since they had arrived in the club room fifteen minutes ago.

“Okay, let’s move on to your knees.”

Levi had not surveyed the damage himself but he guessed it was probably worse than his palms from Hange’s concerned frown.

“You’re gonna need stitches for this. The clinic probably isn’t open so you might have to go to the hospital… We could call a taxi and---”

“You’re a pre-med student, can’t you do it yourself?”

Hange blushed. “You trust me to do it?”

"A trip to the hospital will just be a waste of time." Levi admitted.

Hange rummaged deeper into the first aid kit. "This is gonna be painful though."

Better than taking a trip to the hospital now. Levi braced himself for it and decided to distract himself from the discomfort of the whole ordeal.  

“How does it feel? Flying in the sky like that?” Hange asked. At that point, Hange had started to talk more purposefully, as if she wanted to get a point across to him.

Levi guessed that it was all an attempt to distract him from the mini operation she was giving him. From his angle, Levi could not see the extent of the injuries, nor did he want to. The pain was bearable, although it was still much worse than what he would have considered a discomfort.

“I’ve always wanted to take a sport like that, maybe gymnastics, maybe figure skating or track and field? That’s the closest people can get to flying right?” Hange was asking too many questions but it was obvious she was not expecting answers.

Her words flowed as smoothly as the movement of the needle and thread he could see from his angle.

Something about the way she talked to him was comforting and eventually Levi had almost completely relaxed, the pain of needle to torn skin a distant memory. He lay back on the bench and closed his eyes, focusing not on her words but instead on the familiar warm tone as she spoke.

The sensation of needle to skin, the burning pain, the dizziness that followed. They were all too familiar. All accompanied by that familiar warm voice.

Maybe we should just live here together. Right Levi?

If we keep running and hiding, what will that get us.

Hange's voice tore into his daydream. “What do you mean? Are you running from something?"

[lovely-necromancy]

A Cure for Insomnia CH.6

You wake up sometime around one. Not too late in the day given your morning. With a decent amount of sleep under your belt you roll over and start striping your bed of its sheets. Then you make your way across your room, picking up stray clothes as you go to your hamper and dump your collection of dirty linens and clothes into it. You carry the hamper to the bathroom where you load half into the washer. There's no real point in separating the clothes from colored items and pastels or whites. You're only twenty-four and don't have your life totally figured out yet. You can be a little lazy with laundry.

Once your first load of laundry is being washed you go to do your weekly tidy of your home. The one good thing that came from the paranoia of your car's break in was you rearranged all the furniture of the home, thus cleaning as you went. So that means it's more of a quick wipe down of counters and sweeping today. Maybe you'd organize your art supplies while doing your laundry. It's an activity that wouldn't distract you too much and make you forget you had laundry in the wash.

You finish washing the dishes from this morning you begin wiping the counters and tabletop when you notice your fidget cube is still on the table where Toby left it earlier.

'Don't want to lose this. Back to the bookshelf where you belong.' When you get to the living room's bookshelf you notice one of your book's is missing. Ironically it's The Book Thief.

'Tobias probably picked it up and put it down somewhere.' you'd keep your eyes peeled for the book while you cleaned.

After wiping down bookshelves, tables, counters, even the mantel over the fire place you still hadn't found your missing book. You probably picked it right up and placed it right back down without even realizing. You'll just keep an eye out until you find it. You don't even reread books, you really just kept a copy to lend out to people when they ask what your favorite books are. It isn't a real big deal if you can't find it, plus there's bound to be a copy floating somewhere in a thrift shop or yard sale.

The washer chimes right as you grab the broom to sweep. Pausing this task to go retrieve your laundry and do the rest. You empty the dirty clothes left in the basket onto the floor and place the clean wet ones inside the basket. After starting the final load you carry the basket out back. As nice as this home is its still small and doesn't have a dryer, which early summer is fine but come fall and winter might be more cumbersome. Seeing as you have to hang the laundry out to dry outside. Maybe when it gets cold you'll just do smaller loads and hang them up in the bathroom or over the fire place. But that's a thought for future you. Right now current you is struggling yet again to get a fitted sheet to sit on the line. Fitted sheets are probably Satan himself in disguise.

When you finish stringing all the laundry up you take a moment to just enjoy the quiet and the peace that comes with the outside. It's nice out here, maybe after you finish the last few chores today you can come out and just draw, it'd be a good way to also keep an eye on this weather in case it turns. While it hasn't happened yet you're very aware of the risks you take by ignoring the existence of meteorologists. And by that you mean just not bothering to look up the weather for the day.

Heading back inside you restart your task of sweeping. Like you thought you've finished before the washer has even completed it's first cycle. The house isn't too big so it's easy to clean it from top to bottom within a day normally, but today you had even less to do thanks to this week's rearranging. So you move on to organizing your art supplies and separating all materials by medium.

Of course arranging materials is never easy, after all you end up staring at all your horded empty sketch books and note how your thumbnail notebooks are just covered in doodles and random scribbles but no real art or ideas. Maybe it's time to start kicking yourself into gear. You ran into a major period of burnout before moving and now with this fresh start you might be able to focus on progressing with art, even if you don't pursue it as a career. You've always loved the ability to draw and create images that make others happy. But right in this moment you just want to make yourself happy. Maybe you could start small just a few still lifes and see how you feel after that.

Hearing the chime of the washer you hurry to finish putting away the supplies in their newly assigned places. Just as before you transfer the wet and clean clothes into the awaiting basket and take them out to be hung to dry. You don't have another fitted sheet this go round so it goes by much faster than it previously had. Now with all of your washing for today hung you head back inside to grab a fresh sketchbook.

Having never been one for scenery, more of a portrait artist, you start off with small things. A few stills of a flower under the window, the old tire swing on the tree, and even the blue jay that dove for dinner right in front of you. Of course all of these were warm ups done in a few minutes, though you really wish you had more time on the blue jay one. You really need practice with things that aren't people.

The warm ups of course don't look very good, but you can still see what you'd been going for. The hatching and smudging you'd done, to increase depth and give the quick drawing more life, did help a little but it was clear this was an area where you weren't skilled. But that didn't deter you, after all you  needed more practice and wouldn't be getting better without it.

Deciding to draw the scene before you, a small open meadow surrounded by trees, in other words your backyard with your drying laundry. You start off slow and make sure to actually look and take in the yard in front of you, doing your best to not just make up the trees and their shapes as you go. Soon you are lost in the meditative muscle memory of drawing. The scratching of pencil scrapping across paper further lulling you into a trance like state as you etch out the scenery.

A harsh breeze blows through and the loud flapping of sheet hitting sheet knocks you loose from your trance. Checking to make sure none of your laundry was flying off, it hadn't the laundry was still secured to the line. Smiling you glance down to actually see what you've sketched out so far. It isn't too bad, though you aren't sure how long you've been working on it, the trees all have a distinct shape rather than your typical cartoon one size fits all attempts. Scanning the page your eyes catch onto something off, out in the tree line it looks like you'd drawn a figure hiding behind a tree.

Hearing the beating of your heart that's currently hammering against your chest you look around. Did your mind do that as a joke or had someone genuinely been watching you draw? Your mouth is dry as your eyes scan the tree line for any sign of what could've been mistaken for a person, but you saw nothing. No one was there. Had anyone ever really been there? Why would you draw that? Why wouldn't you remember doing it? You don't feel safe out here anymore. There are eyes watching you you can feel it. They may not physically be there but the phantom eyes that surround you and cause your skin to crawl make sure you know of their presence. You take that as a sign to head inside for the evening, one that doesn't need to be repeated.

You lock the door immediately behind you and check your phone. It's seven, and you have an email notification. Thanking whatever power for the distraction you slide down your back door and open the notification. It's from Hollis!

YN r u  coming to SND? It's that teen beach zombie movie u love. Y;know the awful D list one Blk and wht with the 50yos playing teenagers

Lemme know I'll save your seat.

Sent 6:47 P.M.

They're so sweet to remember you loved this awful D list zombie movie. Horrible subplots and main plot and all. But you're a little spooked right now and watching even that joke of a horror movie is probably too much for you. You doubt you'd feel better by the time ten rolls around to watch it. Not to mention your battery's still drained from Toby this morning. And knowing for a fact you'd probably stay late to talk till morning with Hollis, Jake, and Kirby you decide it's best to skip this week. Just not having the energy to handle Saturday Night Dead.

Nah, sorry man. Battery's dead from being social earlier. Thanks tho, I do appreciate you! ….....,.... lemme know what next week's movie is!

Sent 7:10 P.M.

It'd probably be a good time to make something for dinner, there's a box of mac n cheese in the pantry. Simple but always beloved. As you wait for Hollis to respond you start on boiling water. But you didn't have to wait too long since they'd answered near instantly.

Chill, don worry we'll catch ya next week

…..oooop

ot not...Kirb's said it's the start of watching the entire warren file collection

starting from the beginning

...well the first movie released, Insidious. LOL we probs won't ever see you again.

Sent 7:12 P.M.

How dare Kirby betray you like this. First off those movies are awful, and like not cheesy awful just awful awful. Not to mention he knows how you feel about the Warrens and their cases. You have a power point presentation ready for that dick the next time you see him. ...well not literally but you'd make one to prove a point!

Where's Kirby now? I just wanna talk, I just wanna talk is all.

Sent 7:18 P.M.

Already ran off toy vermont probably

will we get blessed with a ted talk nxt week?

Sent 7:20 P.M.

I can't tell if you're joking or not. If you aren't then yea I can make a power point and we'll play that instead of the movies. Every week until this town understands the severity of this.

Sent 7:21 P.M.

Ya just jkin.

Your passionate hate is funny tho, so could be good to do something mid warren marathon.

Sent 7:23 P.M.

Guess the dissertation on how horrendous the “exorcisms” were will have to wait. They'd just been joking. This is probably a good ending of the conversation anyway, it's hard to tell sometimes but you feel you'll just run in circles with the current topic or worse fall into a rant that they won't read all the way through because they'll have left with the rest of the stunt gang to get dinner before heading over to the Cryptonomica for Saturday Night Dead. Hollis is typically a real good sport about this kinda thing but you'd rather not bog down their night with your hate boner for the Warrens.

'I'll let them know later that I'll still come to Saturday Night Dead next week.' you think as you dump the pasta into the water that finally came to a boil. It's quiet as you cook your macaroni dinner. You'd normally not notice the lack of sound or life in your home before, but maybe having Connor and Toby over put things into perspective. Guests aren't really a thing you've ever had, you always feel rude if your social battery runs out before someone's stay is over. But maybe you're lonely, and it's put you on edge.

Though this week would've put anyone on edge, you have still been alone in this house for two months. That can't be healthy for your mental well being, humans are social creatures by nature after all. Maybe you could get a pet, something that'd make it's fair share of noise and give the home a bit more life than your normally hollow shell wondering the halls. Are you even sure you want a pet? Do you have time for one? You have the standard nine to five, but what about when you're off on a nightly trip because of your sleeplessness? What if you forgot about them? Hell your brain's been so foggy these last few months, it wouldn't be surprising.

Like a sign from the divine themselves, the pot of water boils over. Steam is rising as the sizzling is heard. Your head snaps twice to the right as you scramble to lower the heat and raise the pot off the eye. Putting it down on an unused eye you give it a quick stir and thankfully no pasta got burned to the bottom of the pan....this time. The pasta seems a little crunchy but a texture you'll eat so you kill the hot eye and start on the cheese portion of your mac n cheese.

As you eat you continue your original debate about getting a pet. Ultimately deciding that you just aren't ready for that kind of responsibility right now. Sure you'd had tons of pets in your parents' home but that was with a financial safety net and back when your mental health wasn't all over the place. Not to mention the pets were family pets and responsibility was split three ways.

There isn't much room in your home for you to have a roommate, and that presents a whole nother set of challenges. You could try to make friends through online forums again! It's hard to talk to people in general but you always get scared off before replying to a comment or post. Or overshare to the point people infantize you. Even better trying therapy out could help with your loneliness. Hah ok good one, even if you had money for it consistently you don't think you could trust someone knowing all your secrets but not knowing any of theirs. And while that in and of it self is an example of why you need it, you're rational enough to realize you aren't ready for that either.

After finishing your meal you put away the left overs and clean the dishes. You'll be happier tomorrow knowing they aren't your problem to deal with. You start to make your way to your bedroom but freeze just before the hall.

'You shouldn't stay here...you need to leave.'

A glance at the time tells you it's eight thirty-nine, if you left right now you could make it to Saturday Night Dead with time to spare. You don't need to fill the loneliness with new friends, just spend time with the ones you already have. Duh. Turning you grab your keys off the bookshelf and take one of the masks hanging from a hook by the door.

Checking your door was locked and locking your car once you were in, you're ready to drive. Knowing you're still overstimulated you forgo the music on this drive, hoping it will calm you down enough to enjoy the movie and some down time with friends. And that would help put a pin in your self isolating habits. It'd really be nice if you brought movie snacks over to surprise the gang. You're pretty sure the mini mart carries everything you need. Jake likes swedish fish, Hollis is addicted to those extreme sour airhead ropes, and Kirby's a weirdo with his love of red vines and surge. Hahaha that man will die before he's thirty-eight.

Still having the extra time you deiced to stop by the mini mart and grab the candy. What's the worse that can happen you have another panic attack in front of strangers. Plus you hadn't seen Magnolia the last few times and you'd hate for her to think you'd been ignoring her. Pulling into the empty mini mart parking lot you take a breath to steel your resolve before leaving your car.

Tim looks at the door when he hears the chime and stiffens when he sees you. Fuck you did have a panic attack in front of this guy last night, plus you really haven't formally met. But didn't Toby say his roommate was named Tim? And he and Brian were both here talking with Tim last night before you came in. That can't be coincidence.

“uh...hi?” you say awkwardly standing in the doorway, door closed behind you.

“um, hi?” perfect he's just as awkward in this situation as you are. You can work with this.

Moving through the first two isles you keep your eyes peeled for Magnolia, even though you can make this an in and out trip for candy, you do miss the little bodega cat.

“Wh- hey are you, are you even ok to be here?” Tim calls as he rounds the counter and makes his way to you.

“Huh? Oh...oh yea. I'm chill now.” you hear the bell before you see her. The little ting tin ting of her bell that comes with the grace only fluffy cats have.

“You literally collapsed on the floor last night after blacking out while driving.” his tone is very stern. He and Nate would probably get on like a house on fire. The grumpy old men who secretly care a lot duo.

“I don't remember collapsing...but I know I didn't drive.” well you don't know that but you do firmly believe that.

The man is just turning into the isle when you spot the floof sauntering just behind him. Magnolia didn't spare either of you a glance as she made her way to the counter. Probably going to her bed, an old shipping box for apples, you'd just meet her over there then. With no warning to the man you squeeze past him and and follow the cat. Agitated footsteps following after you in your quest to pet the cat.

Magnolia perks up upon seeing you, the flicking of her tail letting you know she's anticipating her pets. The huffing Tim hovering behind you isn't as pleased with your actions as the cat is. The man is radiating negativity, annoyance maybe or is it concern that breeds frustrated anger? The second he starts to clear his throat, as if to remind you of his hovering, you roll your eyes.

Looking back at him over your shoulder you see him in all his grumpy man glory.  His brow was furrowed so hard his thick eyebrows nearly covered his eyes. But with the way his lips emoted the man before you looked more like a pouting muppet. It would be funny if it weren't for the foreboding feeling of the moments before being reprimanded by a teacher.

When you straighten up you take note that your eyes meet perfectly. He's the same height as you that's surprising, you thought he'd be taller than 5'7. His eyes widen slightly at seeing your full height, it must've thrown him off since the first time he saw you, you'd actively been trying, and had succeeded at looking smaller.

“What are you doing here?” well he doesn't get thrown off for long.

Running a hand through Magnolia's fur a few more times as you respond, “Petting Magnolia.” you really are a little shit sometimes.

“No...no, why are you out? Toby had to take you home last night, you shouldn't just be waltzing around town after that.” maybe it was frustrated concern.

“Oh I'm fine now.”

Magnolia at this point has jumped up on the counter and is headbutting you for more attention. Chuckling you turn your attention back to her. Meanwhile Tim behind you is at a loss for words.

“Fine?? You don't just...bounce back from a panic attack.”there's personal experience behind those words.

“I just rationalize things fast.” Hearing the trill of the clock on the wall reminds you that you need to grab those snacks and head over to the Cryptonomica for movie night.

Going to the candy isle you grab one of each of the gang's favorites, you snag a bag of white cheddar popcorn on the way to the counter and place your items there. Tim doesn't get a word out before you rush off to the cooler near the back that is in all honesty pretty sketch. Like who even makes  Fruitopia anymore? That stuff got discontinued in the early 2000s. The cooler even has Hi-C Ecto Coolers...you might actually check if they're in date and grab a few.

Rummaging around the cooler you finally spot the weird tech green and black splattered can proudly stating SURGE. It has no date...questionable at best. But hey it's only Kirby drinking it, and it's been well established that man will die well before middle age.   Grabbing a can to check the Ecto Coolers, luck is on your side! These cans are from the re-release that happened as a promotion for the Ghostbusters revival a few years back, they'll be good for another two years! For now you'll just take one so you won't have to worry about lugging cans around for the movie.

Once your new items are placed on the counter the expression on Tim's face cannot even be described. The questions of the surge are probably the ones easiest to read...or they're just the most predictable.

“Kirby likes red vines and surge, sickening right?” Maybe a little joke will break the ice.

“...Like that little round pink...thing?”  What?

The laughter is coming out before you can stop it, the image of said pink Kirby consuming red vines and surge only to accessorize as your friend comes to mind. It's adorable and cursed at the same time. Adorably cursed. You'll have to draw that and print a few copies to hang around the Cryptonomica.

“No,” you're choking on giggles at this point, “Kirby, the owner of the Cryptonomica.” catching your breath and regaining your composure, “It's that tourist trap just across from the RV park.”

“Oh.” normally such a short cold reply would make you shut down the conversation. But This is Toby's roommate, and if you want to be friends with Toby, you'll probably run into him a lot more. Plus if he's a new night shift cashier it wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with him for when you're out on adventures.

“Yea, hey Toby mentioned you three just came to town, so you might not have known but the Cryptonomica does a weekly movie night on Saturdays. Saturday Night Dead. Normally it's awful old horror movies but next week they're starting a Warren Case files “arch”.” Tim doesn't take the conversation bait at the pause.

“It's a great way to meet other locals, you guys should check it out if you get the chance. It starts at ten and runs till one or so on most weeks.” Olive branch has been extended.

Tim relaxes for the first time since you got here tonight. The sheepish look on his face and twitchy pupils give the impression he's thinking it over. He sighs and nods before saying, “Yea, that sounds...nice.”

Olive branch skeptically taken! You'll count this one as a win in your book. With the mood lightened Tim breaks the ice a bit further.

“Surge and red vines can not be good for you.”

“Right! If living off mountain dew and pizza rolls doesn't kill him, this for sure will.” you both have a small laugh at that. It's nice to finally have cleared up the mix up from the beginning of the week. Which reminds you.

“Oh...um...I'm YN by the way. It's nice to meet you...sorry for the two,” your neck tics to the side, “previous nights.” you finish.

“Tim...and it,uh happens sometimes...'s fine.” Score awkward acknowledgment of previous meetings and you can now erase those from your nightly anxieties.

Tim finishes ringing and bagging your items and you pay. Giving another pet to the curled up kitty on the counter you nod farewell to Tim.

A trill rings out from the clock on the wall. It's ten.

Two heads snap to look at the wall. You take a second glance at your phone while Tim checks his watch. Both say the clock on the wall is correct. But it just turned nine not even ten minutes ago. Right? You can brush off yourself loosing track of time but when you involve another person that just doesn't make sense. Tim looks just as concerned as you. Only Magnolia lays unaffected by the lost fifty minutes.

“I should go.” Tim nods numbly to you as you exit the store.

You won't be able to make it to the movie, well you could but you'd disturb someone if you walked in mid movie. Choosing to go home instead you drive, once again without music. Entering your home you hang your mask back on the hook. Putting away the drinks and snacks for next weekend, you make your way to your bedroom. Once again freezing just before the hallway. Turning to your living room you can see a book in the middle of your coffee table. You definitely don't remember the book being there, and doubt you'd miss it out in the open. But as you got closer you could confirm, even in the dark, that it was The Book Thief.

[maggotmouth]

          hillo sexthy legends !!   i’m nora and i’ll be writing margo colby n probs sm1 else bcos lets be real, i lack self-control. u can find her pinterest here n some info abt her sexy self below the cut. plot with me on discord ( hot girl midsommar#8664 ) or in my ims !!  x o x

     * CAMILA MORRONE, CIS WOMAN + SHE / HER  | you know MARGO COLBY, right? they’re TWENTY-THREE, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, ELEVEN YEARS? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to SCRAWNY BY WALLOWS  like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole BLEACH WHITE SNEAKERS POUNDING ON A GYMNASIUM FLOOR, USING THE SAME BLUNT SCISSORS TO HACK THE SLEEVES OFF AN EXES T-SHIRT THAT YOU USE TO CUT YOUR 3AM FRINGE, A WALNUT-SHAPED ACHE IN THE PIT OF YOUR STOMACH FOR THE PERSON YOU COULD HAVE BEEN thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is AUGUST 8TH, so they’re a LEO, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( nora, 25, gmt, she/her )

CLICK ANYWHERE ON THIS SENTENCE FOR SEXII GOOGLE DOC!!

bullet point summary of margo.

—   born margaret but NOBODY calls her that. its colby, coach or margo, and go to the privileged few. margo grew up in the creek commune n then dropped out of school cos of a teenage pregnancy so she was a bit of a cautionary tale back in’t’day (said tht in my yorkshire accent). she now works for summer camps coaching pee wee soccer and pee wee cheer, as well as helping out her beekeeper dad on his honey farm, which is jst north of abernathy creek, and working at scuba on the off seasons.

—  its just her and her dad, and has been for as long as she can recall !! everything she knows about her mum could fit on the back of the weathered passport photo she keeps in her wallet of a stranger who shares her face - her name’s melody, or at least tht was name she used when working as a dancer, she’s from argentina and dropped mag’s dad as soon as someone w more money came along.

—  margo’s father is a beekeeper with his own organic honey company. margo and her dad moved to irving in the early 00s, the summer between grade school and middle school, because her dad had heard about the communal living in abernathy creek and wanted to lend his skills there and live off the fatta the land in a very lenny from of mice and men kinda way.

—  for a few years of middle school margo was bullied for living with the ‘freaks from the creek’, but when they realised how chill her dad was with underage drinking, margo ‘keg-bringer’ colby soon gained popularity among the more renegade students. every so often, the high school parties would happen at her end of town, occasionally with members of the commune even offering the high schoolers a spiritual experience they’d never forget (often in the form of mushrooms) which meant people tried to stay on her good side. to get an invite to a margo colby party handed you a free pass to make up the most ridiculous shit about the commune you liked and nobody else could say anything, because they’d never been to the creek.

—  at school, margo had a lot of ‘behvioural issues’ bcos of undiagnosed adhd, she found it difficult to sit still for hours n write down huge chunks of information n her restlessness was seen as laziness. she was encouraged to do sports, as were most of the kids who weren’t that academically inclined, but she turned out to be pretty hot shit at sprinting, because she grew up surrounded by bee houses and he who runs slowest gets stung, baybeyy!! so yea, in school sports became her LIFE. she was gonna get a sports scholarship to college but ended up dropping out of school in senior year n becoming one of those kids who could have had it all but lost it.

—  she had sex with sutter at a house party when she wasnt really ready because it felt like the right thing to do at the time and everybody else was doing it. she’d attended health class, she’d seen the corny videos. she knew about all the statistics, but she also knew that it had never happened to anyone she knew and the pull out method was basically safer than the morning after pill and way less expensive.

—  a teenage pregnancy knocked her out of the runnings for prom queen and meant she had to leave school early. she didn’t go to college when her friends did, instead she spent the time interviewing potential foster candidates and eating her weight in lindt chocolate while marathoning love island in her room.  

—  she had a son, who she passed off to someone else a couple of towns away.  it was a closed adoption which seemed like the best idea at the time, but she now wishes she had access to his life.

—  after peaking in high school and jumping between jobs for a few years, she got a more permanent role at scuba which she loves with all of her heart and soul, but unfortunately a bar job doesn’t pay the rent.  

—  she works at summer camps coaching  junior soccer and netball on the side. she’s extremely competitive and takes it very personally if her team lose. the kids all call her, coach colby n write her longwinded letters about how they’ll never forget this summer camp before they go back to their suburban picket fence houses n she keeps all the letters in a drawer n takes them out to read when she’s feelin depressed.

—  enjoys surfing and worked for a number of years on resorts like mila kunis’ job in forgetting sarah marshall. she went on to work 18-hour days as a stewardess on luxury yachts which is a part of her backstory i added after watching season one of below deck because i guess i really am that fucking impressionable. met most of her surf friends doing tht but said she’d never in her life do it again bcos it was mostly just picking up after rich white ppl for shit pay. she came back to irving n thats when she started doing the summer camp jobs so she could move out of the creek n get her own apartment. 

—  she never actually finished senior year so she’s currently going to night school at the community college to get through her exams and is trying to save to go to college or open university. she wants to major in criminology. she’s super ambitious but also super adhd so she fluctuates between thinking she can achieve anything to just feeling like a failure n thinkin whats the point

—  used to shoplift to feel joy and as an act of resistance to her hippy commune routes, but now sees herself as a reformed, bin-diving freegan (sims 4 eco living can i get a hell yaaaa). also she thinks it’s totally wrong to steal when you have enough money and clearly don’t need to steal to survive, ppl risk imprisonment for basic necessities, so for her to do it for a brief thrill and some new shades felt a bit derogatory

—  was raised jewish. became a vegetarian as a child because it seemed, at the time, easier than having to explain which foods she was and wasn’t allowed to eat together, so she just cut out meat entirely. still a vegetarian now and dabbles in veganism, although its become less about not eating certain meats in the milk of their mother and more about her global impact / carbon footprint

—  nurses little animals to health in her garden. has a hedgehog name OJ short for orange juice not the other one filthy pig. her and her dad have always been huge animal rights activists and existed on a vegetarian diet. the only one in their house who isn’t vegetarian is their cat, auggie. (short 4 augustus gloop)

—  has a lot of stupid ass stick and poke tattoos. there was a phase during her years as a barmaid where she wanted to train as a tattoo artist n would mostly practice on herself or any friends who would let her

—  she doesn’t form many long lasting friendships cos she tends to be super excited when she makes a new friend and just see them all the time but then it wears off and she can ghost a bit. she’ll always coming pinging back but she’s not the most predictable or loyal friend, sometimes she’ll sleep in your house every night for a week and then you won’t even get a text from her for a month. her best friends are elderly neighbours and houseless people she meets when volunteering at the foodbank. she thinks they’re more authentic than most of the ‘fake posers’ she meets down the vela pier

—  calls herself a butch lesbian but still has sex with men when she wants validation. sexually attracted to some men, especially effeminate men, but only romantically attracted to women. very possessive of the gals in her life.

—  stopped giving a shit about getting older or adhering to anyone elses bullshit standards, realised it was all fake p much as soon as she dropped out of school and one by one her friends just stopped texting her

—  lives in one of the lofts in port apartments. it’s open plan with rugs and lava lamps everywhere. she has a palette bed. its all very ‘sustainable chic’. like, oh wow, a pallet bed that im supposed to think you made from scratch but i KNOW you got it  off ebay because you thought it looked trendy

—  constantly says shes poor but still buys clothes from urban outfitters. sus.

—  frequently found at fannies flirting with the cute bisexual bartender with a choppy black bob.

general vibe / personality

vibrant, vulgar, self-absorbed, tenacious, veers bewteen apathetic and dogmatic, temperamental, flighty, unreliable, magnetic, charismatic, passive aggressive, likes to play devil’s advocate, takes the moral high ground. estp and a leo

likes: 70s music, john wayne movies, black mirror, philosophy, cowboy chic culture, dc comics, the smell of locker rooms,, deep red lipstick, lacrosse sticks, smoking weed from a bong, dogs, karaoke, pet rats, kate moss, late-night strolls, hawaaiian shirts worn open over a bralette, skinned knees, thai food, picking the apples at the very top of the trees, zip-lining, cigarettes, the idea of pegging but not the practical application of it, decorative lamps, LGBTQ+ pin badges, worn-out furniture, twangy electric guitars.

dislikes: girls who call other girls ‘pick me’ girls, woody allen movies, mental mathematics, wealthy children, quentin tarantino, ironing, institutionalised misogyny, the imaginary future, french literature, ‘dump him’ feminism, wes anderson films, spoken word poetry nights, college-educated bar staff who act like they’re better than you,  indie softbois, the general mentality of cheerleading squads.

aesthetics

orange peel, the smell of bleach, skeleton drawings in the margins of a journal, thumb holes poked through the cuffs of your sleeves, bleach white sneakers pounding on a gymnasium floor, setting dumpsters on fire for the hell of it. a hit flask of vodka decorated with hello kitty stickers, split knuckles, alien conspiracy theories and sci-fi paperbacks, doc martens with fraying laces, a child in an oversize bee keepers suit, scabbed knees, not eating your greens, smiling with a mouthful of blood, and piercing your own ears with a safety pin when your dad wouldn’t take you,  a tennis racket you punched through in a fit of temper, feet pounding the earth until your soles bleed crimson, sleeping in a cherry lip balm and scrunchies to keep the wild locks from your eyes.

hoo boy this is getting LONG AS FUCK but here are my wanted plots

wanted plots

ok margo’s been in irving since she was like 10. she’s quite a vivacious person?? she dresses completely instinctively without any sense of cohesion so she stands out. a guy once told her she was wearing the ugliest outfit he’d ever seen and he thought that was so cool and brave of her. but anyway where was i going.. she grew up in the abernathy creek so stuck out like a sore thumb,,,, maybe ppl who were super interested in the creek or maybe poked fun at her bcos of it idk.....

b4 she dropped out, margo used 2 b in with the cool kids at school bcos her dad would buy them booze and rarely ask for the money. maybe a fun plot cld b with some of the ‘it girls’ she used to hang around with b4 she got pregnant n dropped out and they all went off to college n stopped texting her.

frinds !! unlikely friends !! toxic friends !! some1 she feels like she knew before irving ???

since margo literally can’t differentiate between romantic and platonic love, she’s got off with so many of her mates, so i want awkward friendships where they nearly dated, or exes that have now just turned into weird friendships. fwbs. enemies with benefits. all the angst. all the slow burn mutual pining we hate each other narratives

locals who play sports. margo wld be all over community soccer n take it way too seriously. maybe ppl she plays hockey with. girls who she’s like, weirdly intimate with but its not a thing cos the other girls straight !!! what do u mean !! aha just fun !

she works part time at scuba. i want a mate that just goes and sits in there talking to her until her manager gets angry.

she's also a surf instructor and occasionally works as a lifeguard!! gal has like 7 jobs ik but regular swimmers hmu

ppl she coaches at the gym !! she wants to be a personal trainer

i reckon she might have recently started meditating to try and calm down her mind cos its always bustling with thoughts, n i think she’s p interested in buddhism so if anyone’s a buddhist hmu

someone she’s trying to make a zine with on female empowerment and women in film and art, etc. just a very feminist zine. 

TLDR:  angry sports gay, former high school track prodigy turned drop out, who likes feminist literature, wearing leather jackets over slip dresses, and smudged red lipstick.

this was so long !!! im sorry !! if you’ve read this far have a biscuit, love x

[prose-for-hire]

Btvs Headcanons:

Hc: You work in a store they frequent, meet them that way, and feelings develop. How each character would show you that they care about you/ask you on a date after getting to know them. 

Edited to include Oz. [Jenny Calendar hc is separate here ]

Warning: one small mention of sex. and in one hc the store is a butchers

I thought this would be fun, maybe a little different than my usual. You can request some people that aren’t on here if you like. Or a different job or scenario where you would meet them.💜

Spike:

- you work at a 24 hour store, he comes in at weird times of the night

- You catch Spike stealing and take pity on him, letting it slide (he looks a bit gaunt, maybe he’s not eating properly)

- There’s no cameras the place you work is crappy so you maintain eye contact and just nod at him, allowing him to take whatever it is he’s concealed under his leather duster

- He’d start to come in and either blatantly steal so you would catch him and talk to him or buy lots of stuff he didn’t need with money he had ‘borrowed’ from one of the scoobies

- He talks a lot and appears to be trying to impress you, it makes you smile

- But also he’s very attentive to you and asks you things about yourself, wanting to learn everything he can

- He starts waiting for you, watching through the glass, going through whole packs of cigarettes making sure you’re okay and no customers are being nasty

- He will come in and threaten to drain them dry if they say one more horrible thing to you, it’s happened twice

- He follows you home before eventually offering to walk with you

- He’ll probably bottle all of his feelings up for a long time, professing his love in a very heartfelt speech and crashing his lips to yours before actually asking you on a date

Angel:

(I’m so sorry if you don’t eat meat)

- You work at the butchers and Angel used to come in all the time really early before the sun rose

- You were embarrassed such an attractive man saw you in your overalls smelling of raw meat

- Too embarrassed to ask yourself why he wanted so much animal blood

- You soon had his regular order ready and waiting for him, he always seemed to be in a rush. This meant there was a little time for you to talk because he already had his order

- You instigated, asking him lots of questions with you getting one word answers (you think he’s not interested and stop)

- But he’s just trying to keep his distance, he knows what happens when he gets too involved. Things seem to go wrong

- He eventually bumps into you after work one evening, not able to stay away completely

- You work long hours so he’s trying to make sure you’re getting home okay by hanging back in the shadows

- Eventually starts to offer to walk you and you happily agree, chatting nonstop about the delivery or what you were taught that day about slicing into something

- He enjoys just hearing you talk, not able to help smiling at the way you animatedly recount your day to him, eventually one day he’ll offer for you to visit his place making a date out of it

Xander:

- you probably work with him, one of the many jobs he took on after high school

- you both work at a pizza place, he delivers you make the orders

- he acts really weird around you at first, dropping things and stumbling over his words when he speaks to you

- he cracks some childish jokes but you laugh along with him, finding him sweet

- he grins wide when you start to joke back, pulling funny faces behind the manager’s back when it’s turned

- He’ll be thinking of asking you on a date for a really long time, probably since he first met you

- He’s nervous and he doesn’t want you laughing in his face, he probably doesn’t think he has a shot with someone as great as you

- But he just rushes out and says it one night when you’re both grabbing your jackets to leave

- You smile, scan his face to check he’s joking, then nod and say you’d love to

- You go to the Bronze, have a contest to see who can catch the most peanuts in your mouth (if you’re allergic, it’s some other competition, maybe who can finish their drink the fastest)

- He might let you win and then just lean straight in and kiss you when you celebrate

Buffy:

- Buffy comes into the late night store you work at for gum or snacks (something she can carry while she patrols) she recognises you as her regular cashier after a few months.

- I feel like she has a lot on her plate, forgive her for not noticing you straight away

- She’s probs trying to get over someone atm or struggling to trust after her last relationship

- You’re extra friendly with her and she realises after talking it over with Willow that you were actually flirting

- Realises the brief interaction she gets with you makes her feel happy. Real happy and she doesn’t have to be responsible for anyone but herself when she’s chatting away with you

- Starts to ask you questions about yourself enjoying your company. Every time without fail she asks when you get off work, she’s concerned you’re always walking home in the dark

- starts to loop back past your store when she’s on patrol, pretending she was still in the area when you got off

- offering to walk you home a lot, accidentally dropping a pile of weapons once and having to pretend she was doing a woodworking class

- she eventually asks you on a date, encouraged by her friends to make the first move, and you’ll go to the Bronze, dancing and laughing the whole time

Faith:

- you work at the convenience store near the Mayor’s office

- She comes in on her way back to her crappy motel

- she feels a bit conflicted about sneaking around behind Buffy’s back but your bright smile to greet her almost makes her forget

- you caught her eye pretty much the first time she saw you waiting by the register

- she usually asks for some smokes and started to offer to share one with you on your break

- if you smoke, you say yes, if you don’t you say you’ll still come outside with her on your break to keep her company

- you’ll mostly talk with her chipping in at first and then she finds out how good it is to vent to someone

- your break’s over but you tell her you don’t want her to be on her own struggling through her thoughts

- you ask if she can wait, but she doesn’t really do waiting around

- she does give you the address to the motel she’s staying at though and she’ll smoke every hour until she sees you walking

- this is your first date, the one you count as your first date anyway

- you spend the whole night talking, sometimes even laughing. You make her feel like a person, not just a Slayer

Cordy:

- you work at the mall. Specifically a boutique or somewhere Cordy regularly visits

- she’s kind to you but a bit abrupt if you start talking about anything that isn’t a sale

- her dad no longer has any money and she’s a struggling actress after hs and you overhear her phone conversation about how hard everything is

- she wants this pretty dress that you know she’d look beautiful in

- you offer her your employee discount, telling her to keep it quiet

- after that, she specifically requests you and after her fifth visit realises she has been coming and looking forward to seeing you more than the dresses

- this means she’s in deep

- she won’t beat around the bush, she’ll ask you if you won’t ask her

- “Bronze. 8pm” with a little wink, hauling her shopping bags with her before leaving

- You have a great time and you meet up again she does little fashion shows for you before you go out, liking your eye for fashion and asks you to help her choose outfits for your dates

- She’ll want to go public places for dates to show off your relationship

Giles:

- Book store (obviously)

- You’re the most knowledgeable about his particular interest (cough, demons, cough) and he is attracted straight away to your apparent intelligence

- You already know about demons and everything, having studied it extensively as well as running into a vampire late one night and managing to get away unscathed

- He marvelled at this and you tell it so casually, explaining that you just did what the books told you and put it in practice

- He’s lonely really, always hanging around people a lot younger that don’t take him as seriously as he takes himself, but you do

- You think he’s fun to be around, he probably doesn’t wait too long, asking you for a drink the first or second time he meets you.

- He knows life’s too short, especially in Sunnydale

- You appreciate his dry humour and the way he isn’t just bookish, he has a lot of really great qualities

- You haven’t seen him as Ripper, but you know it’s there. He’s open with you and he’ll tell you about his past. He believes in trust

- You go on a lot of dates after that first drink, you even get introduced to the Scoobies and become a kind of parent figure too

Riley Finn:

- you bag his groceries at the supermarket.

- He’s always polite, makes you feel like a human being not just somebody serving him

- Always chats about the weather or something generic that won’t compromise his job, but he likes talking to you

- He occasionally makes a comment to make you smile because seeing your real smile, not the one you put on for customers, is so much sweeter

- He’ll probably come in regularly, same time, same day every week for his shopping now (bc you’re there)

- Bumps into you accidentally while you’re stocking a shelf and helps you pick everything up, smiling at the way you get a little flustered, insisting it was his fault not yours

- He’ll probably ask you if you’ve ever heard of the Bronze, which of course you have because that’s the only half-decent place in town

- Says he’d really like to see you there, like maybe tonight, so you go and have a really great time

- He says he doesn’t want to wait to see you again, but he’s very respectful will probably give you his number so that you can call him first and you don’t feel pressured into a second date or anything

Willow:

- You work at a magic shop

- you help her find the ingredients to a spell she’s been itching to try and give her little tips

- She really likes that you know lots about magic and what ingredient you could swap out for a better result

- You’ll grow close, she’ll pop in and tell you how well/badly the latest spells went

- She’ll tell stories in her characteristic way and you’ll smile at how cute she is and her fun vocabulary you’ll find yourself picking up

- You’ll offer to meet her and help her out with some spells

- She’ll bounce off the walls in excitement

- Probably spend the whole day making sure her dorm room is ‘just right’ for you to see and that she’s made sure about ten times that Buffy is definitely going to be out

- You’ll do the spell, it’ll be a big success because working together shows you that you have this amazing connection

- Then you’ll be talking and sharing loads for hours

- She’ll take you to the Bronze if it’s not too late, if it’s too late she’ll ask what you’re doing at the weekend and invite you then

Tara:

- Also at a magic shop. Probably specifically the Magic Box, after Giles takes it on

- You’re a Scooby and Tara’s moved to Sunnydale for college. She wanted to check out the magic box straight away

- You catch each other’s eye and she looks a little shy

- Starts to stutter when you make conversation, but you’re patient with her, giving her time to finish her words that have become jumbled in your presence.

- She asks for help with finding something only when she absolutely has to, but you’re always kind with her when she does and she smiles so bright when she finds what she’s looking for, scrunching her mouth to the side a little when she looks back at you

- You start to recommend places in Sunnydale for her to check out, trying to gauge if she would be into you or not. You eventually offer to take her and show her around and she nods excitedly

- You both have a really great time and she makes you feel special. She talks a lot more now she’s comfortable with you

- you suggest you could try some magic together, only if she wanted

- She does, you meet up a lot and you date and magically create a cat to own together

- You both have a long, happy life together 

Anya:

- You work in the magic box with her. I feel like you both didn’t get on at first

- you didn’t understand her and she felt misunderstood, making her snappy and blunt with you

- eventually, you started to understand she needed a bit of time and you explained yourself more. Why you were doing things, being patient with her and fully giving her everything you could to help her understand the reasoning

- she really appreciated it, nobody ever did this for her without some level of teasing

- she explains about being an ex-vengeance demon. You can’t say you’re shocked (you live in Sunnydale and work in the magic box)

- you were patient with her and she quickly asked if you could start having sex trying to plan out your relationship

- you told her you would rather get to know her first, especially considering you worked together (leading to a chat about workplace relationships going wrong, which leads to an anecdote about her knowing this because of her vengeance days)

- but the feelings were undeniable and you started dating very quickly

- she’ll probably start dropping hints about marriage or the equivalent very soon too

Oz

- you work at a record store.

- He comes in pretty regularly, but he doesn’t really say much

- Not until you notice a record he’s holding and start to gush about it

- Your manager told you to talk to customers and encourage them to buy more, but this wasn’t that. And he could tell

- He loved your enthusiasm and he wanted to get to know you

- You caught his eye probably one of the first times he saw you working behind the counter, humming to a song which happened to be one of his favourites

- He just knew then that he wanted to date you

- whispering, “who are they?” but to himself because he always come into the store alone (he wants the experience, just him and the music… and maybe a glance or two at you)

-  He might bring some fliers in one day, asking if the store will put them up, advertising Dingoes’ latest gig

- He’ll say you could come, if you want, with a characteristic shrug

- And you’ll obviously say yes and he likes how excitable you are, you contrast with his chill vibe

-  And you go and have a great time

- then you talk after, telling him how cool his band is

- You’ll hit it off, finding his phrasing and humour endearing. He’ll gift you a guitar pick from your first sort of date. He’s a romantic

- You’ll mostly come to wherever he’s playing and have a date after

-  he’s very sweet, very caring. Always offers to take you somewhere else for a date but you insist on supporting him and getting a drink after

- won’t be much of a talker, but you will always feel loved by him 

[sugarsugarmoon]

Dearly Beloved

Summary: Your friend from high school, Taehyung, helps you out when you need a wedding date.

Genre: SMUT and a little bit of fluff

Warnings: Masturbation, swearing, recreational alcohol use, oral sex (f. receiving), unprotected sex (plz use protection irl), spanking, some biting, dom!Taehyung, brat!reader

a/n: sorry Triv. sorry mom. If digital headstones are a thing by the time I die, please put this gif on mine. I listened to “Earned It” by The Weeknd the whole time I wrote all the nasty stuff.

Word Count: 6473

Your best friend is sweet and kind. She is the most generous person that you’ve ever met, and she can make you laugh harder than anyone on this planet. She has cradled you in her arms as you cried over boys, and, when your dad nearly died of cancer, she was there with you in the hospital every day, coffee in hand, ready to listen or just sit with you.

You take a deep breath through your nose and remind yourself of all of this. You love her more than pretty much anyone on this planet, but in this moment you have never wanted to slap her so much in the whole time you’ve known her.

She has been planning and preparing for her wedding for over a year, and the date is only two weeks away. The extravagance of it isn’t really your style, but she’s one of those people that has been dreaming of her wedding since she was a little girl. She has a vision. 

At this present moment, you are surrounded by small cuts of lumber, empty vases, fake greenery, and tea lights. Your job today is to assemble the centerpieces. You sit in the middle of the room on the floor, surrounded on all sides by your craft supplies. She is standing just outside your ring of accoutrements, crying and yelling. You aren’t totally sure what she’s yelling about. Seating arrangements? Maybe someone canceled? Honestly, at this point it’s unintelligible, so you decide it’s best to just let her carry on.

“And you!” you hear, clear as day.

You look up from your project and see her finger pointing toward wear you sit on the carpet. You look behind you, half expecting someone else to be there; you’ve done nothing but help. You turn back to her and barely raise a finger to point to yourself and raise your eyebrows in bewilderment. You mouth, “me?”

“Yes, you! Who else would it be? God.” You know she’s just stressed, so you take a deep breath and clench your fists around the fake greenery in your hands. “When we first started planning, you said you were gonna have a date, and I’m sorry things didn’t work with Yoongi, I really am, but now the seating arrangement is fucked and the whole entrance of the wedding party is fucked. It’s fucked, y/n. Could you just ask Yoongi to go with you?”

“Just ask Yoongi?” you spit back, “You want me to ask the man who broke my heart? Tore it into a million little pieces, who is, mind you, already going to be at the wedding because he’s friends with your future husband, to be my date? So...what? So I can get my hopes up again when he’s nice to me, because of course he will be, and get my heart smashed again? Oh but your seating arrangement will be good, so I should just suck it up. Right. Sure.”

You’re standing now, having spilled tea lights all over the floor with the sudden movement. You are breathing heavily, fists clenched at your side, tears threatening to burst from your eyes. Things didn’t work out when you had told your workaholic boyfriend, Yoongi, that you wanted to get more serious, maybe move in together and consider marriage. You don’t think he meant to laugh at you, but he did laugh when you brought it up. He said that it was clear the two of you wanted different things, and he ended it with you. You clearly aren’t over him yet, and she knew that.

Your friends face softens for a moment. You can see the reality of what she said smoothing her features.

“Y/n, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m just so stressed…” she trails off.

“Look, you want me to get a date? I’ll get a fuckin’ date. But I will not be caught dead on Min Yoongi’s arm.” You turn on your heel and let yourself out of her house, slamming the door behind you.

When all the rage fades, you realize what you’ve said that you’re going to do. You also realize that you left all centerpieces unassembled in the middle of the floor. You call your best friends mom and ask her to go over and finish them.

“I am already on my way over there, sweetie. But did I hear right that you are going to get a date for the wedding? Where?” she asks, genuinely concerned.

You know she isn’t trying to be hurtful but c’mon, I know guys! You think to yourself. I know so many guys. I know...Yoongi for one, and Hobi. Granted Hobi is marrying my best friend in two weeks. I know….oh! Jungkook! Jungkook will totally go with me!

“I know guys!” you respond to her with excitement in your voice. “I actually have to call the guy that I’m asking right now though, so I’ll talk to you later. Thanks again for doing the centerpieces.”

As you hang up, you quickly scroll through the names on your phone until you land on Jeon Jungkook. You tap out the message on your screen quickly and send it away.

You: Hey JK! I was hoping you might be able to accompany me to a wedding in two weeks. It’s out of town, so hotel. All expenses paid. Huh?

You put your phone down feeling optimistic. Jungkook loves to dance, and he’s a fun guy. Not only does he seem like a living human male who will go with you, you actually don’t hate the idea of going together with him. The excitement doesn’t last long.

Jeon Jungkook: y/n! Hey! I wish I could, but I’ll be back home in Busan. I’m so sorry!

You: No prob, buddy. I’ll go with Yoongi 😬

Jeon Jungkook: No! I won’t let you do that! He broke your heart. Let me give you hyung’s number. You remember Tae? From high school? He’s cool, and he’s free (he just asked me to make plans that weekend). Hit him up.

He sends you the contact. Kim Taehyung. You stare at the number for a long time before you type up a text, and you stare at the text for even longer before you send it.

You: Hi Taehyung, this is y/n. JK gave me your number, and he said you might be free in two weeks to be my date to a wedding. Nothing weird or anything! I just can’t go alone, and if I don’t bring a date, my friend is going to make me go with my ex. It’s a long story. Anyway, it is out of town, but your hotel and all your food and stuff would be paid for. Just let me know.

You exhale a deep breath after you hit send. You hope it doesn’t sound too weird or desperate or anything even though you are definitely both weird and desperate. 

Kim Taehyung: sure! I’m always down for an adventure.

You breathe a sigh of relief. Which is short-lived when you realize you don’t know anything about Taehyung anymore. You ran in the same circle in high school, connected by your mutual closeness to Jungkook. You text him back asking him to meet you for coffee, so you can go over the plan. The two of you decide to meet that afternoon, and the anxiety in your chest begins to loosen just a tiny bit. 

….

When you get to the coffee shop, you find a spot by the window in the big squashy chairs. You order yourself a latte and play on your phone, waiting for Taehyung. You hear someone softly clear their throat, and your eyes scan the figure in front you. You don’t mean to give him the up-and-down, you really don’t. But the man standing in front of you is not the same Taehyung you remember. You remember a scrawny boy with too much eyeliner (yikes) trying to act like a man while still dealing with all his teenage emotions.

Before you stands, perhaps, the hottest man you’ve ever seen. He is tall, taller than he was when you last saw him, and he is fuller too. He is no longer gangly and awkward. He has broad shoulders, firm pecs, and toned arms that you can see straining against the fabric of his tight black shirt. His black hair is long and messy, and tendrils hang down into his eyes. He has a smile on his face when your eyes finally meet his.

“Hi, y/n! It’s been so long!” he exclaims as he reaches out and pulls you into a hug.

You are shocked by the sudden touch and hesitate to put your arms around him. Even while he holds you for a moment with your arms at your sides, you feel comforted and safe. He smells like lavender and chamomile mixed with something else - maybe just his own skin.

When he lets you go, he looks a little embarrassed and backs up into his chair across from yours.

The two of you catch up about what you’ve been up to since high school: college, careers, failed relationships. You tell him all about what happened with Yoongi, but you don’t mention that you’re not over it yet. He tells you that his ex-girlfriend cheated in a one night stand with a girl at a club, and he had been pretty broken up about it.

You set your plans for leaving to get to the wedding early together. You have to be there on Thursday night because the bachelorette party was Friday and the wedding was on Sunday. He agrees, and you say goodbye to one another, this time without the hug. 

****

Thursday afternoon you are packing your bags making sure that you have everything when your phone rings. It’s your best friend, so you take a deep breath before you answer it, trying to stay as calm as possible since she is a total mess. “Good morning, my beautiful best friend and soon-to-be bride,” you say in a syrupy tone that she knows is facetious.

“I have bad news,” she huffs and without pausing she continues, “we booked the hotel when you and Yoongi were still together. So we only booked one room for you and Yoongi. So now Yoongi doesn’t have a room, and your date...Tae or whatever...doesn’t have a room either. And I know that I’m being insensitive right now, but you and Yoongi breaking up is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”

She’s definitely crying and spiraling. “I mean...it wasn’t great for me either,” you attempt to joke, but she just sobs harder.

“Okay, okay. It’s fine. Yoongi will just stay with Hobi until Sunday, then on Sunday, you and Hobi are going to stay together anyway, yeah? So that problem is solved. As for Tae...I’ll talk to him, okay? No big deal,” you console her, unsure what you’re going to say to Tae.

She lets out a long sigh, but her crying seems to be evening out. “You’re right. Okay.” You finish the phone call and send a text to Tae.

You: So...funny story...youandihavetoshareahotelroomnowsorryokaybye

You toss your phone aside and finish packing your bags. As you are loading up the car, Tae pulls up. He looks just as good as he did the other day, wearing a loose t-shirt and gray sweatpants. He’s carrying a single leather duffle bag, and he has a huge smile on his face. He almost looks like he’s laughing.

The drive is only three hours, but it is long enough to be boring. You’re glad that you have company, and you and Tae crank up the radio singing along and laughing. You play car games together, and it is an overall good time.

When you get to the hotel, you are a little unsure of what to do or how to handle sharing a room with Tae. You slide the key in the door to the hotel room and exhale in relief when you see there are two beds in the room. You each take up your side and start to settle in.

When it’s time for you to get changed for bed, you awkwardly shuffle to the bathroom to change. Even though you normally just sleep in your underwear and a t-shirt, you put on a whole pajama get up because you aren’t sure how modest you should be with Tae.

When you come out, he’s scrolling through his phone. He looks up at you and gives you that warm, gentle smile again. How does he look so good just sitting on his bed playing on his phone?

“Hey, uh, so I usually just sleep in my underwear...but I can keep a shirt on if you want,” he says casually to you.

“Oh, uh, I mean, whatever you’re comfortable with. I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable on my behalf, seeing how you’re doing me a favor,” you ramble out.

You wish you said no. As soon as it happens, you really wish you’d told him to keep on a shirt and a parka and snow pants and maybe also a ski mask. To say he is hot is the understatement of the century. His toned honey toned skin is smooth across his chest, taut over his muscles. His boxer briefs sit low on his hips, and your eyes follow the curve of his muscles from his stomach down past his waistline. 

You watch the muscles on his back flex as he climbs into bed. You lay your head back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. What the fuck is happening? you think to yourself. You try to blink the images of his nearly naked body out of your head, but they are there even as you eventually fall asleep.

*********

All day Friday you help set up for the wedding. Tae comes by and helps for a while, and, when it’s time for the bachelorette party, he says he’s going to go find something to do in town. The girls all go out, drink, and celebrate your best friend. 

After the bachelorette party, you are feeling light and drunk and, for the first time in a while, you feel your shoulders relax. You say goodbye to the other girls in the lobby of the hotel and head to your room.

When you get there, there’s only one lamp on, and the room is empty besides your bags. You are painfully aware of the silky material of your dress against your skin, especially without a bra on. You feel so hyper-sensitive with the alcohol coursing through your veins. You skate your fingertips up your arms and across your collarbone. You feel yourself soaking your panties, and your nipples are hard against the silky material.

Your head isn’t totally clear, and you slide the straps of your dress off and let it pool on the floor around your feet. You stand in the middle of the floor in nothing but your panties and your heels for a moment, barely touching your skin on your neck and down your chest and belly.

You lie back on the bed, fuzzy head telling you to take care of it. You lick your fingers and take one of your nipples between your index finger and thumb. You feel your hips buck a little bit, feet, still in your heels, planting on the bed. With the way your feet are planted, your legs are open wide, and, if you weren’t wearing underwear, your pussy would be on full display. You bring your hand down to your panties. You run your fingers along the waistband before passing your hand over your covered folds, barely applying any pressure. You have decided to take it slow. You haven’t been with anyone since Yoongi, and you have been too busy to even consider masturbating. Now, you have the time, and you are soaking through your panties. 

You close your eyes, and you see the way that Tae’s shirt fits across his chest, the way the rolled up sleeves accentuated his biceps, the way that his sweatpants yesterday left nothing to the imagination. You see the way his bare chest is broad and smooth, the way his underwear sit on his hips, bulge prevalent. You imagine the way he smelled when he’d pressed you into his chest. You want to drown in his smell. 

You slide your hand into your underwear, drawing languid circles on your clit, sliding your finger through your arousal and back up to your clit. You feel like you are not in control of what your body is doing and small moans start to slip out of your mouth. You feel “Tae” come off your lips over and over.

“What?” you hear from near the door, but you think it might be coming from outside of the room and can’t process its proximity because the things you are doing are overwhelming you.

A whimper that turns into a yelp followed by “oh my god” comes from within the room, and your eyes snap open. Tae is standing at the end of the bed, eyes wide, mouth open, frozen in place.

You scream and try to get up from the bed quickly, but you are drunk and wearing heels, and you lose your balance. Instead of getting away from him, you stumble toward him. He throws his arms out to catch you, steadying you as your mostly naked body presses against him. And you are mortified, but the scent of him makes your pussy clench. In that instance, you’re a little angry that you didn’t get to finish.

“Are you okay? How drunk are you? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to...I just...we’re both in here. I didn’t know. That’s my bed, by the way. But that’s neither here nor there. Are you okay?” he rambles, trying not to look at you.

You pull away from him quickly covering your chest as you run over to the other side of the room to grab a t-shirt and sweatpants. You throw the shirt over your head, and, as you try to put on the sweatpants, you realize you’re still wearing the goddamn heels. You throw them off as quickly as you can and pull the sweatpants on. When you look up from your panicked clothing debacle, Taehyung is looking anywhere but at you.

“Tae...I’m sorry. I’m just...I’m-I’m drunk, and I’m horny. I’ll go stay somewhere else.”

“Wait no…” Tae starts, but you are gone before he can even finish. You go to your best friend’s room, and she welcomes you in. When you tell her what happened, she laughs hard, pretty drunk herself. You agree to not talk about it any further.

*********

Besides avoiding Taehyung, the next day and half go by smoothly. You are busy setting up for the wedding. The hairstylist and makeup artist take care of you before the wedding, and your friend’s mom brings your dress and shoes to you. You haven’t had to go back to your room for anything, but you are dreading sitting next to Tae at the reception. The dread is briefly overshadowed by the love and pride that you have for your best friend and Hobi during the ceremony.

The ceremony goes off seamlessly, and you are so happy for your friends that you forget for a little while to be embarrassed. When it’s time for the reception, you realize that you have to enter with Tae for the processional. He meets you by the doors, looking pretty annoyed. He doesn’t say anything to you, and he just offers you his elbow when it’s time for you to enter the banquet hall. You walk in holding his arm, faking a smile, and take your seats at the table, followed by the remaining bridesmaids with their dates.

Throughout dinner, Tae continues to ignore you. You think to yourself if anyone should be avoiding anyone, it’s me avoiding him, but you don’t say anything to him. At one point he gets up to go to the bathroom, and you sit alone, pushing your food around your plate.

“Is this seat taken?” you hear from an all too familiar voice. You force yourself to look up into his eyes, and Yoongi is staring back down at your with a smirk on his face. You don’t have the words to respond, so you just stare at him for a moment.

A deep voice from behind you says, “yeah, actually it is,” and then you feel a hand on your shoulder. Oh, so now he wants to pay attention to me. His hand feels like it’s burning your skin, and you want to lean into it.

“Oh sorry, man. It didn’t seem like you guys were together,” Yoongi says, confused but still confident.

“Yeah, well, we are. Why don’t we go dance, y/n?” Tae hisses through his teeth.

“I’m kind of talking to Yoongi right now,” you say to him.

“Yeah, that’s all good, but I really like this song. So come dance with me,” he insists, pulling your wrist a little.

“Yeah...okay fine,” you mumble as you take your napkin out of your lap. Yoongi is looking at you dumbfounded, and you shrug and follow Tae to the dance floor. He pulls you in and presses his body fully against yours. Is this some kind of weird possessive shit?

“So you’re going to ignore me all night and then get pressed when Yoongi tries to talk to me?” you snap, annoyed.

“First of all, you left me alone in that hotel room for two days, so who’s really ignoring whom? Why can’t you, for once, just be a good girl and do what I say?”

You can’t deny that the expression “good girl” coming from his mouth does something to you, but you are already heated. “Oh, yes sir. I’ll be the goodest girl because you just dragged me over here and are being an ass, so I better be good for you. Fuck off,” you spit at him, rolling your eyes.

“Well, you told me how Yoongi broke your heart. And you weren’t gonna tell him to get lost, so I did you a favor. You should be thanking me,” he spits out.

“What’s your deal, Tae? It’s not like we’re actually dating or anything.”

You swear he growls in his chest a little bit, then he spins you before pulling you back into his body. “Well, maybe I want to be,” he mutters.

Before you have a chance to talk, the MC comes on and asks everyone to clear the floor for all the first dances, father dances, mother dances, second-cousin dances. It goes on for so long that you decide to return to the table, and Taehyung follows you. You sit down, fully prepared to demand an explanation from him when the photographer comes up to your table.

“Can I get a picture of you two?” she asks with a bright smile.

You can’t bring yourself to say no to her cheeriness, so you agree, doing your best to smile for the camera.

“You know what would be really cute?” the photographer starts, and you feel the dread building in your chest, “if you sat in his lap.”

Oh my gods, ugh. You are incredibly annoyed, but you know that this innocent woman doesn’t understand the very weird situation going on. So you, once again, reluctantly agree. You climb into Taehyung’s lap, and the energy immediately feels different. He clears his throat behind you and slides his arms around your waist. While the photographer tries to get a better angle (why is she taking so long!?), Taehyung starts to slide his hand down your thigh.

“I heard you,” he whispers to you, smile still stretched across his face. “I heard you say my name. You can’t act like you don’t want me. I heard you.”

“What are you talking about?” you ask defiantly, knowing exactly what he’s talking about.

“You know what I’m talking about. You said my name. I’ve wanted you since the day I met you. I had such a big crush on you in high school, but you were oblivious. Now, you see me. Now, you want me. I heard you.”

As the photographer walks away, you don’t try to get up. You just shift a little in his lap. With the movement you can feel, very clearly, as if there was hardly any fabric between you at all, the outline of his cock, half-hard against your ass.

“Are...are you not wearing underwear, Tae?” you ask, feeling flustered, face hot.

“I tell you I heard you say my name while you were touching yourself on my bed. And you ask if I’m wearing underwear. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to take advantage of me,” he professes with a smirk.

You look around frantically to make sure no one heard him, but your head snaps back to look at him when you feel his fingers teasing the hem of your dress against your thigh. You can feel the movement causing a rush between your thighs, and you can’t focus on anything except the way his hand feels on your skin.

“Tae…” you whisper, trailing off.

“Say it, y/n. Say you want me.”

“We can’t do this here, Tae. There are so many people here,” you say looking around at all of your friends, who you would be mortified if they found Tae with his hand in your dress.

“If you say that you want me right now, I’ll take you upstairs, and I’ll fuck you like you deserve to be fucked,” he whispers, letting his hot breath run over your ear.

Shit. Shit. Am I doing this? Fuck it.

“Tae, I want you...right now,” you practically moan.

With that, he’s up out of his seat, adjusting his pants. He ushers you out of the hall with his hand on the small of your back. You clamber into the elevator, and, when the door shuts, he is all over you. His mouth is on your ear and your neck, your collarbone and the curve of your shoulder, you chest and the upper swell of your breast. He’s kissing every exposed inch like he’s been poisoned and the only antidote is in your skin.

The elevator door opens on your floor, and the two of your practically run to your room. He slides the key card in and flings the door open. He kicks it closed behind you, and he takes off his tie and begins unbuttoning his shirt. He turns around to look at you, lacing his fingers in the hair on the back of your head down to the nape of your neck. He’s big eyes are peering into yours, searching your face.

“Can I kiss you?” he asks in a deep rasp.

“Tae, you’ve already kissed my whole chest. Yes,” you say back with a bite to your tone. You can’t help but want to contradict him and push his buttons.

He smashes his lips into yours, a deep, hungry kiss. All of his annoyance and frustration seems to come out with his kiss too. He nips your bottom lip and pulls it a bit before letting it going. He goes right back to you, forcing his tongue into your mouth.

“Are you going to be a good girl for me now?” he asks when he pulls away.

“I don’t know,” you tease. “I guess we’ll have to see.”

“How is ‘babygirl?’ Is that okay with you?” he asks looking into your eyes again.

“Babygirl is fine,” you reply, “but I’m not your good girl.”

He growls at you from his chest, scrunching his nose. You feel the tension in your stomach building and you know that your panties are useless at this point they are so soaked. He leans into you, reaching around your back, unzipping your dress. You shimmy it off your body, letting it pool on the floor around your feet, just like you had down two days before.

You runs his fingertips across your skin from your collarbones over your breasts, gently catching your nipples, down your stomach, across the waistband of your underwear. He bends his knees, setting one on the floor, and he keeps tracing his fingers down your thighs, over your knees, and around your ankles. He presses his mouth to your hip and your thigh while he caresses the inside of your legs up to your thigh and back down to your ankle. Then he pulls the strap off both of your ankles from your shoes and pulls them off your feet. Your skin feels like it’s on fire with every touch from Tae’s fingers, and you feel your pussy clench around nothing with every move he makes. 

While still on his knee, Tae looks up at you through his lashes. He asks in a commanding tone, “Babygirl, if you need me to stop you just say red, okay?” And you nod.

“Now, are you going to be good for me while I lick your pussy?”

Your breath catches, and your heart pounds in your chest. “I don’t want to be good,” you sass, voice hoarse already.

His teeth bite down on the skin of the inside of your thigh. “Are you talking back to me, babygirl?”

You are too stunned to come up with anything clever, so you just nod.

He bites down again on your other thigh. “Use your words,” he commands.

You are so wet and so overwhelmed. He is too much for you already. “Yes, I was talking back to you,” you pant out.

He stands up from between your thighs, and you feel remiss that you let your brattiness get in the way of having him licking you. He whispers, “you’re being a bad girl.”

You stick your tongue out at him in response, unable to stop yourself. His hand comes up to your chin and holds your head so you have to look him in the eye. “Look at me,” he demands. “You better start behaving, you little monster.”

For some reason, him calling you a little monster does something to you. You don’t know if you’ve ever been this turned on. “I’ll be good. I’m sorry.”

You lean to kiss him, and he catches your lips in another bruising kiss.

“Lie down on the bed and take your underwear off,” he says as he stands back from you, palming himself through his pants, seeking some relief. 

Once you’re in position, he pushes your legs up, so your knees are bent. You are in the same position that you were just two days ago when he walked in on you. He whispers so pretty, then kisses gently on your clit and down your folds. He barely slides his tongue into your pussy, then drags it all the way up you, collecting your arousal on his tongue.

“So wet for me, babygirl.”

He takes his tongue and draws slow, steady circles on your clit while he brings his hand to your entrance and slides too fingers in. He immediately pushes them all the way in without letting you adjust, then he curls them upward. His lips wrap around your clit, and he sucks.

You groan beneath him. He feels like he knows exactly what your body wants and needs. He is intuitive to your body, and your head is swimming. Your skin is burning, and your hips start to buck, even as he uses one hand to try to still you.

“Tae, I’m going to cum,” you gasp.

“No, you aren’t,” he says against your clit, “you’ll cum when I tell you to cum. And do you know why?”

You shake your head, back arching up off the mattress.

“This pussy is mine. Your orgasms belong to me, understood?”

“Yes,” you whine, “please, Tae…”

“Say it,” he commands for the second time tonight.

You moan as he continues his unforgiving ministrations with his fingers and his tongue. “Fine. This pussy is yours. My orgasms belong to you.”

“Good girl,” he whispers and pulls his fingers out of you and pulls his mouth away.

“No, no,” you whine at the lost of contact

“You better start being good, babygirl. You better start showing me that you deserve to cum.”

You really don’t mean to say it, but your bratty side comes out again. You look him in the eye and defiantly say, “Make me,” crossing your arms over your chest.

He leans over your body and picks you up, flipping you over easily. He commands you to get on your hands and knees.

“I’m going to punish you, babygirl. Do you remember the word to say if it’s too much?”

“I remember, yes.” You crawl onto your hands and knees and push your ass toward him, taunting him. You have your legs spread, and with the way you have put your head down on the mattress, your pussy is on full display for him. He can see how slick you are for him and because of him. You can feel how swollen your clit is, and all you want is for him to touch you again. Instead, he brings his hand down with a smack on your ass. You hiss from the sting, but you feel yourself growing wetter somehow. You moan and push your ass further back toward him. He lands four more spanks on the same cheek, and it stings as he rubs his hand over the spot. He presses his lips to the tender spot, and then he presses his lips against your wet pussy before pulling away. 

You try to bite back the whine that is trying to escape your chest. You turn to look at Tae over your shoulder, and you should have just kept looking forward. His pupils are huge, and his hair looks like he’s been running his hand through it. His lips are swollen, and his cheeks are pink. You let out a moan at the sight of him. Desperate to cum.

“Please, Tae. Please let me cum,” you beg, feeling like you might cry.

“Turn around, baby girl,” he says a little more gently than his last commands.

You turn around, and he steps up right in front of you as you sit on the end of the bed. He puts his fingers on your chin again and angles your head up to him. He presses a gentle kiss to your mouth, and then he grabs your hands and brings them to his belt. You can see the outline of his cock through his tight black pants. You have never wanted a cock more in your life than you want his right now.

You unbutton his pants, and the flesh of his dick is right inside the zipper. So he wasn’t wearing underwear. You push his pants down, and he steps the rest of the way out of them. He takes his cock in his hand and strokes it. You look up into his eyes to wait for him to tell you what to do.

“Lie down, babygirl,” he says, and you immediately obey.

His eyes flash with realization for a moment. “I don’t have a condom,” he says in panic, his breathing quickening.

“It’s fine. Are you clean? I’m fine. Birth control. Just fuck me raw,” you can’t think and words are tumbling past your lips.

“I am clean. You’re on birth control? You’re clean?” he asks, slightly more coherent than you are.

“Yes to both. Fuck me raw, Tae, please,” you beg. You feel desperate and crazy.

He pulls your hips to the end of the bed, still standing in front of you. He drags his cock through your arousal, getting his dick slick before he presses against your entrance. He pushes slowly into you, and you feel every millimeter of him exploring every millimeter of you. You let out a loud guttural moan as he continues to push all the way in. He brings his thumb to your clit and pushes messy circles there, and you clench around his dick.

“Fuck, babygirl, you can’t do that. I’m not gonna last long anyway,” he says as he draws himself slowly back out of you and pushes back in slowly.

“Tae…” you pant.

“I know, babygirl. You have to hold on though. Remember your orgasm is mine.”

He starts to thrust in and out of you more urgently. He’s panting, hair falling into his eyes. His breath is ragged as he continues to rub unforgiving circles on your clit. He pushes his hair back with his one free hand, and his tongue darts out to lick the corner of your mouth. You feel yourself careening toward the edge, and you don’t want to disappoint Tae but also can’t stop it. You pant out his name again.

“Cum for me baby girl,” he whispers as he bites your ear lobe, thrusts becoming erratic. You tumble over the edge, warmth filling your stomach as your pussy clenches around him, and your mind goes black as your eyes pinch shut and all of your muscles contract. You let out a low, loud moan, and Tae is crashing like a wave too. He cums hard and moans a long moan, filling you with cum and continuing to fuck it up into you. His hips only stop when you have regained your senses enough to open your eyes.

After he pulls out of you, he disappears for a second. He returns with a warm washcloth. He sets to work cleaning you and then himself. He takes the towel back to the bathroom, and then climbs into bed next to you. “What can I do to take care of you, babygirl?” he asks, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“I want to cuddle you, and maybe watch The Grinch,” you respond in a sleepy voice.

He gets you both under the covers, then pulls your body close to his. “I’ll try to find it, but we might have to watch something else,” he explains as he grabs the remote and flicks on the TV.

“Hey Tae?” you say after you settle on watching HGTV.

He hums in response and pulls his eyes from the screen to look at you. “Can we like...go on a date soon?” you ask, suddenly nervous even though you’re both naked, cuddled in a post sex cocoon.

“I want nothing more than that...and we probably should since your pussy is already mine anyway,” he smiles a huge smile and presses kisses to your temple, cheek, and jawline. You snuggle back in and eventually fall asleep wrapped in one another.

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh Ep 34 S4: The Boys (and Mai) are Back in Town

OK, back to the writing table! It’s been a while! So I made the mistake of like...scrolling down on the playlist when I realized...

This duel is like 6 episodes long (7 even? It’s a lot) and like...yo I have no idea if we’ll finish this season in 2020! Damn you 2020. Damn you.

But wtv, what I like about this side project of mine is that I don’t have to rush things, and I can really spend the time with each episode and just...enjoy the moment. So often I watch a whole series in like half a week and then it’s like...I don’t get to enjoy it. This series I’ve enjoyed for years now. That’s kinda neat. So...we’re gonna be slow...but lets just enjoy this weird ass anime moment together. 2020 deadlines are all fake anyway. I’m not even sure if 2020 was a real thing that happened or like...an alternate universe opening a door and letting through just so many terrible ghosts. We might never know.

Last we left off, everyone has decided to hallucinate Dartz’ terrible backstory.

Unfortunately we have NO darts in the past. Was really hoping to see at least one darts reference in this entire season, just one darts board on his wall. But alas, we will not have a Season Zero death darts match with Dartz. (Man I need to get back to Season Zero. And FMA. And a lot of things)

I feel like if I watched the original version there would have been some things different. First off...what ocean? Second off...well, we’ll get to that. There’s some things I think were changed for English TV.

Including censoring the nude people like it’s James Cameron’s Avatar.

Fun fact did you know that James Cameron’s Avatar was supposed to be ass naked and that they were supposed to have like 8 cat nipples? Yeah.

Man, that movie was a mistake. I’m so glad we all decided to collectively forget James Cameron’s Avatar.

(read more under the cut)

The actual locations of anything in Atlantis does not match up with it when it’s zoomed out. We have giant cities, we have sprawling wheat fields, and we have...THIS situation. This active volcano next to...pine trees?

I feel like they wanted it to feel vaguely Pompeii, since I know people like to put Atlantis in the Mediterranean. Maybe? Maybe that’s what they were going for here?

One of my top ten favorite Yugioh plot twists ever was finding out this episode that this snake who has no limbs somehow created these...rocks...that all of our main characters have been wearing and obsessing over this entire time.

And so this is my theory, this is the thesis of my Yugioh college paper. These rocks are turds. There’s no way these rocks aren’t turds. There’s no way this snake didn’t poop out a bunch of glowy magic stones and then stuff them into a volcano.

THE ROCKS WERE TURDS THE WHOLE TIME.

God bless, Yugioh.

Seto spends this entire episode groveling that he isn’t playing cards that will absolutely kill him. Like Mokuba, Seto isn’t happy until he’s cheating death.

(I really wish we got more super past future tech. I love that type of concept art. Instead, we just got a lot of flying boats--the same boat that I think the team flew on in S1 when they went to Seto’s video game universe.

So those boats are 10,000 years old? They existed in the 10,000 year old Pangea, huh?

Neat.)

Anyway, lets take a gander at Princess Zelda circa Ocarina of Time.

SUPER princess Zelda, and I know it’s not 1:1 but damn it feels so much like a late 90′s Princess Zelda outfit to me. Check out that PURPLE. That low poly circlet. The random ass sword. The thick ass belt. 

Also check out this super dead family.

Yo so this is a 00′s thing, a period of time where we liked to tell stories like LOST, with just a bunch of random ass plot twists in flashbacks instead of just...telling a story from start to finish. And can be a great and fun way to do it--but at the sacrifice of actually making me care about these characters while they were still alive.

Like I would have maybe cared about Chris and Ironheart dying if I had known that Dartz was killing his whole family? With...lightning strikes? But alas, these dumbasses decided NOT to tell us they were royal. It’s so strange both from a logical perspective and a storytelling perspective.

Man...missed opportunity, IMO, but I can see why they did it. The wanted the ‘Gotcha!’ I feel ambivalent about it, honestly.

And who am I kidding, people are still doing unpredictable plot twists this. It’s a way to tell a story. Is it the most impactful way? No. It’s...it’s a gotcha!

It’s at this point in the story that things start ramping up, but it’s not clear if it takes place over years or just a couple hours. People just start going a little cray and turning into Monsters.

Straight up, though--did they turn into monsters that already existed and are modern Duel Monster cards, or are the monsters from modern Duel Monsters cards actually descendants of Atlantis who were once human?

They don’t say, actually. Maybe...maybe every card was a human once. That would be a freakin weird Yugioh twist if Kuriboh was like a 45 year old dude.

PS Dartz was married...soak that in.

ROMANCE ON YUGIOH ALERT.

Love it every time. She was there for like...half a second, and Dartz was like throwing so much shade about how “only the people with evil in their hearts were turned” and it’s like...

...dude that’s your wife? OK then. I can see you guys got along real well.

Anyway, so long to the ship of IonaxDartz, you were here for even less than the amount of time that Seto dated Blue Eyes White Dragon in a hallucination, which kind of sets a new record for us.

This might be the shortest-lived ship in all of Yugioh and they have a 12 year old daughter and what I assume was a 12 year marriage for that entire time.

that is if they...HAD the concept of marriage 10,000 years ago on Atlantis Pangea island. Maybe?

I mean they might have not had the concept of dating and marriage yet because he gets over this like immediately. The show will never hover back to that time Dartz watched his own wife turn into a creature. We have no idea if he was like “OK honey lets uh...let just get you a haircut and maybe no one will notice?” We have no idea how long he was desperately trying to remain married to the beast that was no longer human and was also trying to eat everyone else in his court. We just don’t know.

Dartz just had a lot of other things to think about. He’s been King for like...a year...he’s only 21...he’s just doing a bad job at everything.

(Biden opens Pres Trumps bedroom in the White House come January and it’s juts full of glowing green evil golf balls) (OK that was my last 2020 joke I swear to you) 

Anyway, Dad is here, but it’s a little too late to really do anything with the situation. Everyone is worshiping little snake turds. What can you really do about that?

One eye golden, the other eye, the color of a glistening Leviathan turd.

After the rest of the surviving royal family was chased out of the castle, Dartz decides to just wave his hands around a lot.

I’m not entirely sure what Kings do...never really had one...but I think they’re supposed to do more than wave their hands at a crowd like the Pope. Like...everyone’s dead right? Like everyone?

Who’s he talking to?

Meanwhile, Chris and Ironheart decide to revive some monster tablets to get some real actual duel monsters to do their bidding.

So apparently some monsters are in the tablets, and other’s have just always been here...and...

They didn’t know violence but they did have the cards?

There’s a lot of vague stuff they didn’t feel like ever writing, because it would have probably been boring to write about. I guess we’ll just let our imagination fill in the rest and ignore all the inconsistencies. It’s a kid’s anime. well........kind of a kid’s anime. A lot of people have died this episode and I don’t even know how to add it to the death count.

How many people live in Atlantis? I dunno.

Are the inhabitants of Atlantis even dead, or are they just turned into Monster cards? I dunno. Clearly the Great Leviathan wasn’t awoken this first battle so...did all those souls get returned? I dunno.

Either way I’m not gonna bother the death count about it because I just do not know if they died, and since it was neither an implied death or an on screen death...I dunno.

Just feels like a bit of a translation snafu--where maybe they couldn’t kill that many people on English TV, so they were like “AND IT’S A DRAW!” but also...it could be canon to both versions. The leviathan didn’t work the first time, maybe no one died? I dunno.

In this shot, PS, Raphael just gently backs up out of this flying plane, and it looked really funny to me. I probs won’t cap it because it’s split between two other cuts, but just...they just kind of moved that sprite to the right really slowly, no animation, it was great.

Dartz decides to end the backstory hallucination, and we get introduced to a new twist--a better twist than that last one, that’s right, all our boys are cards!

Including this asshole!

Been a while since our boys have been cards! Man, I miss Bakura!

Yes, I looked back to earlier episodes this season to see what was going on with Pegasus’ new look. I think what happened is that it’s always been this shade of gray purple--but when you put purple next to it’s opposing color (which is yellow colors) it looks even MORE purple. It’s just how color works. Love color theory. mm. Good stuff. Good purple hair.

I can’t wait until Yami kills Yugi for the 3rd time in one season.

Anyway, that’s all for now, and like always, here’s a link to read these in chrono order.

[thewritingstar]

Up in the Clouds

Fandom: The PowerPuff Girls

Pairing: Blossick (Brick and Blossom aka Reds) 

I have been on a hype for the Reds lately and i have almost forgotten how much i love my og otp. This fic is kinda of all over and messy but its cute and i like it. A little out of character but i have a soft spot for the hc that the boys grew up and soon they all became closer, so the most unoriginal idea ever. 

Hope you enjoy! I should prob right for the other pairings too lol. 

------

“For this assignment, you will be given an emotion at random and must write AND present about.” The class groaned as she handed out the papers. “You can look at it however you want. Whether its stating things that occur during emotion or what you personally feel, be creative. You’ll present at the end of the month.” 

Brick took the papers and passed them back to the next student as the teacher came by and dropped a folded piece of paper on his desk. 

“Also there will be no changes. You get what you get.” She stated and he rolled his eyes as he opened the small piece. 

Love. 

His hands crumbled the paper in his fist and he knew it would be pathetic to try and get someone to change. He could do this. All he needed to do was make up some sappy shit and piss on about it. He thought about talking about platonic love or family love. How even though his brothers made him want to smash their faces into walls until their blood flows down his hand, he still cared about them. It felt more like he was obligated too anyways. 

“I got happiness, which is pretty vague. Hey Blossom? Which one did you get?” A fellow student, he thinks is named Alicia asked the pink puff. 

“Oh I got sorrow.” She responded and everyone had gone into discussions about their ideas and assignments. 

A guy turned to Brick to ask about his but he was already out the door as the bell rang. 

The cafe welcomed him as the small bell chimed. His head had been a mess after the assignment was made and although he had seven drafts planned out, none of them seemed to work. He even asked Boomer about it and as he went into detail about a blue eyed, pig tailed super hero, Brick was already regretting asking him. 

He ordered at the counter, just a simple soda and a crepe and turned to find a seat. He saw an empty table pressed against the wall to his left but as he turned to the right he saw another table. Occupied with a pink eyed, bow wearing superhero. 

He was already at the table before he registered what was happening. She seemed to be alone and he took her by surprise as she looked up. 

“Oh, Hi Brick.” She said and he gestured to the seat and she scooted a book out of the way before he plopped down. 

“What are you doing here, its like eight o’clock on a school night.” He noticed that the sun was dying down. 

She shrugged and pointed to her milkshake. “I had a craving, plus I have a late start period for school so I came here to clear my head. Plus Bubbles was being especially loud on the phone.” he already knew that she was referring to her and Boomer. They had been talking nonstop and not even a lamp thrown at his head would shut him up. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked him and he mimicked the shrug and pointed to his crepe. 

“Cravings. And needed some space, this English assignment is kicking my ass.” He didn’t know why he admitted to that and he saw her eyes perk up. 

“The emotion one?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Yeah. Me too.” 

That took him by surprise. She was the one who was always raving with emotion, this should be a breeze. 

“What did you get?” She asked him. His eyes traveled to his plate were warm chocolate and fresh strawberries collided. 

“Strawberry.”

She let out a small laugh and he furrowed his eyebrows. 

“I meant for the project.” 

oh. 

He felt incredibly dumb at that moment and she bubbled out another laugh. That small sound was actually pleasant to hear and for some reason, he wanted to hear it again and again. 

“Oh. Um I got love.” He didn’t know why he felt slightly embarrassed and he picked up his drink to chugged it down as she held a puzzling expression. 

“Hmm that is a tough one. There’s all types of love.”

“That’s what i was thinking. Well, what about you?”

“Sorrow.”

“Well that’s easy, just pick something sad.” 

She said nothing for a moment and instead went to her milkshake, which he noticed was also strawberry, not that it mattered. 

“I don’t think its thats simple. Jeremy got sad and I got sorrow so i need to make sure it doesn’t sound similar.” 

“But they are similar.” 

“Well yes but-”

“Just talk about a loss you had as a superhero. What it feels like to not be able to save the day or something.” He was met with another round of silence. 

Her eyes traveled outside the window. the sun was now in its sunset glow and the sky had become a mixture of purple and pink as it faded out the blue. From the cafe you could see the lines of the city skyscrapers blending into the sky. It was quiet on this side of town and he wondered what it would be like to float onto those clouds, careless and free. 

--

And so they did. After she finished her milkshake and he his soda, he posed that they traveled to where only they could go. Why? He didn’t know and neither did she. 

Her legs dangled off the cloud that hovered just above the ocean. Some would be afraid that they would fall through but they had used their powers to keep them up. 

The cool air blew against their faces and he felt like he could breath better than on the ground.

“Have you ever been in love?” She asked out of the blue, her eyes were focused on the small waves rolling onto to the shore. 

“No.” A simple answer that he wasn’t to sure of. he should of been certain. he didn’t know what love, a romantic connection felt like. He had dated girls before, all throughout middle and high school but never once did those words cross his mind. 

“Me either.” She responded and he turned towards her. 

It was almost as if he couldn’t breath. A swell inside his chest had taken hold and he wondered why she looked so...beautiful against the light. the soft glow of the sun setting made her hair more vibrant and her baby pink eyes sparkle. He wanted to scream at himself for thinking like that but when she turned and caught his eyes, he watched the blush spread slowly on her fair skin and that protest had been silenced. 

They held each others gaze. He was right, he had never been in love before, but if he had then he would need a new word for what was happening to him now. His memory fled back to every girl he had ever dated and some how, somewhere, she was there in the background. During their fights or even civil conversations, she was the only one to catch his attention.

They had grown up together, viciously of course but after spending his adolescent wanted to rip her head off, he just wanted to pull her close. He never believed in fate or soulmates or what not but sometimes, even as a stupid kid, he wondered if that pink counterpart of a girl was actually made for him. 

“Thats a shame.” He whispered and he leaned closer as she did the same. 

“For the both of us.” But they barely beard her words as their lips connected. 

Her lips were soft as the cloud they were on. The taste of strawberry was on her lips and her hands wrapped around his neck as his got lost in her long ginger locks. They had spent all their time avoiding each other when they both knew that they would always return to each other. 

Every break up was about her. The girl getting mad at how he stared at her or made time to study but not for them. he didn’t realize it until now but that hatred he carried at the start of his creation had melted away slowly like an icicle at the end of winter. 

They pulled away and it felt colder than it was before. Her eyes still locked to his. Pink and Red. Just like the sunset and sky. Just like the glow of a bright raging fire. Just like them. 

it felt like eons had passed before she looked towards the city. That vibrant sunset was long gone as the sky had turned a deep black and was now painted with stars. 

“i should go.” She said but it sounded forced as if she was saying she didn’t want to. 

He nodded and they agreed that it was best to part separate since she lived on the other side. He helped her stand up, their feet sinking into the cloud and she turned to him with a soft smile. “Have a nice night Brick.” And soon the dark sky had a flash of pink that disappeared quickly under the stars. 

--

Bricks mind was lost and he tapped his pencil to his desk quietly. the presentations had started for the week and so far happiness, anger, fear and sorrow were up. His mind finally came back to focus towards the end of Blossoms piece and he had cursed himself for barely hearing the first half. 

“Its empty and cold, like an unforgiving stare. It haunts you in your dreams and leaves you feeling numb. It lingers and when you think that the pain and suffering is done, it washes over you again, taking and taking until the only sensation left is a hollow shell. 

My sisters and I have felt this on multiple occasions. When you can’t save everyone and feel the pity and sadness within the air. But joy and laughter can bring the sadness to a end. The sorrowfulness lasts longer than you think. And it makes you believe that nothing matters anymore.” Blossom finished the last of her piece. Her eyes, along with others in the class had glazed over and she was sure her teacher had been brought to tears at her story and ending. 

The applause from the class surrounded the room and she took a small bow before returning to her seat.

Maybe after class they could talk.

The bell sounded through the class and Blossom made her way out of the class. Another school day over.

“Hey.” She turned to see Brick. The students around them were bush trying to leave and get out quickly before a line at the parking lot formed.

“Hey” She returned softly and it dawned on them that they really didn’t know what was between them. 

That night a few weeks ago had not be forgotten but was placed high up on a shelf, they almost forgot about it, almost. Its not like they were avoiding each other, no, school and work had overcome both of their lives, mostly hers of course. 

“So do you maybe wanna go-” He started but the red pair was interrupted with a flash of blue between them. 

“Hey Blossom! Hi Brick.” Bubbles smiled brightly. “Oh Bloss just to let ya know tonight is Sister Showdown.” Her smile held a evil glare and she turned and exited school. 

“What the hell is Sister Showdown?” He asked and Blossom blew up her bangs. 

“Its a competition thing between Bubbles and Buttercup. Last time one was held, we had to replace our roof so I’d rather not be there.” The hallways were no empty and it was just them. “So what were you saying?” 

--

They ended up at the cafe for the third time that week. Every milkshake and crepe was finished with a trip to the clouds as they watched the sun set. They never spoke about what they were or the emotions, just enjoyed each others company and maybe left the night with a kiss or two. 

They talked about anything and everything, sometimes just sitting quietly and counting the waves. 

Her sisters would asked where shes been and she had the same studying excuse before humming to herself and falling asleep with a smile at her lips. 

His brothers would hound on him, teasing him and slapping him until he would throw them off and the subject would be dropped, but they never missed the fact that he was in a better mood. 

It was their secret. The clouds and them. He found it easier and easier to write his paper after watching endless movies, though in the back of his mind, the two main love interest were always replaced with a pair of redheads. Pink and red. 

--

The end of the presentation days came and of course Brick was the last to go.

“That’s the thing about love. You think you know yourself as the days go by, that you recognize every moment as what they are. Love can’t blind you if you’re always aware. It won’t bother you as you keep it in line, making sure that you don’t slip up as you keep reminding yourself there’s no point.” He looked up and was met with a wide pair of eyes. 

Pink. Bright pink. 

“And then you jolt awake. It hits you faster than the speed of light and soon you are falling. Your lungs squeeze tight as you gasp for air and only when you admit to yourself is when you can breath. Love will force you to look at all the positives. It forces that other person onto a silver platter and a podium that is so small, only they can stand on it. They might not think they are perfect but your mind becomes numb and blind to the heart, its the only explanation. That’s the thing about love, right when you think you’ve fallen, you hit the ground.” 

He hadn’t even looked at his paper as his eyes were still lined with hers. The applause in the room shook him to his core as he broke the gaze held with the fiery redheaded girl. 

“And when you never think love will come towards you, you might find that its been there all along.” 

He couldn’t tell you what the teacher said as he returned to his seat and his mouth was parted open slightly as it dawned on him what he had just done. 

He wrote that for the assignment. Based off of shitty romance novels and movies. But in the end, it had been for her. 

Always her. 

--

She found him high up in the clouds that night. They hadn’t spoken since and every word he said had ran through his mind. 

Their shoulders touched as she sat next to him. Both their eyes focused on the waves below. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, it felt natural and good. Although the quiet night was peaceful, he was ridged and frozen in place. 

Even with his blank expression, she could tell his mind was racing. He was choosing his words and mapping out the thoughts and scenarios one by one. And she was doing that too but there were times where planning and perfection weren’t always the best plans. 

He turned towards her, his mouth open as if he were ready to speak but she had already decided that he had said enough. The next thing he knew, her lips were connected with his. 

Its soft and sweet. Delicate but fragile. His eyes had closed and his hand gently rested on her cheek as she leaned into his touch. He could hear her heartbeat thumping at a fast pace and knew his was just the same. A small sound escaped her lips as he tilted his head and soon her arms were around his shoulders as they fell deeper into each other. She could feel the smirk on his lips as they pulled away. 

Both breathing heavily for air as their foreheads rested against one another. 

“Did-did you mean what you said.” She whispered and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Everything you said?”

He rested the urge to not pull her back into another breathtaking kiss but instead raised an eyebrow. “What if it wasn’t about you?” He teased but they both knew the truth. They couldn’t lie anymore, not to each other at least. 

She smirked as she placed down between them before meeting his eyes. That motion alone had him spiraling as she leaned in closer, her lips brushing his. “Then I guess it would be a shame to say that I’ve fallen.” 

“It would be a shame for the both of us.” He kissed her. “But I’ve been on the ground for a long time.” 

“Good.”

---

I hope you liked it!!!

[90s-belladonna]

Can I please have 24 from the prompt list for female reader and Sero? Can the ending be her finding fluffy comfort in someone else? The rest is up to you thank you

#24: “Anyone would be lucky to have you, you’re amazing.” ‘Just wish it was me you were interested in’

Unrequited: Hanta Sero x Fem!Reader

part 2

I couldn’t focus on my stupid math homework. I mean how could I when he was on my mind. From his stupid cheesy smile to his kind obsidian eyes. To his smooth voice and endearing laugh. To his selfless nature and kind personality.

He was all that I wanted. To be held in his strong arms is what I longed for above anything else. Hanta Sero occupied my every waking thought. The more I got to know him, the more I realized how desperately in love I was with the boy.

I shook my head and tried to focus back on the algebra homework Ectoplasm had assigned to us. Just because I was failing in the love department didn’t mean I had to fail in academics as well.

Just as I was about to finish the last question there was a knock at my dorm’s door. I huffed and got up to unlock the door only to be met by beautiful onyx eyes.

“Sero. Hey.” I greeted, almost in a whisper. “Hey! Mind if I come in?” He asked me with his usual wide smile. “Of course not, come in.” I said as I moved to the side and waited for him to come in so I could close the door.

“I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.” The ravenette stated as he flopped onto one of the bean bag chairs in my dorm room. “Not at all, I was just finishing up with my homework.” I explained as I felt rouge trying to peak through my cheeks.

I watched as Sero let out and exasperated sigh. “you’re a girl right?” Sero asked out of no where after a few minutes of silence. “I don’t know. Why?” I mocked his tone. “Sorry. I- well I need some girl advice.” He explained, his eyes never meeting mine, instead his were focused on his fiddling fingers.

“Then you’ve come to the rights place. What’s up?” I asked the usually cheery boy. “Well... I kind of um, I kind of have a crush on someone. And no matter what I do I keep messing up with her. Every time I compliment her the words come out all wrong and I end up offending her.” Sero explained as he covered his face with his hands.

It didn’t take a genius to know who he was talking about. Mina, Jiro, and I were the only girls in the Bakusquad and Jiro and I had already caught on to how flustered the ravenette became whenever Mina entered the room. His crush on her made sense, their personalities complimented each other well. The only other person who shared their level of wackadoo energy was Denki.

“I think you just gotta pull the trigger and ask her out Sero. Mina is a great girl and I’m sure once you explain that you’ve been trying to court her she’ll understand why you’ve been acting so odd.” I explained, trying to hold my jealousy back in order to help my two friends get together.

“Yeah I know you’re prob- WAIT... you knew I was talking about Mina this entire time?” He asked me, his face one of shock. I couldn’t help but giggle at his cluelessness. “Yeah. Jiro and I figured it out a while back and I think Blasty caught on as well, he just doesn’t care. I have a feeling Kiri knows too but I can’t be too sure. The only ones who seem to not have a clue about your little crush are Kami and Mina herself.” I explained as I felt the tips of my ears heat up.

“Oh. That makes sense. I guess I was being super obvious.” Sero said in a disheartened tone, probably sad that Mina had yet to catch on to his true intentions. “You should ask her out. Anyone would be lucky to have you, you’re amazing Sero.” I reassured the sweet boy. Just wish it was me you were interested in.

“I wouldn’t even know where to take her.” He let out yet another exhausted sigh. My mind immediately went to the carnival being held just a few blocks from school grounds. “Maybe the carnival that’s in town this week? You guys could get some food and ride some of the fair rides, you could even win her a stuffed animal or two. That kind of date would fit both your personalities perfectly.” I suggested, trying to sound as helpful as possible. No way I’m actually helping my crush plan a date with his crush. And the biggest clown award goes to...

Sero’s obsidian eyes instantly lit up. “That’s it! You’re a genius (name)! I’ll ask her tomorrow and if she says yes I’ll take her after school.” Sero said in a gleeful voice, his signature smile making it’s way back on to his beautiful face.

“Thanks for all your help. You’re an amazing friend.” He spoke one more as he enveloped me in a hug. Friend. That’s all I’ll ever be to him. I wrapped my arms around him and took in his scent, he smelled of daffodils. I couldn’t help but imagine this is what it would be like to date him, constant hugs just like this. Before my thoughts could run wild he pulled away.

“Well I’ll see you tomorrow, hopefully I’ll have a beautiful alien queen girlfriend by then.” Sero joked as he made his way towards the door. “Aha, Yeah. Hopefully. Fingers crossed right.” I replied with a forced smile gracing my face, although he couldn’t tell that it was forced. “You’re the best!” He cheered as he walked out the door. As cliche as it sounds I couldn’t help but slide down against the now closed dorm room door and silently sob for the rest of the night.

The next day went smoothly for Sero, he asked Mina out during Present Mic’s English class while we were working on group projects, as luck would have it the Bakusquad was all in one group so I got a front row seat to witness my own heartbreak. Amazing...

The new happy couple spent the rest of the day gushing about their upcoming after school date which basically had me dying inside. No one other than Jiro and Momo knew of my crush on Sero, I never told Mina because I figured if she knew about my feelings she’d be more hesitant to accept Sero’s advances.

Jiro held my hand under the desks the entire time, almost as if to let me know “I’m here for you if you need anything.” A gesture which I appreciated. After school ended I couldn’t help but watch as the loving new couple intertwined their hands and began to walk off towards the carnival.

I didn’t realize it at the time but as I stared longingly all teary eyed as Sero walked off into the sunset, hand in hand with Mina, someone was watching me, equally as longingly.

“I love that guy, but he sure is an idiot.” Kirishima gloomily sighed beside me. “Tell me about it.” I said with an equally gloomy sigh as I leaned back against the wall next to the redhead. He instinctively placed his arm around my neck and pulled me in for a hug. “What do you say we go get some ice cream?” He asked as he held me tight against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist and tried to hold my tears back. “I think that sounds about perfect Kiri.” I mumbled as I took in his scent of hyacinth.

unbeknownst to me I wasn’t the only one with an unrequited love within the Bakusquad, but that would soon change. Someday I’d find someone who would love me for who I am and the other person in our group would have the person he longed for love him back.

[soysaucevictim]

Week 4.

-

Apr. 3

I woke up around 10AM.

After a bit of time on the usual, I went along with brother out to a local Best Buy out of town. We wound up staying there a few hours to get the stuff we needed/wanted to from them.

Got a rather large but tasty burrito and some churros from a small/obscure Mexican food place afterward.

Spent several hours at home slowly eating it and waiting on that to digest...

The only exercise I got in today was the DD. 2′ balance hold (1′/1′, arms up, raised leg forward). A fun exercise determined by the time management and barely finishing digesting dinner... that that was the only exercise I was up for.

I got to bed a bit earlier than yesterday, but still in the red zone.

-

Apr. 4

I woke up after 1PM and one of the first things I did was start on today’s exercise.

First, today’s DD. 30 reverse angels with EC. Manageable, still awkward negotiating floor space and not

Second, Day 19 of the SOP. Level 3, no rest. No assist/chair for the “squats“ and calf raises. Seated for the leg raises and raised leg swings. Breezy.

Last, Day 19 of the RbP. Level 3, max rest. Had a few wobbly moments to maintain my balance for the calf raises. But manageable. I thought about shortening the rest - but I think my ankles were happier about that.

Hit the showers and went to the grandparents for Easter Dinner. Mostly was irritated at old computer because I wanted to get in a bit of writing done, maybe. Didn’t work. Despite that, I stayed away from aggravating convo topics.

Spent rest of night on the usual, when we got back home.

I got to bed around the same time as yesterday.

-

Apr. 5

I woke up after 11AM and updated some logs, preparing for my therapy appointment today.

Appointment went alright. Mostly service plan stuff... trying to get everything to jive with the assessment and whatnot. Did run out to convenience store again after that, having given the driver some lead-time.

I got going on my exercise pretty much as soon as I got home.

First, today’s DD. 20 jump squats with EC. Manageable.

Second, Day 20 of the SOP. Level 3, no rest, no drops. Arm stuff, modestly fatigued by the end of it, but still easy enough for me.

Last, Day 20 of the RbP. Level 3, max rest. Ab stuff, was a bit hesitant to get into this with food choices. But glad there wasn’t much protest there. I also made sure to keep the legs off the ground for all the knee-to-elbow crunches and hollow holds. Letter form was a tiny by sloppy., but I still felt mounting fatigue. Also just glad it was only 4 rep/count intervals.

After chatting and listening to music. I decided I needed to get a nap, my brain was pea soup at that point.

When I got back up, did get a bit of writing done, before heading back to bed, proper.

I got to bed around the same time as yesterday.

-

Apr. 6

I woke up around 11AM again. and one of the first things I did was start on today’s exercise.

First, today’s DD. 10 plank walk-outs, doable.

Second, Day 21 of the SOP. Level 3, no rest. A bit more on the flexibility and balance department - enjoyable.

Last, Day 21 of the RbP. Level 3, max rest. Did all the hidden burpees, I liked the jacks more than the up/downs, but c’est la vie. Got me pretty bushed by the end. Was tempted to do more bouncing/jacks afterward to chase a feeling - but I decided I’d ease up on the calves today.

Did some shopping and fic reading, before starting to get dad prepped for his appointment tomorrow.

Spent rest of night on the usual. I guess I was tired enough to get to bed in the yellow zone - just before 2AM.

-

Apr. 7

I woke up a bit before 8AM, today.

Had to help dad make preparation for an appointment today. Did some shopping had started on my exercise...

First, today’s DD. 2′ wall-sit with EC. This is giving me some second thoughts on placing that tapestry where I did, because I was worried about just how much tension I was applying whilst doing this. It stayed, but I felt like I was pushing my luck. Definitely felt the quads burning, too.

(After Seeking Safety Group, which was alright, getting home, and doing some of he usual shit...)

Second, Day 22 of the SOP. Level 3, no rest, no assist (only taking seat for the frontal leg raises... though I think the next time I need to do these, I’ll do slow front kicks, maybe). Breezy leg day stuff.

Last, Day 22 of the RbP. Level 3, 30�� rest. Given how taxing/draining today was... I’m happy that I had an easier day overall. More leg work, did try to make the side leg raises higher than waist. Liked the balance stuff involved here.

Decided to take some preliminary measurements of the jam jars for a planned sewing project I had for them. Spent rest of night on the usual.

I got to bed at an obscene hour again.

-

Apr. 8

I woke up around 1PM.

Pretty much immediately after waking up, I decided to start baking another batch of shortbread cookies with Roman’s jam. After a bit of the usual, did today’s exercise.

First, today’s DD. 50 knee strikes with EC (25/25). Doable and fun.

Second, Day 23 of the SOP. Level 3, no rest, no drops. Arm work - felt a bit of fatigue by the end of it, but happy I was able to tally my sets well enough.

Last, Day 23 of the RbP. Level 3, 1′ rest. More arm work, more fatiguing. But manageable work~

Did some dishes and then made today’s Hello Fresh meal. Spaghetti with Brussels sprouts & parm. I thought it was pretty tasty. A little bit involved shredding up all those sprouts, but it was an interesting way to eat them. Bro suggested cooking them whole (which would cut down some prep time, tho), dad said nah to that, i didn’t really have a prob with either idea.

Spent rest of night on the usual before earnestly started to draft the designs for the jars. Got a bit irritated about dad criticizing the endeavor... =_=

I guess I was tired enough to get to bed in the yellow zone - just before 2AM.

-

Apr. 9

I woke up around noon.

After some reading and the usual, I got going on today’s exercise.

First, today’s DD. 30 side-to-side lunges with EC. Manageable.

Second, Day 24 of the SOP. Level 3, no rest. Pretty breezy flexibility day again.

Last, Day 24 of the RbP. Level 3, max rest. Might’ve gotten away with shortening my rests - but stomach’s been a bit temperamental. so kinda glad I didn’t push it. This was bridges and leg raises, very manageable load.

Spent time on the usual stuff before spending more time to iterate on those bag designs, more to scale.

I got to bed obscenely late again.

[purplesurveys]

774

How many times a day do you talk on the phone with your significant other?: I just answered this on another survey lol. Idk it really depends how long or short our conversations are so there’s no one definite number of times, but generally I talk to her throughout the day. If we’re both busy, talking in the morning and before turning in for bed would be enough as well.

Other than English, what was the last language spoken to you?: Filipino.

What math level are you currently taking/did you last take in school?: I’m taking up a journalism degree so there’s very little math required for me to take. The one and only math class I had was Math 1 in freshman year and it was so basic we didn’t even take up actual math – it was a class on the history of math lmao.

Who was the last person to ask you for relationship advice?: Kate. I haven’t checked up on her and the guy, actually. Last time she went to me she seemed stressed and I never heard a rant from her after that, so I dunno if they fixed stuff or just broke up altogether.

Do you have a sleeping problem?: No, I sleep just fine.

Have you ever taken a survey with a friend, listing both answers?: Nooooooo no no hard pass. I wouldn’t want my friends to know I do surveys.

Where would you order your favorite burger from?: Pound’s burgers are so good. I stopped looking for other burgers once I got to try theirs.

Who have you been hanging out with most often these days?: Myself...and by default Kimi, who follows me literally anywhere.

Do you know a guy who has hair longer than yours?: Yes.

What color was the last cup you drank out of?: It was just a clear glass.

If you’re in school, what do you do to fill in time between classes?: I go to our org lounge, which is a place in the college we call Skywalk since it’s a walkway on the second floor connecting two buildings. There’s always stuff to do or people to hang out with there, so it’s my favorite place to go to and kill time.

Do you have friends in your classes? Not always. I wasn’t one of those people who needed to enroll in every class with a friend. I just walk into my classes to do my acads, submit shit, and finish off the class with a good grade. It’s cool if I spot a friend, but otherwise it’s not my priority.

When did you last encounter someone you disliked? Today and generally daily, pretty much.

Ever been to a real haunted house?: I don’t think so. Though when we went to Laurice’s house she told us that the house in front of theirs is abandoned – and it did look creepy lol – so we just assumed it was haunted. A couple of the boys went in to check it out but the rest of us just stayed at Laurice’s.

Where was the last place you got lost?: Probs the last time I went to BGC. That place has so many fancy schmancy traffic rules of its own and so many one-way streets and stoplights that anyone who isn’t from there can easily get lost.

What windows are open on your desktop right now?: I have a Try Guys video paused on YouTube, the Google Doc file for my thesis, the Google Forms file for my thesis questionnaire’s results, and a digital copy of the book I’m currently reading.

When was the last time you had cheesecake?: The other day I had ube cheesecake. It was supposed to be my dad’s Mother’s Day gift for my mom, but I asked for some heheh.

When you last shed tears, was it because of a person?: Technically? I cried from of a song, but it also kinda reminded me of a person.

Which music artists were at the last concert you attended?: Paramore <3

What was the last thing you discussed through text messages?: I spent my last peso texting Gabie we had no internet at home for the night so I won’t be able to talk to her, and that I’ll try again the next day.

How many songs are on your iPod/MP3 player?: I don’t keep one anymore. Technically, any songs I wanna listen to are accessible to me on Spotify now. Though it’s safe to guess that my iPod probably reached a peak of 500+ songs.

Other than yours, whose house did you last fall asleep at?: Gabie’s, most likely.

Have you ever had a significant other whose parents didn’t like you?: I don’t think so. I get very insecure about this every so often given that we’re in a same-sex relationship and that I don’t always have the money to woo her parents and buy them pasalubong, but Gabie always reassures me her parents are more than alright with me. And there’s zero reason not to believe her when I do meet up with her parents as they’re very lovely people, so I guess it’s all good in the hood.

What’s so unique about your computer?: The stickers I’ve placed on my laptop case are probably the most unique about it.

How was life for you six months ago?: November was mostly uneventful for me. I think I was still mostly reeling over Nacho’s death.

How much is gas in your area?: I dunno, I never check lol. There’s been a series of rollbacks since March because of the virus, but this week my dad mentioned something about a price hike so it might be starting to come up again.

What’s something interesting you learned in the past week?: A bunch. I just got into a YouTube channel called Oversimplified which posts hilarious narratives of historical events (mostly wars) complete with doodles to make them easier to follow. Yesterday I learned about the Battle of Hastings which would also apparently become very influential when it came to the English language, so it was pretty cool to learn it was more than just a physical war.

Do you know what you plan to do for your next birthday?: Out-of-town trip or an overseas one altogether. Either sounds ideal.

Was the last book you read for fun or assignment related?: For leisure.

[savvyqueen18]

SilveeLocke|Let’s Go Eevee ZombieLocke|Pt. 1

This is currently being posted on an Amino, but I am posting it here in hopes of it reaching a bigger audience. I'm trying to make this story very appealing to the reader more than anything else, and as this is my first NuzLocke that I am doing AND making a story of I wanted to put in rules that would test fate and change the game. Like any other NuzLocke I suppose. Thank you, enjoy!

Here are my rules:

➺ No Duplicates Clause, so I cannot catch the same pokémon in a different area or it's evolution

➺ If I end up going further beyond a Route and I have not caught a pokémon I cannot go back and catch one

➺ Catches besides the first are to be counted as Exp Fodder since battles only occur with people

➺ Starter pokémon is Starter Locked for plot purposes (besides the fact that the Eevee/Pikachu in these games is SUPER OP so it's probs not gonna die anyway... but ur here for the story...)

➺ This is a ZombieLocke so these additional rules apply:

➻ Fainted Pokemon/Death: Any pokemon that faints is considered dead, and must be released or put in the Pokemon Storage System permanently (Exception: The New Life Rule, and The Sacrifice Rule)

➻ Nicknaming Pokémon: You must nickname all pokémon. This encourages bonds.

➻ The New Life: You are allowed 3 Revives during the whole run. This revive can be used at any point during the run. You are allowed to revive a fainted pokémon only immediately following their death. The penalty of reviving the pokémon is from that point you are only allowed to use 2 of its moves from its moveset. If the New Life pokémon wants to learn a new move you can only pick one of the two moves you picked as its usable moves to swap for the new one, and once a pokémon has been revived once it may not be revived again. You may not use 2 revives on the same pokémon.

➻ The Sacrifice: If a pokémon dies that you can't bear to part with you may use a randomized sacrifice to attempt to save it. Each pokémon in your party will be assigned a number between 1-6 (or however many pokes) in descending order from how they are organized. From there you must roll a die and whatever number it lands on is who will die in their stead. This cannot be undone! Whatever pokémon is chosen by the dice is gone even if it happens to be the same pokémon you tried to save. The sacrifice may only be attempted once.

♡♡♡

Part 1: Coincidence? I think not!

♡♡♡

> Next Part

>Meet Silviana

>Meet Xander

>Part 1 Cover Art

The morning sun beamed through the curtain striking the girl square in the face. With a groan, she pulled her fluffy covers over her.

Once again trying to drift off to sleep she thought about flying. Flying high over her home town of Pallet Town. She approached a cloud to land on it when the cloud burst with a loud BANG! She groaned again, the thumping sound of someone running upstairs filled her room and she peeked out of the blanket with one eye. A blurry dark shape came striding into her room.

"Oh come on Sil! You're STILL in bed?!"

She reached for her glasses to see her friend and neighbor, Xander, walking up to her bed. With one swift movement, he ripped the sheets off of her.

"Hey!" She grabbed the sheets once again and pulled herself into a ball of fluffy blanket mess.

"I don't want to be late getting my pokémon! Get up!"

She flung off the covers and rose from her bed, glaring daggers at the boy she said, "The only reason that I'm joining you is because you practically BEGGED me to join you!"

The voice of her mother came from down the hall, "Silviana Esperanza Ruiz! I hope you aren't fighting with Xander again. Xander why don't you come out of her room and both of you come down to enjoy breakfast?"

As soon as Silviana heard that, she turned and pushed Xander out of her bedroom.

"I can walk you know!" He said as he stumbled from her room.

"Not fast enough," and with a final shove she pushed him out and closed the door behind him. She slid down her door with a big sigh. After taking a moment to clear her thoughts, she went over to her closet. She had packed her bag about a week before when Xander first told her. Rechecking the leather bag she made sure she had all the necessities, then picked out a pair of shorts and a graphic tee.

She looked at her closet mirror as she did her hair up in a high ponytail. Double and even triple checking that she looked nice enough to meet a pokémon professor she hauled her bag onto her back and headed down to get breakfast.

As she rounded the corner to the kitchen, the first sight she saw was Xander shoveling pancakes into his mouth. Gasp! Mom made pancakes!... Sigh... Mom made pancakes... She quickly wiped the tears that were starting to form in her eyes and proceeded to make herself a plate.

She stopped when her mother gave her a big side hug, "Ooohh, I can't believe you are grown enough to go on your pokémon journey! Your brave enough to go younger than I did that's for sure," she finished with a smile and flipped the pancake in the pan.

"Thanks mom, but I could really do without the'I'm so happy for you, good luck' mushy stuff. I'm really just doing this for him," she pointed her fork at Xander and stabbed a piece of pancake.

"Okay, okay, I'll tone it down," she chuckled. She flopped another pancake onto the pile she was creating on the island. As Silviana took another bite of pancake her mother plopped a small box next to her as she sat down.

Silviana looked at the box, then at her mother, and back at the box. With one last look at her mother, her mother nudged her head towards the little box. Silviana took the little box carefully, she popped it open and inside of it rested a little black locket.

"It's got your dad and I's pictures in it," her mother carefully picked up the little locket, "and I made it into a bracelet, I know you don't like much jewellery." Mrs. Ruiz went to put it around Silviana's wrist and Silviana immediately pulled away.

"I'm not wearing that," Silviana said calmly.

Her mother sighed, "Of course, I'll just put it on your bag so it's safe," she gently clicked the bracelet around one of the straps on Silviana's backpack.

Silviana went back to eating her pancakes, they didn't taste as good now. After she finished three quarters of her pancake, she stood up and walked to the door.

"Hey where ya goin'?" Xander said with a mouthfull of pancake.

"You wanted to get a head start on this thing right?" Silviana said with sarcasm and a spin. She opened the door and waltzed right out.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Xander jumped from his seat, grabbing his bag from the ground and turned around to wave to Silviana's mom, "Bye Mrs. Ruiz! I'll be sure to make sure she doesn't get into trouble!"

Mrs. Ruiz chuckled, "Be safe!" She called out.

◇◇◇

Silviana let Xander run off ahead of her to the professor's lab. She would rather enjoy the peace that this morning brought before she got into whatever craziness Xander was going to put her through.

"Hey! No no! Give that back!"

A strange voice called to her left. From where she stood, she saw a small man with graying hair frantically grabbing at the tall grass. He had a white jacket on and was blocking the road that lead out of her small town.

"Woah!" A brown case came flying at him and and he was thrown backward.

With a gasp Silviana rushed over. She helped the old man up by the arm, she glanced over him again and realized the jacket was actually a lab coat. This is the professor?!

"I am probably getting too old for this, haha," he stood up and gave a greatful smile to Silviana, "Hello my dear, thank you for coming to help me. I was just on my way back from the pokémart when I got attacked by this eevee."

An eevee? What's that?

"Well then I suppose by the way you're dressed, you're probably one of the two new young trainers I'm supposed to give starters to!"

Silviana gave a silent nod and something caught her attention in the tall grass behind the professor. A brown blur shot out from the grass.

"Professor!" Silviana pushed the professor away and was hit by the brown blur. Closing her eyes and clutching her hands around the blur she tumbled back out of the tall grass. She landed on her backpack, still holding on tight, she peeked her eyes open and looked aghast when she saw that in her arms she held the little pokémon the professor told her about.

The pokémon shook its head ruffling its fur. It looked around then at Silviana with narrowed eyes.

"Uh... Hi there little fella? Oof!" The Eevee pushed off of her to propel itself over Silviana. Landing, and turning gracefully on the ground, it latched onto the golden chain of the locket Silviana's mom gave her.

"HEY! That's not yours!" Silviana turned to grab at it, but the little pokémon was too lithe for her bumbling movements. It dodged every attempt she tried to grab at it.

"My dear," she looked up to the professor stood next to her, "might I suggest another option?" Something clicked in his hand and it opened to reveal a pokéball.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" She took the ball from his hand.

He laughed, "Why throw it of course!" He gestured to the Eevee that was sitting on the ground now.

Silviana could have swore it had a smug look on its face. She scowled at it and underhandedly tossed the ball. It completely missed going right over the pokémon's head. The little pokémon in return flicked its ear in amusement.

Silviana growled, "Gimme another!" She turned to the professor holding one hand open.

Professor Oak smiled and graciously put two more pokéballs in her hands. Immediately Silviana threw them. One flew off to the right while the other flew over the head of the Eevee again. The little pokémon simply watched the pokéballs fly around and looked back at Silviana almost... smiling.

With more growls of frustration, she took two more of the pokéballs from Professor Oak. She wound up to throw the pokéballs simultaneously at the Eevee. They took a path straight toward it, but the little pokémon dodged them.

"UGH!" She threw two more, "Just get in the pokéball!" The Eevee jumped up toward one of the balls that flew toward it, with a flip, it pushed off the pokéball sending it flying back to Silviana. With a smack, it hit her straight in the face. Grunting she covered her face with both hands.

"VEE!"

Silviana peeked through her fingers just in time to see the second pokéball hit the little brown pokémon in the tail. In a red flash the creature was sucked into the little red ball. She slowly pulled her hands down.

The ball moved three separate times, but Silviana stayed where she was. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You can breathe now my dear, that means you caught it." The professor kindly said.

Silviana let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Walking over to the pokéball she carefully picked it up.

"Are you going to name it?" The professor asked after he had grabbed his belongings. He stopped in the grass where she had caught the Eevee and picked up the little trinket the pokémon had snagged, "I believe this is yours as well." He clipped it back onto her bag while Silviana continued to stare at the ball.

"What do I name it?" She looked confusedly at the professor.

The professor gave a chuckle, "Whatever you want to! It's your first pokémon, yes? Take your time," he patted her shoulder, "a name will come to you." He walked off toward the center of town, "But for now, we should head to the lab! I think your friend will be waiting for a special pokémon himself."