#at least i hope they're nice skates

[bear-do-well]

I finally got my birthday present yesterday, a pair of Nordic skates. Everyone in my family already owned them except for me, and I had been promised them for Christmas 2019. And still my parents have the audacity to go "your present was way too expensive so you're not getting a Christmas present" and just every time I ask something they go "well you got a nice present yesterday"

i would become a serial killer tbh

#fuck 'em #at least i hope they're nice skates #asks

[meowzfordayz]

they're-both-so-helpless

Rengoku Kyojuro x Reader

Word Count: ~600

CW: explicit language, mild sexual content

Author’s Note: starting 2024 off w/ Kyojuro❣️ Began writing this while at work… winter makes for slow days when selling ice cream. 😆 Pt 2 coming ~soon aka prob within the next 24 hrs since my shift’s almost over lol.

emphasis-on-helpless, helplessly-in-love

Missing your boyfriend is tough… especially when he isn’t actually your boyfriend.

“He might as well be!” Mitsuri says whenever she’s with you, “I swear you check your phone at least twice as often ever since you became friends.” The tips of your ears warm, eyes glued to the newest Snap of Kyojuro’s cheerful face. “Will you at least show me?” Mitsuri huffs, head tilting to catch a glance, “Aww, he’s so cute!” “But he’s not my boyfriend,” you mutter, quickly snapping a blurry photo of your melting ice cream. Eyes gleaming, Mitsuri hums knowingly, slinging a giddy arm around you without another word. You silently thank her gesture of respecting your privacy—something your other friend, Shinobu, rarely does—hurriedly eating a spoonful of your dessert as he snaps back: You got ice cream without me?! ☹️ I fear I am mortally wounded. 💔 You appease him with a Snap of your own frown, promising him i’ll bring u next time 🥺🍦 pointedly ignoring Mitsuri’s smooching noises when Kyojuro fires back with It’s a date! 😁😋 Sooo maybe nobody respects your privacy.

You’ve never considered yourself shy, but you have resigned yourself to being perpetually friendzoned, a bit too person-next-door in a would-never-date-their-neighbor way rather than a person-next-door who also is-totally-down-to-date-their-handsome-neighbor way. Like puffing out your chest while walking on the sidewalk to convey confidence and get people out of your path, you’ve mastered the art of giving off don’t-fuck-with-me vibes — despite desperately wanting to fuck.

And therein lies the problem-not-actually-a-problem with one Rengoku Kyojuro. Also known as, Mitsuri’s favorite barista. Also known as, immediately flirted with you when Mitsuri finally took you to his cafe for brunch, writing his number on your cup and everything. Also known as, might not have been flirting with you and in fact was just being nice because he has yet to properly-not-jokingly ask you on a real-official-non-platonic date. You’ve survived a blustery autumn of pumpkin spice lattes and too many free muffins, persevered through a surprisingly snug winter of It’s my special recipe hot chocolates and ice skating with the gang (Mitsuri, Shinobu, Kyojuro, and his insufferable friend Tengen), and felt wistfully hopeful as spring came and went, having your voice compared to blossoming flowers and your smile to tender sunshine… only to dream alone, his contagious grin and addictingly cozy hugs lingering even as you woke with the sensation of tears in your eyes.

—

“You should tell him how you feel!” Shinobu sighs, an exasperated, endeared sound as she watches you bemoan your adoration.

“Oh yeah, because he definitely feels the same after a year of literally zero signs!”

“He called your ice cream plans last week a date,” Mitsuri chimes in, rubbing your shoulders as she exchanges a they’re-both-so-helpless look with Shinobu.

“Platonically,” you shoot back, sagging into Mitsuri’s touch, “He’s so gentlemanly and sweet, I never know whether we’re flirting or he’s simply being polite! Friendly! A friend!”

“I repeat,” Shinobu deadpans, “Tell him how you feel.”

You pout, chewing on your upper lip as you mumble, “And if he doesn’t like me?”

“Nonsense!” Mitsuri declares brightly, squeezing you—Owww—a little too hard, “He doesn’t talk to anyone else like he talks to you.”

“I talk to you differently than I talk to Shinobu. Doesn’t mean anything,” you grumble.

“I’m trying to uplift you,” Mitsuri huffs, playfully pulling on your earlobe, “Trust us. Okay? He would absolutely date you if he knew you were interested in dating.”

“Since when have I said I’m not interested?!” you wail in dismay.

“You’ve never said you are interested,” Shinobu quips.

You scowl at her as she tosses a good natured pillow at you, Mitsuri clicking her tongue as you squish the pillow against your sternum, heart aching when your phone lights up Rengoku Kyojuro sent you a Snap • 🔥.

#kyojuro rengoku #rengoku kyojuro #kyojuro x reader #rengoku x reader #flame hashira #drabble #modern au #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer

[coffeeghoulie]

Maybe some phantom/aeon angst and maybe some swiss or mountain comfort?

Maybe phantom/aeon being all jumpy and on edge bc of anxiety and gets comforted after it’s all a bit too much?

-anon

I know you said Swiss or Mountain, but I did both instead lol. Hope you enjoy!

Content warning for an anxiety attack.

Aeon knows caffeine isn't going to help the way their heart flutters against their ribcage like a frightened bird, but their fingers wrap around the ceramic mug anyways. If anything, the warmth radiating from the coffee is soothing, at least a little bit.

They sit on a barstool at the kitchen table, back to the door, watching as Mountain organizes and puts away the morning's greenhouse harvest. His own mug sits on the counter, something that smells herbal and almost medicinal wafting up from it. Mountain hums as he works, something a little off-key but warm, earnest.

Mountain had pressed the coffee into their hands when they had stumbled into the kitchen earlier than they normally did, too keyed up from some dream they couldn't quite remember. They sip at it, stomach not quite agreeing with it, but Mountain's made it exactly the way they like it, sweet but not overly so, and they'd feel even worse turning him down.

They finish the coffee as Mountain leans against the kitchen counter, his tea in one hand, the other curled around the counter. There's a surge of envy that fills their chest at how at ease he looks, how every muscle in his body isn't tense and ready to jump.

"You alright, petunia?" Mountain asks, taking a long sip of his tea. Aeon whips their head to face him. "You're normally not awake this early."

They swallow hard, the aftertaste of the coffee suddenly too bitter. They shrug, hoping their face remains pleasantly neutral, hiding the way their mind races. Why can't they be calm? Why do they feel like they're dying? What's happening to them?

Mountain's brow furrows, and Aeon stares into their empty mug to avoid his gaze. Of course he can see right through them. Aeon swallows hard, their breath coming faster and faster and they can't stop it, why can't they stop it?

They're spiraling over nothing and they can feel Mountain's eyes on them and and and-

Aeon yelps as a hand touches their shoulder, jolting as the mug slips from their fingers, shattering against the tile.

Everything stops.

"Aeon?" a voice Aeon knows is Swiss's says behind them. Mountain pushes himself up to standing, taking a step towards them. They keep staring at the shattered ceramic.

"'M sorry," they wheeze, mind starting to race again. They broke one of Mount's mugs. Aeon moves to collect the broken pieces, desperately trying to make things right, when Swiss's hand tightens ever so slightly around their shoulder.

"Don't apologize," he says, voice steady and calm and Aeon clings to it like a life preserver. "It's okay. It was an accident. I'm sorry for startling you, bug."

Aeon gives a little warbling hum, still bending to gather the broken pieces.

"Hey, hey, Aeon, stop," Swiss says, pulling them upright. "Mount's grabbing the broom, I don't want you to cut yourself on those."

Aeon finally meets Swiss's eyes, and the concern they see written there makes their shoulders slump, their breathing shaky. Swiss is quick to wrap his arms around them, holding them just tight enough.

"It's okay, you're okay, we've got you," he breathes, chuffing softly in their ear. "Can you follow my breathing?"

They nod, trying to focus on the way his hand skates up and down their spine, the in and out of his breath. He whispers softly as they shakily try to follow along. "That's it, bug, doing so good. Just keep breathing nice and slow, okay?"

Aeon nods again, burying their face in the crook of his neck. They tense up just a little as they hear the tinkle of ceramic shards against each other, the scrape of the broom against the tile, but Swiss just coos a little louder, runs his fingers through their hair.

Mountain approaches the two of them, his footsteps deliberately louder so Aeon knows he's coming up behind them. "It's alright, petunia, we've got you," he says, voice a low rumble. Aeon leans back on the stool, lifting their face from the crook of Swiss's neck to rest the back of their head against Mountain's chest.

They nod as Mountain starts to purr, a deep thing that they can feel buzzing against them. Their eyelids slip a little, breathing suddenly so much easier, safe in the arms of their packmates. "Thank you," Aeon says, and they've never meant anything more.

#dot's writing #aeon ghoul #mountain ghoul #swiss ghoul #fic request #cw anxiety #the band ghost #the band ghost fanfiction

[strawberrycrushes]

Hello!, I saw that your requests were open. Can I request Jing Yuan, Welt and Screwllium with a shy!reader who loves to figure skate? Reader is very private about it, yet also very pasionate about it. Reader will plan to go skating at places at times where there's no one present so they can preform figure skating tricks freely. If there isn't any music, reader will just sing it themselves. They'll skate for as long as they can, and won't stop untill either (a) someone finds them, (b) they're too tired to keep going,or (c) they're too cold continue.

thank youu

❄️

A/N: Dear snowflake, thank you so much for the request however I will unfortunately have to exclude Screwllium because I only write for playable characters. I had a lot of fun with this request so I hope you enjoy.

Welt:-

Ever since the Express had landed in Jarilo-VI, you had acquired the strange habit of disappearing into the world’s frost-covered plains, only coming back much later; freezing cold and completely drained. It worried Welt half to death, but since you never revealed what you were up to, he just had to get used to the feeling. It helped that, ever since you started these so-called expeditions, you carried yourself with more satisfaction and confidence, or at least the closest thing to those he had ever seen you carry yourself with. It was nice seeing you like that.

Today, though, was different. You were late. Late enough to warrant concern from Himeko and Pom Pom as well. It confirmed that he wasn't just exaggerating the issue in his head, which was the only thing he needed to know before heading out to find you–

And find you he did.

You were out skating across an ice lake, humming a melody that matched the grace of your movements. You were so focused on these motions that you didn’t even notice him standing there, enchanted.

He was awestruck as he watched you make great leaps across the ice, pirouetting along to a routine even he could recognize as extraordinarily difficult. So this was what you were up to then?

When you finally skidded to a stop, he instinctively raised his hands to clap for you. A move that proved itself to be poorly thought out when you swerved around to look at him with wide eyes, nearly tripping along the way.

“M-Mr. Yang? What are you doing here?” You tried to steady yourself, the shock, confusion, and embarrassment evident in your face

Welt chuckled, “Perhaps it would be better if you got off the ice first?” he said playfully, and you quickly slid over with a beet red face, moving to retrieve the boots you hid inside a bush to replace the skates you were currently wearing.

“So um… Mr. Yang…” you trailed off, unsure how to ask him.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about this. I myself am sorry that I didn’t tell you I was watching earlier. I’m afraid I might have encroached upon your privacy.” Welt gave you an apologetic look, and you flailed around with your hands.

“No, no, it’s fine, it’s actually probably for the best that you didn’t or else I would have fallen face first in the ice.” you awkwardly chuckled, causing Welt to laugh.

“If I may ask, you were figure skating, right?”

You nod and mumble, “It’s just a hobby I picked up from my home world, nothing special.”

“Liar.” Welt smiled, “If it really was nothing special to you, you wouldn’t be able to skate that way. I’ve seen figure skaters before, and if I had to say, you’d be amongst the best.”

You blush, “You’re flattering me”

“I’m being serious. Even if you didn’t want to share your talents with the world, you still ended up with a fan in me.”

You looked up at the earnest look on his face and smiled.

To be honest, figure skating was supposed to be a private hobby you could enjoy while nobody was watching. You loved it, yes, and you enjoyed the subtle comfort it gave you, but you honestly never believed anyone could enjoy it the same way you did. Yet somehow, when Mr. Yang saw your ‘performance’, as embarrassing as it was, you had to admit… it felt nice.

“Thank you, Mr. Yang. I appreciate it, really.”

A comfortable silence fell on the snowy plains. You hesitated, then asked, “If it’s not too rude to ask, what were you doing out here anyway?”

Welt’s eyes widened, “Shoot. I was supposed to come look for you because you hadn’t returned to the Express yet, and it completely slipped my mind just how late it was getting.”

…

……

You tried to hold back your laughter, but failed. This time, it was Welt’s turn to be embarrassed. “If you’re done laughing, we should probably head back now”

“Right.” you cleared your throat, clearly still amused by his misstep. Getting up, you begin to trail behind him with a smile on your face you couldn’t hold back. Maybe sharing this little hobby of yours wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Not when it was Welt, anyway.

Jingyuan:-

You took a deep breathe, then began.

Steadily pushing yourself forward, you carefully fell into the skating routine you had recently started practicing. Increasing your intensity with the rise and fall of the music playing in the background, the thin grinding of your skates against the ice being the only other sound that could be heard alongside. It felt like you were creating magic in the moment, something you easily got lost in until you couldn’t go on anymore.

Panting on the edge of the ring you reached out to grab your bottle of water only to find nothing there.

“Looking for something?” A suave voice called out from besides you.

You whipped your head around to find your boss, Jingyuan, teasingly waving your bottle in front of you with a sly smile. “I had no idea you could skate like that, why didn’t you tell me?”

You flush red. It was difficult not to be embarrassed when your literal boss caught you in one of your most private moments.

“I- I’m sorry General. Do you need me for anything? I’ll get right back to work-“

You try to stand up but Jingyuan quickly cuts you off “No no, not to worry. There’s no work to be done. I was hoping to invite you to a cup of coffee since you seemed so tired all the time but instead…I seemed to have come across the reason why, no?”

You gulp, “Um well, that’s-“ You try to think of something to say and Jingyuan chuckles.

“No need to be so tense, I only jest. I was actually very impressed with your performance here today and couldn’t help but ask, how come you haven’t told anyone about your hobby? You’re very good at it, I don’t doubt that you could even take it to an intergalactic stage-“

“General.” You cut him off this time. “Please. It’s nothing special. Besides, it’s meant to a more…private hobby. I feel uncomfortable figure skating when there are other people around”

“You were fine when I was watching”

“I didn’t know you were there!”

“Hmm, really?” He seemed to ponder this for a while though you find it quite impossible to believe he didn’t already know that. “Alright, new question. Is it possible for you to pretend that I’m not here once more? I want to watch again. If that’s okay with you of course. I wasn’t lying when I said I liked seeing you skate”

“You-!”

You had no idea what to say. How could he even say things like that with a straight face? Did he really want to see skate again that bad?

You gulp and reach out to grab the water bottle from his hands. Taking a sip, you mull it over, occasionally glancing back over to Jingyuan. How you weren’t as opposed to this as you initially thought, you had no idea either, but you wanted to give it a try.

“Fine” You mumble underneath your breath and try not to let your heart flutter too much at the sight of an honest to god genuine smile on your boss’s face. You slide back on to the middle of the ice rink, getting into position again.

As the music takes off, so do you. Twirling to the music you try to balance yourself on your skates but with the newfound nervousness that come with having an audience, even if there was only one member, you quickly found yourself slipping up. Very literally. As in, falling gracelessly on your ass.

“Are you hurt?” Jingyuan gave you a worried look.

You bit the inside of your cheek. How embarrassing. “No. It’s fine”

You get up, and try again, continuing on where the music currently was. This time, you didn’t trip immediately, feeling comfortable in adding that previous flourish you had when figure skating alone, but when you caught sight of the pride in Jingyuan’s face, your breathe hitched and you got distracted. Consequently you tripped.

You sigh in frustration, trying to get up again before promptly letting out a hiss of pain. Ah, your ankle. You must have injured it in the tumble…

Jingyuan immediately rushed to your side, hesitantly inspecting your ankle, carefully setting it back down when you grimaced.

“Not to worry. It appears you’ve only sprained it” He tries to reassure you but you have a feeling he’s telling that to himself as well. “It’ll be fine after some icing and rest, but I still want to take you to a doctor just to be sure.”

Before you could insist that you really were fine, you felt yourself be scooped up by the general as he began carrying you out, effectively turning you to mush. Your heartbeat went haywire and none of your thoughts felt comprehensive.

“G-general?”

“I am sorry for making you perform in such an unfamiliar environment.” He said, sounding incredibly guilty. “This is my fault. At least let me make it up to you”

You gazed at him silently then sighed, gulping down the lump in your throat. “A-alright. Perhaps it would be best to have to go through a proper check up”. You mumble, barely audible.

Jingyuan smiles before continuing on. How silly, you thought. You felt your heart skipped a beat once more.

#honaki star rail #honkai star rail x reader #hsr welt #hsr jing yuan #welt x reader #jingyuan x reader

[notyour-valentine]

The Boy in the Window 3 ~ Tommy Shelby x Reader (Series)

Chapter Summary: (Y/N) has to make the best of the situation until Tommy returns, and when he does, he brings with him a harsh truth and a strange request

Notes: I feel overwhelmed with all your support, comments, reactions and feedback to the previous parts and I hope this one doesn't disappoint. I do not consent to my work being translated, copied or posted elsewhere on this platform or any other. 

Here, you can find my [Masterlist] and the [Series Masterlist]

Warning: Canon conforming mention of violence. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Expect spoilers for Peaky Blinders Season 1-4.

Wordcount: 3889

Part 3

[Previously]

Both Emma and Charlie were nothing short of delighted at the prospect of spending more time together. All the while (Y/N) couldn't help the bitter taste in her mouth. Only a few days ago, she didn’t have to constantly rake her thoughts due to Mr. Thomas Shelby OBE and his little son, who had his father’s eyes and none of his nature. 

And yet, here she was. 

Charlie had arrived half changed, but in the bag his father had dropped, she had found clothes, toiletries and toys. The clothes might have been folded once, but had been packed so carelessly, they had grown wrinkled. Her work at Mrs. Cook had made her familiar with all sorts of fabric. Those used to make his clothes were none but the best money could buy, worked with expert technique. But they weren't sturdy enough for the kind of winters they had in Small Heath. 

"We have to find you something warmer to wear!", She said to Charlie, after having searched through what he had to offer. As soon as she had gotten up, however, his hand grabbed her skirt as if he still feared she would slip away. 

Charlie was about Emma's size, but she couldn't just put him in her thick tights even if it would do more to keep him warm than his soft and smooth socks. Half of them even had his initials embroidered at the ankle. 

"Emma, darling, would you mind letting Charlie borrow some of your socks?", She asked. 

"Alright. But not the green ones."

No, those were her absolute favourite and while she liked the boy, she didn't like him quite enough for that. 

Since they were the only residents left in this house, she had the luxury of two bedrooms- one for Emma and one for her. She gave Emma her old room, and tried to make it as nice and as open as possible, with just a cupboard, wardrobe, and a small writing desk. 

The larger cupboards, the tub, the water basin and all the rest had made her own bedroom rather crowded, but at least Emma had room to move and play. 

"You can keep your toys in your room?", Charlie asked Emma as he noticed the painted cubes she used to build houses, castles and forts.  

"You don't?"

He shook his head. 

"Frances says I'll not sleep but spend all night playing."

As they compared the hands they had been dealt, (Y/N)  pulled out a pair of grey, thick woollen socks which her own mother had knitted ages ago. 

"There.", She said, once she had pulled them over Charlie's original socks. 

"They're itchy.", He complained, tugging at the fabric where it touched his knee above his other, merino wool sock. 

"But we can go ice skating in them!", Emma giggled. "Mummy please! Please!"

"Alright.", (Y/N) agreed. "But not too fast and not too wild. I don't want either one of you getting hurt."

Lord help me if Tommy Shelby's son breaks a bone in my house. 

Because no one else would. 

Downstairs once more, she rolled up the carpet and moved away anything that might topple from the cupboards. 

"How do we go ice skating inside?", Charlie wanted to know. 

"I'll show you!"

Emma pushed herself up against the wall and made herself as thin as possible. Then she began to run as fast as her little legs would take her before jumping. 

She landed on her feet, but the push from her run sent her slithering down the length of the corridor, both her arms outstretched for balance. 

Charlie's eyes widened. 

He showed infinitely more caution at his first attempt, dragging his feet instead of running until he got a hang of how the socks slipped on the old, worn wood. 

But she could see the glint in his eyes and the beginnings of a beaming smile. 

Soon enough they were pulling each other across the corridor, accompanied by cheerful shouts and breathless laughter. 

Now that the children were occupied, (Y/N) returned to the kitchen, both to clean up what remained of breakfast to sort through her thoughts and fears. Her fingers brushed over the scrapes on her palms, from where she had broken her fall. 

~

“Mummy, what’s wrong?”, Emma asked. 

Her eyes snapped up, and she met the gaze of two pairs of concerned eyes. 

Her daughter had abandoned her seat at the kitchen table and climbed into her lap, reaching out to cup her face. 

"Are you ill?"

She offered them a sorry attempt at a smile and pressed a kiss to the palm of her daughter's hand, right to the spot she'd always stroke to settle her ever since she had been a baby. 

“I'm just a bit tired.", She said. 

"Why?" 

"Because I had a very bad dream last night." 

Although it was not entirely truthful, it didn't feel like a lie, not truly. 

“Dad get’s bad dreams too.”, Charlie said, watching from the place he had been given next to Emma and across from her. 

“Does he now?”, she asked, as her own voice sounded more hollow than it had in a long time. It was strange to hear, especially about a man like that. Even (Y/N) found it surprising to know that he, after all he had done, was still human enough to succumb to something as childish as nightmares. 

Both children were looking at her and so she had to speak. 

“Everyone gets nightmares.”, she quickly said, lifting Emma from her lap. “Now, why don’t I clear the table and you can show Charlie your coloured pencils, hm?”

To her relief, and concern in equal measure, Thomas Shelby did not return in time for supper. 

Nor when it began to grow dark outside. 

“Are we going back to Charlie’s house now?”, Emma asked. 

“That’s not my house!”, he insisted at once, his cheeks turning red. 

(Y/N) didn’t miss how he curled his hands into fists. 

“I live with Dad and Frances.”

“No, we’re not!”, she quickly said, before they could begin to argue, smoothing down his hair. “You’ll sleep here tonight.”

At once, Charlie's shoulders relaxed as his hand which had been a fist mere seconds ago searched for hers to hold. 

But Emma’s bed was too small for the both of them and she doubted Charlie would feel comfortable sleeping in a room all by himself. So she decided to let them sleep in her bed together, which made Emma giggle in excitement at being allowed in “the big bed” on her own. 

When (Y/N) returned upstairs with a heated brick wrapped in cloth to keep them warm during the night, she heard them giggling at the realisation that they could lie across as well. 

“None of this once you’re meant to sleep!”, she remarked sternly, tucking them in the right way round. 

They chose another fairy tale for tonight, Snow-White and Rose-Red, before they said their good night prayer, their song and their kisses. 

Just like last night, Charlie didn’t seem too content, only this time he snuggled himself into his pillow while staring at her with those piercing Shelby eyes, but while his father’s held nothing but malice and cruelty, his were filled with something resembling a plea. 

It took (Y/N) a moment to understand what he didn’t dare to say out loud. 

“Would you like a kiss too?”, she finally asked. 

Cautiously he nodded, as if he was asking a high tribute and feared to make her cross. (Y/N) leaned over and kissed his forehead, and when she pulled back, he was beaming at her like she had given him the greatest gift. 

For a good half hour or so she sat in front of Emma’s room and listened. First there were still whispers and giggles interrupted by Charlie. 

“Shh. We have to be more quiet!”, he reminded Emma over and over again. 

It almost made her smile. 

But soon their voices subsided, replaced by nothing but slow and steady breaths and tranquillity - something she no longer saw herself trusting. Not after last night. 

She checked on them again and again, getting up from her sewing work at the kitchen table to see and all she found were sleeping children. 

Still, there was no sign of Charlie’s father. Not that night. And finally, at half past ten, (Y/N) too went to bed. 

Since she has given them her own bed, she slept in Emma's, or at least tried to, as her her dreams were haunted by pale blue eyes once more. 

~

She awoke before the children, washing herself and brushing out her hair. Just as she put on her dressing gown, she could see a silhouette in the window across the courtyard. And she knew he had seen her too. 

Just like her, he wasn’t dressed yet, staring out into the early morning with a bare chest and a cigarette between his lips. 

The tattoos on his pale chest looked like ancient carvings on marble stone. And his eyes shone as they met hers, unwilling to break away. 

To her surprise, (Y/N) realised that no chill ran down her spine, no icy grip closed around her heart. 

But only because he had a look in them which she had seen once before - two lifetimes ago, when they had been little more than children. 

It had been a look of anguish he hadn't been able to show, not truly, which had been followed by a confession so painful, that it had made her eyes burn with tears. 

Even now, nearly fifteen years later and in spite of everything that had transpired between them, the memory made her heart clench with a pain that was not her own. 

Quickly, she averted her eyes, because like then, she had become witness to something he hadn't wished anyone to see. 

After checking on the children, finding them both once more in a tangled mess of arms, legs, sheets and pillows, complete with Emma’s favourite stuffed animals of Duffie the teddy bear and Mrs. Tatters, a rabbit with impossibly long ears, she went downstairs and put the kettle on. 

When the shadow dimmed the faint morning light, she braced herself for anything. 

By now he had pulled on trousers and a white undershirt, but even despite the cold, he wore no coat. 

It almost seemed like he had truly become immune to human emotions, but his eyes told another story. 

Without further ado, (Y/N) let him in, if only for fear of what might happen if she refused. 

“The children are still asleep.”, she said, barely daring to glance in his direction. “I'll go and wake Charlie.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shake his head faintly. 

Two nights ago he had terrified her to the core. Yesterday morning, he had moved so fast she hadn’t even had time to think but now he looked like he could be toppled by a gust of wind. 

And he seemed to have aged a decade since last she saw him. 

Watching him stand in her kitchen, frozen to the spot with his eyes staring out into nothingness, (Y/N) didn’t know what to do with him. 

He didn’t want her to get his son, but did he want her to leave? Would it be appropriate for her to? This was still her house after all. 

Perhaps he expected something of her. He must have done, else he wouldn't have come.

"W-would you like some tea?”, she finally asked, her fingers smoothing down the fabric of her dressing gown in a desperate attempt to end the uncertain silence.

“Tea?”, he asked, as if the word itself was foreign to him. 

She nodded faintly. 

“I made some.”

(Y/N) placed a cup before him and watched him stare at the steam rising from it. He neither touched it, nor the sugar or the milk she provided. He just stared, but she knew he was seeing anything but the old wood of her kitchen table. 

She didn’t dare leave. Instead, she leaned against the counter and watched him. The Blinders were known for their emphasis on expensive clothing and fashion, and the golden pocket watches of the Shelby brothers were infamous. 

So she did not know what to make of the silent, half undressed man in her kitchen with unkempt hair and wide, unseeing eyes. 

“Mr Shelby?”, she finally dared to ask, with a little more persistence this time.

“Is there anything I can get you?”

It wasn’t the smartest thing she had ever said, but she had to say something, didn’t she? 

He lifted his head slowly, as if, like Atlas, he had to carry the world on his shoulders. 

A few moments passed where he seemed to stare into her, body and soul, until he finally chose to speak. His voice couldn’t have sounded more different if he had said the words from the underworld itself. 

“John’s dead.”

(Y/N) felt like all the air had been knocked from her lungs and to her surprise, her own hands trembled as they pulled a chair for herself. It had been years since had laid eyes on her brother's childhood friend. 

John, in her mind, was always the way he had been at thirteen- with red cheeks and long blonde hair, which was always slightly messy under a crooked cap. He was charming and naughty and cocky, often twirling some new trinket in his hand which he had acquired due to quick and steady fingers,  but above all she remembered him to be loud. 

Everything about him was loud, his voice, his steps, his anger, his laughter- all loud and brash and boyish. 

Of all the men who had gone to France, John Shelby returned the most like he had gone, even if he had to return to a dead wife and orphaned children. 

He was still loud and playful and had somehow retained that youthful face, while his brother Arthur seemed to have aged half a century. 

“John’s dead.”, he said once more, as if he had to convince himself of the fact

“Michael’s injured and John’s dead.”

“Mr. Gray?”, (Y/N) asked. 

Polly Gray’s son’s reappearance did not go unnoticed. Little of the things she did, didn’t find their ways into the bathhouse or church bench chatter.

She was the one that featured most prominently in gossip talk about the Shelby Family, the one people dared to talk most about.  

An avid church goer, who ran a betting shop all through the war all on her own. 

An apparent open Catholic, who still practised her occult magic, laying curses and holding seances, talking to the dead and the like. 

Her children, who were lost, and the son that had returned. 

A woman, who gave money generously to good causes and was on trial for the murder of a police man. 

Tommy Shelby gave a single nod, before dropping his head. She couldn’t see his face, but she heard the heaving sound of his breath. 

“I’m sorry.”, she said, because what else was there to say? 

John was his brother. 

Edith’s death had nearly shattered her, so quickly had it come and gone, without a chance to say goodbye. When her brother died, it had been a long process, so she had been prepared.

In a way, she had begun to mourn him long before he had even passed. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt to lose the man he had become and above all the boy he had once been. 

“So am I.”, he whispered. 

Before she could say more, she heard footsteps on the stairs, followed by giggles.

“Morning Mummy!”, Emma sang, skipping down the hall before she froze, staring at the newcomer. 

“Who are you?”, she demanded to know, leaning forward to get a better view of him. 

"Dad!”, Charlie exclaimed, running past Emma and jumping into his arms. 

Tommy Shelby caught him and held him in his arms, for a moment daring to press his head against his son’s. Another sight, (Y/N) felt, she was not supposed to see. 

When he let go, Charlie was still sitting on his knee, beaming from ear to ear as he told him about the games and the stories, about the hot chocolate she had made them last night, which he liked, even if it tasted different than Frances’ and about how Emma and he jumped on the bed- 

“Oh!”, he gasped, staring at (Y/N) with wide eyes, as he realised it was too late to rein in his excitement. 

“Jumping on my bed?”, she asked Emma, who laughed as she buried her face in her mother’s tummy, not noticing the tight hold she had on her shoulders, ready to pull her away at any given second, out of his sight - out of his reach. 

There was talk of wolves in sheep’s clothing, sneaking into the enclosure and waiting for the right moment to strike.

She now had a wolf sitting at her kitchen table, and yet while she still feared him, he didn’t seem frightening - not now. 

Not when he didn’t even seem to understand the language his son was speaking, let alone the meaning of his words. 

He only stared at him with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. 

It would only be a matter of time until his son realised the change in him, unless he was distracted- and she felt neither one was ready for that conversation. 

In playful scolding, she clicked her tongue.

“My, my. And there I was thinking you’d been so good I could make you poor knights with jam for breakfast!”

Emma’s head shot up as she wrapped her arms around her waist, jumping up and down.

“Oh please Mummy, please. I’ll be good. I’ll be so good, we both will. Won’t we, Charlie?”

“Yes!”, Charlie agreed, nodding eagerly. “Tell her Dad!”

The poor man looked entirely lost, when his son addressed him, (Y/N) almost pitied him. Almost. But enough to help him.

"Alright then, but I expect you both to help.”

It took thrice as long, with her two little helpers, but they tried and Charlie was especially excited to be allowed to beat the eggs and turn the bread. It also distracted him from his father’s state. 

But Emma wasn’t as easily distracted. 

The newcomer fascinated her, and she wasn’t above treating him like a curiosity. 

"Charlie says you have all the fastest horses in England.”, she announced, building herself up to her full height in front of the most dangerous man in the country. 

And yet, he did not look dangerous now. Instead, he looked downright scared, as he faced Emma’s gaze.  

“Darling, help me with the sugar!”, (Y/N) called, ushering her away. She felt his eyes follow. 

The children thoroughly dug into their breakfast, but Tommy Shelby didn’t even look at it, despite the plate she had sat before him. 

“I’ve got other things…”, she tried. Gangster or not, he was still her guest, and she could sense her mother turning in her grave at the thought of a guest in this house going hungry, especially a guest she herself had fed a long time ago. 

But he shook his head. Then, he got up and gestured to the doorway. 

(Y/N) followed. 

Without looking at her, he leaned closer. She recoiled until her back hit the wall, making him freeze. Swallowing hard he took a small step back and raised his hands in resignation. He also averted his eyes. 

“There’s things to be done…things I have to do.”

Even when he addressed her, he kept his gaze averted. 

“I wanted to leave him with Polly but she’s not exactly open to distractions right now. And he barely knows Ada and doesn’t remember Linda at all so, ah,”

He cleared his throat. “Can I leave him here? Just till things are sorted?”

(Y/N) gasped, glancing around. 

“Mr. Shelby I-”

“I’ll pay.”, he said at once. “Whatever you make, I’ll double it. And I’ll make sure your employers won’t make trouble.”

“Oh no, they won’t be trouble!”, she insisted. Well, she couldn’t guarantee that, but the last thing she wanted was to cause poor Mrs. Cook to have to deal with the Peaky Blinders. No one deserved that. 

“They let me work from home to watch Emma.”, she assured him. 

His eyes followed her hand to see the basket with clothes in need of repairs and he nodded. 

Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, he pulled out a pile of crumpled up bills. 

“No.”, she insisted. It was too much- far too much. 

“For the groceries.”, he mumbled. “You left them at the house.”

(Y/N) felt her cheeks heat up. For that money she could buy out the grocery shop, and probably the shoemaker next door too- with enough spare change to buy tea for Emma and herself at the tea shop. 

“I can’t accept this much money.”, she whispered under her breath as she heard Emma laugh at Charles for his “berry moustache”. 

He shook his head and muttered something so low she could not hear, as he simply reached out and placed it into the pocket of her dressing gown. 

(Y/N) fought the desire to flinch away from him once more, even if this time his hands were gentle. 

“I’ll come in when I can to see Charlie but I..I don’t know when or how often. There’s too much to be done. Just too much to be done.”

He was muttering like a man possessed but then his hand found her arm and gave it a squeeze. 

“Please.”, he insisted, as his eyes locked her in place. 

“I just need to know someone’s there to take care of him. Someone who won't pretend to just fucking forget.”

(Y/N) swallowed hard. She wouldn’t dream of handing over Emma to a person whom she barely knew. Let alone barely more than a day after pointing a gun at their head. 

“Can you do that?”, he asked. 

“Well, I suppose, but-”

“Thank you!”

With that, he left her standing and crouched down in front of his son. 

“Do you like your breakfast?”, he asked.

Charlie nodded through a mouthful.

“Good.”, he said, stroking his hair. “You know when I said we’d be staying in that house over there?”

Charlie nodded once more, his chewing stopping. 

“Little change of plans. You’ll stay with (Y/N) for a bit. Would you like that?”

His eyes lit up at his words. 

“Can he?”, Emma demanded to know, squirming in her seat. 

“Now I’ll come visit, but I don’t know when.”, Tommy Shelby told his son. “ I need you to be a good boy for me, eh? Don’t make trouble.”

“I won’t, I promise!”, he insisted with half a mouthful of toast and jam. 

With that, he wrapped his son in a tight embrace, before kissing the side of his head. (Y/N) noticed that he didn't dare let go until Charlie had began to pull back. 

After he had put him down, he left without another word. A week ago, (Y/N) thought as she sat down at her kitchen table with the children, her fingers reaching for the cup of tea he hadn't even touched, my life was perfectly ordinary.

End of Part 3

Thank you for reading! I’d be very grateful for feedback of any kind! If you are interested in more, here is my [Masterlist]

~

[Here you can find Part 4]

Taglist: 

@lilyrachelcassidy @jyessaminereads

TBITW Taglist:

@kaitebugg03

@esistmon 

@chlorrox  

@theshelbyslimited 

@budugu 

@woofgocows 

@orkwardx0

@judig92

@100percentamess

@kabbuu

@esposadomd 

#Peaky Blinders #Tommy Shelby #Thomas Shelby #Thomas Shelby x reader #Tommy Shelby x reader #Tommy Shelby Imagine #Thomas Shelby Imagine #The Boy in the Window #valentineswritings

[phaticserpent]

I don't see a lot of headcanons where the reader has a sibling dynamic with Jack Frost. So here's some sibling-like relationship between you and Jack Frost that no one asked for :p

He's still definitely the prankster. He will crawl into your room through the window to tease you

If you don't like the cold, he will absolutely fly in with a cool gust of wind to tick you off

When you decide to sit down to do your homework, he flies in and knocks all your homework off your desk

"......"

"Homework doesn't pass the vibe check"

"I should never have taught you that"

Still, he'll be protective of you and send you a nice refreshing wind when it's hot in the summer

Or you decide to stick to him cause he's a portable air conditioner

"Ew you're so sweaty, get away from me"

Then cool me off"

"Ugh"

It's the reverse for winter/cold seasons. He'll chase you when you're desperately trying to get warm

Jack: "I'm older."

"Well, technically I'm older. I'm [insert age]."

Jack: "yeah? Well I'm 300 years old."

"That's because you're immortal dimwit."

If you like someone: "they're pretty....."

Jack: "and you're ugly, now let's get to work"

*punches him*

He enjoys your company, regardless of your nagging. It just brings back memories

Tries to be a good moral support and set you up on dates.....by blasting wind to knock you into people

You know it's him and you try to subtly give him the middle finger

He just doubles the force of the wind next time (cheeky bastard)

He kind of just drags you everywhere, he got used to your presence and company that he can't really do anything without you. He'll drag you ice skating, even if you complain that you don't like it and how you keep falling

"I'll teach you"

"No I'm okay, you'll probably trip me"

"You won't trip with me around" He gives you a smug look

"Ew, save that for your girlfriend"

"Shut up"

"Bitchless"

"You're single too, at least I'm invisible. You have no excuse"

There's way more but uhhh, it'll take a while LMAO I desperately need an older sibling :,,,,) cursed to have younger siblings energy with no siblings

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!

#headcanon #rise of the guardians #rotg fandom #rotg #rotg jack frost #jack frost rotg #sibling dynamic #rotg headcanon #can jack frost be my older brother? #i have the urge to nag

[hornystiel]

tagged by @thisisapaige thank youu 💙

20 Questions for Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 6 (i'm new to posting my stuff there)

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 33,807

3. What fandoms do you write for? Spn, tho back in the day i wrote weird ass crossover things for some games + comics + films and manga lmao. and none of those were in english

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

dressing down, shotgunning gone right, a couple of firsts, dancing moves, chipped coin

5. Do you respond to comments? i try to respond to all of them, even if with just a thank you, and i cherish them all very much

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? umm for now it's dancing moves i guess? because it's very open and they're nowhere near done resolving their issues

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? a couple of firsts. they will be fine and they will have a lot of sex :3

8. Do you get hate on fics? not that i know of? i mean in the comments everybody is very nice :')

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? WELL. the thing is. i only read and write fics with smut because yolo carpe diem and i love smut and i think when it's well written it adds A LOT to the characters. or i just want to read steamy stuff for my own benefit hehe. anyway yes i write it and it can be anything really, but usually it's on the verge of desperate and they're very obsessed with each other. i'm also a monsterfucker and love wing kink so that too. aaand i like writing d/s dynamics <3

10. Do you write crossovers? in my earlier days - yes, i've written a couple but it's just some bits somewhere in my folders and only one person besides me saw them. in spn fandom i'm not really interested in it

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? not that i know of and i don't think i'm that popular lmao

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? as of now - nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? no and i honestly don't think i'll be able to because i'm too protective and too 'it should be my way and style and nothing else' person so i'd be a nightmare to co-write with

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? destiel (duh) and mckirk (so many years have passed and yet they still hold a place in my heart)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? idk i have hope that i will be able to finish them all eventually. but probably the 'Skating Gays' fic because i can't focus enough to do a proper research on all figure skating shit and i don't want to write it half blindly and also in my head it's like at least 40k long and it intimidates me because i usually write much shorter stuff

16. What are your writing strengths? dialogues and smut (or i hope so at least)

17. What are your writing weaknesses? can't stay motivated and focused to write Big Works and probs the whole 'what's around the characters' descriptions

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? i'm bilingual myself with knowledge of bits and pieces in other languages and it doesn't bother me even if it's in a language i don't know, it can even be left without any footnotes if the meaning of this bit is for the audience/another character to fail to understand the character speaking. other than that i can read the translated text and be okay

19. First fandom you wrote for? hmm. hard to remember but if we're digging deep enough it was probably tsubasa reservoir chronicle

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? i love all of them? i put my whole pussy in all of them and i enjoy them after. but IF i have to choose...dancing moves and dressing down probably. still. HARD

tagging @jactingjoices @hauntedpearl @angelcasendgame 💜

#tagged #destiel fic #writing #fanfiction

[itsparis-07]

Brooklyn 's sparrow Pt.2 A Saturday walk through park slope~

(Hey ya'll! soooo I know not a lot of people pay mind to this store buuut I wrote this during my free periods today at school, and I'm hoping ya'll like Michiko's story as much I have fun writing it. so as always Stay fresh and please reblog and like! - Paris <3)

Miles Morales and Michiko had been living with Rio Morales, Miles' mother, for two weeks now. They had met under rather unusual circumstances, but their housemates thing had been surprisingly smooth thus far. Today, they were in the kitchen as Rio signed some enrollment papers for Brooklyn Vision Academy, a school that both Miles and Michiko would be attending together. As Rio finished up, she glanced up at the two teenagers and smiled.

"You know, since we're all going to be living together for a while, I thought it might be nice if we all got to know each other better. Why don't you two go out to the corner store and get some groceries for the house? It's gotta been done." Rio handed Miles forty dollars from her wallet. "Here, you can use this. Just make sure to get enough for everyone."

"But Mami! It's saturday and why do I have to take her with me?" Miles protested, folding his arms across his chest. He was starting to feel a bit put-off by the idea of being forced to spend time with Michiko. It wasn't that he didn't like her, it was just that he was used to being on his own.

Rio gave her son a patient smile. "Miles, I know you're used to doing things on your own, but this is a big family now. We're all in this together. And besides," she added, looking over at Michiko, "I think it's a good idea for you two to get to know each other better. Who knows, you might end up being great friends."

Michiko was sitting next to Rio as she Signed on the papers "Michiko Baxter" she smiled shyly and nodded when Rio suggested it was a good idea for them to get to know each other better. She didn't mind it, in fact she was kinda looking forward to it. She turned to Miles and said softly, "I don't mind going with you. It's not a problem…if it's okay with you Ms.Rio?" She tied her sister locs in a bun as she waited for his response.

"Miles, can you walk to the bodega with her? I have to sign the enrollment forms so she can go to school with you." Rio explained, handing him the enrollment papers. "It's the least you can do, Miles. You've been pretty self-sufficient, but you can't just shut everyone out."

"But I was gonna go out with-" Miles began, then stopped himself. He knew it was pointless to argue with his mother. With a sigh, he nodded and looked over at Michiko. "Alright, I guess. Let's go." He took the forty dollars from Rio before leading the way out of the kitchen. As they walked to the corner store, Miles couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. He was used to doing things on his own, and now he had to babysit some girl he barely knew. But as they approached the store, he couldn't help but notice how kinda cute she looked. Her shoulder length locs swayed with the light wind, and her dark skin glowed in the afternoon sun.

"Is there a park near by here? What's this Visions school like? Are the kids nice? Did anybody fight you? Will there be any-" Miles sighed, holding up a hand to stop Michiko's rapid-fire questions. "Look, I know we're just getting to know each other and all, but you don't have to ask me about everything right now." He paused, then added with a small smile, "But I will tell you that there is a pretty sweet skate park not too far from the school. And the kids there are cool. Most of 'em, anyway."

"Skate park?" Michiko asked, eyes lighting up. "I've never been to one before. Do you skateboard?" She'd seen people skateboarding in the city, but never had the chance to try it herself.

"No, Ion really skate like that…but I draw." Miles answered, then paused. "You can come to the park with me sometime and we can watch the skateboarders. They're pretty good." He thought for a moment, then added, "And if you want, we can try it out together." He couldn't believe he was actually offering to show her how to skateboard. Usually he didn't like to teach people, but there was something about Michiko that made him want to help her.

"Cool, the yellow sign over there! There's the store!" Miles pointed at the bodega as they approached it. It was a small, family-owned shop that had been in the neighborhood for generations. The inside was brightly lit, with shelves stacked high with various snacks, drinks, and other items. There was a small refrigerated section at the back where they kept the cold stuff, and a counter where the register was. The owner, an elderly Puerto Rican man named Mr. Sanchez, was sitting on a stool behind the counter, reading a newspaper.

"Hey sandy." Miles said to Mr. Sanchez as they walked up to the row of bagged rice and canned foods of different cultures. He picked up a bag of jasmine rice, green plantains, garlic, oregano, vinegar, paprika, salt, and some pork. he placed it in a basket and walked to the counter. "This should do it." he said, glancing at Michiko, who looked a bit confused.

"Why do we need all this food? is this our dinner?" She asked.

"Yeah, ma's making some pernil and tostones tonight, you'll love it." Miles replied, then looked over at Mr. Sanchez, who nodded at him. "It's my mom's specialty. She learned how to make it when she was living in Puerto Rico." He paused for a moment, then continued, "I'll show you how to cook it sometime if you want. My mom says I'm pretty good at it too."

"Sounds nice, I'd love that!" Michiko replied with a smile. She had always been interested in trying different kinds of foods and cuisines. As they waited for their items to be rung up, she took a closer look at the items in the basket. "What's pernil exactly?" she asked Miles.

"It's basically a slow-roasted pork shoulder," he explained. "My mom does it in a special way, with garlic and oregano and all kinds of stuff. It's really tender and flavorful." Miles glanced over at Mr. Sanchez, who was still busily ringing up their items. "And the tostones are just fried green plantains. They're really good, especially when they're smothered in that garlic sauce my mom makes." He grinned, his eyes lighting up at the thought of the meal.

As they finished paying for their groceries, Miles thanked Mr. Sanchez and they headed out of the store. "So, what do you want to do now?" he asked Michiko as they walked back toward the house. "Do you want to go to the skate park after dinner?"

"That sounds fun. I've never been skateboarding before, but I'd like to try. And I'd love to see you draw too." Michiko replied with a smile. She was really enjoying her day with Miles so far.

As they walked back to the house, they continued chatting about different things. Michiko told Miles about her life as a reaper and telling him she's not the only one wandering New York these days. He was intrigued and listened intently, asking questions and occasionally nodding thoughtfully. They also talked about their favorite movies, music, and hobbies.

By the time they reached the house, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. They walked inside to see Rio setting everything in the kitchen for dinner. She greeted them with a warm smile and invited them to wash up before sitting down at the table. As they did so, they could smell the delicious aroma of the pernil and tostones wafting through the air.

Miles led Michiko into the living room, where they sat down on the couch. "Thanks, Mom. It smells amazing in here," he said, taking a deep breath. They exchanged small talk while they waited for dinner to be ready, commenting on the artwork on the walls and sharing stories about their favorite memories in the house. Rio eventually called them to the table, and they all gathered around in the cozy kitchen. The pernil was perfectly tender and flavorful, with a hint of garlic and oregano that lingered on the tongue. The tostones were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making the perfect accompaniment to the pork. Throughout dinner, Rio regaled them with stories of her time living in Puerto Rico and how she had learned to cook such delicious food. Michiko, eager to learn more, asked Rio if she could teach her some of her recipes as well. Rio smiled warmly and assured her that she would be more than happy to. After dinner, they helped clean up the kitchen together, chatting amiably as they worked. Once everything was put away, Miles suggested they go to the skate park as planned. He grabbed his skateboard and offered Michiko one of his old ones, which she happily accepted. They said goodbye to Rio and headed out the door, ready for an evening of skateboarding and maybe even some drawing practice at a nearby park bench.

As they walked to the skate park, Michiko couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over her. It was refreshing to spend time with someone like Miles, who was so open-minded and accepting of her unique background. She found herself telling him more about her life as a reaper, feeling comfortable in his presence. He listened intently and asked thoughtful questions, never once making her feel like she was strange or different. They spent several hours at the skate park, laughing, falling, and cheering each other on. Miles' drawings were impressive, capturing the movement and energy of the skateboarders around them with ease. Michiko, on the other hand, was self-conscious at first but eventually found her rhythm, sketching the scene around her with growing confidence.

As they walked home she stretched her beautiful black gold wings, letting out a sigh of relief. Miles was unaware of her other life, and she wanted to keep it that way. The sun was beginning t set, casting a warm glow over the city. They stopped at a nearby park bench, and Miles offered to teach her how to ride the skateboard. He showed her the basics, and she quickly picked them up. It was thrilling, and she felt a sense of freedom she hadn't experienced in a long time. They spent the rest of the evening skating and laughing together. Miles' drawings continued to impress her, and she encouraged him to pursue his passion. He seemed genuinely grateful for her support.

"You know I think I'm gonna love Brooklyn, but do you think I'm ready for High school? I mean if it's anything like on Tv, I think I need to stay home." Michiko asked as they walked through the park. Miles smiled at her and said, "You'll be fine, you'll have me to help you through it. And besides, there's always the library if you ever need a break from the crazy." They continued to walk and talk about their hopes and dreams for the future. Miles wanted to be a professional skateboarder and maybe even open up his own skate shop one day. Michiko wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet, but she knew she wanted to keep drawing and exploring her talent.

To be cont!!!

#paris<3 #earth 42 miles x reader #miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles morales x black!reader #miles morales x black!reader

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

Ayaka, Yanfei, Shinobu, Jean, and Keqing with a Majima-esque S/O (Part 3)

Part 1 Here

Ayaka sighed as she went through the paperwork for this week. An upcoming festival was being held by the Kamisato Estate in Ritou, so she needed to oversee everything.

Though something was bothering here about one of the events being held. It was a singing event by a...'Everybody's Idol'?

It was then she heard the door slide open.

(Ayaka) "Ah, Thoma. Can you please do some research about this Idol? I'm not sure who they are."

(???) "I can answer that easily for ya, AYAKA-CHAN!"

She'd recognize that shouting calling of her name anywhere.

(Ayaka) "S/O?!"

Her S/O was wearing a some...strange outfit. Even moreso than their tacky leopard-print jacket.

It was a shiny silky material, complete with pink accents, a yellow headband-...Were those wheels on their shoes?!

(Ayaka) "What on earth are you wearing?"

(S/O) "I'm the top performance, Everybody's Idol: S/O!"

(Ayaka) "..."

She blinked a few times, still not sure what she was seeing.

(S/O) "Fine, I'll show ya. OUTTA THE BLUE, I BRING MY SINGING TO YOU!"

With a dramatic spin, they suddenly broke out into song, stunning Ayaka into complete silence.

"Sunao ni I LOVE YOU! todokeyou Kitto YOU LOVE ME! tsutawaru sa Kimi ni niau GLASS no kutsu wo sagasou!"

(Let's deliver an honest I LOVE YOU. And I'm sure YOU LOVE ME! Let's find that glass slipper that fits you!)

Futari de STEP & GO! itsu made mo Shin'ya juuni-ji wo sugitatte Kimi wa boku no itoshii nijuuyo-jikan CINDERELLA

(Together, Step & Go! Forever and ever. Even though it's past midnight, You're my beloved 24-hour Cinderella!)

Hey! Hey! Hey!

S/O stood in place, both arms outstretched while Ayaka was frozen in place, completely shocked of the raw energy they exuded.

...The raw energy of an passionate man/woman, anyway.

She suddenly burst into laughter, barely being able to contain herself making S/O raise an eyebrow.

(S/O) "Come on now, I was being serious here!"

She continued laughing, trying so hard to stop.

(Ayaka) "I-I'm! Hahaha! S-Sorry, n-not laughing at you! Ahahaha!"

S/O crossed their arms, honestly annoyed.

(S/O) "Ya done yet?"

She wiped away a tear, her breathing starting to stabilize.

(Ayaka) "I'm sorry, I was just caught off guard is all."

(S/O) "Why? I'm like this all the time."

(Ayaka) "To everyone else, sure. But I know what you're really like and...honestly? I didn't know you liked that song."

She had heard of this song from foreign performers, but it was the first time she heard it sang so enthusiastically.

(S/O) "I can appreciate music too! Shit, this is my favorite!"

(Ayaka) "And you'll be performing it for e-"

(S/O) "Hell yeah I am! Got me some cool folk from Fontaine and a Liyue chick using something called the electric guitar on the instruments!"

This was the most genuinely excited she had heard them in a very long time.

(Ayaka) "Well, I'll be sure to be in the front seats, dear."

(S/O) "You better."

(Ayaka) "...By the way, why are there wheels on your shoes?"

(S/O) "Apparently they're called 'Roller Skates'. Invented in Fontaine by a dude named Petibled."

(Ayaka) "Aren't those hard to get around in?"

(S/O) "Oh yeah! Almost fuckin' tripped like 3 times on the way here."

They tried to slide in before hitting the carpet floor and slipping, making Ayaka cover her mouth to laugh again.

Ayaka didn't know it was possible to fall even more in love than she already has.

But, it was nice to see the 'Mad Dog' enjoy themselves for the first time in a while.

Yanfei thinks it's hilarious watching S/O burst into song with their clothing.

If people were already afraid of that Xinyan woman, then OH MAN, would the people of Liyue have opinions on S/O.

She's not sure if she completely enjoys the type of music they're doing, but she can't deny it's at least different.

She just hopes they won't get into any trouble wearing those shoes, that looks like that would make a LOT of insurance on property damage come up.

Shinobu blinks in disbelief on what she is witnessing.

S/O doesn't even need to lift her mask up to know her jaw is dropped.

While she doesn't hate the song, and actually finds their singing impressive, she is downright horrified by the Arataki Gang seeing this.

For the next few weeks, she has to stop S/O from converting the Arataki gang into a boy band and terrorizing Inazuma.

She has seen fear incarnate, and it is Arataki Itto on roller skates.

Jean laughs the entire time, a mouth shyly covering her mouth watching S/O go at it.

Barbara most likely taught them what the word 'Idol' meant, and got them to do this whole song and dance.

And it was during the Windblume festival, meaning EVERYONE saw it. She wasn't sure if she should be proud or mortified by it.

If anything though, she wants to try out the wheel shoes S/O was wearing, it seemed like a lot of fun!

And she also wants to know how much Barbara taught them how to sing, or if it came naturally.

(Keqing) "What in the...?!"

She has seen S/O pull lots of crazy stunts, to the point of disregarding Lady Ninguangg's advice, moreso if they were given by her or Ganyu.

But this might be the most insane thing she's seen.

What the hell was that outfit?!

What the hell were those shoes?!

WHY THE HELL IS THEIR VOICE SO GOOD?!

Keqing refuses to admit that she actually liked the song because she knows the moment she admits it, they'll pull even crazier stunts out.

She double checks her surroundings before she starts to quietly hum the song to herself.

#genshin impact imagines #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact x reader #ayaka kamisato #ayaka kamisato x reader #jean gunnhildr #jean gunnhildr x reader #kuki shinobu x reader #keqing x reader #yanfei x reader #kuki shinobu #yanfei #keqing

[gideonisms]

Hey I just read what you have of out of Hold You Like A Weapon and... NGL I am really intimidated by the fact that the first chapter was in Jan 2022 and now This (No judgement, it's just a bummer when chapters take forever), but even if you never published another chapter again I would be so breathlessly grateful for what you have. “I want to make you suffer too. I want you to think about this every day, Griddle. I want to watch you die.” this is Every single part of their dynamic I have ever wanted to read, in SUCH a hot piece of writing as to make me literally breathless because it is so good. In the meantime, do you have any Explicit Griddlehark fics that scratch a similar itch? (Your style is to DIE FOR and I am in withdrawal) It's a plus if they're longer, but I trust your judgment for anything.

This is such a nice ask to receive, thank you so much for reading and enjoying my fic, let alone sending me such a sweet message about it <3

I totally get being intimidated by longer unfinished fic. Look, I still kind of wish tamsyn muir would finish her homestuck fic from 10 years ago, although it goes without saying I'm a fan of what she's done with her time instead. Anyway, I've been dealing with some mental health stuff for the past few years and although I think I've figured out what was going on, it's taking some time to get back to anything resembling a functional life. It is kind of a bummer because I have so many creative ideas I'd love to pursue, but have had to focus on the bare minimum. THAT SAID I just graduated so a lot of my college stress is behind me at least! And I have a good outline of what happens in this AU. I'm hopeful about finishing it before alecto comes out.

Anyway, as to your question about explicit griddlehark fics, I DID do a couple of rec lists here and here (not all griddlehark, but many are). For writers whose style I especially enjoy, I rec bonesfortime, raxheim, igneousbitch, corpsesoldier, valancytrinit, and zoicite. If you're looking for something in the specific enemies with benefits to lovers genre, there is a figure skating fic here I enjoyed and then this fic I mentioned in the first rec list linked up there, and the buzzfeed unsolved au by igneousbitch has this premise too, but if anyone knows some other good ones too, feel free to comment! I can never get enough of that trope

#replies #my fic #hold you like a weapon #hopefully this wasn't tmi you didn't ask for my life story or a list of every single fic author i enjoy but there you have it #well this isn't actually a full list. look i've read a lot of tlt fic in the past 2 years this is what came to me off the top of my head #thanks for your kind comments!

[chalkanthit]

For the SE HC ask: 4!!!

Going for SE Askboard @h0lly-hued-s0ul has made!

Ik it's a bit late but better late than never dkfbdokf

Also going for most of the youngsters bc they're my little precious weirdos uu

Offer a hobby-related headcannon for any character.

Soul

We should all be aware by now that soul is a huge music nerd even if he's pretending to be "just casual" About it but somehow I could even imagine that his guilty pleasure is also baking since... Have you seen the cute little tea and cakes he sometimes brings Maka when she's studying for exams like crazy??? He claims he just buys them from "that one little bakery" That Maka suspiciously never finds but in secret (not really) he really does them by himself and is proud when they're well liked!!

Maka

She's deffenly a little sport nerd kinda girl that got to like things like Basketball and soccer/football quite a lot, but she also would still enjoy a good book (or ten) at times as well next to solving crossword puzzles and other Puzzles and riddles!

Basically everything that makes her Brain go brrrr! Also idk how much it's connected to the hobby aspect, but I hat girl would have Duolingo on her phone and use it almost religiously every evening before bed!

Oh but also she would have a big knack for poetry and writing overall even if she's sometimes quite shy about it since Soul and Black star made fun of it a few times-

Tsubaki

Everything around gardening and cooking???

She also would simply enjoy long walks and nice quality time with her friends since Tsubaki really is this comfy person that likes a calm life but also the fun and more adventureous aspects of it;;;

A part of me can also imagine that she'd enjoy something like Yoga and Ice skating a lot when she gets the chance to do it in peace-

Black star

Sports nerd! Everything that resolves around movement and putting his brain on serotonin 24/7 with the bees on crack he apparently has in his butt-

But also we already saw that he also enjoys comics a LOT and would totally be into video games as well even if he would loose to patty constantly!

Kid

He'd actually like things that put his mind off ease? Like he very much enjoys cleaning much more in a healthy but for many weird manner since who likes cleaning am I right?? But also is very open and keen to things like Chess and plenty of other board games he most likely plays with Liz and Patty almost every Saturday night unless Liz manages to escape :')

Also hey! I can imagine him liking to draw a lot as well together with Patty Duke while listening to murder mystery podcasts-

Liz

Shopping and dancing Q U E E N!

Ik it's basic but hear me out! She just loves fashion a lot and can give people a lot of advice for this topic and would occasionally do makeovers if you let her!

She just blooms so much doing that and seeing how much people can show their other sides as a well! Also my bc especially is that it was initially her idea when Crona was kidnapped on a shopping spree and she would even just offer Ox so many hair stuff in hopes he'll finally STOP shaving it all off like bro.. PLEASE!

Other than that she also got those moves and surprisingly knows a lot about music as well so her, soul and Kilik can actually connect and vibe together super easily and well!

Patty

Again, patty is a huge art person!

Of course she likes other things like beating people up with a passion, but she just loves to be creative and takes almost every medium bc why not trying everything and see how it goes??? Life is too short to be boring and plain!! Patty would most likely also like to bake as well but her creations are.... Experimental to say the least-

At least Stein and Ragnarok do like her stuff weirdly enough..

Kim

Also a little doodle enthusiast but she really would have a knack for Crochet and knitting too since Jackie has taught her the latter! She would rather die than to admit her hobbies and pleasures but she's a big softie when it comes to her interests!

God forbid people would even find out that she likes "girly" Stuff like figure skating and dancing as well.. Oh the horror!

Omg she would also have a secret love for flower arrangements as well but that's just me having more lore and hcs for her past as well that I won't (and likely never will) fully elaborate on :'DD

Jackie

Similar to Kim she loves knitting but also has a big talent and interest in Tayloring as well?? That girl probably had a bit horse phase as well and would actually love to get back into it at some point but a horse in the middle of Nevada is a little too much to ask for-

A bicycle would do as well I guess???

Idk why but Jackie seems a little bit of a person that enjoys Theatre and Musicals a lot as well so take that for what it-

Also little side note I want to add bc it's sth very dear and personal to me but glass engraving and the like?? It just fits quite a bit to her qvq

Kilik

Batic and Linol printed shirts!

The shirts he wears? Self made! The necklace?? Probably as well!! Also another music and Sports enthusiast even if he's more into more combat related sports rather than just running around for a good time!

He seeks the thrill and the surprising so unless you throw something at him out of the blue, he'd just see it as plain and simple training-

The drums are also his hobby but it's less than a hc than it is actually canon in the manga;;;

Overall he's pretty much an everyman kinda guy that has a good amount of Hobbies and interests that overlap with many others he sees as friends!

Fire & Thunder

They're still young as hell so I can't say AS much about them as I like to but they give a lot of crafty energy and would probably get a collecting hobby phase as well like for crystals and all!

Less for the esoteric aspect but more for the minerals itself!

Ox

Again not as much of an HC than it is a fact, but that guy takes a lot or enjoyment into research and other things that make his brain tingle like chess for example! Like he just LOVES burying himself into old history and folklore about plenty of topics and cultures and can easily spend days in it if Harvar wouldn't remind him to eat something in between-

Again I really don't know why, but something in me also knocks at my brain doors and continuesly shoves the HC in my head that Ox actually has a talent to actually draw?? Not like Patty where it's very imaginary and expressive, but more in a sense of scenes and architecture!! Basically pretty black and white and stuff!!

Harvar

It's super ironic but like Kim he actually has some hobbies he either won't admit to or people simply wouldn't believe it since why would a guy like him he interested in something like THAT???

Like liking to go swimming is one thing people could still get behind bc he hates boredom with a passion so it's good to stay active but him actually being into exact the same comics as black star is just super funny in my and it's very much the absolute opposite of Harvar sooo..

Omg but on top of that just.. Imagine him actually do liking video games but nothing like a souls game, but f*cking animal Crossing-

Of course he also likes research and chess a lot like Ox (even tho he's by far more competitive there) but he screams like Modelling as well! (The crafty stuff like building trains or Lego etc)

He just SUCKS at art tho which actually frustrated him-

Bonus

Crona

Crona most likely would catch some interest for poetry and other writing related things as well since they can actually express themselves much better with it without having to speak about it and they don't even have to show it to others as well.. It actually already helps that it exists in the first place and that they have something they can look at like "I made that!"

Aka bullet journaling sounds like sth tame enough for them but still sth to keep their mind somewhere unrelated to u know.. The whole childhood ordeal-

Basically they would enjoy many things that won't put Crona into the spotlight or that is to be shared forcefully so even if it's just reading something, it's just.. Nice;;

Also please give Crona sth calm like Animal Crossing-

Let them share an island with Harvar or Maka dkxbfodndp

Gopher

He sees something that peeks his (or Noah's) intetest, he HAS to overanalyze it and write every crucial detail down!

Like we don't just talk about one smarty little journal! I'm talking about whole Bookshelves worth of Infos written by that puppet alone!! Even his calligraphy and poetry/writing skills and hobbies are top notch and would rub it under Makas nose a LOT!

Hell he would do it so much that even Ox would have to remind him that he was meant to be Makas super annoying rival and not him pfffff!

(You could say that annoying Maka is also a passion of Gopher)

He would actually like to just casually fly and travel around a lot as well even if it's something he just does to get a job done.. If he'd focus more on the aspect itself, there would be much more appreciation etc!!

Also God forbid but he'd be into dnd as well-

My brain tells me to so it must be true!/j

THANKS FOR COMING TO MY INCOHERENT RAMBLING!!!

#soul eater #chalk rambles about stuff again #sorry that it's so long aaah!!! #Maka Albarn #soul eater evans #soul evans #Black star #death the kid #dtk #Liz Thompson #Patty thompson #tsubaki nakatsukasa #kim diehl #jacqueline o lantern dupre #Kilik rung #fire and thunder #pots of fire and thunder #harvar d. eclair #ox Ford #crona #crona gorgon #gopher #Soul eater Gopher

[1358456]

You asked if she has an aggressive tendency. Does this answer it?

Oho! It sure does! Hahaha

Violet: "What did you do to them?" Scarlet: "I gave them a little nudge in the right direction." Scarlet used (a very mild version of) Essence of Tragic Downfall

That said, I do hope that she's not like... psychotic. While that would be interesting, it's not exactly what I have in mind for aggressive tendencies. What I want is her to be normal (or even a little dark and quiet) until someone or something gets on her nerves, in which case... you know. So kind of like what Moon does already, but a bit more violent.

The panels are interesting. I once again know nothing about the games other than the Pokemon stats that I glanced over. So I don't know if the 5 victims are... the gang of the region, construction workers, cops, or just people engaging in cycling or roller skating. At least they're all wearing helmets, and are encased in a cocoon before being rolled down the stairs. Hence a very mild version of...

Also, why is Scarlet wearing heels? Is that a part of her normal attire, or just for whatever she was doing before pulling off a kid-friendly heat move? And the two Pokemon other than the spider with real sh*t stats, are they hers, or the victims'?

Hehe. So far, I'm getting a lot of Yakuza 7 and 8's Seonhee vibes from Scarlet, which is very nice. Especially since Seonhee is the Queen of the Geomijul, which is "spider web" in Korean.

Though I don't think Scarlet will be pulling out a gun or a knife any time soon...

#ask response

[estelraca]

Get to know you better game! Answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better.

tagged by: @baratrongirl

last song I listened to: Technically "The Macarena", because I needed to get my twins to dance for twenty minutes for a school thing and I was getting desperate. =p They were at least awed that I had been alive when the Macarena first came out, and that it was part of my ice skating warm-up routine!

The last song I pulled up of my own volition was "Never Look Away" by Vienna Teng. I absolutely adore her music. Her song "Eric's Song" is still the best song for my spouse and I.

currently reading: So many things! I love reading. I am making my dogged way through the One Piece manga after the live action drove my headfirst into it (I had stayed away for thirty years!). I am almost done with "The Seven Moons of Maali Almaeda", which is brutal but fascinating, featuring a queer photographer in Sri Lanka in the 80s. Or rather featuring his ghost, since he's been brutally murdered by a government death squad. Fascinating and alternates between horrific and nice quiet human moments. And then I am also reading Aliette de Bodard's "The Tea Master and the Detective", for something lighter, featuring Watson as a living ship and Holmes as a traumatized female teacher who likes solving mysteries.

currently watching: Kingohger! I am really really bad about watching anything consistently, but Kingohger is absolutely beautiful sentai. I adore every single one of these kings, and they're fighting an evil God, and they're sowing hope and breaking cycles of generational trauma, and I just want them all to walk away happy despite their trauma. And since it's aimed at children, they probably will; one of the reasons I like kid's TV, I think, while reading some much darker stuff (see above).

currently obsessed with: I never really put down a fandom or an obsession, I just rotate through them. I still adore Ace Attorney and Les Mis. New obsessions include One Piece (criiiies but also Zoro was written for me), Apothecary Diaries, and Dungeon Meshi; we'll see what else snags me over the next little bit!

tagging: Anyone who wants to do it! I am really socially awkward and bad at figuring out who to tag but also I love getting tagged in these things. Thanks for the chance to answer!

#estelraca's answers #tokusatsu

[hekateinhell]

Your Louis/Armand headcanons my goddd you get them so well 🤌🏼 despite the fact that they built Trinity Gate together and lived there for over a decade I’ve always seen them as more of an Upstate couple yk, the poster boys of cottage core/sad girl autumn, all cozy sweaters and giant scarfs and piles of books and fireplace cuddles. To their Upstste neighbors they’re this impossibly beautiful gay couple with a slight age difference (not the kind of age difference that would really get people talking though). The auburn haired one is a little standoffish at times and the brunette one has to pull him by the arm so they can say hi to the neighbors during their nightly walks. Louis insists they leave housewarming gifts by their neighbors’ doors whenever someone new moves in (it’s usually an apple crumble pie they get at Trader Joe’s, with a little card in Louis’ handwriting). Armand rolls his eyes at first but he secretly loves and craves the attention people give him and Louis together (“see Lestat? You’re not the only one turning heads with him by your side”). People start noticing they don’t really talk to each other a lot and seem to communicate with looks which they think is incredibly romantic but really it’s just them quoting erotic literature bangers back and forth in their heads . It’s the type of thing they don’t have the opportunity to do with their disaster blonds so they make the most of it whenever they’re together. Them getting away from all the noise and the people and the expectations and just having the opportunity to decompress together in a little (ridiculously expensive and meticulously designed ofc) Upstate love nest is my JAM 🥹 xoxo DA 💋

Awww DA, always so nice to see you! 🥰 I apologize for taking a minute—I've been outside roasting like a little lizard now that summertime has arrived here on the East Coast (apparently... I don't question it).

YES you get it, they're such an autumn couple! A 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom-friend of the maturing sun' (Keats; Louis would approve imo).

Armand and Daniel to me are much more summer, with humid late nights, beaches, and just the exciting highs of life. Lestat and Armand are spring, I think... renewal, rebirth, and hope (literally if we think about what Lestat represents to Armand).

It's so funny to consider how much practice Louis and Armand must have blending in, like I wonder what their neighbors on the Upper East Side think of them... what's the cover story there?

Louis is such a gentleman, he would so be the one introducing himself to the entire village! (Because rumors get started real quick in those sleepy little towns where not much happens, best to nip it in the bud). LMAO at the age difference 😭 Louis probably skates right under the radar at an entire twenty-five years old (RIP, Danny). Armand deserves to have Louis be his trophy husband from time-to-time, and in a childish sort of way, it soothes some of his insecurities that must stem from knowing their kind sees Louis as Lestat's consort first and foremost.

PLEASE tell me more about this erotic telepathic foreplay. 👀 I'm not ready or maybe I am for Louis to go all James Joyce on Armand (iykyk, otherwise shush) but he must've made him blush at least once right over the Headless Horseman Bridge. 🥹

*btw thought you might be into the L/A/D snippet I posted last week 💖 I'm a disgrace and don't have anything new to share since, but I hope to get back to it after banging out a kink meme prompt rip

#dungeon anon #they're in their cozy girl fall era leave them alone <3 #armand/louis #vc

[ezekielbhandarivalleros]

Friends with Roller Skates

Characters: Jake Tweneboah (My OC from Open Heart) and Ade Augustine (@aesthetic-aag OC from Bloodbound)

Summary: When nobody wants to play with Jake, Ade choses to Roller Skate with him when she herself has nobody to play with 

Rating - General 

Tags - @aesthetic-aag @princess-geek @secretaryunpaid @choicesficwriterscreations

Written for me and @aesthetic-aag’s Friendship Anniversary!

Jake Tweneboah was not impressed. He did not want to be in this day care at all, but shortly after he had turned five, his grandmother had been offered a job for one day in the week. Since his parents also worked aboard (Something they never liked to tell him), and there was no other family living nearby, Jake’s grandmother had opted to send him here once a week. They said he would make friends here, but none of the kids here wanted to play with him, saying that he looked and talked funny.

Jake didn't understand why that would effect them to not want to play with him.

Not that he wanted to play the games they were playing anyway. Hide and seek would undoubtedly make him dirty, and playing tag would make him sweaty, both of which he loathed. He would draw, but every seat at the drawing table was taken, and he most definitely didn't want to listen to the weird girl talking all the time.

In the end, that reduced Jake opted sitting by himself at one of the clean tables, watching the other kids have fun. He sighed. He just wanted to go home, but his Grandmother had made him promise to at least try this day care. She had been very happy excited the job offer, but Jake knew that she would stay home with him if he didn't like it here. He bit his lip. Why couldn't his grandmother just stay home? He did promise could be a good boy and start school when he got older!

"Hi," a voice suddenly came from next to Jake. Looking up, he saw a girl, slightly smaller than him, smiling happily at him. "I like your shoes," the girl told him a little shyly.

Jake grinned. Up until that point, all the other kids had told him that his shoes, along with the rest of his clothes, were stupid. "Thank you," he replied politely, remembering how his Grandmother always told him to have good manners. "Whoa," he continued, catching sight of the girl's facial features. "Your cheeks are huge!" The girl frowned, looking a bit hurt. "They're really cool, though!" Jake tried to reassure her.

The girl smiled a little again. "Thanks," she muttered, glancing at the kids playing in the courtyard. "All the other kids say I'm a freak because of them."

Now it was Jake's turn to frown. "That's not very nice," he said. "I don't think you're a freak. But they call me that too because they don't like my clothes."

The girl looked at him with wide eyes. "I like your clothes!"

Again, Jake grinned. "Thanks! I'm Jake, by the way!"

The girl held out a hand for Jake to shake. "I'm Ade! Do you want to roller-skate with me?" She gestured towards his feet, and he blinked. He hadn't even noticed that Ade had been wearing roller-skates all this time.

He wrinkled his nose. "But if I fall, my clothes will get dirty," he reminded Ade. After all, Ade liked his clothes, right? He wouldn't want them to get dirty.

"I'll hold your hand," Ade promised. "My mum taught me to skate some time ago. It's really fun!"

Jake bit his lip. He really didn't want to get his clothes dirty, but Ade was the first kid his age to talk to him without making fun of him. She even seemed to want to be Jake's friend. "O-Okay," he stuttered in the end. "But you have to hold my hand all the time."

Ade nodded eagerly before standing up. She skated clumsily, Jake noted towards the shed where the play stuff was kept. Jake got up a little more hesitantly. He hoped Ade would keep her promise, and not make fun of him as well when she noticed Jake couldn't skate at all.

When he arrived at the shed, Ade was already going through the roller-skates as if life depended on it. Jake watched her for a moment, before he realised that hardly any of those skates would go well with his outfit. And while Ade had expressed her love for Jake's clothes, Jake knew better than to expect the girl to be able to color-coordinate as well as he did.

He took a few more steps towards Ade, hoping that the few skates that wouldn't clash with his outfit were his size. Just then, Ade held up a pair of awfully orange skates. "Maybe these fit?" she asked excitedly, but Jake just stared at the skates with a horrified expression on his face. Ade's face fell. "You don't like them?"

"They're orange" Jake replied, unable to keep his distaste for the colour out of his tone. He moved even closer to the shed and picked up the nearest pair that didn't look too awful. "I'll wear these."

 Ade looked confused. "Aren't those much too big for you?"

"Maybe," Jake said, not wanting to give Ade any indication that she was, in fact, very right – these particular skates looked like Jake could fit both his feet in one skate. He hurried back to where he'd been sitting previously. After carefully taking his shoes off, he put the skates on. He bit his lip, Ade had been completely right. These skates were obviously meant for bigger kids.

"Jake?" Ade shuffled closer, seeming a little unsure of herself. "Do you want these instead? You'll fall if you wear those…"

Jake glanced at the pair of skates she was carrying. They seemed familiar somehow. "Aren't those your skates?" he asked when it hit him. Ade nodded sheepishly, and Jake immediately looked down at her feet.

She was wearing the bright orange skates instead.

This time, Jake managed to keep himself from scowling at them. After all, he didn't have to wear them.

He carefully took the skates from Ade and kicked off the skates he was currently wearing – which just proved how large they really were. Ade sat down next to him again, watching Jake as he put on the skates.

"Thank you," Jake said earnestly. Ade was really nice, he found. Not only did she want to play with Jake, she didn't even mind giving up the skates she had already put on.

Ade smiled in response, and when she saw that Jake had the skates on, Jake swore she even squealed. Hastily, Ade stood up again appearing to lose her balance at some point, but she didn't fall. Jake hoped Ade could teach him how to do that and extended both her hands for Jake to grab. Jake instantly latched onto them before standing upright 

And he promptly fell over. Ade tried to catch him, but thanks to the roller skates, she wasn't exactly stable either. Thus, she fell over as well, with Jake on top of her.

"Ouch," she muttered, obviously trying not to cry. Jake, although glad that his clothes were still intact, didn't like the fact that he'd almost made his new friend cry. He tried to get up from where he was lying, so he could tug up Ade this time. Before he was even fully standing, though, he lost his balance and fell again. Now he knew what Ade must feel – that really hurt.

He whimpered a little from the pain, but even before he could remember the fact that his clothes must be ruined now, Ade extended a hand towards him once more, giving him a slightly nervous smile. "Want to try again?" she asked quietly. "Please don't cry."

Sniffing a little, Jake nodded. If Ade could hold back her tears, so could he, right? This time, Ade leaned against the table to pull Jake up, so that they wouldn't immediately fall over again. Once they were both standing Ade tried to steady Jake, who couldn't seem to remain standing still for half a second. This only caused Jake to panic more and Ade too.

"Come on," Kurt's new friend said frantically. "Let's see if you can skate…"

"Ade!" Jake yelped, as she dragged him along. If he couldn't even stand on these things, how was he supposed to move forward? He tried to ignore his fears and just concentrated on the fact that Ade was still holding his hand firmly. He wouldn't fall, he wouldn't fall, he wouldn't fall…

‘Jake?" she realized only now that he'd closed his eyes at some point. "If you don't move your legs, you'll never see if you can skate."

Jake wanted to shake his head, wanted to tell Ade to please bring him back to his table in the classroom. Instead, he found himself hesitantly placing one foot in front of the other, and then again, and again…

Smiling brightly, he turned to Ade before quickly turning his head back towards his feet, so he wouldn't fall again. "I can do it!" he exclaimed happily. "I'm skating, Ade!"

In response, Ade squeezed his hand as they moved on, slowly circling the playground. "You're great!" Ade assured him after a couple of rounds. "Maybe you can skate by yourself already!"

Without thinking of any possible consequences, Jake nodded, and Ade let go of his hand. Amazed, Jake kept skating around, making sure not to get too close to the other children who were running around and getting dirty. He could do this. He could actually skate. Ade kept skating next to him, although Jake was sure that his friend could probably move much faster than that. He contemplated telling Ade to just skate as her own speed, before remembering that she was the only kid here willing to play with him. And he, Jake, was the only one who wanted to play with Ade.

So he didn't tell Ade she could go ahead.

Some time later, Ade asked him, "Do you want to stop? I'm getting a little tired…"

Jake nodded, suddenly feeling a little tired as well. "Sure," he replied, "let's go back to the table."

As soon as they were there and Jake stood still once more, he felt like he was falling down again. He gripped the table and threw a panicking look around. Ade stared at him in shock. "You can skate, but you can't stand still? That's weird; when I started, it was the other way around. Are you – "

Wow. Ade talked just as much as that weird girl Jake always would avoid. Only Jake actually liked it when Ade talked, because she didn't just talk about herself. Oh, and she didn't wear silly clothes and outfits like the weird girl did.

In the end, Jake managed to sit down at the bench, and he slowly moved towards where his shoes were still lying. When he looked up, Ade was gone. For a moment, Jake's expression fell. Did she not like him after all? This fear was proven to be false when Ade returned a few moments later.

Upon seeing Jake's questioning look, she held up her hand. "I had to get my shoes!" she told him. "They were over there," she added, waving her hand towards somewhere Jake couldn't really see.

They changed back into their shoes in silence, but then, Jake asked shyly, "Do you want to come see if we can draw now?" He felt a little uncertain, what if Ade didn't like drawing?

"Of course!" Ade replied, grinning back at Jake. "I love drawing!" She chattered on, Jake trying his best to reply whenever he was asked a question, as they brought the roller-skates back to the shed. Fortunately for them, a lot of the children who had been sitting at the drawing table before had moved away in order to play with Clay at a different Table. Jake looked their way longingly. He wanted to make something out of the clay as well, but he'd already asked Ade to draw with him. Not that he didn't like drawing – but he liked clay as well. Maybe they could do that another time?

"Come on, Jake!" Ade said enthusiastically, already grabbing a couple of nicely colored pencils and some paper. "Draw with me!"

And Jake did. They were still drawing when Jake’s Grandmother came to pick him up. Jake didn't want to leave his new friend all alone, but Jake told her that his Grandmother would probably come soon as well. Besides, they would see each other again next week. Jake actually felt a little sad about seeing Ade only once a week, especially since the other kids here didn't seem to like her very much.

"Maybe your mommy will let you come over some time," he told Ade conspiringly. Ade smiled gleefully at the prospect before hugging her new friend Jake tightly.

"Bye, Jake!" she told him softly.

Jake smiled back. "Bye, Ade!"

He would make sure to tell his Grandmother that if she wanted to work more than just one day per week, that was okay too.

#playchoices #jake tweneboah #ade augustine #open heart #bloodbound #ocs #choicesgame

[sunskate]

there were only 8 teams in the FD after starting the event with 13 lol i hope Leia (and i think Felix from the Swiss team?) are ok - those withdrawals had to do with injury i think? not sure about Karnes/Carr, the new British team- if their FD isn't quite ready, they're entered in the British qualifying competition in 10 days, so they'll need it there

ok i love CPom - at this stage in their career, when they're in a fight to be taken seriously to represent the USA at the highest level, what do they want to show with their programs? there's this perception that they're "nice kids" who maybe don't have enough fire in the belly. well, the RD says our vibe is laid back, but we soar, we can fly - and that FD is dreamlike and beautiful and a little strange - we take risks - you think we're nice? well Anthony's going to murder Christina at every competition lol

i just watched the RD video online, and the music mix on the stream was terrible - the program feels different when you can hear Stevie Nicks's voice. for the FD, they're projecting so well now that the nuances of their performance come across live much as they do on the stream with the camera closer - as this program develops, it has the potential to cast a real hold your breath kind of spell. i love that they're stretching and doing another complex and sophisticated FD

Hannah and Ye - i can't remember ever seeing them have a rough skate before, but if it had to happen at least it was early in the season. that straight line lift is always stunning. they seem so savvy and self possessed that i wasn't sure a romantic program like umbrellas was going to fit, but i'm looking forward to seeing this again, to see them present it the way they intend - their version seems more dramatic than soft. (the color of her dress is 😘)

the ISU Italian judge from the RD was the tech controller for the FD 👀 i didn't know you can sit on both the tech and judging panel in the same event

i'm side eyeing this panel - in the RD, one judge had Olivia and Tim 1st and another had them 9th. same for Lily and Nathan- one judge 1st, another one 9th! there was a judge who put Emmy/Jacob 2nd behind only Fabbri/Ayer. Judge 7 had the baby British team with a twizzle error in 2nd above CPom. tell me how we're supposed to take their opinions seriously 😬

on a shallow note, of all the colors, Gauthier/Thieren and Emmy wore brown - idgi. i did like G/T's RD, and they can be proud they've performed well in their senior debut comps. Emmy/Jacob's RD is fun and quirky - i always feel like the two of them have different vibes, though

Lily and Nathan's FD is moving and unique - i get emotional every time by the character step - on a skate level there's so much that's beautiful and of quality going on - there's inconsistency in the precision of the pictures they make - a position that's stunning in one performance isn't quite there in the next. that ending pose can be so memorable right on the music, but it doesn't go up the same way each time. i hope that as they gain in polish the judges give them more love, they deserve it

there were 16 teams originally entered, and every single one was IAM or IAMO - this basically was an in-house competition for senior dance 😅