#Blue Ridge Location

[inframantraofficial]

Paranjape Blue Ridge in Pune — New Apartments in Hinjewadi

Paranjape Blue Ridge Hinjewadi, Pune, represents an under-construction, partially ready-to-move-in luxurious project developed by Paranjape Schemes (Construction) Ltd. This exquisite property, set to be completed by June 2024, assures a stress-free living experience with a plethora of modern amenities. The development encompasses a wide array of facilities, including a swimming pool, clubhouse, gymnasium, beach volleyball court, foosball, food court, natural pond, football field, lounge, bar/chill-out lounge, business lounge, medical center, laundry, flower garden, golf course, conference room, school, solar lighting, RO system, ATM, aerobics center, barbeque, restaurant, terrace garden, pergola, piped gas, water softener plant, crèche/daycare, skating rink, squash court, theatre, gazebo, Wi-Fi connectivity, property staff, cafeteria, billiards, banquet hall, fountain, shopping center, library, cricket pitch, sun deck, lawn tennis court, multi-purpose court, amphitheater, party lawn, community hall, yoga/meditation area, and more.

The Paranjape Blue Ridge floor plan is meticulously crafted to offer spacious 1, 2, and 3 BHK residential units in Pune. The 1 BHK units range from 390 to 395 sq. ft, 2 BHK units span from 555 to 795 sq. ft, while the 3 BHK units extend from 890 to 1109 sq. ft. For information on the Paranjape Blue Ridge price range or payment plans, feel free to reach out to us.

Hinjewadi, Pune, boasts numerous location advantages, making it an ideal living destination:

· Connectivity to NH 48, metro, railways, Hinjewadi Road, Mumbai Bangalore Expressway, Pashan Sus Road, and Mumbai Pune Expressway.

· Proximity to educational institutes like Mahindra International School, Mercedes Benz International School, Blue Ridge School, and Global International School.

· Trusted hospitals such as Shatayu Hospital Hinjewadi, Surya Mother and Child Super Specialty Hospital, Lifetree Hospital, and CityCare Medical Center in the vicinity.

· Hotels like Hyatt Place Hotel, Lemon Tree, Hotel Le Royale Residency, and St Laurn Business Hotel nearby.

· Commercial hubs like Blue Ridge Qubix SEZ, Suratwala Mark Plazzo, Indialand Global Tech Park, and Nisarg Plaza in close proximity.

· Shopping centers like D Mart Hinjewadi, Grand High Street Mall, Sukhwani Boulevard Commerz, and Phoenix Market City Wakad dotting the area.

Unique salient features further enhance the appeal of Paranjape Blue Ridge Pune, including access to lush natural surroundings, the Golf Club, Boat Club, a well-maintained riverfront, and sports activities like Kayaking and Tennis. The property also offers on-premises shopping facilities.

For comprehensive details on amenities, RERA compliance, developer information, specifications, and possession, download the Paranjape Blue Ridge brochure PDF. Alternatively, fill in your contact details, and our team will be happy to assist you with any inquiries regarding this magnificent property.

#Paranjape Blue Ridge #Blue Ridge Hinjewadi #Blue Ridge Brochure #Blue Ridge Floor Plan #Blue Ridge Price #Blue Ridge Rera #Blue Ridge Possession #Blue Ridge Pune #Blue Ridge Developer #Blue Ridge Location #property #real estate #apartments #apartment #luxury apartments #flats #home #inframantra #house

[gargoylegirlcock]

#heres some aesthetics for you tree freaks out here #aesthetic #trees #forest #fall #autumn #location: blue ridge parkway and the Appalachian Trail

[newriverartist]

Zany Dance Movie!

Canoes at Mountain Lake Original 40″ x 30″ Oil painting SOLD Wall Art Prints and Prints on other Items available with the link https://kendall-kessler.pixels.com/featured/canoes-at-mountain-lake-kendall-kessler.html Looking into movies for Movie Night. One of the couples is bringing Knives Out for the next one so I am looking into future Movie Nights. I love Strictly Ball Room. It is a zany…

View On WordPress

#Blue Ridge paintings #canoe paintings #Dirty Dancing location #gazebo paintings #Kendall Kessler Art #mountain lake paintings #pawleys island paintings #Strictly Ball Room #Towhee Hill Studio Art

[hestiea]

fully regressing at the barest hint of a trc show mainly because now that i live in central VA i will get on that show if it’s the last thing i do

#catch me stalking locations like blue ridge country that’s where i LIVE now that’s my HOME #like ill be an extra at the pizza place I’ll fill a room just let me in

[writers-potion]

Could you give any advice for "descriptive" writing of any scene or action scenes or mapping out the scenery (Mountains, forests, streets etc) - i believe this is a struggle for Non-English speaking writers due to lack of vast vocabulary.

Common Scenery Description Tips

Vocabulary is clearly an important part of description, but it doesn’t have to be a limit. The most important thing about description in fiction is picking the right details to mention:

How does the details add to the mood of the story? A mountain ridge will be dark, gray and foggy if the overall mood is meant to be mysterious/brooding. In contrast, a mountain can be brilliantly snow-capped, lush green and “smiling down” upon the character if they’re out for a light stroll.

How are the contrasts/complementary aspects being brought out?

Are you using the five senses? You can even combine the senses, ie. blue ringing of the church bells

(If you have the POV character) what 

Some other tips for setting description:

Use similes and metaphors. Creative figures of speech always get my attention as a reader. 

Mention story-specific elements. For example, “The sky was the shade of Zoes’ eyes” or “the mountains looked like a group of trolls sleeping on one another” 

Be concise. Today’s readers don’t want to read paragraphs and paragraphs about one landscape. Outline the larger elements in the scene, their location and general mood. Add some details, then move on. 

If the same location appears multiple times, differentiate the description little by little as you write, instead of trying to lay out one scene in too much detail at once. 

That said, here are some helpful words/phrases:

Forests/Mountains

Color: bone-white, phantom-white, hazy gray

Sound: rumbling, booming grumbling, bellowing clapping, trundling, growling, thundering

Shape: crinkled, crumpled, knotted, grizzled, rumpled, wrinkled, craggy, jagged, gnarled, rugose  

Action: sky-punching/stabbing/piercing/spearing, heaven-touching/kissing, snow-cloaked/hooded/wreathed/festooned

Sloping sides, sharp/rounded ridges, high point/peak/summit

Majestic, gargantuan humbling, vast, massive, titanic, towering, monumental, mighty, vast, humbling

Mountains having faces, etc. 

Seas

Color: blue-green, crystal-clear crystalline, emerald, frothy, hazy, glistening, pristine, turquoise

Size: boundless, abyssal, fathomless, unconquerable, vast, wondrous

Sound: billowing, blustering, bombastic

Action: boisterous, agitated, angry, biting, breaking, brazen. Churning, bubbling, changing, brooding, calm, convulsing, enticing erratic, fierce, tempestuous, turbulent, undulating

Alluring, blissful, betwitching, breezy, captivating, chaotic, chilly, elemental, disorienting

Deserts

Sight: A landscape of sand, flat, harsh sunlight, cacti, tumbleweeds, dust devils, cracked land, crumbing rock, sandstone, canyons, wind-worn rock formations, tracks, dead grasses, vibrant desert blooms (after rainfall), flash flooding, dry creek

Sounds: Wind (whistling, howling, piping, tearing, weaving, winding, gusting), birds cawing, flapping, squawking, the fluttering shift of feasting birds, screeching eagles, the sound of one’s own steps, heavy silence, baying wild dogs

Smell: Arid air, dust, one’s own sweat and body odor, dry baked earth, carrion

Touch: Torrid heat, sweat, cutting wind, cracked lips, freezing cold (night) hard packed ground, rocks, gritty sand, shivering, swiping away dirt and sweat, pain from split lips and dehydration, numbness in legs, heat/pain from sun stroke, clothes…

Taste: Grit, dust, dry mouth & tongue, warm flat canteen water, copper taste in mouth, bitter taste of insects for eating, stringy wild game (hares, rats) the tough saltiness of hardtack, biscuits or jerky, an insatiable thirst or hunger

Streets

Dusty, fume-filled, foul, sumptuous, broad, bucolic, decayed, mournful, seemingly endless, empty, unpaved, lifeless, dreadfully genteel, muddy, nondescript, residential/retail

Bleach, flimsy, silent, narrow, crooked, furrowed, smoggy, commonplace, tumbledown, treeless, shady

The blacktop streets absorb the spring sunshine as if intent upon sending heaven's warmth back through my soles.

The streets absorbed the emotions in the air, the city as the steady and reassuring mother.

The streets were a marriage of sounds, from bicycle wheels to chattering.

In the refreshing light of early daytime, the streets had the hues of artistic dreamtime, soft yet bold pastels.

Cobbled streets flowed as happy rivers in sunlight.

Parties

Some extra tips for locations like parties, where lots of action is going around practically everywhere:

Focus on the important characters - where they are, who they’re with. 

Provide some overall description of the structure of the party scene (a pool, a two-storey house with yard?), then move on to details. 

Don’t try to describe everything. 

whirlwind of laughter and music, a symphony of joyous chaos.

It was a gathering that shimmered with the glow of twinkling lights and echoed with the rhythm of dancing feet.

The air was alive with excitement, buzzing with conversations and the clink of glasses.

Every corner held a story waiting to unfold, a moment waiting to be captured in memory.

It was a tapestry of colors, a mosaic of faces, each adding their own brushstroke to the vibrant canvas of the night.

Laughter cascaded like a waterfall, infectious and unstoppable, filling the room with warmth.

The night was a carnival of senses, with aromas of delicious food mingling with the melodies that filled the air.

Time seemed to slip away in the whirl of the party, moments blending into each other like colors on a palette.

The energy of the crowd was electric, pulsing through the room like a heartbeat, binding everyone in a shared moment of celebration.

It was a celebration of life, where worries faded into the background, and the present moment was all that mattered.

#writers and poets #writing #creative writing #writers on tumblr #creative writers #helping writers #let's write #poets and writers #writeblr #resources for writers #writing practice #writing prompt #writing community #writing advice #writing tips #on writing #writing inspiration #writer #writerscommunity #writers block #writer community #writblr #writers of tumblr #writers community #writers life #writer stuff

[itadorey]

𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍

pairing: gojo satoru x reader summary: you contemplate gojo's existence on a roof, at night, alone (or so you think). wc: ~1.7k genre: mostly fluff, a tiny bit of angst at the beginning warnings: some jjk manga spoilers, talks about geto, talks about death i listened to "moon song" by phoebe bridgers while writing this so you could say it's loosely inspired

gojo satoru is the strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive.

that isn't an opinion, it's a fact so widely accepted that the higher-ups have begun sending him on increasingly dangerous missions. you're unsure as to whether it's an attempt to end his life or if they're just taking advantage of the fact that there is no curse strong enough to beat him.

a sigh escapes your lips as you lie down, your back pressed up against the ridged shingles of the school's roof. it's neither uncomfortable nor comfortable, but you don't know if it's because of the architecture or if you're just numb.

you've been feeling numb pretty often lately.

things have changed in the past few years. there's an emptiness that seems to live within you, created by geto's defection and somewhat filled in by the presence of fushiguro megumi. you hope that the more time you spend with him, the easier it gets.

(it's hard when he looks so much like his father).

you think about megumi in an attempt to stop thinking about gojo, and you wonder if he knows how it pains you to take the boy in. you also wonder if it's some sort of self-inflicted punishment for him; saving the son of the man he murdered. it sounds like something gojo would knowingly put himself through.

the moonlight is bright as you force yourself to focus on the sky, your eyes studying the stars scattered about in a weak attempt to locate the few constellations you know. you shut your eyes almost immediately, sucking in a deep breath as you remember it was geto who taught you everything you know about constellations.

you wonder if gojo thinks about him often. (you know he does).

there's a brief moment where you wiggle around uncomfortably before sitting up, your hair blowing in the soft breeze as you bring your knees up to your chest. sleep has been evading you for quite some time now, but it's always worse whenever gojo is gone. you claim your insomnia stems from a place of concern, but shoko argues that it's because you have some sort of codependent relationship with your blue-eyed friend. you wonder if she's right.

it isn't long until you notice his presence, and you know that he knows that you know he's there. he doesn't move for a few minutes, and neither do you, content to keep staring out at nothing. it isn't until a stronger breeze blows, making you shiver, that he finally comes to stand next to you.

"cold night," gojo comments, one hand in his pocket. there's a bundle under his other arm, and you barely spare him a glance as you answer.

"you're back early," you mutter, identifying the bundle as the woven blanket you tend to keep at the foot of your bed. "i thought it was a five day thing."

"you know how it is," he says in response. you hum in return because yes, you do know how it is for gojo. for him, a five day mission can be completed in a matter of hours if he really tries, and you're all of a sudden reminded of just how powerful gojo satoru is.

his birth changed the balance of the world and yet, the holder of the six eyes, user of the limitless technique, and master of infinity leans down to wrap a blanket around your shivering form. you feel his fingers brush against your arms.

you stare at him for a few seconds as he adjusts the blanket, the sunglasses perched on his nose making you frown. they look frighteningly similar to the ones he wore back then. you think they might actually be the same pair. there's little hesitation on your behalf as you reach out, gently grabbing them and plucking them off of his face. his eyes are trained on you the entire time, and without the protection from the sunglasses, you are forced to bear the entire weight of the stare from his six eyes.

as you stare into bright, endless blue flames, you think it's not so bad.

the satoru from back then was bright and bold, as unforgiving as the summer sun as he developed into a formidable sorcerer alongside his best friend. you think the one you're seeing now is more like the moon; still bright and impressive but just a little less intense. he's more bearable, slightly matured by the highs and lows of being a caretaker to a grumpy child, but just as out of reach as he has always been.

you presume geto's sun died the day he left.

nothing is said as gojo takes a seat next to you, his knee bumping against yours as he tries to mimic your position. next comes the brushing of his pinky finger against yours, and you wonder if something happened on his mission. the tenderness of his touches is unusual but not unwelcome. it's something you don't think you'll ever get used to.

"here," you say, unwrapping the blanket from around yourself and extending one arm towards gojo. he looks at you, bewilderment clear on his face. you don't do anything but send him a tired smile, motioning for him to scoot in even closer. "it's big enough for both of us."

gojo listens without complaint, pressing himself up against you until you're able to rest your head on his shoulder. there's something comforting about having you close, and he knows it's because you bring him a sense of relief that he doesn't think he's felt since geto suguru left him behind.

left both of you behind.

"do you think about him?" you ask, breaking gojo out of his thoughts. he stays quiet, but you know that he knows who you're talking about. you've started to avoid saying his name out loud but its all you can hear in your head as you wait for his response. geto, geto, geto.

it soon becomes abundantly clear that gojo refuses to answer, and you keep speaking in desperate hopes of trying to finally get rid of the emptiness you feel inside. you think that'll never happen.

"because i do," you admit quietly, your chest tightening as you trace random shapes on your knee. "i think about him all the time and i just wonder where i went wrong because we were so happy, satoru. i think about all those late nights where we stayed up with shoko, laughing and pretending for once that everything would be fine. we knew our lives were dangerous but when we were together it didn't matter because we were together."

gojo pretends not to hear the soft crack in your voice as you get increasingly louder, cutting yourself off with a gasp before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"why did he leave?" you ask quietly. your words ring loudly in gojo's ears and for once in his life, he doesn't have anything to say. "i keep thinking about that day and i don't get it. why didn't he come to us? there was no reason for him to have left us just like that, is there? i thought he loved us. i know he loved you. and i can't make sense of his actions wit--"

"is that what you've been losing sleep over? that's stupid, you shouldn't be concerning yourself over this. and he loved you too, y'know? a lot," gojo says softly, cutting you off before you can spiral even more. there's a pregnant pause as he reaches out, grabbing your hand and bringing it closer to him as he toys with your fingers. you look up at him when he intertwines his hand with yours, eyes widening when you see him already staring at you. his free hand comes up to cup your cheek, thumb softly stroking the area right under your eye. you're sure your eyebags are looking worse than normal. "and so do i."

it takes you a moment to process his words, the silence growing as you think back to what he had said before initiating physical contact with you. when you realize what he has admitted, that he's in love with you, you feel your face begin to heat up under his hand.

"what?" you squeak, eyes wide as you watch his face. you see amusement dancing in his eyes, the corner of his mouth pulling up slightly at your response.

"i am in love with you," he admits quietly, eyes darting down to your lips when they part open in shock. "and i would really like to kiss you right now."

gojo is rewarded with an answer when you lean forwards, your lips connecting in a clumsy kiss as you do your best to remain still on the roof. his hand disconnects from yours in favor of joining his other in cupping your face, deepening the kiss as he does so. your hands come up to grab onto his forearms, and you find yourself shifting onto his lap in an attempt to get even closer to gojo.

"in case it isn't clear, i'm in love with you too," you murmur softly once you've separated. your arms drop to wrap around gojo, and he lets go of your face in favor of hugging you close to him.

"well that's a relief!" he says in his usual teasing tone. it makes you happy to see him happy and for the first time in a long time, neither one of you are thinking about geto suguru in that moment. you giggle when gojo leans back, lying down on the roof as he forces you to cuddle him. you rest your face in the crook of his neck, letting your eyes drift close as he hums.

"you know you don't need to worry about anything, right?" gojo asks, his words uncharacteristically soft as he runs his fingers through your hair. "you have me, and i can do anything to keep you safe. in fact, i will to whatever it takes to keep you safe and happy and i hope you know i'd give you the moon if you really asked me to."

you snort at his cheesy words, your heart feeling lighter than it ever has as he joins you in your laughter. you lean up to press a kiss to his jaw before settling back into your previous position, wrapping the blanket more tightly around the two of you.

"i don't need the moon, satoru. i just need you."

he smiles.

reblogs are appreciated <3

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk imagine #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #jujutsu kaisen imagines #jujutsu kaisen imagine #gojo imagine #gojo fanfic #gojo satoru imagine #jjk fluff #gojo fluff #gojo imagines

[velvetures]

AU Continuation: Perimeter Security

a.n.: Thank you to everyone who left comments, and gave this love! I hope to write more! This is thanks to @3dumbass and their suggestions.

summary: living with the 141 has its perks, and built-in security is one of them. it’s just not always easy for them to determine who’s actually a threat.

AU: The 141 are at risk due to personal files being compromised. They’re laying low at a low-risk location until further notice.

tags?: Simon x 3rd person coded relationship, strangers, tension, well-meaning anger, protectiveness, misunderstanding.

Snow made everything on the ridge lines slow down. Thick, icy, blankets camouflaged roads and halted the daily movement of simple life. The mail didn’t run, and neither did the school busses in town. It was as if the whole mountain slept in for weeks at a time when this kind of weather trudged in over the skyline. Freezing water pipes -if you didn’t know to turn the tap on a little- and draining the battery in your vehicle leaving you stranded for days at a time. It’s what made a wood-burning stove a lifesaver and why the ornate Art Garland sitting in the living room more of a necessity than a gilded cast-iron luxury from 1898.

But getting firewood was a whole different experience… especially when the task force took up residence and experience their first winter with Price and Laswell’s goddaughter.

She did well to provide for herself. Not just well, really, better than that. Everything she could manage alone was done without any assistance, and she never complained about much. They all assumed it came from living in such a remote place. That she couldn’t rely on anyone and never got spoiled to living easily. What she couldn’t -or simply didn’t- want to manage, the locals down in town helped with by beaters, trades, or well-kept favors that just kept being passed back and forth.

Just another one of those slowed-down things that made a whole lot of sense in her life, but set the 141’s teeth on edge.

They could rely on each other and do just fine most of the time. But individually and as a squad, it made all of them feel inadequate beyond comprehension asking for or requiring help. And like with her was just one of the stinging wounds they couldn’t quite heal up. Seeing her trade strawberries for corn or a rough-sewn quilt for a hand-made kitchen knife was dignified enough… they just didn’t understand fully how deep the lifestyle ran.

Ghost’s encounter with “Bear” put that much more tension on the dynamic.

***

She’d been inside bent over a pot of soup for nearly the whole morning. Steam curling over her reddened cheeks and sucking up through the range hood when the faint sound of a truck came spinning up the steep snow-covered driveway. A flatbed with a steel-cage welded to the bed and stacks of wood covered with a blue tarp in the back with fraying bungee cords. A familiar sight for her since the man driving always brought her firewood when the weather got too cold to go and do it herself. Or when she’d been regrettably lazy… and didn’t feel like it either.

Barrett “Bear” Stephens. A real outdoorsman and not more than a couple years older than her. Most people around town thought he was a real prick since he didn’t talk much and kept to himself out on West Run Ridge. But she liked him well enough. Trusted him to let him in her house for dinner as thanks for keeping her house warm and always waved when she saw him in the grocery store despite the guarantee he wouldn’t aside her back. Hearing his truck ambling up through driveway wasn’t anything new.

It’s why she forgot to mention it to anyone else.

“Damn freezing out here,” He spit with gritted teeth, sliding out of the truck in four layers of coats. “You’re real lucky the biscuits you make are worth this shit.”

She couldn’t help but stifle a smile. Shifting back and forth to stave off the cold while wearing less than half of what Bear was. Only having come out to greet him since it was below freezing. Normally she’d leave him to drop off her bundles of kindling without the harassment of making him talk. But the snow was deep, and she felt guilty not at least helping him for a moment. Maybe it was good luck that she had though. Because Bear didn’t even make it to the back of the flatbed when a solid black figure smoothly appeared from the opposite side. Black steel glinting in evening light and the black hole of a rifled pistol aimed right at him.

She stopped dead in her tracks. The mistake washing over her seeing Ghost standing there in the scary-as-hell mask, with a white skull framed by a black hoodie and positive white snow all around him. Fuck, even the steam from his breath smoked out of the mask like he was fucking burning from the inside out and letting off pressure before he exploded. His eyes were dead and cold. Staring down the mountain man who’d came to just as still of a position. She was certain Ghost was the only one breathing.

“You’re not welcome,” his thick burred voice sounded more gritty than normal. Maybe from the cold weather… she’d not seen him inside her house in days. “Suggest you leave.”

Bear didn’t say a word, but his rapid nod of his head was enough to thaw her out. Stop this before it got any uglier than Ghost’s .45 making a damn-good threat.

“Wait! He’s… he’s here on purpose!” The excuse can’t great. There could be plenty of reasons he came with intent and then not be positive. “I needed him!”

The stiffness in Ghost miraculously gets worse. Frost in his wide shoulders turning to blue ice and that darkness in his eyes sharpening like flint from sloped hills behind the house. It made him more pissed, and she didn’t have the slightest idea of how to fix it.

He was cagey at the best of times. Like he’d bristle if he had fur on his back or bare fangs if he had the choice to. She hated making any of that anger show, but there wasn’t a better option right now. Besides… it was her damn house. She could have whoever she pleased so long as she thought they were safe. John had made it clear there wouldn’t be any restrictions unless something serious came up. And having visitors weren’t one of them. Especially since. Bear wasn’t coming in the house.

She’d been quite set in that decision anyways. Bear wasn’t the nosey type anyways. He didn’t talk much, did his job, and left. But that didn’t mean Ghost knew it. And his pistol didn’t even waver a centimeter even after she spoke.

“This… this yours?” Bear’s voice sounded shaky. His teeth unclenched and irritation with the cold wind dissolved. His question made her antsy. There were too many answers, and none of them felt right in her head.

“Long story,” she decided, taking a rounded pathway around Bear and towards Ghost. Purposefully staying far away from that damn pistol he felt still necessary to have out.

“He can be-”

“Lethal.”

Ghost’s interjection made her wince.

“Enough of that!” She snaps back, hissing and feeling the hot air freeze in front of her lips. “Let him drop off the firewood, and he’ll leave.”

One look back at Bear and she could see the slight confusion in his otherwise guarded expression. There was no chance in hell she was letting Ghost just disappear off somewhere after this. He couldn’t just point-blank threaten people. Bear was who kept the damn house warm half the winter whether she liked it or not. And Ghost couldn’t fuck it up just because he’d not been explicitly told anything.

“How ‘bout we lend a hand?”

Soap and Gaz walking up nearly gave her a heart attack. One of them was bad enough. Two more? Her faith in Bear not running and telling anyone who would listen about her was stretching thin. The grocery store, all three churches, and the fire department would think she was in a reverse harem by the end of the month. Even if Soap was already helping himself to the stacks of bundled wood in the back, this interaction felt centuries long with no hope of ending.

“Just three.” She finally gets the warning out, seeing Gaz going for a fourth bundle. He just nods, setting it back down and shooting a quite civil nod in the man’s direction.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” He adds, looking over the tall stacks. “How much?”

“Ten dollars a bundle.” Bear sounds half ready to pass out.

Gaz promptly drops the one he’s carrying and pulls out a wallet like he’s got no problem with Ghost still standing there like a human-centry gun. Pulling out a twenty and holding it out in his hand.

Is this some sort of fucking peace treaty?

Ghost only moves to holster his weapon after Bear takes the money and mutters something about ‘help yourself’ before shutting himself back inside the can of the truck without another word. Tension easing with each moment Soap spends stacking his arms tall with dry, red cedar and sycamore. She doesn’t even know where to begin. Wondering where John was. Wanting to know where Ghost had been. Why he’d even approached in the first place.

“I need a word with you.”

She can’t bring herself to do anything but stare out at Bear’s truck hightailing it off her property as she addresses Ghost. Hearing his very heavy boots creaking on the porch. He doesn’t say a word, but it’s clear once Gaz and Soap leave for inside that he’s not standing behind her for his own enjoyment.

“Do you have any idea what you might’ve just screwed up?” Her voice doesn’t sound like her own. It’s mad, sure. But almost panicked in a sense. The reality of the situation hitting her harder because she vividly remembered winter before the help. And it wasn’t pretty. Recent snows had been stable and quite pleasant actually. And Ghost nearly made target practice out of her own sure solution.

“Very aware,” that damn voice sounded too smooth. “Who is he?”

Another thick billow of fog curls out of her mouth. “Who he is, isn’t important. Keeping my fucking house from freezing is.” She can feel her fingers starting to prick from the cold even inside her coat.

“Don’t care for nameless men.” He counters just as seemingly unbothered.

If she could physically force herself to turn around and face him head-on, she would. But his utter disregard made it intimidating. Too much to handle.

“Jesus Christ….” She muttered, head dropping to thump against a porch post. “Barrett Stephens. We call him Bear.” It felt defeating to be forced to answer him like this.

Ghost’s boots strain the porch as he walks towards the firewood hoops. The sound of dry bark ready to catch an ember cracking and scratching as he moves it.

“Almost killed himself…”

“Yeah,” She chuckles dryly, biting the inside of her cheek and spinning around with some real anger. “M’sure the coroner would love to know how he got ahold of the pistol you have tucked in your fuckin’ jeans.”

That massive man turned on himself just as quickly. Closing a multiple-yard distance in just a couple long strides. His breathing heavier and that thick smoke trailing from the stitch-seams in his mask.

“Gonna get yourself killed too…” He warns. Low, and just like the wolf she pictured him being. Bared teeth, dilated eyes and all.

“Stop growlin’ at me…” The words come out of her mouth before she even thinks about how wrong it is. “Actin’ like a damn dog.”

He’s fast. So fast.

Hauling her backwards against the porch banister and towering high above her head with a low, and heavy sort of breath fizzling out in his chest. It’s the most threatening he’s been so far. And she can’t tell just how far she can continue to stand her ground without things truly getting ugly. Even her fingers have stopped tingling from the cold with just how fast her blood is pumping. Force feeding oxygen to her brain. Desperate to find a way to run from an inescapable situation she’d created.

“Mind tellin’ me where you got this idea to talk back to me, creeker?”

“When you started throwin’ that gun around like you have the right.”

The fear didn’t keep her mouth shut. Digging an even deeper grave all because he kept using that stupid fucking nickname. Pushing buttons and making it that much harder to be understanding of why he was always so bitter. Nothing she’d done had made a difference so far. And the patience she’d saved specifically for him was waning.

Ghost just chuckled, his head rolling to the side and the gloved hands gripping her coat tightened.

“The right?” It was almost impossible to imagine anything other than a smirk under that mask.

“Oh… I certainly have the right to defend what’s mine.”

Comments & Reblogs are Appreciated 🤎

#velvetures #velvetures writes #cod mwii #cod #simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #simon ghost x reader #cod au

[afreakingdork]

Weak Spot - Chapter 63

RotTMNT Donatello x Reader

EDIT 4/30/24 DUE TO A MORAL DISAGREEMENT THIS CHAPTER ART HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY REMOVED

Warnings: Aged-up Turtles, Romance, Meet Cute, Villain Donatello, Cussing, Crushes, Xenophobia, Fear, Intimidation, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hurt/Comfort, Love, AFAB Reader, Vaginal Sex, Sex Rough, Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Creampie, Teasing, Scent Kink, Sexual Tension, Breeding Kink, Multiple Orgasms, Cunnilingus, Fellatio, Marathon Sex, Somnophilia, Bondage, Feral Behavior, Feral Donatello, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Public Sex, Dom Donnie, Human/Turtle Relationships, Turtle Noises, Roleplay, Sexual Roleplay

Synopsis:  A love story of villainous proportions! Though it hadn’t come easily, as these things rarely do, you found yourself in a whirlwind romance with a handsome and mysterious mutant. His idiosyncrasies had been easy to ignore as attraction grew into something more. However, will love endure when the unknowns about him end up being far darker than you ever considered?

Fem!Reader References/Warnings Below Cut

Also available on Ao3

First 💜 Previous

Fem!Reader References/Warnings: crutches, muscle weakness, talk of abuse, mental breakdown

“So that’s the menu.” Mikey rose up and dusted his hands.

You leaned against a counter getting some time upright and nodded over the messy handwritten note cards Mikey had brought over. Coated in loving use and old ingredients, Mikey had clearly been fine tuning these recipes for years. They felt to you like precious artifacts with their ancient evolving notes. Moving them around affectionately and wondering how many total of these cards there were, you tipped your head towards the turtle. “How are you going to bring all this over?”

“So, we got ingredients purchased and being delivered to an agreed upon location first thing tomorrow.” Mikey paused to give a raised hand to Donnie for his participation.

Donnie, who had been writing some code on his computer, scarcely looked over.

“I’ll take everything down, start placing my mise and then head over here for my regular shift around noon to cook it up.” Mikey fanned out the cards once before sliding them back into a fold. “If I did my math right then everything will be ready for dinner at 6:30pm sharp and our guests will arrive.”

You nodded, thinking over the process.

“I’ll have my assistant in spurts.” Mikey winked at you.

You rolled your eyes. “I’m sworn to rest when I need to. I get it, but I’m not letting you do everything.”

“Everyone has different kitchen dynamics.” Mikey chirped happily. “I love seeing how they all mix and our cooking chemistry though, like 90% of the time, I default to get out of my way!”

You laughed along with him. “I get that.”

“Having someone you can deal with in your space in that kind of heated situation is a big deal.” Mikey wiggled his brow ridge around his pun.

You hummed affectionately and remembered one particular time with Donnie. “Is that so?”

“Oh yeah, gotta be a marker of true love.” Mikey picked his cards and was slow to take on a forlorn look. “This is it…”

“Yeah…” You straightened a little yourself.

The family dinner marked the end of the Hamato watch. Though it hadn’t been officially discussed, you knew Mikey had passed on the information about Donnie meditating and Raph had obviously reported Donnie’s first time disengaging his powers. It had been a good sign and just about every person who’d entered the apartment since had seen some form of Donnie’s practice. The little purple particles that would percolate at a certain focused step were unmistakable. Whether Donnie was testing his emotions to manifest them or simply working on their creation, you had yet to know, but since he’d gone weeks without a single mishap, he was deemed safe enough to be left to his own devices.

Leo was just a portal away if anything went wrong.

You dampened more thinking about the blue brother. You guessed this was how it was now. You weren’t going to repair things with Leo and, after tomorrow, you never would have another chance to. You wouldn’t see him again and he would be an emergency contact at most. It stung. You knew it was probably for the best, but leaving whatever your relationship was with him in such disrepair deeply bothered you. You guessed you had others like this, people from your past that you were doomed to only have a negative memory of, but it ached regardless.

“Michelangelo.”

That was Donnie’s voice and you raised your head where your back was to him.

“Yup?”

Leo would be next and then Raph before Mikey returned for his final watch.

“I want to meet with him.”

You almost didn’t want Mikey to leave.

“…”

Maybe you could ask Raph to switch so you could sleep through most of Leo’s shift.

“Well?”

“Why?”

You blinked.

“Obvious.” You turned to find Donnie with narrowed eyes, but little heat as if he found the exchange tenuous.

“If it was, I wouldn’t have asked.” Mikey bit back with a similar lack of heat, but faint irritation.

You didn’t interject, but sent confusion toward your mate who didn’t look.

“I need to… speak with… him.” Donnie swallowed bile.

“About what? Why now?” Mikey folded his arms.

Now on one crutch, you moved from where you were leaning your weight on the counter and hooked it with learned ease to your body to go over to Donnie.

The movement caught his eye and he watched you with his closed off affection.

“If I could discuss the matter with any of you, I would have.” Donnie told you, though he spoke to Mikey.

You heard Mikey unfurl with a huff.

You tilted your head in question.

Donnie’s eyes had little response.

Mikey made an upset sound.

Donnie’s lip moved a centimeter which was the most smile you could get under these circumstances.

“He can come to dinner.”

Donnie’s head flew to Mikey in fury. “A joke!”

“Nope.” Mikey’s brow ridge bobbed, smug. “Not a question either. That’s the only way I’ll pass the message along.”

“This conversation is not for any of you!” Donnie’s lip curled back, but it was obviously out of tender fear as opposed to actual anger.

“I’ll head out when it's time.” Mikey’s shoulders bounced. “Give you space.” 

“Not for…” Donnie trailed off and looked at you in a similarly anxious way.

You weren’t meant to listen either.

You frowned.

Donnie’s gaze shot away in a pained way.

“We’ll.” Mikey was quick to add. “Step out.”

You looked to Mikey.

He nodded to you for encouragement.

“You need to talk to Splinter that badly?” You asked quietly.

Donnie flinched at the name and his wounded gaze stayed glued to the floor.

Mikey bent his elbows to the counter and waited.

“Yes.” Donnie spoke as small as he could.

Your chest tightened.

You knew you’d been keeping things from Donnie, but to hear the inkling that he was doing the same felt like a new wound.

It wasn’t on purpose, you wanted to scream.

You were going to unload on him as soon as you were alone.

That meant he probably would too.

The realization sobering, you leaned heavily into your crutch.

One more day.

“Dinner. The whole dinner. You don’t get to kick dad out after just because you feel like it.” Mikey laid down his ground rules.

This time Donnie surfaced slowly and with actual anger. “You expect me to entertain that-” He bit his tongue to keep a derogatory word out of his mouth. “-in my own home?!”

“You’re doing that with us, aren’t you?” Mikey spoke without malice.

The younger turtle even seemed oddly stoic.

He almost looked like Donnie when slipped all of himself under that emotionless mask.

Donnie’s eyes only narrowed.

“It’s either that or you try Leo, which, good fucking luck. Then there’s Raph and we both know how that’s going to go.” Mikey’s head cricked with the slightest tip.

Donnie inhaled slowly.

“You asked me for a reason.” Mikey spoke knowingly.

Donnie juggled something mentally before looking back to Mikey. “I did.”

“My terms or nothing.” Mikey lifted up and out of the conversation.

He walked over to where Leo’s portal would appear.

You saw that, as soon as Mikey’s back was turned, Donnie let a whole litany of emotions pass over his face.

There was outright fury.

You could see how much he wanted to strangle the other turtle.

There was bargaining.

He tried to work out a thousand ways he could get out of this.

There was anxiety.

The chance to speak to Splinter was slipping through his fingers and you could see just how much your boyfriend needed to do this.

You touched Donnie’s arm lightly.

He jarred from his swirling mind and you saw the whirlpool settle at the sight of you.

Another tap was more of a nudge.

You had his back.

You could take the verbal heat off if need be.

You could be Splinter’s chaperone.

Donnie’s expression welled with gratitude before he looked back to where Mikey still had his carapace to you both.

“Done. Do ask-” Donnie’s voice was gravel.

“For him to be on his best behavior?” Mikey cut Donnie off with a turn of his head that just barely showed his face’s silhouette. “I’ll ask him. I’ll do what I can, but he’s my dad.”

Leo’s portal appeared and the blue light reflected off Mikey’s eyes for a malevolent gaze.

“Our dad. The three of us.” Mikey spoke venom. “Don’t you forget.” He stepped through the portal.

-

The rest of the time until Mikey’s return was done in a preparatory wait. Leo had appeared casual with a levity that said he was ready to get this last shift over with. You imagined that he might even enjoy the dinner since it was a final blemish for him to endure. Skirting away from him to keep the mood light, you had very little to do. You mostly stuck close to Donnie who was trapped with the weight of what was coming.

Your mate stood in various parts of your apartment with nothing to keep his hands busy and eventually you coaxed him out of sight where you lingered in his space. Sneaking behind a partition felt juvenile in your own home, but you signed to each other regardless.

‘Why now?’ You started. 

‘Can’t explain like this.’

‘Later? Alone?’

‘Both of us.’

‘I’ve been planning to.’

‘Good. You’ve been avoiding Blue.’ 

‘Yeah. Long story.’

Donnie made the motion for ‘kill’ and raised his brow with delighted question.

You shook your head and placed both your hands over his.

He brought them up to his lips.

You mouthed, ‘I can’t wait to be alone with you.’

“Me too.” He murmured warmth and came down to press the side of his head to yours.

You lingered like that as long as you could.

-

You did your best, but the closer it got to Mikey’s and subsequently all the turtle’s final appearance in your home, Donnie’s stress was transferring to you. With each second hand tick of the clock, Donnie got more on edge. You meant to be strong for him. You wanted to show him that this was alright; that even though you didn’t know what big thing he wanted to discuss with Splinter was, you would be unflappable.

The only problem was, you were painfully in tune with your partner and him being upset was then permeating you through your bond.

You hated to see him uncomfortable and, though Raph recognized the dense air in the room, you could tell the older turtle was mislabeling it. All four men hadn’t been in the same room since the hospital discharge. You imagined Raph, rightfully, imagined the entire bale together bothered Donnie, especially in his own home. If there wasn’t some big talk added on top, you were sure that would have upset Donnie too, but you found it hard to believe that would have driven him to his current state.

You guessed Raph might have also thought Donnie was concerned to then be alone with his ninpo. 

You hadn’t gotten to talk to the older turtle and now still wasn’t the best time because he was just as distracted as you in watching Donnie move about like a stubborn plant searching for a crack of sunlight. In slow rotations, Donnie swayed, barely perceptible and feeling out his space blindly. He couldn’t do an activity because he was too emotionally confined to the pot, but he was deprived of something vital which had him wriggling with all his remaining strength.

You could hardly breathe by the time Leo’s portal appeared.

Raph was up and prattling on about lending a hand just to have an excuse to leave.

In a file, you watched as Mikey and Raph carted a bunch of food, pots, pans, utensils, and other kitchen gadgets in until your home was overflowing. Donnie made space on his desk and helped arrange the spill before Raph turned with his hands on his hips.

“Alright. I got class and then me and Leo will come by right on time?”

“6:30.” Mikey swung a spoon to cement his point.

Raph threw his own finger up genially and spun on one leg to leave through the portal.

“Ah!” Mikey suddenly fussed and passed the spoon off to you. “Hold it! I have something else to grab! Forgot something! You know me!”

Donnie’s head shot up where he was clearly cataloging as everything had been accounted for thus far.

“Don’t spike the food!” Raph complained but pressed a hand up to the top half of the portal like he was holding a door.

“I’m not! In this house?!” Mikey shot you a wink out of Raph’s eye line before ducking through the blue light.

“Yeah, yeah.” Raph shook his head after Mikey. “See y’all.” He gave a parting nod and disappeared as well.

“There shouldn’t be-!” Donnie furiously searched for what was misplaced.

You were about to help when Mikey returned with two stumbling leaps and a bottle of soda in hand.

Donnie gave an irritated face.

Mikey shook his head. “This was just cause I saw it. I actually forgot…”

It brought Donnie’s brow up before there was a blur and the portal shut.

For a moment, you didn’t register a change.

Then Donnie inhaled sharply and went ramrod straight.

You looked to find Splinter standing where the portal was holding a baking dish wrapped in foil. With his eyes downcast and wearing a little cardigan, he looked the picture of trying to do his best.

Your heart squeezed and you were in motion with a clunk of your crutch. “Splinter.”

“Y/N!” He walked up with his dish and found it occupying his hands. “I was worried! The boys kept me updated. I’m glad to hear that you…” He breathed a bit unsteady. “I am sorry this happened to you.”

“Yeah…” You’d heard that more times then you could count. “It is what it is…”  

“Still! Those police are an absolute joke! Useless! A waste! Morons!” Splinter huffed.

You couldn’t help but smile.

“Big Mama has been on a rampage.” Splinter told you casually before heading towards Mikey.

“Huh!? What?!” The younger turtle lowered himself to take the dish from his dad. “She what now!?”

“She was disrespected!” Splinter spoke as if this should be obvious news. “She has been methodically tearing down and restructuring the entire city center in her fury! So very her!”

“She’s…” You shook slightly in a rotation.

You looked to Donnie and couldn’t tell whether he knew that or not.

“Doing it for you!” Splinter threw a gesturing hand to you as soon as he was freed from his dish. “Oh, this is my very special green bean casserole, by the way! Also for you!”

“For…?” You took a few steps. “Wait, Big Mama can’t be doing that for me.”

“You, you.” Splinter waved a hand and looked around the packaged kitchen. “This place is too small!”

Mikey tapped his dad’s head with a spatula. “Don’t complain.”

“Hmph!” Splinter rotated. “You were her guest. Her new hotel’s poster couple! I’m surprised she hasn’t killed off and replaced the entire police department. Morons!”

He’d repeated himself, but the words didn’t seem real. “It didn’t seem like she liked me.”

“She likes you plenty! She wouldn’t do that for anyone!” Splinter turned, remembering something. “Put that in the fridge, orange!”

“I’m gonna be doing fridge Jenga, dad.” Mikey rolled his eyes. “Y/N, wanna help?”

“Uh, yeah!” You moved to set your crutch on a nearby counter. 

Splinter saw he was in the way and scrambled a few nervous steps out of the kitchen.

As you passed him, you saw him keep his head down as if he wasn’t allowed to look around the living room proper.

Concern stuck to your features as Mikey held the fridge open for you.

Stepping around it, he used the door as a barrier for a private conversation. 

You moved a few items in the icebox and gave a skeptical look as it would hide nothing.

He frowned and gave up trying to translate to instead focus on the task at hand. “How about I pass you perishables? That good?”

“Yeah. Standing in one place is easy. I’m just wobbly if I move too much.” You settled as a wedge in the fridge door as Mikey moved to pass things.

“It didn’t take too long to prep. I mean I’ve got a good few hours here so I wasn’t sweating.” He passed a few things over.

You methodically organized them.

“You’ll have to return my dear Tupperware.”

You paused in show of holding an old butter container that had something chopped inside.

“A family heirloom.” Mikey told you haughtily.

“Clearly.” You joked back and slipped it in.

Mikey walked you through the upcoming steps as you stuffed the fridge then freezer. When you came up with a semi-cleaned work surface, you glimpsed Splinter sitting on the couch near the closest arm and Donnie standing at a side angle near his desk. You imagined it would take some time for them to be able to approach each other and dove into the normalcy with Mikey. He ended up being a better teacher at cooking than meditation and walked you slowly through what you could best help with. In contrast, his own tasks disappeared in a flurry where he chatted casually as he moved around a full stove’s worth of burners and an active oven. You weren’t sure how he kept track of all the different cook times, but he seemed to know just when to move or extract something.

It had been at least an hour and you were casually washing some utensils for their third or fourth use when you heard Splinter’s voice. “You’ve made… quite the home.”

You didn’t hear Donnie respond and instead turned to Mikey who knowingly held up more dirty dishes.

With those soon cleaned, you moved on to oven Tetris for the many dishes that needed to be baked when you heard Donnie say something.

“You are still in contact with Big Mama.” 

“Y/N!” Mikey blurred through your vision, moving faster than your eye to put the last pans in and slam the oven door shut for you. “You gotta look at this sunset!”

“Sun… set?” You blinked.

“Yeah!” Mikey slipped around you and opened the kitchen window.

“The sun doesn’t set for another-”

“It’s beautiful, you have to see!” As if it were a door, Mikey stepped right through the opening. 

You stumbled a few steps after him in confusion and bit your lip on a noise when his arms shot out to grab you. In one perfect tipping lift, you were hoisted up and angled right through the window before you were set on the fire escape. “Wha-!?”

Mikey held a finger up to his lips and put great care in slowly closing the window.

When it was noiselessly shut he let out a big sigh.

“It’s time.” Mikey told you and then fell back to sit on a metal step.

“They’re talking?” You perked up.

“Yep. Not about to be a part of all that.” Mikey twirled a lazy finger and took a deep breath of city air. “Sky’s mostly blue.”

You leaned against the brick to look up. “Yeah…”

“It’s pretty.” Mikey murmured.

“Yeah.” You agreed.

For a long time you sat in the moment and let the bustle buzz as a dull hum until you made it over to Mikey. He moved aside to give you room and you both occupied the same step.

“Can you hear them?” You asked softly so as not to disrupt the moment.

“Nope.” Mikey tipped his head towards you. “Donnie’s got super glass or whatever he does.”

You snorted. “You’re going to slip up calling him that.”

“He can get me then.” Mikey threw up lazy fisticuffs.

“Thank you.”

“For saying I’ll fight him?” Mikey still had his arm’s akimbo and looked at you.

You bumped him with your shoulder, but left your body pressed to his. “For helping save me. For shortening my healing time. For teaching Donnie meditation. For making all this food. For getting Splinter...” You shook your head at the list. “For texting me about Donnie cooking.”

Mikey lightly chuffed and leaned a metered amount of his weight back. “I should thank you.”

“For what?” You looked at him.

You got to see up close how gooey his expression was when he turned to you. “For saving him.”

“I didn’t.” You shook your head. “He saved himself. I just got to watch.”

Mikey thought for a moment and returned. “Let me rephrase.”

“Go ahead.” You chuckled.

“Thank you for making him happy.”

Your heart jumped and you smiled brightly.

“Cute.” Mikey teased and leaned his carapace back on the steps.

You nudged him lightly where you couldn’t do the same and stared out at the darkening city until you felt a familiar pressure in your stomach. “Oh no…”

“What?” Mikey’s voice was sleepy.

“I have to pee.” You groaned and remembered how you’d been so on edge with Donnie many hours before Mikey had even arrived. That added to the current till, meant you hadn’t visited the bathroom since early that morning.

“Hold it!” Mikey sat up. “Do you know how rare this is!?”

“You think I don’t want to!? This was dropped on me the same time as you!”

“Yeah!” Mikey’s head shook with stress. “Stupid secret diner meetings with dad were not on my Donnie bingo card, but this marks the fourth time they’ve spoken ever! So I say again: hold it!”

“We have to go inside eventually!”

“Yeah, when the timers go off!”

Something beeped.

One single clear time.

“Mikey…”

Mikey paled.

“What was that!?”

“The… fifteen minute warning?” Mikey eeked out and went to grab his phone. “It’s 6:15…”

“We need to go inside!”

“We can wait!”

“Let’s just peek!”

“You peek!” Mikey scrambled up a step further from the window. “I’m not chancing nothing!”

You didn’t blame him in the slightest and inched forward slowly where your hips were weary. Nothing you couldn’t handle as you were a base level of sore as of late, you edged forward and carefully placed your fingers to the sill before hoisting yourself up to look inside. A clip of the counter blocked some of your vision, but you could see Donnie sitting with his back toward you and looking down the couch where you imagined Splinter was.

“What do you see?” Mikey was obviously impatient. 

“I can only see Donnie, but there’s no signs of a fight. He’s just…” You stared hard at the back of your boyfriend’s head. “… sitting there.”

“That’s probably fine…?” Mikey seemed to be genuinely asking.

“Yeah…” Your crouch put further pressure on your bladder. “I’m opening the window.”

“Y/N!” Mikey clanged against the fire escape as he shied another step away.

“We have to go back in eventually! Everything will burn!” You pressed the jamb lightly before cracking it.

You felt the rush of air and the scent of food waft out, but little more.

Your heart beat fast in your chest and you moved to check with Mikey.

His eyes were a new kind of wide.

‘Bad?’ You mouthed as obviously as you could.

Mikey shook his head furiously.

Your abdomen pulsed.

You pushed the window further up.

Mikey caught your arm.

You wordlessly pulled from him.

His head shook so fast his hair was coming out of its tie.

You yanked to the side and both of you struggled in front of the window.

“Is it really possible to love someone who is evil?”

Both you and Mikey froze at the sound of Donnie’s voice

Then you were nearly beating each other to try to close to the window.

“I once told her I knew there was still good in her.” Splinter’s response came next.

You heard a dull sound.

Something indistinct and electronic.

Mikey’s eyes turned white and he disappeared from you.

Blinking into the empty fire escape, you swore you heard the faint sound of a timer in the distance.

That meant the food was done. 

You had to go inside no matter what. 

Stunned, you looked toward the window with your heart plummeting and pushed it all the way up so you could climb back inside.

“I was wrong!” Splinter’s voice cracked as your belly pressed against the sill, halfway through. “Still good!? What does that mean!? She never said anything, but she must have known. Why was I so hung up on the distinction? Good. Bad…” He heaved a heavy breath.

You nearly somersaulted over, but you channeled every ounce of your physical therapy and just barely saved yourself with a careful foot to the floor.

“Love does not know such things! I loved her in spite of everything. I loved her after she imprisoned me. I loved her because I loved her. Her alignment or however you would say was not what my heart chose. I chose the woman who understood me. Who sat by me. Who liked going out dancing as much as she appreciated a good movie night on the couch!”

The last of your muscle strength was spent on dropping as silently to the floor as you could.

“I wonder if it was… my fault we drifted apart and… that may be…? Oh, but these things happen... I did not condone her activities. I still don’t, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think I liked that she’s still feisty!”

Donnie gave what was almost a laugh.

It also sounded congested.

You slithered on your belly with only the intention of getting to the bathroom and not interrupting.

“Donatello. None of us chose the life we are born into. I’d say we get to choose after and to a point I did, but a certain destiny caught up with me. Right… Wrong… Who’s to say? I made the decisions I did.”

You were close to the edge of the counter.

“What I can tell you is that when the time comes, for whatever that may be, you get the choice in how you react. When I had my hand in stopping the Shredder or the Krang, I wish I could say I thought of humanity. I didn’t. I thought of my boys. I thought of…” Splinter cut himself off and his voice shook. “I did what I did out of love. I continue to do it for the same. If you are worried that is bad, then you are wrong. Love may be the only right choice any of us can make.”

Your head appeared out from the wood and you saw Splinter first.

He had slid down to the middle of the couch at some point and Donnie now took his old spot at the sofa’s arm.

With his back to you, Donnie was slightly hunched, but that wasn’t what you were looking at.

Down on Donnie’s knee, you saw Splinter’s spindly pink hand settled on top of Donnie’s.

Neither party moved and there were tears in the air.

You meant to run.

You meant to fly.

You were going to lock yourself in the bathroom.

You weren’t going to intrude on this scene.

Instead you rose at the same time a blue light flashed.

Your heart hit the floor.

Donnie and Splinter jolted apart and turned in that direction.

“Y/N!” Mikey hissed as quietly as he could behind you.

Your head tilted toward the sound, but you couldn’t peel your gaze away.

Leo slipped out of the portal with his eyes closed and a carton of cream in his hand. “Yello, dinner party people!”

Raph’s arm appeared next, but Leo froze in his way.

Donnie spun and was heading towards you with his head down.

Staring at where your boyfriend had just been on the couch, Leo was looking at the vision of his father with huge fat tears in his eyes.

“Dad…?” Leo whispered a silent spell.

As if your blood pressure hadn’t fallen enough, it broke through the floor.

Leo didn’t know Splinter was going to be here.

Mikey’s earlier action slapped you in the face.

“What-” Leo’s voice darkened and he moved toward you.

Donnie passed you and Mikey squeaked where he was clearly still in the window based on the way he struggled.

A blue light broke out behind you and you turned to watch Leo’s head appear there, cutting Donnie off. “-did you do!?”

Donnie’s head snapped upright and from this angle all you could see was Leo’s face.

It was broken glass and horrified awe.

Raph whispered something to Splinter.

He was making sure his dad was alright.

“You…” Donnie spoke against the will of his body.

Leo was stuck by only his own accord while Mikey was very literally wedged in the window.

Donnie’s got his sights on the youngest.

“Why was Leonardo not informed?” Ice crystals could have formed on Donnie’s words and you would have believed they were real.

“Th-th-that’s-! U-um!!” Mikey’s hands splat against the wall where he tugged as hard as he could before he popped out of the jamb.

He hit the ground in a flop and shot to his feet, curling around Leo’s portal.

“Th-this looks bad, but I-I told you! There was no way Leo or Raph would have agreed! I couldn’t tell them!” Mikey stopped just shy of passing his disembodied brother.

No one moved.

“They would have stopped me! Or dad!” Mikey pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. “You know that!”

Donnie inhaled a single time.

“I agreed!”

The scene had not defrosted, but you felt everyone’s attention shift to where Splinter had yelled out.

“When Michelangelo told me you wanted to talk, he shared his concerns about the others!” Splinter’s harsh voice didn’t have a single edge. “I agreed it would be best for me to slip in! They know I am stubborn! As long as I got here, they would not make me leave!”

Smoothly, his words slid and coiled around the group.

“Do they…” Donnie lifted his head and you knew he’d placed his villain persona on. “… control you?”

 Splinter made an audible jarred sound.

“Elderly rat at the whims of his more powerful sons?” Donnie was careful in rotating so he stayed out of your view and hit a button to turn off the oven.

“Donatello…” Splinter begged.

“All you do is lie.” Donnie’s malice broke and it dripped to the floor with several hard plops. “Always! All of you!” In a spin, you finally glimpsed your mate and the tears that flung from the velocity of his rage. “You never stop! You compulsive animals!!! HOW?! HOW CAN ANYONE BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU SAY!? WHEN YOU TAKE NOTHING SERIOUSLY?! WHEN YOU NEVER HAVE!? HOW CAN ANY OF THIS BE REAL!? WAS ANY OF THIS-!?!”

“It was!” Splinter stepped up onto the arm of the couch with tears matting his fur. “Donatello, please! You have to understand! I take this matter more seriously than any other!”

“Oh.” The cadence of Donnie’s words bled. “This then? You take this seriously? Now? NOW?!” He bellowed and even you flinched. “OBVIOUSLY NOW IN YOUR OLD AGE! LATER! OF COURSE! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! YOU ALWAYS HAD IT IN YOU! YOU JUST HAD TO HAVE ME GROVEL! NOT BEFORE THOUGH! THIS IS THE MATTER OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE! NOT WHEN A CHILD GOES MISSING! NOT WHEN A LAB EXPLODES AND YOU SAW, YOU SAW, ONE OF FOUR NOT END UP IN YOUR CLUTCHES?! NOT THEN!? NOT TO EVEN LOOK ONCE!!! NOT WHEN A LITTLE BOY WAS LEFT AND TORTURED FOR YEARS!!!”

Donnie choked.

Splinter welled up.

You looked to the others.

Mikey had brought his hands up to cover his mouth and his tears flowed from grossly large eyes.

Leo still hung, half in, half out, of his portal across the apartment and his face was painted with the bitter weight of the knowledge.

Raph’s lips drew a warped line and his features winced, but he refused to look away.

None of them knew.

Like Leo hadn’t known about the library.

Only you knew Donnie’s past.

“Now…” Donnie threw up his tear stained cheeks and checked around the air. “NOT, NOW HUH!? NOT IN THE ONLY APPLICABLE MOMENT?! NOT A SINGLE GUN!? NOT EVEN A BULLET! WHAT A HANDY FUCKING SCAPEGOAT THAT ALLUDES ME!!! YET ANOTHER BLIGHT BROUGHT UPON BY THE HAMATO NAME!! WHY!? WHY NOW!? WHY DOES MY ACCURSED NINPO NOT MANIFEST NOW!?!”

“It’s because you’re not angry.”

Donnie turned to you with outright betrayal on his features.

You rose with the blow of it and felt your face crumple. “You’re not mad… You’re… You’re sad…”

You watched, up close, how every emotion fell off Donnie’s face.

Left only with featureless surprise, his pupils shook with the empty off-whites in his eye before he turned.

He was going to run.

He needed to leave.

You would field the others.

You only needed to stop four mutant men.

Simple enough on a broken body.

They were already looking at you.

You would give Donnie an opening.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!!!” Raph’s voice cut through at a volume that caused the wall fixtures to shake.

It created a new spell, this one stopping time instead of freezing it.

“NO-!”Raph reached into the portal near him and yanked Leo out of the kitchen and to his side where he threw an enraged finger over top to keep his younger brother in place.  

Leo’s eyes took up his entire face and his head shrank down into the top of his plastron in translation that whatever Raph was doing was new.

“MORE-!”Raph stormed into the kitchen where he skirted Donnie long enough to pick up Mikey. 

The youngest was thrown clear across the apartment, toward the door, where he barely activated his flight, and staved off colliding with the surface with a burst of orange sparks.

Raph then looked out at his family across the apartment and pointedly put his shell to you and Donnie. “-LIES!!!”

Again, the apartment shook.

He stood there, a shock of muscles quivering with rage before he turned with watery eyes. “You’re right!” Raph told Donnie. “You’ve been right!”

One of Donnie’s hands started to lift.

“All this time!” Raph’s features fragmented and he had to scrub them back into place like a sliding puzzle. “Not how you did it! You fucked that up so bad, but about us! Of course you wouldn’t trust us! How could anyone trust us!?”

Donnie had clear reservations, but didn’t speak.

“We’ve said a thousand times before that we’ll change, we’ll tell the truth, that we’re finally going to quit lying, and not once has it been different! We’re not going to be different until we stop acting like it is! What happened!? Happened! What’s done!? Is done and I’m sick and tiredof pretending it’s anything else!” Raph shook with what was almost a laugh. “I’m out, Lee. As of right now? I quit.” Coming up, he looked the most serene you’d ever seen him. “I quit the team. Hell! As it is? I quit the family.” 

You heard Leo scramble.

Raph looked right at Donnie. “I’m going to the roof and I’m going to explain our ninpo. I’m going to tell the damn smoggy sky for all I care. You come or you don’t. Raph is currently a solo act.”

Raph then walked straight over to the window and stared at it for only a second before he grabbed the casing.

Your body pulsed with fear, but Raph barely flexed and pulled the entire frame straight out of the wall and brick outside. “I’ll fix this later.”

Setting the window frame down with far too much care for the destruction he just wrought to your wall, Raph walked out onto the creaking fire escape and climbed up out of view.

Donnie only surveyed some rubble that had landed by his foot before he moved to follow.

You stared as your partner stepped onto the metal. 

He paused for a moment, never looked back, and continued after the oldest.

You felt a brush and looked down to find Splinter at your feet.

The old man gave you a single even nod before he too followed out the hole.

Leo made a noise.

As soon as Splinter stepped outside a blaring red wall appeared to block the path.

You heard a knob click.

You spun just in time to see Mikey in your front doorway where he had a similarly empty expression.

Your lips parted to ask.

Mikey drew a tight line with his. “No more lies.”

You wanted to yell that you weren’t.

Of the entire lot of them, you’d lived the most honest.

That wasn’t quite true.

You only had excuses.

Guilt wringing you out, Mikey left and the door closed behind it.

That left you and Leo.

With Mikey manning the front door and Raph blocking what was once a window, you were now trapped with the only turtle who despised you.

You stood in the lingering heat of the oven.

Despite melting down, Donnie still took the time to save the food you and Mikey had worked so hard to prepare.

You loved your mate so much.

Had you hurt him?

Why had you told him that about his ninpo?

Should you have stood up for him more?

You held your hands close to the oven handle.

It seemed then, and still did, that you had said what you needed to.

You needed to be alone with him to deal with everything that had happened. 

You’d already agreed to do exactly that. 

It would help if you had a few of those categories sorted. 

Donnie always did prefer you to have done your homework. 

He’d done his both with Splinter and then would come with spades having had a conference with Raph. 

That left you now needing to deal with your shit. 

So you said what you needed to. “Guess we could start with the easiest stuff.”

Leo grunted lightly in what you imagined was him getting to his feet.

“How you’ve said you wanted me dead twice now.” You threaded your fingers through the oven handle, but only held it.

“Wrong.” You heard Leo try the front door.

Either Mikey or S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was keeping it closed.

You imagined the automaton was somewhere with popcorn.

“At the gala, one. You wouldn’t remember my name.” You squeezed metal. “And the last time we really spoke. You said I hoped I would be your final straw.”

“I didn’t say hope.”

“But you did say you wanted me dead.”

“This is purgatory.” Leo decided and a thunk sounded that you knew to be his head against the door.

“Welcome to hell.” You gave a sort of smile. “We’re doing this.”

“Raph can’t quit.” Leo spoke distant.

You crossed the apartment.  

“We all agreed. No one was coerced. He’s not going to talk about our ninpo. We agreed.”

“It’s over, Leo.”

“I’m their leader.”

You stared.

There was no way to reach him.

He was going to encase himself in as many lies as he needed to protect his fragile heart.

You knew that all too well.

You had your own man doing the same. 

You were careful in signaling you were going to touch him before you did.

Leo only gave you a sharp glance, but didn’t move. “Dad’s there. He’ll stop him. Dad knows the threat.”

You took Leo’s wrist and led him to turn.

He came with his head down, locked in on his delusion, and turned toward you in a show that he would not be moved.

“Mikey took a different route. He’s got me. Mikey is always my best back-up. He makes openings with his ninpo. He takes the heat. He’s fire incarnate.”

You released Leo and sized him up.

“Then I slip in. You never got to see us work coordinated. Raph’s too obvious as a bruiser. Mikey’s the real tank. I’m the speed and precision and Raph finishes them off.” His foggy gaze gave way to how happy the memories were.

Your body ached and you used the pain to watch him clearly.

“We head home to dad.” Leo was exactly where he described. “He wouldn’t ask what we did. We wouldn’t ask what he did. We existed in the moment. That’s how it was. ‘Orange, whip something up.’ ‘You got it, daddy-o!’ ‘What’s on the menu tonight?’ ‘Well, we’ve got quite the array of the latest day old delights! Locally sourced from the finest dumpsters.’ ‘I’ll take the chef’s special.’ ‘Coming right up!’ ‘Think we’ll be able to pronounce it this time?’ ‘Not a chance, Rapharoni. Not a chance…’”

You hugged straight into Leo’s center.

He made an audible, “Oof.”

Getting as much of his carapace in your hands as you could, you squeezed him with all your might.

Leo’s arms hung limp over yours.

“’It’s knock-knees.’ ‘What the!? Gnocchi! What’s wrong with you?’ ‘You say it like no-key!’ ‘Of course there’s no key! We live in a subway! Where would we keep a door?’ ‘Leo!’ ‘That’s worse than your bit yesterday with the pho.’ ‘I thought you’d pho-geddaboudit!’ ‘Not again!’ ‘Why do you always do that!?’”

Fat tears knocked on your head one at a time.

You hugged him tighter and his sentences devolved until he was humming the tune of the past.

What had you really learned about this man?

You had no idea.

Leo never said what he meant.

Where Donnie was precise, Leo was ambiguous.

Both calculated, Leo played mental chess thinking of his finishing move while Donnie remapped the board at each step.

While each had their advantages, it was Leo’s methodology that you couldn’t follow.

Retroactive action had once threatened your relationship with Donnie.

It destroyed your knowledge of Leo before you could even place what it was.

He was too sharp.

He knew exactly how to push other’s buttons.

He was a master manipulator.

He’d done exactly what he wanted and kept you at bay.

Not without taking critical damage himself, it just so happened that you had a knack for such a thing.

You’d only inflicted him with wounds because you hadn’t planned at all.

You had time now. 

It was with yours, you found Leo, small and trapped in what had to be his teen years.

He clung to memories before the world came crashing down around them.

His family.

He never saw them differently.

That was why he spoke the way he did.

It shaped how he acted.

He created a mold then and there and pressed the rest of him through melted wax.

Only the die was imperfect.

He decided his final move as a child and never looked back. 

His family was his entire worth and everything he did was for them. 

Only he was so focused on preserving the them of that moment, that he hadn’t seen the field of play had changed. 

They no longer needed him in the way he’d decided. 

No matter how many times they tried to tell him, he kept stubbornly forcing himself through that old mold. 

Each time he extruded a blue shape that was more and more malformed.

It showed every edge where the plates hadn’t been properly set.

Trying relentlessly to make it work, Leo had spent decades refusing to rework the machine.

He only needed to try again.

The wax was wrong.

He was wrong.

He could fix it.

He just needed to try.

He’d sat stubborn.

Long past when the materials ran out and he had begun to crush his skin between boiling metal.

Through each throttle and scar, he continued until he no longer knew when to stop.

When his family acted out of the distorted image he drew, it was an attack of his very being.

He was betrayed again and again and forced more of himself into the mold.

If only he could get it right.

It would be an injustice for you of all people to stop him.

Not you. 

Not when he’d worked so hard.

He’d worked himself past flesh and to bone.

Then from the dust, he continued to toil.

He’d been right.

You both were.

You were happenstance over a sandwich.

You’d told him about choice, but his answer sheet was worn down.

How could he make any other, when he wasn’t on your plane?

He was a trapped time traveler and his portals only cut space.

He was also wrong.

Raph’s fed up speech ghosted your ears.

Things happened.

It was done.

You felt the shift.

By speaking those few words into existence and disrupting the flow, Raph had upset the status quo in the same way you had.

Then Splinter followed.

Before Mikey made his own path.

Which left two, one wholly present and the other here in body alone.

You anchored that side of him, having hugged him so long your arms screamed with a force very unlike all the stressors from your crutches.

Leo was sobbing, but he didn’t hold you.

He simply rained his sorrows down.

What could you do?

You couldn’t tell him.

He’d heard a thousand words.

They’d had family meeting after meeting.

They’d spent a lifetime and were still in the same rut.

What about Raph’s simple action had been so different?

What about yours scared Leo so deeply, to his core?

If it was what you said, then you should have reached him.

He’d said you’d dug it out of him.

Eyes damp against his shirt, you saw a mental flurry of Leo’s baring their souls.

It wasn’t you.

It had never been you.

It had been time.

Just like Donnie.

It was time.

“You did good.”

Leo babbled a few more syllables, before he stiffened in your hold.

“You did so good.” Tears threatened your vision so you closed your eyes and put all your strength into the hug. “You were right!”

“That-” You felt his hands ghost up to push you away.

“You were!” You forced your body flush with his and sent a watery grave into his eyes. “You were right to love! You were right to fight! You were right to worry! You were right to try! You were right to do everything you could to protect your family! Leo, you did an amazing job!”

A revelation did not pass over Leo’s features.

He stared down at you, spellbound.

He saw you.

The current you.

He saw now.

“They lived!” You told the parts of him, one foreign and aged mingling with the other who hadn’t properly looked in a mirror in years. “You did it. You got them all here! You protected them!”

“I…?” He believed you.

Your cheeks threatened to swallow your eyes. “Every one of them.”

“But they…”

“But nothing!” You stepped closer into him and he had to widen his stance to stay upright. “You can keep punishing yourself, but that doesn’t do them any good! They’re waiting for you! They don’t care what you did! They care what you do now! So, you didn’t save them the way you wanted? Does that really matter? The end result is the same!”

His own philosophy crashed the pieces of him together and he wobbled.

You squeezed until you thought your shoulders might pop out of their sockets. “And that’s where you are. You’re at the end of the road, Leo. You did it. You’re done. Your job is done.”

The first breath he took gave his new form life.

The second felt the years he’d lost.

The third sipped bittersweet in the many lives the old him had touched.

Then came happiness.

In a wave so large, his teeth lined up for a decade’s wide smile.

The time between flowed like a river down his face in droves.

“You can rest.” You buried your face into him, but saved your mouth. “Your loved ones are here and they’re waiting. They’ve been waiting all this time. They want to thank you. You did everything you could.”

Leo hugged you.

In one giant sweep, all that you had squeezed into him was returned until you were nearly bowled over.

You genuinely had no idea how either of you were still upright.

“He’s in good hands.” You added as soon as you got your oxygen back.

It was crushed right back out of you and together you both cried.

The downpour washed the slate clean.

You weren’t sure if you would etch it anew, but for now you were going to store it.

There was time.

So much so, especially for Leo, that you languished in it. It brought you both stumbling to the couch where neither of you could let go. It was only after being seated side by side did you feel sturdy, but Leo didn’t let go with an arm slung around your shoulders. He grew into a frustrating weight, but there was a certain comedy to it that had you both barbing each other with little spikes for a sense of normalcy. You weren’t sure if that would be your relationship moving forward, but for now it felt like you could traverse it on your own terms.

When Raph came down the fire escape in a series of clangs, Leo only arched out where he still had a hold on you and greeted his brother with a wry smile.

If Leo’s newly current presence was obvious to you, it was plain as day for Raph, who was moving forward. “Leo!”

“Hey, bro. Miss me? Bring that big beautiful mug over here for me to see!” Leo extracted his arm from you and whispered a parting sorrow in your ear. “Sorry, doll.”

For a moment you were on a rooftop until you were back in your apartment looking at Leo.

“What can I say?” He was all smarmy charm. “A fling’s a fling! No hard feelings?”

You had a thousand insults on your tongue, but Donnie’s arms wrapped around your middle and he extracted you with a bitter glower.

Leo didn’t pay him any mind and caught Raph by the cheeks to squeeze them. “Prickly, you forget to shave?”

“What can I say? It’s past five o’clock.” Raph fluttered his lashes.

“Big news: I’m thinking about quitting too.” Leo gave Raph’s face one last squish before he let go. 

“Oh?” Raph craned his brow ridge through his mask. 

“Yeah, thinking about starting a new team. I’m still workshopping a name. I’m thinking Mayhem’s Mutants. We get ourselves a cute mascot. Everybody loves a cute mascot.” Leo tipped his head, amused. 

“He is cute.” Raph caught the joking bug. “Good luck with that, I’ll have to see. I sent out a ton of resumes and have already gotten a few calls back.” 

“That right? Well, make sure to suit up for the interviews and when they hit you with that bit at the end asking if you have any questions, you always, always, ask ‘em about parking. They eat that shit up.” Leo threw out his hand in a smoothing sailing motion. 

“Thanks. I think I will.” Raph chuckled. 

“Also, like remember though, I’m just saying, my thing has dental…! So… you know… keep your options open, alright?” Leo clucked. 

Donnie cuddled you close where he’d pulled you clean over the back of the couch.

You leaned back and bumped your head against the underside of his chin.

He rested there.

Little nail clicks were Splinter and you opened your eyes to see him crawl up onto the couch to approach his middle son.

A small fear caught you and you grabbed Donnie to share the load.

He held you tightly.

It hadn’t occurred to you that Leo’s change could be an impermeant one, but faced with this father, a certain manifestation of how he came to be could upset the balance.

You wanted to interfere, but it was out of your hands.

Splinter touched Leo’s arm before moving to cup his son’s cheek.

He then pinched hard and pulled.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Leo squawked.

“Do you know how long we’ve been waiting!?” Splinter complained.

It was the perfect response.

Leo immediately welled up with tears.

“Come on, pops! C-can’t have been that long…” Leo spoke weepy.

“Foolish boy!” Splinter scolded, but his sharp edge was disintegrating by the second. 

Raph smiled and you watched his eyes flash red.

Leo’s joined for a flicker of blue and you felt Donnie jolt around you.

Looking up you found him with a shine of purple in his iris and then the front door exploded open.

“Leo!!!” Mikey shrieked and flew straight to tackle Leo off the couch and into Raph.

“Alright, alright! There’s enough of me to go around! Stop acting like I’ll disappear into another dimension or something!” Leo complained. 

A beat of silence passed. 

“Not funny, Leo!” Raph growled and pulled all the Hamato into a hug. 

“What is wrong with you!?” Mikey hissed. 

“You dare joke-!” Splinter threw out frustrated balled fists. 

Leo laughed brightly and you felt a very specific fracture in the family mend.

You leaned further into Donnie.

He moved to envelope you, but a growl rumbled out from his stomach.

There was a pause that could only be broken by Mikey, “Dinner bell!”

Everything then went into motion. The meal was salvaged in various stages and you found that the cream you had seen Leo with was because Raph wanted to make his own dessert. He apparently had a cobbler recipe he was proud of and wanted to show off to you specifically. Splinter was able to present his green bean casserole which was admittedly delicious and supposedly his tout to where Mikey got his culinary skills. There was talk of jobs and this and that. In moving groups, you got to mostly rest as the men scarfed down comical plate loads and got into arguments over the silliest things.

It eventually broke off where Raph took full advantage of the kitchen and its central food hub as he always baked. Making quick work of repurposing a casserole dish, he eventually had time to take some measurements of a wall and Donnie dismissed him only to point outside. Raph poked his head out to find supplies on the fire escape and a calling card post-it with a caricature of S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. on it that made Leo shudder. Clean up happened with Leo taking heavy point of washing many dishes and Mikey humming alongside him as a mystic dryer with orange tinted air. Raph stacked things up to eventually take with them and Donnie shot off a message to S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. from his computer about what was left for the window repair.

It eventually brought a curious Raph over to the computer as he wasn’t going to let his promise go of being the one to fix it. The eldest tacked on a resume of the work he’d done around the lair where he’d expanded arch ways to better fit his size and architecture slid into Donnie’s special interest category. Both men were soon scouring blueprints and you feared it wouldn’t just be a window put back in place in your kitchen. 

Nothing you could really do to stop them, you drifted to the side, where the other pair of turtles were entertained and found Splinter alone with a cup of tea on your couch. He gestured you over and made you one where you only faintly wondered where he’d gotten his supplies. You drank an incredible cup of smooth liquid that had you sending awe at the old man who took your praise in stride. A timer went off and Leo got a little too excited. His hand went up where it had been hand mixing a bowl of cream. The fling brought ire then a laugh from Mikey who seemed relentless in hanging off the blue brother.

All of it brought smiles to Leo’s face where piping hot cobbler was passed out with fresh dollops of cream running off.

Donnie was busy fixing a schematic and didn’t step away to grab a portion.

You’d been resting for long enough and got him one sans cream as you knew the melting whip would only sog the cobbler’s crispy top, a complaint you’d known well of your partner. Bringing the plate and a fork over, you set it down beside him to take at his leisure and he passed you a distracted glance along with an affectionate mating call for your effort.

It brought a plate clanging silence to the room.

Donnie immediately bristled.

Raph was the first to break out his excitement. “Life partners?!”

Fury was abated for repulsion on Donnie’s face. “Is that your descriptor?!”

“Uh, duh.” Leo rolled his eyes. “Kinda bigger deal than boring old English to have a special way of saying ‘I love you.’ What do you call it?”

Donnie turned and tried to bury his beak into his computer.

“Nope! Not letting that go!” Leo jumped the counter with Raph excitedly gushing about romance right behind him.

It caused Donnie to up and run from the pair where they circled the apartment making kissy faces as your boyfriend got more and more flustered.

Mikey appeared by your side with a forkful of cobbler. “I’m not into the whole thing.”

You nodded for the sake of it, watching the display and witnessing Splinter doing the same with an overflowing affection.

“Cretins!” Donnie reared a hand on a turn and with it came a wall of purple that Raph and Leo both slammed into.

Leo blinked a few rapid times before he peeled his face off the projection.

“Woah…” Raph ran his hands over the clear purple swath. “When’d you learn to make less lethal stuff?”

“Was he mad mad?” Mikey asked you. “Like ninpo making mad?” 

You shook your head as you honestly didn’t believe so. 

That made this Donnie’s first projection seemingly created his will alone. 

This was confirmed for you as Donnie came forward to study the barrier with a finger curled to his lips.

“Amazing.” Leo was unenthused. “It’s literally a rectangle. Whoop-dee-doo. Wanna actually impress me, egghead? Make it disappear.”

“Here we go.” Mikey exaggerated an eye roll.

“It’s not magic!” Leo bristled.

“You were one step away from saying abracadabra.” Raph snarked.

Leo mimed the magic word mockingly to the oldest. 

Donnie had his brow wrinkled during the exchange in clear effort. 

Something then occurred to him and he leaned away with a slow exhale as if giving up.

The wall crumbled with pixels collapsing like a perfectly cleared Tetris screen.

Leo arched his mask. “Huh. Well alright.”

“Let’s try for a pistol.” Donnie flared with a tame malevolence for him.

“I’m blameless! You shoot your sensei!” Leo pointed at Raph as he exited and headed over to Splinter. “Got a cup for me?”

“I’d need to boil more wa-” Splinter yawned.

Mikey’s expression grew gooey. “About time.”

“I can stay up!” Splinter complained.

“He’ll be passed out in ten.” Raph told you.

You giggled.

“I will not! This is a special occasion!” Splinter brushed his eldest off with a wave of his hand.

Leo put the kettle on and Splinter fell asleep before it even hissed.

Burners clicked off, there was a quiet movement of gathering things and dividing leftovers. It struck you that Donnie hadn’t consumed anything, but you had a feeling he might later. All based on chance and how things held up, you did your best in choosing to take dishes he might like and a portal was soon formed to transport the rest. Straight into the lair kitchen, things were filed out with the final retrieval being Raph carrying a snoring Splinter through to put him to bed. The eldest then returned once the apartment was emptied and the three Hamato children stood in front of the portal for their goodbyes.

A less than poignant affair, you mostly got a group hug where they wished you well and there were promises of check-in texts. All in order, Donnie stood politely aside and watched on for a slight nod as his great thank you. It was accepted with a few jeers that he barked at and with that the men exited one at a time and Leo’s portal blinked away for the foreseeable future.

Donnie swept you off your feet within seconds. “What happened?”

“Which part?” You tittered as he was pressed behind you and carried you like a hostage to the bathroom.

“You were close! You smell like orange and blue all over.”

“Mikey pulled me out the window and I finally got through to Leo, for real this time.”

“You will shower and explain.” He decided gruffly and it was so endearingly him that you didn’t mind as you stripped.

He sat off to the side, peeking through the curtain as you did a quick wash of your body while regaling him with all that had occurred that night. For Mikey, Donnie cared little, but he ran a gambit of fury at the audacity of the middle Hamato for slighting you. He was still mad, but quieted as you exited the shower damp and nude. It distracted him and he only held a huff as he did his washing up at the sink where you eventually brushed your teeth. Whisked to bed in a none too romantic sense, Donnie instead ate up physical affection in a very literal sense. Mouthing over whatever skin wasn’t coated in pajamas, he obviously scented you before cuddling close where you finally asked him about how he watched your physical therapy.

He began by impressing upon you how proud he was to have you as his mate. He explained that even when he struggled to watch or help, you fought mercilessly and he couldn’t have been more enamored. He even went so far back to remark on your handling of the kidnapping, a lost time that he still applauded you for because however long it was, you’d survived. You’d eventually kissed into him, sweetly at first, in a way that reminded you of tasting a rare bottle of wine. The complexity came with airing and outpoured details.

You found out Donnie had in fact been doing mental constructions during his meditation. While Leo had stopped him from implementing new security cameras, Sinai Hospital had their own footage which Donnie had pilfered and gone through. When he played the tape back and examined it, he’d found that his ninpo didn’t just appear out of thin air, it was constructed there, piece by piece just as he had learned as a child. Hearing Mikey say meditation came with a variety techniques helped him pair the ideas and he found the schematic process to be a soothing one regardless of the lethal creation it was trying to curb. He was pleased with the progress and, as you had seen, had recently start to tap into his ninpo as a pool of energy. 

Until tonight he hadn’t been able to conjure anything, but in his increased meditation, he no longer found the raging purple flame inside him. It was now an organ like any other, only it extended far beyond his body’s reach. He could now imagine himself approaching the well as if it were a materials cache. He imagined with practice not only could he manifest anything he could imagine, but there were probably other uses for the purple ooze beyond that. 

You added what you knew about the other turtle’s power and Donnie revealed to you the conversation had on the roof. Just as Raph had said, he only explained the history and knowledge of the ninpo and nothing more. It was apparently a combined manifestation of the Hamato clan’s essence. A generational pool of power passed down, it was an exclusive art that was thought to only be tapped by wholly connecting and trusting one’s family. It manifested uniquely to each user, but seemed as unlimited and wild as all mystic arts. There was no discussion after the presensation and the trio on the roof had spent a time in silence, allowing the knowledge to permeate. 

You tucked in close to Donnie at the thought of him wholly connecting to save you, his family, and he confirmed that, in that moment, he forgot all else, but a drive to save you. Overridden yourself, you felt compelled to open up about your healing humiliations. From stink to lashing out, Donnie took his time dismantling your concerns while also rubbing those exhausted muscles of yours.

Exhaustion and eventual mutual caressing coaxed loose lips where revealed he’d asked Splinter over because he needed a firsthand account of how love worked between a supposed hero and villain. Now that the forewarned grave harm had finally come to you, Donnie found it difficult to imagine you could have any sort of safe life together so he had to turn to the only pair he knew that had chanced and survived such a feat, successful or not. You admitted what you’d overhead and Donnie didn’t fault you. He only plied affections on how you’d snuck in without his knowledge. 

Beofre he diverted back to you, there was something about the way Donnie spoke of his conversation with Splinter.

He had a finality to him.

Not as an ends, but a means to, something about his tone made you think this was the final barrier that had kept him from actually proposing. 

You had to ask if that was the case as your lids grew heavy. 

It was drawing close to dawn.

You’d spent hours catching up.

“Yes..” He breathed warmth at your intuitiveness. “I had reservations. Unrelated to the grotesque concept of asking a father’s permission, however.” 

You were both gazing at each other from your pillows. “That last bit hadn’t crossed my mind. I swear.”

“He… did help...” He admitted. “He apparently proposed to Big Mama.”

You startled as much as your tired body could.

“Her response was to reveal her plans and imprison him to fight as a slave in her arena.”

“Oh…”

“He… still has the ring.”

You reached for Donnie.

He met you with careful fingers.

You wondered if Splinter had been any sort of stuck like Leo. There was the many names the old man had and he’d been open about his regrets. A frustrating like father, like son, you supposed it made sense and felt optimistic for the Hamato going forward. 

Their familial bonds were apparently transcendent. 

“His didn’t work out, but you think ours will?” You murmured.

“He was happenstance, to be clear. An example, if anything.”

You made a curious trill.

Donnie wormed closer. “Sleep, my love.”

“What was it, Don… exactly?”

Donnie’s beak lightly brushed the tip of your nose. “I was reassured that I am unlike them. Their cycle does not apply to me. I am something new. I am me and am immune to their failure.”

You brushed his cheek with a sloppy swipe. “Only one of you.”

“And you.” He pressed closer to seal the comment, before giving you space to sleep.

💜NEXT💜

Can you believe these two have been around since chapter 21? Hard to imagine a time before my betas @tmntxthings and @thepinkpanther83

#weakspotfic #rottmnt #rottmnt donnie x reader #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt x reader #donatello hamato #donnie x reader #rise donnie #rise donnie x reader #rottmnt donatello #rottmnt donnie #me #fanfiction #my fanfiction

[boojangs]

@blackenheartbutterfly @boldlyshamlessfangirl funny that you both mentioned braids.

Wednesday braids Enid's fur, Enid repays the favor 🩷🖤🐺🐦‍⬛

Wednesday sighed quietly as she traversed the Nevermore woods, her eyes continuously tracking toward the massive wolf that dutifully followed along beside her. She glanced up at the full moon above them as they walked over gnarled roots, her breath steaming as it escaped parted lips, dissipating against the bluedark of the midnight sky. She bundled herself in Enid’s coat as she walked, the wolf chuffing quietly as she leaned her head over Wednesday’s shoulder, delicate fingers dancing over the golden fur as she leaned into Enid’s scarred cheek. The wolf stopped walking, rumbling a soft noise as Wednesday easily nodded in agreement, shrugging the bag off her back and pulling a blanket out of her pack, her eyes blinking only once as she regarded her paramour.

Enid chuffed again and moved towards the small clearing they’d made their own, ever since she’d been cleared to shift away from the school’s kennels, their dorm mates complaining of the loud howling, whenever she shifted indoors. Wednesday had offered the forest as a peaceful alternative, the pair escaping into the woods on the far side of the Nevermore grounds, far away from the lupin cages, knowing the other wolves loathed her freedom. Enid led them to this very glen the very first night she’d shifted free of her constraints, had told Wednesday the morning after that she’d stumbled upon it during one of her many runs, marking down the location for any chances at several future dates.

Wednesday easily followed behind the large beast, folding the blanket over the ground beside a large, lightning-struck tree, the twisted, scarred trunk disappearing into the inky black around them. She dropped her pack onto the ground and sat back against the tree, curling the blanket over her jeans as she curled up and looked over at Enid, the wolf walking a cursory lap around the edges of the clearing, checking for anything she deemed suspicious, her eyes feral and silver as she stared through the endless dark. Satisfied, she turned and trotted back to Wednesday, sitting her massive frame just beside her girlfriend, rumbling happily as the tiny brunette leaned into the warmth of her side. Enid bent down and nosed along the dark hair, grousing when Wednesday huffed and reached a hand up, draping it over the top of Enid’s large snout as she looked up at her partner.

“Querida, you are incorrigible in any form,” she blinked when Enid moved, the beast curling up beside her, “It is endless, the affection I hold for you in any form.”

Enid whined and lifted her large head, bumping her nose just under Wednesday’s jaw by way of greeting, something akin to a laugh echoing up from the titanic wolf. Wednesday placed her hand atop the large head, her fingers idly scratching at the base of Enid’s ears before the lycan settled her head across her lap, the seer sighing lovingly at the warmth seeping into her icy skin. She leaned her head back and stared up at the clear sky, the moon burning brightly among thousands of stars, casting silver shadows along the twisted forest floor. Her hands traced through the thick, plush fur, her focus finally moving down to look to Enid, the wolf’s sapphire eyes hopelessly staring up at her, affection prevalent in the brilliant gaze. Wednesday breathed the faintest hint of a smile, Enid lifting her nose to touch the dimple before Wednesday gestured her back across her lap, intent on allowing her rest. She followed the hues of blue and pink as they streaked through Enid’s rich mane, the fur even longer in the winter, Wednesday’s head tilting in quiet thought as she dug her fingers into the silky hide.

Mindlessly, her hands moved over Enid’s neck, following the pronounced ridge of her mane for well over an hour, her fingers braiding small plaits into the thick hackles. Wednesday finally stopped in her work once the fur faded down across the broad shoulders and fanned out across the large back, the wolf’s fur hardly as long over the rest of her body. She looked to Enid, the wolf having fallen asleep across her lap, the large chest rumbling quietly as she peacefully slept, the night gently slipping away from them both.

Wednesday awoke right before daybreak, soft lips rousing her from sleep as she fluttered her eyes open, Enid kneeling on the ground in front of her. She swallowed, the tips of her ears burning in near embarrassment, though Enid only grinned and reached for her hands, deftly pulling her to her feet. She hummed, grabbing Wednesday by the collar of her borrowed jacket and kissing her soundly in greeting, her eyes sparkling blue in the twilight gray.

“Okay, you braiding my fur put me right to sleep, Wens,” she laughed, shouldering Wednesday’s bag as she adjusted her pink fuzzy sweater, and reached for her girlfriend’s hand, “I didn’t even know it was long enough to braid. Honestly, your hands just felt nice. I’d love it if you braided my actual hair, too, if you wanted to.”

The seer made a face, her blush crawling more down her neck as she reached down for their blanket, tossing it over her free shoulder.

“I... wouldn’t mind assisting you,” she looked up at Enid, scowling at the smug grin, “You need only ask.”

Enid wrinkled her nose in a smile, leaning down to kiss along her freckles, “You know, Wens… I’d really like to braid your hair one day, too. I know how protective you are of your hair, but it’s just so pretty, and I love running my fingers through it when we’re laying in bed.”

Wednesday nodded and fell into silence as they headed back toward the academy, her hand tightening into Enid’s as they navigated the winding halls, the school buzzing as it prepared for breakfast. Enid stopped off at the mess hall to grab them breakfast, stealing two bagels and three croissants, also grabbing a handful of cream cheese cups and pats of butter, stuffing them in her empty pack before she snagged two waters, finally preparing their morning tea and coffee. She grinned as she met Wednesday in the hallway, following her girlfriend up the many stairs before they escaped into their room, Wednesday locking the door behind them, a habit she’d picked up after their harrowing year. She tossed the other blanket across the bed on her side of the room, following Enid over to her desk as she set up breakfast for them, the seer eagerly accepting her coffee and taking a long, grateful pull.

They ate quickly, Enid scarfing down two bagels and one of the croissants, grinning as she finally stood from her desk and stretched, her limbs popping as she fully adjusted to her human body. She tossed back her bottle of water before escaping into the bathroom to prepare for bed, brushing her teeth and splashing cool water across her face before heading back out into their room, tugging her sweater off before she kicked her shoes off toward her closet. She adjusted her tank top and pulled down the covers, settling herself on her normal side of the bed. Wednesday rose as well, disappearing into the bathroom for her own routine, eventually escaping back into the chilly, quiet room. She untied her boots and left them by Enid’s desk, the seer already dressed in her stolen sweater and black sweatpants, her hair still braided as she hovered near their bed, her dark eyes studying the quiet wolf.

Enid looked up with a smile, stifling a small yawn as she tilted her head in thought, “Wens, you okay?”

Wednesday nodded, shuffling quietly in place before she sighed, lifting her hairbrush before offering it to Enid. The wolf’s smile grew, her eyes widening in surprise as she eagerly nodded her head, throwing the blankets off her lap and patting the place between her knees. Wednesday grumbled and crawled into the space in front of Enid, crossing her arms as she leaned her elbows on her knees, her eyes falling closed. Enid held her excitement in check, her fingers guiding down the familiar braids before she set about carefully unfurling them, shaking out the waves as her fingers quickly unbraided the signature plaits. She ran the brush through the thick hair, Wednesday humming lowly in contentment, comfort falling over her loosening shoulders. Enid bit her lip to keep from smiling, leaning over to quietly put the brush aside, her fingers lightly combing through the thick, dark hair.

She smiled as Wednesday sagged farther and farther, nearly leaning back into her chest, Enid grinning as she kissed the top of a blood red ear, snaking an arm around Wednesday’s middle.

“Wens?”

Wednesday only sighed slowly, her body suddenly collapsing as sleep fully claimed her, Enid smiling as she supported the girl in her arms, leaning them both back against the pillows at the top of their bed. She moved only once, stretching her legs out before curling Wednesday against her chest, winding her arms around the petite seer before kissing the top of her head.

“I love you, ma lune,” Enid whispered, gently nuzzling into her cheek, pressing a kiss to the slack jaw, “Goodnight.”

#wenclair #my fics #my drabbles

[theesirenteller]

Beacon Of Light

A Rio Good Girls Fanfictional Mini Series.

“Coño!” Lupita cursed as the wind had been knocked out of her.

“I’m so sorry! I’m such a clutz at times.” Beth quickly apologized as she began helping the woman up.

The ditzy floral dress that had once been spotless had now been stained with muddy-brown coffee stains and dirt residue. Lupita’s plump lips were now shaped into a permanent pout as she narrowed her eyebrows while looking down. Beth watched the woman closely. Deep down, in the back of her mind Beth could superficially see why a man like Rio had chosen Lupita to be his wife.

The beauty of the curvy woman before her was undeniable. Her ample, full breasts, pudgy stomach, chubby cheeks with her baby-ish face, widened hips, and outward curved rear oozes sensuality. Her curves accentuate the natural form of femininity and exude a sense of softness and allure that could catch the attention of anyone and make them stare. She has a unique and captivating beauty that reminds Beth of the freshness and vibrancy of the season of spring.

Beth had been staring so long that she hadn’t noticed the switch between Lupita’s angered expression to bright and bubbly. “It’s fine. Happens to me all the time.” her chrippy tone had taken Beth by surprise. It was juvenile. It made the Boland woman want to laugh.

But instead of laughing, she smiled and offered” Well let me treat you to a coffee then. Make up for the one I ruined.”

Beth watched like a hawk as Lupita curled her bottom lip inward. Staying quiet for a moment, Lupita thought of what she would do. After a few seconds of silence, she replied ”What cafe? I can meet you there after I change?”

Lupita’s eyebrow slightly arched as she watched Beth’s blue eyes begin to widen. She found that action odd.

“It’s my treat to you so you should pick the place.” Beth insisted. Despite her smiling face, she was freaking out frantically on the inside. She hadn’t been to this area before. She knew nothing.

“Moe’s is fine. Right around that corner there.” Lupita replied with a raise of her hand and a point of her finger in that direction. Beth’s eyes followed the finger before she nodded her head.

“Okay, I’m Brenda by the way.” Beth lied as she extended her hand out.

“Lupita, Nice to meet you Brenda. I’ll see you soon.” Despite Lupita’s upbeat tone, her words were sharp and short. She hadn’t even awaited a response when she turned on her heel and strutted off in the opposite direction.

“That was weird. What a weirdo.” Beth quietly whispered to herself.

Lupita on the other hand had begun rushing home. Her face grew hot, her cheeks began to redden, and her hands balled into fists. ‘Messy, messy, messy, stupid, stupid, stupid’ she mumbled under her breath as she walked down the streets and soon entered her neighborhood, Rodger’s ridge. Located on the nicer part of Chicago,

The upscale neighborhood was a picture of elegance. The houses were big, with elegant mansions lined up along the streets and the lawns were manicured. Amidst the blooming flower gardens that perfumed the air, the sound of dogs barking harmoniously added a touch of homeliness to the otherwise stately atmosphere. The residents, dressed in designer attire, strolled with their leashed companions, adding a touch of elegance to the scene. The neighborhood was a tapestry woven with sophistication and the finer things in life.

Lupita worked quickly to enter the home that she shared with her husband, Christopher. Their home was an old Victorian style one but they’d had it modernized with a slick, black minimalistic aesthetic. As soon as the front doors closed, She let out a scream. Her purse fell to the floor with a ‘thud’ and her shoes flew across the floor as she kicked them off.

Lupita then went rushing into the downstairs bathroom as her long-nailed fingers clawed at her dirty attire. She tore holes into it as she ripped it off her body in disgust. Her narrowed eyes stared down at the filth covered clothing is disdain but soon the look dwindled when she inhaled the relaxing aroma of lavender and spearmint.

Their bathroom was a symphony of natural elegance. The rose quartz shower had a warm, inviting glow, promising an invigorating and ethereal experience. The botanical shower is a sanctuary of freshness, where lush greenery and refreshing scents create a spa-like oasis. Underfoot, the marble floors gleam, reflecting the soft glow of the overhead lighting. Every element in this bathroom is designed to create a serene and indulgent atmosphere, where Lupita, Christopher, or a guest could relax, rejuvenate, and escape the stresses of everyday life.

And that was what Lupita did. Despite being militant with getting her body cleaned properly, she mentally and physically relaxed. ‘Cleanliness is next to godliness.’ she thought to herself as she washed off. It didn’t take much longer for her to finish up her shower and get ready to get coffee.

This time around, she chose to wear a velour baby-blue tracksuit. Her bouncy coils glistened with gel as she made her way into the coffee shop. “My apologies, getting ready does take time.” Lupita said to Beth as she sat across from her.

“It’s fine. I know all too well.” Beth assured her, despite her annoyance.

Lupita’s eyes skimmed the Boland woman from top to Bossom. A meek smile chiseled her lips, “Do you really?” she questioned. Her eyes looked downward towards the menu that laid up on the table.

Beth felt uneasy and sat speechless. She didn’t know what to make of Lupita. So, instead of saying something that could compromise her position; Beth sat quietly.

“So, did you just move to the neighborhood, Brenda? I can’t say I’ve seen you around the neighborhood before.” Lupita asked as she turned the menu over.

“No. I actually wanted to venture outside the inner city more often and needed up here. I am beginning to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the neighborhood.” Beth replied. Her lies come out smoother than the truth. “I take it you live around here?”

“I do.” A genuine smile spread across Lupita, “My beloved and I have lived here for a while now. Are you married?”

A look of disdain had flashed across Beth’s face as she thought of her ex-husband, Dean. No longer being a wife was both rejuvenating and sorrowful at the same time. And the notion boggled her mind. “No, not anymore.”

Beth had expected Lupita to pry but she didn’t. Not even once. Instead, she brushed over the topic all together and segwayed into fashion. The latest styles she’d seen in Elle magazine. Beth easily became indulged in the conversation. Almost hanging onto every word that Luputa uttered. That was until they were interrupted by the sound of Lupita’s phone going off.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Lupita said with a smile. She then proceeded to turn to the side as she held the phone to her ear,”Hello my love, how are you?” Her voice rose a few octaves with a squeal chasing behind her words.

Beth watched closely, never veering her eyes away. Not even for a moment.

“Where are you?” His voice was smooth as aged whiskey. It tickled Lupita’s ears and made her heart flutter. But his words were sharp and straight to the point. As he always was.

Lupita briefly glanced at Beth before looking down into her lap, “I’m shopping for new cookware but stopped to grab a latte.”

“Alone?”

Lupita paused. Unsure if she should tell the truth or not. But, as both she and Christopher knew, telling the truth didn’t always lead to good things. And oftentimes led to fights or unwanted deaths.

“Yes. It’s just a little busy here. Lunchtime or whatever.” She replied dismissively.

Beth raised her left eyebrow. She felt the need to almost speak up to see what would happen next. She couldn’t hear the voice on the other end of the line but given how Lupita brightened up, She assumed it was Rio.

“I’ll call you at 3:30. You’ll be home, yea?” Despite it coming off as a question, Lupita had known it wasn’t one.

“Yes. Te Amo Para Sempre .“

“Te Amo Para Sempre Mi Princesa.” Even behind his cold exterior and militant personality, Christopher could never deny telling Lupita he loved her. It made his heart warm and the edges of his lips curved into a smile.

When they both ended the call, Lupita’s lips were still placed in a smiling position. Beth clearing her throat caused Lupita to snap out of her daydreaming state. “Sorry, did you say something?”

Beth’s lips quivered. Fighting back the urge to ask the question that burned the tip of her tongue. But, she knew she had to be patient and proceeded with caution. So instead of saying something ill-willed, she said “I asked if you have to go now.”

“Unfortunately I do.” Luputa smiled meekly. She then rolled her phone across the table,”Put your number in and we can do this again sometime.”

“Sure “ Beth smiled as she took the phone. As she began punching her digits into the device, she asked”How about we get tacos next time? A woman named Rhea told me about one called El Pico right on the harbor. I think it's a mom and pop shop.” Beth watched Luputa closely.

The name Rhea made Lupuita halt from packing away the items she carried in her purse. Her left eye began to twitch and her eyelashes fluttered. It was as if she were beginning to malfunction. She took a deep, dry gulp and licked over her pink-lipstick painted lips.

“Never heard of it.” She extended her arm outward and opened her hand.

“Oh. Well maybe we can experience it together.” Beth replied as she laid the cellular device into Luputa 's hand.

“Sorry. I'm not a fan of Mexican food. But, maybe something else. I'll text you.” Lupuita swiftly placed her phone into her purse. She then gave a tight-lipped smile as she stood up. Shortly leaving after.

Once the woman had been out of sight, Beth pulled out her phone and sent a text message to Agent Turner.

📲 The 'wife' knows about Rhea. I mentioned it and she looked disturbed. No doubt now that Rio killed her and perhaps Lupuita is covering it up

#theesirenteller fanfic #rio good girls x reader #theesirentellerstories #fuck beth boland #rio good girls #theesirenteller characters #manny montana #good girls nbc #beaconoflight; rio

[dumbbitchenergy17]

Clan of Three - Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: The Pirate

Plot: A Mandalorian, an infant with a history of the jedi, and a teenager with similar powers and a heavy role to bear. Now reunited their journeys across the galaxy are just beginning to complete their final mission.

Word Count: 6.8K

Pairing: Father Figure!Din Djarin x Platonic!Teen!Reader

Warnings: fighting/violence, injuries, some wholesome moments, father-daughter moments, Din being a protective father, romance (woah shocking)

------

The silence of the alleged Mandalorian covert greeted New Republic, Captain Carson Teva. After failing at gaining the New Republic's help from the distress call sent by Greef Karga and the people of Nevarro. Teva knew the next best place to gain help. You were all inside the covert on a relatively normal day, with no foundlings getting kidnapped, and no fighting between other Mandalorians and yourself. Following Ragnar’s rescue you seemed to be on the better side of most of the covert few though taking longer to find a liking. Grogu rests in your lap as R4 spun around in circles making happy beeps and producing giggles from the child as Bo-Katan and Din stood above you to speak to one another. A faint smile graces your face seeing the happiness in the child when a presence you didn’t recognize covers over you. You freeze your head snapping towards the direction of the covert entrance, both of the adults notice your sudden movements as Grogu coos up at you concerned.

“What’s wrong kid?” Din asks gaining the attention of some of the other Mandalorians,

“Someone’s here.”

Captain Teva exits his starfighter slowly walking towards the direction of the entrance of a cave as he holds his hands up calling out, “Captain Carson Teva, Adelphi Rangers. I have a time-pressing matter to attend to.” Appearing from the entrance Mandalorians are all armed as Paz Vizsla calls out to the Captain,

“Clear out, Blue Boy. The New Republic isn’t welcome here.” The Mandalorians on the ridge have their weapons aimed at the others at the covert entrance as the Captain keeps his arms raised, “Sorry for dropping in unannounced, but if I’d given a warning, your settlement would’ve cleared out before I ever hit the atmosphere.” He says and appearing from the crowd the silver beskar Mandalorian that he knows, followed close behind the young girl with the X-Wing. You stand slightly behind Din as he looks over Teva,

“How did you manage to find us? Mandalorians pride themselves on our secrecy.” Din says and Teva nods behind you all, “Fortunately, someone I served with in the Rebellion is amongst your ranks,” You glance behind seeing R5 beep beside R4,

“Thanks, R5.”

“The entire covert will now have to relocate.” Din explains, “Or we could kill him. Stay right here.” Vizsla comments and Din shakes his head.

“This man cut me a break once and now I’m returning the favor. Clear out, Blue.” Din responds ushering for him to leave, “Greef Karga sent this holomessage,” His hand moves to his belt and all your weapons raise aimed at the Captain your hand resting on your saber. Teva raises his hand before slowly pulling out the holomessage, “Nevarro is under siege by pirates. He’s asking for help.”

Din moves forward and you can hear pieces of their conversation as you wait for Din’s decision, “They’re about to blow Nevarro to hell.” “We don’t even have ships,” Din responds and Teva crosses his arms.

“Coruscant doesn’t care….You won’t let him die…-that the Empire is growing again.”

“-has something to do with it?” You hear Din and you see Teva shrug, “...something doesn’t smell right. Look, it’s not your fight….your friend is in danger and I thought you should know.” The man tosses the holomessage to Din as you and Bo-Katan come towards his side.

“I know you’ll relocate anyway, but you have my word, I will not reveal your location,” He heads toward his X-Wing before gazing back, “Just a warning the New Republic got their eyes out for a princess that is both Jedi and Mandalorian. Thought you might want to know in case you’re ever in New Republic territory. Sorry to intrude.” He warns you and you nod in thanks as you watch Teva leave in his X-Wing.

“So, what are you thinking?” You ask glancing at Din as he looks at the message Greef had sent, “He’s right. I gotta help the guy.” Din says worried for the old friend of Nevarro.

“You can’t do it alone.” Bo-Katan reminds him as you three return to the covert

Inside the covert cave all the members of the covert sit or stand before him. The large fire illuminates the room as he holds the Armorer’s hammer speaking to you all. You stand between Kaz and R4 as Din gives his speech, “Now, many of you don’t know Greef Karga. And those that do, fought against him when you rescued me from his ambush many cycles ago on the streets of Nevarro. Since then, he’s had a change of heart and has risked his life to save mine as well as the foundlings in my charge,” The crowd murmurs as Din tries to get them to side with him. “I stand before you to petition an intervention. To help rescue Nevarro before it’s too late. I am in no position to ask any more of you. However…” The crowd only grows louder in disagreement and Din speaks up.

“However, the enemy that decimated this very covert were Imperials, not Greef Karga’s bounty hunters. Greef Karga is now a High Magistrate and has offered me a tract of land on his independent world. Perhaps it is time for us to live in the light once again on a planet where we are welcome. So our culture may flourish and our children can feel what it is to play in the sunlight.” Din finishes his speech and returns the hammer to the Armorer as he sits beside Bo-Katan and Grogu.

“Does anyone else wish to speak?” The Armorer calls out and you lean to Kaz, “What happens now?” “It’s up to them now.” He whispers and you see Paz Vizsla stand up.

“I do.” You curse slightly under your breath ready for him to turn your potential allies against you. You knew that you, Bo-Katan, and Din could do some damage but you weren’t enough to take down all of Gorian Shard’s pirates. “I was there on Nevarro that night. I fought against Greef Karga and his hunters. I saw my brothers and sisters fall at the hands of the Imperial butchers that hunted us in the sewers. I saw many die to save the life of this tiny foundling and this jedi.” He points the hammer at Grogu and then toward you and you stiffen under his gaze before he turns toward his brothers and sisters

“And now we are asked to sacrifice yet again. The question we should be asking ourselves is, ‘Why? Why should we lay our lives down yet again?’ Because we are Mandalorians. I have had my disagreements with this man, but he risked his life to save my son. And Y/n Kryze did not give up on my child’s life even when the rest of us did. These two are asking us to take up arms in the name of a brighter future, and I for one will take up arms to fight by their side.” The crowd makes nods of agreement and you feel the boy’s hand slide into yours squeezing it as you look up at him.

“This is the Way.” He says and the covert chants the words back, “This is the Way.”

The Armorer looks around before repeating the words, “This is the Way.”

Outside Bo-Katan stands outside her ship a group of Mandalorians briefing them, “This is a Kom’rk Class fighter transport. I’ll use this to drop you in and you will operate as a tight military unit. Din Djarin and myself will reinforce from above. If everyone acts as they should, we can use the element of surprise and defeat an enemy that outnumbers us.” She explains as the group of fighters gets prepared boarding Bo-Katan’s ship while you situate R4 into the X-Wing you glance back seeing Din coming over to you.

“I want you to find Karga, and make sure the people of Nevarro are alright.” He says and you give him a look. “You want me away from the fight?” You chuckle before shaking your head, “Din I’m not a child I can handle a fight, you have people on the ground, you and Bo-Katan providing air support, and you have no person going after Gorian Shard.” You shove another bag into the compartment closing it.

“So I’m going to be that person.” You turn back to Din as he shakes his head. “Gorian Shard is a feared Pirate King it’s too dangerous for you.”

“I’ve fought Imps, bounty hunters, a kriffing Krayt Dragon for Maker’s sake I think I can handle pirates.” You say before moving towards the older man you can sense his fear and you grab his hand. “I’m going to be fine I promise.” You say and Din’s gaze is focused on your joined hands as you squeeze them in reassurance.

“You're getting too old too fast,” He comments and you laugh slightly, “I know you’re not that little girl from Tatooine...I just want you to be safe for my sake.” You smile softly wrapping your arms around his neck as the cold beskar presses against your skin, “Cuyir morut'yc ner ad.” (be safe my daughter) He whispers holding you tight not wanting to let you go. 

“Ni ratiin cuy'.” (I always am) You reassure him as he pulls back fixing your hair and checking over you one last time before nodding and stepping back. “You pull back if anything goes wrong.” He orders and you nod.

“I will,” You say, “Besides I won’t be alone.” You comment before he can question he notices the copper and white Mandalorian appearing from behind you, “We ready?”

“Yep!” You say pulling away from Din as you move to the X-Wing checking over R4. Kaz goes to join your side when a harsh grip, tougher and stronger than beskar grips his bicep.

“If anything and I mean anything happens to her. You will experience pain worse than death itself. Are we clear?” Din grits producing an intimidating presence to the much younger Mandalorian who nods sharply. He knew Din Djarin was a feared bounty hunter and he had only gotten a glimpse of what he could truly do. He heard the stories of him taking down Moff Gideon’s enter light cruiser to rescue that young girl and the infant. Din lets go of Kaz’s arm before he retreats to his ship.

“You coming?” You call out to the Mandalorian who nods reaching your ship, “Alright in.” You gesture to the pilot’s seat as he climbs in before looking around for where you would be going.

“Wait it’s only one seat, were are you going-” He doesn’t get to finish as you climb in resting on his lap and he freezes. It was a tight fit but you managed, you glance slightly at your limited space seeing him still as a statue, “You good?” You ask in a teasing tone and that snaps him out of his silence as he nods.

“Y-Yep!” His voice slightly cracks beneath the beskar as you start up the X-Wing while he settles in the seat more relaxed his nervousness is replaced with awe being inside the X-Wing. Soon the three ships depart from the covert heading towards Nevarro to rescue the city.

“Pirate King Gorian Shard is captaining a Cumulus Class Corsair carrying a complement of snubfighters. It has aerial bombardment capabilities. The N1 will distract the Corsair and her snubfighters as we drop in to liberate the planet below,” Bo-Katan’s voice comes through your comms as you travel through hyperspace, “Nevarro is an independent planet and no longer under remnant Imperial or New Republic protection. But it’s that very independence that makes it appealing for you to settle. You lived there once, hiding in the sewers. But now, you can be heroes.”

On the pirate-infested planet Nevarro, pirates pillage the city from the ground and suddenly see a starfighter fly past them. On Gorian Shard’s ship, they see on their enemy proximity warning indicator a blip appears drawing closer to the Corsair “Captain, there’s a starfighter off our port bow.” Suddenly attacked the ship rattles as the N-1 containing Din Djarin flies past them taking down the gun turrets, “Ah! It’s the Mandalorian. Man, the gunwales...launch the snubfighters. Follow him!” Shard bellows as the snubfighters as sent after the Mandalorian.

“Bold of you to return, Mandalorian. Blast that ship!” The Nikito Vane calls out to the Mandalorian as the dogfight between the Mandalorian and the multiple ships chase after him. Far off in the distance watching the sudden rescue attempt Greef Karga sees the familiar ship. “Thanks for your help, Mando.” Greef’s voice comes through Din’s comms as he dodges another ship.

“I decided to take you up on your offer for a tract of land,” Din says and Greef can see Din avoiding the fighters, “Be careful, my friend. They’ve got you outnumbered ten to one.” As one of the snubfighters chases after Din pulling back as another head towards him the two crash into each other in a fiery explosion.

“I like those odds,” Din says a smirk underneath the beskar, the child in his lap cooing from the thrill of the battle. Greef chuckles glad for the rescue, “I bet you do.”

“The Corsair’s on me. The coast is clear.” Din’s voice comes through your comms, and both yours and Bo-Katan’s ship split up. “Alright R4, take over for me.” You say as the droid begins controlling the ship as you open up the canopy the wind rushes through your hair as you climb out of the cockpit standing on the wings and you can sense the shock coming from the copper and white Mandalorian.

“What are you doing?!” He yells over the wind as R4 brings the ship to a hover far above the clouds, “Those gun turrets are still active if we try getting any closer we’ll be blown up before we can dock. So we’re going to jump.”

“Jump?!” He yells thinking you were insane, “Yes jump! We’re too small to be picked up on the sensors when we land, by the time they do notice us we’ll already be on the ship! So get up and get ready to jump!” You yell as he curses in Mando’a before climbing up and joining you on the wing as R4 closes the canopy. The wind rushes through your hair, whipping your cloak around the same as Kaz’s cape.

“Alright on my signal we jump!” You yell and you can sense the fear and stupidity of all of this, “You’re crazy you know that, mesh’la?” He yells back and you give him a cocky grin.

“I know!” You smile and R4 beeps letting you know we’re in the right position. “Alright let’s go!”

“Are you sure we can’t fly clos-Maker!” He tries turning back on the idea but quickly follows after seeing you fully send it off the ship freefalling. The wind is in your face as you fall through the clouds before you spot the ship below you. You thank the Force for cushioning your fall landing on the top of the cruiser Kaz slows his fall with his jetpack his blasters ready as you pull out your saber.

“Cover me!” You say before beginning to carve a hole into the roof of the ship, the metal falls through, “Come on!” You yell before jumping into the hole the Mandalorian follows after you both of you on the ship.

“Kaz and I are on the ship heading to Shard.” You comment as you make your way through the halls of the ship.

“Din, what’s your position?” Bo-Katan calls finishing releasing the Mandalorians over the city, “I’m over the flats with snubfighters in pursuit. You’re clear to start your run.” Din responds and Bo-Katan heads for the Corsair, with the ship, distracted the Gauntlet targets one of the engines taking it out as the ship shakes.

“There’s another ship, Captain. A Kom’rk Class fighter transport.” His second in command says as Shard looks over the damage, “They took out an engine.”

“Tell Vane and the fighters to reform for a counterattack.” Shard commands, “They’re pursuing the Mandalorian.” The second explains and Shard slams his fist on his throne,

“Then bring them back!”

An alarm blares through the ship as Shard growls, “What now?”

“Captain we’ve been breached by two enemies aboard the ship making their way to the deck.” His second explains.

“Who dares board my ship!” Shard yells wanting the two dead as one of his crew pulls up the security footage. “It’s a…Mandalorian? And a Jedi!” His second says as he watches a young girl wielding a saber taking down members of his crew the armored man providing cover.

“Kill them now!”

Making your way through a hall turning the corner barely avoiding a blaster bolt but Kaz pulls you back as it flies past your head. “Cover me!” He says before turning the corner as you follow behind deflecting bolts as he fires at the pirates taking them down. One grabs Kaz with a large knife in his hand shoving him against a wall but he’s suddenly thrown across the room and knocked unconscious when he hits the wall. Kaz looks over as you lower your hand joining his side, “Are you alright?” You ask and he nods and the ship shakes and you grab one another to stabilize yourselves.

The alarms blare loudly over your heads, “They must have taken down another engine,” Kaz says.

“We’re close to the bridge, let’s keep going!” You say the both of you make it around the corner coming into more pirates the two of you are thrown into the throngs of battle.

“Another engine is down, and shields are failing. There’s only one snubfighter left, Captain.” His second says, “The Jedi and Mandalorian are approaching the bridge rapidly.” The transmission comes in through from the last snubfighter,

“It’s been a pleasure serving you, Captain, but it’s time to part ways.” Vane says quickly retreating away abandoning the pirate crew as Shard growls out, “Vane, you coward.” The alarms blared loudly the ship shaking from the attack,

“Sir, we’re down to our last engine,” The electricity of the ship failed with the immense damage, “We have to retreat.” Gorian Shard takes over the wheel shoving his second aside and yelling at his dwindling crew,

“In a puffer pig’s eye. Open fire below!” His order goes through right as the blast doors burst open revealing the Jedi and the Mandalorian. “Kill them!” Shard yells at his crew. You deflect blaster fire as Kaz provides cover as you take down Shard’s remaining crew leaving himself and his second.

“It’s over Shard.” You comment holding your saber aimed at him as he and his second stand side by side. He stood tall glaring at the two of you his green vines of skin and beard. His mouth curls into a snarl, “A Jedi and a Mandalorian…I was certain you both were all killed off.” You glare at him.

“Call off the attack and we’ll consider sparing your lives.” Kaz threatens as Shard cackles, “I’d rather die.”

“Kid get off that ship now!” You hear Din’s voice coming through your commlink as you hear the ship get fired at, loud explosions jostle the ship. You pull your blaster aiming at the glass firing before crushing your hand into a fist as it shatters. The two of you rush jumping out of the window as the blast reaches the deck. The explosion of the ship sends a shockwave pushing you both further apart and you black out for a second. You come to spinning wildly in the air trying to get your bearings, arms wrap around your waist and you’re pulled up into the sky thankful for your Mandalorian. You both watch the flaming wreckage crash into the outskirts of Nevarro as Kaz brings you to the city gates.

Landing on the ground to cheers from the citizens of Nevarro seeing the other Mandalorians plus Din and Bo-Katan. The two of you are covered in scuff marks and Kaz’s armor is darkened by the ash and soot. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. To all of you, and especially to our fine Mandalorian liberators, to whom this planet is forever indebted,” Greef speaks to the large crowd, “Mandalorians, I know that we have been on opposite sides in the past, but that is behind us. From this day forward, I, Magistrate Greef Karga…”

“High Magistrate, sir.” His protocol droid speaks up producing a burst of laughter from the citizens of Nevarro, “High Magistrate Greef Karga, hereby cede all land from the western lava flats to Bulloch Canyon to the fine people of Mandalore. You may no longer have a home planet, but you do now have a home. Welcome.” The crowd cheers as the Mandalorians are welcomed into the city.

You have people come up to you thanking you for saving them and you nod, Greef comes over clapping his hand on your shoulder, “Always good to see you again. I’m sure you made Mando proud.” He comments, “I hope so.” You say with a smile and Greef notices the new Mandalorian standing by your side.

“And who is this? You’ve gained yourself two Mandalorian?” Greef says with boisterous laughter and Kaz chuckles slightly. “I’m Kaz Vyst, a friend of Y/n.” You see Greef’s eyes widen almost sizing up the man.

“I hope Mando approves of this ‘friendship’ of yours,” You hear the tone he puts on friendship and your face turns flush with embarrassment. Greef laughs at your expression and he claps Kaz’s shoulder, “I’m like an uncle to this one but you got my support.” He says with his new self-appointed title and your face is burning as Kaz laughs with the man. You grab Kaz’s arm pulling him away from Greef.

“Goodbye, Greef.” You say your face still hot as Greef smiles giving an exaggerated wave at Kaz, “I’m so sorry about…he’s a lot.” You say and Kaz laughs before wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

“He’s funny. I like him, I’m glad to have one of your family’s approval.” He jokes and you give him a look. “Your father is currently melting me with his gaze right now. I don’t think he’s a fan of me.” He leans down whispering in your ear and your head snaps over to Din seeing him not looking at you two. A silence suddenly covers you all as you see Bo-Katan appear followed by the Armorer. The shocking thing was her helmet off resting on her side as your eyes all follow her before she stands in the crowd of Mandalorians.

“Bo-Katan Kryze is going off to bring other Mandalorians in exile to us so that we may join together once again.” The Armorer announces to the few Mandalorians here,

“But she shows her face.” Paz Vizsla questions the female Mandalorian as the others chatter their concerns and your gaze briefly meets Bo-Katan’s before the Armorer speaks up again.

“Bo-Katan walks both worlds. And she can bring all tribes together. It is time to retake Mandalore.” You all look at the redhead as the Armorer steps to join her side, “We will bring the covert to our new covert. A celebration will be thrown for our victory and Bo-Katan’s departure.” She says before saying the famous words of the creed.

“This is the Way.” You all repeat as the first steps at returning to your homeworld are finally closer to becoming a reality.

By nightfall using a transport shuttle to bring the rest of the covert to Nevarro you had successfully created a new home. This news of returning to Mandalore had put everyone in a joyous mode and the celebration for the early victory and hopes of the future was in full swing. A large bonfire with the meat of a native animal fueling the covert, children dance around the fire, and Mandalorians tell war stories and tales of the history of your people. All cleaned up from the battle you stood beside Bo-Katan a few Mandalorians came up to her wishing her luck for her journey,

“I guess your dream of restoring Mandalore is becoming a reality.” You say you both with your cups of spotchka courtesy of Greef as a gift for saving the city. The liquid warms your veins as you see Grogu in Din’s lap as he points at the sky explaining something to him it warms your heart seeing Din act so fatherly.

“Aren’t you a bit young to be drinking spotchka?” Bo-Katan says jokingly and you roll your eyes, “I’ve been fighting the empire and maker knows what else since my teens. I think I get a pass on the drinking age.” You remark and she laughs before you both cheer drinking the blue liquor.

“So you excited…nervous..bit of both?” You ask and she smiles at the child-like smile on your face. The liquor soothed your nerves and you looked young and lively not a hardened soldier.

“A bit of both…I thought after all these years Mandalore would never be a possibility.” She says the both of you looking over the covert clan you joined and now welcomed you with open arms. “You should get your goodbyes in before we leave tomorrow,” Bo-Katan says and you look at her confused for a second.

“Your father already told me he was joining and by association yourself and Grogu.” She says and you nod. Normally you weren’t opposed to leaving, it was another adventure across the galaxy with your family and it was for something important. Bringing all the Mandalorians together to restore the planet you all thought was never going to be restored. But now you had a reason to be sad to leave, your gaze met the copper and white Mandalorian across the crowd. His armor was clean as he listened to the conversation between the members of the Shriekhawk, he must have sensed your gaze turning his head he meets yours. The two of you hold eye contact before he nods off in a direction before he turns to his companions before leaving not before getting one last glance at you.

“Don’t want to keep him waiting,” Bo-Katan says and you completely forgot she was even there. A cheesy grin is painted on her face and your face flushes from the embarrassment of staring at Kaz and the liquor in your system. You nod passing her your cup before starting to walk away when she calls out to you, “Be safe.” She gives a wink and your face burns hot you quickly rush away hearing her laughter as you move through the crowd of Mandalorians. The sounds of celebration diminish as you spot the flash of beskar on one of the higher flats. Climbing up the elevated view of the new covert’s location, the large bonfire below you as the celebration doesn’t cease with your disappearance. Kaz sits at the edge watching the festivities lost in thought.

“You know this is just like us meeting for the first time.” You call out and he chuckles slightly as you come to join his side, “Want me to be all brooding and mysterious.” He says and you shove his shoulder producing a louder laugh that warms your body.

“You’re hilarious.” You roll your eyes as he settles down it grows silent as you both watch the others and you can feel something in the air above you too.

“I’m guessing this is you coming to say goodbye?” He says and you glance over at him, “It seemed unlikely, you would stay if both Bo-Katan and Din Djarin left.” You go to say something but he stops you.

“I’m not mad… you're meant to be out, exploring the galaxy and being a keeper of the peace,” He says, “That’s what the Jedi are.” He says his gaze hasn’t moved from watching the Mandalorians.

“I’m no keeper of the peace,” You say returning your gaze to the covert as well the flames of the large bonfire gives produces such a large flame it lights the two of you on the elevated flat, “I don’t think keepers of the peace jump off ships and put myself in reckless situations.” Kaz laughs and a smile grows on your face, “No definitely not…but you’re a leader I can see that.” He says and when you look his gaze is on you as silence fills the two of you. Your mouth felt dry and you can sense the steady gaze through the beskar armor. It felt like the only time you could read him through that helmet of his.

“All those months ago, when we went to go rescue Vizsla’s son…what did you say to me at the fire?” It hadn’t felt like months had passed since you’d been a part of the covert but each day felt full of memories but it seemed to go by so fast. Most of those memories with the man before you as the tension disperses with your question. The small second of being able to read him had disappeared and you had no idea his emotion or intention behind the beskar. His hand reaches out and you feel the air stop around you as he pushes a strand of hair away from your face.

“Ni guuror gar mesh'la.” He says repeating those words from so long ago. Since then you had heard that last word, ‘mesh’la’. It had slowly replaced your name when around him. “Need help, mesh’la?” “Mesh’la, how are you.” “You’re crazy you know that, mesh’la?” It just felt natural coming from him you assumed a Mando’a nickname, you hadn’t tried asking Din or Bo-Katan it felt nice not knowing what it meant. Though it could fully mean a teasing nickname you were fine hearing it from him. You nod wanting to know what it meant, it had been eating at you since that conversation same with his questions. You wanted to be a supportive friend for whoever he had feelings for but you weren’t sure why your chest hurt at the thought of him with another.

“I like you beautiful.” He whispers and your eyes widen slightly your skin prickles and felt on fire at his words. You didn’t know how to respond and you didn’t stop him from leaning forward pressing his forehead a small thunk as it bumped into your forehead. He pulls back as your rub your forehead, “What was that?” You ask and you can feel the smile coming off him as he speaks.

“It’s a Keldabe kiss since Mandalorians can't remove their armor this was made as the gesture of…” He trails off in the end and you nod and then your eyes widen comically registering what his action just meant. He kissed you..well not like a real kiss but it’s the implication of it.

“oh…Oh.” Kaz laughs seeing your face grow flush and you shove him as he continues laughing. “Stop it that’s not funny, how was I supposed to know!” You yell and his laughter dies done as you glare at him but he knows it holds no heat.

“You’re funny mesh’la,” He says and you look away biting your lip to stop the smile from growing on your face, “Hey do you trust me?” He asks and you look back at him.

“Is this the moment where you kill me and hide my body?” You joke and he chuckles shaking his head, “Yes, now seriously do you trust me.” He says and you nod and he nods back. After a second before using his hand and forcing you to close your eyes. “This definitely feels like you’re gonna kill me.” You say.

“Keep them close please.” He says and you go silent and you were certain with how quiet it was he had left you. You hear the hiss of his helmet before it’s placed on the floor your frozen knowing he was showing his face right now in front of you and what was stopping him from becoming an apostate was your trust. He trusted you enough to remove his helmet in front of you.

“Kaz…” You whisper out into the air and you hear a shaky breath coming from him, “Yeah..” His voice is crisp and clear in front of you.

“If you wanted to take off your helmet we could have gone back-to-back you didn’t need me to clos-” You don’t get to finish as his lips meet yours and you’re frozen. You didn’t know what to do your hands glued to your lap you force yourself to squeeze your eyes shut so they don’t open in surprise. His lips were slightly cracked but soft and just as quickly as he did it he was pulling away. “Wh…What was that?” You ask slightly out of breath not even realizing you were holding your breath.

“A kiss..?” He says and you shake your head, “I know that but…why I thought...I don’t know what I thought!” You throw your hands in the air your eyes still closed and he laughs and it’s like music, “I thought Mandalorians weren’t allowed to take their helmets in front of anyone.”

“They can’t…but it’s more of not showing your face than having it off,” He says and you nod softly as his hand cups your face, “I really like you Y/n Kenobi-Kryze.” He says. Your heart was pounding in your chest and it felt like it could burst at any moment. You didn’t understand love or falling in love. But you understood being with him, hearing his laughter, having him by your side, talking into the early hours of the morning backs against each other. You didn’t understand love but you understood him and what being with him could mean.

“I…I like you too. Kaz Vyst.” Your voice is shaky your confession out in the air unable to take it back. You were freefalling with nothing to catch you, you were in uncharted territory but you weren’t nervous. You wanted to freefall…you wanted to explore this. You slowly raise your hand accidentally hitting his chin as you both giggle before you feel his face, his jaw felt sharp as you trace his features trying to picture what he looked like. Your hand meets his hair and it felt short on the sides with more length towards the top. Your hand returns to his face cupping his cheek your finger running along his cheekbone as his hand pushes your hair back. Leaning forward trying to peck his lips missing catching the side of his mouth and he laughs as you bury your face into his chest embarrassed.

“Stop it I can’t see where I’m going anyway.” You say and you can feel Kaz’s smile as he pulls your face up to be looking at his. “It’s cute mesh’la.” He mumbles and you feel him lean closer and you feel a breath on your lips just a brush away from connecting as he whispers.

“I’m going to kiss you now.” He murmurs teasingly and you huff, “Funny.” Your lips met briefly just for a few moments before he retreats slightly a silence holds over you two before a force pulls you back together. It was like fireworks and warmth spread over your body as you kissed him. Your hand cupping his cheek the other clutching his shoulder while his hand holds the back of your neck the other holds your side keeping you close. The air was ripped from you but breathed back into your lungs as his lips moved with yours. It was awkward and uncoordinated but it made your heart pound and you felt alive for once in your life. You both pull away and your eyes flutter but Kaz is faster his hand slamming over your eyes shrouding you in darkness.

“Sorry!” You yell, “I didn’t see anything!” You promise as he breathes rapidly from his creed almost being broken because of you. His hand covers your eyes before he chuckles lightly and his laughter is contagious as you laugh in the open air.

“I’m lowering my hand alright.” He says and you nod keeping your eyes close when he lowers it his lips meet yours again and you happily accept. Your hands find placement in his hair your fingers running through the locks of hair as he cups your face with such delicacy.

“She’s where?!” You hear Din’s voice yell out from the bottom of the flat and you both disconnect Kaz quickly pulls on his helmet and when you hear it come on fully you open your eyes and quickly stand up and he follows. He holds your hand as you spot Bo-Katan holding back Din from looking for you. “I have to go or he’s going to kill you.” You say and Kaz leans forward his forehead bumping against yours.

“I’ll see you before you leave.” He says and you nod before sadly having to pull away taking one last glance at the Mandalorian before you’re racing down the ridge once again running into Din who’s followed by Bo-Katan. You quickly throw on a neutral expression as you look at the older Mandalorian.

“What’s up with you?” You give him a look and you see behind Din, the female gesturing at your hair and you nonchalantly fix your hair. “Where were you?” Din asks looking over you.

“Just getting some fresh air…I told Bo-Katan where I was going.” You say and Din looks over at your grand-aunt who quickly covers you. “I try telling you…went all protective-father mode.” She comments and you smile looping your arm with Din and Bo-Katan pulling them back into the celebration.

“I’m fine, you found me. Come on I want to celebrate before we leave.” Dragging the two adults to the celebration. Your mind still reeling with the moment on the ridge your vision catches the Mandalorian on the ridge watching you a smile graces your face and soon your vision breaks when you’re brought back to the festivities.

Far away from Nevarro in deep space, a lone X-Wing comes up on the remains of a destroyed ship. Shining a light on the ship seeing the hole in the side of the ship and pieces of wreckage floating around the shuttle. Teva gets into contact with a fellow pilot to speak of the news, “Captain Teva to Lieutenant Reed.” Static fills the comms before a voice comes through,

“Reed to Teva.”

“I found a derelict Lambda shuttle. The hull was breached. The vessel shows evidence of being attacked. Any reports in the area?” Teva explains looking over the ship from his position. “Um, there’s a record of a missing craft in the region. The details are classified.” Reed explains and Teva knew he needed to investigate further,

“R7, launch probe.” The droid releases a probe as it draws closer to the wreckage, “I’m sending you a transponder signal. Why don’t you bounce it through the flight logs at central command?” Teva says watching the screen showing the probe’s point of view.

“It’s a New Republic prison transport.” Reed says and that catches Teva’s attention, “Check the departure times.” He requests and he hears Reed’s shocked huff,

“I’ll be damned. Flight times match the ship transporting Moff Gideon.” The news of this ship being involved with the Moff adds more questions to the confusion puzzle, “I knew it. He never made it to trial,” Seeing the wreckage of the interior of the ship seeing the deceased New Republic officers but no side of Moff Gideon’s body, “There don’t appear to be any survivors. And Moff Gideon’s body is missing. This was an extraction.”

“Who were the perpetrators?” Reed asks as the probe beings scanning a blue light examining the hull of the ship, “Scanning. I’m only seeing the remains of the flight crew. There appears to be something embedded in the cabin wall. Get in close on that.” The probe moves closer analyzing deeper into the ship the object in the cabin wall. 

“It’s a fragment of beskar alloy,” Reed says the data coming in from his side as Teva sits in the X-Wing in silence more confused than it started. He had just interacted with the Mandalorians the same culture that was almost whipped off the face of the galaxy because of the Moff. The princess with Jedi and Mandalorian ancestors amongst their ranks brutally assaulted the same Moff that he needed medical treatment from the New Republic before he could be transferred for trial. None of it made sense but the evidence was in front of them. The only culture that was known for that same beskar alloy.

“Wait, are you saying that Moff Gideon was taken by… Mandalorians?”

#star wars #star wars fanfiction #the mandalorian #clan of three #clan of three series #din djarin #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin x reader #din djarin x teen!reader #din djarin x jedi!reader #din x reader #din djarin x y/n #mando x reader

[kimberly40]

Western North Carolina generally consists of 29 counties, that when combined form a total regional area of roughly 13,000 square miles and is roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts.

There are 82 mountain peaks between 5,000 and 6,000 feet in elevation in western North Carolina and 43 peaks rise to over 6,000 feet.

Among the subranges of the Appalachian Mountains located in western North Carolina are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, South Mountains, Brushy Mountains, Great Balsam Mountains, Great Craggy Mountains, the Plott Balsams, and the Black Mountains.

Mount Mitchell, in the Black Mountains, is, at 6,684 feet, the highest point in eastern North America.

The major rivers in the region include the French Broad River, Nolichucky River, Watauga River, Little Tennessee River, and Hiwassee River flowing into the Tennessee River valley; the New River flowing into the Ohio River valley; and the headwaters and upper valleys of the Catawba River, Yadkin River, Broad River, and Saluda River flowing through the foothills towards the Atlantic.

The Eastern Continental Divide runs through the region, dividing Tennessee-bound streams from those flowing through the Carolinas.

The counties commonly included in the region are as follows:

Alleghany County

Ashe County

Avery County

Buncombe County

Burke County

Caldwell County

Cherokee County

Clay County

Graham County

Haywood County

Henderson County

Jackson County

Macon County

Madison County

McDowell County

Mitchell County

Polk County

Rutherford County

Swain County

Transylvania County

Watauga County

Wilkes County

Yancey County

-Other counties that fall under various definitions of Western North Carolina include: Alexander County, Catawba County, Cleveland County, Surry County and Yadkin County.

*Pictured is the Linville Gorge in Burke County, North Carolina by Wildwood Blessings Photography

#appalachian #appalachian mountains #north carolina #appalachian culture #western north carolina #appalachia #the south #nc mountains #linville north carolina

[comic-sans-chan]

Fic I'll never write where Cardassians have a specific scale on their neck that gets bitten open in the enjoinment ceremony. This is part of why showing neck ridges is considered tantalizing and why Cardassian clothing often goes out of its way to accentuate ridges--to display whether the mating scale has been bitten. Biting it open releases bonding hormones that tie two Cardassians together, and the scar that's left behind is their version of a wedding ring.

When Julian shot Garak in the holosuite, he shot him in this scale, and that's why Garak acts like that and switches gears so quickly. He was high off feel-good lovey-dovey bonding hormones directed at his husband, and what an amazing husband he's found!! So strong, so capable. The perfect secret agent Garak would happily follow off of a cliff. Not things he was feeling before he was shot. Garak doesn't begin to understand what’s happened until later, and why he felt so stricken when Julian offered to heal the wound with a dermal regenerator. Why now alone in his quarters he's feeling bereft. In a normal enjoinment, this would be when he was having sex, but of course, that's not happening.

At first, he thinks this is just another case of Julian Bashir blue balls, a chronic condition he's intimately familiar with. But this feels extreme. He can feel tears trying to gather in his eyes. A niggling thought comes, a terrible suspicion.

With calm, measured steps, he walks to a mirror and inspects his neck. Blood has caked around the scales and formed a kind of chrysalis, so he takes a handkerchief from the inner coat of his jacket and wipes it away to reveal... yes. Yes. That would be the correct scale, ripped clean open. It'll scar beautifully, a clear signal of his husband's enthusiasm in choosing him.

If his husband had been aware that's what he'd been doing.

Garak stares at it. It stares back.

His legs have weakened, and before long, he finds himself grappling behind himself in a stagger. He hits a chair and settles there inelegantly, jittery, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters right then. The handkerchief is still in his hand, so he folds it. Folds it again. And again. And again.

He can’t sleep, so he goes to his shop. It’s not too late yet, he can get some work done.

By morning, he’s gotten no work done, but he has exhausted his delavian chocolate stash, three glasses of kanar, and a bottle of excellent spring wine. He’d been saving the wine for a special occasion. Now, it sits stale on his tongue like a joke. It’s an hour past when his shop would be open, but it’s irrelevant. A Bajoran comes banging for her appointment. They were meant to discuss the details of her wedding dress. She leaves after ten minutes, distraught.

Not long after, banging comes again, this time more insistent. “Garak!” a voice demands. Major Kira. Annoying, but irrelevant.

She tries asking the computer to locate him. Of course, it doesn’t tell her he’s inside, or anywhere, but she forces her way into the space he pays rent on and comes surging through like a sandstorm anyway. Incredibly rude, but irrelevant. She’ll leave soon.

She doesn’t. She scans the space for heat signatures and finds his weak emittance slumped behind the counter. “Garak,” she huffs. Evidently the Bajoran woman from before is a friend of hers and she’s come to investigate on her behalf. When she sees the state he’s in, she stops, though, and opens her mouth to ask what’s happened, and stops again. She’s noticed the blood on his neck. 

The poor woman has shocked herself into silence now, but she’s come all this way to harass answers out of him, so he gives them to her in as pleasant a voice as he can muster. Of course, it’s a simple story, so being cordial is no trouble. He fell on his scissors. Very unfortunate, but naturally, as an “agent of the Obsidian Order”, he speaks the allegation with all due severity, his bonding scale had to be made inert, so no harm done. 

He doesn’t tell her Tain administered the serum himself, nor any of the implications of his having administered a fake. How dangerous it was for a field agent, how easy it made exploitation. How neatly he could have been killed in an altercation, when a moment of hesitation - a second of hormone-induced compliance - would have made all the difference. All more irrelevant little details.

She tells him she knows he’s lying. A ridiculous statement. Of course he’s lying, but the truth is none of her business. She expresses as much then, surprising him. “I won’t ask what happened,” she says gently, just as he notices the empty bottle of spring wine is still next to him, the vintage label visible. Ah. “I just want to ask... are you okay?”

That would be the question, wouldn’t it? Is he okay? Is it okay that he is - in every way culturally significant - bound to Doctor Bashir? Through biology, no less? How fitting! Bashir would have a field day with his neurochemistry right now. It’s been hours and still his thoughts keep circling back to where his husband is. He’s not his husband, but he is, even though he’s not, and he’s always wanted him but this is a new kind of hell. Where is he? What is he doing? Why isn’t he here? Didn’t he choose him, and so decisively, with such remarkable precision?

He didn’t, but it’s irrelevant.

“I have lunch plans,” he says. He doesn’t know why. He didn’t mean to, but it’s out of his mouth now.

“Okay,” the Major says. “Do you need a way out of them?”

Does he?

He sits with it for a minute, and she waits patiently. Finally, he looks at her with resolve. “No.”

He gives Kira his sketches for her friend to look over and promises to set up another appointment soon before he leaves for his quarters. He naps off the hangover, eats, showers. The last hours tick by in peaceful sewing until it’s time for him to don that unfortunate outfit again and go to lunch.

Julian’s eyes settle on the bandage on his neck shortly after his arrival, but he doesn’t ask. Garak takes note of that. It is interesting how the man has been distancing himself, losing himself in an imagined world of mystery and mystique without a single friendly soul as witness. Of course, Garak had no intention of allowing him to do so and every intention of bridging the gap between them with rose petals and duranium, but they have skipped several steps now, haven’t they? More even than Garak expected.

Another scantily clad young lady with an impressive resume serves them their meals and they eat, drink, and chat. It’s wonderful. He has missed this so. Julian’s pretty voice fills his ear with Earth history and the novels of one Ian Fleming and Garak is more than happy to sit back and listen well past the lunch hour, the terror and tension of the past night falling to the side, just out of sight. 

It ought to be enough that he has been permitted. Fantasies are a common defense against the cruel realities of life--a coping strategy Garak has seen many a colleague fall into, himself included. His extensive library is not one Garak has amassed by any accident, but by necessity. He understands. Whatever stressors Julian has found himself requiring an escape from, it should be enough that Garak is no longer one of those things. 

And yet, his neck is throbbing, and it is not out of tune with his heart. Whether by good fortune or not, the facts remain. 

Julian has been spending every moment away from his work playing this little game, but luckily, Garak knows how to play games, too, and while Julian is across the room draping his jacket and bow tie over a couch, Garak lets a drop of his blood fall from a small container into his drink.

Julian throws it back without a thought, and Garak smiles blandly. A clinical bastardization of an otherwise beautiful ritual dating back thousands of years, but beggars and choosers.

“Doctor,” Garak begins, and Julian draws a deep breath and meets his eyes. Garak’s mouth hangs open. “I...” No. “Forgive me, but I have to wonder again. Why... this particular program? What is it about it that captivates you so?”

The eye contact breaks. “Does it matter?”

“Well, it is only that-”

“Garak, why are you interrogating me?”

Garak’s mouth snaps shut.

Julian stares at him, and looks away. “Oh, Garak. I apologize. It’s only that...” he takes an agitated sip of his coffee, “you do love to needle me. No one else quite presses my buttons the way you do, do you know that?”

Oh. Oh. Garak beams. “Why, thank you, Doctor. I find you uniquely capable of vexing me as well.”

Julian rolls his eyes to himself. “I’m sure you do.” Before Garak can dissect that particular statement to ribbons, the man interrupts him with a sigh. The mood shifts suddenly to something morose. “Garak, you said yourself that I just wanted to play the hero. Kiss the girl. It’s very simple. Can we not just... leave it there?”

If only. “Do you know what I think?”

“I wouldn’t hazard a guess.”

“This is more than a mere fantasy for you, Doctor. In fact, I believe there are secrets - breadcrumbs, as you say, to your inner world sprinkled between the text - hidden within the very code of these holoprojections. If only someone would care to look hard enough. If only someone would see... Oh,” he says, as Julian glares at him, “but you didn’t want anyone to see, did you?”

“As a matter of fact, Elim,” Julian says with padded steel, “no.”

Garak sits back in his chair. 

Julian is out of his seat and across the room the next moment. “I do have my shift in another hour, so I should be leaving soon, but there is one last thing I thought you might get a kick out of. If you’ll join me by the windows here, Mr. Garak?” Garak does so wearily, and Julian gives a strange command to the computer. It’s as Garak is fiddling with his bandage that the first plume of color lights up the night sky, and Garak startles into stone, watching with equal parts concern and awe.

Julian sounds pleased. “Fireworks. Controlled explosions colored with different minerals. An old Earth custom.”

“How wondrously strange,” Garak breathes.

“I thought you might think so.”

The doctor’s shoulder bumps his and Garak can’t help it, won’t even blame himself. He falls into it. Leaned against the human, shoulder to unlovable shoulder, they watch these fire-works, and it is almost like what Garak had hoped for when he’d first started entertaining the notion of barging his way into Julian’s daydreams. What was the first time? A year ago? More than? An enigma tale, an exercise program. Oh, to accompany beautiful Julian into the holosuites, so frequently ravaged with unchaste revelry, and have things change. His own juvenile fantasy made flesh amidst the figments. 

But of course, he never was invited, this is the most they’ve ever touched, and things are never going to change. Even after everything has. Whatever secrets Julian’s crude romanticization of his old profession hold, they are not his to understand. The man continues to hide, and while the luxury of hide-and-seek is no longer Garak’s to enjoy, he will not force his dearest companion into the light when his own eyes are still burning from the exposure.

“Doctor...” Garak tries one last time, hopeless.

“Shhh,” is the response.

In the end, Julian doesn’t shove him off, though. Not even after the fireworks have ended.

#deep space nine #ds9 #garashir #definitely not a fic this time #look at it #it doesn't even have friends to strangers to lovers slow burn angst worldbuilding 150k #my posts #fics i'll never write

[newriverartist]

Can't Chat Today

Canoes at Mountain Lake Original 40″ x 30″ Oil painting SOLD Wall Art Prints and Prints on other Items available with the link https://kendall-kessler.pixels.com/featured/canoes-at-mountain-lake-kendall-kessler.html Trying to get something done on a site and I am told to edit my information. When I try to go back to that page the site won’t let me. Argh! Computers! Chats always take at least…

View On WordPress

#Blue Ridge paintings #canoe paintings #computer problems #Dirty Dancing location #gazebo paintings #Kendall Kessler Art #mountain lake paintings #pawleys island paintings #Towhee Hill Studio Art

[opal-owl-flight]

Aaand heres the complete visual guide for the Candlefolk variants!!

More abt them under the cut!

Candlefolk across the realms

A candlefolk’s appearance tends to change depending on the realm they were born from, as the ruins in each realm have materials and environments unique to their location. Whats shown are the common shapes, but Candlefolk can take on appearances different from what is presented (or look completely different from the appearance they took when they were born).

Isle: usually the same shade of bluish stone as the rocks found in the realm, or brown, like clay. Highly spiritual. Very serious about their purification duties.

Prairie: mossy folk with Manta features. Soft shape. Round. Many are born from large pots gaining sentience, though some are born from bells. Very in-tune with light creatures, and also plant life! Voices are like the tolling bells across the prairies.

Forest: Made from dark colored stone, metal, or fossilized wood (seems to be a light color, from what I can see in-game). Immune to rain (flame burns as strongly as a forge). Megatuna/whale features (like the one seen in the forest). Usually shy. Prefers the company of the forest/creatures rather than other sapients. Living forges that hide under their turtle-like shells to raise their temperatures high enough to melt all sorts of metals. Paddle-like feet to easily and quickly traverse and navigate the flooded woodland, and hammer out superheated metals. Surprisingly poetic...

Valley: Made of the russet stones, gold, stained glass, what have you. Have a more “carpe diem” lifestyle, compared to isle-borns. Have Racer manta features — long tail, helps steer. Quadwinged. They also have a fine mesh of "downy feathers" made of metal that help insulate them against the cold that would make their bodies too stiff to move. Movement makes these "feathers" clink and chime! It aids in their frequent dancing and performing...

Wasteland: made of the darkest stone or metal (helps blend in). Their fire burns lowly, but that grants them near- immunity from the dark creatures. Always on high alert towards the creatures that hunt them, helping other pilgrims find their way. Have dark creature features (horns, ridge, long tail); which usually helps them fight. Additionally, they tend to have long snouts like the krill to help them breathe the wasteland air.

Vault: made of that dark blue stone. Quiet and reserved, deep in study about the kingdom’s past. Have spirit manta features, made of decrepit memory cubes or the deep blue stones of the Vault. Tend to wear robes that cover most of their body.

Eden: the rarest kind, once upon a time. Only emerging when the other realms have been mostly healed and when new peoples returned to settle on them, establishing a new kingdom. Jointed limbs and features, like a mannequin, allow them to swap parts out easily and shake off most injuries (as the rock rain still happens occassionally.) Appearances vary wildly beyond that.

#opal owl’s nest #oc #original character #sky children of the light #sky cotl #that sky game #sky: children of the light #sky: cotl #character design

[onenicebugperday]

@understones submitted: Hello! Thank you for ID-ing my woolly aphid photo a while back. I am wondering what kind of spider this is! Located in Virginia, near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

My pleasure! This lovely friend is an orchard orbweaver :)

#animals #bugs #spider #arachnids #submission #orchard spider #orchard orbweaver