#we'll go with ~15 because it is the best i can do. now. if we assume yata had 5 kids in 5 years (technically doable but no fucking wonder

[archersgoon]

went looking for yata quotes because finnikins gilf hunter moment remains one of his best. am now doomed to yata math torment

[notscarsafe]

OKAY SO what with the TWO new Hermits implied by the updated banner I will say that, though the Skizz truthers have me convinced, I now have room to do my own crazy red string monologue and throw my hat in for my choice

1) Mythical J. Sausage (the J is silent) is a multitalented S-tier builder that absolutely deserves to be shoulder to shoulder with the Hermits. The man does buildings, interiors, terraforming, custom trees, and he does them SO WELL.

2) The production values!!! Beautiful replay mod sequences with shifting camera perspectives, shaders, music that sets the tone for each segment that's different from series to series. He already has more than a million followers on YouTube and for good reason!!

3) He has been SO consistent lately. He started a hardcore world about three months ago (about the time you might expect the Hermits to finalize their s10 choices maybe...???) and already has 15 episodes and hasn't gotten involved in any other big content. (He did just start playing a little of the BCG server but from what I understand that's super casual /copium copium copium).

4) That hardcore world is conveniently about to reach a good "pause" point. He started his world on a cherry blossom biome island that he's filled with a medieval village and starter farms, he's said it's almost full and what's left is the castle. I'm guessing the new season will start the first week of February, so if Sausage puts out a video this week building out that Castle and finishing that island it will be MIGHTY CONVENIENT TIMING.

5) This man can GRIND. His Hardcore world hasn't even been going half a year and he's built... So much??? Magnificent! And when he was on the Hermitcraft server he did the Razorcrest for scar AND the player head baby yoda/stormtrooper merch AND the noteblock themesong AND still built in the xmas village and other "diamond of peace" and so many other shenanigans. Did the man even sleep? He can grind with the best of them.

6) He can do redstone, too! Maybe not unique designs, I honestly don't know, but he builds farms for build materials no problem.

7) The DRAMA this man loves his improv and his backstory and trauma lore! For every series he does! Can you imagine if he gets to interact with Ren for an extended period of time, what that would do to them, to us?? Give Martyn a run for his money!!

8) Which brings me to my next point, which is that Sausage is already One of The Gang, because he's been in series with so many of the Hermits already! Empires and the crossover, obviously, but also Pirates with Cleo and Origins with Scar, and he's even done MCC! Joel is the only other player with the same depth of different series but there are other people truthing him already.

9) The EPIC BROMANCE with Pearl. My god the devotion of this man to his sunflower goddess bestie. I would try to do ot justice but y'all have seen floweroflaurelins work, you already know.

10) He's already a PG streamer but with HILARIOUSLY PG-13 tendencies. Imagine him and Cleo cracking each other up at an HHH stream, *grips your shoulders* IMAGINE IT.

11) Sausage comes with his own mascot in the form of interdimensional dog extraordinaire Bubbles, but he's also just an animal lover on general. Mans drinks his "I love Jellie" juice and had her in his world even before the sad news of her loss.

12) Diversity win! No one should be hired just for their gender, race, sexuality etc etc unless it's truly necessary to the job, but we were all happy when more women got added to the server in s8 and I know a lot of people would be happy to see some ethnic diversity added, too.

... That bulletin board had a lot more pins in it than I thought it did but anyway MYTHICALSAUSAGE TRUTHERS/ALL OTHER TRUTHERS RISE UP SPEAK YOUR TRUTH! we'll only get to wildly speculate for a few weeks so we might as well make it everyone else's problem ENJOY IT TO THE FULLEST!!

[brucewaynehater101]

I'll admit I love the dadification of Tim by bruce, but I also love tim being much more of a perfectionist and being more efficient than Bruce.

And Bruce would say he loves it- but like. He now sees the problem with working with himself.

__________

A mission goes completely sideways, and it wasn't as if it was the first time it happened. In fact, in the end, they still fulfilled their objectives... just... not in the way they were supposed to do.

"...are you mad at me?" Bruce asks, fingers holding on to the bat-steering wheel so hard he could swear they were white under his black glove.

If he was with Jason or Dick, he'd know his answer. 'No, I'm not mad. I'm disappointed' because it was a gentle answer. It was the right answer. He was a father, a trying one, at least. He could be gentle. He could be nice.

Tim, however, could not.

"What do you *think*, genius?"

Bruce flinches. It's been a while since he felt the familiar signs of tears in his eyes. He forces himself not to cry. He was a *grown man*, he refused to feel shamed by a 15 year old's scolding - a rough glove strokes at the wetness on his cheek.

Tim sighs. "Bruce, cmon. Don't cry. I promise I'm not mad at you, okay? I just-- I got in a bad mood and it was wrong of me to take it out on you. I'm sorry, okay? You did great, Bruce!" Tim smiles at him.

Bruce hears himself sniffle. *God*. He can't believe he's crying. Tim's eyes widen in a panic. "Hey, hey, cmon! No more tears, big guy! I'll ask Alfred to whip up some of your favorites, how about it? And if he can't do it then we can always just order out, right? What do you want, Bruce?" Tim hits the autodrive and wraps his arms around him.

He cannot believe he's crying in a teenager's arms right now.

"We'll be home in a bit, and you did a great job, I promise. I'm not mad at you, in fact! I'm proud!" Something feels lighter in Bruce's chest. He squishes it down.

Tim takes off Bruce's cowl and strokes his hair. "Repeat after me, I did good. Say it Bruce."

"...I did good." Bruce grumbles, leaning into Tim's touch.

Tim smiles at him teasingly. "Didn't hear you, B. Say it louder."

Bruce frowns. "I did good." He says firmly.

"Good job, B!" Tim laughs.

The batmobile slows to a stop in the cave. "Oh look, we're home." Tim remarks casually, as if he didn't have an armful of a teary grown-up. "Let's go, Bruce. You go wash up while I update the logs."

Bruce nods.

Tim walks off to the computer, and for the first time in a long while, Bruce feels small and happy again.

Fuck. I love how this highlights that Tim wouldn't be a perfect father, especially considering some of his "bad" habits or behaviors. He'd try and he'd correct, but, like all parents, he's bound to mess up every once in awhile. It happens. The best part is that Tim corrects his behavior, admits fault, and tries to make up for it.

Good parenting, Tim! (genuine)

We could add on that Tim is a teenager. Emotions are heightened because puberty is a fucking asshole. So, he may occasionally take his frustrations out on Bruce (in this AU). He may suddenly burst into tears, worrying Bruce, or feel the intense need to scream.

He's not gonna be the best fantastic dad (especially since he really shouldn't be parenting an adult as he's a teen), but he's gonna try.

It'd also be cool to see Tim, in learning to gentle parent, eventually gentle parenting himself and teaching Bruce to utilize the same methods with his kids (also, I can go on a full fucking rant on how it shouldn't be named "gentle parenting" cause it's really "paying forward parenting," but I'm not gonna).

Anyways, the scene you wrote was really sweet and I very much enjoyed it

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 794: The culmination race

Pag 1

1: “There are people who you don't meet often, but when you do meet them you get along really well”

2: I heard that from a classmate a long time ago

And I thought “there's no way that there are people like that”

4: There's some strange people

5: It's funny, if they asked me now

Pag 2

1: I'd answer “of course there are”!!

Pag 3

1: “One of them lives in Chiba”, I'd say!!

2: One day, that guy was collapsed on Hakone and I helped him

3: Unexpectedly, he also rode a bike

4: We met again at CSP

5: Like me

6: he's a climber

Pag 4

1: We rarely meet

but when we do meet

2: We laugh

Pag 5

1: at the same silly things

2: Sakamichi-kun!! It's you!!

Pag 6

1: They passed the 1km left point!!

Manami and Mountain King!

Just a few minutes until they reach the mountain line!!

Soon!

Goo Hakogaku!!

Take it, Chiba!!

Pag 7

1: They're still neck and neck!!

Amazing, neither of them is yielding!!

It's a race of willpower!!

2: Until the mountain line

3: 800m left!!

4: My hands

5: are becoming numb

6: But I'll keep doing my best!!

Pag 8

2: Wh-wh-what do I do

My heart is pounding in my chest....

3: They're arriving!!

Huh!? They're arriving!? Wait, my heart isn't ready

Not yet

Not yet!? Not yet!!

4: Why am I so nervous....

Even though I'm not the one running

Pag 9

1: Even though the one who's running and having a hard time is Sangaku...

2: I'll drink this lemon tea the old lady at the ryokan gave me, and I'll calm down

3: Ohh, you're going to cheer at the Inter High?

Oh, and you come from Kanagawa!?

Yes, well

That's amazing

4: It's delicious

5: But

6: I'm stuck on one thing

7: Was it really a good thing that I came here to cheer?

Pag 10

1: One month ago

2: Kanagawa Prefecture, Hakone Academy

3: Ah

4: Class rep

5: Huh? From above!?

Huh, where is this voice coming from!?

The boys' toilets

Ah!?

Pag 11

1: Wait a moment, there's something I wanna ask you

Toi... ah!?

2: Huh!? Wait!? What!? Directly!?

Use the inside stairs... be caref....

2: Hop

Okay I get it, I get it, I'll come there

4: You know the other day... while I was running... a butterfly was flying,. And then I thought “oh, it's gone?”

And then when I went home and took off my jersey, it came out of it fluttering

What- you just came down the second floor so smoothly and started making conversation!!

Pag 12

1: Am I not amazing like a magician!?

Boys are strong...

Ah, yes yes, that's true

2: Is that all you wanted to tell me? I've been asked to go to the audiovisual room to bring these documents

3: Are you coming to the Inter High?

5: Huh

6: “Something he wanted to ask”

This year

Ah

7: “Inter High”

Pag 13

1: You came to the Inter High every year

I didn't know you liked road racing so much, Class rep

I...

2: I always thought

You even passed me a drink on the mountain last year

I thought

3: After last year's Inter High ended

4: I kept thinking about it even on the train home

5: that it was because I went to see him that Sangaku...

6: lost

Pag 14

1: I know it's unrelated... but, at the same place, screaming the same words

This year it'll be in Kyushu thought, so it's far...

2: It's small, it's a small thing, but if it gets in Sangaku's way

Hakogaku is going by plane, so it's easy

3: If he was even just a little distracted because of me and that made a small difference

(Win, Sangaku!!

Win, Sangaku!!)

4: Then I think it's better if I don't go this year

6: Because I want him to win

Pag 15

1: Ah, as expected Kyushu is too over-budget

That's not... ah... uhm

2: …. yeah, sorry

3: Well, I'll tell you the highlights

There'll be a camera, so you can watch videos

4: Watch it

The first day's mountain

“The first day's... mountain”

5: I think Sakamichi-kun will probably there too

“Sakamichi-kun”... the guy with the round glasses

6: We'll probably fight there

I think

Pag 16

1: It will be the culmination race of these three years

2: “Culmination”!!

3: “Of these three years”...!!

4: Such heavy words... this is Sangaku being serious

Culmination....!?

Pag 17

1: We have to fulfill our promise, so I'm sure Sakamichi-kun will come

2: “Sakamichi-kun”... they must be... close friends....

3: I think it'll probably end up being our best race

4: A... are you close friends!? You.. you and that Sakamichi-kun!?

5: Hahaha

Well, I guess

6: Even though we only contact each other two or three times a year

And that's being close friends!?

7: I lost against him during our first year... Hakogaku ended up losing, so I resented him

But I was blaming the wrong thing, because after all it was because of my lack of ability, wasn't it?

8: Now we often talk after races

Is... that so

9: But why don't you send more texts to each other? Is- is he really a close friend!?

Of course!!

Pag 18

1: After all we both “like hills”

Pag 19

2: Come see me if you can save money

Ye... yeah

3: Sangaku's smiling face that day was incredibly persuasive

I really wanted to see you race

4: So I came

to Kyushu!!

5: But

7: I really don't want to move forward, after all

It's enough if I can just see him a little... from behind here

Pag 20

1: What are you doing

2: Hyaa I'm sorry!!

I'm sorry for not paying attention to who was behind me! I'll just lean down a little!

Why don't you move forward?

3: Huh

4: Isn't he

5: a close friend of yours, and you used to always listen to his nonsense?

To... Toudou-san!!

[pankowblues]

pairing: rafe cameron x reader fake dating

summary: fake dating Rafe Cameron and but you two end up falling in love

warnings: kissing ig

word count: 911

a/n: idk i have nothing to say but the dividers ill fix one day i dont like how there so big what are your thoughts on them please share

You and Rafe walk hand in hand inside your kitchen into your kitchen where Rafe’s family and yours is sitting. You and Rafe had to start fake dating for your parents to I guess like you more? You don’t even know why. “You don’t have to kiss… just give me a peck on the cheek” you whisper to him as you guys walk him. He listens and fake smiles to your parents and gives you a little peck. You guys go and sit down in your seats and start eating dinner not really doing anything with each other as you are just eating. Rafe starts to speak “"These kisses are just temporary. We'll separate soon enough." He then kisses you on the lips and you not expecting it. And Lowkey he’s a really really good kisser but then you remember you don’t like him so you stop thinking like that.

The next time you and Rafe have to do this whole couples stuff again and this time it was your dad’s friend engagement party. You and rafe come inside the place where the party is being held not really holding hands. “Can you put on a smile? You look like you're ready to dig your own grave." You tell him "For a matter of fact, l am.” You just scoff and continue walking. The majority of people know you guys are “dating” but you will need to make it believable. You guys take your seat but about 15 minutes in you guys are sooo bored and you guys start making small talk which leads to conversations. Who knew you could relate to Rafe so much.

As the weeks went on you and Rafe surprisingly texted more. And as time went on things like unknowingly holding hands, even when you are not in front of family or friends, getting used to making two servings of everything, Sitting close to each other, and sharing glances across rooms all became habits.

Then the day of your birthday came. You got a ton gifts from everyone. Even Rafe, he got you a Tiffany necklace, jellycat, and some makeup (he had to ask Sarah for help ofc). It’s later at night and you’re at the bar with your all friends from school. Boys and girls so your “boyfriend” was there. Everyone was dancing and you were standing by the bar when Rafe came up to you. "Let's dance, yeah? It's your birthday, they'll be suspicious if we don't." He told you as he held his hand out. You nodded and took it and walked to the floor. Once you got home you texted Rafe you were home since he told you too which was also something he didn’t have to do but still did.

At some point fake smiles turn into genuine ones and both of you wanted to be there for the other one, even though you two aren't even a 'real' couple. You and Rafe walked to the beach with his hand on you back keeping you close. As you two sat down on the sand Rafe looked at you making eye contact. For the first time you looked deep into his eyes and you and him just gazed at each other with so much love in your guys eyes. "Kiss me." He whispers "What? We don't have to pretend right now." "I know, but I need one right now." You kiss for the first time that was meaningful, and genuine. The kiss meant a lot, more than it should have. Where would this put you two now?

This is where things went downhill. He started distancing himself from you because they started to think that there is definitely something wrong with him. You were getting really upset, mad, confused and a lot more feelings. You didn’t know what you did wrong. Then the day came where he finally came to your house with flowers and chocolate and his hair was so messy. Matter of fact he was messy. But he did something you didn’t see coming. He started tearing up and started confessing his love to you.

"Listen I...I love you. I don't know if it's okay to fall in love with your best friend, but I love you. And it's fine, if you don't love me back, because loving you has been the easiest thing I've ever done, and I'd never stop loving you even if you didn't love me back. And I’ve been distancing myself cause I can’t seem to figure out if I really do love you but I know I do I know it" By the time he was finished he had tears down his face and so did you.

You stare at him in awe, tilting your head "You know what? It is okay to love your best friend, because that's what I've done as well. And I would've never knew that you also love me, if you never said it. So let me say this, I love you too. And I understand you don’t know how you felt but you need to learn to talk out your feelings Rafe"

He pulls you in by your waist and slowly kisses you and the tears that run down both of your cheeks while doing so. The kiss showed love, passion, forgiveness. He pulled away putting his forehead on yours. “May you do the honors of being my real girlfriend” he says smiling. “Yes of course” you say giggling.

taglist: @rafecameroncoke, @0xstarzx0, @wearemadeofstardust0, @v4mqvs, @aariahnaa, @congratsloserr

[lunamochii]

'your love and support is what keeps me going.' oikawa toru x f!reader

"Are you coming? Class is going to start."

You read the message of your friend replied "I am, just buying something." Bowing to the shopkeeper, you exited the shop and prepared your speech on why you are late to your teacher. Thankfully, she just let you in and your friends is eyeing you suspiciosly.

The class went on for an hour and half and with each minute passing by, you can tell your body temperature rising. You thought your fever will go away yesterday since you just stayed all day at your house. You even said no to the date you supposed to have with Oikawa. The moment the class ended, you excused yourself from your friends who wanted to know why you're late, you were never late.

"Shit.." You whine when you felt the throbbing pain inside your head again, you already drink some medicine but it's not doing any good. Looking at yourself at the mirror, you look horrible.

"Are you okay, miss?" Looking up, you notice some first years and you just weakly smiled at them

"I am, thanks." They just nodded and went out of the bathroom, after fixing yourself. You tried your best to get to your classroom, your vision getting blurry and it's like everything is spinning. The moment you open the door of your room, your head began to throb, horribly.

Last thing you heard is the voice of your classmates and friends screaming your name.

The last thing Oikawa wants right now is the attention from his fans, he likes it don't get him wrong but he really wants to focus on their training this time.

"Are you still mad because she declined your date?"

Iwaizumi said when he approach the setter, Oikawa woke him up at the middle of his nap just to cry and whine on how you don't love him anymore. He knows his bestfriend is a lil'bit dramatic so he let him rant and he just went back to sleep.

"We planned it for so long! She knows our schedule doesn't match up so we specifically agreed on that date."

The brunette huff and spike the ball he was holding and let out a sigh, if something came up you would've told him. Iwaizumi stared at his bestfriend before shrugging and returning to practice, some time later there was a commotion at the entrance of th gym

"Please! We need to speak to Oikawa-san!"

"I told you that his busy!"

Coach Nobuteru glared at his captain and Oikawa grimace and went to calm down his 'fans' but before he could speak, your angry bestfriend shove all the girls and glared to Oikawa

"Your girlfriend collapsed!"

He didn't need to get a go signal from his coach and sprinted towards the clinic of their school. He never ran that fast all his life, he was panting, hard, catching his breath as he entered the clinic where he saw you getting check up by the nurse

"Baby.." he manage to blurt out while wiping the sweat off from his face and approach where you are "Rest for 15 minutes first. Oikawa take her home after she take this medicine." He nodded and grab the medicine from the nurse's hand. The nurse excuse herself and slightly close the curtain, enough to cover you and Oikawa.

"Why didn't you tell me?" You look at him and sighs "You have a match coming up, I wouldn't want you catching my sickness."

It's true but you could have inform him, he grab the stool and sat beside you. You laid down on the bed, facing him. Your right hand slowly coming up to cup his cheeks and he groan feeling how hot your palm is.

"I'm sorry. I know we've been looking forward for our date yesterday... I'm so-"

"Shush it doesn't matter. All that matters is you'll be healthy and energetic again, okay? Now, rest. I'll go get our things, when I come back you'll take this medicine and we'll go home, okay?"

Even if you are wearing a facemask, he can still see your smile. He lean forward and kiss your forehead and almost curse when he felt his lips get burn. Even if he misses the practice tomorrow, he'll nurse you back to help. He won't get weak just by missing a single practice. Plus, when you are all well again he'll have your whole love and support and it's enough to fuel his desire to win everything in life.

[dilvuc]

𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: fluff

𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗: male

𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊: interruptions

𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: jing yuan x m!reader (+ yanqing and sushang)

—

"Did you come here for training or did you come here because you enjoy resting on my thighs so much?" Jing Yuan asks you. You were resting your head on your beloved's lap after your training with your student, sushang. You ended training early to see your beloved.

"The second part and I also wanted to see you again because I miss you." You mumbled, keeping up a stoic expression.

"You're good at hiding such emotions, but you're not best at stopping your tail from wagging." Jing Yuan chuckled as he glanced at your fox tail wagging around.

"W…whatever…" you blushed as you leaned up off the male's lap and wrapped your arms around his waist, pulling him close. "No one is watching, I want my kiss."

"Hahaha~ You're so clingy." The general smiled as you slowly leaned in for a kiss, but you were interrupted.

"Eh? Master [Y]? What are you doing here with the general?" Sushang questions, "I thought you said you were going to go grab some drinks."

"You lied to your student?" The white haired male inquired.

"It was to get her distracted…" you sweatdropped.

"Hey! General! You lied to me! You're only doing this on purpose, aren't you?!" Yanqing exclaimed.

"Hey…you two are really close to each other. Were you about to kiss?" Sushang narrowed her eyes on you two.

"..."

"Wait a minute! Don't tell me you two are dating! No wonder why the training was cut short!" The blonde whined.

"Is that the reason you two lied to us because you wanted to keep your relationship a secret?" The brunette haired girl questioned.

"My apologies, Sushang. Just keep this as a secret and I'll buy you some treats." You told the girl.

"Some treats, eh…?" Sushang smirked. "I want a day off."

"You're off for today. Run free, little birdie." You shooed the girl away.

"Strale, please." Sushang held her hand out.

"Eh…?"

"General! You earned me another training!"

"Ah. My apologies. Maybe tomorrow." Jing Yuan sweatdropped.

"But I want it today!" Yanqing pouted.

"I'll give you strale for the swords if you leave us be. We needed some alone time together, you know…?" The white haired male handed a bag of strale to the blonde.

"I can?! Thanks general! Have fun!"

You handed the 15 year old girl some of your savings from your pocket, letting her run off with Yanqing, "Kids…"

"Just let kids be kids. Let us continue before we are interrupted." Jing Yuan chuckled, cupping your face. Unable to hold back, you interlocked your lips with the white haired male's lips. Jing Yuan wrapped his arms around your neck as you both lay down on the ground.

Jing Yuan pulled away, "...Shouldn't we tell them that we're married?"

"We'll tell them later. I'm still hungry, you know~" you lick your lips. "It's not mating season yet, but I'm up for it~"

The white haired male blushed, "Let's take this home in bed."

"I couldn't wait, let's do it now."

"W-what if they come back?"

"Don't worry, they won't be back until tomorrow~"

masterlist

[dandylovesturtles]

we're stressed but we remain silly (actually this is super angsty lol)

more Sidelined + Firefight (Firelined???) propaganda for the @tmntaucompetition

Sorry I keep stealing your boys @remedyturtles

Spoilers for chapter 15 of Firefight, cw: for heavy injuries + blood, no actual recounting of how they got the injuries in this fic, though

Please consider voting for us! Thanks!

-----

In the time it takes Donnie and Leo to get medical supplies, it's been decided that they'll be teaming up with the Firefight guys.

The situation has also, somehow, managed to deteriorate.

If Leo thought these guys looked like death warmed over before, now they just look like plain old death. The other Donnie is littered with bloody injuries and his leg is bent in ways it really should not be. And the other Leo...

Leo shudders at the cracks in his shell. He's not sure he wants to know what kind of monster could do that.

The Leo is chirping periodically - help help scared - and the Donnie answers back by tapping on his shell. Leo knows enough now to recognize it as Morse code; trying to calm him, coax him into coming out. It doesn't seem to be working too well.

"...I think we should have brought more medical supplies," says his own Donnie, yanking Leo out of his reverie. "This may not be enough."

"I don't even know where to start," Leo confesses softly. Really, they need to see a doctor, but Leo has no idea where to find one. Maybe one of the older turtles here has more medical experience than they do? But he has no idea who to ask...

"We'll just... do the best we can," says Donnie, and he sounds determined. Leo finally tears his eyes away from their deathly still mirrored versions, the Leo cradled close in the Donnie's arms, to look at his own twin. He's got his jaw set and teeth clenched, like he does when he's gearing up for something particularly unpleasant, and Leo isn't going to let him face it alone.

"Alright." Leo starts laying out their supplies on the bleachers, sorting it for easy grabbing. "Let's see what we can do."

-----

When he tries to take the other Leo away, the other Donnie bites him.

Really, he should have been prepared for that.

It's only hard enough to graze the skin on his arm, but Leo still hisses when it happens. The other Donnie's eyes fly to his face, then widen and let go, which is good, because Leo knows what could have happened if he bit down harder.

He looks horribly guilty, his eyes flying between the Leo in his lap and Leo's own face. His eyes are glassy and he may not be able to fully distinguish between them. So now he thinks he bit the brother who is still chirping periodically - help help scared - and boy does Leo feel like a tool.

He holds up his hands in surrender, rushing to reassure him. "It's okay, that was my bad. I could have telegraphed that way better."

"Excellent work, Leon," chides his own twin, who looks thoroughly unimpressed. He immediately grabs Leo's arm in one hand, then reaches for the disinfectant with another. "We're supposed to be treating their injuries, not yours."

"It's fine, it's just a scrape!" he says, but doesn't actually do anything to stop Donnie from cleaning it. His immune system has been pretty much useless since the armor, and mouths are nasty.

Besides, the gentle attention Donnie is giving his wound, despite his harsh tone, seems to be doing something for the other Donnie. He doesn't loosen his grip on his twin, but something unspools in his posture as he watches, attentive, as the wound is cleansed and covered. Like it's finally clicking for him that they're here to help. That things are... well, better than they were.

Leo gives him his biggest, most reassuring grin, and says, "Yeah, see? We're gonna get you guys all patched up."

Donnie finishes his work, then pulls on a pair of gloves, thankfully already modified for three-fingered hands. He holds out a pair for Leo. "Are your hands steady?"

It's not at all an unfair question. Leo nods. "Yeah. For now, anyway."

Donnie nods back, letting the gloves fall into Leo's palms. "I'll start work with Leo, you take Donnie. Start with the lacerations on his back. I... don't think we can do much for his leg."

"Right."

Donnie steps over and settles down on the bleacher next to the pair, body angled towards them. He holds out his hands for his counterpart to see.

"Hello, Donatello," he says. "Can I start treating your Nardo? I'll keep him right here - you can maintain physical contact if you want."

The other Donnie hesitates. He hasn't spoken since they arrived, his only active communication the continuous taps against his own Leo's shell. It's not surprising - there's no way this situation isn't overwhelming. But it's making this whole process a bit difficult.

Donnie's never let difficulties slow him down, though.

"I swear," he says, clear and steady, "I'll treat him like my own Leo."

The other Donnie looks down at the bloody shell in his lap. Then he looks at Leo, who gives another smile and a little wave from his wheelchair.

Again, it seems to be clicking, and slowly, very slowly, the other Donnie unwraps from around his precious bundle, and lets him go.

His chirps get more rapid when that happens, and the other Donnie's taps get more rapid. They're close enough that he can keep a hand on his Leo's shell easily, can keep up the Morse code, keep telling him that he's safe. It means Leo's going to have an awkward angle to get to the other Donnie's own injuries, but that's alright. He's gotten good at reaching things that aren't convenient.

He wheels himself as close as he can get, then leans over the arm of his chair and gets to work.

It has to hurt, but the other Donnie stays stalwart, all his focus on reassuring his twin, barely twitching as Leo cleans and bandages the wounds. So Leo works in silence, lets him tap away. He knows enough to recognize it, but not enough to know what he's saying. Still, he can take a good guess.

Eventually, Donnie has done all he can to the other Leo, and Leo himself is flagging. His hands had been steady when he started, but this kind of work wears him out quickly - his hand muscles are cramping, and his wrists are sore. Donnie catches on, because he always does, and announces that they'll trade places without leaving room for argument.

So after a little maneuvering, Leo has his counterpart in his lap, while his twin works on cleaning the other Donnie's arms and legs as best he can. The taps are still going, and the chirps still come, here and there.

Leo can't do much to help now, so he tries to help. Tries to think of what would make him feel better, if they were switched.

He looks over at the other Donnie, battered and bruised and bloody, his leg twisted and his breaths wheezing.

And the next time the other Leo chirps, he says, "It's okay. Donnie's safe."

And he says it again, and again, and again, each time he hears the chirp, until-

"You're safe, too, Leo."

He looks up, at his twin, whose hands have stalled in their ministrations. He's looking at the shell in Leo's lap, but for a brief moment his eyes flick up, and they lock, and there's something meaningful there that Leo has to rush to catch.

"You're safe, too."

Leo watches Donnie, for the first time he notices the shake in his twin's hands. And it occurs to him, if it hurts him to see a Donnie in this state, like he's never seen before, then for his twin to see a Leo in this state, when he has-

He takes a shaky breath. The chirp comes again, and this time he says, "Yeah. You're safe. Donnie's safe. It's okay. No monsters here."

They keep it up until Raph and Mikey come back with the chairs and the food and blankets, the ones Leo drapes over his legs to keep them warm. By that point, they've done about all they can, and with some maneuvering they get the other Donnie in the transport chair, and pass his twin back to him, safe in his lap.

He still hasn't made any move to come out, but no one tries to force him.

"Let's ask the staff if there's anywhere these guys can lay down," suggests Raph, and they all nod in agreement to that. The bleachers are not comfortable enough for naps, especially not in the state these guys are in.

"Do you need me to push you, Nardo?" asks Donnie. "You said your wrists were hurting."

"They're fine," he protests, giving his hands a shake. "Don't..."

The word "worry" dies when his counterpart chirps again, and he catches Donnie's flinch when it happens.

"...Well," Leo says, "I guess I could stand to take a break."

His twin looks relieved. Leo's glad one Donnie does, at least.

Donnie grabs the handles of his chair; Raph takes the handles of their teammates'. And with that, they're off.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 64

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words: 5k

Masterlist

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Monday, March 1; 6:15 AM - Alexia and Ona's Room

Returning to my roots stings throughout my entire system. I'm exhausted. My first night away from Lucy's arms was a disaster. Needless to say, I didn't get a wink of sleep. Now she's doing her usual rounds around our beds while I yawn so wide it feels like my jaw might unhinge.

"Rough night, Batlle?" she teases kindly.

I groan pitifully, causing my friends to chuckle. She stops in front of me, scanning me from head to toe, checking my outfit before pulling me into her arms. A sigh of relief escapes me instantly. I bury my nose in her neck, inhaling her scent deeply to ensure I remember it. When I finally lift my head, she lingers on my face. One might think she's scrutinizing my barely-there makeup, but it's probably my dark circles she's focused on. Then she kisses me properly, making Alexia clear her throat after a moment.

"We should get going."

"Yep," Lucy exhales. "Go on, off you go," she says.

I head for the door, following my roommate.

"And Ona," she calls as I reach the threshold.

"Yes?"

"Don't forget your evening classes. Time to get back into the groove."

I smile and nod. We spent yesterday reviewing my classes and finishing the last bits of homework I had left. I'd already done most of them during the evening classes before the break so I wouldn't be bothered during the two-week vacation. It was a good way to get back on track.

"I don’t plan on missing them. Have a good day, Commander."

A smug smile stretches across her lips as I leave the room. I catch up to Alexia, who had gone ahead. She smiles when I reach her.

"Looks like things are going well, huh?"

"Better, yes, but it could still be better without this decision hanging over me."

"Has she changed her mind?"

"Yes and no. She explained the reasons behind her choice," I reply, shrugging. "We'll see. First, I plan to negotiate at my next meeting. Then, I’ll send a few requests to other galleries, and we'll see."

"That's already something. I hope everything goes well."

"Absolutely!"

We step outside, where most of our friends are waiting. My eyes fall on Alessia, reminding me of yesterday’s anxiety. She and her sister know about Lucy. I don’t expect them to tell anyone, but it's still a situation that could make things awkward. We greet everyone before heading to the cafeteria. Good habits really are coming back.

"Your sister’s not here?" I ask Ale.

"Well, turns out she’s got a girlfriend now."

"Really?" I ask, surprised.

"Yeah, apparently she's here, at school, so I assume she's with her."

"Wasn't she a bit difficult because you were away for two weeks?"

"Nope. Seems like having a girlfriend has its perks. I plan to find out who she is just to thank her."

I laugh. I'm curious too. With everything that happened before the break, I hadn’t noticed her getting close to anyone in particular.

"We’ll do our investigation if you want," I tease.

"Oh, for sure! If she thinks she’s going to keep her in the shadows, she's dreaming."

"And you’re the one saying that?" I tease again.

"My case is different."

"Of course," I mock. "Still, it’s time for her to introduce her at least once."

"Yeah, yeah. Soon, since the year is almost over, and I plan to move in with Jenni after school."

Seems I’m not the only one thinking about the "after school" period. I hope she tells her soon because I have a feeling this situation might backfire given how Alba is. We reach the cafeteria. Once we’re served, we sit at our usual table. From where I am, I can see Lucy join her side with Ingrid. I don’t linger, though, afraid I won’t be able to look away from her. The others start recounting their fantastic vacations. I turn to Alessia, who’s sitting next to me. Best to address the elephant in the room right away.

"How were your holidays?" I ask her.

"Pretty good," she admits. "And yours?"

She’s calm. A bit too calm, and probably a little embarrassed too. Lucy did make a point of kissing me in front of her to stake her claim the day they caught us together. I still don’t know if Alessia saw that. All I know is that Lucy marked me with a huge hickey on my neck again last night, just to be sure. My friends haven’t seen it yet since I’ve kept my scarf on, and I plan to keep it that way for a while.

"Good as well," I reply with a small smile.

"Is your girlfriend planning to keep an eye on me from now on?" she retorts, without much emotion.

I glance over at Lucy and see that, indeed, she’s sneaking looks at us between sentences with Ingrid. I bite my lip to suppress a smile. She’s impossible. Yesterday's lecture about jealousy clearly wasn’t enough for her. Maybe it’s time I tell her how much I love her to get her to relax.

"I'll talk to her. Don’t worry."

"Have you seen the hickey she gave her?" Alexia teases mockingly.

"Stop," I groan, unconsciously covering my neck with my hand. "It was the only way to leave without a ten-hour lecture."

Alessia and Alexia laugh at my expense, making me blush even more. To be honest, I like Lucy’s jealousy, but I’d never admit that to them. After our cold moment, she simply reminded me that she loves me no matter what. She knows how to reassure me.

"Did someone say hickey?" 

We turn toward the voice we all recognize. Alba stands behind me with her tray in hand. I smile softly at her. I’ve missed her, actually. I didn’t expect to get so attached to her personality, but I have. She’s genuinely a good person deep down.

"Mind if we join you?"

It’s only then that I notice someone standing behind her. It’s Misa, and judging by the look she gives me, there’s no doubt she’s the girlfriend Ale mentioned. She never hung out with us much, but it happened occasionally. All I remember about her is that she wasn’t very friendly. Her choice surprises me, but after all, I don’t know her well enough to judge their relationship. The question was mostly for show, as they sit down at the end of our table. I exchange a look with Ale, who doesn’t seem thrilled with what she’s seeing. She’s understood the situation just like I have, but I know from previous conversations that she doesn’t like Misa much either. Neither of us knows how to place her.

"So, what’s this about a hickey? Who’s the victim?" Alba asks again.

"Ona," Alessia replies. "Apparently, from her girlfriend."

"Really?" she asks, surprised. "You’re with someone?"

I run my hand through my hair, feeling awkward. I didn’t want this to spread around the table. I feel like Alessia is challenging me, which is irritating. But if Lucy gave me a hickey, it’s because she wants people to know I’m taken, right? After that little internal debate, I nod.

"Uh, yeah. I’ve been dating someone for a little while," I admit.

"Wow, didn’t see that coming," she smiles. "That’s cool! Is she from here? Do we know her?"

"Alba, that's none of your business," Alexia cuts in. "And you? When were you going to tell me you were dating Misa?"

I'm relieved by her intervention. It gives me time to breathe, and she knows why. I can’t afford to reveal Lucy’s identity.

"If I’d waited as long as you to admit I was seeing someone, I wouldn’t have told you until next year," she retorts proudly.

- "What nonsense," she muttered, rolling her eyes before glancing at me.

I stifled a small laugh. I gave her a sympathetic smile, but in reality, her sister wasn't wrong.

- "So, are we not allowed any juicy details?" Alba returned to the original topic.

Of course, she was back to me. Unfortunately, I hadn't had time to think. I just shrugged. I would like to share with them, but I know I can't reveal everything.

- "She's a girl. A few years older than me, and well, that's it. We've only been together for a few weeks."

Only a few weeks. Now that I say it, it feels like we've been together for months. I'm already eager to reach our first month. Unfortunately, that's in a few days, and we'll still be here. I'm trying to stay positive, reminding myself that we'll be in Barcelona this weekend. At least I’ll have the advantage of being on my home turf. I can plan something for her at a place she doesn’t know, with Mapi as my accomplice.

- "So, you're into girls too?" Misa asked.

I leaned to see her as she was sitting just next to Alessia. She kept eating while glancing at me. Surprisingly, she smiled. Now that she knew she had nothing to worry about with Alba, maybe she’d behave differently.

- "Indeed" I replied, without going into detail.

- "And this girl," Alba asked again, "does she treat you well at least?"

Alexia rolled her eyes again, making me suppress a laugh. Honestly, they should have stayed away from each other if they were going to act like this in each other's presence.

- "Absolutely. She's amazing, even if sometimes she struggles to grasp that she's the only one who matters to me."

I punctuated my words by showing off the huge purple, almost black, hickey on my neck. She had pinned me down against the mattress, leaving me no means to defend myself. My friends gasped in disbelief, making me chuckle slightly.

- "Damn, seeing it again now, I realize she didn’t hold back at all," Ale teased as I quickly covered the evidence. "Think I can tease her about it?"

- "You? Tease her?" I raised an eyebrow. "I’d love to see that," I mocked.

- "Oh, shut up," she mumbled.

- "Wait, you know her?" Alba asked, surprised.

- "Yeah. Who do you think I spent my vacation with?"

- "Any particular reason she marked you like that?" Alessia asked, trying to prevent a sibling argument.

- "I don't know," I admitted, shrugging. "Jealousy, I guess. She knows a bit about my friends... I mean, I tell her about them a lot, so she probably feels threatened," I quickly corrected myself.

- "I wonder why. You practically devour her with your eyes. You'd have to be blind not to notice," Ale commented.

I hid my blush behind my mug of hot chocolate. I knew how true her words were. I just hoped it wouldn't be too obvious here at school. Even though there were only two months left and Lucy had said she didn’t care if she got expelled, I wasn’t on the same page. I wanted her with me until the end, so I hoped we could stay discreet. It had been a while, so I glanced over at her table. I was disappointed to find it empty. I looked quickly toward the line where people were clearing their trays, but I had to admit the truth: she was already gone. Clearly, I was already missing her, judging by the pang I felt at this realization. This day was going to feel longer than I’d like to admit.

Monday, March 1st; 5:15 PM - Lucy and Ingrid's Office.

I tried not to seem too eager when I headed to Lucy's office. First, I had to be patient while Alessia talked to me after class, and then I had to weave through the students in the hallway. If it were up to me, I would have sprinted from class the moment the bell rang. But sadly, that only happens in movies. So here I was, standing in front of her office door, which was wide open. I tapped on the wood to announce my presence before stepping inside. I didn’t wait for permission anymore—I felt at home here after having come so often. I was greeted by an empty desk on the left and Lucy behind the one on the right. We were alone. Perfect.

- "Hello," I said cheerfully.

- "Close the door," she ordered without taking her eyes off the screen.

I was already almost at her desk when she gave the command. Oh, she didn't seem to be in a good mood. I turned back to obey without complaint. A few months ago, I would have already retorted for her to do it herself. But now, I sensed this wasn’t the moment. I hoped everything would be fine. I had missed her so much today, and I didn’t want to spend the little time we had together in a bad mood.

- "You're late," she noted, as if it needed pointing out.

- "Did you miss me?"

I tried to joke to lighten her mood. To my surprise, she stood up abruptly to face me.

- "Hell, yes."

Before I could react, she spun me around and pressed me against her desk. Her slightly cold hands slid under my already open jacket. I smiled against her lips as she took them without asking. She grabbed my thighs firmly, lifting me onto the desk. I welcomed her between my legs, running my hand through her hair. For someone who wanted to keep our two relationships separate, we were far from her long speeches.

- "Take off that scarf," she growled, tugging at it.

I laughed harder as I unwrapped it before she could strangle me with it.

- "You like seeing your marks on me? I got so many comments because of you."

- "Really? I didn’t see you take it off today."

I raised an amused eyebrow. So she was watching me. Good to know. To be fair, I wasn’t any better, but now I understood why I kept running into her in the hallways.

- "You did it on purpose, didn’t you?"

- "I have no idea what you’re talking about."

I laughed, wrapping my arms around her neck. She smiled mischievously in return.

- "Well, just so you know, my friends know I’m taken. I talked to Alba this morning, and the others figured it out. They teased me all through lunch trying to figure out who you are. I said you weren’t from the school, but they think I’m lying."

- "Why would they think I’m from here?"

- "No idea. They think I don’t have a life outside of school."

"Well, aside from Mapi, you don’t see many people from your old life," she reminded me. "They’re not wrong, really. »

- "Well, it's easy to meet people nowadays. There are social media or even dating apps."

- "As if that’s your thing... It isn’t, right? Maybe I should take your phone away…"

- "Hey! No way, you idiot. As if I’d do something like that."

I roll my eyes before she kisses me again. I’ve missed her lips. It’s hard to go from two weeks straight together to a sudden cut. I’ll be happy when we no longer have to deal with the constraints of school.

- "Did Alessia say anything?"

- "No. She thinks you’re very... How do I put it? Vampiric. Or something like that. I don’t think she expected you to devour my neck."

She laughs and kisses the mark. I checked it in the mirror again during lunch and realized it’ll probably stick around for a few more days. She then steps back from between my legs, signaling that our little break is over. I hop off the desk, landing on my feet.

- "As long as she doesn’t hover around you anymore, I don’t care what she calls me."

- "Oh please, like she’d even try to go up against you. It’s a good thing she knows now."

- "Hmm... Alright, get your stuff out so we can tackle your homework. How were your classes?"

- "Boring, as always," I sigh. "I’ll be glad when I finally graduate."

- "I get that, me too," she admits with a small smile. "But we’re not there yet. By the way, I talked to Wiegman about your interview."

- "Already?" I ask, surprised.

- "Yup. The sooner it’s settled, the better. That way, we can avoid unnecessary arguments."

- "What did she say?"

- "She’s giving you permission to go, since it’s after your time here. But she’ll have to inform your mom."

I shrug, indifferent. It’s not like my mom doesn’t already know I had an interview. She’ll figure it out soon enough.

- "Will you come with me?"

- "Of course, I’ll drive you," she smiles. "There are perks to still being your guardian. Now, you just need to call Mr. Fields to find out the date."

- "Yeah... Can we also check out other galleries?"

- "I’ve already done some research," she tells me. "I made a list and sent it to Beth. Since she’s more knowledgeable and knows their reputations, she promised to review them and let me know which ones are worth sending your resume to."

- "Thank you. You’re amazing," I reply sincerely.

- "It’s only natural," she says, linking our hands. "I’ve thought about it a lot, and I want to apologize again for making you think I wanted to push you away. That was never my intention."

- "I know, don’t worry," I smile softly. "Let’s wait to see what Fields says before getting ahead of ourselves. He might offer something else."

- "Don’t get your hopes up too much. He can have as many apprentices as he wants. If you say no, that might be it for him."

- "We’ll see," I say confidently. "He seemed really interested in my profile. Maybe he won’t want to let me go so easily."

- "Babe, seriously. I don’t want you to get your hopes up and be let down. I’ll be happy if he offers you something else, but it’s better not to expect too much."

I nod. She’s right. Ever since I got the positive response, I’ve been feeling confident, but I’m likely setting myself up for a fall. I sigh, sinking into my seat.

- "Shall we get to work?"

- "You’ll get to work," she replies with a small smile. "Try to do it on your own, and I’ll correct it. I’ve still got a lot of work to do since the break is over."

I groan as I pull out the management assignment from this morning. Our teacher didn’t go easy on us, and we’ve already been hit with five exercises under the pretext that we need to be ready for the big day.

- "It’s not as fun without you."

- "Oh, come on. I won’t be sitting next to you during the exams. This is the final stretch. You need to learn to handle it on your own now."

I sigh and pout but still get to work. In a few months, I’ll be sitting through the same kind of exercises, except it’ll be on an exam paper for four hours straight. For now, I have nothing to complain about. The stress is slowly creeping in. I know I won’t be fully prepared, especially in my main subjects. Let’s not forget I’m two years behind. And to top it off, I found out today that we actually have compressed courses. Murphy explained that due to the school’s structure, we’re missing a semester out of the usual three years. After quickly doing the math in my head, we only have three semesters instead of four in a given track. At least I understand now why we’re moving faster than normal. Fortunately, my teachers often revisit points that were covered in previous years during the course. Thanks to Lucy, I’ve started asking for help more often. While I think most of my exams are out of reach, Lucy believes in me. She says I might have some terrible grades, but I can still pass. That’s all the support I need. I’m determined to prove her right. I don’t care about having outstanding grades, just passing is enough. I’ll focus on excelling in the subjects I’m stronger in, like literature and languages. They won’t be the most heavily weighted, given the track I chose, but it’s better than nothing. Time passes, and I finally finish the exercises for my upcoming classes.

- "Can you check my work?" I ask my girlfriend.

- "Of course."

She pushes aside her pile of papers and grabs my assignments. She picks up a pencil and starts reading through them. I take advantage of the calm moment to admire her. She moves her long brown hair to the side, making her even more beautiful. I smile as she unintentionally reveals the mark I gave her. It’s much smaller now and a few days old. Our bubble bursts with a knock at the door, followed by its immediate opening to reveal my management teacher. His sudden presence reminds me that we’re never truly safe from being interrupted, even with the door closed.

- "Oh yes, I forgot about your evening classes," he murmurs. "Good evening, I hope I’m not disturbing you."

- "Not particularly," Lucy replies. "How can I help you?"

- "I was just following up on the field trip, but I can come back later if necessary."

Lucy leans back in her chair, crossing her legs, but she keeps my packet of assignments in her hand and removes her glasses—the ones that make her look so irresistible—with the other. She places them on the desk and massages the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

- "I’ve already told you, Ona isn’t a problem. What do you need?"

I can’t help but smile at her cold tone. He’s definitely getting on her nerves. I turn back to my teacher, who looks slightly flustered.

- "Well, I wanted to confirm that Miss Engen and you will be part of the teaching staff accompanying us."

- "Alright. Is that all?"

- "For now. I’ll let you know the date of the trip and which group you’ll be in charge of."

- "Hmm. If you’re organizing the groups, make sure Ona is in mine. Since I’m designated as her guardian until the end of the year, it’ll allow me to keep an eye on her."

I can’t help but laugh at that request. Thank goodness Wiegman put her in charge. We’re definitely taking advantage of it now. I thought I was being discreet, but Lucy must have heard me because she raises an eyebrow as she glances at me. I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing again. I love it when she plays the serious role like that.

- "Any objections?" she asks me.

- "None," my teacher responds.

It’s too much; I have to laugh again. He doesn’t even know who she’s addressing anymore. Lucy doesn’t miss the opportunity to remind him.

"I was talking to Ona. »

- "No problem, Bronze," I replied with as much seriousness as I could muster in that moment.

- "Good. Well, that's settled then. I'll be waiting for your update."

- "Great. Thanks again for agreeing."

Before he turned to leave, I smiled when I noticed him lingering on Lucy's neck. She couldn’t have chosen a better time to show off the mark I left on her. Then his eyes shifted to me, narrowing slightly.

- "See you tomorrow, sir," I said innocently.

- "Hmm... see you tomorrow."

- "Have a good evening," Lucy added just before he left.

I turned back to Lucy, who had resumed correcting my work as if none of that had just happened. Her glasses were back on her nose. With the door closed again, I seized the opportunity.

- "Is he always that annoying?"

- "He never was."

- "Really? I think he is. He tries to get to you at every chance he gets."

- "Well, now you can be sure he won’t come by after class, not with you here."

Her mischievous tone didn’t sit well with me. I slumped back in my chair, crossing my arms. It was obvious that if he wanted to be alone with her, he wouldn’t come by at this time anymore. That idea bothered me a lot.

- "You're not going to sulk, are you?" she teased. "I was as cold as possible. I think I made it pretty clear, didn't I?"

- "Hmm..."

- "Plus, I made sure you’d be in my group for that outing," she added. "I couldn’t really do much more than that."

- "Yes, you could. You could tell him outright that you’re not interested in men."

- "Fine. I’ll do that if that’s what you want."

A silence settled in. My mood lifted a little. I hadn’t expected her to go that far, but I felt relieved. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore. I watched her as she reached the last page. She had used her pencil several times, so I could already tell there were corrections to make. When she finished, she handed everything back to me.

- "Here you go. You made a few mistakes, but you’ve understood the essentials."

- "Thanks," I replied shyly.

I took my papers and started working on my errors. Most of the time, they were just careless mistakes. Management requires a lot of formulas, and even though I’d memorized them with Lucy’s help before the holidays, I still mixed them up sometimes.

- "How was your night?"

- "Rough," I admitted. "I had trouble getting used to my small bed again, and I didn’t sleep much."

- "Your nightmares came back?"

- "No... I’m a bit afraid they will, but we’ll see. Worst case, I’ll ask to sleep over with Alexia."

I felt close enough to her now that I could ask her for that. I was sure she wouldn’t mind if I did.

- "Hmm... If it’s just her, I think I can accept that," Lucy said with a small smile. "You should take a page out of my book, you know. I know how to control myself."

- "Is that so?" I giggled. "Shall we talk about how you stared down Alessia after I talked to her? I saw you," I accused her shamelessly.

- "I think we should calm down," she laughed. "It’s not like we just spent two weeks living together."

I smiled. She didn’t even try to defend herself.

- "We should, that's true, but I doubt I could resist. I love your jealousy. It makes me feel important in your eyes."

- "You can. You're the most important person to me anyway, baby."

I blushed softly at her unexpected compliment.

- "You are too. Never doubt that. No one even comes close, no matter who I talk to."

- "Noted," she smiled. "Just make sure to remind your friend that you're taken."

- "You do that quite well on your own," I teased, tilting my head to expose my neck. "She knows, don’t worry."

- "Then we have no problem," she smiled wider.

Indeed. Aside from the issue of next year, there didn’t seem to be any more problems between us. I sincerely hoped everything would turn out fine, and even if it didn’t, I was confident we’d find a way through it.

[breezybrii]

ੈ♡˳ꜱᴛʀɪᴋɪɴɢ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ！- BLLK

-meguru bachira ；f-reader

-part one ！

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❥ : being the new student isn't easy, especially in a new country. as you are trying to get used to the new surroundings and a new school. on your walk back from getting a drink, you notice the soccer field. the boys were playing around. out of curiosity, you make your way down the hill to watch. someone specific catches your eye as he swiftly steals the ball from the opposing team while wearing a pinnie with the number 8. using fancy moves, he takes the ball up the field, getting around each defender. after passing the last person, he takes a shot at goal, hitting the crossbar. the ball bounces off, flying in your direction. you hold your nose in pain, watching the ball bounce along the pavement. "wow what a bad header! hey there!" you looked up. "sorry about that. are you okay?" it was him. number 8.

❥ contents: transfer student reader, international reader, basically all the bllk boys go to the same school, just some cute romance bubbling up with bachira :)

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ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏᴠ:

"i want to go home mom," i said into the phone. i heard my mom sigh.

"you'll be okay, we'll be over there in a few months i promise, just focus on school and stay well, bye." she hung up.

i moved to japan about a week ago after my dad got a new job over here. though, i'm the only one here because something came up at my moms job. mom wanted me to start school on time so here i am. in a new house, in a new country, all alone.

------

i start making my way to school, passing the sound of the busy street. compared to the u.s, there are so much more people walking. i'm used to the bus.

"hey y/n!" i heard someone yell.

i turned around.

"i didn't know you took this way!" it was kyo. my new friend.

"i usually don't but i wanted to just go around the town for a bit more," i said, smiling.

"well start walking this way more often, then we can walk to school together!" she yelled excitedly, brushing her hair out of her face.

i like kyo, she's sweet. she invited me to eat with her at lunch when i first moved here and ever since then we've been pretty much inseparable.

"say y/n...," kyo began. "we should def hangout outside of school," she said as we walked through the school gates.

"yeah im so down, it can be at my place since my parents still haven't moved out here yet," i replied.

we walked towards our lockers, changing our shoes.

"hey, when we hangout, does tonight work for you?" i asked.

kyo slammed her locker, making everyone look at us.

"of course it does! i'm so excited oh my god!" she shouted. i covered her mouth with my hand. "everyone is looking at us," i laughed.

"sorry," kyo giggled. "i just can't wait, im so excited!"

"yeah yeah now come on, we're going to miss the morning announcements AGAIN if we don't hurry," i told her.

kyo shoved her books that were lying on the floor in her bookbag, throwing the bag over her should. "yeah i'm ready, lets go!"

------

"ugh im so dead, i can't wait to eat!" kyo yelled as she pushed her desk to face mine. "the lesson today was SO confusing, i don't know how i'm going to pass the midterms."

"well it would be easier if you were awake for more than 15 minutes kyo," i laughed, taking out my lunch bag.

"oh crap," kyo said as she opened her lunch bag up. "i forgot my drink and bread..." she looked up, giving me the eyes.

"oh no, i'm not doing this again kyo." i combatted. kyo pouted her lip, trying her best to give "cute eyes".

"pleaseeeee y/n pleaseee, just the drink PLEASE," kyo begged.

this is the second time is week kyo forgot something for her lunch.

i rolled my eyes, pushing my seat back.

"sure, but this is the LAST time, next time you're getting both by yourself," i sighed, giving in.

kyo got up excitedly. "thank you so much i literally LOVE you! i promise this is the last time."

i shook my head, smiling. i just know that isn't true.

-----

"i hope this is the drink kyo is feeling today," muttering to myself, pressing the button to dispense a yogurt drink.

kyo has a different favorite drink every week so i really hope i don't have to make another trip back.

i started making my way back to the school building but while on the walk, i noticed a soccer field. there were some boys playing there.

i got a little curious so i made my way down the hill to watch for a bit.

i noticed one boy. a boy with the number 8. with his quick movements, he steals the ball away from someone on the opposing side. his fancy footwork mesmerized me. the way he got past each defender with such ease was so cool.

he takes on the last defender, beating him easily. i gripped the drinks, awaiting to see what happens next.

he takes a shot on goal. it hits the cross bar.

next thing i know, i'm holding my nose in pain. opening my eyes to see the drinks on the floor.

"wow what a bad header! hey there!" i looked up towards the voice. "sorry about that! are you okay?"

it was him. number 8.

"uh um yeah, psh, i'm totally fine," i answered.

he looks down at the floor, bending down and picking up the drinks. he hands them to me.

"oh uh thank you, sorry about not catching the ball for you," i said, watching the ball roll down the hill.

"don't worry about it! i was the one that kicked it! sorry about that again!" he scratches the back of his head.

"say.. i've never seen you around here, are you new?" he asked, drying the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.

i nodded.

"yeah i moved here about a week ago actually, from the u.s."

his eyes widened.

"oh my god i've always wanted to meet a foreigner! what's your name?" he asked excitedly, shoving the rag back into his pocket.

"my names y/n..." i replied. "what's yours?"

"my name is meguru bachira! nice to meet you y/n!" he said smiling.

"oh my god y/n!!! there you are!!!" we both turned towards the noise. it was kyo, running with a bag full of pastries in one hand.

when she made her way over to us, she was breathing heavily from the running. "i was looking for you everywhere! where have you been?" she questioned.

"well i was getting us a drink and i got a little distracted. then the next thing i know i got hit in the face with a soccer ball by this guy," i said, pointing to bachira.

kyo's eyes widened. "are you okay? is your head okay?... wait...," kyo looked over at bachira. "no way...," she gasped.

"uhh is there a problem?" i asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"no nothing! come on lets get going y/n!" kyo exclaimed, dragging me by my arm.

"oh uh okay...," i accepted as i caught up to match kyo's pace. i turned my head back at bachira, "bye, i'll see you later." i waved.

"bye y/n i'll see ya!!" bachira shouted, waving his hand vigorously while smiling.

i turned back to kyo, "what was that about?"

"since you're new you probably didn't know but bachira is one of the best soccer players here! he's also pretty cute so a lot of girl like him," kyo said, letting go of my arm.

"ohh well it wasn't really anything. he was just the one that kicked the ball that ended up hitting me in the face. he was just being nice," i reassured her. "but, since you say a lot of girl like him does that include you kyo?" i looked at her with a smirk.

kyo shook her head, "no of course not, he's not my type. the only boy i have eyes for is my man takeru satoh."

i laughed. "girl i have no idea who that is ..."

kyo gasped. "he's literally the CUTEST actor in the world, how do you not know who he is?"

i smiled at kyo, nudging her shoulder. "guess i get to see some of his shows today."

i looked back down at the drink boxes, one was a little bent inwards because of the fall.

i touched my nose, feeling a slight sting from the impact.

remind me never to do that again.

----

HEY GUYS!! WELCOME TO MY BACHIRA X YN FF!!!! i hope yall like it because i literally could not get over writers block </3 please let me know what yall think! thank you!! waka-chan out.

[mrinafria]

Night on the balcony, OG vs ALT Seon Jae

[tw: death/killing]

It's a given that OG Seon Jae was murdered by the taxi driver but I've always been more curious about the how of it, because it was never shown to us. I really thought they'd shed some light near the end of the series but oh well. I won't complain because I got the epic rom-com ending of all times. But I think we can all agree that they deliberately left so many things out to give us the cutest fluffiest ending known to mankind lol.

A couple things that clicked as I was rewatching the ALT 2023 episodes recently, *coughs* for the 19th or so time *coughs*. There's this scene:

You see Seon Jae struggling with the taxi driver, who is trying to sedate him using that hanky since the moment he barges in. Of course there's something on it, which happens to be:

In the 2009 timeline, Tae Sung's dad and his partner at work talk about how the Taxi Driver's modus operandi is using animal anesthetics on his victims. We'll come back to this shortly.

A couple things to remember:

1. OG Seon Jae was already physically unwell when we see him post-concert. It was most likely a panic attack (was it because he saw the taxi driver? We'll never know why T-T). It's very likely he took medicines to calm his nerves. Some of these anti-anxiety/nerve-calming medicines can have the same ingredients as anti-depressants based on my experience, and one of the things they do is make you slightly drowsy, as a consequence of relaxing your nerves [disclaimer: please remember this is just based on my own experience and opinions I've seen people share. Medically there might be more to it.]

2. OG Seon Jae did not jump off on his own (because he is Seon Jae). However, that doesn't necessarily mean he didn't have depression. Im Sol's incident and him blaming himself ALL through 15 years is enough for anyone to spiral into it. Whatever little we saw, there were telltale signs of it, so it is possible he was under medication in the OG timeline (BUT he didn't jump off the balcony).

3. Basically, he was not in the best frame of mind when we see him in 2023, lost in thoughts of Im Sol and their unexpected meeting on the bridge, and then checking up on her secretly, as she gets back to her apartment. I won't get into details because I promised myself this was not going to be another one of my OG Seon Jae eulogies.

He was basically preoccupied with other thoughts and physically not in a good shape to put up a fight. Heck, he didn't even bother to pick up the call from his agency CEO or react to the doorbell right away.

UNLIKE THE ALT 2023 SEON JAE.

4. ALT 2023 Seon Jae had met Im Sol without any of the guilt and pain of OG Seon Jae.

5. ALT 2023 was already "in a relationship" with Im Sol (*giggles*) when we see him in the hotel room.

6. Unlike his OG self, he never seemed to have any panic attacks/mental health issues. He confirmed it himself when Im Sol kept asking about medicines/depression. He longed for Im Sol, but he wasn't in anguish, torturing himself for 14 years over something that never happened in that timeline. So he is perfectly well and capable of not going down without some struggle or fight when the taxi driver attacks him.

Now, going back to animal anesthetics.

[Disclaimer: I'm no professional and this is just something I learned. If any of you have a professional opinion about it, please let me know!]

I initially wrote off the chloroform trope for OG Seon Jae because it's detectable during autopsy. And according to the news, nothing suspicious showed up in OG Seon Jae's autopsy except for medicines.

Some animal anesthetics, however, are undetectable in human bodies, unless you're conducting specific toxicology tests if you are suspicious of something other than chloroform. I assume nobody did this specifically because no signs of struggle were found, giving no reason to suspect the cause of his death (again, we'll never know the specifics of toxicology tests done for Seon Jae's autopsy -_-)

If this progression of thought is right, something like this might have unfolded in the OG 2023 timeline:

7. Similar to ALT 2023, the taxi driver breaks into Seon Jae's hotel room. Seon Jae probably tries to fight him but he's not able to because of ^^^1-3 reasons. Taxi driver sedates him comparatively easily.

8. Once Seon Jae is unconscious (wow it's difficult to type this because my brain won't stop playing out this scene), taxi driver fixes the room so no signs of struggle can be found later.

9. Once he is done, he takes Seon Jae and throws him off *okay breathe*

10. Seon Jae's eyes are shut when we see him underwater. He is likely unconscious because of the animal anesthetics so obviously he can't swim or save himself.

That's a lot of conjecture going on in here lol but this at least helps me not to overthink this anymore. The only thing that's still bugging me: Everyone is busy checking out what happened with Seon Jae, so it may be possible the Taxi Driver manages to sneak in to delete the cctv footage somehow, but I'm not convinced myself. Why do I have a feeling the script actually had a different plan with the whole OG Seon Jae incident thing, and they just edited ALL of the other stuff out to make it more romcom-y? Again, no complaints, I LOVE they made it more romcomy, but I've already rewatched the series so many times, it's very hard to pass off all these things as nothing when I see they were trying to form a connection underlying the main plot.

Anyway.

[cailinsblog]

could you do one where it is the summer and the Hughes brothers have a sister who is like 14 or 15 and at the lake house with like Cole and Trevor and Jack Quinn and Luke are there and she is going on her first date

Omg I love this I hope you like what I wrote 🤍🤍🤍

"Summer at the Lake: Protecting Y/N"

Hughes brothers x hughes sister

The warm summer sun cast a golden hue over the tranquil lake where the Hughes brothers Quinn, Jack, and luke. We’re spending their vacation at the family lake house. With Cole and Trevor the best friends of the brothers. With all of the fun at the lake house there was an underlying sense of protectiveness because whenever their friends younger sister Y/N was going out on a date.

Y/N, at fifteen, was at that age where every experience felt like an adventure. This summer, she found herself caught up in the excitement of her first real date. Her brothers, knowing how important this milestone was for her, simultaneously cheered her on and fretted over her safety.

On the day of her date, Y/N nervously prepared in her room overlooking the lake, trying on different outfits as she sought the perfect balance between casual and cute. Downstairs, her brothers and Cole and Trevor, were in a huddle, discussing the evening's plans with a mix of teasing and genuine concern.

"You sure about this, Y/N?" Quinn asked, adjusting his sunglasses, a little on the uneasy side.

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, Quinn. I'll be fine. Jack and Luke, you promised not to scare him off, right?"

Jack chuckled, ruffling her hair. "We'll behave. But if he steps out of line..."

Trevor finished his sentence, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, "We've got your back."

Cole, the some what more serious of the guys cleared his throat. "Just be home by eleven, okay? And text us if anything feels off."

Y/N nodded, feeling a mixture of gratitude and slight annoyance at their protectiveness. "I promise, guys. He's just taking me to the diner down the road. It's not like we're going skydiving."

As evening approached, Y/N’s date arrived—a shy, slightly awkward boy from a neighboring cabin. The brothers and friends watched from the porch with feigned nonchalance as Y/N emerged, her face lit up with a smile that made their hearts swell with pride. They exchanged glances and nods, silently agreeing to keep a watchful eye from a distance.

At the diner, amidst burgers and milkshakes, Y/N and her date chatted easily, laughter punctuating the nervous tension. The boy, sensing her brothers’ and there friends protective gaze from the corner booth they occupied discreetly, made every effort to impress Y/N with his charm and wit.

Back at the lake house, the brothers kept themselves occupied with fishing and telling exaggerated stories of their own teenage escapades, all the while keeping one ear on Y/N’s date through the family’s extensive network of nosy neighbors and acquaintances.

As the night drew to a close, Y/N’s date walked her back to the lake house under the starlit sky. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, the evening's initial nervousness melting away into comfortable companionship.

When they reached the porch, Y/N turned to bid her date goodnight. She was surprised to find her brothers waiting there, trying (and failing) to appear casual.

"Thanks for tonight," Y/N said to her date, shooting a glance at her brothers who were now unabashedly inspecting him.

He smiled, slightly flushed under their scrutiny. "Anytime. Maybe we can do this again?"

Y/N nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I'd like that."

Her date left with a wave and a promise to text her. Y/N turned to her brothers, Cole and especially Trevor immediately bombarded her with questions, teasing, and exaggerated protective advice.

"Okay, okay," Y/N laughed, holding up her hands. "I get it. You guys are the best."

As they all retreated into the lake house, the night settled into a comfortable quiet, the lake whispering its secrets under the moonlight. Amidst the laughter and the brotherly banter, Y/N felt a warmth in her heart—a deep gratitude for the brothers who, despite their teasing and overprotectiveness, would always have her back, no matter what adventures the future held.

[fizzing-imagines]

Agony | Gareth Emerson x Cheerleader! Reader

Notes: Before you read, be aware that Reader is dating someone else in this. I had to make Reader from a catholic family to make this work. MDNI, 18+ only

Warnings: Descriptive abusive relationship, hint at being talked into having sex, hint at restrictive eating, a very short sex scene

Word Count: 2.9k

"Watch where you're going, freak.", your boyfriend Andy said as he purposely ran into and pushed down one of the students from Hellfire. You knew him, he was in your social studies class. "Andy, that's enough.", you scolded him. Your boyfriend gave you a confused look as you helped him gather his books. "Sorry. Hope your okay.", you said to Gareth before grabbing Andy by the arm and dragging him away.

That was your first interaction with Gareth.

The same night, you had a huge fight with Andy. He accused you of liking the 'freak boy', asked why you helped him. "Because he's also a human, Andy." You tried your best to remain calm, it was your way of trying to controll his bad temper. While you truly loved Andy, he gets angry easily. But there was one safe strategy to this. "Come on, Andy." You wrapped your left arm around his torso and cupped his face with your right hand. It gave him the perfect view of your cleavage, and made your eyes look especially big and innocent. "I like helping people. That's why you love me, don't you?" With a sigh and a small eye roll, he let out a small "Sure." His hands found your hips and held on tightly. "There's some other things you do that I love." One swift movement later, you were laying on Andys bed, underneath him.

You're fucked. In social studies, you were given presentation assignments and partnered with a random person to work with for two weeks. Just your luck, you were partnered with Gareth. Despite it not being your fault, you knew Andy would pick a fight over it. Regardless, you and Gareth pushed your chairs together and looked at the topic you were supposed to write about. "Write about your favourite moment from world history.", you read out loud. Gareth seemed happy about it, but you furrowed your brows. "The only history I know about is cheerleading and the crusades." Gareth gave you a raised eyebrow. "Crusades?", he asked before grinning in amusement. "That's a wild card." You laughed a bit at his words. "My family's catholic, that was kinda our thing." So, the crusades it was. Both of you told your teacher about the topic you chose do your assignment about. "Whatever we can't finish now, we can do after school.", Gareth suggested. The thought alone made you nervous, considering Andy. "Uhm...I-I don't know...you know how my boyfriend is..." He knew how he was, but what worried him is that you looked very scared. "Well, maybe we'll do it at your house with one of your siblings around?" His suggestion sounded fair enough to you.

But it didn't to Andy. "Why the fuck would you even agree to hang out with the freak?!" He yelled at you in the parking lot after school. "It's for school, Andy...", you defended yourself in a quiet voice. "I don't fucking care, you should've asked for another partner! Are you actually that stupid?!" Your eyes started watering at his words. "I'm sorry...", you mumbled while holding back tears. "Sorry isn't gonna fix how dumb you are." He turned around and got in his car, the door slammed shut and it made you flinch. You watched him drive off before getting into your own car to cry. After a good 15 minutes, there was a knock at your window. It was Gareth. You rolled down your window with one hand while whiping your tears with the other. "You okay?", he asked in a worried tone. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.", you lied. "Just...frustrated about cheerleading, is all." He didn't believe you, but he wouldn't say that out loud. "Hey, uhm, my friends all kinda dipped out on me, do you wanna start the assignment today?" You couldn't, not after that fight with Andy. "I have cheer practice out of school today. We can stick to Thursday, okay?" He reluctantly nodded before saying goodbye and "I hope you feel better soon.", then getting into his own car.

At home, you already started reading through your books about crusades. You tried at least, because Andys words still rung in your ears. All your life, you didn't feel stupid. Sure, some classes are harder than others but you weren't an idiot. At least you didn't think that until you started dating Andy. Every time a boy looked at you the wrong way, flirted or stepped too close, he called you oblivious, dumb or stupid for not realising it. Many times, it didn't even seem like flirting to you. But Andy was a guy, he must know...right? "Honey, Andys here!", your mother yelled from downstairs pulled you out of your thoughts. His footsteps approached your upstairs room and the door opened slowly. "Hey.", he said in a calm tone. You got up from your bed to walk over to him. "Hey.", you said back. Your boyfriend closed the door behind him before putting his hands on your hips. "I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have yelled at you." An actual apology from him is rare. "It's okay if you can't always think of smart solutions, you're good at other things. You just leave the thinking to me next time, yeah?" Did he genuinely think you were stupid? Maybe he's right...he does know you best. "Sure. Thank you, Andy." You said as you wrapped your arms around his torso. "I think there's a way you can make that mistake up to me.", Andy said as he slowly led you towards your bed. Honestly, you didn't feel like it but he'll start another fight if you'd say no. So you just follow lead.

Gareth came to your house on Thursday, two days later. You already put all the books you had on crusades on the dining table in your home in the morning, so both if you just drove to your house after school to start on the assignment. "So, we should probably explain what a crusade is first, and then talk about the big eight ones in more detail. I mean, there's minor ones but if we were to talk about all of them we'd be there for hours." You laughed a bit at your own words. "You know a lot about that, huh?", Gareth asked with a small smile. "Oh, it's just something my brothers liked when I was a child. I'd always sit quietly on the stairs when they watches Gates Of Paradise in the living room." He laughed a bit on your words. "Well, you're the smart one here. I'll just follow your lead." Those words struck a bit. "Oh no, I'm not that smart.", you said with a small wave of your hand before opening your first book. Gareth, however, was very confused by your self-degrading words. "Do you wanna talk about what crusades are, then I talk about the first big one, and we just switch back and forth?", you asked. Honestly, he was still taken aback by your comment, but he didn't want to bring it up again; he wasn't your friend, it would be too invasive. Having Gareth there for your assignment was odd - you didn't actually feel so stupid when you worked with him. It made you doubt Andys words for the following days.

"Mornin' baby.", Andy grumbled next to you. Both of you were at a party the night before, where Andy got extremely drunk and threw up in his driveway, bathroom and the side of the road on the way back. You stayed sober, being the designated driver like you were every time the two of you went to a party. "Promise I'll drive next time.", he mumbled as his arms snaked around your waist and pulled you closer to him. Andy promised that every time he woke up hungover. "Sure.", you whispered as you pulled the sheets up higher. "You okay?" He let out a low groan, indicating his raging headache. "Need some aspirin?" Andy hummed in response, so you got up and walked to his bathroom where you got his aspirin. After going downstairs to get a glass of water, you walked back into his room. "There you go.", you said as you put his things down on the messy nightstand. "Andy, I need to get home soon for my assignments. You want me to come over again later?" He turned to look at you through squinted eyes. "Sure. You can make me feel better then, hm?" You were at a point where the thought of having sex with Andy grossed you out - it made you feel tainted every time. But fighting with him made you feel even worse. "Sure, I'll see you later. Let's say around six, I'll bring dinner." He gave you a small smile and a pat on your thigh. "You're not that dumb after all." Sure, let's say that.

Gareth didn't make you feel stupid. In fact, you were looking foward to working with him again. He didn't make you feel nearly as stupid as Andy did. On your way to his house, you picked up coffee, donuts and bacon & egg breakfast muffins for the both of you. A short drive later, you were already knocking on his front door to be greeted by his mother. "Good morning.", you said to her with a smile. "I'm Gareths assignment partner, we wanted to continue working on it today." She smiled at you. "He's up in his room. Come in, I'll fetch him for you." His mother made you sit at the dining table where you also put the food down until Gareth emerged form his room. "Morning.", he said as he slumped down next to you. He looked like he just woke up, so you slid him his coffee. "Just rolled out of bed, huh?", you asked with a small laugh before taking a sip of your coffee. "Rough night.", Gareth mumbled. "Thanks for the coffee." He drank a lot of it in one gulp, but it seemed to kick in really fast. "I also brought food.", you said as you slid the brown paper bag with his donut and breakfast muffins towards him. "Take your time, I'm free until five." Gareth ate his breakfast quickly, so quickly that you gave him your donut, but he fully enjoyed it. "You're honestly the best, (Y/N). I couldn't have a better partner." It sounded wrong, and in the back of your mind you knew that Andy would kill him for that comment, but you didn't say anything. "I try my best.", you said with a small smile. "It's nice to be appreciated for once." Those words slipped out without you thinking about what you were saying. Your eyes went wide as he looked up at you with a questioning and concerned look. Shit. "What do you mean?", he asked you. You mumbled out a few excuses, that you didn't mean it like that and that you didn't mean to say it, but it didn't change his concerns. In fact, he worried a lot since he first worked with you and you basically called yourself stupid. "It's, uhm..." Maybe it would be relieving if you talked about this to someone. All your friends were on the cheer team, it would find it's way to Andy. "My boyfriend, he...well, he made me realise I'm not really smart. But even when I think I have a good idea, he thinks it's stupid, so...it's nice to have that appreciated." Gareth started hating Andy even more at that very moment. He didn't know you too well, but he knew you weren't dumb. In fact, he admired how well you did in social studies despite not liking it much. "You're not stupid, (Y/N), if anything he's stupid for saying that." His words gave you a funny feeling in your stomach. "Oh, I don't know.", you said. "I'm good at other things. Cheerleading, driving, se-" Luckily, you cut yourself off. "S-sewing." He raised an eyebrow. "Sewing?" Your cheeks have turned a deep shade of red. Did you seriously almost say the word Sex in front of Gareth? "Y-yeah. I sew my own bows. You know, for cheerleading." He laughed before finishing his coffee. "I've heard worse excuses. Good one." You forced out a chuckle while your face was still flushed red. "Coming up with that excuse on the spot is pretty smart, you know." By now, you couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. "I know it's not my business, but you deserve someone who doesn't make you feel stupid. Because you really are not."

Gareths words stuck with you more than Andys did. They meant more to you than your boyfriends words, his didn't sting as much anymore. As you were riding him and he finished inside you, your mind wasn't even with him anymore; it was with Gareth. He looked so cute after he just woke up...what were you thinking? This can't be right, can it? "Fuck, you're incredible." Andy groaned once he came down from his high. "You're my own little pornstar, aren't you?" You gave him a small smile as you got down, since he wouldn't try to make you cum anyways, and cuddled up to him. "You're usually not this needy afterwards.", Andy commented. There were no words you could possibly say right now. You were too deep in your own head, thinking of nobody but Gareth. No way in hell could you develop a crush on him. "I just...love you an extra lot today." You said to your boyfriend. "Aren't you cute?", he said before giving you a kiss on your forehead. If you'd convince yourself enough, you'll stop developing feelings for Gareth and fully love Andy again.

Your plan was mediocre at best. Both you and Andy started fighting more, he accused you of cheating, called you stupid multiple times a day. It peaked when he called you a whore because you had to meet with Gareth for your assignment. At this point, you completely lost feelings for him. Every time he came around with a fake apology, every time he convinced you to have sex with you as an apology, every kiss on the forehead afterwards, it made you feel dirty. At this point, you were eating less, showered twice a day and changed your sheets daily. It was a rapid decline over the course of one and a half weeks. And with the deadline of your assignment approaching, meaning you won't have an excuse to spend time with Gareth anymore, you grew anxious. He made you feel good about yourself in a way no friend or, god forbid, your boyfriend could.

"Hey, Gareth?" Might as well take a risk. "My brothers wanna do a movie night tomorrow. I thought Gates Of Paradise would be something you'd like, considering our assignment." He smiled at your suggestion, a genuine smile not even close to what Andy gave you. "That sounds great.", he said. Since the both of you finished the assignment that day, it made you truly happy that he was willing to spend time with you outside of schoolwork.

"It's just with my brothers.", you said to Andy when he asked why he couldn't join you for movie night. "I promised them some time with just me because I've been so busy with the assignment." He sighted at your words. "But you'll be here tomorrow?", he asked as his hands cupped your cheeks. Gross. "Yes, Andy, just you, me and The Outsiders." He smirked before giving you a quick peck on the lips. "How about you bring those pretty silk PJ's that drive me insane?" No thank you. "They're in the washer right now. How about your shirt?" That still pleased him, although not like your silk pyjamas did.

It didn't matter what you wore when Gareth was around you, he was kind to you regardless. You were in an oversized Pointer Sisters shirt and boxershorts you wore over your underwear when your elder brother led him into the living room. "Hey Gare.", you greeted him with a smile. Gareth plopped down on the couch next to you while your brothers made a construction of pillows and blankets on the floor to lay on. Your younger sister joined them on the floor as well since she was finally old enough to watch crusade movies without peeking from the stairs like you did as a child. "I didn't know what sodas you liked, so I brought a few.", Gareth said as he handed you a sixpack of cherry coke, a sixpack of sprite and a sixpack of diet coke. "Diet cokes good.", you said with a smile. "Yeah, ever since she's been on that new diet of hers.", your eldest brother commented as he took the sodas out of my hands. "Cherry coke's her favourite if she's not trying to loose whatever weight she thinks she needs to loose." You threw a pillow from the couch after him as he left the living room. "It's just for practice." but Gareth didn't buy that explanation. He didn't want to say anything in front of your family, but he did make a mental note to himself. Your other brother and your sister left the room to grab snacks and the movie, leaving you two alone for a few minutes. "Andy doesn't know you're here, by the way.", you said. "He...well, he doesn't really like you. Actually, he's jealous. Thinks you wanna steal me from him."

Oh, if you knew.

[ktyekmrf30]

5 years ago I was a little too naive and convinced that you can go to a therapist for 2-3 months and solve most of your life problems that were by your side for the 20 or so years. 2 years and 3 months ago I came to a session with a therapist for the first time after I almost broke down. Next wednesday I'll still go to the next session.

At first I thought that I went to a therapist primarily for myself, to live my best and more peaceful life - and this is mostly true. But then, after some time, I finally realized that there are also motives that I didn't want to admit at first even to myself. I went to a therapist to work through old traumas so that it would help me maintain relationships with my family and mother. I came to this thought for the first time and now I'm ready to admit that I went to heal my traumas for the sake of another person and not just for myself. As if there was something shameful or weird about changing and be better version of yourself for someone. And Q thought about it too.

But excluding this, Q, on the other hand, feels diametrically opposite to me. I believe that earlier, when he first went to therapy, it wasn't his idea, it was his father or the doctors who were seeing him with his sleepwalking and panic attacks, because at that time Q was a minor, teenager with no support system and with a strict father, and it's hard to decide for yourself that you need a therapist, especially when you 15-16yo. So it was definitely his doctor or his father because the doctor told him to. But then Q stopped going and it's been a few years now.

All this time Q didn't see any reason to continue working on himself, his fears, nightmares and sleepwalking for his own sake. But he wanted to do it for Min and he went to therapy with the primary thought that he was doing it for another person. And I actually think he's going to have the opposite situation just like me where after some time he finally acknowledges that, yes, maybe he initially sought help for the sake of another person, but he realized that he really needed help for his own sake in the first place, because several times on the show he had expressed the idea that he was lonely and desperate and was destined to die alone by himself. And that means he actually wanted to fix something in his life for himself, he just didn't dare to think about it or admit it.

Also I think it is so important to represent that no love will magically heal the traumas of the soul, that it is a long process during which you should be supported and not being judged by your loved ones and even after starting therapy nothing will disappear immediately, it is still a healing process, which is built differently for everyone. For someone it can take 4 months, 2 years or 6 years.

And at the end of the episode, Q is not fully cured and he has years ahead of him to get rid of all his demons, which can be awaken even in the most trivial everyday situations but it's still a happy ending. A realistic happy ending where you accept and learn to love the process of life and recovery. It's not about achieve the goal before we'll see ending credits because in real life there is just one chance for ending credits. And we were only shown the middle of Q's path, his happy ending journey during which Min fully supported him and will continue to support him. And there's something special about how Q looks happier and healthier in that last scene compared to what we saw from him before.

[nightprompts]

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

( dialogue prompts taken from episodes 3 & 4 ( "tell no tales" & "the pirates are coming" ) of the netflix live action one piece series. feel free to edit and change as you seem fit. )

❛ when are you gonna stop wasting your life? it's pathetic. ❜

❛ it's our jolly roger. every pirate crew has to have one. and now we do! ❜

❛ why did i have to get dragged along for this? ❜

❛ you think you can do anything i can't do? ❜

❛ i was just... i was trying to help. ❜

❛ you got to be kidding me. that clown was worth 15 million berry. we should've stuffed his head in a bag and brought it with us. ❜

❛ who would pay you that bounty anyway? you're kind of a wanted man yourself now. ❜

❛ well, it's about time one of my sorry excuses for a supporting cast showed up. ❜

❛ arlong wants a word. ❜

❛ well, you can tell arlong... that i don't take requests. ❜

❛ how much do these cost? ❜

❛ if you have to ask, you can't afford it. ❜

❛ listen. we are going to need something a little less flashy if we want to sneak out of here. ❜

❛ you want to steal a ship? ❜

❛ a ship is not just a ship. it's a part of our crew. ❜

❛ real beauty, huh? ❜

❛ wait! wait! wait! i can help you. ❜

❛ our experiences don't define us. it's what we gain from them that matters. you learned, and you survived. ❜

❛ we've had this discussion. you mustn't show up unannounced. ❜

❛ have you come to tell me another story? i do love hearing about your adventures. ❜

❛ when are you ever going to get the opportunity to wear things this nice? ❜

❛ all this stuff. all this space. it's gotta make a person feel... lonely. ❜

❛ i know i can be a tad overprotective at times, but it's just because i couldn't bear to think what i would do were something to happen to you. ❜

❛ have we met before? you look familiar. ❜

❛ being a pirate has been my dream for as long as i can remember. and i'm finally making it a reality. ❜

❛ i'm sorry. am i interrupting something? ❜

❛ is this the best way to ask for an autograph? ❜

❛ i'm here to remind you of your place in the food chain. ❜

❛ you bore me, clown. ❜

❛ so we're friends now? you don't even know me. ❜

❛ wo what do we do now? have a sleepover? do each other's makeup? ❜

❛ i don't want your pity. ❜

❛ have you ever lost anyone close to you? ❜

❛ you're not very good at this friends thing, are you? ❜

❛ you don't think she, like, like likes me, do you? ❜

❛ if you're gonna talk about feelings, i'm really gonna need a drink. ❜

❛ i knew i'd seen your face somewhere. on a wanted poster. ❜

❛ i guess some fruit gets so bruised, it can't help but to be rotten at the core. ❜

❛ let's fight with real blades to see who's best. ❜

❛ but if you want to beat me, you'd better be ready to kill me. ❜

❛ i don't think you know what the truth is anymore. ❜

❛ i'm done running. i'm not leaving your side. not until i know you're safe. ❜

❛ if we stay here, we die. we have to leave now. ❜

❛ two swords not enough? maybe you should've brought more. ❜

❛ if you just give up, what has all our training been for? ❜

❛ let's fight every day. we'll keep getting better and stronger until one of us becomes the greatest. ❜

❛ you'd do that for me? ❜

❛ now, i need you to be strong so we can get out of here. ❜

❛ a dead pirate weighs the same as a live one. ❜

❛ let's not make this more difficult than it need be, hmm? ❜

❛ you'll never get a peaceful night's rest because someone's always waiting to slit your throat. ❜

❛ i've killed more crewmates than i care to remember. they're expendable. every single one of them. ❜

❛ being a pirate is not about raiding villages or perfect plans. it's about adventure. and freedom. ❜

❛ you gave up on your dream. no one who does that can ever call themselves a pirate. ❜

❛ i'll see you again someday. ❜

❛ from now on, it's all gonna be smooth sailing. ❜

❛ you had to open your mouth. ❜

[thislovintime]

Photo 1 courtesy of Disc & Music Echo, January 1968. "When they shot them down at Kent State, that was the end of the flower-power era. That was it. You throw your flowers and rocks at us, man, and we'll just pull the guns on you. Essentially, the revolution, which was sort of tolerated as long as it wasn't a significant material threat, was not tolerated anymore. And everybody went 'Ooops' and scurried for cover and licked their wounds. They became isolated – which was the point of it all. 'Togetherness isn't going to get it' was the moral they tried to lay on us, because the less togetherness there is, the more room there is for exploitation. Kent State was an attempt. Let's try this and see what happens. And what happened was the shooting and vast inflation and a swing to the right — the moral majority. The whole thing was inherent in the situation. A certain amount of loosening up, a certain amount of extra leisure, and people are going to try to improve their lot instead of just barely hanging on. If you had a little extra you're going to try to make everything better. And if you see that your own happiness, or the lack of it, is tied in with the sadness of your neighbor, you're going to start feeling communal. And that's going to expand until the crunch comes. As long as people are educated to believe that isolated self-interest is the only way to go, when the crunch comes they'll withdraw from each other. And only now, in the faintest glimmerings, do I see any sense that people are realizing that togetherness and flower power alone won't get it. It's got to be togetherness, flower power, plus a willingness to do something pretty stern from time to time. If you're not willing to behave sternly, people who won't stop short of stern behavior are going to keep on going. It's taken a while for that message to sink in." - Peter, When The Music Mattered (1984)

“I personally find the idea that we (as a country) never did anything bad to anybody else, and that the only reason anyone would do anything to us is their unbridled inhuman evil, to be very far wide of the truth. The number of times I have been accosted in one way or another where I had nothing to do with it is maybe in the 3-5% range, if that. I’m not excusing anyone from blame. But the more we think we’re all good and certain others are all evil, the worse things get, not the better they get. Only the humility to realize my part in the events of my life allows me to walk in relative peace. The other attitude is called pride, in the seven-deadly-sins sense of the word, and the Bible is dead right when it says it goes before a fall.” - Peter, Ask Peter Tork

Q (from a 15-year-old): “[W]hat do you think young-ish people can do to help the world 'situation’?” Peter: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and there’s no getting over that. The job for the rest of us is simply not to demonize anyone, and to fight as hard as needed for what we are sure is right. As to what the ‘young-ish’ can do, I propose what I propose the old-timers do: do what’s in front of you to do with gusto (you’ll never find out how things are if you do them half-assedly), and remember that everyone’s doing his or her best, no matter how awful that may be. Thanks for asking. Keep up the good fight.” - Ask Peter Tork

“Those of us who were truly interested in liberty, fraternity and equality, however, knew we were onto something good and real. What had been called democracy was, and to some extent still is, a pretext for wrapping the will of the greedy and aggressive in a mantle of public acquiescence. Now, the business of wresting power away from those who make a specialty of wielding it will be a long and protracted struggle, with a lot of setbacks along the way. The outlines of the new style of governance are only dimly perceivable, and won’t become clear for a long time to come. In the meantime, our job is to practice the principles of fairness and service to the extent possible. One thing is clear: there is a much higher joy in service than there is in acquisition of wealth. (Remember that it isn’t money that’s the root of all evil, it’s the love of money.) Hanging together in brother — and sisterhood is so happy-making you want to sing right out loud. Yeah, I feel the same about those ideas as I did then…in case you couldn’t tell. heheheh” - Peter, Ask Peter Tork

“I believe very much in all that I believed in back in the 60’s. I hope I’m more aware of the practicalities than I was then, but I am positive that the values and principles I held then are critical to the well-being of the planet, or at the very least, critical to growth and contentment in the population. As to the practicalities: the chance of no more war in our lifetimes is so close to zero that I don’t imagine it possible, tho’ there well may be progress along these lines. May be. Sometimes I see the world as an eternal horse race between salvation and dissolution, now one, and now the other gaining the lead. But to the extent that we can learn, each and all of us, that the cooperative good is good for the greatest individual good (with safeguards, to be sure), that forgiveness is the route to true inner peace, and that not everything we deem wrong or bad may be so, to that extent hassles of all shapes, sizes and colors will diminish. I am so sure of all this that I would, I hope, be willing to bet my life on these principles.” - Peter Tork, Ask Peter Tork