#v; Packet Hero

[nyanzaya]

"It's-It's okay." Her words come out muffled as she presses her face to his chest, "It's okay." She reiterates voice slightly wobbly as Hana tries to surpress tears of relief, " Because you came back." She squeezes him tighter as a few tears escapednher eyes, "You came back."

(🐾) With her face pressed to his chest, Zuo's hand moved to rub her back. He can hear how her voice seemed to shake. Making her cry was the last thing Zuo had ever wanted to do. IT wasn't as if he had meant it but, the thought of her crying because of him... It was unforgivable!

"I did. I came back, I... will try not to leave so suddenly again." It was a shaky promise. The future was unpredictable and part of him wished he had more control over it. He hugged her tighter, trying to be mindful of his strength.

[todorokis-girl]

I Never Knew You Were Alive - Soulmate AU (V)

Chapter V: Last minute encounter

No actual dabi in this one

Chapter I: So it starts Chapter II: A late arrival Chapter III: belive of be doomed Chapter IV: What are we doing? Chapter V: Last minute encounter Chapter VI: Deciding to fall in love with you

masterlist

Next Chapter

taglist: @staygoldsquatchling02 , @alien-00715-blog

Note: I was gonna post this next week BUT I have some presentations and assignments to turn in, and I don't know if I could keep track of this. Plus I already started chapter VII (I have chapter VI done and ready to post later today, this was supposed to be chapter 1 but I wanted to add drama before this), so that will probably my focus next week.

The day had started like any other. The city bustled with life, the streets filled with people going about their routines. She had been on her way to meet Keigo, walking through a busy shopping district. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, golden hue over the city. As she passed by a familiar convenience store, she decided to stop in and grab a snack, hoping to alleviate the stress of the day with a small treat.

Inside the store, the hum of the refrigeration units and the soft chime of the entrance bell created a familiar ambiance. She wandered down the aisles, her mind drifting as she absentmindedly picked up a packet of chips. Her thoughts were a mix of mundane worries and lingering memories of a past. The Todoroki family, Touya’s memory, the constant ache of his loss—they were always there, just beneath the surface.

As she reached the checkout counter, a sudden chill ran down her spine. She felt a presence, something or someone that made her skin prickle with a strange sense of déjà vu. Turning slowly, she saw a figure standing at the end of the aisle, partially hidden in the shadows. His posture was familiar, but it wasn’t until he stepped into the light that recognition slammed into her like a physical blow.

The figure turned, revealing the face she had once known so well. His eyes, deep turquoise and filled with a mixture of surprise and anger, locked onto hers. This wasn't the first time they had seen each other. Just a couple of days ago, she had been pressed between him and a wall in an alley; but his eyes seemed wilder than usual, angrier, and she had been feeling tension, irritation, and anger all morning. She didn't understand what had happened, but she did know one thing right now…

Run.

She dropped her bags immediately and sprinted out of the convenience store, anxiously looking around for a place to run to without civilians. It seemed impossible—she was in the middle of a big city. Next idea.

Heroes. She needed to get as many people out of the vicinity as possible. She couldn't do that right now, and she could feel the temperature behind her rise. She had to find help, find heroes who could evacuate the area. The heat was intensifying, and panic clawed at her chest as she darted through the crowded street.

"You're a liar" His voice, raw with betrayal and rage, echoed in her ears. His deep turquoise eyes bore so deeply into hers that the pressure on her chest, in her heart, seemed to increase exponentially.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she rounded a corner, her mind racing. She needed to find a hero, anyone who could help mitigate the impending disaster. The familiar signs of the shopping district blurred as she focused on putting as much distance as possible between her and the man she had once known.

She knew there was no time to dwell on the past. She had to keep moving, keep running, and find a way to protect the people around her. She spotted one of the local heroes and stopped in from of him, hopping she was far enough for Tou... Dabi as she could. 

"Help, I need help clearing the area as much as posible" The hero looked her over with a corked brow "and I should listen to you why?"

"Damn it I dont have to for this" her breathing picked up and she started shaking "Thermifrost with Endeavors agency, League of villains member Dabi is chasing me, I can take him; but I can't deal with him and getting people out" her eyes settled on angry as she looked at the hero over "get the people out"

She started to feel the temperature rise behind her again, and her own feeling of fear and his feeling of anger increased with every second, making it cold would help her with him, and maybe saving one or two people, but she couldn’t stop him from doing any damage. 

“Yes ma’am!” She nooded and watched him run off screaing at people to move away, and left it up to him to get the help you needed 

She turned around and faced him for the first time since she started to run “I don’t know where this is coming from, or what I did to get you so angry” She was anxious, she wanted to avoid this, but as he walked up to her, slowly, with his arm slowly growin fire, she braced herself for a fight she didn’t want to have. 

"You chose them over me!" Deep turquoise eye bore so deeply into mine, the pressure on my chest, in my heart, seemed to increase.

"I didn't chose anyone over you Touya", anger, misplaced anger, seeped out of my word "I didn't even know you were alive!" A sob escaped me, which made the current situation so much more real. it had been years.. years of pain, thinking he was dead. How dare he? How dare he imply I chose anything in this situation, I chose the option that would have kept me closer to him. When he was dead.

"We have marks with each others names, we feel what the other feels", he took exasperated steps towards me getting closer and more menacing as he got closer, the feeling of safety slowly washing off me, would he hurt me? would he killme? "You're gonna look at me in the eye, and tell me, you didn't know I was alive?"

The question was one that burned inside me, ever since I found out he was alive, and it killed me knowing that he wasn't only alive, but with the villains, it drove me crazy and I could barely sleep. I wondered during the years why occasionally I would feel things that were simply not my own; but how was I to know? He was dead, it was a fact, he died in his fire!, so young, faking your own death that young wasn't realistic to think about. I didn't... other than sudden anger, sadness and occasional pleasure, the feelings didn't range far or even often.

"I didn't! I really didn't know, had I know ANY of this, I would hace been on your side no questions asked," I pulled my legs closer to me, the fight we had engaged in didn't fair well on my body. The burns from his fire were negligible, the burn from my own ice, though, if not treated soon could start causing decay "You think I wanted to sit by and let him do any of those things to Shouto? That it brought me pleasure in any way to say your mother hospitalized? Natsuo and Fujumi so neglected?" The tears finally started pouring out, this was emotionally too much, hopelessness and guilt was bubbling up and started to eat me inside "I don't care anymore, just, kill me if you have to"

The Todoroki's took me in, not because of me but because of him, for him. They swore he would have wanted me to be a part of their family, all the other soulmates of their kids were just as welcomed. Enji took it upon himself to look for all their kids soulmates, as soon as posible. We all knew how.... intense, Enji Tododroki could be, but we stayed for our soulmates. They weren't a perfect family, or even a good one; but I wanted Touya with me so badly, and his family was all that was left; his grave, his shrine, I needed him and I couldn't have him. Now what? It seems I never had anything of his at all.

"I'm not going to kill you" he said while slowly crouching down ro my eye level, the fire in his hand slowly being put out; the look in his eyes wasn't the thing giving his emotions away but the bond we had, I understood the resignation and the conflict happening in his heart "but, we are in a bit of a bad situation right now, doll" I swallowed thickly and rested the back of my head in what was left of the concrete wall behind me.

"I'm not leaving the kids to be killed" I said after a moment of silence, having had to steel my mind and build my resolve; making sure I understood what I was potentially giving up.

"I'm not going to leave the league" he replied after a deep breath, and I could hear the same resolve in his voice.

and, there in lies our problem.

I straightened up my head to look at him again, his hands reaching to the ice around me, I assumed to melt it "don't... it hurts"

He looked up at me and stopped, taking a quick Look over me. "You have to do something about the ice, or you'll be short an arm and maybe a leg"

The cold was starting to set, over my body, and as usual it started to build in my extremities, I could barely feel my nose and my fingers anymore.

I ignored him, the current situation not leaving my mind at all, my injuries could wait "What do we do?"

"What we've been doing," he hesitantly reached to touch my cheek, providing much-needed warmth, his thumb lightly brushing my nose. "I'm dead, sweetheart." He proceeded to hold my hands for a while, and I wished the warmth building up in my body could stay forever.

He immediately stepped away from me the moment we heard running, signaling that heroes were here. "Your help's here," he said something to himself, and slowly he was swallowed by some black goo. "Don't die on me, I gotta see you at the end of this, however that goes." Once he was gone, she felt the ice she had built break, and some heroes rushed in to help her.

"Are you alright?" Hawks was the first to reach her, the concern in his eyes overflowing. She nodded, though her mind was still reeling from the encounter. The warmth from his touch lingered, contrasting sharply with the chill that had settled in her bones.

"We need to get you to safety," another hero, Midnight asked, as she looked over the area, with a soothing voice, said as she helped her to her feet. "You're not injured, are you?"

"No, I'm fine, just need to get warm, or I’m gonna lose my fingers" she replied, her voice trembling. "He's gone now."

The heroes exchanged glances, a mix of relief and apprehension in their eyes. "Good," Midnight said, "but we need to take you to the hospital, any idea why this happened?"

She looked up at them deciding what to reply, she could tell them everything that had been going on, get herself on a watchlist OR she could lie to them, and live in constat panic hoping they won’t find out any time soon. She took a deep breath once she settled on her answer “No, I was at the convinience store, and he just attacked me” 

As they led her through the bustling streets, the golden hue of the setting sun seemed to mock her turmoil. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. His words echoed in her mind: "Don't die on me, I gotta see you at the end of this, however that goes." 

What did he mean? Was there still hope, or was it a final farewell? Her heart ached with the uncertainty, and the heroes' reassuring presence did little to quell the storm of emotions raging within her.

Hawks didn't leave her side, and insisted on sleeping in her room until her family arrives. She didn't feel good calling them her family anymore, knowing Touya was alive, she didn't feel like there was a place with them anymore. Before she could let the thoughts settle any further her hospital room door opened to reveal all the Todoroki siblings standing there.

"Are you alright?" She smiled at Shouto, and nodded showing him her fingers "I'm all warmed up, I'm only here for a couple hours to make sure nothing else is wrong" He narrowed his eyes at her and sat his hot side closest to her. As she smiled at him she greeted the others.

Hers or not, she loved them as if they were.

[satuguro]

*ೃ࿐TO FAULT A NET

[ ACT IV: REAP WHAT YOU SOW ]

spider-man! ethan landry x black cat! reader

#SYNOPSIS— your reputation matters more than you think, superheroes aren't good with emotions, mindy and chad are always ready to fight each other, and ethan can recognize you by your smile alone.

#CONTAINS— enemies to lovers, slowburn, antihero&vigilante reader, familial issues, implication of ptsd, gore, blood, murder, death, reader is overly flirtatious, reader & ethan had trust issues

#AUTHORSNOTE— ethan and the reader are so 'she fell first but he fell harder' coded, also this was supposed to be one long part but i spit it into two bc tumblr wouldn't let me edit so i'm sorry in advance xx

ACT I, ACT II, ACT III, ACT IV, ACT V, EPILOGUE

you still couldn't believe that you had brought the hero over into your apartment.

your promise to catch ghostface with him was followed by a pregnant pause as you both sipped your glasses of water. the hero was still playing with your cats (they loved him) as he drank water, his mind trying to process what had just happened.

from behind the mask, ethan wanted to cry. he wanted to sob and break everything in his path because he had just lost quinn, and he blamed himself for it all.

the sound of your feet shuffling away from him made him look at you in interest. you were moving carefully, the stitches he had done to your side inhibiting your movement. ethan could see how uncomfortable you felt, but you hid it from him as you began taking out two pots, putting it into your sink to fill both with water.

"should i go?" ethan began, carefully picking up your cats and putting them on the floor. he stood up. "you seem.."

you pulled out two ramen packets, looking at him with a raised brow. you then walked to your fridge, pulling out two eggs.

"you seem busy. making food." he swallowed thickly, watching as you placed the eggs to the side and put your pots of water on the stove before turning on the heat.

"i am kind of busy," you said pointedly, glancing at your pots of water before looking at the hero. the upper portion of your face was still hidden by your black mask, but ethan could see your indifferent gaze as you studied him. "why, do you wanna stay?"

the whites of his mask blinked at that. his mask, still pulled up to reveal half his face, revealed how he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, thinking about your offer. he seemed unsure. distrustful. exhausted; which honestly, made sense.

you gave him time to think as you turned to your now boiling water. you put the two eggs into one pot before opening the packets of ramen. but your actions faltered when you heard his response.

".. do you want me to stay?" the hero asked you, tilting his head slightly.

a beat. "no." you stated dryly, putting the ramen noodles into the water. "but i feel like you've been eyeing my food ever since i asked— it's kind of hard to tell with the whole mask thing —but i'm guessing you're hungry."

the parts of his face that were unmasked turned a soft shade of red at that. ethan cleared his throat, walking towards where you stood, he leaned on your counter with his back to the countertop. you could feel his eyes on you, watching you as you used a fork to mix the noodles in the boiling water.

"so you do want me to stay," he said with a ghost of a smile.

"no, i don't. but you're staying regardless, aren't you?"

"just for the food," he hummed. "and your cats."

"not for my presence, spider?" you asked, your flirtatious side coming out of you.

"your kind presence?" he tsked. "no." he said, making you roll your eyes. but he saw that rare, downturned smile that tugged at your lips.

his sister. quinn is his sister.

the sudden pause in your actions made ethan peer at you from behind his mask. the realization of what he had said dawned on him, his eyes widening from behind mask.

"she was like a sister to me."

he was lying to you.

you were both playing an unspoken game, two brilliant people with incredible abilities constantly one upping each other, catching onto the clues and making conclusions before the other could reach them. pushing and pulling, trying to solve a string of killers all while hiding who you really were from someone you found stitching up even though you knew you didn't have to.

you quickly returned to stitching him up, your hands now steady as you pushed the needle into his skin again. it reminded you so much of your past, how your world and your idea of your father turned completely sideways when you patched him up. the mere action of patching someone else up who wasn't you made turmoil brew in your eyes.

you were a selfish person. you had stepped on other criminals to get what you wanted, stepped on other people in order to achieve the highest reward; the criminal world knew better than to trust you completely for fear of your lies and manipulation. but to you, patching up someone's injury was something akin to sacred.

it meant you cared.

and that terrified you.

you came to one conclusion as you stitched up his wound for once, your memories were muffled, overtaken by the connection you had made.

ethan was spider-man.

and he knew you made that connection. just by how quiet you had gotten, just by how your hands, once trembling with the weight of the past, steadied.

you couldn't say anything. not without compromising your own true identity. not without compromising the deal you two had, because who would the police care about more, the identity of a superhero or the identity of a woman who had been stealing since she was a child? who had stolen files from their department and gave them to others without another word, who at times stole evidence just to be able to pay the rent.

you couldn't have him know. and you couldn't have him turn you in.

always one step ahead of him. but for some unknown reason, he could read you like his favorite book, and you could study him as though he was your favorite painting. it was as though your mind had chosen to learn his sincerity, and his learned the hidden meanings behind your written words.

but if you knew his family relations, just how close were you to the group? the fact that you most likely knew who he was behind the mask terrified him, because not only did he not know who you were, but you were only working with him because of a deal.

he couldn't turn you in if you helped him catch the killer.

feeding into your suspicions would only give you leverage above him. something to feed to the mafia, to the criminals, to anyone. and more people would get hurt.

you were untrustworthy. maybe it was because his sister died, or maybe because ethan had been stressing over everything so much that he found himself shutting down his emotions again and again for the sake of finding the killer.

he needed to get you away.

"i have to go." he stood up abruptly, his wound only halfway stitched up.

"what?" your eyes widened at his words. "now? i'm not even done stitching you up—"

"i'll do the rest myself."

"like hell you will," you snapped, the sudden change in his mood making you not only confused, but curious. "i'll finish it—" you protested, walking after him as he made his way to the window. but before he could shove your window open, he turned to you.

"why're you helping me?"

his question made your breath hitch, the words on your tongue dying as you blinked.

because i'm not as heartless as you think i am. oh, i also need you to not turn me into the police, so i can't have you dying in gale weather's apartment. but there's more to that.

"you patched me up," you forced out, "i'm returning the favor."

"you and i both know that you don't just patch people up like this." the whites of his mask narrowed at you, his heartbeat pumping loudly in his ears.

"what's that supposed to mean?" you asked slowly, suddenly annoyed at his words.

the hero let out a huff, his filter completely gone and manipulated by the constant stress and turmoil he had felt over the past week. "even the police know that you've manipulated your way around criminals and mafias because everyone knows you work alone," he said through gritted teeth. "you don't act kind just because you care—"

"fuck you," you seethed, but you couldn't deny it. you had a long history of manipulation, of acting for your own benefit and choosing yourself over others. and the deal to never get caught by him was still weighing on your mind.

"you act like you care to get your way. but if i'm wrong, then tell me." from behind the mask, ethan studied your face, brows furrowed when he looked at you. "tell me that you're not known for doing that. that you're not still in this because you're just trying to make sure i won't turn you in to the police in the future. tell me that you're genuinely starting to care, that you aren't just using me. tell me."

there was a beat of silence. your jaw clenched as you looked into the whites of his mask, not backing down from his stare. he was so close to you. his breath fanned over your lips, his own lips slightly parted.

it seemed as though the tension thickened with every passing second as you wracked your brain for what to say. for what to tell him.

because as much as he was correct, if you were to just agree, it didn't feel honest. there was more to your actions, but even you didn't know what it was.

but that was a lie too. you knew exactly why your actions were becoming more selfless, why you found yourself thinking about others more and more. thinking about him more and more.

you were getting attached.

and because you couldn't say anything, because you had never been good with speaking about your emotions, you did what your gut told you to.

you hooked your finger on the collar of his suit and tugged him in, pressing your lips to his. you felt his breath hitch before his hand went to your neck, slowly moving up to hold the back of your head as he pulled you closer to him, his other hand pulling your waist closer to his body. your senses were full of him and only him, how he smelled like like cedarwood and musk, how he tasted sweet despite the blood he spat from his mouth earlier, how he was so warm, like a furnace that soothed your cold limbs.

you pulled away from him, your forehead resting on his. a single string of spit connecting the both of your lips with a single horizontal swipe of your tongue across your bottom lip, the connection was broken.

his adam's apple bobbed as his heavy breaths matched yours. "please tell me you're not just in it for the deal anymore."

your lack of a response made his heart ache. he searched for any sign of hesitancy in your eyes, something, anything to showed that you cared, but you avoided his gaze.

the deal still mattered to you. you were using him to evade police. his face fell at the realization.

the hero scoffed in disbelief, pulling away from you. just like that, your limbs were pulled away from the heat, your world didn't smell like cedarwood and him, and the taste of pennies was all you could feel on your tongue. "right." his finger hooked over where his mask was pulled up, pulling it down over the rest of his face as he opened your window. without another word, he swung away, making you clench your fists in frustration.

in the end, you always had yourself.

you tore your mask off your head, frustrated tears burning behind your eyes as you moved to your window and shut it, this time, making sure you locked it behind you.

"you're a liar! let me go—" you kicked against the man's arms that wrapped around you as though you were practically nothing but a box he had to carry. tears blurred your vision as you looked at the man in front of you, his grey eyes cold as he looked at you.

you used to look up to him. your father used to bring him into your home— the only person you ever remembered visiting —introducing him as frank costa. uncle frank.

he had taken you in after your father had died. cared for you, fed you, provided you shelter. you were 16 now, making it six years since he stepped in as your father figure. six years since he claimed that as your father's best friend, that he felt like it was his duty to care for you.

it was all a lie. it was all a lie, because he was the reason why your father was caught escaping prison. it was all because of him.

"let me go!" you cried, your screams of betrayal turning into sobs as your head hung low, tears dripping onto the concrete floor. he was using you. using you to continuously steal for him in exchange for the simple necessities you needed to survive. and as you grew older, as your skills became more precise, so did his greed. your thefts grew larger. pick pocketed wallets became jewelry from houses, and then that became jewelry from museums.

you were being used. used for your skills, trained to become some thief simply to survive a day.

"i always guessed that this day would come, you know," frank said, looking at you as though you were nothing. as though those years of pretending to care was finally coming out for what it truly was; hatred. pure contempt. "you were always so clever. just like your fucking father." he punched you in the face, making you groan in pain when you felt a crack in your nose. "so fucking stupid. refusing the biggest crime family in new york for what? for nothing." another punch to the other side of your face. his crony let you go, making you fall on the floor.

a swift kick to your side made you taste iron. another kick to your back made you nearly lose consciousness.

frank grabbed you by the collar, lifting you up to study you cruelly. there wasn't anything in his eyes as he admired his work of bruises and injuries, watching as blood flowed from your nose like a continuous faucet. your eyes were half lidded as you drifted in and out of consciousness. the weight of your head was too much for you, and you found yourself struggling to keep it up.

and when you found the little bit of strength to do so, you spat in his face, the splatter bloody along the expanse of his cheek. but as you spat, your hand also curled around the gun he kept at his side.

"you fucking bitch," frank sneered at you before shoving you to the ground again, making you skid against the concrete. the rough graveled ground made gashes all along your exposed arms and legs, and you found yourself lying in a fetus position, cradling the gun to your chest to hide it from them.

and as he and his worker advanced towards you, ready to beat you to death, you pointed the gun towards them and shot them both. his worker in the head, frank in the chest.

you listened as frank choked on his own blood next to you. you sat there in that empty warehouse, listening to the squelching sounds of blood pouring from frank's mouth. pulling your legs to your chest, feeling the continuous pain from all over your body, you cried. you cried like the 16 year old you were, your back heaving with every gut-wrenching sob you let echo around you. when that was all you heard, when you were surrounded by your own sobs, you realized just how lonely you were. how you had no one, and how you wished that someone would come in to care for you. but no one did.

no one was looking for you, no one comforted you. because all you had was yourself.

patrol was quieter when he was alone.

ethan realized that now, as he watched policemen fix the caution tapes around the carpenter sisters' apartment. usually he wasn't one to shy away from playful banter with the policemen (as he felt as though they all had sticks up their asses in some way), but he had no energy. no drive. he hadn't, not for a while.

without you shamelessly commenting on everything and humoring him with your dry humor, he found the nights to be quieter. not necessarily more peaceful, but quieter regardless. ethan wasn't sure if he appreciated it, but it's what he wanted.

his mind was full of the killer, his sister, and most importantly, you. how you seemingly oozed distrust, how your appreciation and oftentimes liking for your position as a criminal made you the last person many people would choose as an ally.

but then his mind drifted to how you didn't hesitate to drag him into your home and patch him up. how, despite the memories that obviously plagued your mind, you forced yourself to continue on.

but then brought up the question of your possible knowledge of his identity. why didn't you say anything? admitting his true name did make him realize that you probably did know him outside of his mask. and that would make him suspicious of your identity.

it was all too complicated, and ethan felt so many emotions at this point, that he just felt numb. apathetic. like a mindless robot going about his day, eating with no appetite, drinking with no thirst. just surviving.

it had carried on even in his day to day activities outside of superhero work. it had been three days since the last attack, and everyone was surprised that there had been nothing. no threats, no calls, nothing. but even though everyone was surprised and only mildly pleased, they were still all on edge.

the door to his and chad's dorm opened as tara walked in with mindy. ethan didn't look up from his position on the couch, only raising his hand in a half assed wave towards them. his eyes were set on his phone as he mindlessly scrolled through social media, ready to drown out whatever they were talking about.

"we were gonna stay in tonight, maybe order takeout. it isn't safe for us to all be split up," tara said to you as you hesitantly walked into chad and ethan's dorm.

"you should join, y/n. you know, just so that we can watch over you," mindy stated, and you shrugged as you closed the door behind you. if anything, you appreciated mindy's honesty more than most.

"why not," you said in response, face falling when your eyes landed on ethan's. he seemed to not expect your presence either as he stared at you, his lips slightly parted, throat suddenly dry, face slightly flushed.

there it was again, that sense of familiarity he felt.

"hi," ethan said awkwardly, swallowing thickly as he quickly moved a bit to the side of the couch just in case you wanted to sit. "i— uh, haven't seen you in a while."

but he had. you forced a tight-lipped smile, one that didn't really reach your eyes as you took his silent offer and sat on the other side of the couch. "thanks," you murmured, looking away from him to stare at the t.v that played some show.

a beat of silence. "are you okay?" he suddenly asked you, making you glance at him. those brown eyes of his— the same eyes you always wondered were behind the mask —stared at you expectingly.

"i should be asking you that," you replied smoothly, easily lying past your emotions.

"but i asked you first."

"so?"

"so, you answer first. c'mon," ethan pushed, worry flashing in his eyes as he noted your lack of sleep.

you blinked at him. "i'm fine. i feel.. fine." another lie. "your turn to answer."

ethan shrugged, looking at the t.v show. "better than before, in some ways. i guess."

"hey—" mindy walked out of chad's room to look at the both of you, her hand covering the bottom of her phone. "i'm ordering chinese takeout right now. what did you two want?"

you thought for a second. "is it from the place on mott street?"

she nodded.

"i'll have the braised noodles and beef." you caught the look ethan gave you from the corner of your eye. "what? that place is good."

a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "i'll have the same thing," he told mindy, who gave them both a thumbs up before disappearing into chad's room again. "d'you eat there a lot?" ethan asked you, unable to stop his curiosity.

"i did. used to be my favorite place when i was younger." you tilted your head slightly as you turned your body a bit to face him. as he spoke, it made more and more sense for him to be the web-slinging hero. ethan was more serious when he was behind the mask, sure, but the way he talked was the same.

"i haven't had the time to try as many restaurants around here as i wanted to," ethan said.

"i can bring you to my favorite spots some time." the offer fell from your mouth before you could catch it, but it made a genuine, hopeful smile appear on his face.

his smile was the same too.

you turned your body away from him and didn't speak to him after that. you had to keep yourself away from him. there was no reason for you to care.

an hour and a half passed before the food actually arrived. the entire group— tara, sam, sam's boyfriend (danny, you learned his name was), mindy, and chad —all sat in the living room, some of them sitting on the floor.

"we are not watching a scary movie, mindy! this is arguably the worst time to do that!" chad said to his twin, who only rolled her eyes stubbornly.

"the original nightmare on elm street is literally a masterpiece— chad, give me the remote!" she lunged towards him as he held it away from her, their bickering making you watch on interestedly.

you slurped a noodle, chewing it briefly before swallowing. "are they always like this?" you murmured to yourself, watching as mindy finally snatched the remote from chad. sam and danny occupied the other half of the couch, making you (much to your chagrin) move closer to ethan.

noodles slipped from his chopsticks again, a frustrated huff escaping him as he tried to pick it up again. his focus was honed into trying to pick up the noodle, so much so, that he didn't answer your question.

you turned to him, the past promise you made yourself to try and not engage faltering as you watched him amusedly. you watched for a minute until he realized you were staring, his cheeks flaring in embarrassment.

"thanks for the help, y/n," ethan muttered sarcastically. he watched as a genuine smile tugged at your lips. a downturned one, one that fit you so well, one that made ethan's eyes widen when he figured it all out.

"not for my presence, spider?" you asked, your flirtatious side coming out of you.

"your kind presence?" he tsked. "no." he said, making you roll your eyes. but he saw that rare, downturned smile that tugged at your lips.

it was you. it had been you the entire time.

and you saw the slow realization dawn over his face. the way his face paled, the way his chopsticks fell into the takeout box. the way he breathed, "you," as he stared. he finally figured it all out.

"i have to go," were the first words that fell from your mouth right as the movie began. you ignored the protests from the others as you carefully moved past them, grabbing your coat from the hook near the door.

"nightmare on elm street was about to start!" mindy protested behind you.

"y/n," ethan said, hurriedly putting his takeout on the side table. he would've nearly dropped it if it weren't for his quick reflexes, catching the box before it could drop. and spill. further. but when he looked back at the door, the door was already shutting.

the cold air hit you harshly as you walked out of the dorm building. the starless sky only held the moon as it shone down onto you, joining the street lamps as you walked down the pavement trail. hugging your leather jacket around you, your steps were quick as you made your way to your car, heart beating quickly in your ears.

"y/n!"

ethan's voice called after you, making your blood run cold. "go away," you snapped, ignoring the hoarseness of your voice as you tried to keep walking away. but he was quick to follow.

"just talk to me—"

"talk to you?" that made you turn around and look at him, an incredulous look on your face. "after all the shit you told me? after what you said?"

"you didn't deny any of it, did you?" ethan retorted, hurt and guilt flashing in his eyes. "when i asked you if you were starting to care, you said nothing." his eyes looked over your face. "i asked you to say you weren't just using me and you said nothing. you couldn't even deny it—"

"why does it matter?" you laughed in disbelief. "why do you care so much? you said it before, right? i'm the criminal? you're the hero?" you demanded, jabbing a finger to his chest.

ethan's jaw clenched in frustration as he looked at you, feeling every jab of your finger. "i didn't want you to just see me as some way to get away from the police—"

"then how do you want me to see you, ethan?" you bit back.

"as someone you can fucking care for, y/n!" he snapped. "as someone you can trust! as someone beyond just a guy you made a deal with!" his confession rang in the air, his chest heaving at his outburst. ethan's gaze was hard as he stared at you. "i wanted you," he breathed out, "to care for me as much as i was starting to care for you."

your cold gazed faltered for a moment at that. ethan was searching your eyes for something, for any sign of care, but as soon as he saw it, it disappeared.

you only had yourself. you only had yourself. he did not deserve to have someone like you.

he deserved better.

"most of the mafias knew nothing about the killer. some even admired him." you avoided his gaze, turning slightly away from him. "i'll go with the group to the theatre tomorrow, and after that, that's it. my part of the deal is done." you tried to walk away from him, but his hand took your wrist, stopping you.

you turned to look at him, eyes shining with the possibility of tears. the once lighthearted eyes of his had lost all the spark in them as he looked at you. studying you like you studied your favorite paintings. taking in your every feature, your every angle, your every imperfection. "do you really not care about me?" the question came out as a breath, his heart beating loudly in his chest as you looked at him.

you could feel tears threatening to feel. your nerves were going haywire from the argument, but also because of the fear you felt. the fear of caring for someone so much.

how could he care for you as much as you cared about him?

you shook your head. ethan's heart broke.

ACT V, EPILOGUE

#AUTHOR'S NOTE— sorry again for the fact that i had to split the last part into two parts. there's still the next part left & the epilogue!

#TAGLIST— @ethanlvndry , @iloveneilperry , @starsfilm , @goosenoggin , @aminatic , @wenvierismycomfort , @l5byrinth , @wroetoslut , @briefwinnerpersonaturtle , @oliviapopewannabe , @wzrlds , @raggedyoldwitch , @hotweeb , @marsyay78 , @valenftcrush , @bonkyandsteeb3000 , @bubs-world , @danis-stuff-is-here , @nuhteyam , @ravenstrueluv , @taeversity , @heartipods , @gcidrvsh , @theapulidooo , @volturi-girl-imagines , @duolingofanaccount , @buorke , @grxcisxhy-wp , @strangerdangerwrites , @mrslandryy , @michaelangdonsslut

[donotaskwhyiamhere]

Izuku x sibling villain (Platonic)

..............................................................................................

Warning ⚠️ Breaking in, mention of killing.

Summary: you are the sibling of Izuku and your upset that he isn't taking care of himself.

Extra: (V/N) - villain name

..................................................................

You were the child of Inko Midoriya and sibling of Izuku Midoriya. You would think being the younger sibling of Izuku you too would want to be a hero, but oddly enough you never really liked the idea of being a hero. Something just felt wrong with the hero system. You were just a year younger then Izuku but you were stronger and faster, mostly because you were smaller and more flexible. You would always do your best to protect Izuku from bullys but they always find a way past you, especially Bakugo. Unlike your dear bother you got a quirk, mostly your mother's quirk, unnamed object attraction. Yours is much stronger then your mother and you can sometimes even use it as telekinesis.

While you were in middle school you grew to highly dislike heroes and mainly because of Bakugo, you couldn't believe they would consider making him a hero. He was no hero. you deeply cared for Izuku and wished everyone would just leave him alone, he was much to kind for this world, he was always a hero to you. But sadly as kind and as loved as you were, you couldn't stand by and watch heros do as they pleased. So when Izuku left for UA, you started to work secretly as a villain, you felt bad for tricking/using Izuku to get information from UA and other heroes. You were know as (V/N). You hunt down heroes that take advantage of their status and do bad things behide closed doors. You were originally just a vigilante but you accidentally killed a hero who was using his popularity to get his hands on younger girls. You went a bit far and ended up killing him, after that you were seen as a villain. You were happy that decided to wear a mask so that you can live a normal life with you mom and brother.

'I'm not bad, I just want to protect my mom and brother' is what you always say to yourself when you sneak out in the dead of night to hunt down a hero.

You care deeply about your mom and brother, so when you found out Izuku wasn't eating enough because he'd rather trian, you were mad. That was a big no no for you, so you decided to take action. Late at night you broke in to the dorms where Izuku was now staying after that villain attack that nearly gave you a heart attack from pure worry. You had a bag of food with you, filled with packed lunch and sweets.

The following day

Izuku woke up scratching his arms, ready to go for a morning run. He stood up and went to get clothes to get changed but when he opened his drawer he found a lunch box with note saying "EAT NOW" Izuku was confused but the food looked really good so he ate it, reminded him of home. But that wasn't the only time this happened, when he got to class, he found a packet of sweets in his bag that he doesn't remember buying, and this happened throughout the day where he would find food randomly, in his bag, his drawer, his shoes, his hero suit and even his socks, and this happened again the next day and the next day and the next day. It all eventually stopped when he started having a proper balanced meal time again. But he still couldn't figure out who it was but decided whoever it was was just looking out for him, he even joked about how he had a personal guardian... well he wasn't wrong.

You watched happily through the security cameras you hacked as Izuky at breakfast with his friends before going on a run. Feeling like a proud sibling.

..................................................................

I hope you enjoyed. I just thought of this as a cute sibling relationship that I would love to have. I honestly think Izuku would such a good big brother ⭐🫂⭐

[eclipsecrowned]

OC INFO PACKET: VALAS D*VIR (Galdur Bait 3 PC / Companion)

NAME: Valas D*vir (assumed alias) AGE: 110+ HAIR: Snow white Eyes: Violet blue Height: 5'11" Occupation: Researcher ; Lifelong adventurer ; Menace to the Population Family: G*rion's Ward (father, deceased) ; V*conia D*vir (mother, status unknown) ; Bh**l (grandfather) ; Bh**lspawn (paternal relatives)

It was never going to be easy for him. Oh, his parents had their delusions, putting down their arms and taking up more common ambitions towards power and wealth after years shaping the Sword Coast, dreaming of building a dynasty in the famed city of B*ldurs Gate. And what good is a dynasty without endurance? Valas was born into both love and expectation, son of two of the most powerful figures in the known world. It was a boyhood of privilege, jewel-stitched velvet clothes and the finest tutors his mother could cow, his pride and potential honed to perfection. His father had turned to politics and his mother kept her whisper wars and ambitions burning from their fine manse. But all childhoods end, and as is the case with many Bh**lspawn, Valas' was severed by blood.

He doesn't remember what happened, really. He had been so young, still fat and jovial and exuberant, when his mother vanished. Some said she had been killed by rivals, and others by old enemies, and Valas' father would speak of his great love no longer. There were no more velvet clothes, no more tutors, no more mansion in the finest district. His hero father left it all behind, refusing to call the old manor a home in absence of his beloved wife. Father and son returned to the road that the hero had known so well, and what they sought, Valas can recall no longer. Only that his feet were blistered and his sleep fitful, and his father the only steadfast thing in those days. He nurtured Valas' innate magic and his endless questions with his characteristic patience, and saw his son grow to manhood with a quiet pride. The real tragedy is that the hero was only a Human man, and divine blood only bought him so much time. He passed quietly, and while his name is still sung in taverns and immortalized in tales, the only legacy that mattered to him by the end was Valas.

Valas has wandered alone ever since, with no fancies towards his father's heroics or his mother's grasping ambitions. However, their mark is stark upon him. He possesses his father's probing mind and intrigue, a man determined to understand the world that so changed and then stole his mother. He has fastidiously traveled every corner of the world available for him, and boldly stolen into what locations would bar him entrance. His notes are meticulous, his knowledge sharpened to a blade's cruelty. It has been enough, for a Half-Drow denied most comforts and companionship that many take for granted. A hero's son he might be, but his mother is always a Drow, and he will never deny her by look or by word.

Loneliness has its end, too. He had put his father's kin out of mind, until they crawled out of whatever Hell was put aside for Bh**l and his spawn. The woman in red had been many things to him, a fellow traveler, a rare friend, a child in need, but by the end, she was always herself. Their blood called to one another, and it needed to be spilt. But Valas has always been the escape artist. He had only just put some miles between he and that blasted woman when the ship caught him, dragging him out of one inferno and into a far less metaphorical one.

Joins the party out of self-preservation. Their odds are improved together, and if he must rectify the larval situation himself, he would sooner use his medical implements on a third party than default to self surgery. He is equal parts a mentor and a source of fury, not a team player but a great asset to have. A glory hound, a master mage, and a smirking pretty boy all in one, he's as divisive as he is divine. however, when the cards are down, proper effort might see his carefully crafted walls crumble when his companions have need of him as a man more than a myth.

A scholar, but never a gentleman. He can infodump with the party nerds one day and then have them ready to kill him the next. He's not here to be understood or please others, and while he has moments of sincerity, he smothers them almost immediately. He's spent so long running and surviving that it's hard for anyone to take root in his heart. Still, he feels a keen pull towards the cleric and her situation, and can match wits with the rogue and relish leaving him high and dry. More than anything, he pities the more heroic members of the party: he knows firsthand how their tales end, no matter their choices or strengths.

A prodigious Storm Sorcerer, built around high mobility and explosive damage. He's been on his own too long to really account for team tactics at first, aiming to act for himself alone as swiftly as possible. He can, however, be sufficiently persuaded to help more than he hinders, and to spread the thrill of battle around. Just keep in mind he will never stop preening and posturing about his prowess. He's chock full of Lightning and Thunder spells just waiting to be unleashed and enhanced.

His character is nebulous and his moral compass is a roulette wheel. He's haughty, but experienced enough that it doesn't come across as arrogance. He's rightfully proud of what he's achieved, but allows little more of him to rise to the service than his bit as a seasoned traveler and handsome devil. He refuses to yield to another's will, but a part of him longs to be part as a whole. He gets a read on others with relative ease just based on his age, there is nothing new under the sun, but Gods, he's waiting for someone to surprise him and prove him wrong. It's hard to get on his bad side/net disapproval, but it's also best to consult a walkthrough if trying to curry favor. Loves pragmatic self-service as it affirms his beliefs, but will feel funny and eventually approve of unpretentious heroism.

His arc is do or die. Either the apathy takes him and he ends the journey very much like he began it, he reawakens to being an active player seeking to save the world his parents gave so much for and he has so much to learn from, or he becomes ruled by his baser impulses and seeks conquest and power like the worst of his blood. It all depends on how the PC approaches him, and in fact, investing in him at all is the first step towards his agreeing to saving or damning the world.

He wants to understand the tadpole. Will do whatever it takes the understand the tadpole. Will volunteer to examine the PC's tadpole... which involves breaking out his medical implements. What sounded like innuendo of a 'private physical' is instead dead serious, he wants to basically trepanate the player. If they refuse him he'll later be found trying the same schtick on Astarion who also intuits this as a seduction rather than scientific curiosity. We love a creepy king.

[alexthegamingboy]

Toonami Weekly Recap 08/31/2024

Rick and Morty: The Anime EP#03 - Alien Elle: As Rick has not yet returned, Morty go back to the virtual reality universe in search of Elle, but only find the Mullet Rick he encountered before. Mullet Rick explains that Elle is from a species perceiving all conceivable future branches since they are born, and they bear the concept of time flows from future to past. Mullet Rick know this because in his native universe, his grandson Space Morty teamed up with Alien Elle, the lone survivor of her species, to defeat Galatic Federation from stealing Mullet Rick's wormhole technology and invading planet Yalahreyta. Space Morty was labeled as the planet hero and galatic rebel leader after fighting down a warship, while Alien Elle was not as welcomed. Nevertheless, Space Morty trusted Alien Elle for bringing him the best life, and Alien Elle would save Space Morty from whatever crisis before the end she knew arrives. Mullet Rick concludes that Morty should not have any chance to meet Elle in normal circumstances, but what Mullet Rick and Rick did to time and dimensions seems to bring some changes that Alien Elle could newly observe, which she sees as a regret from future decides the past. Mullet Rick soon leaves without a trace, and Morty's simulation is once again terminated as Summer wants him to rescue Rick proactively. Post-credits scene : Rick persuades Mullet Rick not to abandon the Smith Family he stayed with before leaving. Mullet Rick laments on how he affects Morty's life, and makes a decision.

Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc EP#04 (48) - Thank You, Tokito: Kotetsu begs Muichiro to save Hotaru and his smith Kozo Kanamori. Muichiro initially elects to protect the village but remembers Kagaya's advice about triggering his memories to return, prompting him to rescue the swordsmiths. Tanjiro realizes each demons represents an emotion: joy (Urogi), anger (Sekido), pleasure (Karaku), and sorrow (Aizetsu). Genya confuses Sekido and Aizetsu with his resistance to fatal wounds. Nezuko burns Karaku and blasts him away with his uchiwa but is restrained by Sekido. Tanjiro uses Urogi to reach Nezuko and avoids Sekido's attacks. He frees her but both are incapacitated when Karaku pins them with a blast of wind. Mitsuri makes her way to the Swordsmith Village.

Naruto Shippuden EP#500 - The Message: The wedding is a week away. Iruka thinks about Naruto from his childhood and how he still hasn't given his message for the wedding. After class, he talks with Hinata, who says everything is ready. While cooking dinner, Iruka is visited by Naruto, who asks Iruka to attend as his father. Iruka happily agrees and realizes that Naruto also doesn't see their relationship as teacher and student but as family. Iruka gives his message, warning Hinata of Naruto's immature tendencies and stating that Naruto better make her happy. On the day of the wedding, everyone attending gives packets of money as the five Kage arrive. Shikamaru and Temari, as well as Ino and Sai, attend as couples. Sakura receives a congratulations letter from Sasuke's hawk and the two think about each other while he continues traveling. Naruto looks at Minato's headstone as Hinata thinks about Neji. Hiashi and Hanabi come in to tell them it is time. Naruto and Hinata then begin walking to the ceremony to get married.

-Toonami Rewind Shows-

Sailor Moon EP#20 - The Summer, the Beach, Youth and Ghosts: Usagi and her friends go to the beach, where they stay in a hotel run by people who look like film monsters. There, they encounter a ghostly presence and a little girl with psychic powers.

Sailor Moon EP#21 - Protect the Children's Dreams: Friendship Through Anime: Nephrite targets one of the animators of an upcoming Sailor V film, who is driven by jealousy of her best friend. The Guardians investigate, but Usagi and Rei are distracted by the excitement of the anime studio.

Slightly Damned Page 1131: https://www.sdamned.com/comic/1131

[neesieiumz]

Sorry {Izuku Midoriya x Reader}

[Pro-hero!Izuku Midoriya x Former Pro-hero!Reader]

[P A R T O N E] [P A R T T H R E E]

L E A V E.

Based on the song Sorry by Beyonce

Summary: You couldn't hold your tongue after all. It was a long time coming anyway. A long time coming.

A/n: So I still have special plans for this one! However, this became so long that I had to switch my original plans! So there's actually gonna be a third part to this one as well! I'm turning this into a limited series, like those shows on Netflix. So enjoy this part two of Pray You Catch me!

Word Count: 5.2k

"Now you want to say you’re sorry, now you want to call me crying"

“Good Morning sweetheart.”

You stiffened at his gruff morning voice, hearing him walking barefooted into the kitchen. YOu currently cooking over the stove, fluffy omelets currently cooking through butter, and a plate of pancakes sitting on the counter beside you. YOu glanced over at him ambling into the kitchen, wearing no shirt and his pajama pants hanging dangerously low. You glanced over his half-naked body, glancing over the many healed scars from all the villain fights he’s been through. You shook your head and turned back to the food you were making. You could hear Izuku stop in his tracks, his eyes raking over your slightly hunched-over form over the food.

“Y/n? Is everything alright?”

“Her? Oh, you don’t have to worry about her doll.”

You took a deep breath and shook your head, turning off the stove and turning towards him, giving him a half-fake, half-real smile. Pulling your robe tighter, you walked over to your husband, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and pulling yourself up along his tall stature. He responded by wrapping his own arms around your waist. He smiled as you placed a longing kiss on top of his lips.

“Everything is perfectly okay, are you staying for breakfast?” You asked him, tightening your grip around him as he carried you back over the stove.

He hummed positively, “I have some time to kill before I head, so I thought why not finally join my wife for breakfast?”

“She and I… haven’t been working out for a while. That’s where you come in.”

You took a deep breath, taking the pan from the stove as he put you down. You asked Izuku to get two plates and two glass cups for juice so you could ration out the pancakes and eggs. As you put the food onto the table, you could feel Izuku wrap his arms around your waist, pulling you towards his own body. He placed his head in between your shoulder and necks and rifled his face in the crevice, blowing raspberries into your skin. The action caused you to giggle, nearly dropping the serving spoon you were young to pate the eggs. Izuku looked over your shoulder and noticed that you were done putting the food on the plates, so he let go of you, and reached over to take them off the counter.

“Here, let me help you.” He turned around swiftly, heading towards your dining room.

“The way you walked, it just…. pulled me in.”

You reached up to set your neck, popping some of your joints to relieve some of the tension slowly building. You then turned to the cup cabinet, reaching down to turn on your kettle, at the same time as you reached for your favorite cup. You stopped mid-way of grabbing it, remembering exactly what the cup looks like. It was a custom, gifted to you by Ejirou for you and Izuku's own wedding anniversary, it was a mix of both your and his hero colors. He got you both one, the designs were so intricate that no one could get them from anywhere, they were one-in-a-kind pair. Yours was dominated by Izuku’s hero colors, which were green and white, while Izuku’s was dominated by your own hero colors, (h/c) and black. You took a deep breath before continuing the reach for the cup, wrapping your fingers around the handle.

“Izuku, can you get the sugar cubes from the pantry, please? Along with a packet of tea?” You asked him as the light went off in the kettle, the water already bubbling and boiling.

You heard a hum of acknowledgment before hearing him drag his feet over to the other door in your kitchen. You poured the hot water in the mug, hearing Izuku come up beside you placing the small bag of sugar cubes, and teabag packet beside you. As you took the packet the teabag was in, placing it on your tea, Izuku leaned towards you and placed a kiss on your cheek, the feeling of slightly chapped lips leaving a slight tickle.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“Of course you know I enjoyed our time together.”

You just smiled softly at him, grabbing the small bag of sugar, and the mug, before falling into step with him to your dining room, which was connected to your kitchen of course. You looked at the rectangular table, finding Izuku placed the plates on the long side of the table, opposite of each other, making the usual gap between the two of you much shorter. You took a deep breath, pacing your mug and bag of cubed sugar beside your own plate. You took your seat, sweeping your robe from under you to allow you to sit comfortably. Izuku took his own seat opposite of you, deciding to drink orange juice with his food.

You made sure to say grace, before beginning to dig in.

It was quiet, nothing the sound of metal forks and knives hitting scratching against plates. You liked the silence, but all you could do is wait. Wait for that one thing to ruin this small vacuum of sweet yet sullen silence you haven’t had with him in so long.

You knew it was coming. It always did.

Ding!

Izuku jumped slightly as the ding came from his pocket. You followed his hands as he reached down and pulled out his personal phone from his left pocket. Your gaze shifted from his hands to his face as he unlocked the phone, to see who exactly texted him. His facial expression changed into a soft, long one, and that was it.

“Of course you know I enjoyed our time together.”

“God you look amazing tonight, and you wore my favorite color too.”

“The way you walked, it just…. pulled me in.”

“Her? Oh, you don’t have to worry about her doll.”

“She and I… haven’t been working out for a while. That’s where you come in.”

“With you… I feel a breath of fresh air, something new.”

“I love you too Doll, I have to go before she sees I’m not in bed.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow, good night doll.”

“Is that her?”

Izuku froze. His head slowly craned up to look up at you, to find you looking straight at him with cold, dead eyes. You slowly placed your utensils down and reached over to grab the cup of tea, the bag of sugar cubes, and the long teaspoon you placed on the table to stir.

“You still didn't answer my question, Izuku.” You looked down, twirling the spoon in between your hands.

“What,” he cut himself off as he swallowed some spit, “what do you mean by “Is it her?”?”

You couldn’t help the cackle that echoed throughout the entire house, dropping the spoon onto the table as you hunched over onto the table. The air was only getting tenser and tenser with every dry chuckle that escaped your mouth. You used the table as support, placing your hands on top of your forehead.

Izuku’s heart was racing, there was… there was no possible way that you knew about them? He could feel himself start to sweat from all over, the once impeccable taste of the syrup and eggs from the breakfast you made now beginning to taste like ash. He could feel his mouth drying up, and his fingers started to twitch involuntarily. A telling sign of his nervousness from the overuse of his quirk. He slowly placed his phone down, waiting for you to actually finish laughing. You were laughing, right? Which means that you were just joking with him. Right? Right?

Once you finished with your laughing spell, you leaned back into your chair, taking a deep breath before looking back at your overly anxious husband. You smiled wickedly at him before picking up your spoon once again.

“I heard you, last night, in your office.”

Izuku’s heart dropped to his stomach. It was inevitable really, he, out of all people knew that he couldn’t keep a secret. It only reminds him of his time in U.A and how Bakugo found out about his true quirk.

“Sweetheart I-”

“Don’t fucking call me that.”

The air was tense, you pulled up the robe you were wearing, you could feel it slipping with every movement you made. Deku could no longer look at your eyes, those eyes which were once filled with joy and love for him and for him only. They were now cold and filled with pain, anger, and disdain for his every being.

“What’s her name?”

Izuku continued to look down refusing to speak, while you just sat there waiting for his answer. You then grabbed the spoon next to the cup of tea that you made for yourself, dropping a couple of sugar cubes in the small mug before stirring it slowly.

“Well,” Izuku jumped at your sharp tone, “I’m waiting? What’s her name? Who was able to “snatch” you away from me?”

You slowly placed the spoon down before picking up the cup and taking a small sip of the calm, sweet liquid. You looked on at your trembling husband, whose tears were slowly falling from his eyes. You could feel your heartache at the sight of your love but you also knew that your stare had to remain cold stare. So it did.

“Her name-her name is… is…”

“Spit it out.”

“Do you… do you remember Melissa?”

Melissa…

“Y/n, you have to meet someone!”

You had just transferred into Class A, and you and Izuku hit it off just as friends, for the time being, You had already found your place in the class and it was like you were always with them. The two of you decided to arrive at this private hero gala on I-Island, him tagging along with All Might and you tagged along with Mirko. Some of your classmates were here as well, Bakugo, Kirishima, Jirou, Mina, and others. This was your first time here on the island, only hearing about their adventure from their own time on the island from Izuku and the others. You were wearing a black, ruched t-shirt that had long, flowy sleeves along with some simple black, leather pants.

Izuku pulled you over towards another girl, you had long, blonde wavy hair pulled into a slicked-up ponytail. She was wearing a lavender, silk dress that stopped right at her ankles. She saw Izuku coming to her and you could see her perk up, before following her hands and seeing that he was also pulling you over. You saw her face fall once her eyes landed on you, making you narrow your eyes at her.

“Y/n, this is Melissa Shield, her dad was All Might’s first sidekick when he worked overseas! Melissa, this is Y/n L/n, she just transferred to our class at the beginning of the year.”

You looked over at her, her face no longer fallen, giving you a softer smile as she held out her hand. The weird feeling that you got from her faded away as you smiled back at her. You took her hand and the two of you shook hands, moving into a conversation about hero support gear for you and Izuku.

You slowly nodded your head, the blond girl you haven’t seen since that time on I-Island during summer vacation in high school. You took another sip of your tea, continuing to nod your head.

“How long?”

“How-how,” he stammered and stuttered over his words, “how long have we been “seeing” each other?”

You raised an eyebrow at him, taking a sip of your tea. He blinked and leaned back into his seat, grabbing his right hand with his left to stop the nervous tics. You could see him slightly rocking in his seat, showing his anxiety was increasing. Usually, you would find yourself on the other side of the table, trying your best to calm him down. But this time, you wouldn't move an inch until you got the answers that you need.

“We’ve been talking to each other for six months, it didn't turn physical till-till about three months.”

You dropped your cup. The tea spilled all across the floor, along with broken pieces of your mug. You looked down at the cup, seeing the liquid slowly spread across your hardwood floor. You then looked up at your husband, who was just looking down at his bare feet

Three months ago was your wedding anniversary.

You just nodded your head, you could do nothing but nod your head at the words. You then stood up, the chair scraping against the floor. You turned around, and headed towards the kitchen, ignoring the way your heartfelt heavy, like lead in your chest. Ignored the way you felt tears swelling up at your waterline. You grabbed a rag and a plastic bag and walked right back to your seat in the dining room. You got on your knees, beginning to clean up the spilled tea while picking up the pieces of the mug.

Izuku peeked up and got out of his seat, walking over to you, “let me, let me clean this up.”

You swiftly turned towards him, no longer holding back tears, your piercing glare stabbing a hole into his heart. He took a couple of steps back as you stood up, your chest heaving up and down. You threw the wet rag and the plastic bag at his chest, he immediately caught it. He looked on as you broke down fully, falling to the ground. He immediately rushed over to you, trying to hold you but you summoned a thunder cloud filled to the brim with lighting. It struck him and threw him back to the kitchen. His body slammed against the dishwasher, leaving an Izuku-shaped indent. You gasped, sitting up on your knees. You wrapped yourself with your arms as Izuku groaned, as he tried to push himself off the floor. He slowly stood to his feet, swaying slightly from the impact.

“I gave up EVERYTHING for you! My life, my job, everything I worked for most of my teenage life! All for YOU, my parents cussed me out deciding to become your stupid, little braindead housewife! My brother didn't speak to me for months after I decided to not go back to being a pro hero! All for you!”

Another storm cloud shot out from your hands, this time going behind you and sending a harsh lighting bolt against the dining table. The bolt sliced the table in half, leaving behind a charred, rigged, broken table. Izuku saw the damage you were causing, and slowly approached you, hands out in front of him.

“Y/n… y/n… let’s talk about it.” You saw the look in eyes, apprehensive, as if he… as if he was approaching a villain.

You shook your head vigorously, slowly unraveling your arms from your body. Eyebrows furrowed and angry tears falling down your face at an even faster pace. You summoned a black cloud, one of your most powerful attacks back when you were a superhero. You would enclose it into a perfect sphere before throwing it at an assailant, which set off a bomb of lighting, both blinding and stunning the villains. It was effective and would get the job done when other attacks wouldn't. The black clouds swirled around to create a sphere, still as round as back on those days. Izuku's eyes widened and immediately powered, green lightning surrounded him. Teary-eyed, you swiftly throw the stunning attack, aimed straight at your deceitful husband.

Only for a wall of ice to cut between the both of you, catching the attack and surrounding the dark cloud spree with ice. It muffled the lightning as much as it could and caused it to dissipate within the ice, however, the ice couldn't fully contain the attack and so the ice broke but luckily it only was able to give a weak lighting stroke, only leaving a charred mark on your kitchen counter.

“What the hell is going here?”

Standing towards your now opened front door would be the number 2 and the number 3 heroes. Izuku’s best friends, and parents. Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki. Shoto was huffing and puffing, gaining between the two of you. Katsuki came up beside him after closing the door behind them, his face slowly turning to his usual anger.

“The hell Y/n?! What the fuck are you even doing? You know what that attack could do to someone!”

You took a deep breath, reaching up to your face to wipe your tears. You glanced over the uninvited guests who suddenly appeared into your home. You turned your back towards them, walking back to your broken dining table, picking up the spilled breakfast that was splayed across the floor.

“Are you not going to answer our questions? Y/n? Izuku? What’s going on?” You could hear Todoroki come up behind you, waiting for one of you to speak.

You turned your head and looked up at the bi-colored hero, taking another deep breath as you leaned slightly to look at Izuku who was now kneeling on the floor staring at the charred mark left on the kitchen floor.

“Ask your best friend over there.” That was all you said before using a cloud to carry the destroyed breakfast into the sink.

You said nothing as the two of you just stared at each other, the silence between the two of you saying everything and nothing all at the same time. Bakugo and Todoroki glanced at each other before looking at the distressed husband and wife.

That’s when a noise rang through the air, a ringtone. And it wasn’t Izuku’s this time. You turned towards the counter in the kitchen and saw your own phone ringing, vibrating against the counter. You let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding and pulled the robe belt tighter across your body. You stood and walked over to the counter, taking your phone from the counter, turning away from him. The screen showed that it was Mina calling you. You smiled at the picture of the two of you on a weekend vacation, it was just the two of you, back when you were in the same agency. You clicked the answer icon and walked out of the kitchen, not wanting to acknowledge the uninvited guest in your home, and wanting privacy while you talked to your closest friend.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Shoto and Katuski stared down at their friend slowly succumbing to his sobs. They glanced at each other once again before walking over to him, each taking one side of his body. They both did a silent countdown before carrying his buff body up by his arms. They carried him to the living room, laying his body across the expensive leather couch. His body just shook with sobs. He rolled over to his side, facing the back of the couch. They just let him cry, remembering the last time Katsuki interrupted his crying sessions.

Soon enough, Izuku turned towards the two of them, making them perk up. With teary eyes, he finally spoke.

“Shoto… Kacchan… I did something stupid.”

---

It had been a couple of hours since you went upstairs, leaving behind the three men to talk things out between themselves in the living room/kitchen. Mina had just invited you to a private brunch, and you figured it would be the perfect excuse to get out of the house. You need all the space you could get after all. You took a long, hot shower before getting ready, choosing to wear a more classy outfit. You pulled out a sage green satin slip dress, pairing it with a pair of ankle strap heels. You pulled your hair out of the night scarf you tied on your head last night before sitting at your pure white vanity, turning on the mirror lights. You did your makeup next, choosing a simple look with a deeper brown eyeshadow with a liner in your waterline that matched the color of your dress. Coming to your fingers to unstick your braids, you pulled them into a very high bun, leaving two pieces to frame your face. Topping your lips with some lip gloss, you looked at yourself in the mirror. You twirled around a couple of times, loving the way the satin gave you a loose yet form-fitting look around your body. You grabbed your matching purse, making sure you had all your necessities before heading out the door.

You slowly walked down the stairs, your heels clicking against the hard floors with each step. The arguing you were hearing from the living room slowly ceased as you began to peak through the steps. The three of them turned and saw you, all dressed up, their eyes slowly taking over your body. You looked at Shoto and Katsuki, giving them a soft smile before landing your eyes on your husband. His eyes, filled with all different emotions, shame, guilt, and also admiration, couldn’t tear themselves away from your form. You took a deep breath before starting to walk past them, headed towards your front door.

“I’m going out, Mina invited me out to brunch, when I get back, you better not be here, Izuku.” With those final words, you opened and closed your door behind you, not bothering to stop for both Shoto’s or Katsuki’s exclamations for you to wait.

You unlocked your car, quickly starting it, and reversing out of your driveway as soon as possible. You reached in on your phone, pulling up the address of the restaurant Mina saved reservations for the brunch, placing the device on top of your dashboard before driving down your neighborhood's street.

Back in the house, Shoto and Katsuki look at Izuku who was once again looking down in shame.

“Izuku Midoriya, what the fuck did you do?”

Izuku just said nothing.

---

Arriving at the restaurant, you parked in the accompanying parking space to the very expensive restaurant, before grabbing your purse and phone. You stepped out of the car, holding the bottom half of your dress as you did. You locked the car with the remote before heading towards the restaurant. You entered through the doors before being greeted by the hostess, who simply smiled at you before asking for your name. You saw a look of recognition shine in her eyes but she obviously held back due to her job.

“Oh no, I’m here on behalf of Ashido, the brunch?”

She gasped before nodding her head, grabbing a menu and a couple of other things before guiding towards the back of the restaurant, taking you up the stairs. Hiking your dress up slightly, you followed the worker to the second floor. She led you past the other tables, who were whispering as you passed by them.

“Look its H/n, god she looks amazing.”

“Deku is so fucking lucky, imagine coming home to that after saving heroes.”

You rolled your eyes, shuddering at the forced image of the false world in which you and your husband were actually happy together. The hostess opened the private patio doors, revealing copious amounts of chatter and laughter flowing through the balcony. She moved out of the way slightly, as you thanked her, entering through the doors. As you walked in, you saw all eyes turn on you. You smiled as they all yelled out your name, even some getting up out of their seats to come and greet you.

“Y/n! You actually came! Mina yelled, jumping up and wrapping her arms around you.

You smiled widely, as you wrapped your own arms around her waist, holding her close. You looked over at the shoulder to see the rest of your classmates, Yaomomo, Tsu, Uraraka, Jirou, and even Hagakure. You even saw some new faces, remembering them from Class B. And then you saw her, sitting in between Uraraka and Tsu, engaging in conversation with the two of them. Melissa Shield. Her long wavy hair was straightened and from what you could tell, she was wearing a dark red and black plaid dress, with a slight ruffle in her skirt. You glanced over her before taking in her body language, fidgeting fingers being hidden in the ruffles of her dress, and her face was looking everywhere but at you. Mina let you go, leading you over to the table. She had an empty seat beside her, saying something about wanting to with her best friend after being busy for so long. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on what you thought of the situation, that seat happened to be the one that was directly in front of Melissa’s own seat.

You could see her freeze up as you took your seat, seeing her slowly turn around to face you. You simply smiled in her face, taking a sip of the complimentary water sitting in front of you. She smiled back, nervously albeit, taking her own water with shaking hands as well. Uraraka, being as ever-attentive as she is, noticed Melissa’s shaking hands and the cold sweat running down her face.

“Melissa?” Uraraka started to question, reaching up to grab her by the hands, “Melissa is everything okay?”

Melissa hummed, putting down her glass of water and nodding her vigorously at Uraraka. Your face shifted into an annoyed one, rolling your eyes and as you glanced to your right and noticing the waiter and another waitress came in with notepads and a round of champagne. You put your water down before grabbing your menu, looking over all the options before deciding to eat the red velvet waffles, topped with strawberries, whip cream, and icing. Once you ordered your food and received your own flute of champagne, you heard Uraraka call your name.

Taking a sip of the bubbly, sweet alcoholic beverage, you turned towards her and gave her a smile, nodding your drink and your head towards her.

She giggled before gesturing towards Melissa, lifting and holding in her hand within her own, “you remember Melissa? From I-land? Her dad was All Might’s former sidekick? She helped out my support gear when Hatsume was out for a whole.”

You weren't the only one she was assisting.

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”

Your eyes widened as you glanced at Uraraka, who was looking at you in confusion, as well as Tsu who heard what you said as well. Glancing at Melissa, who was taking a sip of her own water, although her hands were now starting to shake and sweat even harder in nervousness. You just shook your head and gave them a fake smile, holding up your glass,

“She and Izuku have been working together on some support gear together, and so I hear about her whenever he comes home.” You lied, taking another sip of your champagne.

Tsu and Uraraka simply “oohed” before pulling you and Yaomomo into a conversation about your daily lives, and new things you all were working on. Meanwhile, during the whole time, you and Melissa locked eyes multiple times, causing her to quickly look everywhere but at you.

---

You finally cornered her in the bathroom.

She had left, a couple of minutes before you, saying she had to use the bathroom. So you waited a moment before faking an excuse to use the bathroom as well. You found her hunched over the sink, taking deep breaths, her body shaking, from her head to her wobbling knees all the way to her heeled feet. You just leaned against the door, waiting for her to acknowledge you. You saw her slowly raise her head, before looking at herself in the mirror. She glanced to her to the left, locking eyes within the mirror. She let out a scream, turning around and jumping back into the sink. You said nothing, just stood up straight before standing at the sink beside her. You could hear her breaths sharpening up, as she just stared at you washing your hands.

“Thank you.”

It was you who said that. In the corner of your eyes, you could see her face twist in confusion. You could basically hear exactly what she was thinking. Thank you? You know that I’m sleeping with your husband, and all you can do is say thank you?

You took a deep breath and turned to face, looking deep into her blue eyes.

“Usually in these situations, I don’t blame the other girl. Most likely they didn't even know that the man was married or already had a significant other. It would all rest on the man’s shoulders. That’s not the case for this though, everyone and their mother knew that Izuku was married. To me. I am pretty sure he invited you to our wedding. So I do blame you. However, I also thank you, because I don’t care who advanced first, whoever made the first move, but all it confirmed is that Izuku never truly loved me the way I loved him. No matter how much I gave up for him, he threw it all away for… you.”

You reached over the towels sitting in an intricately fancy box, wiping your hands before placing one of them on Melissa’s shoulders. You smiled at her and she just shrunk away from you. Your smile tightened before landing a swift right hook on her face. She stumbled slightly from the force of the punch as you let go of her shoulders, walking around her to throw away your crumpled-up paper towels. You looked back at her and your fake smile face fell, your eyes narrowed in a viscous, vile glare and your mouth fell in a frown.

“If I ever see you again, it’ll be more than just a right hook.”

You opened the door and took a couple of more steps before turning your head enough to be able to look at her again. She was nursing her bruised cheek, turning her head so you heard her call out her name one more.

“You can have him, by the way, better hope he doesn't cheat on you next.”

With that, you leave the bathroom, head back to the table to leave your own split of the bill, and pick up the take-out tray of your food. You said your goodbyes to t]your old peers, mention a lie about having something to do later at the Foundation. You left the restaurant, waving at those who would wave at you. As you walked to your car, you pulled out your phone, taking it off silent mode. You noticed a couple of texts from Shoto, and Katsuki, asking you to call them asap. Well, that’s not exactly how Kats worded it, but it basically was what he said. You ignored their texts for now as you scrolled through your contacts, before finding your mom’s contact. Letting out a shaky breath, you entered your car and closed the door behind you. You clicked her name, allowing your phone to ring.

“Hello? Y/n?”

You sniffled as you could feel the tears from this morning begin to fall all over again, “M-mom, ca-can I come over please?”

-

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[brian-in-finance]

The title of Kenneth Branagh’s new movie, “Belfast,” is something of a giveaway. That is the city where he was born, toward the end of 1960; where the whole of the film unfolds, beginning in the summer of 1969; and where the youthful hero, a kid named Buddy (Jude Hill), feels completely at home. Indeed, he knows nowhere else. As a bright lad, he can imagine other places, and we hear the opening strains of “Star Trek” on his TV. For the most part, though, the end of the street, the church, and the school mark Buddy’s final frontier.

That street is presented, in an early sequence, as a paradise—almost a parody—of civic togetherness. Children lark about, adults chatter like crows, and the cry of “Buddy, your ma’s calling you home to tea” is passed along, from one merry citizen to the next, until it reaches the boy’s ears. I half expected the entire neighborhood to explode into song, in a rerun of “Consider Yourself” from “Oliver!” (1968). Instead, we get a different kind of outburst: a sudden volley of violence, boosted by furious chants and the hurling of stones. (The chaos is frantically filmed from multiple angles—more, perhaps, than you would believe possible, or wise.) Everyone ducks for cover, lids of trash cans are deployed as shields, and Buddy’s mother (Caitríona Balfe) has to rush through the hullabaloo to rescue her son. If paradise can be so rudely interrupted, how long till it’s lost?

Anybody who turns to “Belfast” for a deep delve into the roots of the Troubles, in Northern Ireland, will be frustrated. Only the barest of contexts is supplied—deliberately so, for this is, above all, a Buddy’s-eye view of events. He is aware that he lives on a mixed street, where Protestants (like him and his relatives) have traditionally rubbed along with Catholics. Now, for reasons that he doesn’t fully understand, some people don’t care for the rub. Buddy also sees the barricades that are quickly built to keep communities apart, and the British soldiers who are brought in to keep the peace. But what matters equally, in his mind, is the clever girl in his class, at school, with her long fair hair. She happens to be a Catholic, but so what? The two of them get to collaborate on a project about the moon landings, and, at the conclusion of the story, she solemnly gives him a copy of “Maths Made Easy.” Such is love.

The greatest threat to this film comes not from the stink of sectarian conflict but from the aroma of sweetness. The camera clings to Buddy as it did to the grinning kid in “Cinema Paradiso” (1988). Both of them are made to go to church, both worship at the altar of the movies, and both draw perilously near to the cute. Buddy is no less adorable in his moments of mischief—stealing a candy bar, at the urging of his cousin Frances (Freya Yates), only to find that his haul is Turkish delight, which nobody likes. A later and graver transgression occurs in the middle of a riot. A local Catholic-owned store is being looted, and Buddy, dragged along by Frances, grabs a packet of soap powder, just for the hell of it. What makes the scene is its immediate consequence: the righteous wrath of his mother, who collars her son, leads him back into the melee, and forces him to replace the stolen goods. Her word is law.

Despite this flurry of panic, what Balfe lends to the maternal role is a kind of unrushed grace; she seems by turns luminous, vigilant, and stern. Fans of “Ford v Ferrari” (2019) will recall her as a woman among brawling boys, and in “Belfast” her character is once again tasked with holding a family together. The end credits refer to the members of the household as Buddy would: his father, often absent and financially feckless, is Pa (Jamie Dornan), and his grandparents are Pop (Ciarán Hinds) and Granny (Judi Dench). Branagh, as befits someone who has overseen a Shakespearean troupe, is a skillful caster, and his particular coup, in this case, is to furnish Hinds, one of the most gently formidable of actors, with a part that Hinds can inhabit and enrich at his leisure. Those of us who relished him in “Munich” (2005) and “There Will Be Blood” (2007) were left wanting more. Here is plenty more, including the sight of Pops dispensing wisdom to Buddy while perched on an outside toilet—Hinds’s grandest enthronement, I would say, since he played Julius Caesar in “Rome,” on HBO.

The new film is shot largely, though not wholly, in black-and-white. At the start, we are given a tour of modern Belfast, to the sound of Van Morrison—who, like Hinds, was born there—and in lustrous color. It is as if Branagh, ever the optimist, wants to reassure the audience that his home town did, for all its tribulations, pull through and prosper. (Of the recent political protests that have unsettled the place afresh—some of them involving a generation born since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, in 1998—we hear no mention. So dread an echo would not chime well with this tale.) Color returns during family trips to the cinema, when we see garishly splendid clips of “One Million Years B.C.” (1966) and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968) and glimpse their radiant reflection in Granny’s spectacles. What Branagh has made is a kind of home movie writ large. It is a private stash of memories and imaginings, which touches only glancingly on the wide and troubled world beyond, and which feels most alive when it turns to face the consolations of home and the thrills that lie in wait on the big screen.

Remember… what Balfe lends to the maternal role is a kind of unrushed grace; she seems by turns luminous, vigilant, and stern. — The New Yorker

[lavellane]

8 for mona and judy please maam

"Shit! Motherfucking goddamn shit!"

"Hold still, V!"

"Fuck!"

Amidst the commotion, the knife is the first thing to fall. It tumbles precariously off the kitchen counter, clattering to the floor and splattering pink frosting all over Mona's four-hundred-eddie boots on impact.

It also sliced her finger open, but her boots are designer, while her hand cyberware is not.

Judy, unsympathetic to the now filthy shoes Mona spent two months saving for, captures the other woman's hand with both of her own in an instant, holding her as gently as her squirming arm allows for.

"Would you quit moving? Jeez, V, it was a butter knife, you gonk. You're barely even bleeding!" Mona's finger throbs dully in Judy's hands as if in protest.

"Oh – barely bleeding? That ain't as much a comfort as you think it is, babe."

"Don't babe me. I've seen you ganked by knives three times that size without breaking a sweat. Quit your crying and run it under the tap while I get you a band aid."

Johnny, showman as ever, finds this moment ideal as any to materialize onto Judy's coffee table. "Girl's got you there, V," he drawls, slow and smug as Mona shifts to run her finger under lukewarm water. "Nice attempt at getting a sympathy fuck, though. Bonus points for flare, as always."

'I don't need sympathy for that, jackass,' Mona retorts, though she has to work to bite down a grin. 'And I don't know what to tell you, man. The duller the blade, the worse it burns. There's a metaphor for life in there somewhere, probably.'

Johnny scoffs. "Let me know when you find it, so I can blow my non-corporeal brains out first."

'Psh. Everyone's a cynic.'

"You're goddamn right."

"Found it!" Judy's voice, soft and relieved, echoes from the bathroom where she emerges a half second later, brightly coloured packet in hand. "You didn't bleed to death in my kitchen while I was gone, did you?"

Mona smiles and brings her uninjured hand to Judy's cheek as she returns, her thumb brushing stray hairs back in place behind her ear. "Nah. You know me – I had to fight to stick around. For you, of course."

"Oh, of course," Judy laughs, though she leans into Mona's touch with a soft sigh. "My hero, huh?"

Johnny throws his head back and groans dismally.

Mona’s too caught up in Judy's eyes to dignify the noise with a response. "I may have overreacted, just a bit. It surprised me, that's all. When Frosting Attacks – title of your new BD?"

"Uh . . . we can work on it," Judy snickers. Gently retreating, the smaller woman opens up the packet, revealing a rainbow assembly of children's band aids, each one more colourful and adorable than the last. "Best part of getting injured at my place? You can get patched up and dripped out. Superheroes or princesses?"

"Damn . . ." V squints between the two, red and blue contrasted with pretty pinks and purples, and bites her lip. "Loyalty to my look makes me think superheroes on principle, but . . ."

"But the princesses are cute, yeah?"

"Cute as shit."

Johnny sighs. "How the fuck are you a veteran Night City merc, V?"

"Fuck it, I'm going with superheroes." She winces just a little as Judy rips the plastic off the adhesive, wrapping the width of it gently around Mona's finger. She admires the bandaging job as Judy steps back, already somewhat attached to the entourage of caped, spandex wearing heroes it depicts. "Yeah, I like it. I already have one princess in my life, anyway. More than enough for me."

Judy snickers, but her blush is unmistakeable. "You're too goddamn sweet for your own good sometimes, you know that?"

"Holy fuck." Johnny makes a gagging noise, loud enough to echo around in her skull. "I can't fucking believe she didn't dump your ass just for saying that."

"I could be even sweeter . . ." Mona's voice lowers to a murmur, trailing along Judy's jaw with her thumb, "if you felt like kissing it better."

Judy catches her bandaged finger as it migrates down her neck, pressing it slowly to her lips with a smirk. "Like this, you mean?"

"Come to think of it, I think I might've hurt my lips in the commotion, too. Among other things."

"Really? It it's that bad, maybe you should lie down. Let me . . . take a look at you for a while."

"You read my mind."

Johnny shakes his head before flickering out of vision, already settling into some corner of Mona's mind that might otherwise afford her some semblance of privacy. His voice, distant and muted, rings out as he departs.

"Don't know what I expected from a girl who calls you pumpkin unprompted. Fuck it, I take it back. You've got game, kid."

'Told you I didn't need sympathy,'' Mona answers cheerfully. 'It's all charm, choom. Just something I was born with, I guess.'

[f107group1]

Let’s KRILL this love!

Did you know that Antarctic Krill can glow in the dark (like a lightstick *0*)?

They are bioluminescent! That means krill swarms look like a KPOP ocean!

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

     Subkingdom: Bilateria

            Infrakingdom: Protostomia

                 Superphylum: Ecdysozoa

                       Phylum: Arthropoda

                            Class: Malacostraca

                                  Subclass: Eumalacostraca

                                        Order: Euphausiacea

                                              Family: Euphausiidae

                                                    Genus: Euphausia

                                                           Species: Euphausia superba

(ITIS, n.d.)

Distribution and habitat

Figure 1. Geographical Distribution of Antarctic krill (fao.org, n,d,)

E. superba inhabits a wide circumpolar belt between the Antarctic Continental Shelf break and the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone. Antarctic krill live in open marine waters (fao.org, n.d.). The larvae of the krill begin near the seafloor and gradually ascend towards the surface as it develops. Adult krills are found at depths ranging from surface waters to depths of 350 m and have occasionally been found as deep as 600 m. They usually dwell in deeper waters during the winter season (Gierak, n.d.).

Anatomy

Figure 2. External Anatomy of Antarctic Krill

E. superba known as Antarctic krills are shrimp-like in appearance though they can easily be distinguished from shrimp by their visible gills. Just like any other decapods they have exoskeleton which are made of chitin and have three body parts which is the cephalothorax, pleon and the telson. The cephalothorax bears the antennae, compound eye, 6 filter legs which are also called thoracopods and the gills. Krills have compound eyes which aid them in seeing while their antennae serve as another sensory organ as they live in the deep. The thoracopods or the filter legs on the other hand, assists the krill in straining its food from the water. Although the gills, guts and gastric mill are not part of its external anatomy, the three are visible from the outside. The middle part of its body is the pleon where the pleopods and the photophores are located. There are 5 pairs of pleopods or swimming legs that allow them to swim in the water column while the photophores or light organs act as a defense mechanism or a signal for their mates. Lastly, is the telson  which is used by decapods as a paddle in caridoid escape reactions through backward propulsion (Grzimek's Student Animal Life Resource, n.d.).

Life Cycle

Figure 3. Life Cycle of an Antarctic Krills Krills reproduce sexually and it usually happens when food is abundant. The male krill produces sperm packets and uses its first pair of pleopods called petasma to transfer the sperm into the thelycum of the female. They store the sperm until they are ready to lay their eggs. These eggs are fertilized once they are released by the female. These eggs settle at the seafloor and gastrulation happens. Eventually, the eggs will hatch and become a nauplius. In this the nauplius has only one eye and is not segmented yet. Then, the nauplius will molt and become a metanauplius wherein limb development begins and it will start to migrate to the surface which is known as developmental ascent. As it molts and grows, it becomes a calyptopis and eventually a furcilia wherein the movable compound eyes start to project at the edge of its carapace. The furcilia develops into a juvenile which can grow from 4 to 10 mm long (Gierak, 2013).

Ecology

Figure 4.  Thoracic endopodite of krill (wikipedia.org, n.d.)

Antarctic krill are filter-feeders that feed mainly on phytoplankton. They exhibit diurnal vertical migration, which means that they rise to the surface at night to feed by using their small, hair-like legs specifically thoracic endopodites as a suspension feeding basket. Apart from phytoplankton, they also eat copepods, zooplankton, and other krill or molted exoskeletons. In the winter, they eat algae under the surface of sea ice. They are considered the dominant herbivore of the Southern Ocean. Its biomass in the Antarctic Ocean is estimated to be between 125 mmt and 750 mmt, the largest biomass of any species on earth (Hardy, 2008). Antarctic krill is the keystone species of the entire Antarctic food chain. They provide a vital food source for whales, seals, squids, penguins, fishes, albatrosses, and many other species of birds. To avoid predation, they exhibit schooling behavior or swarming. Moreover, krill may be parasitized by organisms like protozoans, particularly the genus Ephelota. This suctorian ciliates interacting with E. superba cause hydrodynamic drag on krill swimming and make the host more vulnerable to visual predators (Gómez-Gutiérrez & Morales-Ávila, 2016). Other parasitic species include Cephaloidophora pacifica and Apostoma sp. 

UNLI-KRILL @ 199!

Krill’s POV 

Relationship with humans

Figure 5.  Sports Research’s Antarctic Krill Oil with SUPERBA 2 (ph.iherb.com, n.d.)

Figure 6.  Krill/shrimp chili paste and dipping assortments in Thailand (quora.com, 2016)

Although krill is mainly used as aquaculture feed and bait for fishing, it is also processed into a variety of products for human consumption such as paste, frozen tails, sticks, etc. Krill products have been known to pharmaceutical and industrial industries since it is found that the krill's lipid content can be used as a nutritional source of fatty acids that is potential in lowering cholesterol levels. Studies found that the lipids of Antarctic krill are more stable than those of some fishes consumed by humans. Krill digestive proteases can also be injected into humans to reduce pressure on nerve roots between vertebral discs (Gierak, n.d.). Tou et al. describe Antarctic krill as a “rich source of high-quality protein” with low fat and high levels of Omega-3s and antioxidants and the main source of the renowned krill oil.

5 health benefits of Krill oil you shouldn’t miss!

Little did you know that..

They are age-defying! 

*jaw-dropping moment because olay age-defying serum just cant--*

➔ They have the ability to shrink in size when starve to conserve energy during the winter. Thus, scientists can’t tell the age of a krill solely from its size. 

Phytoplankton is just a summer fling! 

➔ They can survive more than 200 days without food.

Krillions of krills!

➔ Krill swarm together in massive numbers, with as many as 30,000 in one cubic meter of a krill swarm.

A Little Giant! 

➔ It’s estimated that the total weight of Antarctic krill is more than the weight of all humans on Earth (Usoceangov, 2015). 

Food is life but swimming is lifer! 

➔ They are heavier than seawater and must swim constantly to stay afloat.

Climate heroes!

➔ Tarling and Thorpe (2017) have discovered that krill play a crucial role in sequestering carbon. 

References:

Clark, D. (2012, September 17). The anatomy of the Arctic krill [Digital image]. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7NY88MHBVpc/UFfn-sAknuI/AAAAAAAAAW4/nkt1_Ba8G8k/s1600/Antarctic_krill_anatomy.jpg

Euphausia superba. (n.d.). ITIS. Retrieved November 8, 2020, from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=95514#null

Euphausia superba (Dana, 1852). (n.d.). FAO. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/3393/en

Exuvia of Antarctic krill [Online image]. (2005). English Wikipedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exuviakrillkils.jpg

Gierak, R. (2013).  Euphausia superba (Antarctic krill). Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Euphausia_superba/

Gómez-Gutiérrez, J., & Morales-Ávila, J. R. (2016). Parasites and Diseases. Biology and Ecology of Antarctic Krill, 351–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29279-3_10

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. (2020). Krill: Euphausiacea. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/krill-euphausiacea

Hardy, R. W. (2008). Alternative marine sources of fish feed and farmed fish quality. Improving Farmed Fish Quality and Safety, 328–342. https://doi.org/10.1533/9781845694920.2.328

Naruturd_505. (n.d.). Hoshiumi Korai A Little Giant GIF [Online GIF]. https://tenor.com/view/hoshiumi-korai-alittle-giant-smile-haikyuu-anime-gif-17909731

Oh, yeah- what?! GIF. (2013). Gfycat. https://gfycat.com/detailedfaintalbertosaurus

SuperSmiles17. (2013). Definitely one in a Krillion! [Online GIF]. https://imgur.com/gallery/YtN30/comment/16282449

Tarling, G.A., and Thorpe, S.E. (2017). Oceanic swarms of Antarctic krill perform satiation sinking. Proc. R. Soc. B., 28420172015. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2015

The Ozone Hole. (n.d.). [Life Cycle of Antarctic Krill]. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from http://www.theozonehole.org/images/v43n2-wiebe3en_10243.jpg

[Untitled image of a tardigrade]. (2017). BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40752669

Usoceangov. (2015). Animals of the Ice - Antarctic Krill. Youtube. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFqhocQqbgM

[nyanzaya]

Hana is just going to excitedly sprint towards Zuo and when she reaches she gives him a tohjt hug.

(🐾) He sees a familiar face sprinting to him and his arms are open, ready to catch her when they finally embrace. "Hani... It's been so long, I'm sorry I suddenly disappeared like that."

[aradias-crypt]

Black Hat with a Subordinate S/O

You meet during an attack, the perfect interview

It was supposed to be a simple outing. You were out on a little excursion before getting ready to go to work the next day. Now, in a place like Avidité Central where mostly corrupt merchants run the system, you are always watching out for crime. Villains are expected in this county, drug lords work with the top merchants and shady arms dealers are often having meetings in your local cafes. An attack like this was bound to happen with arguments over trade routes at an all time high. But the mastermind behind the sudden turf war was not who you expected, seeing as you live miles from the coast of Hat Island.

You cover your head as you hide behind a stone bench, the sounds of screams filling the air as debris rains down. Yet another attack in only two weeks of semi peace. The Indigos and Silks had been bumping heads for months now, this fight was expected- but in the PARK?! SERIOUSLY?!

An iron arm flies over your head after a blast shakes the ground beneath you, turning back into flesh as it rolls away.

You begin to regret your investment in your apartment.

“Le Mavroir! Le Mavroir!” A soldier yells, his tone full of panic.

The fighting stops.

To your right, you hear the soft tapping of a cane on the cobblestones.

Memories of history lessons flood your thoughts, a timeline of past heroes and villains. Legends and the forgotten.

Le Mavroir.

The Black.

“Well, well, well. I expected a bloodbath, but this, this is absolutely sublime.” His guttural voice echoes from every direction, loud and clear, and demanding attention.

“Andreas Indigo,” the tapping of his cane stops on the other side of the bench. You see the bottom of his trench coat as he sits down. “This fight doesn’t seem to be leaning in your favor.”

A man seethes, “Your so-called advice began this you-“ He stops abruptly when he begins to choke.

Black Hat clicks his tongue, “Don’t test me boy.”

You slowly move away from the bench, silently sliding away towards the stairs to the subway.

The poke of a blade in the middle of your back stops you from moving any further.

Black Hat turns his head, his eye glowing from under the shadow of the brim of his hat. He purrs, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Bravery gets you everywhere and out of there

You clench your fists to try stopping them from shaking.

“I just- I just w-wa...” You suck in a breath, feeling the blade dig into your skin. You push down your fear and bow your head, “Aplires, mos Mavroir.. I wish to leave..if you would allow it.”

The villains in front of him snicker, knowing his bloodlust ran deeper than theirs. There is no escaping him alive.

Slowly but surely the blade stops and sinks back into the ground. He chuckles.

“Trevikla. Very well, little mouse.”

They fall silent. Your eyes widen in awe.

“Run swiftly, before I decide to use you to whet my appetite~.” He grins fiendishly and shoos you away.

He turns around, continuing where he left off.

“Now. Where were we?”

Leaving no time for him to reconsider his decision, you rush underground and cover your ears once more as the screams begin again.

You meet again under slightly better circumstances

You work at a bakery where the owner is less than chivalrous. You pretty much handle the whole thing: prepping, cleaning, baking, paperwork and paying bills. Often waking up at 4 in the morning to prepare for the day. Really the man is there to make sure you don’t touch the money and to occasionally help with the ovens. It sucked, but you liked the patrons.

However, upon arriving to the store that morning, you can tell something is off.

Unlocking the backdoor to the bakery, you flick on the lights and grab your apron from its hook.

“You don’t look like an Avarician.”

You shriek, turning around and whipping out your gun from your jacket pocket. A hand wraps around the barrel.

Black Hat towers over you, his coat covered in blood splatter.

“You don’t act like one either.”

“How do you know if I am or not?”

“A true Avarician would have shot already.”

You look at his hand, “If I were to shoot the Mavroir, the Blackwells would kill me.” You say, referring to the new rulers of the east and west side, after the Indigos and Silks were all slaughtered by the being before you.

“Aufils voudra de tolfier prokaló moi.” He says confidently. His voice is thickly accented, but you still understood the message. No one would go against his wishes.

You frown, “They may not defy you but I am an adeiázo. An empty shell. I have no use to them.” Or to you, you think to yourself.

“Luckily for you, a new position has opened up in my organization~.” He yanks the gun out of your grasp and turns on his heel, heading further into the room. He beckons you over his shoulder.

You reluctantly follow.

On the bright side, he wasn’t here to kill you.

The body of your now ex-boss catches your attention.

His chest was cracked open, its contents oddly missing..

You step around him,”Did you do that..?”

“Unlike you little mouse, he had the guts to to steal from me. But rest assured, I took my time ripping those guts right out.” Fluorescent green drool drips down the side of his mouth.

“O-oh..”

“I suggest you get used to sights such as these.”

Soooo... heard of hat flavored bread?

Black Hat never really visited Avidité Central often, though many of his top clients used it as a clandestine transaction area. Originally he had planned to buy an island to set aside for auctions and whatnot, but now that he has taken control of Avidité’s capital he can arrange it to his liking. It was already structured decently, with a port not far off from the city. And now he had you to manage the coverup.

To civilians, you would be a regular baker: catering to events and keeping up a cafe for everyday life.

To villains, you would be their drop off spot and cover.

And a place to buy Black Hat approved goods.

“The cargo will be shipped at night and will arrive at dawn but I can hold it for you for up to five days.” You take notes as you lean on the counter, talking casually to the villain in front of you. It has only been a few weeks since you’ve been doing this “job”, but after meeting your first few villains, you weren’t as scared anymore.

They nod and hand you a roll of cash. “I will be back to pick it up on Thursday.”

You put the money into your pocket. Normally this would be a big no no, but to reveal where a safe was to a villain was even a bigger no. ”Alright. Would you like to buy anything else before you leave?”

The villain looks at the menu on the counter, lifting a brow at the new item.

“Black bread?”

“Hat flavored.” You shiver, “Its.. okay.”

They chuckle, “I think I will pass for now.”

- -

“The bread is having some mixed reviews.” You roll your neck.

Black Hat counts the stack of bills next to him, quietly muttering to himself.

This has been your nights for a few days now.

A car with flaming exhaust pipes and rides up the the bakery with Black Hat inside. He enters the building and counts his profits, leaving you a portion behind to handle the needs of the shop. Once he gets what he needs he leaves.

“It will catch on,” he stuffs the bills into a suitcase, “If not, start over.”

“Yes, Mavroir.” You respond dutifully before flinching at the abrupt sound of his chair scraping against the floor as he stands up.

He smirks.

“Very funny.” You frown.

“Hilarious.” He says. Handing you a slightly thicker stack of money, Black Hat retrieves his keys before heading to the door. “Don’t disappoint me little mouse.”

You wave as he leaves.

Oddly, you didn't mind his presence like you did before.

Hope you don’t mind constant non-business visits cause you’re getting them anyway

Don’t feel special or anything, he’s only checking in on you to make sure you don’t try stashing away some of his well earned money- and that you haven’t been killed by a villain raging over fees.

“Sir?”

“What is it human.”

“Would you like something to drink while you’re here?”

“I have no need for drink.”

“Oh.. Well I just thought you might want to sample a few packets of blood Ms. Mawrasite brought.”

“...”

“...”

“Bring them over.”

Be prepared to deal with his vanity

Black Hat hates beauty, but takes pleasure in showing off his human forms. Usually they’re pretty normal so he can blend in with crowds, but there’s one he especially enjoys showing off~.

The mornings are always the busiest time for you when it comes to regular people. You figure it’s because of the need for caffeine and whatnot, but in the evenings Black Hat arrives it’s almost completely packed.

Well.. you know exactly why in this case.

“Sir, I think that disguise of yours draws more attention than a disguise is supposed to.” You whisper to him.

Black Hat twirls his cane in his hand as he scans the room. His blue eyes shine with wicked amusement.

When he drove up to the front of the cafe today, you weren’t sure if it was really him. He was in a suit like usual, but his skin was a normal tone unlike its normal dark grey. His voice was smoother but fortunately still had his normal British accent.

“Indeed it does. But, my pet, in cases like these, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” He says as he tips his hat to a woman passing by.

You tilt your head, “Its just ..weird.. seeing you look so human.”

He smirks. His teeth are white and blunt though his incisors remain rather sharp. It’s charming.

And unnerving.

“Do you not enjoy my disguise?”

“You’re intentionality handsome, which makes me a bit uncomfortable.”

Slicking back his jet black hair, Black Hat croons, “Would you rather I change into a more beastly form~?”

You wave him off, “Fáse ó que tu thevu.” Do what you please.

“I will.”

For the rest of the day, he keeps himself busy sending his shadow around to break glasses and trip the patrons ogling at his new form. Though he is occasionally swarmed by groups of women, he does not fail to notice your amused smile at his misfortune.

He’ll remember that, he thinks grumpily.

Work perk

You don’t mind his constant visits at all (besides when he breaks plates and cups). For one, he doesn’t really threaten you. Two, because villains know you work for him you can live without fear. Walking at night has become so much easier!

Mostly anyway.. but rest assured, he takes care of it when you’re not around.

Black Hat slinks down the wall of an alleyway and follows behind a drunken man. His putrid stench pollutes the air around them as he stumbles into walls and laughs under his breath.

The human had been loitering around the shop for quite some time, often leaving empty bottles of alcohol at the entrance. Night “clients” would normally enter from the back, so the man would be of no concern to them. Black Hat did not worry about this thing interfering with his business. Any villain worth their salt would be able to get rid of this human trash.

But his worker was awfully human.

They did not complain about the man, though he was known to scare away patrons of the day cafe. In fact, he only learned of this man when he saw a developing bruise on the arm of his little human.

It was a hand print that encircled their upper arm, and no matter how much they brushed it aside, he knew the human could not have done it to themselves.

Therefore..

Black Hat rolls his neck, his skin shifting into scales as his body contorts. Eyes litter his body and tusks grow between crowded rows of sharp teeth as he walks to the man on four clawed legs.

He would have fun with this one.

He’s surprisingly pretty goofy and a bit childish

It’s not long before you realize how silly he is. He reacts over the smallest of things and if he wasn’t so powerful you’re sure he would’ve died a hundred times over from the shit he pulls.

“Sir!”

“What?!” Black Hat hisses and lifts his hat covering his face. He was relaxing damn it!

You hold up an empty canister for him to see, your eyes full of fear.

“Someone stole the fluoroantimonic acid from the storage area.”

“Oh.” He chuckles and covers his face again, “No need to worry little mouse.”

“Why shouldn’t I be worrying about a superacid?!”

“I drank it.” He says simply.

You slowly lower the canister, “But.. why?”

“Why not?”

You begin to hide your cleaning products from him after that.

- - -

“Bloody hell, human!” Black Hat screeches and stomps his foot on the plush carpet in the foyer of his house.

You come running over with your hands and apron covered in flour. Eyes wild, you scan the room, holding a whisk over your head, “What is it sir!”

He points to the cake on the cart you had just wheeled in from the kitchens.

“What is that?!”

You look to it.

The aggressor is the candied dahlia petals you used for decoration.

“..sir..?”

“How dare you use such bright colors! And they look fresh!” He snarls in disgust.

You deadpan, “I’m going back to the kitchen sir.”

“Get rid of those wretched things first!”

With a sigh, you wheel the cart back into the hall.

He could be such a baby sometimes.

He supposes he’ll let you stick around

After the first year of working for him, Black Hat realizes you’ve managed to become one of his permanent workers. You did what you were told and did satisfactory work, you didn’t complain and you were rather decent company when he required it. You somehow weaseled your way to a spot of importance. And if he was being honest with himself, he enjoyed your existence a bit more than he should. Still, he wouldn’t tell you straight out about any affections he may have developed for you, but he wouldn’t be that subtle about his intentions.

Finally after a long day of work, you close the back door of the shop and lock up for the night.

Despite the rapid changes to your routine in the past year, you can’t help but feel content.Your job was never boring, and you enjoyed hearing the stories of adventures and battles from the villains that come by. 

It felt good to be spoken to like you mattered.

The honking of a car rips you from your thoughts.

Black Hat barks from his seat, “I haven’t got all night!” 

You roll your eyes and join him in the car, sliding into the passenger seat and buckling yourself in.

“You don’t even sleep.”

He starts up the engine, “Why would I sleep when there’s billions of humans waiting to be tormented?”

- -

Arriving at your home in better shape than the dozens of poles and stop signs on the way there, you look back at Black Hat. He looks at you expectantly.

“You know.” You start. “I’ve been working with you for quite some time and you haven’t tormented me yet.”

Black Hat straightens from leaning on the car. “That is because I have something else planned for you.”

“And what would that be?”

Caressing your face, Black Hat whispers in your ear, “I’m going to make you feel one of the seven deadly sins.” He moves away and releases you, leaving you dumbstruck as he enters his car and laughs.

“I’ll let you figure out which one it is~.”

[ciarawritesmarvel]

baker’s dozen - [bucky x reader]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: like it’s just fluff i don’t know what to tell you

A/N: I’m in such an autumnal mood and this is the result of that. As always, let me know what you think and I love you all v v much :)

masterlist in my bio and tags in the reblog! please drop me an ask to be added to any tag lists!

---

September 1st - the first day of autumn. And incidentally, one of your favourite days of the year.

In the bakery, the swirling smell of pumpkin and cinnamon was thick in the air and there was a rising heat from the ovens that forced you to shrug off the oversized cardigan you’d worn to work this morning. There was definitely flour on your forehead, you could feel the niggling sensation, but there was so much flour and batter on your hands and forearms that any attempt to remove it would only make the problem worse. If you took a breath through your mouth, you could taste the rich dark chocolate.

You grinned, and took a deep breath through your mouth.

“Knock knock!” came an all too familiar voice, along with a knock on wood that really would’ve done the job without the verbalisation.

You grinned regardless and rushed over to the side door to let the voice in.

“Happy autumn!” you exclaimed happily upon sight, arms stretched wide in both a gesture and an invitation for a hug. Bucky laughed.

“Happy autumn yourself,” he said back, far more mellow as he moved inside and hugged you to his frame with one arm, the other carrying something that you had to step backwards to see.

“Is that-?”

“The finest hot chocolate in all the land? Why yes it is. Special drink for a special day,” he said, handing you the packet and you thanked him profusely, walking over to load it into the hot chocolate machine.

“You want one now?”

“I’ll make one for the both of us,” Bucky explained, heading over to the whiteboard and reading the schedule you’d written on there, with the times of everything in the oven so far and everything yet to be baked, “You’ve been busy already I see?”

There was a hint of worry in his tone, as there always was when he got to work on time and found that you’d been in for a few hours already. You waved him away, wiping your hands on the towel over your shoulder.

“I couldn’t sleep anyway, thought I’d come in and get a headstart. You know excited I get about today!”

“I do, doll,” he chuckled, grabbing his stripey apron from the peg, the peg that had his name written in glittery gel pen above it, upon your insistence. He made the hot chocolates in record time, threw in a few marshmallows and swirled an expertly crafted swirl of cream on top, “For the lady.”

He handed it to you with a flourish and you took it with a grateful thanks, taking an immediate sip and laughing as you felt yourself gain a cream moustache. Looking at Bucky and seeing he had the exact same one left the two of you in fits of giggles, until you winked at him and licked away the cream.

Bucky gulped.

A hop back over to the board and another glance at your schedule had him getting to work on the snickerdoodles that you had been about to start on.

You switched your attention to the maple cupcake frosting that had to be made for the current batch cooking away in the oven. Just as you were adding a splash of water to the mixture in one of your industrial sized bowls, you felt Bucky’s presence behind you and smiled as you turned to him.

“Can I help you?”

“That’s exactly what I was going to ask,” he grinned, holding up a cloth and your eyes narrowed suspiciously to which he simply rolled his eyes and said - “Hold still.”

He moved closer with a single step. Lifting the cloth to your forehead, he paused for long enough for you to stop him if you wanted to before he gently wiped away the flour on your head, with soothing circular strokes and eyes that sparked with concentration. Your gaze flittered downward and you briefly noticed his teeth grazing his bottom lip before you forced yourself back up to his eyes.

“There,” he said softly, almost sweetly and you smiled up at him only briefly before he’d gone and the warmth that came with him went too. Probably a good thing, you reminded yourself. This kitchen was already warm enough.

You continued with the frosting and Bucky resumed work on his snickerdoodles. A quick check of the clock told you there was an hour until opening time. You were only a little behind schedule.

“How quickly do you think we’ll sell out today?”

“I’m going for a record two hours,” Bucky replied, using a cookie cutter on his snickerdoodle mix.

“That would be amazing!” your voice betrayed your excitement, “I suppose it depends how quickly we can get through the queues.”

“We get quicker every year, Y/N,” he reminded you, “This is going to be our best September 1st yet, I just know it!”

You knew, somehow, that he had turned to you and so you glanced over your shoulder and grinned at his hopeful expression.

September 1st may not have been a big day in most calendars, but it was one of the biggest in yours. Every year, you and Bucky closed the bakery on August 28th, took one day off entirely and then set to work preparing for the new Autumn Opening. You removed all of the pastels, iced teas and fruity flavours from your menu and started fresh with warm spices, hot beverages and freshly baked snickerdoodles. It was a quick turnaround but one you loved nevertheless.

Autumn was the best time of year.

It meant coming into work in cozy jumpers, but no cumbersome coat, with a styrofoam cup warming chilly fingers. It meant reds, oranges and yellows came alive within the display counters. It meant cinnamon and chocolate lingering on your tongue throughout the day from that bit of batter you couldn’t help but try.

Just as you were getting into work mode and blocking out everything around you, even wistful thoughts of fall, music began playing from the radio in the corner and you didn’t need to look up from your work to know who was the culprit. The soft sounds of the 1940s did that for you.

“Music helps me work,” Bucky said by way of explanation and you shook your head fondly.

“I know. And you know that as long as it’s soft and slow, I’m all for it.”

Bucky made a show of twirling around to you and squeezing your shoulder before twirling off to his end of the kitchen. You didn’t look up at him, because you were concentrating, but also for fear of looking too fond or glancing too furtively, a fear that often plagued your mind as of late. The fear that any look in his direction might betray you, that any glance might let him know.

On the other hand, what with your hopeless obliviousness, Bucky was given free rein to glance with the reckless abandon of a man in love for the first time in a very long time.

The former Avenger had fallen in love with his new lifestyle almost as much as he had fallen in love with you. After a few years of being one of Earth’s mightiest heroes, Bucky realised he hadn’t given nearly enough time to being one of Earth’s actual citizens. So, with Steve’s hearty blessing and Tony’s gift of a modest apartment in the heart of Brooklyn, he set out on his own for the first time in his life and learned how to live a normal life.

It was about a month into this normal life that he met you.

He’d been walking along the street, an early morning walk he often took to get him out into the world, dreadfully hungry and too far from home to simply wait. A distinctly sweet smell came at just the right time and without much of a second thought he was entering the bakery and came face to face with...nobody. He took a longing glance at the array of cakes and biscuits on display then edged further into the shop, looking around for anyone who may be in charge.

All of a sudden, you popped up. Quite literally, as you appeared from behind the counter, pushed your hair back into place and put on your best smile, which ended up only looking 60% manic.

“Hello! Welcome to Baker’s Dozen! How can I help you?”

And somehow, Bucky couldn’t help himself.

“Are you okay?”

You blinked, the question completely taking you by surprise. You quickly collected yourself though, to your credit, and deflated before his very eyes.

“Well, no. I’m just having a bit of a breakdown-” you looked back down at the floor longingly as if you wished you could get back down to it and the thought crossed his mind that you might have been lying down on it, defeated. You quickly bounced back though and your customer service ready smile returned in a flash, “-but it’s nothing to worry about! Can I get you something?”

But Bucky was far too immersed now to go back. As he looking back on the memory now, he realises that even then his subconscious had noticed the kindness of your smile, however tired it was, and he could see the beauty of your past features in his minds’ eye. Though he would never have known it then, he knew now that he had been incredibly attracted to you, almost magnetically so, and it was that which drove him to push the conversation.

“You want to talk about it?”

“...Really?”

Bucky shrugged. Leant an elbow on the counter.

“I’ve got nowhere to be.”

You hesitated, wondering whether or not to confide in this total stranger of a customer, one that you’d never even seen in your bakery before, but whose eyes betrayed a person of trust, a person that seemed vaguely and pointedly familiar.

“It’s just that - well, my new hiring called this morning to say she no longer wanted the job, on the day she was supposed to start,” you laughed, hollow and empty, a laugh of someone who feels they have nothing left to laugh about but needs to laugh anyway, “So unless you know a keen amateur baker, I’m afraid there’s no point in talking about it.”

You sighed, raising a hand to your face and rubbing down it with a harsh touch.

And it didn’t take Bucky long from there to awkwardly offer up his services, for a peg to be cleared for his apron, for him to up to his elbows in cupcake batter in the back kitchen with a recipe by his side and you floating in and out from out front.

Nothing much had changed since then. And it had been three years.

You were still the main face at front of shop, with Bucky coming in and out with fresh batches and special smiles for regular customers used to seeing him around. One difference was that you now knew where you had recognised him from, of course, but none of his past was even a slight concern once you’d tasted his brandy snap recipe. You’d been joined at the hip since, an inseparable pair, an unstoppable team, a force to be reckoned with.

Having a former Avenger around only helped your business flourish, anyway.

You finished your final swirl of frosting with your piping bag and carried the tray out to the front of house, already seeing a small line of people outside the door fifteen minutes early. The mere sight made you grin and run back into the kitchen.

“There’s already people, Buck!” you nearly squealed, running over to him and jumping on his back, laughing at his little sound of indignation at the action. He quickly regained his bearings though, and spun on the spot until you fell from his back and back onto the floor, feet stumbling slightly and he held out a hand ready to steady you just in case.

“That’s great, Y/N,” he said sincerely, his smile radiating, “I think we’ll have a couple of high profile customers this morning too.”

He waggled his eyebrows and you hit him on the chest as you giggled. Bucky often called in a few of his Avenger friends on new season opening days, just to create a buzz and add to media attention. At first, you resented it, not wanting to use him for fame or anything of the like, but when you’d been assured that they actually loved what you two baked anyway, you didn’t mind so much anymore.

The renewed energy helped you to carry all the baked goods you’d made this morning and over the past days into the front area, arranging them neatly in cabinets and windows, exchanging waves and smiles with those you could see waiting in line through the glass out front. Bucky finally took his fresh snickerdoodles out of the oven just in time and brought them in, filling the room with the smell of sweet cinnamon and you helped him arrange them on a specific section you’d left empty especially.

“Finally finished,” you muttered happily, startling just a little at sudden arms encircling your waist from behind and a firm chest pressed against your back. Your breath hitched.

“You have no idea-“ a little content sigh in the middle of your sentence as you shuffled your head so it sat comfortably against his chest, “-how glad I am you asked me if was okay three years ago.”

“Well, I could hardly let you lying on the floor slip past me.”

“You could have. But you didn’t,” you replied happily, squeezing his forearms and turning around in his hold. You were far too close to him to be doing it, but the excitement of the moment and the tenderness held after tears of such close friendship made you throw caution to the wind as you leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, lingering more than you should, “Love you, Buck.”

He paused. You were already moving on, pulling away from his hold to go over to unlock the door, not wanting to acknowledge the moment for what it was and he decided to go along with that. He smiled fondly to himself. One day.

“Love you too, doll.”

The customers began flooding in and Bucky spotted Nat and Sam in the throngs of the crowd. He shot them a quick wave and a smile, turned to you to do the same then cracked on with the job at hand, contenting himself with his loving glances of reckless abandon for now.

[minsugapie]

moonchild 💬

🌙 synopsis :

secretly running an infamous bookstagram, you only want to get through the school year with relative ease. after being paired with namjoon for a class project, you find out that he’s more than he seems to be.

you’re more than you seem to be.

• • • • • •

“we're born in the moonlight

ain't a fantasy

can't breathe in the sunlight

gotta hide your heart”

• • • • • •

pairing: university student!namjoon x university student!reader / online presence!namjoon x bookstagram!reader

genre: fluff, angst, humour?, (maybe smut idk yet)

status: complete

updates: n/a

a/n: NAM-FREAKING-JOON 🥵 also please send me a message if you want to be tagged in this beauty ✊🏻

• • • • • •

🌙 character profiles 1

🌙 character profiles 2

🌙 playlist

🌙 part 1 • screw and say adieu

🌙 part 2 • hot girl 3 rows in front

🌙 part 3 • k

🌙 part 4 • GRASS!

🌙 part 5 • artemis

🌙 part 6 • hobi the meanie

🌙 part 7 • honey boob boob

🌙 part 8 • serious dicking

🌙 part 9 (w) • amortentia

🌙 part 10 • call me shaggy

🌙 part 11 • death by woman

🌙 part 12 • pansy parkinson

🌙 part 13 • each king needs his queen

🌙 part 14 • hero trope

🌙 part 15 • lick you like a crisp packet

🌙 part 16 • you’re teasing me

🌙 part 17 • proud dad

🌙 part 18 • birthday suit

🌙 part 19 • my virginal ears

🌙 part 20 • it’s a tuesday??

🌙 part 21 • the male species

🌙 part 22 • sad jk hours

🌙 part 23 • wear your converse

🌙 part 24 (w) • it means nothing

🌙 part 25 • ALL THE UNKNOWNS

🌙 part 26 • tasted like ice cream

🌙 part 27 • fuckin’ depressed as shit

🌙 part 28 • we didn’t FEED each other

🌙 part 29 • 我爱你

🌙 part 30 • I’d bet my relationship with bunny boy

🌙 part 31 (w) • i am selfish

🌙 part 32 • hey jo

🌙 part 33 • this is actually me

🌙 part 34 • papa Kang

🌙 part 35 • the boyz r back

🌙 part 36 • n-e-v-r-o-u-s

🌙 part 37 • coming soon

🌙 part 38 • i still up? 😉

🌙 part 39 (w) • it’s only for you, moonchild

🌙 part 40 • deadly catch

• • • • • •

MASTERLIST

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, April 13

Cover: Hollywood’s Heroes in Crisis 

Page 2: The secrets behind Urban Cowboy 

Page 4: Your Spring Horoscope 2020 

Page 6: Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donate $1 million to two major food banks 

Page 7: How to save yourself from a heart attack 

Page 8: Hold onto those shoebox packets 

Page 9: Nostradamus saw plague coming centuries ago 

Page 10: Right outside Defiance, Mo. stands a cabin full off hope -- inside are Marines getting a new lease on life thanks to a program that just hit its ten-year mark -- FOCUS Marines Foundation is an all-expenses paid program that reaches out to those who need a jump-start to get their lives and careers and sense of well-being back on track after serving 

Page 11: Your Health -- go bananas for a better life 

Page 12: Kenny Rogers -- his life in pictures 

Page 14: Dear Tony -- Believers in messages are more likely to receive them 

Page 15: Pope Francis is trying to pull some strings -- he says he has put in a special plea with God to stop the coronavirus in its tracks 

Page 16: Tom Selleck admits he’s a big crybaby and he loves it -- at 75 he’s unafraid to show emotion thanks to his dad 

Page 18: William Shatner has tried to go where he has gone before -- and the Star Trek legend still cannot do the famous Vulcan salute -- the former Captain James T. Kirk just returned from a Star Trek-themed Caribbean cruise where passengers did the V shaped gesture instead of shaking hands to reduce the odds of spreading the coronavirus 

Page 19: Churchgoing’s the way to good health 

Page 20: A salute to Hollywood’s heroes -- stars who’ve stepped up in a crisis to save lives -- Patrick Dempsey, Mila Kunis, John Krasinski, Jamie Foxx, Mark Harmon, Harrison Ford, Kate Winslet 

Page 21: Arnold Schwarznegger, Simon Cowell, Gerard Butler, Sean Penn, Heidi Klum, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lawrence 

Page 22: At the tender age of 13 Tony has already known grief but that’s behind him now that a bighearted man has adopted him so he will never be without love and family again 

Page 24: Pump up your diet with powerful chia seeds 

Page 25: Money tips for a happy marriage 

Page 26: The Good Doctor 

Page 28: Martha Stewart’s special tea for sore or itchy throats -- Ginger Lemon Brown Sugar Tea 

Page 30: Find your footing with the four elements -- water, earth, air, fire 

Page 32: Alan Alda loving life at 84 

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Michael Strahan on GMA, Willem Dafoe out in NYC, due to coronavirus Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi may quietly tie the knot before a priest with only two witnesses and then throw a big bash at a later date, other famous folks postponing their nuptials include James Middleton and Alizee Thevenet, Emma Stone and Dave McCary and Lala Kent and Randall Emmett, Rosario Dawson has signed on for season two episodes of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian as fan favorite Ahsoka Tano, Kathy Griffin’s mother Maggie Griffin passed away 

Page 45: Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas and her dog, Pierce Brosnan and wife Keely Shaye Smith in Hawaii, a production assistant Amanda Smith is paralyzed from the waist down after suffering serious injuries during an accident on the Vancouver set of the TV series Batwoman, Fiona Apple says she ditched cocaine after spending one excruciating night in the company of directors Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson who bored her with their bragging, pregnant Michelle Williams and beau Thomas Kail were spotted in NYC wearing wedding rings, Olga Kurylenko is dealing with coronavirus and a broken heart after splitting with actor Ben Cura, Demi Moore sent birthday wishes to ex Bruce Willis as the actor turned 65 via Instagram 

Page 46: The average woman owns 20 pairs of shoes but 15 of them are taking up space because she doesn’t wear them 

[hi-i-love-u-bitch]

Letters and Tea A Sanders Side Mario AU fan fic

Dedicated to the lovely @sugarglider9603 and her lovely AU which I love to bits! I mean I love all her AUs and if I could write fics for all of them I would. But alas, college consumes my every waking moment. So for now, please enjoy!

Dearest Virgil,

I cannot thank you and your brother enough for helping me and Patton escape from Bowceit again. Me and Patton were able to make it to the Royal Alliance Meeting in the nick of time and though it was rather boring excellent progress was made. Which reminds me, King Joan Boo says hi and asked that, if you weren’t too terribly frighten still, if you would like to come over to their mansion for lunch. But worry not, I was able to convince them to change the location over to my castle since the lilies in my garden are in bloom and I MUST show them off to someone. So, think of this as not only a “Thank You” letter but a formal invitation to lunch this Saturday. I’ll even ask Patton for that cake recipe you like so much if it’ll convince you.

That aside, I truly am thankful for not only yesterday’s rescue but for ALL the rescues you’ve done before that. I am a very capable prince, believe it or not, and can handle most things myself just fine but even I need some help every once and a while. Bowceit is a handful to deal with alone but you make the burden of it much more barrable. It is an honor to fight along side someone so brave and courageous.

As a token of my gratitude I’ve enclosed in the package a scarf that I knitted for the up coming winter or if you ever find yourself venturing to Ice Land again. You get cold so easily, I hope this will help you even just a little. I’ve also enclosed some of my favorite peppermint tea which I’ve heard helps sooth the nerves after a stressful day. The tea’s leaves come from my garden so you know you’re getting the best.

Anyways, I should wrap this up before I continue rambling on forever. Thank you, once more, for everything you do. I truly do admire you.

Love,

Prince Roman

Virgil flushed a deep scarlet as he finished reading the letter before looking back to the table were the beautifully wrapped package waited for him. It was a medium lavender box with dark purple designs held together by a white silk ribbon and a small bouquet of violets. It was so fancy and expensive looking that Virgil had been avoiding touching it for fear he’d brake it somehow. When the delivery Talyn came to drop it off Virgil at first thought they had the wrong house. But no, it was just Roman being extra.

Even so, Virgil was still extra careful when untying the ribbon and placing the bouquet in a small vase near his favorite reading nook near the window. The scarf was in Virgil’s favorite shade of deep purple and extremely soft to the touch, there were tassels at the end that he could fiddle with and a fancy V embroidered in white. Virgil put it on immediately and it was just as warm as he thought it would be.

It also smelled vaguely of peppermint.

Virgil peered into the box once more and discovered a small yet thick packet stuffed with peppermint tea bags. Tied onto it was another note that said: Come over anytime you need a refill -R.

There was a lip stained shape near the corner of the note, a light gold shimmery hue that reflected against the light. Virgil swallowed thickly, cheeks warm as he reached into the box and took the packet. He stood there staring at the note…the kiss…for what seemed like an eternity, face burning, stomach in knots, palms sweaty, heart racing, and Roman’s smile dancing across his mind.

It wasn’t that Virgil liked Roman, no wait, he did like Roman but just as…a friend? A guy that he saves on the weekly? An annoyance? Roman was just…a lot for Virgil. He was arrogant and loud and flashy and charming…very sweet to his people, brave, and confident. Roman was like the sun, beautiful to look at but burned if you looked too long.

‘But of course,’ Virgil thought bitterly ‘he is a prince after all and I’m just…a plumber.’

Still, Virgil thought it best to write back to confirm their lunch date, er, meet up and thank him for the gifts. Yeah, he should do that, Logan probably has some stationary in his office. Virgil was sure he wouldn’t mind if he took some. Or maybe it would be better to go out and buy some for himself? Virgil didn’t get many letters so he didn’t bother keeping any stationary and it would probably be a waste to buy a whole packet of stationary for just one letter. It’s not like Roman had the time to continue writing to him, he was a prince after all and he probably had many more important things to do then entertain Virgil with a letter or two.

Virgil continued to stare at the lip stain on the corner of the note, looked around to see if he was alone before gently pressing it against his lips. It was only for a second, just to get it out of his system, it wasn’t creepy or weird. At least that’s what he kept telling himself before quickly placing the packet back in the box and slamming the lid on top. His hands were shaking as was the rest of him and he was pretty sure all the blood in his body had redirected itself to his face. What was worse is that he could still smell the icy warm sent on his scarf but his body was still too paralyzed with humiliation to take it off.

After about thirty minutes of dying on the inside Virgil decided to head out for some fresh air and if on his way back, he bought some stationary that wasn’t anybody else is business.

---

Dear Roman,

I’m sorry your meeting was so boring but at least it went smoothly. Give Joan my thanks and that I’ll be there for lunch this weekend, no problem. Also thank you for convincing him to change the location, I really appreciate it. Their mansion is cool and all but the ghost children popping out every five minutes still freaks me out.

Also thank you for the gifts, the scarf was really nice and warm and the tea was delicious. I’m sorry if this comes out a little awkward, I don’t really write many letters. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to write about, there really isn’t anything interesting about me. Besides facing off with Bowceit on the weekly I don’t do much so sorry if I’m a bit boring.

I don’t do much except fix toilets, doodle and write shitty music. So, I don’t have anything in ways of a gift for you except this crappy drawing I did of this water planet I visited with Remy one time on vacation. It’s not my best work but I like it better then any of the other sketches I have on hand. I hope it’s okay.

Well, anyway, you’re probably busy and this letter has gone on long enough so I should probably end it right about now. Thanks again for the gifts, I may have just found my new favorite tea. Talk to you soon.

Sincerely Yours,

Virgil

P.S. If anyone of us is brave and courageous it’s you.

Roman squealed in delight flopping back onto the bed as he pressed the letter close to his rapidly beating heart. His face ached with the now surely permanent smile he had on and burned with a flush of scarlet on his cheeks. He raised the letter up to scan over it once more before retrieving the paper behind it and admiring the beautifully drawn master piece on it.

Virgil was a brilliant artist, were it not a black and white pencil sketch Roman could of sworn he was looking out the window of a submarine. If he thought this was “crappy” Roman could only imagine what Virgil deemed “okay”. And he apparently wrote music too, Roman wondered what kind? Orchestra, ballads, contemporary, folk…maybe love songs.

Roman sat up quickly, a blush of embarrassment creeping up his neck for even thinking such a thing. I mean, he hasn’t even heard any of his songs so who was Roman to assume what he could and couldn’t write. Even so, if it’s anything like his sketches it’s probably amazing.

“Just like him,” Roman sighed dreamily, it was an embarrassing thing to say out loud in your room alone but he still couldn’t help the goofy smile forming across his face. He hopped off the bed, trying his best to mellow out but to no avail, “Come now Roman, you’re behaving like a child. This is no way for a prince to act! Especially towards a gloomy, stick in the mud who’s crude and emo and sarcastic…and witty…smart, funny…he does have a nice smile.”

Roman bit his lip worriedly, looking out into nothingness for some sort of answer. How is it you properly answer a question such as Virgil? Virgil the plumber, Virgil the hero, Virgil the adventurer, Virgil the artist, Virgil the musician, Virgil…the person. He was one layer after another and Roman just couldn’t seem to stop unwrapping more and more to see what else there was.

Would it seem too desperate to write another letter back? They would be seeing each other this weekend but that was three whole days away! Roman couldn’t wait that long but he couldn’t just up and leave to visit Virgil right this second. Well, he could but that would be highly inappropriate! Why?

Roman’s blush darkened, “I-I should write a letter back, thanking him for the lovely drawing, yes, that’s it. A-and to thoroughly remind him about our meet up this Saturday. King Joan would surely be disappointed if he’d forget.”

---

Dearest Virgil,

I’m glad you’re coming over this Saturday, King Joan will be thrilled to see you and I…want to show you the moon garden I’ve been working on. I have most of the plants I want added into it but I feel like it’s missing something. I’ve heard you like to take midnight strolls sometime and was wonder if there are any interesting plants you’ve seen in your travels. They don’t necessarily have to be flowers just plants that thrive best in the moon light.

I would also like to thank you for the wonderful piece of art you sent me in your last letter. You really do need to give yourself more credit, you have such wonderful artistic talent that I can only imagen how your music must turn out. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble would you allow me to read over some of your musical creations? I wouldn’t show anyone else, I promise, but that’s only if you want to. I’m very curious to see what kind of music you enjoy writing.

Anyway, I’m getting a head of myself. I am immensely glad to hear that you enjoyed the gifts I sent you. I hope the scarf was the right shade of purple, I’d hate to mess up your whole emo aesthetic, haha. I’m joking, in all honesty you look quite good in purple, it’s defiantly your color. As for the tea, I’m so relieved that you liked it, it was hard to pick what type of tea flavor you’d like best but in the end I’m glad I made the right choice. I know it’s silly to say but…the smell of it reminds me of you; a cold yet unusually warm sort of fragrance.

But anyways, before I continue to ramble nonsense again, back to the subject of your picture. You said that it was a sketch from a water planet you visited with Prince Remy on vacation. I just wanted to ask, what was it like? What other planets did you visit? As a prince I don’t have much time to go out and explore the world like you and your brother, though I wish I could. You have so many adventures that take you so far and beyond this land that I envy you sometimes. So, if you could please indulge me with a few stories I’d be very happy. In exchange I’ll send you more of my home-made tea blends.

Today’s tea blend is a fruity strawberry and lemon tea, perfect for summer days. If you ever find yourself in the desert again a pitcher of that will have you cooled down and energized in no time.

Well, I’m beginning to ramble again so I shall bid you farewell for now. I’m off to purchase a frame for your picture. Hope to see you soon.

Love,

Prince Roman

P.S. You were wrong in your last letter. You, Virgil Sanders, are the most intriguing man I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

Virgil wanted to scream, in a good way for once. He had not expected for Roman to write back and so soon at that but he was sooo glad that he did. Roman truly wanted to get to know him, asking for his opinion on the moon garden as well as details of his travels. He thought Virgil was interesting and talented and worth writing to! And he liked Virgil’s crappy drawing so much that he was going to fucking frame it.

Virgil was positive he looked like a hopeless, blushing mess and thanked his lucky stars he was in the privacy of his own room or Logan would tease him until the day he died. Not that he didn’t already but this would just give him more material to use against him. Virgil grabbed one of the nearby pillows so as to muffle his screams of panic and joy. This was all really just too much, Roman was just too much!

Yet Virgil couldn’t get enough of him.

He looked back towards his desk where he left the letter and besides it, a thick packet filled with tea alongside another kiss sealed note. He hadn’t even looked at it, too afraid and embarrassed that the same thing as last time would happen. Virgil wondered how much someone could blush without passing out because he’s pretty sure he’s passed that limit by now. He had kept the other note in the same purple box it came in up on top of his closet where he couldn’t see it. He wasn’t sure if it was due to embarrassment or the burning temptation to do it again.

Virgil swallowed thickly, clutching his pillow close as he slowly made his way to his desk and peered over at the note. He saw the same familiar gold tinted lip stain at the corner alongside perfect cursive handwriting that said: Hope you like this blend, it’s one of my favorites. The strawberries came out extra sweet this harvest. -R.

The purple clad plumber wondered, if he supposedly smelled like peppermint would Roman smelled like strawberries and lemons. Or would it be some sort of summery citrus sent that would be carried across a warm wind through a flower field? Great stars above, where the hell did that come from? Virgil viciously shook his head before gingerly grabbing the packet and bringing it close to his face. He stopped just an inch short of contact though it was a tremendous test of self-restraint. The sent wasn’t as overpowering as the peppermint but still pretty strong since they were freshly picked and dried. It truly did smell of summer though.

Virgil didn’t do it on purpose, it was purely a subconscious reaction that caused him to move. His lips gently placed over the golden stain and the sent of summer taking over his senses, and for a moment, if he closed his eyes tight, he could pretend Roman was there with him. Just for a moment he could pretend this was real and not a pathetic act of loneliness and desperation. Roman was here and he smelled like summer and his writing became words of adoration and praise.

He didn’t notice he was crying until he finally snapped out of his trance and slowly placed the packet back down. Star’s above, he was so pathetic. Falling into the delusion that these notes were some sort of love letter and that he even had a slim chance at getting with Roman. A prince no less!

He really shouldn’t write back, it would just hurt more then it already did. Unfortunately, Virgil must be some sort of masochist because he did anyway. He knew he’d just fall deeper and deeper into whatever this was but he just couldn’t stop. When it came to Roman he doesn’t think he could ever stop.

---

And so, it continued on, past Saturday’s lunch, days beyond days, weeks beyond weeks, months beyond months.

Dear Roman, I hear pink succulent are a good type of plant to have in moon gardens. Though maybe any kind will do, along with a few other cacti. My favorite are turbinicarpus…

Dearest Virgil, your music is just as beautiful as your drawings! I hope you don’t mind but I played a few notes on my piano when I had a chance to be alone. I feel these would make wonderful sounding songs…

Dear Roman, I’m not really great with words, which is why I mainly compose melodies. But if you feel like using them to write lyrics please go right ahead. You may be a drama queen but you have this great flow with words…

Dearest Virgil, Oh ha ha, that’s rich coming from you mister I-wanna-live-in-a-haunted-house! Which I’m not surprised in the least! Though, the Phantom did live under the crypts of the opera house and was a genius musician…

Dear Roman, went over to Joan’s mansion and explored the graveyard. They told the ghost children before hand to make themselves known before greeting me so that’s good. They’re a pretty good group to talk to when they aren’t popping out of nowhere…

Dearest Virgil, you’ll be excited to hear that I’ve decided to dedicate a section of my green house into making a cactus garden! I had visited the desert earlier this week for some royal business when the idea struck me. So, I picked up a few rebutia to get started…

Dear Roman, the piranha plants of the jungle are probably the most vicious out of all the other piranha plants. Not to say the rest aren’t as deadly but these ones have some extra bit to them for some reason. Logan thinks it’s some sort of muted jungle fever that only plants get…

Dearest Virgil, you’re painting of the stars is beautiful as well as the melody that came along with it…

Dear Roman, you have such a talent for making great tea blends, have you ever thought of opening a store…?

Dearest Virgil, you and your brother are coming to the banquet Friday, right…?

Dear Roman, Patton wants to go hiking, please say you’ll come…

Dearest Virgil…

Dear Roman…

…you’re absolutely amazing…

…I truly enjoy your company…

Love…

Sincerely yours…

Roman.

Virgil.

---

Roman took a breath, double checking to make sure that everything was perfect. Virgil was coming over today under the impression that Roman wanted to show off his beautifully progressing cactus garden. That was only partly true, the other part being was that hopefully, maybe, possibly, Roman would work up the nerve to confess to him. He’s been keeping these feelings in for months and if he had to keep them secret for one more day Roman swore he’d explode into a fiery inferno.

Still, there was the possibility of rejection and the shattered remains of a friendship soon to be gone that was just enough to keep the Prince of Sarasaland tight lipped forever. But he had to at least try, if not he knew he’d regret it forever. Though was ruining a beautifully constructed friendship worth all that?

He hadn’t time to think over the answer when a Talyn scurried over to inform him that Virgil was finally here. His breath caught in his throat and his palms began to sweat, all very un-prince like but could not be helped, Virgil just had that effect on Roman. He caused him to let go of his title and forget his image so that he could just be Roman and not Prince Roman of Sarasaland. Truly, he could be himself around the purple clad plumber.

“I finished the other half of the song I sent you last week.” Virgil announced as he entered the garden, waving a paper he had tucked in his overalls.

Roman smiled fondly, “Excellent, we’ll look over it after lunch. Come and sit, I’ve prepared a special blend of that peppermint tea that you like.”

---

It was quite easy to talk to Roman, just like how it’s easy to write pages and pages of letter to him. They always have something to talk about, a wide range of serious to nonsense topics, and when they didn’t the two were perfectly comfortable sitting in silence. Just enjoying each other’s physical company as the warm summer’s breeze passed between them. It was all very nice.

But there was something off.

Roman had been a bit fidgety. Not that he wasn’t prone to being a bit fidgety, lord knows that next to Patton Roman wasn’t one to keep still for very long. But this time it seemed different. Anxious, almost.

‘What did Roman have to be anxious about?’ Virgil wondered ‘Bowciet left for a family vacation with the kids, he doesn’t have any important diplomatic meetings for a while, and Patton was coming over tomorrow for a picnic. So, what’s up?’

“Roman-”

“Virgil!” Roman said at the same time Virgil called to him.

“Oh, no you-”

“Sorry, you can-”

They awkwardly stared at each other in tense silence, though from what Virgil didn’t know. All he knew was that Roman was hiding something and he had no idea if it was good or bad. Maybe he knew Virgil liked him? That was probably the whole point why he was invited over, to be let down gently before he could even have chance to confess. It was probably for the best, Virgil hadn’t ever planed on confessing anyways so maybe with this out of the way he could finally move on. Or be sad and pathetic and alone forever knowing it was his fault he ruins one of the best friendships he’s ever had. All because he couldn’t keep his stupid emotions in check-

“I think I’m in love with you!” Roman blurted out.

Wait, what?

“Wait, what?” Virgil said, in a brilliant moment of word association. He stares at Roman whose face was a pretty shade of pink and had a look of utter embarrassment and panic. Virgil never thought he’d see the day when the Prince Roman, self-proclaimed charmer and smooth talker, would get flustered.

“Y-you heard what I said!” Roman squeaked out, his face going a deeper shade of red.

“I did but I’m not sure if I was hallucinating or not,” Virgil confessed “so can you please repeat it one more time? Just to know that I’m not dreaming, please?”

Roman squinted at him suspiciously, Virgil reached over and squeezed his hand, eyes sincere and nervous, “Please…”

The prince bit his bottom lip nervously as he squeezed back in response, “I…I love you.”

Again, Virgil’s body seemed to move on its own accord as he leaned over the small tea table and softly kissed the prince’s gold tinted lips. He pulled back just a moment later, somehow breathless as he whispered against the prince’s mouth, “Again.”

“I love you.” He repeated without fail and did not wait for Virgil to make the first move again. Greedily capturing his knight’s mouth in his own, cupping his hand behind his head and pulling them closer. They part for breath once more and this time it’s Roman who demands a confirmation, “Now you.”

Virgil did not hesitate, “I love you.”

Roman pulled them back in so fast he was dizzy but he did not stop him. Couldn’t stop him, couldn’t stop himself, the fire was addicting and Virgil knew he’d happily burn in it for Roman. Just as he knew that Roman would willingly freeze to death in his bitter winds so long as he could taste the minty warmth of peppermint while Virgil consumed the summer breeze.