#while dream redirects and counters any physical attacks

[skittlesking]

perhaps maybe they can help teach eachother about the lacks?,like Nightmare can teach Dream about his personal magic & Dream can teach Nightmare about his personal Physical strength.

Oh definitely. They'd definitely see it as an opportunity to bond. Dream would probably catch on quick about using his magic but have a hard time controlling it without Nightmare's help. Nightmare would probably fall on his ass quite a few times sparing with Dream.

[kbmercer]

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

[Life’s A Journey]

Summary:

A lot had happened after they parted ways. Nevertheless, the threads that tie them together remained. From children to adults, a reunion that’s long overdue leads the trio to embark on another journey.

Just like old times.

Word Count: 3.8k+

The first thing (Y/n) does when they enter Sonia’s room is divebomb onto her bed. The plush mattress effectively absorbs the weight of their descent and the trainer curls in on themselves like a Litten.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” the redhead giggles as she swiftly usurps her pillow from the resting spot.

“We have a lot to catch up on,” she says as she shoots a glance at Leon. He had relegated himself to sitting in her vanity chair.

“Yeah. Let’s not let this time go to waste!”

“Ugh. Don’t we talk to each other over the phone already?” Leon laughs as Sonia beats (Y/n) with the pillow.

“I’m kidding!” They laugh as they feebly block her attacks.

“There’s no doubt that we have a lot to catch up on, even though we do talk on the phone—especially with you.” They playfully point an accusatory finger at the violet-haired man.

Leon scratches the back of his head abashedly. “Yeah…It’s been a while…”

“I swear, both of you are so limited on time. Sometimes I feel like I’m the one keeping you two in check.” With a hand on her hip, Sonia’s lip juts out in a mild pout and (Y/n) hums.

“Not just you. Hop is mighty loquacious. I’d even go as far to say that I talk to him more than the both of you.”

While Sonia let’s out a noise of surprise, Leon chuckles.

“I suspected as much. If it’s not Gloria or me, then it’s you.”

“Ah, the new champ? I can’t believe it’s been over a year already. How’s she holding up?” (Y/n) moves from their lying position to prop their head onto their hand. Leon shifts in his seat.

“She reminds me a lot of myself. I love the battles and putting a smile on the people of Galar’s face but outside of that—paperwork, meetings with businessmen, sponsorships—it’s not the best. I see the same happening with her.”

“Oof. That’s a bummer. Though, I’m sure she’s a smart kid and will push past that.” Leon agrees with a nod. As he looks back, his business relations weren’t all too terrible. As he grew into the Champion role he had the likes of Rose and Oleana to assist. He will be forever grateful for that help and has been using that knowledge to do the same for Gloria.

“The Galar League is very different from all other regions. While the League is a big deal everywhere else to some extent, Galar is on a different level entirely. It’s like battling here is integral to life, even if you don’t progress very far…”

“That may be true, but I still think that in terms of overall prowess, Galar has a lot to work on.” Leon’s expressive contemplativeness elicits quiet laughs from them and Sonia.

“Stop it. Give Galar a lil’ more credit!” They sit up and cross their legs.

“You’ve still held on to that dream, huh.” Sonia says admirably. Her phrasing was more-so a statement than a question.

It was as if the temperature grew a bit warmer as both (Y/n) and their red-headed friend watched the fire in Leon’s bright eyes glow.

“The dream to make the people of Galar the strongest in the world. A noble endeavor,” (Y/n) teases though Leon pays no mind.

“I meant it then and I mean it now. If I can contribute to making that goal a reality I’ll do what I can.”

“You’ve already done more than enough…” Sonia smiles and (Y/n) intercedes.

“You’re such an over-achiever!”

“You’re ones to talk,” the ex-Champion counters. He swiftly moves from the chair and scoops (Y/n) off Sonia’s bed. They sputter a protest as they’re lifted. The strength that both of their friends possessed was astounding.

“Speaking of champs—congrats on becoming the Unova Champ, mate!”

(E/c) eyes stare into the man’s amber before they begin laughing once more.

“You’re a little too late. Have been Champion for a few years now.”

“Yes, and in those few years we’ve yet to see you. I think it’s high-time to give a proper celebration don’t you think?” They huff before landing a light punch to his chest.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No no. I want to.”

“Don’t let this opportunity slip, (Y/n)! We need to make the most of this while we can!” Sonia presses. (Y/n) was never one for parties but seeing both her friends adamantly agree to the idea is something that they couldn’t bring themselves to reject.

“Fine,” they concede with a sigh. “But don’t get ahead of yourselves. We’re keeping it small.”

Both nod happily. Even though Leon and Sonia are relatively private people, they weren’t above going wild at grand parties.

             “I also think it’s high-time that we have a battle for old times sake!” (Y/n) huffs at his enthusiasm.

             “Always the one to jump right into it, yeah?” Ah, well, it’s not like I didn’t see it coming.” They shrug as a smug smile grows on their face.

“I’m sure Hop gave you the Mega Stones?” Leon’s eyes grow as he is reminded of this. In his excitement for meeting (Y/n), he had forgotten about the items in his possession. Fishing them out of his pocket he showcases them to the two in the room. Sonia gasps, the academic in her rears its head.

“A Charizardite X?! These stones are so rare to find! How’d you get your hands on them?! Her verdant irises analyze the items. The ex-champion hands them to the professor to further examine to which she does with vigor.

“During my time in Kalos, I came across a hiker that was selling ore. It happened to be within the bunch.” Crossing their arms,  (Y/n) lulls their head to the side. “It’s been sitting in my bag for a while and that’s just a waste.” They jut a thumb toward the violet-haired man. “There’s only one person I know that has a Charizard.”

“It’s nice to know that you think of me whenever Charizard is a topic.”

“Hmm. My colleagues like to drag me on escapades after the League challenges end. So, I’ve been dragged into helping study Mega Evolution.”

“You said that you didn’t find out anything new?” Sonia asks. She was fully aware of the work her childhood friend had been doing but had never gotten close to an artifact closely linked to the profound Evolution.

“We haven’t. The stones are a thing we’ve known about for a while, there just isn’t a whole lot of information about Mega Evolution’s history. As much as I’d like to explain further, we’d be here all day. Plus, it’d be better to learn first-hand right?”

“Go on then,” she agrees giving the item back to Leon and they head out the room and down the stairs.

             As the trio make their way out the house, they join with Hop and Magnolia. The younger brother was busy tossing a ball out to the slew of pokémon that occupied the field. (Y/n) and Leon both had released their teams for some exercise, and it looked like they were having a blast. Most of them were passing the play-thing around before returning it to the teen while Magnolia stood elsewhere leisurely waving a feather toy at Babe and Yamper.

Noticing the pokémon’s attention being shifted away from the ball causes the boy to follow their line of sight.

“Done having your convo already?”

“Not quite,” Leon says as he rolls his shoulders. “We’re gonna take the pitch and have us a good battle.”

“This will be a one-on-one for now. We’re testing things out.” While the explanation was pretty vague on it’s own, Hop understands what the Unova Champion means. He was about to see what Mega Evolution was all about.

With a small cheer in anticipation, he is quick to help corral the pokémon away from the violet-clad battlefield. Sonia and Magnolia meet together on the sidelines and the former professor hums.

“I will take the position of referee if that is alright with you all.”

(Y/n) smiles, “Not at all.”

“That’s more than alright, Gran. Besides, I want to document as much as I possibly can.” She pulls a memo pad from her coat pocket and calls her Rotom Phone forward to record.

“Alright, Charizard. You’re up.” The fire-flying type gives out a sprightly roar and takes a battle stance on his trainer’s end of the pitch.

Lulu, (Y/n)’s Lopunny is called forward. With a prompt explanation, the rabbit pokémon shares a determined look with her trainer and confidently enters the field. Leon takes note of the pink bow that (Y/n) wrapped around the pokémon’s left ear, a stone similar to Charizard’s was in the center but in shades of yellow and brown.

             The tension in the air is palpable. Both pokémon keep their eyes on each other as they stand off. Seconds feel like minutes, then Professor Magnolia commences the battle with the stamp of a cane. In a split-second, Charizard and Lulu are already at each other. Padded paws grip sharp claws as both pokémon dig their heels into the sturdy ground, their strength being pushed against one another prevent any sort of pushback before the two ultimately separate. Jumping back to their ends of the field, both pokémon lunge at each other once more to meet in the center.

“Charizard, use Dragon Claw!”

“Counter with Mega Punch!”

The physical attacks make impact, the force of both coming together leaving a blast of air in their wake as it billows throughout the area. (Y/n) feels it flow through their clothing and Leon felt it weave through his hair. The greenery that surrounds them rustle loudly as the fight continues.

             “Fire Fang!”

             “Dodge and use Shadow Ball!”

Taking a leap over Charizard, Lulu creates a sphere of ominous energy in between her paws and brings it down on her adversary, though Charizard is quick on his feet and redirects. The Shadow Ball is destroyed as he brings his heated fangs down on the attack. The spectral power is enough to nullify his Fire Fang however, and the flames in his maw dissipate. Lulu gives a teasing snicker and Charizard releases a low growl blowing the aftermath of smoke from his nose.

“Brutal Swing!”

“Breaking Swipe!”

Both trainers had shouted their commands in unison. The two pokémon go for a sweep but are caught at an impasse once more. (Y/n) hums amusedly. If their attacks were going to constantly be nulled, this match was going to be a lengthy one. Leon appears to share the same sentiment.

             “I guess some things never change! Even now we still manage to hold each other off!” The glint in the former champ’s warm amber eyes showed a sense of renewed spirit and anticipation. (Y/n) responds in kind.

             “You and I have only gotten stronger since times past. It’s only natural we’d be neck and neck with each other again.” Their smile was prideful, (e/c) eyes harboring mischief. “But we also understand that one of us will slip-up eventually. Regardless of who that may be, Lulu and I will give our 110 percent!” Leon lets out a joyful laugh.

“Well said! We won’t lose, so prepare yourself!”

As they stand by, Sonia and Hop can feel their hearts race. Spectating Leon and (Y/n) as both stand assertively and give quick-witted directions to their pokémon was a sight to behold. Swift and graceful movements between Charizard and Lopunny almost look like a dance. Neither of them let up and devote all their focus on both the opponent and the commands of their respective trainers. Directions continued to be shouted and every time both pokémon went to deal damage it would only end in a stalemate. The clock ticks and Sonia soon begins to notice that the two creatures are starting to grow tired. Movement starts to slow down little by little. Room for exploiting weak points were gradually opening for them both. Meanwhile, Hop and Professor Magnolia gauge the Mega Stones that Charizard and Lulu wear. Both had gradually begun to glow the longer the two butt heads. It was only a matter of time before their power took effect.  Though, the call to transformation was a two-way street.

(Y/n) is quick to make the call.

“Alright! I think it’s time we speed up the process. As much as I love a good battle, I don’t have all day,” (Y/n)’s words are teasing as they move their hand to wrap around their Key Stone. The Key Stone activates, and Lulu’s Mega Stone reacts. The symbol that lie in the center of Lulu’s Lopunnite glows radiantly and the warm mix of yellow and brown is overtaken by an ethereal rainbow. The multicolored aura expands, encasing the pokémon in a prominent crystal before it breaks open to reveal the Lopunny’s transformation. Her appearance is more dynamic with the fur on her ears being shaved down—the tuft being more prominent at the top of the head in the reminiscent form of a butterfly. Voices of wonder flow through the audience. With a flourish, Lulu takes an arm and sweeps a long ear away from her face before taking a boxing stance.

Leon had watched their actions intently and the activation to Mega Evolution seemed simple enough. He is quick to follow suit.

“I’m game for a quick-fire round. Let’s make things more interesting!” He takes his hand and places it over the brooch he’d pinned to his outfit and the glow of the Charizardite X does the same. Charizard is encased in a similar crystal before it falls away. There was no longer a trace of warmth in the skin with orange being replaced with black. His wings have become more pointed and perhaps the most notable feature resulting from the transformation was the bright blue flames that kindle at the jaw and tail. The new power elicits a booming cry from Leon’s companion as he regards his opponent once more. Then the two fighters continue to exchange blows.

“Iron Tail,” Charizard’s tail moves hit Lopunny and she braces for the impact. The damage taken was minimal as the rabbit pokémon listens for her trainer’s orders.

“Ice Punch.” In one swift movement, Lulu utilizes their close distance to hit Charizard on the chest, giving an effective blow. With a grunt, the fire-dragon type jumps back to make space.

“Dragon Pulse.” He opens his mouth as the fire between his jaws grows larger before blowing the flames.

“Use Agility and dodge it,” Lulu just barely bypasses the heat and increases her speed.

“Go for another Ice Punch!” Frigid crystals enclose around Lulu’s fist once more as she goes in for another strike.

“Not a chance!” Leon interjects before giving another command. “Let’s take this up high!” He points skyward with vigor and Charizard follows the order, spreading his wings and lifting off the ground.

(Y/n)’s lips press into a thin line, though it’s gone as soon as it appears. It’s clear that Charizard was now at an advantage, but surely Lulu is more than capable of taking that away.

“Alrighty, Lulu. Let’s meet ‘em there with a Bounce.” In one swift motion, the normal-fighting type gauges Charizard’s location in the air before reaching him in the sky with little to no effort.

“Chip-away with Acrobatics!” With whatever momentum she had in the forever space, Lulu flips and kicks at Charizard utilizing every part of her body—arms, legs, and ears to hit at him rapidly. She manages land a few but is quickly met with retaliation.

“Take her down with an Air Slash!” Leon’s command is instantly met with the action as if they were in synch.

Charizard flaps his wings rapidly to create a razor sharp current of air to which Lopunny takes the blunt force of, being sent back to solid-ground. (Y/n)’s jaw clenches for a moment but they think fast on a method to break their partner’s fall.

“Use Acrobatics once more and land on your feet!” Having heard loud and clear, Lulu tucks in on herself as she speedily descends. Doing a few flips mid-air, Lulu lands on the battlefield safely albeit the velocity. Charizard remains in the air as it seems that Leon is banking on this tactic. It was time to change that.

“Use Bounce! One more time!”

Lulu meets with Charizard in the air once more and the fire-dragon rears for another Air Slash—a mistake that could very well hand them the match.

“Perfect. Go for the wing!” Before Lulu can suffer another super-effective blow, she intercepts by using another bout of Acrobatics to nullify both of their flying-type attacks. Lulu takes the split-second after the nullification to latch on to Charizard’s wing. This action served as a surprise to everyone watching as the rabbit pokémon utilizes Charizard’s weight to swing, using his appendage like a trapeze. Releasing the wing from her grasp, Lulu moves into a 180 back-flip effectively landing on Charizard’s back.

“Drain Punch, let’s go!” A hefty strike to the back destabilizes Charizard’s flight and in the shock brought on by the sapping of his energy, he starts to rapidly fall. Leon’s brows furrow bringing wrinkles to his forehead as he feels the pressure of the fight get heavier. While he’s had plenty of experience in battles, (Y/n)’s unconventional strategies always found a way to turn the tables. It’s something he had noticed back when they’d battled in the Gym Challenge as children. Now as adults battling once again, he’s noticed that their skill in unconventional thinking hadn’t gone away. If anything, it’s gotten stronger alongside their team. Lulu had not missed a beat despite the large risk and managed to pull through. Her partner trusted them completely—relying on them to make the correct calls and obeying without hesitation. Unfortunately for (Y/n), he could say the same for he and Charizard.

“Use this descent to your advantage! Take her down with you and use Heat Crash!” (Y/n)’s eyes widen at this command watching on in growing disdain.

Charizard moves to shake from Lulu from his back avoiding her attempts to take hold and remain on his back. The strong blue flames that flowed from his mouth along with the flame at the end of his tail grew larger and crept along Charizard’s body until he was wholly engulfed in the flame. He feels no pain, but Lulu does and continues to feel the searing heat as they torpedo into the field. Obviously, Charizard uses his opponent to break the fall and (Y/n)’s heart races—faster than it had in a long time. A crater was made in the ground kicking up chunks of dirt and leaving a larger dust cloud.

             (Y/n)’s teeth grind together before they call out to their partner. Both trainers wait a bit as the cloud in front of them disperses. Taking a breath, they grin. Both partners remained conscious on the field thought they both look petered out, though Lopunny looked too worse for wear. She had endured and the Unova champ felt nothing but pride.

This conflict was reaching its end and if they wanted to win, they’d have to do it quickly. Both pokémon remained in close proximity to each other, creating distance wasn’t an option anymore.

             “Dragon Claw,” Leon shouts.

             “Swift,” (Y/n) commands in tandem. The star-like projectiles that come of the attack are easily destroyed by the Charizard’s heavy swipes, but they only served as a distraction.

Gotcha.

“Low Kick,” without a second to spare. Lulu kicks out their legs using his weight against him. The disorientation that follows is exactly what they need to bring this to a close.

“Alright! Finish the job with Play Rough!” Lulu holds Charizard down and uses the remainder of her energy to thrash with the fire-flying type. The dirt and debris that accumulated throughout the fight created yet another opaque cloud within the battlefield though (Y/n) didn’t need to see pass to know that the brawl was over.

Sure enough, as the dust settles, Charizard is down for the count. He had reverted back to his normal self—no black seen in his skin, just the warmth of orange. Lulu managed to stay standing but just barely. The rabbit stood in a fighting stance despite the outcome and only falters at the words spoken by Magnolia.

“Charizard is unable to battle. Lulu is the victor.”

The pokémon’s Mega transformation dissipates as the pokémon falls forward and into a kneel. The jovial cheers of their spectators mixes with (Y/n)’s own as they’re quick to assist Lulu in regaining her health.

             “You did wonderfully, Lulu! I’m so proud of you!” They bring their companion in for a hug and she reciprocates in kind before separating. Turning to see Leon tending to Charizard, the Unova champion praises the winged creature.

             “I’m honestly very surprised. For a first timer, he did a top-notch job.” Leon smiles as he looks up at (Y/n) from his squatting position.

             “That’s good to hear,” his gaze shifts to look back at Charizard. Despite the loss, his partner was in high-spirits— more enthusiastic than he was before the fight, in fact.

             “It’s one thing to see the photos and read about it. Obviously, utilizing the change in battle is a completely different experience.”

             “So what’d ya think?”

             “I think it’s great. Maybe the reason Charizard could get the hang of it so quickly was because the transformation is sort of like Gigantamax in a way. They change form and unlock strengths and abilities that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”

             “That’s why I’m so interested in it. Dynamax and Gigantamax seem to be a capability that is exclusive to Galar with the use of hotspots and wishing stars, but Mega Evolution is something that can be utilized anytime and anywhere, no matter the region. All you need are the proper stones and a close bond with your partner.” They take their hand to make a fanning gesture.

             “I’ve kinda already spieled about this, so I’ll cut to the chase. Keep the stones and add them to your arsenal. It won’t hurt to shake things up a little bit.” Leon had since moved from his squat to stand.

             “Sounds like a plan. We’d never reject this opportunity to get stronger, isn’t that right?” Charizard grunts in affirmation. (Y/n) laughs.

             “And we’ll look forward to it.”

After the post-battle the exchange Magnolia, Sonia, and Hop meet them on the field.

             “That battle was so awesome!” The teen enthused with a twinkle settled in his already bright eyes.

             “I’ve only ever seen a few Mega Evolution battles in my lifetime, and they never cease to amaze me.” Magnolia agrees.

             “I’m so glad Rotom was recording. My heart was beating out of my chest that I failed to take notes,” Sonia whines. “At least I can re-watch it…”

             “You’d best make use of this great power and hone your skill of it, ya hear?” The elder presses to which Leon nods his head with no hesitation.

“Definitely.”

****************************

 I started shiny hatching and just never made it back…I managed to obtain 8 new shinies in the span of a month. Hyper-fixation at its finest.

Relegating Pokémon move sets to only four at a time is boring, so I removes that aspect. I understand why this is a thing in-game, but this is a story. I feel like pokémon should have access to their entire move pool—both learned and through TM/TR.

[wickedgamesoyaoya]

Amnesia - Hearts - Aug 5

Warm rays of sunlight poured through the unmasked glass separating the living room from the balcony. Intuitively, your hand was sent to shield your features, an attempt to preserve your drowsy state. It is said that the first few seconds of each morning are sacred due to fact reality has not registered in the brain. For only a mere three seconds one could experience pure bliss. Three seconds were not even remotely enough to arm you with the courage to begin your day.

Last night, after the shock had warn off, you had spent several hours reading old entries in your diary. The decorated notebook remained open on your stomach, a reminder that unfortunately the information disclosed was not a hallucination nor a dream. The only positive was that you were able to piece together some information about your identity and past. While your memory had deserted you, a good old-fashioned diary had swept in to save the day.

Curling your right hand into a fist, you gently rubbed your index finger against your swollen eyelids. How long had you slept? It certainly did not feel very long. Your y/e/c irises were forced open to scan the glass coffee-table for the one device that could answer your question. It was six, damn am.

It was strange how you had to mimic the texting patterns of your past self – it was as if you had body swapped with a stranger and were now attempting to hide the truth. Technically if the unknown person on your cell was correct you had body swapped with an alternate version of yourself. But you were hoping the whole ordeal was fabricated. That was why you had invited Kuroo over, based on your past exchanges and the fact you were supposedly in love with him, he was perhaps the best person to aid you in determining the truth.

“Here goes nothing.” The declaration parted your bare lips, and signalled the beginning of your first quest.

***

Kuroo arrived thirty minutes later, grocery bags dangling from his wrists as he waited for permission to enter. What was he a damn vampire? Just kidding. At least you hoped. Murderers, alternate universes, would a vampire really be out of the question?

“I’ll make your favourite, sound good?” In a matter of seconds, the black-haired male was behind the kitchen counter, reaching for cooking utensils with ease. It was a clear indication that he had completed a similar task before, and as you suspected – you two were close.

“Okay. Let me know if you need any help.” Sinking your teeth into your bottom lip, your gaze was cast aside, as you skimmed through the limited knowledge you had retained last night for some idea of what your favourite food was.

“Go rest, I’ve got this. Or do you not trust Omi’s protégé?” The slightest hint of a smirk had tugged at the ends of his lips, prompting your heart to complete an involuntary skip. Should he really be smiling like that?

Thankfully you knew what he was referencing – Sakusa Kiyoomi, another worker at Jack Rose, a friend most likely. He was the one who caught you when you had ‘fainted’, according to your Twitter-feed. Currently studying culinary arts, Sakusa was the germaphobe version of Chef Ramsay. Was it likely that he was the one hunting you? Most likely no. Although, he would be the most skilled with a knife…

“I trust you. Do you mind if I watch?” The hesitancy laced in your voice had earned you a puzzled glance. Pausing in the middle of slicing the fresh vegetables that decorated the marble counter-top, Kuroo’s golden irises searched yours for something he would not find – recognition.

“Is this about that tweet of yours? What feelings are you hiding?” The questions were tactful, they could also qualify as a trap.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”  A cryptic response to a question with no clear answer – fair play.

“Are you in love with Atsumu?” Kuroo did not bat an eyelid, nor did his voice quiver. It was steady and each syllable had an energy that resembled a physical attack. “Is that why you are acting so weird? Are you afraid of how I’d take it?”

Instantly your fingers were pressing against the bridge of your nose, you had initially thought he found out about your – well your past self’s – feelings. But nope, the boy was seriously on the wrong wavelength.

“Oh god. No. I’m not in love with him.” Groaning, a hand was brought to mask your features. Strange how his presence shifted something within you – the more you were around him, the more you felt like…you. Although this conversation was less than ideal, it was incredibly normal.

Denial of his accusation should have provided him relief, and yet the absence of satisfaction mocked him. Laying the knife onto the counter, he leaned forward, exhaling a breath through his nose.

“So then why do you look at me like I’m a stranger?” Without being an empath, one could easily spot the pain clouding him. He was unfortunately an innocent causality to the game you were forced to participate in. Knowing that the fault was not yours did not ease the guilt consuming you. Could you tell him…? Disobey the warnings that were bestowed upon you?

Before your mind could reach a deliberation, your hand had already fetched the device that could answer the question that remained unanswered. Kuroo’s gaze followed your movements, before exiting the kitchen he ran his hands under a stream of water, then plucked the phone that was held loosely in your grasp.

“Is someone bothering you? I won’t check unless you want me to, but I need to know what’s going on with you.”

You could trust him – at least that was what you chanted inside of your head as a weak nod was provided. Maybe this ‘unknown’ person was a prankster, albeit it still would not explain the loss of memories, but it would be nice to know there wasn’t someone out for your blood.

The manner his eyebrows twitched demonstrated his own distress upon reading the messages. Upon reading the first message the one that disclosed your current mental state, his attention shot up to you, seeking affirmation that his eyes did not deceive him. The silence that awaited him had confirmed his fears. Then came the rage –

“This person messaged you yesterday. Looking at the timestamp it was around the time you woke up…” Wheels were turning in the brilliant mind of his, a solution to the “problem” was brewing. “Y/n, we need to get you to the hospital. Your memory loss isn’t connected to this… sick joke.”

Each inch of your heart wished you could believe him, but could you really take the chance? Dying was not an option.

“What if you’re wrong?” A sob had formed in the back of your throat, causing the words to become muffled.

“Hey hey. We’ll figure this out,” Soon your cheeks were bathing in the comfort of his palms, a gesture that elevated the slightest bit of tension from your chest. The confidence in his voice was compelling you to place your trust into him. “I have a friend who can trace this person’s IP address, I’m going to send it to him and then Atsumu and I will go check it out. Once we show you that this is just some prick living in his mom’s basement, we go to the hospital. Okay?”

Was there really any other option than to obey?

“Okay.”

As his arms encompassed around your middle, enveloping you into the safety of his embrace, for a single moment, you believed him.

* * * 

Kuroo’s contact had delivered an addressed after sunset. Despite your suggestion to wait until tomorrow, your childhood best friend was adamant on addressing this situation tonight. Atsumu did not help. Upon hearing the contents of the message, the blonde male was in panic mode. The possibility of losing you was far too much to bear. Truthfully, his persistence to go tonight arose from his desire to avoid what really terrified him – your memory loss.

A single kiss was pressed to the crown of your head before the pair had left you in what they considered a ‘safe-zone’. No one would attack you in your own home… Right?

Anxiety surged throughout your bloodstream, prompting your fingers to curl towards your palm. The sound of rhythmic clicking drew your attention to the balcony glass. Pebbles collided with the thin barrier followed by a larger piece, resulting in a thin crack to spread. Scrambling to your feet, adrenaline had triggered your autopilot to take reign. Retreating to the kitchen, you seized the largest knife in your collection then crouched under the counter. The murderer was already outside, leaving now would only expose you further.

As the sound of clicking ceased, your heartrate increased to new levels. How long would it be until the banging would be redirected to the front door?

Seconds. It was seconds.

But the knocking was accompanied by a familiar voice.

“Y/N? Open up!”

“Bro just use your spare key; I know you have one.”

Liquid spilled gracefully down your cheeks as the two figures burst through the front door – you were saved, at least for now. Soon you were no longer on the kitchen floor, and the knife was removed from your grasp. The one carrying you to the couch whispered assurances to sooth you, not that it helped.

It was real. Everything you were told – it was all true.

Amnesia - Hearts ~ Aug 5

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A/N: I really liked how this turned out. >.< 

Tag-list: @kara-grayson04 @namyari , @cuddlesslut , @iloveanime691 @shakiraisawesome @idiot-juice-enthusiast@fangirling-25-8 @krynnza @yetchann @chxrry-wxne​ @tsukiak4ri​

[imagine-loki]

Wedded Bliss

TITLE: Wedded Bliss CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 24 AUTHOR: MaliceManaged ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Odin determined to find Loki a wife in a misguided, though somewhat well-intentioned attempt to ‘mellow him’. … RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS: This chapter would have been done sooner if only my ADHD hel brain hadn’t decided that starting four (4) new fics instead was the better idea. And gods help me, I have half a plot for two more. Whyyy.

_________________________

    Breakfast was mostly a quiet affair, as most of them were half-asleep (or hungover in some cases (contrary to the denial of such)) despite the late hour in which it was had. Fury had called them sometime afterwards (and finally succeeded in making contact the tenth time he did so, not that anyone counted) to discuss what would be done about the Tesseract; they had expected some objection to the decision of giving it over to Asgard but it never came, and so they’d departed the tower and headed to Central Park.

    The park was deserted of civilians, most of the city still reeling from the attack and the rest redirected by agents Fury had sent out. They stood in a circle around Thor, who held the container housing the Tesseract in his hands, having said their goodbyes and waiting for the god to call upon Heimdall. He looked between his brother and Edith with a smile, glad things seemed to be working out between them so far; whatever his worries about setting the destructive young woman upon Asgard, he both liked her and above all wanted Loki to be happy.

    “What exactly am I to tell father and mother?” He asked, “I don’t think they’ll be too happy with you staying, what with, well… recent developments.”

    Loki scoffed. “They’re the ones who keep insisting on us accepting their plans for us; I rather doubt they’ll mind where we are as long they think we will.”

    “And will you?”

    “One step at a time, Thor,” Edith replied and Loki nodded his agreement.

    “Fair enough,” He conceded then turned to Loki, “I suppose I’ll see you when you get back, then.” His smile widened. “Perhaps not alone…”

    Loki rolled his eyes. “Just go, already.”

    Thor laughed then stepped back and called for the Bifrost, the beam of light and colour descending shortly after and carrying him away through the realms.

    “Man, that thing is flashy,” Clint commented.

    “You should see the bridge on the other side,” Edith replied. She looked around at them all. “Soo… what now? Do we have plans?”

    “Do we ever?” Steve asked back.

    “We always have plans,” Tony replied, “It’s just that people usually end up shooting at us.”

    “True.” He shrugged. “Lunch?”

    “We just ate, like, an hour ago,” Clint replied.

    “Your point?”

    Edith snorted amusedly. “I mean; he’s not wrong.” That earned some laughs. She glanced around the park, noting the number of civilians gathering beyond the patrolling agents was growing. “Why don’t we figure it out back home? We’re starting to attract a crowd.”

****

    They ended up all going their own ways once back in the tower, with the exception of Tony all but dragging a bemused Bruce with him to one of the labs ‘for some science-ing’, and Loki following Edith back to her room intent on discussing some rather important things.

    Which he might accomplish, he berated himself, if he actually talked to her.

    Instead it was her who broke the silence, sitting on one side of her bed with her shark hugged close to her chest while he occupied the other. “What did you do to Nat?”

    He blinked. “Pardon?”

    “She was judging you.”

    “And you assume I had anything to do with that?” He scoffed. Her response was a single raised eyebrow and he sighed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. “Your friend is testing me, and I’m fairly certain she will find me lacking no matter what I do.”

    “I wouldn’t bet on it. She has very high and specific standards, but she’s fair.”

    “You’re biased,” He dismissed.

    “You’re new,” She countered.

    He was silent for a while, not really able to refute that; she did know the woman much better than he did, after all. He straightened up a bit and looked back over at her. “Your dreams last night were troubled.”

    She frowned a bit. “That a fact?”

    “Edith…” He turned to face her fully and she turned her head towards him. “Tell me?”

    “… Nat put you up to this, didn’t she?”

    “You know the answer to that perfectly well, now stop stalling.”

    Edith was quiet for a long while, more than a little reluctant to revisit her nightmare, but finally looked forward again and let out a deep sigh, knowing he wasn’t going to just let the subject go. “I was back at the Helicarrier with Nat, running.” She hugged the shark tighter. “Thor didn’t show up…”

    Loki grimaced a bit, having a pretty good idea where it went from there. “You are in one piece, and so is Lady Romanoff.”

    A giggle bubbled out of her and she looked at him. “I wouldn’t let her hear you call her that.”

    He rolled his eyes, smiling slightly all the same at the sound of her laughter. “I’ll try to remember that.”

    “How did you even know I had a nightmare, anyway?”

    “I had to carry you here after you fell asleep on me, remember?” He prudently left out the part where he was watching her sleep after the fact; whatever the reasons, he didn’t think it would go over too well.

    She narrowed her eyes a bit, but didn’t investigate further, for which he was more than a little grateful. “I don’t usually get nightmares after a fight,” She felt the need to say.

    He huffed slightly. “That was a tad bit more than ‘a fight’, Edith; and I wouldn’t judge you even if you did.”

    “Still don’t,” She insisted with a slight pout, earning a soft chuckle.

    “I believe you.” They were silent for a moment then he reached for her hand, entwining their fingers. “Was there anything else?”

    She shook her head then her brow furrowed. “Changed into that cave you took me to, for some reason.” She caught his quickly suppressed smile and narrowed her eyes. “And now I know why.”

    “My involvement was minimal, I assure you; I was only trying to help.”

    “Not mad at you,” She assured. “Thank you.”

    “You’re welcome.”

    Another bout of silence followed then she tugged on his hand a bit to get his attention, earning a questioning look. “Where do we go from here?”

    He huffed. “I have no idea; this is very much the opposite of what I had planned.”

    “Wow, that’s helpful.”

    “I’m not sure, Edith; I don’t really even know where we are right now.” He sighed. “I care for you, I know that much. I have for some time, I just didn’t want to accept it, let alone admit it.”

    “Oh, come on, I’m not that bad!” That earned an amused snort and she sat up straight and smacked him across the face with her shark. “Like you’re any better.”

    “Excuse you; I am a saint.”

    Edith burst out laughing so hard, she would have fallen off the bed if not for Loki’s quick reflexes as he lunged forward to catch her. As he pulled them upright, he caught her gaze and held it intently for a long moment; before she could say anything, he closed the rest of the distance and kissed her deeply, pulling her as close against him as physically possible, though she didn’t seem to mind as she responded.

    Perhaps he had a few ideas after all.

[imthepunchlord]

Nino, best to least fit miraculouses

Alright, the first of a good few challenges, figuring out Nino’s best to least fit miraculouses! Oh boy... with how little screen time's he’s gotten, this will be a bit tricky, but I’m up to give it ago. Most of this will be based on behavior I’ve noticed alongside traits that do stand out to me. 

Main core: Adrien, Marinette, Alya

Butterfly, Peacock, Turtle, Fox, Bee

Now I can see potential in any of these for Nino, based around the little of him we’ve seen, he does have traits that can match with them, but some shine out stronger than others. Now which ones really shine out most I’d have to talk and consider, for now I’ll start with the butterfly as the first to think about.

Butterfly

One of the big strengths we see of Nino is his support, devotion, and friendship to Adrien. He’s always there to give him a hug, there to physically comfort and encourage, there to be his friend. Being there to support and encourage is a big butterfly trait. 

Another factor is Nino puts himself in the background when there’s an akuma attack, like in Refleckta, he hides behind Alya. As we see with HM, a butterfly is more than capable of just leaving a fight to their Champion, and Nino is more inclined to leave someone braver to face the danger before him and distance himself from it, stay out of the heat. 

Nooroo hard to say on similarities, both do appear pretty calm in personality, though Nino I find to be more outspoken and can be more persistent in his view. 

The only issue is that Nino can be forceful and outspoken, and when he’s determined or wants something bad enough, he stands his ground. That’s not really a butterfly, they’re a lot more mobile and don’t persist with being direct. While butterfly can match in being background set, it is a lot more mobile, and Nino himself is a pretty still character till there’s something he wants enough, then he’s a rock. 

Despite being a big support for Adrien, he could be too still and stubborn for butterfly. On Nooroo, I don’t know if he would be able to handle or get through to Nino if he gets stubbornly set in his ways. 

Peacock

The biggest thing that stands out for me on peacock!Nino is the factor that when Nino gets going, he will speak out, will stand with his views, will not budge and will even just go ahead and do what he wants. 

The latter especially is what jumps out at me for peacock. The most we see of this is in Horrificator, which really brings out flaws in Nino. We see him lose his patience, we see him angry and snapping at people, we see him making decisions by himself without talking it out with anyone (like changing Alya’s script). He has a vision he wants to bring to life and he will do so any means necessary. Even making use of an akuma attack, recording it despite being told not to. 

This trait in Nino in doing what he wants, aiming for his goal, standing his ground; that strikes me as a very big peacock trait. Peacocks stand their ground, aren’t afraid to show who they are, have their eyes set on a goal. 

Then you have Duusu, a kwami we get to see is like when angry. What we see if a fierce, angry ball, someone who likely isn’t easy to dissuade. She looks like a kwami who will stand her ground, something she matches with Nino as we see in Horrificator. 

Only issue is that this is the only time we see these traits in Nino, they’ve only surfaced once throughout the show and it’s only this ep. Another issue on peano is the factor that Nino himself isn’t very flashy. He is more background set and not have attention, and Duusu herself looks like she’s a lot more animated and expressive than Nino, which could go either way on how well they work, like Adrien and Plagg, while they do have matching traits, there is a big difference in their personality, energetic and lazy. For sure I could see Duusu being able to handle Nino when he gets likes this, being just as stubborn and to the point. 

Turtle

Now, this could make turtle more up his alley. Turtles keep to the background and set up as needed, and can also be set in their views, Fu was set on the potential of Marinette and Adrien, Alya and Marinette, both I find have potential in turtle, can also be pretty set in their ways too. Another trait is his devotion to his friend, his willingness to step up and be there for him, I can believe Nino would stand as a shield between Adrien and Gabriel. 

With Wayzz, Nino can match with caution, Wayzz likes to be sure of the decisions they make and Nino prefers to stay out of the heat of battle. But that’s where I find the similarities end. 

While he can match with keeping a distance but have the capability of standing his ground, turtles are a lot more forward, animated, and expressive, and while they will step up, they are up for change, will move on and focus on something else. If there’s something Nino wants bad enough, he will stick with it stubbornly and be immobile. 

Another trait in turtles is recklessness. Fu, Marinette, Alya, and Wayzz have tendencies of recklessness that put themselves at risk. Actually, the caution of Wayzz could more revolve around having a good plan since he risked himself in origins to tell Fu about the butterfly. Nino himself isn’t a reckless character, he’s actually pretty still himself, set to the background. That recklessness could be a strength in turtle since they’re the shield, a willingness to rush into danger to protect the helpless, to help. We have yet to see Nino rush into danger to help someone, perhaps Wayzz will help push him to find the courage to rush in, but so far, it doesn’t look like a trait Nino naturally has. 

Fox

Now, being more background set and ambitious enough for indirect tactics bring up some potential in fox. Fox, next to butterfly, is another miraculous that is more background set, that works well not having direct attention and working from the shadows. And the detail that Nino went ahead and changed Alya’s script on his own in secret definitely jumps out at me as a foxy trait. 

Another factor is music; Nino is a musician and the tool is a flute. And if the power is illusion, I can definitely see that working in Nino’s comfort zone, it keeps him out of the heat of battle, able to redirect attention away from him and peers, allowing him to get involved enough to fight however he wishes. 

Another trait that appears in foxes is devotion to a few, or one. Alya and Adrien both have strong fox traits and one thing they share with Nino is keeping their circle of friends pretty small. Alya and Adrien both only interact with a very people, Alya primarily hangs out with Marinette and Adrien only hangs out with Nino, Chloe, and Marinette. While I do see Nino hanging out with others (Rose, Kim, Max, Marinette, Alya); ultimately he mostly hangs out with Adrien. 

Trixx is also a kwami I can see him getting along well with, both of them looking pretty laid back and calm, and with her tool being a flute, could have a fondness for music and would like to listen to his tunes and could help him figure out his tunes. 

Only thing is that fox relies a lot on wit, and a trait of mischief. While Nino is willing to be sneaky for his ambitions and is very smart and studious (he’s the only one of the main 4 we see actually studying in his free time, Pixelator); he isn’t prone to mischief nor do we know how cunning and tactical he can be. 

Bee

Next to Marinette, I find Nino is the 2nd most sociable, for we do see him hanging out with other people, going out of his way, on his own, to hang out with others, we only really see that with Marinette who is a solid bee. Another factor is being a hard worker and focused on his interests. We see him studying on his own time, he know he was passionate about directing a film, and that he pours a lot of tie and care into his music, planning out the best mixes. 

These make bee pretty strong potential miraculous for Nino. He’s sociable enough, gets along with others, is willing to be reasonable and try and work stuff out, and is hardworking and focused on his interests, he’ll see the jobs get done. 

And if bee is a long-range miraculous, I can see that also fitting into his comfort zone too, keeping a distance and staying out of the heat of a fight. 

And I can see him and Pollen getting along, they could even be humming bros, which is the biggest thing that stands out for me on them. 

Despite these strong traits, Horrificator does bring out the issues in Nino. He can get too set in his views and vision, he gets selfish and inconsiderate, ambitious to a fault. It’ll probably be something Pollen would for sure work on. 

Now, which of these are best, it is hard to say till we see more in Nino and which traits persist and shine through. To me personally, fox, bee, and peacock stand out to me most. Fox would definitely be in Nino’s comfort zone, could connect through music, and he and Trixx I can see being similar enough to get along well. Bee and peacock both would help Nino in becoming a director, if that is his dream; bee he matches with diligence and being hardworking and being a bit sociable, and Pollen for sure would help him work through those issues we see in Horrificator. Peacock would help Nino shine out more, express himself and help others understand his vision, what he has in mind, and Duusu could potentially be a good counter to him, being just as stubborn but also expressive enough to counter him being too stiff. 

Turtle and butterfly I would have lower on the list, to me, while he has potential, he does seem too stiff and still with who he is, too stubborn to really bring out the potential in them. Of what I can recall of Nino, of what we’ve seen so far, and what I’m speculating on these miraculouses, fox, bee, and peacock stand out most for me as good matches to Nino, that can bring out his strengths and help him work around the peek of issues we’ve seen. But this is all from what we’ve seen of s1 and the small bits we’ve seen in s2; it could very much change if we ever see more of Nino >_> giveNinosomefocus2k17-18.

Ladybug and Black Cat 

For sure I do find that ladybug and cat would be the least fit for Nino. For both, it takes a willingness to act and risk yourself and that isn’t a strong trait in Nino. Ladybug also takes leadership skills and flexibility and Nino can be too set in his vision for that, much less really work well with others. 

Between the two, I would point more towards LB for him. Being a director does take some leadership qualities and have an idea to work around, but he can be to set in his ways that would be something Tikki would have to work on. He does also have a sense of creativity to match with LB, but overall, with how stiff and short a director he was, he and Tikki would have a lot of work to do.