#we do not hear him laugh either when they pun around

[handfulofmuses]

when your idiot friends got distracted because they were both so busy outpunning each other and now she does not understand what you are trying to tell her and you try so hard to convey what you mean but she over here like "WHAT ED WHAT IS IT IM DOING FUNNY HAHA"

I do like that Banzai is more calm in his approach. You can see how focused he is on his gestures / where Ed is pointing too.

Another detail I noticed is that when Banzai speaks up...the frantic noises and gestures stop instantly. Ed got calmed just by hearing Banzai's voice and I feel like...that also says a lot about their relationship?

[izurou]

“i hid a pea under the mattress, in case you were wondering.”

levi peers over his shoulder—hearing the routine sound of your balcony door sliding open, followed by the familiar warmth of your voice, coated in an obvious layer of sleep.

“yeah? you gonna marry me now that you know i’m the real deal?” he asks, bringing the cigarette sitting between his index and middle finger up to his lips.

he inhales, then exhales—watching a small cloud of smoke hang in the air, and he thinks to himself, i hate this. the cigarettes, and their stale scent—an unwanted guest that sits on his shoulders for days afterwards—the worst company he’s ever had the displeasure of hosting.

it’s merely a last resort though—a bad habit he turns to when the good just can’t scratch his itch, or—when it’s fast asleep beside him.

either way, you’re here now.

“depends,” you hum, nudging the door shut with your foot—hands busy cupping a mug that reads blow me i’m hot. “will you wear something pretty for me?”

it was a gag gift, something you had bought on a whim—it’s sole purpose being to put a smile on levi’s face a few times before inevitably collecting dust in the back of your cupboard. though, the inside of the cup is now littered with little dull lines—a year or two of love from a silver spoon.

“define pretty,” he says, because he knows you—knows the serrated edge of your tongue, down to the very last ridge.

“you.” him? bullshit.

he furrows his brows at you, but remains silent—waiting for you to unsheathe your blade and deliver the punchline.

“get it? because you’re…” you trail off—using the mug in your hand to gesture up and down at him, simultaneously passing the beverage over.

there it is.

“mm, trying to get me into something short, are we?” he hums, easily connecting the dots to your little pun. he flicks the butt of his cigarette several stories down, and sips his tea. “should’ve known.”

“well, you’ve got the legs for it,” you say, shooting him an over the top wink, and he almost laughs—a little puff of air through his nose with a smile.

you on the other hand do laugh, leaning into him a little bit as a result, and oh—the fruity scent of your body wash still lingers on your skin, courtesy of the hot shower you took before bed.

and he can’t help but stare—ridiculous, he knows, even more so considering the one you’re laughing at is him, but��you’re gorgeous. the little scrunch of your nose, and the roundness of your cheeks—the way you look to him for approval, as if to say please laugh too.

you’re a real pain in his ass sometimes, and yet you’re still the best company he’s ever had—it’s awfully comforting to know that at least one of the things he’s addicted to, is good for him. so, he stares at you and he thinks to himself, i love you.

“do you wanna get married?”

he blurts it out, words uttered with the utmost casualty—like he’s simply asking what you want for breakfast in the morning.

“what?” your laughter ceases, and you tilt your head at him.

“to me,” he says, feeling the need to clarify that he didn’t mean a generalized do you want to get married to someone, someday—but a do you want to get married to him, soon.

“levi, are you proposing to me?” you ask, disbelief sitting in the back of your throat as you brush a stray piece of his hair back into place. “because if you are, i think you’re doing it wrong.”

“oh? who said there’s a right way?” he questions, wrapping a hand around your wrist, holding you ever so gently.

“everyone, i think,” you mumble—the intensity of his gaze rooting you to the ground.

levi’s never expressed any interest in the topic of marriage. the status sure as hell wouldn’t change anything—he wouldn’t look at you different, nor would he treat you as such, and he’d still love you the same, always has and always will.

but, you deserve this.

“alright,” he mutters, and just like that he’s sliding the door back open—ushering you back inside.

he’s had the ring for a while—a pretty silver band that splits off into two, intertwining with each other before meeting beneath a single diamond. the place was going out of business, so it was relatively cheap, and in need of a new home.

he walks you to your bedroom, motioning for you to sit on the edge of the mattress as he heads for his nightstand.

a part of him wishes he would’ve brought the ring out onto the balcony with him—maybe someone passing by could’ve given this moment a sliver of the attention it deserves, for your sake.

it doesn’t matter though, because you fiddle with your fingers as you watch him get onto one knee, and you feel the butterflies in your stomach come to life as he opens the little black box—because the only person you need attention from, is him.

“marry me?”

[dirtylittlecubbs]

❥ Pairings ➳ Jisung x fem!Reader X Felix

❥ Genre ➳ Smut

❥ Word Count ➳ 2K

❥ Warnings ➳ throat fucking, unprotected p in v sex(wrap it up) semi-public sex, missed opportunity for me to use handcuffs, proof read twice - edited once so if you see any mistakes, no you don't.

The thud of footsteps echo off the hallway walls of the police precinct. You remain seated on the bed in the corner, your back firm against the wall, arms crossed with your head down, not bothering to look up when you hear the rattling of keys and the creak of the metal cell door opening. 

Only when it's loudly shut and locked do you bother sparing a glance at the two officers standing by the door. They both stand side by side, arms folded with stern looks on their faces. Damn it all. No matter how many times you've seen them in those uniforms it still makes your insides burn. 

You give them both a once over before lifting your head and flashing them your fakest smile. “Morning officers. Would you mind telling me why I'm here?” you ask, painting your voice in this sickeningly sweet tone you know they hate. 

The officer to the left, his long blonde hair fluttering around his slender face that's littered with freckles and a body that belongs on a runway rather than in a cop uniform, shakes his head and sighs. “How did you get caught Y/n?” he asks, a mixture of concern and exhaustion in his eyes. You chuckle, recalling the events that led to you being seated alone in this temporary cell. 

“Some new recruits. They heard the sirens coming and decided to throw me to the wolves so they could get away.” you scoff, those little shits are in big trouble when you get back. “You put too much faith in them.” the other officer says walking towards you. His messy brown hair bouncing around his rounded cheeks with every step he takes. 

His face, even less intimidating than the other officer's face but judging him on that alone could get you in trouble. His broad shoulders and sturdy arms are nothing to sneeze at. “You've gone soft.” He mocks, taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside you. You scoff, rolling your eyes. “If I'd gone soft I'd be full of holes on the side of the street right now.” The officer only chuckles, scooting just a bit closer to you. 

“Please just tell me you have a way out of this.” The blonde one says walking over. He stands to your right, leaning against the wall with his arms still crossed. “We can't lose our most trusted connection to the other side and you can't lose your ‘get out of jail free’ cards” he winks with a grin. “Seriously?” you ask, disgusted by his pun. “Hey, that was a good one!” he defends his terrible pun before turning to the brown haired man for support. 

“Come on Jisung, tell her it was a good one!” the man all but whines to his colleague. Jisung snickers, trying hard not to laugh. “That sounded like something I'd say Felix, so it was pretty bad.” He says and Felix groans in defeat. 

You can't help but chuckle at their antics. You turn back to Felix, a more serious expression taking over your features. “Don't worry Lix, they won't be able to trace anything back to me or the new recruits. They'll write it off as a ‘wrong place, wrong time’ situation.” you explained. You always cover your tracks, it's why you've been able to stay hidden for so long. 

“And you're 200% sure?” He asks, taking a seat on the other side of you, opposite Jisung. “Are you doubting me Lee?” you ask with a raised brow. “Never,” he replies, bringing his hand to rest on your right thigh, “I'm just worried that's all.” he says, his eyes never leaving yours as his hand gently kneads the soft flesh of your thigh. 

“Not only can we not lose our eyes on the inside,” Jisung begins, his hand reaching to unfold your arms. He takes your hand and interlocks his fingers with yours, “We don't want to lose you either.” He says, placing a gentle kiss to the back of your hand. You feel heat creep up your neck at the gesture. 

Before you can reply, a hand grabs the back of your neck and your head is pulled to the side and your lips pressed firmly to Felix's. You sputter into the kiss, the sound dying in your throat and coming out as a strained whimper. When Felix pulls away you stare at him with wide eyes, your face as red as a tomato. “W-wait you two, not here!” you whisper-shout. 

“But we've missed you.” Felix says before his lips crash onto yours again. This time the kiss is rougher, hungrier. It makes your head spin. Jisung's hand slips away from yours and you reach out in search of his touch but in a matter of seconds you're laying flat on the bed with Felix hovering above you. His face is flushed and he's panting, desire and lust staring at you from deep within his eyes.

You can't stop the anxiety from creeping into your system and you briefly glance at the cell door. Even though you know it's locked and it may be late, they aren't the only ones at the precinct right now. You look back at Felix with furrowed brows. “Lix what if they come looking for you two?” you ask nervously. “They won't.” Jisung interjects from beside you. You turn to look up at him and he sees the doubt in your eyes. With a soft sigh Jisung reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys. 

“Felix and I are locking up the place. Minho already gave me the keys so they won't be looking for us, they're all getting ready to leave.” he reassures you. You look back and forth between the two men before sighing. You've been trusting them for far too long, with too many things to doubt them now. You lock eyes with Felix and the desperation in his eyes is what finally makes you give in. 

“Okay, but we have to be quick-” and before you can finish, Felix's lips are already on yours. You shudder underneath him as his tongue slips into your mouth. He licks into your mouth, moaning at the taste of you on his tongue. It's intoxicating, the way he kisses you so desperately. As if this is the last time he'll ever be able to have you like this. When he pulls away it's only to leave open mouthed kisses down your jaw and neck. 

“L-lix be gentle please,” you plead through ragged breaths, “You know I'm not exactly the quiet type.” you chuckle. Every soft press of his lips on your skin leaves a blazing heat in its wake, a fire coming to life in the out of your stomach. The clicking of a belt beside your head steals your attention and you turn to look up at Jisung, the hunger in his eyes mirroring Felix's. “Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't get too loud.” He smirks down at you, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Oh?” you raise your brow at him. “How are you going to do that?” 

Jisung doesn't answer. Before you can tease the answer out of him, your attention is stolen again by Felix's fingers hooking around your underwear, pulling them down. He discards them on the bed behind him and unbuckles his belt, the sound sending shivers straight to your core. 

He's already hard, the tip of his cock an angry red. What you'd give to have it in your mouth right now, but maybe next time. Felix pumps himself a few times before lining his cock head with your already dripping entrance. As he's about to push in, suddenly, he stops and he looks up at you. He's hesitant. Why did he stop? Your wonder. Your confusion doesn't go unnoticed by the blonde. “Are you sure you don't need any prep?” He asks, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern. 

You do your best to ignore the pang in your chest and smile at him. “It's alright Lix, don't worry, I'll be fine.” you encourage him. It may have been a while since you've gotten laid but he's not gonna rip you in half. That's all the reassurance Felix needed before he begins pushing in. He still takes it slow, which you appreciate. The sting of the stretch is more pleasurable than painful. You bite your lip, trying to stifle the moan that is desperately trying to free itself from the confines of your throat. 

It doesn't take long before Felix bottoms out, his cock already nudging that delicious spot inside of you. You let out a shaky breath as Felix pulls out and slowly slides back in. He keeps that pace for a while, maintaining eye contact the entire time which has fire dancing in your stomach. He glances up at Jisung, a smirk forming on his freckled face before he looks back at you and speeds up his pace before you can look at Jisung yourself. 

You gasp, gripping onto Jisung's thigh beside your head and slapping your right hand over your mouth, trying your best to keep the lewd sounds from spilling past your lips and alerting any remaining officers of what's going on. “F-fuck Felix what- what the fuck are you d-doinhnngg” You mumble behind your palm, your attempt at being quieter. Whether it works or not is lost to you though. Felix is hitting that perfect spot dead on with every thrust and it's making your head hazy with pleasure. 

Just then Jisung taps on your shoulder, you turn to him and find he's also freed his cock from his pants. “Open up Y/nnie, I told you I'd help you keep quiet didn't I?” He taps his cockhead on your lips gently. You open your mouth without a second thought, a moan escaping only briefly before it's stifled again by Jisung's cock. He pushes in as far as he can, the angle making you gag slightly. 

Jisung lets out a shuddering breath at the sight of you gagging on his cock before he places a hand over the one you have currently digging into his thigh and cups your cheek with the other. He stares at you briefly, a glint of something familiar and sweet in his eyes that you choose to ignore, before he begins slowly easing himself in and out of your mouth. 

Soon Jisung's thrusts start picking up speed, which apparently encourages Felix to increase his speed again. He sets a bruising pace, ploughing into your sweet spot and making you wail on Jisung's cock. Tears form in the corners of your eyes, the pleasure all consuming. You're so lost in the pleasure the loud ringing of a phone almost goes unnoticed by you. It breaks through the soft smacking and muffled moans of the cell room and you all go stiff. 

The ringing continues for a bit before Jisung pulls his phone out from his back pocket. “It's Minho…” he gulps, staring down at his phone screen. “You’re not going to answer are you?” Felix whispered, you can feel his cock pulsing inside of you and it causes you to squeeze down on him, making him moan softly. Jisung glances between you and Felix for a few seconds before you swear you saw a lightbulb appear above his head. 

“Keep going,” he says to Felix. Both of your eyes widen at Jisung's words. “W-what do you mean keep going-” Felix tries to clarify but Jisung cuts him off. “I mean keep fucking her Lix. Be quiet, but don't stop.” He muses, a smirk playing on his lips. You squeeze his thigh, hoping it'll get your message across of ‘what the fuck are you thinking?’ But then, Felix begins slowly pulling out and pushes back in in one swift motion, hitting your sweet spot. 

Your moan is stifled on Jisung's cock as he answers the phone. “Yeah?” He asks into the phone. You're trying your hardest not to make too much noise but Felix doesn't make it easy when he throws your legs over his shoulders and practically folds you in half before beginning to rutt into you, reaching depths inside you that have you gagging on Jisung's cock. 

Jisung begins losing the stability in his tone, your throat constricting around his cock making it hard for him to focus on the call with his superior officer. “Yeah we're just questioning her. Mhmm…y-yeah yeah okay, then we'll see you tomorrow.” Jisung hangs up the phone and drops it on the bed beside you. 

“F-fuck…” Jisung moans, looking at you. With the phone hung up Felix takes it as a sign to start ploughing into you again, the new angle sending shock waves of pleasure through your body. “F-fuck- fuck! I'm gonna cum,” Felix groans into your neck. “Fuck me too, ” Jisung pants, fucking your throat like his life depends on it. You're not faring any better, you're teetering off the edge and it's only a matter of time before you fall. 

With a few more thrust, Felix bites down on your shoulder to try and muffle his cries as he cums. Jisung's hands move to grip your hair almost painfully tight as he cums down your throat with a silent moan. You follow suit, your eyes rolling to the back of your head, back arching and body stiffening as you come undone underneath the two men. 

It doesn't take long for you all to come down from your highs. Jisung pulls out of your mouth, his cum sliding down the side of your cheek. You're way too exhausted to care. Jisung chuckles dryly. He uses his finger to scoop up the cum and pushes his fingers into your mouth. “Come on pretty girl, you know what to do.” Jisung teases. You roll your eyes but still suck his fingers clean and make a show of swallowing his cum, opening your mouth after to show your empty mouth. 

Your body twitches with overstimulation when Felix squirms above you before he pulls his cock out of your wrecked hole. “Can you two clean me up please, I can't leave here with cum dripping out of me.” You whine playfully. “I have baby wipes on my desk, I'll grab them.” Jisung says, turning around and heading for the cell door. 

When Jisung comes back with the wipes and he and Felix are finished cleaning you and themselves up, you finally get the chance to ask what's been on your mind. “By the way, what did Minho say when he called?” You ask, you needed to know whether everything worked out or not. “Ah right. He said you're cleared to go. They couldn't find anything on you and said we didn't have to keep ‘questioning’ you anymore.” Jisung explained, making air quotations around the word questioning. 

“Yeah questioning.” You roll your eyes playfully at the two. “Guess I was worried for nothing.” Felix says, running a hand through his dishevelled hair. “I told you not to doubt me, Lee.” You nudge him in the side with a smirk. “Alright alright, we better get going. We've gotta let you go and finish locking up.” Jisung says, standing up and holding a hand out for both you and Felix. 

You and Felix glance at each other before taking both of Jisung's hands and standing as well. Without warning you both pull Jisung forward, both of you planting wet kisses on both of his cheeks. You all burst into a small fit of giggles. 

╭✧────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ *.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ──────────✧╮

@skzms @jilixthinker @stayconnecteed

╰✧────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ *.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ──────────✧╯

Note: Inspired by Cop Jilix from Skz Code Ep 54. This is actually so bad🥲 I just love it when my brain gives me amazing plots I don't have the writing skills or brain power to properly develop. Posting it anyways tho because I have no idea when I'll get the will to write again🙃

© 143-hornycore 2024 | Do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works onto other platforms without my permission.

[lovelyiida]

THINKING ABOUT HOW MUCH KIRISHIMA WOULD WANT YOU TO MATCH WITH HIM FOR HALLOWEEN, imagining the lengths he would go through to find that perfect outfit and show it to you, just for you to deny it.

"How about this one?"

"No."

"What about this one? I'm the plug and you're the socket!"

"Corny."

"How about I'll be a pirate and you can be a mermaid!"

"Mm... I feel like you're saying that because you want to be the mermaid."

A sigh escapes the redhead's mouth as he crashes on your bed in defeat. It's been several hours since he brought up the idea that both of you should match for the holiday, but you wouldn't budge. Either the ideas he gave were too corny or just painfully bad, and it was starting to hurt his feelings.

Both of you were invited to the annual UA Halloween bash; the whole school was attending, and everyone usually had on the best costumes. You didn't want to be rude, but you didn't want to be the peanut butter to his jelly, sadly.

Certainly, here's the improved version of the passage with corrected grammar and sentence structure:

"Hey, do you even want to match with me?" he says, shuffling closer to you. His face pressed against your stomach, he lets out a whine. Rolling your eyes, you then sigh.

"I don't know. I think this is the first time I've ever been able to dress up without someone else's opinion. I just want to be something really unique, not a basic couple's costume."

You run your fingers through Kirishima's red locks. You can tell he's upset by the visible silence that casts over the room.

"Kiri," you say. With a sigh, he turns around and looks into your eyes. "Hm?" he says, his tone flat and a little bit irritated.

"Don't be upset with me, babe," you say with a defeated smile. "You know I hate it when you're upset with me. Please say something," you add softly.

Kirishima lets out another drama-filled sigh and sits himself up. "I just thought that since this was the first party we would go to as a couple, you'd want to match. But I guess I was wrong." A frown visible on his lips soon disappears and forms into an understanding smirk.

"I bet I'll still have a better costume than you," he says with a mischievous smirk. The pressure from the previous conversation lifts, and a laugh escapes from you. "Yeah, okay. Wanna make a bet?" you say. Soon, the redhead climbs on top of you with a simple hum as a response.

"If I win, you're all mine for the next day, and you have to do everything I say," Kirishima says, but he cuts himself off by kissing your lips. "And! You have to match with me for the next party."

Giving him a nod, you then kiss him back with another peck. With a smug smirk you speak.

"If you lose, then it's vice versa... and I get to pick the stupidest costume there is known to mankind."

"The night of the party, it was hard to find your boyfriend. It felt like the whole entire school was there. Going through the area, seeing so many faces but none you could recognize, you finally spot a familiar face.

"Bakugo!"

The blonde soon turns around and looks you up and down, a smug smile plastered over his lips.

"Hey, looking for your boy-toy angel?" he says, all pun intended. You came to the party in an all-white costume with the cutest angel wings and a halo to match.

Rolling your eyes, your gaze lingers.

"Where is he?" you yell, the music blaring over your voice, making it hard to hear his response.

Grabbing your arm, Bakugo points over to the front of the room. With a nod, you venture over to the front of the room.

A crowd is still present, and you fight your way to the front. People thrashing their bodies and screaming to the lyrics make it even worse. Yelling out your boyfriends name, you look all around for him but he’s no where in sight.

Growing anxious from the blaring music and the suggestive stares you’ve been getting from multiple people you’ve passed; you grew anxious. Turning every which way to find him, you were about to break off into a jog until a strong hand grips you.

“Y/n!”

Turning around, you smile at the sight before you.

“Kiri!” You yelled in relief, throwing yourself onto Kirishima, you pull him into a tight embrace. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” You laughed.

Pulling away, your eyes linger down to his body, seeing the costume he had on made your stomach drop.

“A devil” you say, voice filled with humorous disappointment. Looking back up, you watch your boyfriends’ shit-eating-grin grow wide.

“I told you we’d match!” He chuckled.

Rolling your eyes you reach your arms around his neck. The redhead pulls you in close, “let’s call a truce?” You say, looking into his auburn eyes. Kirishima lets out a groan, but looking back at you he couldn’t help but to smile.

“Truce.”

❥: @xo-evangeline , @nar00 , @king-dynamight , @gold24fish , @lovra974 , @bakugospartner , @gaby-11 , @akqsa-xxi , @jolynegf , @goldenglow149 , @aliruuiz , @zukowantshishonourback , @ilovedenk-i , @atsushiki , @smolbeanzzz , @urdecentartist09 , @lem-hhn , @stevenknightmarc , @ryumiii , @idontevenknowlolls , @lyn07 , @kennshifts , @ackerman-suck-3-r , @elegantvoids , @thecurlyhairedgoddess , @sunyrose , @thisbicc , @thekookiecorner, @snxwycloud , @skylardarling

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 21

Hello! We're back with more Royal Pain. For the person(s) that thought the kiss meant the nearing of the end of the story: NOPE! We still have a bit to get through plot wise. Plus I don't usually go through past them getting together, and wanted to explore that a little before the end.

Also, where have my commenters gone? I used to get 10 or so comments a post and the last part of "Well Met By Moonlight" only had one. My usual commenters just didn't. If I have suggested in anyway that I don't like comments or don't appreciate them, know that I really, really do! And I miss it when people who used comment don't anymore. I'm not going to name names because this isn't a callout post, just a concern, I guess.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20

Today we have a replay reaction to the kiss by the Royal Pain crew, Wayne being wise (and mention of a ring that has always been a thing in the story, I just forgot to put it in before this oops!) and Chrissy getting some advice.

***

To say that Steve was practically squealing from joy when he got to his car would be an understatement. He put his bluetooth earpiece in his right ear and immediately called Robin.

“Are you okay?” she asked as soon as she picked up.

“Eddie kissed me!” he giggled excitedly.

“No fucking way!” she gasped.

“Not yet anyway,” he said slyly, pulling into traffic.

“Steven Joseph Harrington!” Robin squeaked. “You don’t get to make dirty puns like that unless I’m in hitting distance.”

Steve laughed. “Joseph isn’t my middle name.”

He could hear her snap her fingers. “I’ll guess it eventually.”

“It’s been nearly a decade and you still haven’t guessed it,” he reminded her. “I can make it harder though...”

“Don’t you dare!” she hissed. There was silence for a moment. “You can’t make it harder, can you?”

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I can actually, but you told me not to.”

He could feel her narrow her eyes from across town as she weighed her options.

“Go ahead,” she said haughtily. “I don’t think you can.”

Steve grinned. “I have two middle names and you’ve never guessed either one.”

“You do not!” Robin hissed. “There is no way!”

“My parents were super traditional,” he told her. “My middle names come from each of my grandfathers.”

“Oh my god,” she said, “that makes so much sense.”

Steve licked his lips and waited. Five, four, three, two–

“Don’t you change the subject, Steven!” Robin came back. “Eddie kissed you.”

“He did indeed,” Steve said, “and I will tell you all about it when I get back to the shop. I’m like three minutes away.”

“I want to know everything!”

“I promise.”

*

Steve got to the shop and everyone was standing around the front counter, chins propped up on their hands, blinking at him expectantly.

He shook his head. “Menaces, the lot of you.”

Erica batted her eyelashes. “Yeah, but you like menaces.”

Steve tilted his head to the side and then nodded. “Yeah, yeah. But first I have to tell about my lunch with Wayne.”

Erica and Chrissy groaned, pushing off the counter and rolling their eyes. Robin and Argyle stayed in position though.

“Trust me,” Steve said holding his hands up, “it’s relevant to the story.”

“This better be good, Harrington,” Chrissy snarked.

“Oh it will be,” he said with a smile, “I promise.”

He started telling them everything. Wayne’s approval, the confrontation with Quinn, Eddie coming to the rescue, the kiss.

“Lunch was definitely relevant, dude,” Argyle said. “Getting parental approval is super important in a relationship. Especially if they’re close.”

Steve nodded. “So does the story live up the hype?” he asked the girls.

Robin rolled her eyes. “I suppose.”

Chrissy giggled. “It was so cute, Stevie. I’m happy for you!”

Steve waited for Erica, who sat there tapping her lips for a moment. She cocked her head. “Ehhh...it was all right.”

Everyone protested, talking over each other.

She burst out laughing. “God, you guys so easy. Of course it was awesome. Super sweet, too.”

Steve opened his mouth to say something when the bell over the door sounded, announcing the arrival of his next client.

He turned to greet them as everyone but Robin scattered. As much as he would love to gossip about his newly minted love life, he had clients that wanted tattoos.

*

Eddie kept licking his lips the whole way to his apartment.

“What made you change your mind?” Wayne asked. “About dating Steve? Him saying ‘I love you’?”

Eddie bit his lip and shook his head. “I had made the decision before that. It was just with Seth stalking me, I didn’t want to get Steve hurt if Seth thought we were together.”

Wayne nodded. “If Seth would threaten Steve over being your friend and tattoo artist, I shudder to think what he would have done if your relationship was more serious.”

“In fact I was going to tell him before Seth threatened him,” Eddie said with a sigh. “We had plans to have dinner at his place and I was going to tell him then.”

“But then Seth showed up?” Wayne asked.

Eddie nodded. “And then that night, I was going to at least let him know that after the whole thing with Seth got resolved, I was going to kiss the hell out him, but that didn’t work out either.”

Wayne tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“That was the night he ran into an ex,” Eddie explained. “The ex. The one that broke his heart. Found out a whole bunch of other shit that night, too. I spent most of the night trying to console him.”

“So the stars finally aligned today, then?” Wayne asked.

“About god damned time, too,” Eddie agreed fiercely.

Wayne hummed. “He’s good for ya, Ed. I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy in a long time. Even when Seth was breathing down your neck, you were more solid. You had your friends, but with Steve standing beside you, you looked like you could handle whatever the world threw at you as long as you had him.”

Eddie blushed, annoyed that driving kept him from ducking his head or shoving hair in his mouth to cover the flush on his cheeks. “He makes me feel brave, because he’s been through shit too and he’s still standing. Still moving forward each day. I love that about him.”

“Good.”

They drove the rest of the trip in silence. When they got back to the apartment they chatted as Eddie helped Wayne pack for his journey back to Hawkins.

“I want to see you both come Labor Day,” Wayne growled. “No excuses, you hear?”

Eddie nodded. “Yes, sir.” He gave him a jaunty salute.

It looked absolutely ridiculous coming from a long haired metalhead and Wayne’s snort cinched it.

Eddie grinned but gave him a gentle shove. “Steve wasn’t lying when he said that was the plan, by the way. We had been talking about taking him down to meet you since the first week of us becoming friends.”

Wayne nodded sagely. “I understand that he’s not close with his parents.”

“It was big ole mess,” Eddie said softly. “His parents are very recently divorced, like it was finalized last month, recent.”

Wayne hummed. “I remember you saying something about that,” he said. “At least you had an uncle who cared when your parents decided to be shit, it doesn’t seem like Steve had that option.”

“He was close to his grandpa though,” Eddie murmured. “On his mom’s side. He was really broken up when the man died.”

Wayne zipped up his suitcase. “How old was Steve?”

Eddie shrugged. “Young. Eight or nine. His grandfather got cancer before his mom met his dad. His grandpa had struggled with the disease before it finally took him. Steve said that it had ravaged so much of his body that his death certificate was like a laundry list of possible causes of death. Heart failure, kidney failure, cancer...you name it, it was probably on the damn thing.”

“That ring he wears all the time,” Wayne asked, “that his grandfather’s?”

Eddie nodded. “His dad tried to take it for years, saying it inappropriate to leave to a little boy.”

“Only he wasn’t going to stay a little boy forever,” Wayne said. “I guessing that since he still has it, his mom interfered?”

“Maureen Harrington wasn’t going to be winning any best mom awards at any point in Steve’s life,” Eddie scoffed, “but she did do some shit and hiding that ring was one of them.”

“I’m glad he had someone looking out for him,” Wayne said. “I’m sorry it wasn’t all the time. But he at least had something some of the time.”

“He’s not jealous of me or Robin,” Eddie said, “Or anyone of his friends that have a good home life. He’s happy with his found family. He loves them as though they are blood.”

Wayne smiled. “I’m happy for you, Ed. You’ve got something real special with Steve.”

Eddie blushed. “I love him.”

“I think the whole world knows it’s mutual at this point,” Wayne said with a small shake of his head.

Eddie just grinned.

*

Steve grinned as Chrissy wandered out of her room for the third time today. The first time was that she forgot her purse in her car. The second time it was because she had a question for Robin (completely made up and not something that was essential at all to her job). The third time it was because she wanted to ask Robin if she wanted anything from the deli on the corner for lunch.

Could you tell that Vickie was being trained by Robin today?

Vickie put her hand on Robin’s arm to get her to slow down in her nervous and very rapid fire explanation of the phone system and Steve thought Chrissy was going to explode.

Chrissy was wearing a pink blouse with spaghetti straps and white lacy cardigan over the tightest jeans Steve had ever seen and he’s been to a lot of Corroded Coffin shows. Her hair was up in an artfully messy ponytail and her makeup was tasteful and very pink.

Steve was just grateful she hadn’t paired the outfit with anything high heeled and instead chose white ballet flats. He was always worried someone was going to sprain their ankles in high heels walking on their hardwood floors.

He winced as Chrissy’s poor attempt at flirting fell flat.

“Oh,” Robin said, “Steve already ordered him and me Chinese, sorry.”

“I’d love something though,” Vickie said brightly. “Do they have a turkey club?”

Chrissy sputtered for a moment before she nodded meekly. “Yeah.”

“Great!” Vickie continued. “Just let me know how much and I’ll wire you the funds.”

Chrissy nodded again and with a squeak, dashed back into her room. Steve watched as Vickie’s smile turned knowing.

He shook his head and went to go talk to his apprentice.

“Someone’s got a crush,” he said, leaning against the door frame, with his arms folded.

Chrissy threw her arms in the air. “At least you noticed. I don’t think she has.”

Steve chuckled and made his way over to her, swinging the door shut behind him.

“I love her,” he said sitting down on her client lounger, “but she absolutely loses her head when a pretty girl is around. Gay, straight, bi. Doesn’t matter she becomes an absolute mess.”

“I’ve noticed,” Chrissy said bitterly. She thought about Vickie and Mandy and how Robin was just goo around them.

He hummed, knowing exactly what she was thinking. “Here’s the thing though, you are one hundred percent ahead of the game compared to the other two girls.”

Chrissy scoffed. “What makes you think that?”

Steve grinned. “Mandy has a boyfriend, soon to be fiance and Vickie could be bisexual. But she could also be straight. Robin knows you’re a lesbian. You have the advantage of her knowing where she stands with you.”

Chrissy blinked. “Oh.”

“You want to get the girl?” Steve asked. She nodded. “Then you’ve got to step up your game. Time to woo her and not just flirt with her.”

Chrissy chewed on her lip. “But how do I do that?”

Steve shook his head. “Well for starters, paying attention. Robin and I always get Chinese on Fridays.”

She blinked for a moment, pulled out her phone and then the light bulb went off above her head. “Oops.”

“Yeah...”

She took a deep breath. “Do you think I have a chance?”

“She thinks the cheerleading thing is scary hot, so...”

Chrissy grinned. “It’s short skirt, isn’t it?”

Steve shrugged. “And the cute little socks.”

Chrissy laughed. “Can’t forget those.”

He turned to walk away, but she stopped him. “Thanks for this, Steve. I know you didn’t have to.”

Steve just smiled softly and then walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Thoughts on how to get the girl of her dreams.

***

Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​ @renaissan-vvitch @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @aizawa-emma @redfreckledwolf @thesuninyaface @bookbinderbitch @yikes-a-bee @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @archermightbegay @hallucinatedjosten @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @bestwifehaver @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @oldwitcheshat @nightmareglitter @tinyplanet95 @novelnovella

[thatdeadaquarius]

I found one of your sagau posts about language and got me thinking xD

Reader who knows a lot of languages which gets people confused. Are they speaking in their godly language? Are they really that mad that they switched to another language? Why are they smirking like that--- (Aether/Lumine who understood everything trying so hard not to laugh at people's reactions)

Why did I imagine that after a flowery speech Reader delivers a response so blunt the vine boom sfx can be heard---

Reader trying out flowery speech and failing, while the rest of the people in the background are either A.) Trying to convince you that its alright to talk simply (oh now you turn the tables--) or B.) Some of them fainting in devotion/cuteness because their god looks at them so eagerly for feedback

I heard somewhere that Mondstadt is based on Germany and another post about Snezhnaya (bruh whats the spelling 🤣💀) based on Russia, so I thought that while they speak english they also throw in a couple words of their respective language (or in some drunk cases, full out native language). Cue reader just.... 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️

Bilingual reader who uses full advantage of their knowledge into making puns and jokes to Cyno----

WE CAUGHT ANOTHER ONE BOYS

YES YES THE PSPSPSPSS NEVER FAILSSS🛐🛐🛐

(subliminalmessagingpspspspsscometomeaskscomepspspspspssubliminalmessaging)

___________

DUDE ive thought abt just making it where Aether/Lumine are the only ones who understand English/ur language and like, while u can (or maybe cant for shenanigans) speak Teyvatian (ew theres gotta be a better word for that?) Theres NOTHING as amazing as the bilingual experience of pranking bitches

Eula gives like a whole poetry book of a speech to you guys to be more responsible abt gliding in the city (its cute <3 shes actually very concerned bc you know you would do sm that would worry her, i mean i know im just flinging myself off of every surface all the time, esp in Mondstadt im not using no stairs💀)

And you just... turn to Aether/Lumine and say smth in English and they bust out laughing

(Or worse, u two are giggling like little shits✨️)

Dont feel too bad Eula, they do this to everyone

(Paimon's constantly on ya'lls case abt it)

Like u didnt even say anything rude (probably), as u explained to Eula, but its like this all the time, sm ppl even find themsleves jealous of this bond you two have got, tho whether they are jealous of Aether/Lumine or you is still still hard to tell,,)

♧

IM SO GLAD ONE PERSON OUT THERE GOT THE FLOWERY SPEECH -> YOU REPLY -> VINE BOOM 🤝🤝🤝 THING I WAS TRYING TO CONVEY

Thats deadass like how i imagine half the time it would be like talking to ppl, esp if ur critizing smth that person was doing lmao (like roasting them)

Its even funnier if like, u didnt hear the vine boom so to speak, like u got ur back to the rest of the characters/npcs while ur talking to this one person and u dont even know u just said smth that's got like one person crying laughing

(KAEYA, aether/lumine, hu tao, KAVEH, Venti, childe, Yae Miko, SCARAMOUCHE/WANDERER, beidou, off the top of my head)

♡

Another one is just standing there in shock, when will they unfreeze? Only time can tell

(Zhongli, jean, eula, keqing, ayaka, ganyu, kuki shinobu, once again off the top of my head theres so many characters at this point in genshin help)

♡

They're just like,, processing still, theyre probably overthinking everything u say bc to them you give so little information 💀 i can see the like transparent images of their thinking faces floating around them now LMAO

(Alhaitham, zhongli again rip, DILUC, kaeya's also laughing at him not just you his stomach hurts help him, Ei, XIAO, ALBEDO, Ayato but he'd also be muffling a laugh, Kazuha maybe i can also see him just giggling n shit, Kokomi, CYNO, Tighnari but also he'll react like its the funniest joke ever while he's trying to actually think abt it, so he just ends up standing there, thinking outloud, then cracking up over and over again lol)

♤

Oh Cyno u sweet summer child, as soon as u started making puns it was over for him, no one can stop you, even if Tighnari can't understand ur language rn he can definitely just sense there's bad jokes being made, esp if Cyno gets it and his lip like, twitches upward or even worse, he chuckles.

(Tighnari's totally getting onto him for corrupting you)

☆

pLEASE US ACTUALLY TRYING TO SPEAK LIKE THEM 😭😭😭

What a cute image, just some of them reassuring us and some of them thinking its cute for trying, and we look around the room when we try for feedback i know i would 😭😭

If i actually got close tho they better give me a headpat or smth

___________

Anyway THANK YOU for the ask!! (subliminalmessingpspspspspscometomeaskscomepspsps)

That was a BEAUTIFUL✨️ thing to read, got my heart doin backflips and shit 😳😊🥰

God this is so long im so sorry everyone

Cheers,

🌒🌊🌧Aquarius♒️🌌🌘

[nekodere07]

Grian, the only Bad Boy left Limited Life AU

Heavily inspired from this amazing animatic!

Can also be read on AO3 if you prefer it there :]

When Timmy was out of the death game first, Grian initially thought he’s gonna be fine. That he could manage the sad news since he knows that his friend had always died first in every game, whether Grian was directly responsible or not. It was fine because he still had Joel with him. He could manage it.

Until he heard Joel’s distressed words being cut off midway and a thunderclap accompanying it whilst Grian was too distracted in trying to craft another TNT minecart. Suddenly, the clock tower becomes extremely entertaining as he can only stare and gape at it. The lump is beginning to form in his throat as the memories flood his mind through wild flashing images, reminiscing all his short but joyful time with the boys together.

That time when Joel and Timmy recruited Grian to be the third Bad Boy.

That time when they were making terrible bad boy puns after the mansion was burnt down.

That time when they grind for materials and built the Bad Boys Bread Bridge for hours, only for Joel to push the TNT minecart at the edge in the end.

Killing people left and right (including themselves) by launching TNT minecarts on Skynet 2.0.

Being dubbed as the Family’s cousins and received a carpet that said “good guys at heart”.

Sneaking at the TIES’ base but failing miserably as they couldn’t stop themselves from giggling and almost forgetting their reason of going there in the first place.

Laughing themselves off and created a podcast to past the time as they climbed the ladder all the up to the second bread bridge.

Just pressing random buttons on the floor when he shouldn’t have and accidentally killed Timmy.

Bored himself to death and played Pokemon as he waited for Joel and Timmy to finish their killing spree, only to fail horribly and got themselves killed instead after all the elaborate planning.

Grian and Joel accidentally killing themselves when they fell off the ladder together coincidentally.

Seeing Timmy falling off the edge in slow motion as he could only stand there uselessly.

And then there were two.

Joel’s last words rang in his ears whilst the thunder rumbled, sounding similar to a laugh like it’s mocking him for being unable to protect his friends this time.

And then there was one.

…

Grian clenches his teeth as hard as he can, enough that they might shatter into shards as he scowls at the ticking clock tower.

It’s happened again. This is already the fourth one, yet he couldn’t do anything as everyone around him always die either directly or indirectly by his own hands.

When will this excruciating cycle ever end?

“We look like Men in Black, Joel!”

“Okay, well whatever. We're also in mourning. It's not my fault Men in Black wear suits! You also wear suits at a funeral, Grian.”

“Who wears sunglasses to a funeral?”

“People who don't wanna see- You know, they're crying, their tears are rolling.”

“Bad boys do!”

“Wear them so they don't see you cry.”

“Yeah, but yours are above your head and yours are on your nose. I'm the only one who's hiding my eyes.”

“You're the only one that cries.”

“True.”

Grian’s vision blurs as he reaches for his forehead, lowering his sunglasses to his eyes as the tears start to flow. Apparently, he needs the accessory as well.

From the distance, he can faintly hear footsteps heading his way. As the people stop behind him, he turns around to see Pearl and BigB looking at him silently, brows furrowing in concern.

“Hey, guys! I’m a Nosey Neghbour now.” Grian greets with a lively tone as he strains a smile so wide his cheeks hurt. “Come on, neighbours. Let’s, erm… let’s go back to our base.” He sprints away from what used to be bread bridge as fast as possible, hoping to keep it out of sight from his new allies as he hastily wipes the tears away with his sleeve.

He doesn’t have time for moping around when their lives are on the line. He still has a lot of work to do.

And then there were none.

[mochiwrites]

ngl when I saw the cinematic all my brain could see was Scar picking Mumbo up and spinning him he was that excited.

so I May have gotten a little bit Too excited….

“Where’s Scar?” Grian asks, jogging over to Mumbo, who meets him halfway.

Mumbo looks down at his communicator, reading Scar’s message once again. His brows furrow, “He said he’d be here soon, but he’s gone and made us wait a whole day!” he laughs, looking up at Grian. “I mean, he doesn’t even live that far away!”

“How much do you want to bet he lost track of time? Or flew in the wrong direction?” Grian cracks a grin, causing Mumbo to chuckle.

“Well it’d certainly be on brand for him,” he agrees.

Just then, there’s the sound of rockets overhead, and the pair lift their head up. Scar flies in, elytra shining on his back. “Hellooooo!~” Scar sing-songs as he lands, a large excited smile on his face.

“Took you long enough!” Grian looks at him, a teasing lilt to his voice. He’s grinning, as is Mumbo.

“Oh well you know… haven’t seen either of my amayzin’ boyfriends since they went on their trips! I had to make sure I was up to snuff,” Scar replies, looking between them. “So, what’s the plan?”

After explaining everything to him, the three of them break. Mumbo’s drone hovers in the air, recording everything. Grian runs to his rock while Mumbo runs to the vault, and Scar flies into the air.

Their first attempt is… well, forgive the pun, a bit rocky. Scar takes too long to reach them, and Grian and Mumbo get tangled up in a silly dance while waiting for him. Scar manages to die somehow, and Mumbo starts laughing so hard that he also falls and dies as well. Scar seems to be quite delighted over the state of Mumbo’s gear, much to Mumbo’s displeasure.

They get themselves set back up, and go for attempt number two.

Their second attempt is a lot more successful. Scar times it perfectly with Grian and Mumbo, and they all meet on the bridge. Scar cheers as he lands and doesn’t waste any time in picking Mumbo up by the waist.

“Scar!” Mumbo cries, startled. His hands fly to Scar’s shoulders, gripping them. Grian laughs as Scar spins Mumbo around.

“You’re finally home!” Scar exclaims jovially. His green eyes are lit with pure joy. After he spins Mumbo he sets him back down. While keeping hold of Mumbo, he reaches for Grian, who easily moves with him. “You’re both back from your trips!”

Mumbo isn’t quite sure who leads them into it (it’s Scar, it’s definitely Scar), but they fall into some kind of messy dance together. It involves quite a bit of stepping on feet and tripping. Their dance is a little awkward, with Scar swaying them both and trying to spin them around. Grian nearly falls off the edge of the bridge, causing Mumbo to laugh.

Their laughter rings out into the open air, letting it be carried by the winds. Scar holds on to both Grian and Mumbo tightly, and they hold him.

By the end of it, they’ve moved to hold each other, as Scar offers them both kisses. Mumbo smiles, “I missed you both.”

“Awww, we missed you too!” Scar exclaims, squeezing both Mumbo and Grian in his embrace.

Leaning into him, Mumbo offers him a teasing look, “So much so that you tried to summon me, right?”

Sweating, Scar glances over to Grian for help. But Grian just so happens to be looking away, oblivious to Scar’s silent cry for help. He looks back at Mumbo, “W-Well, would you look at that! I think I hear Jellie calling my name!” He moves to grab his fireworks, letting go of them both.

Mumbo and Grian burst into giggles, keeping Scar from flying off. “Scar he already knows!” Grian exclaims, taking hold of his sleeve.

“What?! Noooooo!” Scar laughs, stilling in their grasp. He looks at Mumbo pleadingly, “Promise you’re actually chaffed to bits about it and not creeped out?”

“Totally chaffed to bits, mate,” Mumbo hums, causing Grian to burst into a new round of laughter.

Scar looks at Grian in confusion, who goes to explain he said the phrase wrong again. And as they get into a new discussion, Mumbo watches them. Chest swelling with love for his two spoons, he finds himself feeling quite at home.

[quichein-me-softly]

Hi! sorry to bother but I was wondering if you could do a sans x reader where it's like a first kiss scenario? It's alr if you can't! Have a great day!!

Author's note: No bother at all! And I'd actually like to thank you for being my first ask! Feel free to return with any new ideas lol

first kiss w/ sans

The stars shimmer softly above, casting a gentle glow over the empty picnic spot. The last of the laughter had faded, and the quiet hum of the night settled around you.

The day had been loud—filled with chatter and cheerful chaos. Papyrus and Undyne’s friendly bickering echoed over the hill as they teased each other about their sparring match, Alphys trying (and only half-succeeding) to wrangle Frisk into helping with an experiment that’d apparently gone slightly awry, Toriel chiding Asgore over a mix-up with the picnic basket.

But they've all gone home, leaving you with only the soft sounds of the night and the gentle presence of Sans beside you.

He leans back on the blanket, hands tucked behind his head, staring up at the stars with that familiar, lazy grin of his. “gotta hand it to ya, sunshine. pretty solid idea for a get-together. beats grillbz any day.”

You laugh, nudging him lightly. “Oh, come on, nothing beats Grillby’s in your book.”

“eh, fair point. still, wouldn’t mind doin’ this again. maybe next time, i’ll even bring my… stellar humor.”

You snort, rolling your eyes. “Oh, no. Please spare me the space puns, Sans. I don’t think I can take any more.”

“oh, c’mon, ya gotta admit, they're outta this world.”

You groan, hiding a grin. “Alright, I right walked into that one.”

"i call that a job well pun," he replied with a wink. You groan.

Then, you both fall into a comfortable silence, the night sky stretching endlessly above. The darkness wraps around you, serene and familiar, and you feel yourself relax into it, savoring the quiet, steady rhythm of simply being by his side. The world feels distant, leaving just the two of you, sharing a peace that needs no words.

After a moment, you tilt your head towards him, a thought surfacing as you gaze up at the sky. “Did monsters ever make wishes down in the Underground?” The question comes out softly, almost as if you’re afraid to break the spell of the moment.

“wishes, huh?” he echoes, his gaze staying fixed on the stars.

Sans' smile softens, and for a fleeting moment, something deeper lingers in his gaze. "yeah… yeah, we did. used to make ‘em all the time."

He pauses for a few seconds, choosing his next words carefully. "wishin' and waitin'… that was kinda all we had, y'know? we'd look up at the crystals in Waterfall, just hopin' someone out there might actually hear us." There’s something soft and somber in his tone, something that speaks of countless nights spent in darkness, staring up at artificial lights and longing for something… different.

As if the universe was listening, a shooting star streaks across the sky, a brief but brilliant trail of light. You catch your breath, feeling a little thrill as you shut your eyes and make a wish before the light disappears.

When you open your eyes, Sans is watching you with a faint, curious smile. “well, did ya wish for somethin’ good?”

“I did,” you reply, feeling your cheeks warm slightly. “What about you? Did you wish for anything?”

Sans leans back again, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets. He hesitates a little, his face a touch more serious. "heh, if i told ya, it wouldn't come true."

But there’s something in the way he’s looking at you now, lingering just a little too long, as if he’s forgotten to say something else. The silence stretches, and before he can stop himself, he mumbles, “can’t help it, though… feels like i might be fallin’ for ya.”

The words hang between you, and he visibly tenses, realizing what he’s just said. “uh, i mean—trippin’. heh, yeah. trippin’ for ya… guess i… gotta watch my step…” But the attempt to backtrack doesn’t fool either of you.

His face softens, the humor falling away as his gaze meets yours with something far more honest, even a little shy.

Heart pounding, you leaned closer, the fabric of your clothes brushing together as you whispered his name, barely able to find your voice.

"Sans?"

“what?” he murmurs, the word barely more than a breath, his voice tender and uncharacteristically soft.

Before you know it, you’ve closed the gap, your lips brushing his teeth in a feather-light touch. For a moment, he doesn’t move, and you worry you’ve crossed a line, that this might be too much—too soon. But then, his hand comes up to cup your cheek, hesitant yet grounding, as if he’s anchoring himself in the moment.

The kiss is soft and achingly gentle.

When you pull back, his eyes meet yours, carrying a warmth that speaks louder than any words. The moment hangs between you, charged with something fragile yet profound, neither of you daring to look away.

Finally he leans forward, his mouth brushing yours once more, this time with a little more confidence. The hum of his magic mingles with the crisp night air as he pulls you closer, his thumb gently stroking your cheek as he deepens the kiss. Each movement is careful and deliberate, as though he’s savoring something he’s barely dared to hope for. The kiss holds a quiet sincerity, making it feel precious—like he’s offering you a part of himself.

As you part, he lets out a soft, breathy chuckle, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that familiar way that shows he’s genuinely happy. The sound fills the quiet night, a soft echo of joy that lingers between you.

“So,” you say softly, trying to calm your racing heart, “what’d you wish for?”

He looks at you, his voice softened by a gentleness that feels almost like an answer in itself. “maybe i’ll tell ya someday…”

In that moment, Sans makes a quiet promise to himself: he’ll wish for you—on every birthday candle, every shooting star, every four-leaf clover, and every drifting dandelion seed. No matter where life takes him, he will always wish for you.

[giggly-squiggily]

Lee Nurugai and Ler Shion Pleaseee (Hell's Paradise)

AHHH YES! I haven't written for Ler!Shion yet, so this was a delight! I've gotcha covered, y'all! (Also I'm really sorry, but I'm gonna have to turn down the Tokoyami All Might request- it's nothing bad; I just don't really know how to write those two interacting if that makes sense- sorry!)

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps): @thatbigbisexual29 @cupcake-spice13 @rachi-roo @imjusthere07

“My, what do we have here? Gabimaru and Nurugai? What a sight for sore eyes.”

Gabimaru dropped his head low with a groan, suddenly very tired. Nurugai blinked, confused by her master’s words and cheeky smile. “I don’t get it.”

“Don’t you, now? I suppose we don’t see eye to eye on these things.” He puffed, proud. Nurugai looked even more lost as the small shinobi beside her let out another low, exhausted noise. “Not a fan of jokes, Gabimaru?”

“Jokes are fine when they’re funny.” He leaned into his fist as he watched the blind swordsman take a seat, hands quick to assist his student in cleaning their weapons. “Did you sell your soul to the comedy gods?”

“Perhaps. One shall never know.”

“Sure you didn’t get the short end of the deal?” Gabimaru asked. He instantly regretted it when Shion paused, thoughtful.

“I suppose you could say it was a…short sighted decision.” He grinned.

Gabimaru fell backwards with a loud groan. Nurugai laughed, though he was unsure whether it was directed at him or the joke. “Walked right into that one, didn’t you?”

“Forget this island, I’m gonna die from terrible joke poisoning.” That earned him a snicker from the older man, Nurugai grinning in her arm as she put away another sword. “Can’t you go five minutes without telling one?”

“I could, but where’s the fun in that?” He put away the final sword, finishing their small pile. “In life, we need humor. Else we’d be far too devastated to go on.”

Gabimaru didn’t have an argument for that. Tossing an arm across his eyes, he blocked out the sights of the world around him, suddenly very tired. Did he use too much Tao again? He could practically hear Sagiri lecturing him now.

“Before we all came together here, Tenza-” The girl paused, something sad cracking her voice at the mention of the man’s name. “Our comrade- he acted just like you. He was so over Master’s puns; one time he challenged him to a duel.”

“Really now?” Gabimaru peeked from his arm, brows furrowing. “Did he win?”

The child shook her head, something warm in her expression. “Nope. Master was far too skilled. I like to think he might have won if he had help…”

A pause. The two looked at each other and then at Shion, currently lost in thought.

“Do you think…?” He began.

“It’s worth a shot.” Nurugai nodded.

“Hm?” Shion, who had come back too, looked up in their direction, tilting his head curiously. “What is?”

“Master…if Gabimaru and I fought you and won...” Nurugai stood, stretching.

“You stop with the puns. Or at least, reel it in.” Gabimaru crouched to his feet, preparing to fight. “What do you say?”

“...” Shion was a picture of calm, considering their offer. In the distance, the rest of their party seemed to fall quiet as well, noting the sudden change in the air.

“It seems…” He began, folding his hands in his lap. “You two failed to see the outcome of your decision.”

“Huh-” Nurugai began. It was the only warning either of them got before Shion pounced, moving far faster than either expected.

Gabimaru was the best of the best from his village. Any other day, he’d be able to move, grab Nurugai and avoid the ambush. 

Today though, he had overused his tao, leaving his body exhausted and sluggish. He was quickly pinned to the ground by the blind swordsman. 

“Even as exhausted as you are, you still fight. I admire you for it.” Shion didn’t seem phased at all by Gabimaru’s weak attacks, mentally comparing them to a feisty kitten. Nurugai knew better, opting to escape instead, but Shion’s quick hand grabbed her by the shirt, pulling her down beside the ex-Shinobi. “And where are you going, Nurugai?”

“Wait! Wait, master- hang on!” She cried, suddenly panicked. Gabimaru had no idea where this was going, but judging by the small smirk on Shion’s lips, he was sure he wasn’t gonna like it. “Forgive us, please!”

“No can do. Not only did you turn on your master, but you sided with a criminal as well. That is truly unforgivable.” Shion’s playful tone softened the harshness of the words as he properly trapped them, shaking out his arms so his hands were free of his sleeves. “Any final words?”

Gabimaru didn’t have any. He simply raised his chin, gritting his teeth for what’s to come. He could handle it!

The second those fingers touched his ribs however, it was all over.

“Gah!” He gasped out, just barely fighting down the growing laughter in his throat. Beside him, Nurugai was a giggling mess in an instant, swatting at Shion’s hand as he clawed at her side. “No-nohohohoho! Nohohoohoh tihihihihickling!”

“Aehahahahahahaha! Mahahahhaster, pleahahahhahse!” Nurugai squealed, her voice shrill with mirth as she wriggled in place. “Wehehehe’re soohohohohoharry!”

“As I’ve said, your actions are far too unforgivable. You must face your punishment.” Shion tsked softly, as if he was wounded by his student’s “Betrayal”. His hand stuck to her side as his other pinched and kneaded up and down Gabimaru’s ribcage, earning a series of grunts and barks between fits of giggles. “As for you, Gabimaru- well, I won’t deny I’ve been a tad hurt. You find my jokes rather lacking.”

“Tehehehell behehehehehtteheheher johohohohohkes thehehehehn- GEHAHHAHA!” A howl ripped from his throat when Shion dropped his hand to his belly, pressing in with little warning. “COHOHOME OHOHOHON NOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHERE!”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to sass me- I’ve witnessed all of Sagiri’s antics and know just where to tickle you.” Shion was smiling- a proper one at that. Gabimaru didn’t know if he wanted to knock it off his face or hide away from it. “My, you truly are quite sensitive, aren’t you?”

Oh, he wanted to punch him. He wanted to sucker punch him in the nose so bad-

Beside him, Nurugai had taken refuge in his collar, burying her face against his shirt with white knuckled fists gathering the fabric. Her laughs were still loud- almost enough to pierce his eardrum, but Gabimaru didn’t complain. If anything, it reminded him of his wife. Her laugh was like that too when he tickled her neck- going from soft to shrill in seconds. The image made him smile.

Then Shion found that terrible spot along his lower belly and all fond memories faded in an instant as the ticklish took over once more. “AH! Nohohohoho, not thehehere, you sohohohn of a-”

“Mahahhahahahster, pleahhahahahahhahse!” Nurugai cried, eyes starting to mist over as she weakly pushed at Shion’s hand kneading her hip, squeaking like a mouse caught by a cat. Gabimaru, not wanting to blow out either hers or Shion’s eardrums, had covered his mouth with his arm to block out the noise. It worked- somewhat. “Pleahahhahahse foohohoohohrgiihhiihihive uhuuhuhus!”

“Hm…” Shion considered, pausing briefly as the pair beneath him gasped for air. “Well…I suppose I could forgive you..”

They waited, breathless and giggly. Shion nodded his head slowly at both of them, drawing out the anticipation.

“.....Very well.” The weight pinning them down was released. Nurugai cheered weakly with a laugh, remaining where she was as Gabimaru covered his face with his arms. He didn’t need a mirror to know his face was bright red. He thanked whomever was watching over him that the rest of their vanguard party wasn’t there to witness it. “I suppose I can turn a blind eye for now.”

“Pfft-” Maybe the tickling broke his humor, or perhaps he felt a bit bad for hurting Shion’s feelings, but Gabimaru couldn’t fight off the snort that escaped. Before him, Shion seemed surprised.

“Don’t-” He began when Shion fluffed with pride, only to laugh again as he sat up, gently shoving the blind swordsman. “Whatever. You got me once. Just once.”

Nurugai giggled as she sat up, eyes dancing as she looked at Shion. “Round two!” She cried, leaping upon him before either man could react. Gabimaru took his chance to back away as student and master duked it out, the girl surprisingly coming out on top from the looks of things.

“Had fun?” A hand touched his shoulder, making him jump. Just like that, he could feel his Tao begin to return. “Master Shion can be rather devious with his tactics. Best not to get on his mischief side in times like this.”

“Speaking from experience?” Gabimaru raised a brow as Sagiri took a seat beside him, grinning when she pinched his shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about it, you find all his jokes funny.”

“Not all. I simply humor him.”

“Uh huh. You know what he told me? He said he’d turn a blind eye to us.”

Sagiri sputtered a laugh, barely fighting it back as Gabimaru hummed. “Humoring him my ass.”

“One more word out of you and I’m tickling you to tears.”

“Sorry mom.”

He managed to get away before she could grab him, giggling like a child as he bolted. It didn’t take long before Sagiri had him pinned and tickled once more.

Worth it.

Thanks for reading!

[gabessquishytum]

This is a bit of a domestic fluff thing for the Hoblings AU.

Determination (Dante)

Deception (Dimitri)

Delight (Delilah)

Destruction (Daphne) 

Hope (Roberta)

Dream heir/Drowsy (Dorian)

Danger (Damien) 

I made this list so we can keep everything straight (as straight as we can lol)

The kids split their time evenly among the waking and the dreaming much like regular mortals do except they get special privileges from being the king’s kids. It’s not spilt custody tho cause Hob can enter the dreaming and Dream can be in the waking.

When they are older the kids get the choice to either stay primarily on earth or create realms of their own. (Even Dorian will get this choice) 

Basically when a child turns 18 they will be given a year to live primarily on earth and then at the end of this year they will decide. 

Daphne decided to stay on earth, she has a girlfriend and a job constructing and then deconstructing sets for a local theater. She is a huge muscular woman who the rest of crew are a little afraid of, (“I once saw her carrying around a ton of metal beams like it was nothing!”) but she really is a sweetheart. Of course they don’t find this out until her Papa comes to visit.

She’s currently building a set for this theater’s production of Chicago and she’s in charge of the metal frame work, mostly because she’s the only one that can do it, when from stage left enters a jovial professor looking type. 

“Daffy? Daffy Duck?” 

Daphne laughs, only one person calls her that, she turns around and hugs her Papa who is slightly lifted off the ground.

“Papa, what are you doing here? I’m working.”

“What? Is work more important than dear old dad?” He teases.

“No, no, what’s up,” she brings him to the edge of the stage and sit down, their feet dangling off the edge.

“Well your sister made you cookies and wanted me to drop them off for her. She hopes you like em,” he emphasizes the word Hope and they giggle like it’s some sort of inside joke. 

“I’m sure I will, something else you gotta tell me or is it just the cookies?”

Hob rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I’m hosting a family dinner at the house, tonight.”

“Family dinner? That’s not for another two months!” 

“Yeah, yeah I know, but your father and I have a little announcement to make”

She rolled her eyes.

“Please tell me you did not get him pregnant again.” 

He goes beat red and gets up.

“Ah no no no, I told ya Dorian’s the last one, six at the inn, bring that girlfriend of yours if you like.” 

Hob exits perused by a bear. (Who he will later have to politely decline the offer for a date from)

Her crew start opening up to her after that.

Dream was responsible for telling Dimitri who spent most his time in The Threshold much to Dream’s chagrin and Delilah who was apprenticing under Delirium. Roberta and Dorian still lived with Hob and Dream so they had no choice in the matter. There was just one more kid who needed informing, and it was Hob’s job.

He got up on the roof of the New Inn. Dante was always the hardest to get in contact with since his endless abilities had him traveling the word. Hob had to the take a bit of a magical or madman approach depending on how you look at it. 

“Dante? Dante can you hear me? I’m calling out to you like Dream told me too, Dante? I need ya to come to the inn from where ever you are. You’re not missing a family dinner on my watch.” Nothing, absolute silence. 

“Well shit, maybe that what’s the paper’s for,” Hob pulls out a crumpled bit a paper that Dante gave him during the last family dinner incase he needed to contact him, Hob looked at the little scrap and sighed.

“I’m not saying this, it’s stupid. You should just come here cause I’m your father and I say so,” more silence.

“Fiiiiiine” he takes a deep breathe in. “Dante I summon thee.” And with a little more reluctance, “I’m determined to speak with you,” 

The winds shifted and suddenly his eldest was before him.

“It’s a stupid pun, Dante,”

“It took me a long time to come up with that,” he retorted.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not stupid, where’d I snatch you from?”

“India,” 

“Good boy, lot of fun India, course I haven’t been in a couple of centuries and-“

Dante puts a hand in front of Hob’s face to stop one of his legendary rambles. 

“You know I’m always happy to see you but why did you summon me, pops?” 

Hob claps him on the back. 

“To invite you to family dinner of course,”

“But family dinner is not for another two months!” 

Hobs laughs. 

“Oh, you and your sister, two peas you are.”

“I gotta lotta sisters, Pops. When’s dinner?”

Hob giggles to himself as he opens the door on the roof. 

“Everyone’s downstairs and you’re the last to arrive so…now!” 

Dante jumps back almost hitting a chimney.

“Jesus Pops! Give a man some warning! You know I don’t like impromptu socialization!” 

“Get used to it sunny boy!” Hob cackles as he gently pushes Dante down the stairs. 

Everyone was gather around a table, all six kids and Daphne’s girlfriend. the only one missing was Dream.

Hob figured he was in the kitchen preparing for the big announcement. 

“Dream? Babygirl?” 

“Hob Gadling, do not call me that when others are present,”

Hob hugs him from behind. 

“They can’t hear me. And besides what if I want them to know you’re my precious baby girl?”

Hob kisses him on the neck.

“Whose is that woman with the curly hair? She’s not one of our children is she? I feel like I would’ve have remembered that.” Dream muses, ignore Hob who is still kissing at his neck.

“That’s Melanie, Daphne’s girlfriend. I invited her, so play nice papa bear.” 

“I merely wish to look out for my daughters best interest.”

“I know baby, speaking of, you ready?” 

“I suppose,”

Like a king and queen entering a royal ball The Gadlings make their way to the dinning room. 

“Children,” dream said in his big godly voice. 

Everyone whipped their heads up from their conversations and looked at Dream expectantly.

“Hello everyone! So glad you could make it! Hi Melanie!” Hob said as Melaine shrunk a little in her seat while Daphne gave her Papa a death glare.

“You maybe wondering why’ve we’ve called a surprise family dinner, well… your father and I have an announcement! Dream, if you will?”

Dream gave a small smirk, “Your Papa knocked me up,” then he sat down putting a hand on his not even there baby bump.

There was an uproar!

“Dream I thought we agreed you wouldn’t say it like that!”

“I thought you said Dorian was the last one!”

“Dad’s pregnant?” 

“Papa you swore it wasn’t another baby announcement!”

“Hob Gadling master of sex, shit at using protection,”

“Dimitri!” 

“Congratulations… Mr. Gadlings,” that one was Melanie.

“Just couldn’t keep it in your pants, could you pops?”

“Enough children, I asked for a seventh baby, to carry on the tradition of the endless siblings…”

Then all of the siblings telepathically communicated with each other in a way only siblings can and then all at the same time shouted, “NOT IT” 

(Yes I’m officially dubbing it the Hoblings AU)

-🦎 anon

Hoblings!!!! I love this. Just imagine the scene at Christmas:

Dimitri: a couple of us have clubbed together to get your gift this year pops. Don't use 'em all at once!

Hob: *unwraps the biggest box of condoms you've ever seen in your entire life*

*screeching and cackling from assembled Hoblings*

Dream, who was definitely in on the plan in the first place: behave yourselves children, how could you be so immature 🤭

I wonder what the next little Hobling will turn out to be. It would be interesting if they turn out to be entirely "normal" and human. But that might be a little bit sad considering all their siblings have their functions. Discovery of the Endless, maybe? Who knows. They will be very, very loved though. And with Dream pregnant all over again and Hob having both the time and wherewithal to enjoy it, they're definitely going to be using those condoms <3

[thegodthief]

A week ago, I dreamt that I had wandered into a bar on some back street in some forgotten part of a town that never existed. None of the patrons looked up at me as I asked the bartender for a bottle of "fancy water", and yes, I'll pay the exorbitant price because my GI tract will likely not appreciate the local flavor but I am very thirsty.

The bartender laughed at me but also thanked me for being aware of my limitations because it meant our interactions would be "a lot cleaner" than what most tourists leave for them to handle. As we threw scatological puns at each other, I didn't notice an old man approaching me on my right side until he had reached out and grabbed my right hand the moment I had let go of the bottle of fancy water.

He turned my hand palm up and quickly ran his thumb over the pad of mine. "Subtle, but it's there." He traced his left index finger over the palm. "Clean. Cool. Too cool." He pressed the tip of his finger into a certain spot on my palm.

A sudden rage inflamed me from within and I nearly lost my will and my sight to the soul-chewing urge to clock him back to the tables. He studied my face even as I quickly shoved the feelings back down. I knew where those feelings came from and why they were triggered by that press.

I didn't know how he knew of it.

"Your left hand, please." He had released my right hand and was now gesturing towards my left.

"Why didn't you take it the way you took my right?"

"Because I know what is holding your left hand, child, and I do not have leave as I did your right."

"I did not come here to start shit." I turned to the bartender and addressed him. "May I take the glass bottle with me? I don't think it is prudent for me to stay if the regulars are going to treat me like an exhibit."

The bartender looked between me and the old man. "Yes, you may take the glass bottle with you since it's only water. But... you may also want to hear this particular regular out. Yes, he's a bit of a perv and he is certainly up to something, but he won't cross a boundary unless you give him permission to."

"Deliberately triggering a rage response isn't crossing a boundary?"

"Not when it was within his right to do so in the first place. Take a look around. You're not in your world right now. The rules you are used to aren't the rules that are enforced here. At the very least, consider what governs your right hand, what governs your left hand, and why would he have full rights to one but must ask permission for the other?"

"I don't even know who the fuck he is, or how he knew about... that. Unless... someone told him... but who would?" Who could?

I looked around the bar. It looked like any other bar I've hung out at during the off times. Cracks in the tile and rips in the seats. Table edges worn down by use, abuse, and misuse. The bar likely has a reputation for being a poor place for tourists and a prime place for crime, when the reality is it is a prime place for the locals, a poor place for influencers, and a perfect place for grifters to bring their marks for everyone to watch.

The bar didn't give any indication that there was any supernatural activity going on. I suspected I was dreaming, but there was nothing out of the ordinary that would confirm if I was or reveal if I wasn't.

I looked at the palm of my right hand. There was nothing to indicate there was anything special. Even the redness that came from his gentle press had already faded. Just my hand and all its creases, calluses, and scars.

What governs my right hand... or really... what governs the spot that the old man pressed. I didn't want to think about that so of course, I considered what governs my left hand. I decided I didn't want to think about that either. I took the bottle of water and turned to leave the bar.

The old man's hand was suddenly resting on my right hand as I tried to press myself away from the bar. "Please. A moment. Come sit with me, child. I don't bite. You can always go home at any time. But once you leave this bar, there's no telling if you will ever come back here again."

The spot on my right palm heated suddenly, as if a candle flame was trying to erupt through the skin. It reminded me of another analogy, one that I have told no one, and I realized he knew of that already.

I pulled my hand out from under his and looked at the edge of the bar my palm had pushed against. What I saw there confirmed that I was dreaming. "Since you can't cross a boundary unless I give you leave, I reserve the right to treat you like the Good Folk. If that would give you offense, speak now so I may leave you in peace."

He laughed. "The hand may be cool, but the mind has been tempered. Some. That would not give me offense, but I may laugh a lot at you. I am not of their kind, though I know of them."

I followed him to a corner table set away from the restrooms, the back rooms, and any desirable light. This is a table for those who do not want to be bothered. Cramped against the corner of the room with only a dingy light to illuminate the table.

Somehow, I saw everything clearly.

We sat across each other. I noticed he had a leather bag at his feet. My small satchel was hanging off my belt. It has been a long while since I have seen it in my dreams and I wondered if I was going to start wandering again.

"Now, your left hand, please."

"What is your intent and do you ask to view or to take?"

"Oh, if you think my play is that obvious then you have missed too many lessons, child. My intent is to examine your hand, to view, but I will need to touch it to examine it properly. I will not hurt you, nor will I take anything from you."

I placed my left hand not in his waiting right hand, but flat upon the table with my palm turned up. He laughed low to himself and felt the pads and ridges of my fingers and palm.

"Ah, there's the twin to the right thumb. You read cards and are brutal with your shuffling. No marks upon the palm. A shadow is wrapped around this finger, but it is not given to me to read. Your left hand is clean. Surprising. I would have thought your rebellious streak would have manifested itself indelibly by now. There's still time, I suppose."

He moved his touch from my hand to my wrist. "Now, the stain upon your arm, on the literal other hand..."

I pulled my hand away from the table and rested my hand on my lap. "If you're going to cop a feel, there are safer ways to do so. What do you want with me, old man?"

"Finish your water and let the boy take the bottle. I need the table clear before I answer."

I was suddenly aware of a boy, no older than nine years of age, standing close enough to the table to pay attention but far enough to not be noticed. I drank the rest of the cold mineral water and handed the empty bottle out to the boy. He rushed forward, bowed as he took the empty bottle, and disappeared towards the back of the bar.

"You have lost yourself, child. You have your own well to drink from but you spend yourself to drink from other people's cups. You know you are dreaming, and that was a bottle of fancy water and that wasn't a bottle of fancy water. Have the words rotted so much within you that you don't realize an allegory when it touches your lips?"

He pulled small boxes from his bag and stacked them on the table. "You read cards. They are comfortable in your hands. You are brutal to many of your decks, with your rough palms and too-strong fingers. Your occupation is such that you can't adorn yourself with long manicures and fancy decorations. Your fingernails turn at a certain length, the result of continued interactions with the scribe's tools, modern and ancient."

"But, at the end of the day, or the start of it, depending on your mood... you read cards. I know you read tarot, your Hierophant told me of such. Ah. There. I have said too much. Do you recognize me now?"

I had recognized him when he pressed that spot in my right hand, but I didn't want to acknowledge the understanding. But now the reference makes it unavoidable.

"Ay, Signor, I recognize you."

"Good. Then you know there is no need to be coy with me and that what would defend you from [the Sweet Lights] would not defend you from me in the slightest. Tell me, why are your hands clean?"

I looked at my hands. Aged. Scarred. Clean. "I have been afraid... I am afraid, that if I go too far, I will not be able to return. I am a scavenger in the midst of predators. I am afraid that if I work to my potential, I will not survive the consequences."

"All that lives is born to die, child. There is neither comfort nor safety in cowardice."

I stared at the collection of decks between us on the table. "I am afraid that... I am afraid. Of many things. But mostly, that it's too late to do anything about it."

His voice floated over the table. "Here. Take a deck of cards. Any deck."

I looked over the stacks of cards. There were casino poker decks and cheap barajas. There were indie-published tarot decks and museum replicas of historical decks. There were worn decks wrapped in yellowed handkerchiefs and new decks in sealed foil tuck boxes. A glutton of decks, more than I could ever hope to use, were piled high on the table.

I wondered how they all fit in the small bag I saw at his feet.

"A deck for what purpose, Signor? To read? To play?"

"Is there a difference?"

"Well, yes, there is." The history of tarot and playing cards blurred my sight for a moment. I realized I was confusing myself. "I think there is. I'm not sure anymore."

"Look at me, child." I obeyed his command. "You know my history, tell me, when did I ever have any of these in my hands?" He gestured over the table.

"Never, Signor."

"Then what does it matter what deck you take now?"

"Because, Signor, I do not know the intent that you want me to take up a deck for, or with."

He laughed again. "When did you stop looking for yourself and start demanding to be led? This does not become you. Okay, let us begin with the basics, then. You know my history, of my deeds, real and imagined. Tell me, then, when I needed to do something, which do you think happened? Did I wait for the perfect tool to come to my hands or did I perfect the use of whatever I had within reach?"

The insult stung because it was correct. I did not react to it, but smothered my shame by trying to pass the impromptu test. "By perfecting the use of whatever you had within reach."

"Go and do likewise. Before you take a deck, I am going to tell you something you already know. You have all the tools and resources you need within reach. You just need to lift your head and see with your eyes and reach with your hands. Now, take a deck."

Without looking, I reached blindly and picked up a deck of cards. Immediately, all the other decks disappeared off the table. It was a deck of casino poker cards. It was a deck of baraja española. It was a deck of bootleg souvenir cards. It was a fancy art deck never meant to be used. It was not a tarot deck.

"Read my cards."

I looked up at the old man. He was sitting back in his chair, stroking his beard smugly even as he just asked me to do the impossible.

"But... you don't... that's not... It's an anachronism! There's no..." I bit my tongue with the force I used to shut myself up as I realized what had been holding me back.

"Hmm? What's that? Were you going to say something?"

I pressed my lips to remain silent and shook my head.

"Surely the great truth you are choking on must be important for it to burden your hands so heavily. Better to reveal it so I may be taught something new, yes?"

I was choking on the word, but like hell was I about to spew it into the old man's face. I'd rather cut my own throat with the cards, first.

He watched me with silent mirth as I struggled to regain my composure. Eventually, I was able to chew the word into syllables and swallow them down, sound by sound. Only when the word was gone from my mouth did I feel safe enough to speak again.

"I almost spoke out of turn, my apologies, Signor. Read your cards, you say? And how do I go about doing that? And for whom shall I read?"

He stood, transforming as he did into a visage I am more familiar with. He tapped the table and I was gently held still and silent. "You have everything you need to learn. You have everything you need to read. You do not need to spend any money chasing someone else's ideals. You can cultivate your own in the safety of your own home."

"This week, you will receive a demonstration of my cards. The same word you almost insulted me with is the same word that will give you leave to do the same. Take up what you put down and add my cards to your arsenal of tools. But do not leave them clean. My cards are not meant to be admired. My cards, my tools, are meant to be used. They have been placed in your hands for this."

"Stain your hands by work, and you will wear down your fear. Keep your hands clean and your fear will keep them bound. Read my cards."

He passed me to leave the bar and I found myself unable to turn to watch him. Only after I heard the entrance door close was I able to move. Instead of standing or reaching for the deck I had chosen, I closed my eyes and fell into a deeper sleep.

~~~

The following day, a post describing the use of his cards was in my social media feeds. At once, I remembered the dream and his references. At once, I remembered which books I have and which playing card decks that have remained fallow and forgotten because they are so plain and ubiquitous. At once, I remembered the word that I have been using to justify my inaction even as I lament my solitude.

I spent much of the week transcribing the collections of instructions to my notes. I found many of the instructions to be incomplete or overly complicated. They would need to be adapted to fit the circumstances that I am in. The fear that I was doing things wrong or without tradition kept trying to creep up on me. Each time, I would remember my outburst at the table and how I used the word "anachronism" to justify doing nothing.

I do not have a perfect set of tools.

I do have the ability to perfect the tools I do have within reach.

And I guess, that is the most traditional thing I could do after all.

It was after that moment of acceptance that I closed my eyes for five hot seconds. I was suddenly seated at the small table in the bar again. Signor was seated quietly across from me. I was aware of the presence of a young boy nearby.

"A story was told to you, and so you carry on another day. Tell this story."

And so, it is told.

[i-am-bitterly-jittery]

Day 2: Birthday/Surprise

For @moxiety-week

Word Count: 825

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Moxiety 💙💜 implied Logince and Dukeceit

Warnings: mildly suggestive flirting, a generous amount of Pokémon puns

~~~START~~~

Patton told Roman that he shouldn’t be the one to keep Virgil away from his surprise party, he told him that he was no good at keeping secrets and that Virgil would see right through him in two seconds flat, but Roman had insisted. Roman and logan couldn’t do it because they had to set up the party — Roman in charge of the festive stuff and Logan in charge of the logistical stuff; Remus couldn’t do it because he would either tell Virgil about the party without trying to hide it, or skip the party entirely for shits and giggles; Janus couldn’t do it because Virgil would accuse him of trying to kidnap him as soon as Janus tried to get him to go to the party; Remy couldn’t do it because he would get Virgil too jacked up on caffeine; and Emile couldn’t do it because he wouldn’t get off work until right before the party. 

Besides, Patton was Virgil’s boyfriend, it would look weird if Patton was avoiding him on his birthday. 

So far keeping Virgil out of their apartment was going pretty smoothly, he’d put up a little bit of a fuss when Patton had begged to go to the mall, but he’d given in once he was assured that they’d go to Hot Topic. Normally, Patton would just follow Virgil around the store and let him look at things at his leisure, but today he pointed out every little thing he saw in the hopes of keeping them in the store longer. 

“Oh! Look at this!” Patton said, grabbing a Poké ball necklace off the wall and showing it to Virgil. He pressed a small button and the Poké ball snapped open, revealing a small pikachu inside. “It’s a pika-boo!” 

Virgil smirked at the joke. “That was bad, Pat.” 

“You’re right, I should have just kept my meowth shut!” 

That elicited a snort. 

“Are you a-mew-sed?” Patton grinned. “Did my pun tickle your cubone?” 

“Call me cubone cuz I want to c u bone,” Virgil whispered just loud enough for Patton to hear him. 

Patton was struck dumb by the pun as he felt his face heat up. 

Flirting? With puns? As if he couldn’t love Virgil more. 

Virgil, shifting uncomfortably in the ever-expanding silence, opened his mouth to apologize, but Patton cut him off. 

“Are you a ninetales? Because you’re hot and foxy.” 

Both of them lost it at that, giggling up a storm in the middle of the Hot Topic. 

“Pat, why?” Virgil wheezed, tears streaming down his face. 

“Wynaut?” Patton giggled, setting Virgil off again. 

It was a while before they left the Hot Topic. 

“What should we do now?” Patton asked once they were back in the busy walkway of the mall. He had a few more hours before the others would be ready for him to bring Virgil back, he would have to fill the time doing more birthday activities with Virgil. 

“I kinda just want to go home,” Virgil shrugged. “Maybe cuddle for a few hours.” 

Literally any other time, Patton would love nothing more than to cuddle with Virgil in their home, but today he had a job to do. 

“We’re already out,” he insisted. “We should do things!” 

“Like?” Virgil asked expectantly, the faintest traces of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. 

“Like… like… get lunch! We should get lunch! At that Thai place you like!” 

“We could just get takeout,” Virgil pointed out. “Eat it at home in front of the tv.” 

“But then it’s not special!” Patton pouted, hoping that would be enough to convince his boyfriend to stay out a while longer. 

“Well, what if,” Virgil started, a smirk that Patton did not trust creeping across his face. “What if we get takeout and go to Ro and Lo’s? We haven’t hung out all four of us in weeks!” 

“Well, um…” Patton floundered. “They’re– uh, they’re busy today.” 

“They are?” 

“Y-yeah, Logan has that thing today. That, uh, engineering thing.” 

“Oh, right,” Virgil laughed. “‘That engineering thing’. Maybe we should see what Remus and Janus are doing then.” 

Patton opened his mouth to stutter through another excuse when he noticed the twinkle in Virgil’s eyes. 

“You’re messing with me!” He accused, pouting. 

“Maybe a little bit,” Virgil chuckled. “I couldn’t help it, you’re cute when you’re trying to be sneaky.” 

Patton pouted even more. “I thought I was doing a good job at distracting you.” 

“You were,” Virgil assured him, kissing his pout away. “But I saw the texts on Princey’s phone when I was over there last weekend. Don’t worry, I’ll still act surprised when we get to the party.” 

“You promise it wasn’t me who gave it away?” 

“I promise. Now, if I'm not mistaken, someone promised me Thai food, and I’m guessing we’ve got a few more hours to fill.” 

“Anything for the birthday boy!” Patton grinned, dragging Virgil out towards the Thai place. 

~~~END~~~

General taglist:

@royalty-of-all-things-snuggly @pixelated-pineapple @arsonic-knight @misunderstood-shadowling

[a-mag-a-day]

MAG 85 - last one of the hair dying session!

I like how this statement starts with "statement by ?? about something that may or may not have happened?? statement given ???"

Jon's statement voice here sounds very similar to the one for Jane Prentiss in MAG 32! Is this his "I'm telling you of my becoming"-voice?^^

"Go away, go away, and please don’t slam the door…" - This sounds so out of place xD Like if I had a problem with a man who is not there then a slamming door would be least of my problems XD But maybe it's just the way Jonny reads it, with that pause and then a bit of an irritated note. Still, fits the haunting in general, slamming doors. And I guess doors also work with the Spiral of course.

"I was disappointed, then, to discover it was simply a reference to a haunting." - RL experience there maybe?

"He cannot be not there." - In fact, I am not in any place anywhere in the world right now except for where I am exactly in this moment. (I know, it's about the "being" XD)

"I didn’t meet him on the staircase as well." You know, what's a funny coincidence? I didn't met him there either! I'm sure you didn't meet him as well?

"It was not a spiral staircase" - Even if it wasn't a spiral staircase, it still could have been a Spiral staircase.

"Eventually, the man who had never set foot upon my staircase became real enough to have done this to me." - Even though the man has also never set foot upon my staircase he did remind me of the vacation days I didn't take last week.

"He looked around for me, but of course I wasn’t there" - Can you imagine, not being there? When I was in school I was not there several times although the others could see me and it was one of my worst experiences.

"And as I stared from the empty spiral staircase, I wanted to laugh right back at him. But I couldn’t, because I just wasn’t there." - When I wasn't there, I also wanted to laugh, but with them, not at them. But, was I actually able to laugh if nobody chose to hear it?

"Most staircases are easy for me to not be on, but this one here took effort." - Oh, hard to be not there when you are Seen.

THIS, is such a cool statement! The writing is amazing.

"There are some short pieces of correspondence in the file, addressed to Gertrude, from someone called Eric Delano" - Eric!!!

Yeah, why did Elias send him this one? To prepare Jon for his own becoming? Or did Elias actually send him some statements which weren't relevant to his plan or the Unknowing (MAG 102, Jon suspects Elias had not idea why he send him those statements and Elias just said there was the possibility that some were misfiled)

"If the… ‘moral’, shall we say, of Ms. Ashburt’s statement was that ignoring the horrors stalking you just makes them more dangerous, then surely the message of this one is that confronting them directly is even more so." - Exactly! Ignorance won't save you, knowledge won't either. Sucks to be you XD (I already said I love the inescapability in TMA.)

"The Nowhere Man thing is new" - Gaslighting. It's gaslighting. If you're curious about the bits I wrote, the ones which are not stupid puns or taking things very literal are all experiences of being gaslighted or gaslighting myself. The Spiral is indeed one of the Fears that fucked me up real good.

"Maybe whoever sent this wants me to consider how many of these creatures used to be people. How many seem to have taken the mantle from the ones that came before them, and how none of them have been able to overcome their new natures." - Ok yeah, it's about Jon's becoming. He had taken the mantle from Gertrude and he can't overcome his nature. Not exactly new nature though. There have always been tendencies.

JON "Oh. Oh! Do you need me to get out of the house for the night?" - Ha, how his voice gets quieter and more mumbly by the end of the sentence xD

Oh god, I would never go to have dinner with someone I was fairly certain I wouldn't like just to get the kind of food I want… Order it to go! XD Yeah, I know, pre-pandemic not every place did offer their meals to go. Still, not that high on my priority list to endure that!

JON "Is she – I, I mean, she [Melanie] survived?" GEORGIE "I hope so. I’m going for a drink with her on Thursday. Be a bit awkward if not." - Apparently you can meet a man who wasn't there upon a stair, so I guess you could go for a drink with someone who isn't there…?

GEORGIE "Yeah. Didn’t say what. I think she was a bit embarrassed, says her co-workers are super weird." - Lol…

Wonder who those coworkers could be

[misssakuramochi]

Hi hi, do you mind doing a Persona 5 matchup with one of the boys please?

Pronouns: She/Her

MBTI: INTP-T

Personality: Bestie I gotta be honest and say I sometimes feel like I don't have like. A solid personality going for me? Because there are definitely some days where imposter syndrome hits and I feel more like a copycat or mirror than anything. But I think, at my core, I like exaggerating my emotions (mostly anger) for the Funny Bit(tm) around people I'm comfortable with! Think Brennan Lee Mulligan levels kind of anger. It's pretty funny since I'm really short--and by short I mean short enough to be mistaken for a child multiple times (having a babyface does NOT help)--so most people equate me to a tiny angry dog. Or cat! Either or honestly. I just like making the people I love laugh, you know? But there are times where I just want to sit back and listen to people speak, like an audience member instead of the actor. If you start talking about something I'm really passionate in, though? Get ready for me to bring in a whole entire powerpoint presentation detailing every. Single. Thing.

When it comes to taking care of the people I love, you can absolutely bet that I can go full-on mom mode. Friends don't tease me for being mom-like without a reason, you know! If I hear you didn't drink water? You're hydrating. No questions. Haven't eaten? We are going to a restaurant and EATING. Haven't slept? Here's your threat offer to get knocked out (gently). Literally, if worrying and fretting over someone counts as a love language, then that's mine for sure. Don't ask those questions to me though, because there are times where I uh. Actually forget to do any of those things due to procrastination and hyperfocusing shh

Speaking of love languages, I think mine are acts of service, quality time, gifts, and physical affection when it comes to giving? I'm not sure yet about receiving, but it's... definitely going to take a while for me to become comfortable about receiving physical affection from someone. It's not that I don't like it, I actually do enjoy getting physical affection once I've spent enough time with someone! But it can bring up some bad memories if you're not careful, and if it's really bad, I might even dissociate.

At my worst, I can be cowardly and give up rather easily. Perfectionism and anxiety are a horrid cocktail that I struggle with even now, where I fret over tiny details and 'what-if' scenarios so much that it actually causes procrastination. This can apply to how I love at first, too: I tend to love someone romantically at a distance, to not expect much of anything happening and merely wish the best for them. It's safe that way, even if it doesn't amount to much happening. At my best, however? Once someone gets past those barriers? I'm incredibly loyal to them, no questions asked. You can expect to have my full support and encouragement in whatever you do, kinda like your own personal cheerleader!

Hobbies: Writing, acting out scenes when alone, drawing, imagining fantasy-like worlds and characters, playing video games with an engaging story and/or characters, talking about said video game or story, sleeping if that counts, bathing in the sun in the morning in my room, taking note of every cat or dog I see when outside, making up unlikely stories about the people I see in my head, and baking.

Dislikes: Creepy crawly bugs, last minute changes, clubs, drinking, bathing suits, and sudden, unexpected loud noises.

Fun facts: I tend to walk around on my tip toes and pretend I'm like a cat sometimes! It spooks people how quiet I can be when doing that though. Also, puns are my jam, and I can absolutely be a drama queen if the situation allows it (aka for fun).

I match you with...

RYUJI

○ Did you say making people laugh? Because even if he doesn't fully realize it, funny girls are 100% Ryuji's biggest thing. Though it takes him some time to be able to tell if you're seriously angry or not, he loves a good bit. Besides, your more aggressive(?) Or at least spicier front is definitely a point of attraction.

○ RYUJI IS HERE FOR THE POWERPOINT HE IS SITTING. Seriously though, Ryuji loves when your passionate side comes out. He does more of the talking usually, but he's happy to shut up and listen when you're on a passion fuled rant about something. He swears he's never loved you more than when you do that.

○ Petsonal cheerleader? Mom friend? Ryuji needs both. He can get down and insecure more easily than he'd like to admit, and he needs someone there to support him through whatever hell may come next. He also frequently neglects himself for the sake of others and it takes your stubbornness to her him to... well, not do that. All that being said, Ryuji matches your energy. All the love and care you put in, you get out.

○ Ryuji knows what it's like to feel small. He knows what it is to be discouraged and scared. He's the best support you could ever ask for in your weakest moments and he does it without a second of judgement. He's not delicate about it per say, and will tell you like it is, but Ryuji is always there for an honest pep talk and a shoulder to lean on.

HEADCANONS

○ Enemies to lovers anyone? At first, your tendency to mirror energy and be a little firey leads to a little butting heads between you and Ryuji. As you get to know each other though, likely through a mutual connection Akira, thr passion of your irritation somehow turns into infatuation.

○ Ryuji is the one that breaks. He pursues you so hard and it takes encouragement from all of your friends for him to understand your distance isn't a sign of you not reciprocating, and for you to take the plunge and give into his advances. He's so shy and tries to be so gentlemanly, even if he's really clumsy and doesn't always get it right

○ Pun wars. Everyone ends up snapping at you but you guys could go on for hours just making pun after pun. It's a funny little bit you guys do to see how long you can get away with it.

○ Because you're both kind of angry-seeming dogs tbh you have a reputation for being a bit of a delinquent couple. Which is sort of badass.

[smeckledorfed-by-association]

Love, Liars, and the Hearts They Break

Synopsis: Cole is a writer. He ends up becoming the center of a huge problem, for him that is. He's about to make it a bigger problem for many people. Btw, there's eventually gay stuff. Like, seriously. So, enjoy that. I definitely will.

Chapter 1: Behind a Smile

The sun shines through the blinds of a room filled with paper and stories. Cole Mercer sits at his desk typing away at his computer, trying but failing to produce something great. Every word gnaws on his mind like a parasite. He can’t focus but can’t bear to drag himself away from the computer. Each thought snags on his fingertips, just out of reach. The room’s door opening is what forces him to sit up and turn around.

“Darling, you can’t spend your entire day hunched over your computer. We have an interview with Erin Taylors! She wants to publish this book you're working on. You have to get ready.” Angela D’Malow-Mercer, his wife, exclaims as she rushes to pull him from his chair.

Cole laughs, casually following Angela. “Angie, love, if I don’t continue writing, there won’t be a book to publish.”

Angela ignores his retort and pushes him into the bathroom. “Get ready! Your clothes are already in there and you better comb your hair. Not a single hair should be out of place since this is very important.” Cole smirks, leaning against the door, “Yes, your majesty…” He bows and quickly shuts the door before she says anything. He can hear her complaining behind the door and starts to get ready.

~~~

When Cole and Angela arrive at the building in which Erin Taylors operates, they are greeted by a small crowd of fans ranging from teens who know Angela from when she was a model to people of all ages who enjoy Cole's novels. Angela was unfazed by the number of people but Cole was slightly flustered, having been used to avoiding social events hadn't helped.

Eventually, after a few autographs and photos, they make it inside the building. Cole sighs, relieved to be away from various shouts and questions. This relief, however, is short lived when he is escorted to a room obviously designed for makeup. He gets "prepared for the camera" and is sent out to wait for his que, which wasn't discussed until that very moment.

Erin Taylors appears and begins speaking about the latest book she has taken interest in. With a few puns and audience laughter, she calls for him. "And now, readers alike, we have with us today the latest rising author. He's written one novel yet has many short stories. May I welcome…. Cole Mercer!"

After she shouts his name, he walks out, the audience applauding him. He awkwardly waves as he goes and takes his spot on the love seat beside her desk.

"It is wonderful to have you on my show today, Cole," Erin exclaims as she turns to him, "I'm glad I am the one to interview you about your new novel which is still in the works. What took you so long to come on my show?" She asks, the smile on her face turning into a questioning one.

Cole clears his throat nervously before saying the first thing on his mind. "'The pen is the tongue of the mind.' Miguel de Cervantes said that. If my pen won't work, my tongue doesn't either. Therefore, it's hard to get me to do interviews." Cole anxiously waits for everyone's reactions and is happy and very relieved when they applaud.

Erin laughs also. "Well, that's definitely a reason. But, I wonder how your wife feels if your tongue doesn't work…" Cole looked at her, unsure of why she would say that. He decides to trip her up. "Well, Erin, my tongue may not always work but my hands are very capable of keeping her happy…" Cole chuckles when people gasp and laugh, "... because I bring home money from my stories. What inappropriate minds you all have…"

Everyone enjoys this and soon, Erin decides it's time to know about Cole's novel. "Now, Cole, we know that your new novel is a secret and all but could you spill a bit about it? Just to keep us anticipating?"

Cole, finally getting a feel of what to do, complies. "It's about a man who races against an uncertain amount of time to save his life from people who are plotting his death. He has to secretly stop them while they keep an eye on him."

Erin gasps, seemingly interested. "That sounds amazing! So intriguing… What is it called? If I may ask…"

"It's called "Behind Closed Doors."

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

A/n: I haven't written anything in a while. I actually wrote this a while back and I decided to post it here. I'll just use this account to post my original stuff. Please like and reblog if you enjoy it.